The new Lexus RX 500h (gallery on the left) is on display until December 2, the RZ (gallery on the right) subsequently until December 19. This is a unique opportunity to get to know both vehicles in person in the heart of Zurich. The City Store is open Monday to Friday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Early next year at the dealer

Christian Wellauer, Director Lexus Switzerland: "We are delighted to be able to present two automotive delicacies to our customers as a Swiss premiere at a prime location in Zurich."

The completely redesigned RX 500h will be available at Lexus dealers from January 2023 following its premiere in Zurich. The new battery-electric SUV RZ 450e demonstrates the possibilities of a new e-drive technology that takes performance and driving experience to a new level. The car will be at dealerships from March 2023.

lexus.ch

To understand the Lancia Stratos, you have to remember the rules of rallying in the early 1970s. These stipulated that rally cars must in any case have a production model as a basis, which in turn was built at least 400 times. The aim was to derive a successful rally car from this. No manufacturer had approached this task so radically before.

Visually almost brutal models
Luca Napolitano, CEO Lancia: "To be inspired by cars like the Lancia Delta, the Rally 037 and the Stratos is every designer's dream. These three efficient and visually almost brutal models have made Lancia the most successful brand in the history of rallying. Their radical design and sophisticated aerodynamics are also unmistakable elements of Lancia's legendary design history."

With rear-wheel drive against 4×4 cars
The Lancia Rally 037 transported the functional forms of the Stratos into the 1980s. Because the Delta S4 was not used until 1985, the factory team competed against its four-wheel-drive rivals in the 1982 to 1984 seasons with the rear-wheel-drive Rally 037. Despite this perceived disadvantage, Lancia secured the title of one-make world champion in 1983. This makes the Lancia Rally 037 the last rear-wheel drive vehicle to achieve this success. One of the factory drivers was Walter Röhrl.

Further development to rally winner
Lancia was perfectly positioned with the Delta HF 4WD from 1986. The four-door compact sedan was Lancia's first production model to feature all-wheel drive and a 2-liter turbocharged engine. With the Delta HF 4WD, Lancia had created the ideal basis for further development into a rally winner. On a journey from the past to the future, Lancia will present numerous design icons from its long history on November 28.

lancia.ch

The smell of cooking oil in the air at the Fuji 24 Hours this June was not coming from the track's kitchen, but from pit 27, where mechanics from the Mazda racing team were pouring a somewhat special fuel into their race car. The race-ready Mazda 2 competed in the ST-Q class, which was created for non-homologated vehicles that would serve development purposes. The Zekken 55 Mazda 2 Bio Concept was powered by 100 percent biodiesel made from used cooking oil and microalgae grease.

Drive solutions according to region
Although the turn to battery-electric passenger cars is now progressing rapidly, especially in Europe, Mazda believes that many questions remain on the subject. Where does the electrical energy for these cars come from? What about the sustainability of the raw material supply? What is happening in countries where electrification has not yet taken hold?

Akira Marumoto: President and CEO of Mazda Motor Corporation: "We are taking a multi-pronged approach with different drive solutions - depending on the region and local regulations.

Mazda 3 with biodiesel or e-fuels
For example, although the Japanese already offer fully electric models, they also want to further develop cars powered by pure e-fuels or e-fuel mixtures. At the moment, the Mazda 2 Bio Concept is still a laboratory on wheels. For the 2023 season, however, Mazda is developing a new racing car based on the Mazda 3 - also powered by biodiesel.

mazda.ch

The Engine Songs is a collection of music curated by music producer Alex Trecarichi (gallery center right and Mario Mautone left) in collaboration with Lamborghini sound engineers. It is intended to provide an immersion into a comprehensive driving experience.

Playlist on Spotify

Compositions with Artificial Intelligence

Producer Trecarichi also brought Artificial Intelligence to the studio: "This process allows me to find the basic frequencies of the engine that correspond to three precise phases of its expressiveness, the ignition and the rev ranges around 4000 per minute and at peak power. The experiment began with the artistic transposition of the V12 of the Aventador LP 780-4 Ultimae."

As science has established, the engine sounds in F-sharp (92.50 hertz) at its lowest speed. This corresponds to the key of the song Canone infinito by Lorenzo Senni, which was included in the V12 playlist. At 4000 rpm, the pistons tune to G (98 hertz), a cruising speed that can be experienced with Ben Böhmer's Run Away in the background. At the maximum speed of 8000 rpm, the pitch climbs to the G-sharp (103.83 hertz) of the song We Can All Dance by Sam Collins. The sound of the V12 is associated with the violin, the instrument for high notes. It is said to be the only one capable of producing a crescendo similar in volume to the sharpness of what Lamborghini's twelve-cylinder produces.

