Gamers Drive Ford GT in Forza Motorsport 6 for 48 Hours at Le Mans to Set New GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ Title
- Five Gamers each race Ford GT in Forza Motorsport 6 for 48 hours 29 minutes to set a new
Guinness World Records title for “Longest video marathon on a racing game”
- Surviving on power naps, sweets and energy drinks, the gamers set the record while racing around the
simulated circuit used for the Le Mans 24 Hours, where the real-life Ford GT race car won earlier this year
- GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title presented on Microsoft stand at Gamescom, Europe’s biggest interactive
games trade fair. Earlier this week, Ford released a video that shows drone pilots tackling course with a drifting Focus RS,
smoking Mustang, and a robot
Five bleary-eyed gamers each completed a mammoth two-day stint at the wheel of a virtual Ford GT race car in Forza Motorsport
6 to set a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the “longest video marathon on a racing game.”
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Five bleary-eyed gamers each completed a mammoth two day stint at the wheel of a virtual Ford GT race car in Forza
Motorsport 6 to set a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the “longest video marathon on a racing game.” (Photo: Business
Wire)
Gamers Cara Scott, 25, from the U.K.; Hélène Cressot, from France; Johannes Knapp, 30, from Germany; Andrea Lorenzo Facchinetti,
42, from Italy; and Jesús Sicilia Sánchez, 23, from Spain, took on a simulated version of the La Sarthe circuit used for the Le
Mans 24 Hours, where the real life Ford GT race car achieved a historic victory earlier this year.
Driving for 48 hours, 29 minutes and 21 seconds, and completing a combined 41,004 virtual kilometres and 3015 laps, the gamers
survived on power naps, sweets and soft drinks as they broke the previous record of 48 hours 1 minute.
The GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title was later presented on the Microsoft stand at Gamescom, Europe’s biggest interactive games
trade fair, in Cologne, Germany.
“They did an amazing job. Just like driving at the real Le Mans, this achievement required extreme levels of concentration,
attention to detail, and most importantly endurance – because they had to keep going for twice as long as we did,” said Ford Chip
Ganassi Racing driver Stefan Mücke, who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship in the Ford GT, and started the virtual
race.
Compared with Mücke’s 136 laps of Le Mans – completed during 9:05.40 hours of real world driving – the five gamers averaged 603
laps each over 48:29.21 hours of virtual driving during the challenge with Forza Motorsport 6 for Xbox One, at Ford’s
European headquarters, also in Cologne.
Their combined 41,004 kilometres is equivalent to driving once around the world. To stay awake for two nights straight, they
drank 32 energy drinks, 146 bottles of water and 47 bottles of soft drinks, and consumed more than 3 kilograms of sweets.
“For me, it’s incredible to see anyone stay up all night, whether it’s for a bumper car marathon or four days of watching
television,” said Lena Kuhlmann, official adjudicator, GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS. “Two days of race gaming is a superlative effort.
The endurance of the gamers is remarkable. They were engaged, concentrating and having fun even after the record was broken. It’s
also great to have the actual Ford GT in view, to keep the gamers from getting completely immersed in the virtual world.”
Ford GT and Forza Motorsport 6
Ford engineers worked closely with Microsoft’s Turn 10 Studios to ensure the virtual driving experience of the cars in Forza
Motorsport 6 is as realistic as possible, from the look and feel of each vehicle to distinctive engine sounds and handling
styles. With the Ford GT, certain performance aspects were first revealed through the game, such as the active rear wing, which
automatically changes its angle in different conditions. The Ford GT is now one of the top five most raced cars in the game and has
racked up almost 71 million kilometres – nearly as far as the distance from the Earth to Mercury, when at its closest.
Ford and Microsoft have combined forces again with Forza Racing Championship, the largest Forza racing competition in history. Open to elite gamers and aspiring
amateurs, the championship, running until Sept. 4, will crown the best Forza player in the world, with the ultimate prize a brand
new 2017 Ford Focus RS.
“Dronekhana”
Ford this week also premiered the new “Dronekhana” video showing expert drone pilots tackling a unique and challenging course – involving a Focus RS,
a smoking Ford Mustang, and a robot, also filmed nearby at Ford’s European HQ.
World Drone Prix champion Luke Bannister, 16, and fellow Tornado XBlades team member Brett Collis, 22, both from the U.K., raced
the drones over an obstacle course that also included flying through a Ford B-MAX car, under a Ford Ranger pickup and bursting
through smoke-filled balloons. A rig of 36 GoPro cameras captured the lightweight racing drones mid-action in a style made famous
by the 1999 film The Matrix.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global automotive and mobility company based in Dearborn, Michigan. With about 203,000 employees and
67 plants worldwide, the company’s core business includes designing, manufacturing, marketing, financing and servicing a full line
of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs and electrified vehicles, as well as Lincoln luxury vehicles. At the same time, Ford aggressively is
pursuing emerging opportunities through Ford Smart Mobility, the company’s plan to be a leader in connectivity, mobility,
autonomous vehicles, the customer experience, and data and analytics. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor
Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford, its products worldwide or Ford Motor Credit Company, visit
www.corporate.ford.com.
Ford of Europe is responsible for producing, selling and servicing Ford brand vehicles in 50 individual markets and
employs approximately 53,000 employees at its wholly owned facilities and approximately 68,000 people when joint ventures and
unconsolidated businesses are included. In addition to Ford Motor Credit Company, Ford Europe operations include Ford Customer
Service Division and 24 manufacturing facilities (16 wholly owned or consolidated joint venture facilities and 8 unconsolidated
joint venture facilities). The first Ford cars were shipped to Europe in 1903 – the same year Ford Motor Company was founded.
European production started in 1911.
For news releases, related materials, photos and video, visit www.fordmedia.eu or www.media.ford.com.
Follow www.twitter.com/FordEu or www.youtube.com/fordofeurope
Volker Eis
Ford of Europe
+49 221 901 90 96
veis@ford.com
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