REFINEMENT Following cars in various segments together with Mercedes, tuner Brabus is now also entering into a partnership with motorcycle manufacturer KTM. First up is the Brabus 1300 R, a 1290 Super Duke R Evo.
Editorial - February 14, 2022
The 194-kilogram Brabus 1300 R accelerates from a standstill to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds.
KTM and Brabus are thus combining their strengths, their design language and their technical development and manufacturing know-how. The first vehicle is a luxurious naked bike, the Brabus 1300 R, a machine for enthusiasts.
It maintains its signature black-and-bold identity with a range of exclusive components and design features also found on Brabus cars.
Tuner Brabus now also turns motorcycles into something very special. The first example is the 1300 R.
Custom made heated bench seat Lightweight 9-spoke forged Brabus Monoblock Z wheels, custom carbon body elements, a distinctive headlight and a custom-built heated seat combine in the new naked bike based on the KTM 1290 Super Duke R Evo.
With 180 hp at 9500 rpm and 140 Nm at 8000 rpm from the 1301 cc V-twin engine, nothing is left to be desired.
Maximum speed of 270 km/h As the benchmark of V-twin evolution, this engine not only ensures outstanding performance, but is also an integral part of the vehicle's stability. The concentrated power of the Brabus engine is also unleashed by a special twin-tube exhaust system that underscores its unmistakable character as well as its powerful sound.
Weighing 194 kilograms, the motorcycle accelerates from a standstill to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds and achieves a maximum speed of 270 km/h.
Sold out in two minutes! The 1300 R is limited to 77 units per color variant. It could be pre-ordered via the KTM pre-order portal exactly 77 hours after the embargo, on February 14 from 3 pm.
At 49,500 euros, it does cost more than twice as much as the original machine. But customers don't seem to be impressed by the price: It took exactly one minute and 55 seconds for all 154 ultra-exclusive Brabus motorcycles to be reserved by end customers on KTM's pre-order platform on the Internet.
Auction: 300 SL from the world champion comes to St. Moritz
EXCLUSIVE Juan Manuel Fangio shaped the early years of Formula 1 like no other and is still considered one of the most successful racing drivers of all time. He won the title of world champion five times.
Editorial - 13 February 2022
This Mercedes 300 SL Roadster was personally driven by Juan Manuel Fangio for more than 70,000 kilometers.
The Argentine (center gallery) started his career in South America before World War II, and in 1949 he took part in Europe for the first time on an Alfa Romeo in the San Remo Grand Prix race, which he won outright. A year later Fangio was runner-up, in 1951 for the first time world champion, in 1954 he triumphed for the second time on Maserati.
1955 World Champion with a Silver Arrow In the same year he signed a contract with Mercedes-Benz and became world champion for the third time in 1955 with a Silver Arrow. After the Stuttgart company withdrew from racing at the end of the year, Fangio switched to Ferrari and became world champion for the fourth time in 1956 and the fifth time in 1957 - this time again on a Maserati. He was 46 years old at the time. He ended his career in 1958.
President of Mercedes-Benz Argentina Despite his brief association with Mercedes-Benz as a racing driver, his contact with the company as a businessman with the brand remained permanent. He built an engine plant for Daimler-Benz in his native Argentina and worked as president of Mercedes-Benz Argentina from 1974.
As a farewell gift to him as a racing driver, Daimler-Benz AG had presented him in 1958 with an exclusive Mercedes 300 SL Roadster in light blue metallic with cream-colored leather upholstery in the interior in the colors of the Argentine national flag. Fangio personally drove this car over more than 70,000 kilometers in Europe and his native South America.
Concours of Elegance on frozen lake The car is currently at the London branch of Sotheby's auction house until it arrives on February 26 for the ICE - The International Concours of Elegance on the frozen lake of St. Moritz. Here, the beauty of the Engadine winter competes with the beauty of noble vehicles: top-class gems - 50 vintage, classic and racing cars.
Deal should work like private sale On the sidelines of the event, interested parties of the Fangio-300 SL can place a bid at RM Sotheby's between February 28 and March 4, 2022. The car is not expected to change hands in one of the usual auctions, but the deal will work like a private sale.
It's probably safe to assume that the amount will be a respectable seven-figure euro sum. After all, who can claim to have their name on the registration certificate of a Mercedes 300 SL as the second owner after Juan Manuel Fangio?