Sound of the V12 engines will soon be history
As the last descendant of Antonio Stradivari, the greatest violin maker in history, Luca Natali Stradivari (gallery left) compares the high-frequency roar of the V12 engine to the highest notes of the violin with his harmonic sensibility:

Luca Natali Stradivari: "The high notes of the violin are very emotional and touch everyone.They give an idea of what art and music can achieve."

Unfortunately, however, the sound of the V12 will soon be a thing of the past. Production of the V12 combustion engine in its final evolutionary stage will end at the end of the year with the last Aventador Ultimae. From 2023, the Aventador successor will be equipped with a plug-in hybrid version of the V12.

lamborghini.com

Senior citizens cause an above-average number of accidents behind the wheel, and with sociodemographic change, the number of accidents is likely to rise further. To identify older people who are no longer fit to drive, Switzerland currently relies primarily on medical check-ups from the age of 75. However, the AAIB considers other measures to be more effective.

Medical checkups
For many older people, driving means mobility and a more active life. However, seniors are more vulnerable in accidents than younger people, and injuries are more likely to have serious consequences. In addition, older drivers are involved in and cause accidents at a disproportionately high rate.

Medical check-ups have now been comprehensively investigated by the BFU (Swiss Council for Accident Prevention). The advisory body comes to the conclusion that the medical check-ups are widely accepted, but do not bring the hoped-for increase in safety.

Use of safety assistants
In the BFU's view, it would make sense to streamline the complex system of check-ups. First of all, it would have to be investigated whether the increase in the age for the examination from 70 to 75 years, which only took place in 2019, has had a negative effect on the number of accidents. Independently of the adjustment of the check-ups, other prevention approaches would need to be strengthened. At the technical level, the consistent and correct use of safety assistants in cars must be promoted. Even less complex, more forgiving roads bring a gain in safety.

Mental stress while driving
Speed 30 zones can be implemented quickly. Among other things, lower speeds reduce the mental strain of driving. This benefits older drivers in particular. It is also important that seniors deal with age-related changes at an early stage. With its Driving Safety Check, the BFU offers a tailor-made tool that enables older people to recognize possible limitations in good time and take appropriate measures.

bfu.ch

Since the first edition in 1964, Emma Summerton is now the fifth woman to set the calendar - following Sarah Moon in 1972, Joyce Tenenson in 1989, Inez Van Lamsveerde in 2007, and Annie Leibovitz in 2000 and 2016. She also co-directed the presentation video for the 2023 Pirelli calendar with director Carlo Alberto Orecchia.

Search for inspiration and mission statement
Emma Summerton dedicated the 49th issue of The Cal to all the women who have been a guiding light for her as an artist and as a person in search of inspiration.

Emma Summerton: "I'm fascinated by the women who create extraordinary and creative things, the women who have inspired me throughout my life, starting with my mother."

Essence similarity of each model
TheCal contains 28 photographs of 14 models, depicted in the dreamy style that makes Emma Summerton's work distinctive. The selection of women is well thought out, as each shows a kinship of essence with the muse she portrays. The backdrop for the shoot was the sets in London and New York.

Emma Summerton: "In my photographs, the line between the role the models play and who they really are is blurred. Everything merges into images that appear as if in magical realism."

pirelli.com

It's more than a hasty assumption after all. Strikers and midfielders prefer fast cars. Goalkeepers and defenders, on the other hand, prefer grand tourers and SUVs. Mercedes, Audi and Land Rover are at the top of the brand hit list.

The evaluation by Autodoc's vehicle experts shows the most coveted cars of more than 300 international soccer players and reveals an astonishing correlation between vehicle type and player position. Particularly in view of the World Cup in Qatar, such observations offer plenty to talk about.

Midfield and forward like it sporty
Autodoc's analysis reveals which models, brands and vehicle classes footballers drive. The long-standing research includes hundreds of current and former national players from 45 countries and their preferred vehicles.

38 percent of the forwards surveyed own a sports car, including Antoine Griezmann (McLaren 675LT), João Félix (Ferrari 488 GTB) and Robert Lewandowski (Ferrari F12 Berlinetta). However, sports cars are even more popular among midfielders, where almost every second player with this position drives a sporty runabout, such as Leon Goretzka (Mercedes-AMG V8 Biturbo) and Mario Götze (Mercedes SL 500).

