The dynamism of the Range Rover Sport can now be expressed even more clearly visually, for example with the optional Stealth Pack, which sharpens the look of the British SUV once again with a dark and dramatic touch. One of the most important elements is the satin foiling for the Carpathian Grey exterior paint. Stealth means camouflage. Elements from the extended Black Pack, all in glossy Narvik Black, are the air intakes in the hood, the front and rear aprons and the side skirts.

Graceful satin finish

The muscular stance of the model is also accentuated by other features, such as the 23-inch wheels with five double spokes and a glossy black finish, the black brake callipers, the dark tinted windows and a glossy black contrasting paint finish on the roof. The film applied during the production process is not only responsible for the high-quality satin matt finish - the plastic skin also protects the paintwork from scratches and other minor damage. The satin film can also be easily removed and replaced.

The interior of the Range Rover Sport shows plenty of elegance with the strongly contoured sports seats, the center console with its reductive design, the prominently positioned 11.4-inch touchscreen and the interactive instrument display. The chic look can be perfected with the Stealth Pack with dark seat covers made of perforated Windsor leather in Ebony or lighter Windsor leather covers in Light Cloud.

6-cylinder diesel 48-volt mild hybrid

The drive is provided by 6-cylinder diesel engines with 48-volt mild hybridization. The stealth option will then be extended to the P460e plug-in hybrid model in the course of the year.

For even more luxury, the Range Rover Sport also features the advanced system for cleaning the interior air, the option of obtaining over-the-air updates and the Approach Unlock and Walkaway Lock functions, which automatically lock and unlock the vehicle doors as soon as a certain radius around the SUV is left or entered.

The pack for the Range Rover Sport is now available as an option package at a price of 11,760 francs.

jaguarlandrover.com

The content, teased for you:

• New Land Cruiser on test
• Tesla is in the fast lane
• How the VW Tiguan drives
• Lucerne becomes a classic meeting place
• This is the Peugeot E-3008

Now in Store or subscription available

Direct to the German edition

Directement à l'édition française

The new Alfa Romeo Milano clearly shows the signature of the in-house Centro Stile. With a length of 4.17 meters, the compact SUV combines balanced proportions with clear lines. The front section is particularly striking with its full LED matrix headlights with 3+3 signature and the traditional Scudetto radiator grille. This makes the new model from Arese stand out from the now large group of compact SUV competitors in terms of design.

The interior features a handy small steering wheel and ergonomically well-placed controls. The central instrument panel is reminiscent of historical Alfa models. In the center of the instrument cluster, a fully digital 10.25-inch screen provides information on the most important driving and vehicle data. The front seats can be ordered as sports seats from racing specialist Sabelt.

On request Electric or hybrid

The new Alfa Romeo Milano Elettrica uses a powerful hybrid synchronous motor. This drive ensures brisk driving dynamics and corresponding driving pleasure. The electric drive draws its energy from a 54-kWh battery. With the 115 kW motor (156 hp), the WLTP range is 410 kilometers, and up to 592 kilometers should be possible in pure city driving. With fast charging at 100 kW, the battery is charged from 10 to 80 percent in less than 30 minutes. The even sportier Veloca variant even delivers 176 kW (240 PS).

A mild hybrid version is also available. The Milano Ibrida is equipped with a 1.2-liter three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with 136 hp. The electric component consists of a 48-volt battery and a 21 kW electric motor, which is integrated into the 6-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

Sports suspension with lowering

The top-of-the-range Veloca model has a sports suspension with lowering by 25 millimetres, reinforced stabilizers on the front and rear axles, sports brakes and a Torsen limited slip differential. The Milano is equipped with the Alfa D.N.A. driving dynamics control system - Dynamic, Natural, Advanced efficiency.

Prices, order and delivery start dates and further information will be announced shortly.

alfaromeo.ch

Artificial intelligence raises great expectations. It should not only ensure greater safety, but also lower fuel consumption, longer ranges and easier parking. For the representative study commissioned by supplier Bosch, more than 11,000 people aged 18 and over in Brazil, China, Germany, France, the UK, India and the USA were surveyed online by the Gesellschaft für Innovative Marktforschung.

The result shows how different the perspectives on the new technology are. While 83% of people in China and 75% in India expect that "AI technology will change the world for the better", this figure is only between 42% and 45% in the USA, the UK and Germany.

Support with the robot car

When it comes to what people expect from AI, the most common responses are a more pleasant life, easier work and better health. And what could be more enjoyable than being guided safely through traffic by artificial intelligence? Partially or fully automated driving is seen as the next big thing in the development of the automobile and individual mobility. However, the technical hurdles on the road to the robot car are higher than was assumed a few years ago. AI is now set to help overcome them.

