The results are in, and Falken Tire Corp.’s Ecorun partnership with the social media-guided Honda Civic was a success.
The 20-year-old, specially modified vehicle covered more than 2,000 miles and achieved an average of 60 mpg over its five-day venture -- all while traveling on Falken’s Ziex ZE-914 Ecorun tire.
The journey, which began on Aug. 19, 2013, and ran until Aug. 24, was mapped out “live” via fans and enthusiasts who submitted ideas to the driving team for destinations through various social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The Honda began its trip at Falken’s tire warehouse in Fontana, Calif., and headed to northern California.
1. Day one: stopped in San Francisco.
2. Day two: continued north to Portland via Eugene, Ore.
3. Day three: moved southwest to Klamath Falls, Ore. (after a quick stop at Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland).
4. Day four: reached Reno, Nev.
5. Day five: drove to Victorville, Calif., and then returned to Fontana.
The monuments visited along the way included the Golden Gate Bridge and Sun Dial Bridge in Turtle Bay, Calif.
"The report from the drivers was that these were long days behind the wheel, but they met a lot of wonderful people along the way," says Andrew Hoit, vice president of marketing. "What was most satisfying to everyone was that the Ecorun Civic met the projected goal of 60 mpg on the flat highways, and 50 to 55 mpg on mountainous terrain.
“The suspension and aero upgrades on the Civic, combined with the low rolling resistance and fuel efficiency of the Falken Ecorun ZE914 tire, all played their part in achieving those mileage numbers.”
The upgraded 1993 Honda Civic VX (VTEC-E) was driven by the editors of Import Tuner magazine.
For more information on the trip, visit "Falken's Ecorun tire featured in road trip" and www.falkentire.com.
