The Backdate restomod series founded by Sportec Classic continues to gather momentum - especially in the form of the Ferdinand model. Further refined and modified, the Zurich-based classic department has now delivered "Ferdinand the Second" based on the Porsche 911 964 series to the next customer.

Just over a year ago, Sportec Classic presented its masterpiece of the Backdate Restomod series at Auto Zürich - the Ferdinand. This marked another milestone in the company's history and caused quite a stir.

Sportec CEO Gregor Burkard: "With Ferdinand, we have set the bar extremely high in the classic segment. Our second model, which is now ready for customer delivery, proves that each model can hardly be surpassed in terms of exclusivity."

Individuality takes center stage

Sportec has taken the elegant rebirth of the Porsche 964 to a special level with selected ingredients. The side skirts integrated into the body are particularly noteworthy. In contrast, the ducktail rear of the Ferdinand II is somewhat more discreet. Visual details such as light and headlight rings, ventilation grille, engine and exhaust trims in a matt chrome finish underline the attention to detail. The tank filler neck has been moved to the front left mudguard on the second edition. And so that the oil does not have to be laboriously refilled under the hood, the filler neck has been placed on the rear right fender of this model. Both covers are made of aluminum in the classic Sportec design.

The specialists from the Sportec Classic department installed Sportec seats in an elegant fabric and leather combination. The in-house designed aluminum switches and rotary knobs as well as the inductive charging station for the smartphone are also characteristic.

3.8-liter heart with 325 hp and 394 Nm

A 3.8-liter engine with 325 hp and 394 Nm still beats beneath the rear end of the car, which weighs just 1190 kilograms. Thanks to the sports clutch and the shorter shift travel of the 6-speed gearbox, sportiness is not neglected. This is accompanied by a suspension set-up suitable for everyday use with the Sportec coilover suspension with variable lowering from 10 to 30 millimetres.

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The Daily Show with Alexandra Legouix on YouTube from Monday, February 26 to Sunday, March 3. Another must is the Afterwork special on Thursday, February 29, from 6 to 10 pm. Enjoy the cars and other highlights in the evening hours in a party atmosphere (Galerie Mitte). With live broadcast of the spectacular One FM Happy Hour show as well as live DJ & VJ and Meet & Great with Swiss racing drivers in the Cube and in the Lounge.

Super sports cars and hypercars

In the Adrenaline Zone, everything revolves around high-performance vehicles, limited-edition luxury models and the wide world of motorsport. Discover the most exotic and sought-after super sports cars and hypercars and get up close to special and victorious endurance racing cars driven by Swiss drivers (gallery on the right).

The idea for a detour to the center of the Rhone city is almost as old as the car show in the exhibition halls. The visit can be ideally combined with dinner at the Café de Paris restaurant on Rue du Montblanc. The original has been served there since 1930 - an entrecôte with the unmistakable sauce (gallery on the right).

Rail travelers can get to the Geneva Motor Show conveniently and cheaply: SBB runs special trains and offers a 20 percent discount. The Genève-Aeroport train station is located right next to the Palexpo exhibition center. The Motor Show takes place from Monday, February 26 to Sunday, March 3. The doors will be open from Wednesday to Friday from 10 am to 8 pm, and on Thursday until 10 pm. At the weekend, you can immerse yourself in the world of automobiles from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., with a press day on February 26 and a VIP event on February 27 between 7.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. If you want to enjoy the cars and attractions exclusively, you can buy a ticket for this day for 90 francs. Otherwise, admission costs 25 francs for adults and 18 francs for children aged between 7 and 15 as well as students and pensioners.

Alexandre de Senarclens, President of the Comité permanent du Salon international de l'automobile: "After a long absence of four years, the Geneva Motor Show is back. We are counting on a dynamic and entrepreneurial relaunch."

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Despite the internet and smartphones: the dead live longer. The Geneva Motor Show is a must (not only) for every car enthusiast. Auto.Future.Now. That's the motto. For the organizers, one thing is clear: the past influences the present. And this influences the future. With stylish stands, innovative exhibitions, thrilling sim racing and top-class personalities, the GIMS will showcase the fascination and innovation surrounding cars from February 26 to March 3, 2024. Unlike in the past, the focus will no longer be on cars alone, but on various topics relating to mobility and developments in the field of electrification.

First public appearance of the R5

MG Motor will be showing its MG3 hybrid for the first time. The upcoming Cyberster flagship is also set to wow visitors at the show and provide a glimpse of the brand's electrifying future. BYD (gallery below right) will present the ultimate family van Seal U, Renault its Scenic E-Tech electric (gallery below center) and the long-awaited R5 as a world premiere. The unveiling is on February 26. Dacia is showing its Dakar car (top center gallery) and the new Spring (right gallery) and the completely redesigned Duster (left gallery) as world premieres. The most important Europeans are missing. This is precisely why many eyes are on the Californian manufacturer Lucid. With the Gravity (gallery bottom left), the Air Sapphire and the Air Pure with rear-wheel drive, the brand wants to set standards in the class of electric luxury cars.