TRADITION Since 1961, the Lancia Flaminia has been the official vehicle of the President of the Italian Republic. The vehicle has since been used at the inauguration of ten presidents to the delight of passers-by.
Editorial - 13 February 2022
John F. Kennedy and heads of state, such as Queen Elizabeth II, traveled on the Flaminia on official occasions.
Now the presidential Lancia Flaminia was once again rolling through the streets of Rome. Sergio Mattarella, just re-elected President of Italy, drove it from Palazzo Montecitorio, where he took the oath of office in front of both houses of Parliament, to his residence.
In a symbolic embrace of the Italian capital, the route led from the Montecitorio to Piazza Venezia, the Monument to the Unknown Soldier and finally to Palazzo del Quirinale.
The rear bench seat and two additional fold-down seats provided seating for up to five people in the Lancia Flaminia.
Landaulet from Carrozzeria Pinin Farina Lancia presented the Flaminia model at the 1957 Geneva Motor Show. The brand's new flagship offered a V6 gasoline engine with 2.5 liters of displacement, luxurious equipment and high quality workmanship. In 1961, Carrozzeria Pinin Farina designed a so-called Landaulet for the fleet of the Italian president.
The vehicle, with a fixed roof at the front and a soft top at the rear, was given the model designation Lancia Flaminia 335, derived from the wheelbase, which was extended to 335 centimeters. Within a few months, Pinin Farina produced four examples.
Intercom for communication Following the tradition of naming the stables formerly housed in the Palazzo del Quirinale, the four vehicles were given the names of thoroughbred horses of the Scuderie del Quirinale: Belfiore, Belmonte, Belvedere and Belsito.
All Flaminia were painted midnight blue and had black Connolly leather seat covers and an intercom system for communication with the driver. The rear bench seat and two additional fold-down seats provided seating for up to five people, while the driver's cabin had two additional seats.
Belfiore and Belvedere for special occasions The Lancia Flaminia 335 first rolled over the streets of Rome in 1961, when President Giovanni Gronchi received the British Queen Elizabeth II in Italy. In 2001, the vehicles underwent a careful restoration. Two of the Lancia Flaminia 335 are still part of the fleet of the presidential palace.
Belfiore and Belvedere are still used today on special ceremonial occasions by the Italian president as well as the country's highest officials. Belsito has found a new home at the Historical Museum of Military Vehicles in Rome. And Belmonte has been on display at the National Automobile Museum in Turin since 2001.
THERE'S STILL MORE After the Sport Sedan and Cross Turismo, the Stuttgart-based company is launching another variant of the Taycan electric car in March: the Sport Turismo, which is now available in five versions.
Franz Rother - 12 February 2022
Author Franz Rother tested the Sport Turismo Turbo S on the Rossfeld panorama road,
Franz Rother, Editor-in-Chief of Edison, the magazine and platform for smart mobility and connected life, asked professional Jörg Bergmeister to show him what the most powerful model in the range, the Turbo S Sport Turismo with 560 kW or 761 hp, has to offer on snowy and icy slopes.
The most affordable version of the Sport Turismo is available from 104,000 Swiss francs. However, without all-wheel drive.
13 percent gradients and tight curves With a few finger grips, the Porsche factory driver and racer gradually switches off the assistance systems and driving aids of the Taycan Turbo S Sport Turismo. Another questioning glance at the passenger seat: "Everything okay?" And before I've answered, the Taycan is already shooting uphill. With Launch Control and at a speed that makes you lose all sense of hearing and sight, and almost threatens to give you whiplash.
In the 1960s and until 1973, legendary mountain races were held on the 15.4-kilometer Rossfeld panorama road near Berchtesgaden. Gradients of up to 13 percent and curve radii of only twelve meters in some cases demanded everything of both the participants and the vehicles back then.
With boost power up to 761 hp output On this day, Porsche has booked the toll road. And that's why a Bergmeister (nomen est omen) can show what an electric car, what a Porsche Taycan is capable of. Provided you have mastered the technology, provided you can handle the steering wheel, accelerator, and brake pedal artfully.
With an electric car that can mobilize up to 560 kilowatts (kW) in boost mode, or 761 hp in the old currency. But it is also just under five meters long and weighs over 2.7 tons in the top configuration of the test car and with three occupants.
