The last time it was held in 2017 (see video), the event had attracted more than 100,000 visitors from all over the world. This year, too, the Swiss Harley Days will be one of the biggest events in Europe. On the first weekend of July, up to 100,000 fans are expected in Lugano.

Activities, attractions and action
With a packed program and a variety of exhibitors, activities and attractions, visitors will find everything they need for an impressive weekend. The Demo Ride Zone will offer new models from Harley-Davidson for test rides.

Highlights also include the parade on Saturday and the Expo Zone with exhibitors and plenty of shopping.

Musical entertainment will be provided by bands such as Dead Beatz, Tempesta, Jimmy Cornett, Maggio Connection, Prinz Grizzley & Band and Marc Amacher.

swissharleydays22.ch

The meeting of lovers of classic vehicles organized by O-iO - Oldtimer in Obwalden - should be an interesting excursion opportunity for the whole family. On the Whitsun weekend of June 4 and 5, they offer the opportunity to marvel at fascinating vehicles of older generations.

Vehicles with alternative drives
O-iO also offers the probably unique opportunity to see and drive classic cars with alternative drives from the early 20th century as well as their great-grandchildren from 2022. All under the motto: "Honor the old, don't refuse the new, mobility yesterday, today and tomorrow."

After all, cars with electric drives are not a new invention. The Detroit Electric, for example, is 104 years old. The Tribelhorn truck was also manufactured in Switzerland in 1918.

Fire departments and soapbox race
The organizer hopes that many visitors will come to Sarnen and Beromünster - if possible with the whole crowd of children. This should result in a classic win-win situation: Attractions for the visitors, nurturing of young talent for the classic car scene.

A total of more than 580 classic cars are registered in Sarnen and Beromünster, and the 2022 start list can be viewed at O-iO.ch. Other highlights include the exhibition of 20 fire department vintage cars, a soapbox race and also the extremely popular passenger rides.

O-iO.ch

At a smooth five meters long, 2.04 meters wide and 1.37 meters high, the new DeLorean has ample room for four occupants, while the much more compact original, at 4.27 meters long, 1.99 meters wide and 1.14 meters high, was designed as a pure two-seater. Unlike the DMC-12 (center gallery), the Alpha V does not have a stainless steel body.

From 0 to 100 km/h in just under three seconds
Beneath the expansive shell is no longer a V6 engine like the original, but an electric drive with a battery of more than 100 kWh capacity. It should catapult the Alpha V from 0 to 100 km/h in just under three seconds and enable a top speed of 250 km/h.

The brand is silent about further technical details like the weight, as well as the price and the market launch of the new model.

Criticism of the design of the e-sports car
Incidentally, there is already criticism of the confusingly unoriginal design of the electric sports car, which is obviously a generic design by the Ital Design company.

A top designer criticized the car as having no relevance in the context of DeLorean history. Instead of using the iconic design of the DMC logo and the original typeface, they opted for a "cheap science fiction typeface" and copied the logo of the Vietnamese brand Vinfast.

Source: Jens Meiners, Auto-Medienportal.net

delorean.com

Mazda attracted attention years ago when the Hiroshima-based manufacturer announced a new platform. This was intended for large cars, designed for rear-wheel drive, for internal combustion engines, hybrid systems and electric drive, as well as for longitudinally installed engines - such kits are usually only available from manufacturers in the high-price segment.

Good space for five people
Now the CX-60 is the first model based on this technology architecture, and the Japanese are indeed aiming to penetrate the premium segment with it. With a length of 4.74 meters, a width of 1.89 meters and a height of 1.67 meters, the stately SUV offers a good amount of space for five people as well as a trunk volume of 570 to 1645 liters.

Most powerful drive for a production model
The highlight, however, is under the long hood, because the CX-60 is Mazda's first model with a plug-in hybrid drive - developed in-house. This combines a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with an electric motor integrated into the automatic transmission, which was also developed in-house, to form a mechanical all-wheel drive with a system output of 327 hp - making it the most powerful drive system Mazda has ever installed in a production model.

Electric range 63 kilometers
The Mazda CX-60 e-Skyactiv PHEV is said to be able to cover up to 63 kilometers with its 17.8-kWh battery in pure electric mode. Two variants with a pure combustion engine will follow later, and they are also causing a stir. Mazda has in fact developed two completely new inline six-cylinder engines to be used on the new platform, a 3-liter gasoline engine with compression ignition and a 3.3-liter diesel.