Sports cars and legendary classic cars

In the adrenaline zone, super sports cars from Ferrari, McLaren, Bugatti, Pagani, Aston Martin and Porsche will make the hearts of every car aficionado beat faster. As the icing on the cake, there are also milestones from the Swiss racing scene - including Sébastien Buemi's Toyota from the World Endurance Championship.

The Classic Gallery 100 Years of Icons is even more eye-catching. Delicacies such as the Jaguar E-Type 9600 HP (center gallery), the Porsche 901 Quick Blue or the Ferrari 500 Superfast. And the highlight: for the first time in history, two Bugatti Royale 41.111s will be exhibited together: the Roadster Esders and the Coupé de Ville Binder (center gallery).

Sim racing, workshops and the future

Visitors can compete against each other in sim racing. Or sketch a car yourself in 90-minute workshops with Frank Stephenson in the Design District. It's fun and definitely worthwhile: the master has designed for Ferrari, McLaren and Alfa Romeo, among others. Fit for the future: the Mobility Lab is all about breakthroughs in the automotive industry. First-hand information is provided by the Swiss companies Micro Mobility Systems and Motosacoche.

And on February 27, personalities from the industry will discuss the future of the automotive industry. For example, the CEOs of Renault, Lucid and Pininfarina will be present. Also with a new concept: the anniversary salon is worth a trip to Palexpo.

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Visitors have the opportunity to test drive such legendary cars as the Type 35-derived Bugatti Baby II, the Ferrari Testa Rossa J and the Aston Martin DB5. However, all these models are somewhat smaller than the originals, as they come from the Little Car Company. What's more, unlike the originals, they are purely electrically powered.

Premiere of the Bentley Blower Jnr

In addition to the models available for test drives, The Little Car Company will also be showing the international public the new Bentley Blower Jnr on Lake St. Moritz. This model, which is 85 percent the size of the original, is the first road-going vehicle from this manufacturer.

Ben Hedley, CEO of The Little Car Company, comments: "The I.C.E. St. Moritz is a unique event that brings together a number of the world's greatest automotive creations in a stunning location. This year is the third time we have participated."

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For Karen Gaillard, Easter and Christmas took place in February for once. Born in Fribourg, she is a new driver for Iron Dames in the Michelin Le Mans Cup. In the team founded by Deborah Mayer in 2018, she will meet Rahel Frey, among others, who will retire as a racing driver in 2024, but is more in demand than ever in her role as team manager.

Iron Dames has a total of nine female riders under contract. Gaillard is the second Swiss driver alongside Frey. In addition to motorsport, Mayer is also active in equestrian sport. There, seven other female show jumpers fly the Iron Dames flag.

24-hour classic a dream

For Gaillard, the switch to Iron Dames is a further step towards Le Mans. The French-speaking Swiss driver, who turns 23 in June, has been dreaming of the 24-hour classic at the Sarthe for years. Partly because she realized early on that the path via formula racing was not financially viable. The late bloomer (Gaillard only started karting at the age of 15, center gallery) took her first steps in motorsport in the Cupra Young Driver Challenge, which she won in 2019 as the last sponsored driver (right gallery).

After a year in TCR, Gaillard switched to endurance racing in 2021. At the time, she was part of the La Filière Endurance racing school in Le Mans. Her career came to a standstill in 2022. The French GT sprint competition Mitjet 2L was not necessarily a step forward. But Gaillard fought on and finished second in the prototypes of the Ultimate Cup Series the previous year alongside Grégory de Sybourg, the grandson of Swiss racing legend Jo Siffert.

First assignment in Barcelona in April

She will now race in the Michelin Le Mans Cup in 2024. Gaillard starts on April 13 with the first race in Barcelona. A total of six races with a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 are on the program (gallery on the left). The highlight of the season is, of course, the 24-hour race in mid-June. It will probably be a while before Gaillard is allowed to contest the 24 Hours of Le Mans. But she is in the right place at Iron Dames. Now it just has to be the right time

Photos: Iron Dames, Delien/Ultimate Cup Series, Archive
Source: Car Sport Switzerland
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Thomas Rücker, born in 1975, completed a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Business Management after training as a commercial employee and management specialist with a federal certificate. After working for General Motors Suisse, he joined commercial vehicle importer Iveco Switzerland in 2011 and was appointed Managing Director in May 2018. Rücker has been Director of Sales and After Sales at Designwerk Technologies since February 2023. The company specializes in the development and construction of battery-electric commercial vehicles. Thomas Rücker lives with his wife and two sons in Berikon AG.