Shooting Brake as lifestyle loadmaster Sport Turismo is the name Porsche has given to the third body variant of the all-electric Taycan, which has overtaken the 911 in some countries around the world - at least in terms of unit sales. After the sports sedan with a hatchback and a somewhat higher-legged sports off-roader called the Cross Turismo, the Stuttgart-based company now wants to add a lowered Shooting Brake to the model portfolio with a "practically sporty" lifestyle loadmaster.
According to the motto: The station wagon is dead, long live the station wagon. With roof rails and a bicycle rack, 39 liters more trunk volume (with full seating) and up to 47 millimeters more air above the top of the rear passengers' heads. There's also a bit more air in the front: Compared with the Sport Sedan, the Sport Turismo offers the driver and front passenger nine millimeters more headroom.
Turbo S model with all-wheel drive as standard Jörg Bergmeister, just under 1.90 meters tall, can certainly use the gain - when he's not fighting his way through the hairpin turns of a mountain road in a slightly stooped position.
The Turbo S version of the Taycan has all-wheel drive as standard. But on snow and ice, the rear end does wobble quite a bit-which the racer takes advantage of to zoom around the bend. Electric cars don't understand fun and can't do sports? Think again
83.3 kWh average consumption at racing speed After five minutes and 38 seconds, the pass is reached, the occupants can exhale and the Taycan's powertrain can cool down. The hellish ride has taken its toll, and a lot of energy as well: The on-board computer shows an average consumption of 83.3 kWh/100 kilometers at the finish line.
With a battery storage capacity of 93.4 KWh in the Performance Plus version, that would be enough for a range of around 122 kilometers. But fortunately, the mountains don't reach all the way to the sky - and the Taycan Sport Turismo can also be driven quite leisurely - without sacrificing driving pleasure.
Drive powers between 240 and 460 kW Consumption values of around 25, 26 or 27 kW per 100 kilometers seem quite achievable based on the measured values from two days of testing with the Taycan Sport Turismo - depending on which drive variant you choose. Porsche now offers the Taycan not only in three body variants, but also with rear- and all-wheel drive, with 93.4 and 79.2 kWh battery packs and drive outputs between 240 and 460 kW: After all, an electric car is not a vehicle that has to do without.
Which, of course, is also reflected in the price. Our mamba-green Turbo S Sport Turismo cost the trifle of 226,500 francs. The cheapest version is available from 104,000 francs. However, without all-wheel drive. The new model goes on sale in March.
NEW WAYS Shanghai-based electric car manufacturer Aiways has launched a digital campaign under the slogan "Your way. Just electric." to win more people over to ecomobility in Switzerland as well.
Editorial - 11 February 2022
The all-electric Aiways U5 SUV from China stands out and with a striking design.
Using a series of visionary concepts, the campaign defines the future tonality for the Aiways brand. These show that "Made in China" should nowadays stand for quality, digital skills and technical excellence.
The campaign "Your way. Just electric." will also raise awareness of the U5 SUV. The vehicle has repeatedly surprised European drivers with advanced features, quality, range, space and price - a combination that facilitates the move into ecomobility.
Social networks and online channels The campaign, which was initially launched in China and Italy at the end of 2021, will soon start in other European markets. The focus of the campaign is on social networks and online media channels in parallel with traditional advertising.
It aims to establish Aiways as a young, global brand that offers products that captivate and encourage interested parties to switch to e-mobility. Using a combination of online, print and outdoor advertising, interest is directed to a dedicated campaign website. There, users can interact with the U5 SUV and discover its many positive features.
New era of digital communication For the Head of Brand and Marketing at Aiways Europe (center gallery), this innovative campaign heralds a new era in digital communications for Aiways.
Kemal Yegenoglu: "It creates a cross-border appeal that unifies the Aiways brand experience across all markets and makes us a global brand. We don't want customers to have to compromise when they choose an electric car, especially for their first purchase. We say to everyone who is interested in ecomobility but may still have doubts: With the Aiways U5 SUV, you don't have to sacrifice anything; you just go electric."
Interior and valuable standard equipment The all-electric Aiways U5 SUV stands out with an exceptional interior, high-quality standard equipment and a striking design.
With innovative, user-friendly technology solutions such as over-the-air updates from 2022 and intuitive charging technology, the vehicle marks a shift in ecomobility - all at an affordable price starting at 39,500 Swiss francs.
HIGHLIGHT As part of the legendary Super Bowl on February 14, Toyota and Polestar will show unusual commercials at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and to 800 million TV viewers worldwide.
Editorial - February 10, 2022
Toyota's "Brothers" clip tells the story of brothers Brian and Robin McKeever.