Help with autonomous driving

If a ball rolls onto the road, children could run onto the road the next moment. People know this from experience. However, current driver assistance systems would not attach any importance to the ball. Together with Microsoft, Bosch is now investigating how generative AI can teach the car to think one step ahead, because the particular strength of AI is that it is constantly learning. 61 percent of respondents in the Bosch Tech Compass also expect AI to reach a level of intelligence on a par with that of humans. Faith makes perfect.

bosch.de

The organizers of the classic car events Zurich Classic Car Award (ZCCA) on 14 August and Ascona Classic Car Award (ACCA) on 21/22 September, Reto Hosig and Christoph Lehmann, are looking forward to welcoming automotive beauties. An unprecedented number of rare and elegant vehicles will be on show at the events

Mercedes and Maserati anniversaries

The numerous entries include rare vehicles such as a Ford Model T Speedster from 1912 and a Porsche Evex 930/935 from 1977, as well as many other outstanding vehicles. In particular, exhibits from the anniversary categories "70 years of the Mercedes SL" and "110 years of Maserati" will also be vying for the favor of the judges and the public in Zurich and Ascona.

Tradition and historical cultural assets

The Bürkliplatz in Zurich and the Quai in Ascona will be celebrations for the senses. Both Concours d'élégance have a long tradition and bring together historic cultural assets to create a rich offering of history, forms, technology and themes. Participants with a historic vehicle or visitors are very welcome and help to ensure that these unique cars can continue to roll and be admired in the future.

swisscarconcours.ch

While most manufacturers in Germany were focusing on large and luxurious limousines and sports cars in the first year after inflation, the democratization of mobility began in Rüsselsheim. The two-seater was given the objective model designation Opel 4 PS, which, however, did not reflect its performance, but rather the tax division that was common at the time.

In fact, the Opel, powered by a 0.95-liter four-cylinder engine, initially had 12 hp, later 20 hp with a displacement of 1.2 liters. However, the small car, which was offered as a convertible, saloon and delivery van, was very similar to a French model, which also led to a plagiarism lawsuit, which Opel won because the 4 hp was painted green in contrast to the yellow model.

Dispute with Citroën

The phrase "The same in green" has its origins in the legal dispute with the French competitor Citroën. Opel was also the first German company to introduce assembly line production, and the two-seater, later popularly known as the Laubfrosch, is regarded as the first German automobile for the little man. More than 100,000 units were produced between 1924 and 1931.

The Laubfrosch marked the beginning of Opel's two-pronged model policy. In addition to the large Kapitän and Admiral saloons, which were offered to high-earning customers in the 1930s, the Rüsselsheim-based company also supplied vehicles for a less well-off clientele. The Opel Olympia, presented at the 1935 automobile and motorcycle exhibition in Berlin, started at 2,500 Reichsmarks and was also the first German mass-produced car with a self-supporting body.

Tradition of affordable mobility

The tradition of affordable mobility continues today with the Corsa, the first Opel model with front-wheel drive to be produced since 1982 and a regular among the most successful small cars ever since. Since the start of production, more than 14 million units of the small car have been produced, which has grown significantly over the course of its production time. While the original Corsa measured 3.62 meters, the current model is 4.06 meters long. Currently, every fourth Corsa sold is electric. It is powered by a 100 kW (136 hp) electric motor and the energy is stored in a 50 kWh battery, which enables a range of 354 kilometers.

Source: auto-medienportal.net
opel.ch

The evaluations by auto-schweiz are based on federal surveys.

This means that the Swiss car market is lagging behind after the first quarter. Alternative drive systems now account for almost 60 percent of the market, but electric cars and plug-in hybrids are still struggling and are only growing imperceptibly. In the first three months of the year, 57,224 new cars hit the roads of Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein, which is 1,595 or 2.7 percent fewer than in the previous year.

Of these, 33,441 or 58.4 percent had a hybrid, electric, gas or hydrogen drive. The market share of alternative drives has grown by 4.4 percentage points within a year. In particular, hybrid engines without an external charging option made gains. They now account for 30.9 percent of all new cars.

Plug-in hybrids on the rise

At 10,424 units, battery electric models are slightly above the previous year's figure and have a market share of 18.2 percent, 0.8 percentage points more than a year ago. Plug-in hybrids made slightly stronger gains. After three months, their market share stands at 9.3 percent.

Christoph Wolnik, Deputy Director of auto-schweiz: "Although the shortfall compared to the previous year after three months is regrettable, it is not particularly large at just under 1600 vehicles. It corresponds to the average new registrations of one to two working days. It will be easy to catch up over the rest of the year."

