High octane and high economy on MPG Marathon

PR director Alyson Marlow is hoping to prove that you can use an efficient high-performance car in daily driving without enormous fuel bills.

Together with motoring journalist Jeremy Walton the pair are competing in the ALD Automotive/TOTAL ECO 10 MPG Marathon in a Ford Focus RS.

Over two days the pair will test their economy skills on a 360 mile course based in the Midlands.

“We are one of 40 crews taking part in a wide range of cars and light commercial vehicles and while the Focus RS might not be the obvious choice for an economy run we are looking forward to the challenge,’’ said Alyson whose PR accounts include Hendy Ford.

“While the Focus RS is of course known for its power and speed we want to demonstrate a different side to the car and of course the award for class honours.’’

Official fuel consumption figures from Ford suggest a combined fuel economy of 30.5mpg but the pair are hoping to return more than 35mpg during the 360 mile route.