Toyota's clip tells the story of brothers Brian and Robin McKeever. "Brothers" shows how Brian McKeever, Global Team Toyota athlete and Canada's most decorated winter Paralympian, made it to athletic excellence with determination and the support of his brother.
Toyota's "Brothers" clip tells the story of brothers Brian and Robin McKeever.
Participation in Olympic Games The commercial begins in the pair's childhood, where they developed a passion for cross-country skiing. At the age of 19, Brian was diagnosed with Stargardt's disease, a condition that caused him to lose central vision.
Nevertheless, Brian and his brother Robin continued to train together; Robin earned a spot in the Winter Olympics and both brothers competed together in the Paralympic Winter Games.
The spot focuses on Polestar's corporate ethos of "No Compromise."
Presentation of the all-electric Polestar 2 Polestar is airing its first Super Bowl commercial during the game. The 30-second clip will air in the first quarter and was previously announced by the company in a 15-second teaser.
This is the first time Polestar has advertised during an internationally acclaimed and recognized sporting event.
The all-electric Polestar 2 is at the center of the Swedish manufacturer's advertising.
The spot focuses on Polestar's corporate ethos - "No Compromise"- and the presentation of the all-electric Polestar 2. As with its products, Polestar eschews traditional advertising language and throws out typical platitudes found at sporting events of this magnitude.
ProSieben will broadcast the match live on free TV in the night from February 14 to 15, 2022. Kickoff is at 0.30 a.m. CET.
Before it kicks off, the station will offer detailed pre-match coverage, starting at 11.05 p.m. on Monday evening. Parallel to this, a livestream is also offered on ran.de, access is also free of charge.
Ford: Transit as a Stromer weighs up to 1600 kilos 🎥
MODEL DIVERSITY Ford offers the new, electrically powered Transit in two performance levels and with 44 configuration options - with payloads from 700 to 1600 kilograms and ranges of more than 300 kilometers.
Editorial - February 10, 2022
At the heart of the E-Transit is the 68-kWh battery, which enables ranges of up to 317 kilometers.
A model legend from Ford is entering a new era. The Transit is now available with a fully electric drive. The E-Transit, which will hit the road in May as a panel van, will be offered in the Base and Trend trim levels. The chassis version will be launched on the Swiss market in September.
Ford also offers a variety of charging solutions for home, depot or even travel.
Less maintenance and repairs The electric Transit offers companies clear economic advantages. Ford estimates that maintenance and repair costs are 40 percent lower than for comparable diesel models, due in part to the lower maintenance requirements of electric motors. Added to this are savings in energy costs.
Battery capacity for 300 kilometers At the heart of the E-Transit is the 68 kWh battery, which enables WLTP ranges of up to 317 kilometers. This makes the new Transit suitable for almost all commercial applications in the local and regional environment. The electric motor is available in 135 and 198 kW (184 and 269 hp) output levels, each with 430 Nm of torque.
All variants are driven via the rear wheels. Because the battery is located under the cargo area, a cargo area volume of up to 15.1 cubic meters can be realized for the panel van versions - the same as in the current diesel Transit panel van with rear-wheel drive.
Body variants according to Badarf Customers can choose from a total of 44 configuration options, based on the panel van, panel van with double cab and chassis versions, with three wheelbases, extended frame and two roof heights. The maximum permissible gross weight is between 3.5 and 4.25 tons.
Battery to 80 percent in 34 minutes Ford also offers a variety of charging solutions for home, the depot or on the road. The onboard charger supports three-phase AC charging at a wallbox with charging powers of up to 11.3 kW. The fast charging function with up to 115 kW is particularly powerful. This means the battery is charged from 15 to 80 percent in around 34 minutes.
The E-Transit is available as a panel van or chassis with prices starting at 59,980 Swiss francs.
DRIFT ARTIST The American drift specialist Ken Block is thrilled with the Audi RS Q e-tron in which Mattias Ekström contested the Dakar Rally in January. But he's also taken a shine to other models from Ingolstadt.
Editorial - February 10, 2022
With Mattias Ekström as instructor in the co-driver's seat, Ken Block tested the Audi RS Q e-tron on snow.
This was a cockpit swap of a very special kind: With Mattias Ekström as instructor in the co-driver's seat, Ken Block tested the Audi RS Q e-tron on snow and ice. The stint during the GP Ice Race in Zell am See was the spectacular prototype's first appearance after its debut in the Dakar Rally.