Several drives further in the program

Matthias Walker, head of Mazda Switzerland; "While Mazda plans to launch five full hybrids, five plug-in hybrids and three electric models by 2025, we still believe in the combustion engine. We need multiple tools in our box to have a situation-appropriate offering at all times."

Maple wood and chrome decorative elements
That the Hiroshima-based manufacturer is now aiming higher is also visible in the CX-60's interior, especially in the most expensive trim level, Takumi. The interior is lined with a white kimono-inspired fabric and interconnected with intricate Kakenui decorative stitching, while light maple wood and chrome decorative elements create a refined ambience.

mazda.ch

The Škoda Afriq could start immediately in a special stage of the Dakar Rally. The eighth apprentice car from the Czechs is a spectacular rally version of the Kamiq small SUV.

The project of the 25 trainees is a tribute to the home of the "Dakar", which at the same time is intended to refer to Škoda's responsibility for the activities of the Volkswagen Group in North Africa.

The experts from Škoda Motorsport were more intensively involved in the creation of the vehicle than with any other apprentice car.

Next Level 2030 for markets in North Africa
Since January 1, 2021, Škoda has been responsible for the VW Group's activities in Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria. As part of its corporate strategy "Next Level 2030", Škoda aims to be the leading European car manufacturer in the growth markets of India and North Africa by the end of the decade.

The Azubi Car Afriq brings additional attention to this responsibility for the North Africa region.

Complicated conditions due to pandemic
The 25 trainees at the vocational school began work on the eighth trainee car project in the fall of 2020 and quickly decided on an all-wheel-drive rally version of the Kamiq.

However, due to the pandemic, the vocational students were initially only able to meet online, which prolonged the planning and design phase. The construction of Afriq took four months, and the trainees invested a total of around 2,000 working hours in it.

Racing use with a reinforced suspension
The body of the base model was extensively adapted for the rally study - the rear doors welded, the fenders, wheel arches and bumpers enlarged. In addition, the two-door model received a reinforced suspension.

The extensive adjustments for the implementation of the Octavia 4×4's all-wheel drive were time-consuming. In addition, the body had to be filled and all edges adjusted.

skoda.ch

While it is now undisputed that the future of passenger propulsion will be battery electric, it will be many years before the global fleet is converted.

According to a study by the SHVF (Swiss Historic Vehicle Federation), there are also around 156,000 veteran vehicles and many youngtimers registered in Switzerland that will continue to rely on liquid fuels in the future. For these vehicles, synthetic fuels are a good solution for CO2 reduction.

Clean clarification is a prerequisite
An investigation by Empa Dübendorf in cooperation with the Amag Group is now to clarify whether such fuels can be used without problems in the engines of vintage cars.

Christian Bach, who is responsible for this series of tests at Empa, says: "In theory, there is nothing to prevent older cars being able to run on the new fuel in the long term. However, without clean clarifications on this, the new gasoline would hardly be used in the sometimes expensive vehicles."

Focus on classic cars as a cultural asset

Dino Graf, who is responsible for the historic vehicle collection at Amag, says: "Synthetic fuel is the solution to ensuring that the cultural asset of classic cars can continue to be moved in the future. That's one of the reasons why Amag has also taken a stake in the Swiss company Synhelion, which plans to produce Solarfuel in industrial quantities very soon."

The Amag-Empa trial will start in the summer and last one year.

amag.ch
empa.ch

After a brief period of life as a normal T1, the vehicle was transformed under the hands of a resourceful Viennese Volkswagen mechanic into a model suitable for the Alps. Kurt Kretzner converted the Bulli into a T1 with four axles - two of them equipped with a chain drive, two steering by twin tires.

Highly off-road capable transporter
The shrewd remodeler noticed that there were too few highly off-road capable transporters in the mountains of Austria. In the sales literature for the "Caterpillar Fox," he touted "an ideal helper for everyone: Mountain hut host, hunter, forester, doctor, maintenance personnel of lifts, television and radio installations, pipelines and the like." Kretzner spent more than four years designing and building his Gipfelstürmer. Two "Foxes" were built by 1968, but production of the third faltered.

Modest engine power of just 34 hp
The double front axle steering resulted in a turning circle of less than ten meters. Each wheel is equipped with a brake, and an automatic limited-slip differential ensured evenly distributed propulsion even in heavy snow. Drive power was provided by a standard 34 hp boxer engine with 1192 cm3 displacement.

