Three Continents in Three Days by Car: Record-holding driver Gerhard Plattner relies on Hankook tyres

•    Audi A3 travels from Africa to Asia via Europe in just 72 hours
•    Gerhard Plattner drives on Hankook Ventus S1 evo tyres from Rabat to Istanbul
•    Hankook Tire wishes Audi all the best for the company’s 100th anniversary

Neu-Isenburg, Germany, 08 June 2009 – Austrian distance driver Gerhard Plattner is scheduled to set off on one of his most ambitious adventures to date on 8th June 2009. For the first time ever, the record-holding driver aims to drive a car on three different continents in three days. The marathon tour will take Plattner and his series-produced Audi A3 through 13 countries – he will rely not only on his preferred make of vehicle, but also on high-performance tyres from Hankook.

Plattner has already circled the globe about seven times on his quest to set new records. And yet, even after driving almost seven million kilometres, the fascination of driving a car still has the journalist firmly in its grip. In his new attempt to set a record, Plattner and his long-term co-pilot Franz Doppler will try to be the first ever to travel the almost 5,000 kilometres between the Moroccan capital of Rabat and the Asian side of Istanbul within 72 hours (three days). Dubbed the “most versatile driver in the world” by the Guinness Book of Records, Plattner is aware of the huge challenge he is taking on – and he will be counting on tried-and-tested partners to help him to overcome the extreme conditions he will face en route.

J.W. Choi, Hankook Tire Executive Vice President and the head of the tyre manufacturer’s European business, sees record-holding driver Gerhard Plattner off on Audi’s “Three Continents in Three Days” tour, which will start in Rabat, Morocco on 8th June, travelling through Europe to reach the Turkish city of Istanbul on 11th June

“Our Audi A3 1.9 TDI e and our Hankook tyres provide the best conditions for top performance, dependability, and fuel economy under all road conditions on all three continents,” says Gerhard Plattner. “We chose the high-performance Hankook Ventus S1 evo tyres, which Audi also uses as original equipment on various A3 models, because, in spite of their exceptionally good traction, these tyres have proven that they are also highly durable and have low rolling resistance. Of course, even with the best possible equipment, every success always involves a bit of luck – especially when it comes to the weather and traffic.”

To mark the 100th anniversary of the Audi brand, Plattner, with support from Hankook Tire, will bring back 100 souvenir photos from the trip and present them to the car manufacturer as a folding album 30 metres long. “We are very pleased to be supporting Audi and Gerhard Plattner with our tyres, especially for the anniversary of the Audi brand,” says Jin-Wook Choi, Executive Vice President and European head of Hankook Tire. “Audi is one of the leading vehicle manufacturers in the world in terms of technology, and we are proud to be a partner in this record-setting trip with our high quality product.”

The tour will begin in front of the mausoleum of King Hassan in Rabat, Morocco. From there, an express ferry will take the team to Tarifa, in Europe, where they will then drive along the Mediterranean coast, through Spain, France, Monaco and Italy. After crossing the Alps, the route continues through Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria until it reaches Turkey. In Istanbul, the team will cross the Bosphorus on 11th June, reaching the finish line on the Asian side of the city.