However, the RS Q e-tron, with which Audi had clinched four stage victories in January, was only one of the stars on the ice course in Zell. Audi had also brought along the Audi quattro Rally A2 Group B, which competed in the Rally Finland in 1983. In addition, a DKW F 91 and a DKW Hartmann Formula V caused a stir.
In January, the Audi RS Q e-tron whizzed through the desert with Mattias Ekström, now over the ice field with Ken Block.
Drift around the course with the Audi quattro A2 For the American Gymkhana star, the trip to Europe was like a visit to automotive paradise.
Ken Block: "The laps in the Audi RS Q e-tron were a phenomenal experience - even though the car probably feels more comfortable in the desert than in the snow."
His instructor was also impressed.
Mattias Ekström: "It took just three turns, then Ken was fully with the music."
In addition to driving the RS Q e-tron, Block also took a little trip down memory lane and drifted around the circuit in the Audi quattro A2. For the US American, this was a highlight.
Ken Block: "An insane moment that I won't soon forget."
And it continues, with the all-electric Audi S1 e-tron quattro Hoonitron, which Audi developed as a one-off exclusively for Ken Block, the Hoonigan team is producing a spectacular video called Electrikhana, which will be released in the coming months.
DS Automobiles: E-Tense Performance with 815 hp in the test 🎥
FUTURE With the E-Tense Performance prototype developed by the racing department, DS wants to test the future of electric mobility. The one-off with a carbon shell is powered by two electric motors with 600 kW (815 hp).
Editorial - February 9, 2022
The technology comes from Formula E. It enables the all-wheel-drive vehicle to accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in two seconds. How much of this will ultimately be left over in a production vehicle remains to be seen.
At least with the front, however, DS wants to give a concrete preview of its future design language. From 2025, the brand wants to offer exclusively electric cars
The E-Tense Performance all-wheel-drive vehicle accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in two seconds.
Experience and know-how from Formula E
Thomas Chevaucher, Director DS Performance: "Our goal is to incorporate the experience gained in Formula E and the know-how from our international titles into a project that shows the high-performance electric car of tomorrow. It is a research project in which we analyze the behavior of the components and develop them with a view to future production."
Background: DS Automobiles is also concerned with finding solutions to reduce costs, facilitate manufacturing and explore implementation in production models.
The next generations of E-Tense models should benefit from these developments.
VIRTUALLY ON THE MOVEMENT The Porsche Virtual Roads project makes it possible to quickly digitize a favorite route-whether on snow or asphalt. All it takes is a smartphone with the appropriate app.
Editorial - February 9, 2022
With the new Virtual Roads software, your favorite track is quickly on the simulator.
Experiencing the most beautiful routes over and over again without actually taking them under your wheels. To this end, Porsche developed a new software solution in collaboration with the Swiss start-up Way Ahead Technologies.
The Virtual Roads project is designed to give drivers the opportunity to quickly and easily transfer their favorite routes from reality to a video game for the first time.
Ambitious riders can tackle a challenging route in a sporty way.
Artificial intelligence captures the environment Tracks for racing simulators are scanned and digitized by experts using lasers. Porsche now wants to significantly simplify this complex procedure on the way to making Virtual Roads ready for the market.
In the future, Virtual Roads will allow any route to be recorded behind the windshield with the help of a smartphone and the corresponding app and transferred fully automatically into the virtual world. For this purpose, the recordings are converted into a 3-D environment.
The virtual ride is made possible by specially developed software that uses artificial intelligence to record the road and the immediate surroundings, such as guard rails and trees. Data protection plays an important role in the development. The program ensures that no other road users find their way from the real to the virtual world.
Training for particularly ambitious pilots The file of the favorite track created with the help of the new application is currently also compatible with the racing game Assetto Corsa. Thus, Porsche drivers and fans of the brand have all the possibilities of the virtual world at their disposal.
The route can be experienced over and over again on any suitably equipped simulator or via smartphone. This applies to the vacation trip along the American West Coast as well as to the hot and cold ride on the circuit of the GP Ice Race in Zell am See.
Save times and measure them with others Ambitious drivers can thus safely tackle a demanding route, record times and compete with others.
Roger Rüegg of Way Ahead Technologies (center gallery): "After several years of development work, our software is now so advanced that it can implement the digitization of routes of up to eight kilometers in length in under an hour for Virtual Roads, depending on the complexity."