Wide in the gate and also wide on the road
It is striking that many of the world's best goalkeepers prefer to drive grand tourers or SUVs. A total of 36 percent of the goalkeepers surveyed drive SUVs, including Denmark's Kasper Schmeichel (Range Rover Sport) and Wojciech Szczęsny from Poland (Porsche Cayenne Lumma Design). Another 44 percent own a grand tourer, like Manuel Neuer (Audi RS6). Only four percent of the goalkeepers surveyed drive sports cars.

36 percent of defenders drive SUVs, including Virgil van Dijk from the Netherlands (Mercedes-AMG G63), Theo Hernandez from France (Lamborghini Urus) and Dejan Lovren from Croatia (Mercedes GLE Coupe). 37 percent prefer grand tourers, such as Jordan Henderson from England (Audi RS7) and Swiss Ricardo Rodriguez (Porsche Panamera Turbo S).

autodoc.com

The panel of silicon solar cells optionally available for the Genesis Electrified G80 converts the energy of sunlight into electrical energy, further increasing the combined WLTP range of 520 kilometers.

With an average daylight period of just under six hours, around 0.7 kWh of energy can be generated per day, which corresponds to an additional range of just over three kilometers. Calculated over a year, this adds up to around 1150 additional kilometers.

Charging the battery by solar energy
The solar panel uses high-performance solar cells with high charging efficiency. The solar roof has a rated output of around 200 W and generates 210 W of electricity in optimum sunlight. The solar energy can also be used to charge the 12-volt battery, which is used to operate comfort features such as the air conditioning.

The efficiency of the solar roof depends on the external conditions. Ideal conditions are, of course, in countries with many hours of sunshine and when customers park the vehicle in the open air and are mainly on the road during the day.

Elegance, dynamics, technology and sustainability
The solar roof is just one of the many features of the Genesis model range that defines a new standard for premium electric cars by combining elegance with dynamism and technology with sustainability. The Electrified G80 uses recycled materials in the headliner, floor mats and sun visors. The Electrified G80 is available in Switzerland at prices starting at 76,100 Swiss francs. The solar roof costs an additional 1740 francs.

genesis.com

At the IgFS workshop (Interessengemeinschaft Fahrzeugrestauratoren Schweiz) in Sulgen, host and ex-racing driver Markus Hotz welcomed more than 50 guests from specialist classic car workshops throughout Switzerland. Under the title "Fuels of the Future," he reported on his forays in this field.

Premiere at the Oberhallau hill climb
Synthetic gasoline, made from renewable, biogenic materials, was used for the first time in August at the Oberhallau hill climb.

Race drivers Marcel Fässler, Beni Hotz and Neel Jani had shown in demo runs with racing cars that the synthetic fuel can be used without any problems and without mechanical modifications to the engine. But according to Hotz, the so-called drop-in fuel also works perfectly in normal road vehicles.

Project group with recognized experts
The new fuel used complies with the applicable standards, has an octane rating of 97.8, is around 85 percent CO2-neutral and can be used without the need for new filling station infrastructure. The same is true of the e-fuels, which will be available on a limited basis from 2025 and will be produced from hydrogen and CO2 using green electricity. "We don't just want to talk, we want to do something," said Hotz, confirming the intentions of the project group, which includes engine builder Mario Illien and carmaker founder Fredy Lienhard.

Synthetic production of fuels
The synthetic production of methanol-based fuels offers similar advantages. Sustainably produced from CO2, water and green electricity, this material is a new energy source for the entire energy cycle, described Albert Vollmer of Silent-Power AG, Cham.

Albert Vollmer: "Compared to hydrogen, methanol's storage is simple and much cheaper, which is one of its major advantages. Boilers and even gasoline engines could be powered in a climate-neutral way. The first products, such as a range extender for electric vehicles, are under development."

vehiclerestorers.ch
horag.com

In the luxurious branch in the center of Geneva, the U.S. electric car manufacturer Lucid wants to invite customers to examine the models of the new brand. The Swiss studio is only the second Lucid branch in Europe - after Munich, which already moved in in May. Further locations are being planned.

Reservations for European customers
With a new customer program, every Lucid studio - including Geneva - offers a customized, individualized encounter option - whether in person at the studio or online. Lucid is already taking reservations from European customers and expects to make first deliveries before the end of the year.

The first Lucid model is the luxurious Air sedan, which delivers a maximum output of 600 kW (816 hp). The car is built at Lucid's Casa Grande plant in Arizona/USA. Prices are available on request.

lucidmotors.com