However, the caterpillar car was rarely seen on the road or off-road. In 1985, the T1 appeared for the last time in Vienna before it was purchased by the Porsche Museum Gmünd in the early 1990s.

At some point, it finally became the property of the Bullikartei e.V. - a community of enthusiasts of the first Bulli generation. In 2005, they launched a first attempt to restore the high-alpine special vehicle.

Volkswagen-commercial-vehicles.com

The name of the new Maserati model from Modena makes everything clear: MC stands for Maserati Corse (race track), 20 is the year the coupe was launched, and Cielo means sky.

Now the Cielo, fueled by the 3-liter V6 Nettuno engine (730 Nm, 630 hp), is said to offer a perfect blend of sportiness and luxury with its novel retractable glass roof.

From dark to very light
The screens of the MC20 Cielo feature liquid crystal technology. They can be adjusted from clear to dark in seconds via a control in the central screen.

The heat-insulating roof can be opened in twelve seconds. The new Spyder was developed at Maserati's Innovation Center, while production takes place at the historic plant in Viale Ciro Menotti.

The open-top version weighs just 65 kilograms more than the coupe. The carbon fiber chassis ensures great torsional rigidity, resulting in outstanding handling.

Aerodynamics have been perfected in a 360° wind tunnel - both with the roof open and closed.

Special painting
The launch version of the Cielo wears the new, three-layer metallic color Acquamarina, which is available as part of the customizable Maserati Fuoriserie. The color interacts with the light to create a surprising effect.

Furthermore, the new model offers a wide range of active safety systems. In addition to parking sensors, the rearview camera and blind spot monitoring, the autonomous emergency brake, traffic sign recognition and a 360° camera are all on board.

maserati.com

The manufacturer from Küsnacht actually wanted to launch the small electric car on the market as early as 2018. However, the small Microlino 1.0, which was more maneuverable and lighter than a car and offered more protection and safety compared to a motorcycle, needed further improvement.

In addition, a new production partner had to be found. Based on the experience and customer feedback on the Microlino 1.0, the Microlino 2.0 was then developed.

Self-supporting body
Because the Microlino designers found neither a lattice tube frame nor an aluminum chassis suitable, they chose a self-supporting steel body as the construction basis. This makes the Microlino 2.0 safer and more durable.

A production partner was finally found in the Italian company Cecomp, which converted part of its factory for the construction of the Microlino. On March 21 of this year, the new line was inaugurated and the first pre-series vehicle was put into operation.

Four versions in the program
The Microlino will be launched in four versions, each designed to meet a specific need. The Urban Edition is the entry-level version for purists. It will be equipped with a 6-kWh battery pack that enables a range of up to 91 kilometers, available from the second quarter of 2023.

The Dolce Edition is for retro lovers. It has a sunroof as standard and is available with three battery sizes.

The Competizione model is for futurists. It has a sunroof, Infinity LED light and two battery variants and will be available from the beginning of 2023 - depending of course on the situation in the supply chain.

Start with Pioneer
Microlino has now announced the Pioneer series as the first model. It should be ready for delivery to customers before the end of the year.

This first limited edition series of 999 units will be available in two colors only: Atlantis Blue and Torino Aluminum. The 10.5 kWh battery enables a range of 177 kilometers.

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The centerpiece of the AMG GT special stroller model is the red AMG pattern against a black background on the hood of the stroller and the folding bag. Other highlights include the cross-spoke rims in the original AMG design and the seat insert made of Dinamica, the same fabric used for the seats in the car.

High quality exclusivity
The look of this limited edition of 299 pieces was developed in close coordination with the design department of Mercedes-Benz. Like all Hartan products, the special model also meets the highest requirements in terms of material selection and manufacturing quality and therefore bears the TÜV test seal.

The central design element is the sun canopy made of high-quality jacquard fabric with a red AMG diamond pattern on a black background. To emphasize its exclusivity, each Limited Edition features a badge: AMG Limited Edition - 1 of 299.

Sportiness and comfort
Thanks to the large, lockable swivel wheels with suspension, the stroller can be moved safely on any terrain. High-quality feel is provided by handles in black leather look with red topstitching, for maximum safety the standard handbrake and the 5-point harness system with magnetic closure.

The Bag-2-Go is also included as standard, so that the most important things are quickly at hand. With its compact packing dimensions of 69 x 58 x 31 centimeters, the stroller even finds room in the trunks of sporty vehicles.

mercedes.ch