8 July 2000  A Lupo 3L TDI passenger car, advertised by
Volkswagen as “the best mileage production car in the world”,
has finished the North American part of it’s quest to establish
a record for the most fuel-efficient trip around the world.  The
Volkswagen Lupo’s “Around the World in 80 Days” tour began on 16
May 2000 in Berlin, Germany. From there, the Lupo has been
driven through parts of South Africa, Asia, Australia, and North
America. Its trek is scheduled to end after 80 days on August 3
back in Germany at Volkswagen’s headquarters in Wolfsburg.  The
North America stage of the Lupo’s journey started in San
Francisco and continued via Los Angeles and into Mexico City,
Dallas, Washington, DC, and New York, from where the car was
air-lifted back to Europe to restart its road trip in London,
setting its sites in North Africa, Spain, France, North Europe
and finally, Germany.  If completed as scheduled, the Lupo’s
expedition will traverse the globe over 20,712 road miles in 80
days, an idea based on the boo