Just about getting around the bend

Meanwhile, the National Council and the Council of States have approved the future CO₂-law, which is to apply from 2025, was adopted on the last day of the spring session. The law narrowly made the final cut as the pragmatic stance of the Council of States prevailed in the agreement conference. The measures set out in the CO₂-The average target values for new passenger cars and vans as well as heavy commercial vehicles contained in the new law are now largely in line with European requirements.

car.swiss

The start of the Endurance Cup as part of the GT World Challenge in Le Castellet was not quite as successful as hoped for the Swiss delegation. The trio of Raffaele Marciello (gallery right, BMW with Valentino Rossi), Patric Niederhauser (Porsche) and Ricardo Feller (Audi) had to settle for a thankless 4th, 5th and 6th place after 85 laps on the Circuit Paul Ricard.

Victory for Team Kessler Racing

But there was plenty to cheer about in the Bronze Cup. The Kessel Racing team (center gallery) won with Nicolo Rosi from Ticino in a Ferrari 296 GT3. Rosi & Co. had to start the race from the back of the field, but steadily worked their way forward. Pro driver David Fumanelli then took care of the rest and secured Kessel Racing its first win of the season on its return to the GTWC. For Silver driver Yannick Mettler, the season opener ended in fifth place in class.

Start with an all-Swiss team

Speaking of the Ferrari 296 GT3: Emil Frey Racing has brought ADAC GT Masters runner-up Alain Valente into the team alongside Jean-Luc D'Auria. Emil Frey Racing will therefore contest the ADAC GT Masters, which kicks off on the last weekend of April in Oschersleben, with an all-Swiss driver duo.

Christian Canonica achieved another top result at the weekend. The kart driver from Ticino took second place in the OKN category in the final of the WSK Open Series in Franciacorta.

Photos: GTWC (2), Kessel Racing, Frey Racing
Source: Car Sport Switzerland
gt-world-challenge-europe.com
motorsport.ch

Most manufacturers from the Middle Kingdom are now considering setting up their own factories in Europe in order to avoid the threat of defensive measures from the EU. Although sales of cars from China are still manageable, the EU Commission is planning punitive tariffs on Chinese cars or, as already ordered in France, is excluding them from state subsidies for electric vehicles. The whole thing is reminiscent of the 1970s, when Europe tried to prevent the import of Japanese cars.

Many manufacturers are still waiting

The Chinese companies were able to circumvent these measures by establishing their own production capacities. The first European factory was built in Szeged, Hungary, after Prime Minister Victor Orban personally promoted Hungary as a location during a visit to the People's Republic.

Nio is also considering European production if sales reach 100,000 vehicles. However, the brand is currently still a long way from this. At Chery and Great Wall with the Ora and Wey brands, approvals will also determine plans for local production. However, battery manufacturer S-Volt, an offshoot of Great Wall, is planning to set up battery production in Europe in the near future. Xpeng is still holding back on its intentions. So far, the capacity of the three plants in the People's Republic is sufficient to meet demand in Europe.

MG is in the lead in Europe

The most successful Chinese brand in Germany and Europe is currently MG, which belongs to the state-owned SAIC Group and could sell more than 230,000 cars across Europe in 2023. The once British brand is therefore considering setting up a European production facility and has visited the Dutch Nedcar plant alongside other candidates. However, the construction of a completely new factory should also be possible.

Source: auto-medienportal.net

This potential F1 event is under a special star, as its realization depends directly on fan participation and sales figures as well as on partners and sponsors.

Initiator Sascha Zielinski, founder and managing director of Global-Tickets: "This is our response to the current boom in Formula 1 worldwide and also gives fans in Germany the opportunity to generate demand through the pre-sale of vouchers, which is crucial for the return of Formula 1 to Germany."

In an unprecedented campaign in the history of motorsport in Germany, Global-Tickets is calling on motorsport fans to show their support for the event by securing their advance purchase rights early.

Planning is in full swing

Sascha Zielinski "If, for whatever reason, it doesn't work out with the race, fans can redeem the voucher for all events on global-tickets.com for 110 percent of the price. Whether there will be a race in 2027 or a year earlier or later is part of the planning, which is currently in full swing. One thing is clear to us: the race should take place as soon as possible."

Hotel or tent as desired

Global-Tickets wants to set new standards in hospitality - with tailor-made hotel arrangements and comfortable transfers directly to the heart of the racing action. In addition to traditional accommodation, there will also be extravagant Glamping Villages, which will provide unique proximity and comfort directly on the race track. The logistics to the track will also be handled by Global Tickets. Shuttle buses from various major cities and helicopter transfers will ensure a stress-free travel experience, and parking spaces can be reserved directly at the race track for an additional charge.

global-tickets.com