Professional know-how and network

For auto-schweiz President Peter Grünenfelder (gallery right), Thomas Rücker is the ideal candidate for the position of Director: "After an intensive search process, the Board of Directors elected Thomas Rücker unanimously and with great conviction. Rücker brings enormous professional expertise and a network, coupled with outstanding leadership qualities, to this task."

From June 2024, Rücker will follow in the footsteps of Andreas Burgener (gallery left), who played a key role in shaping auto-schweiz for 20 years.

Christoph Wolnik is a deputy

In order to broaden the management tasks and responsibilities within the office in future, the Board has also created the post of Deputy Director. Christoph Wolnik (center gallery), who was previously responsible for PR, was appointed to this position at the beginning of the year. He has been working for auto-schweiz since 2015 and has an excellent network within and outside the association as a media spokesperson.

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For the style icon Porsche 911 of the first model years and for all engine versions, suspension manufacturer KW automotive now offers the KW V3 Klassik damper set with adjustable compression and rebound damping - including forged steering knuckles. The set is perfect for restoration, as no damper cartridges need to be replaced and the damper set is supplied as a ready-to-install solution. Torsion bar springs can still be used. The lowering is adjusted by turning the torsion bar springs, as is usual with the air-cooled Porsche models of the F and G series. The recommended retail price is 3497 euros.

Cult of yesterday, but driving like today

KW Classic expert Sascha Daucher: "When we introduced our modern KW V3 Classic dampers for the classic Porsche 911, we seem to have hit the spirit of the times."

All damper struts for these classic cars are now also available in a black steel version with a black powder coating. Another new feature of the Porsche 911 F model is that a distinction must be made between the model years 1963 to 1969 and 1970 to 1973.

Compression and rebound separately adjustable

The V3 classic dampers in the Porsche F-Model ensure control and calm in the cockpit, even on poor asphalt surfaces. Before things become unharmonious, the pre-tensioned high-speed valves in the damper give way and ensure that a higher volume of oil can flow through the channels. In this way, the wheels compress harmoniously. The dampers for the classic Porsche 911 can also be adjusted separately in the low-speed compression and low-speed rebound stages. This allows the preset setup to be individually fine-tuned. The low-speed compression stage of the V3 classic dampers can be adjusted with twelve clicks in order to further optimize rolling comfort and tire grip. Prices on request.

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The new LED headlights with the two modules and the narrow LED daytime running lights arranged above them are characteristic of the redesigned front end. The visually continuous light strip gives the Tiguan a sporty, wide appearance. IQ.Light LED matrix headlights are available as an option. This lighting system, which has been adopted from the Touareg, ensures perfect visibility in the dark.

Four equipment options to choose from

The interior of the Tiguan is also new. On board, the components of the modular infotainment matrix (MIB 4) merge into a clearly structured cockpit. The digital cockpit includes a large infotainment screen with a new menu structure and graphics, a new head-up display and a multifunctional driving experience switch. With the IDA voice assistant, many vehicle functions can be operated in natural language. The Tiguan is available in four equipment versions: Tiguan, Life, Elegance and R-Line.

Drive variants as required

In the Tiguan, the mild hybrid 1.5 TSI petrol engine and, in the version with all-wheel drive, the 2.0 TSI are each offered in two power variants. There is also the 2.0 TDI diesel, also in two power levels, and the eHybrid plug-in hybrid version with a 1.5-liter petrol engine and electric motor. The newly developed plug-in hybrid drives enable a purely electric range of around 100 kilometers. Thanks to the range and the new DC fast-charging function with up to 50 kW, the vehicle as an eHybrid often becomes an electric car in everyday use. All Tiguan models are equipped with an automatic dual-clutch gearbox (DSG) as standard.

Driver's seat with massage function

On first contact with the new Tiguan, the vehicle is impressive. The driver's seat with massage function is impeccable, and the space is generous - as is typical of the brand - with gear selection now carried out via a steering column lever on the right behind the steering wheel. Driving information and multimedia functions are clearly displayed on the large central screen, while the shortcut buttons at the top of the screen provide practical operating aids.

Low noise level inside

The initially available 150 hp mild hybrid drive with a 1.5 liter turbo petrol engine ensures modest but sufficient driving performance. The low noise level in the interior is remarkable. Only the occasional slight rumble of the wheel suspensions is noticeable when the road surface is not immaculate. On the other hand, the tightly tuned suspension keeps cornering tendency to a minimum.

The price of the new Tiguan starts at CHF 37,900 as a mild hybrid 1.5 TSI evo2 with 130 PS.

The diesel versions 2.0 TDI evo (150 PS, 51,400 Swiss francs) and 4-Motion (193 PS, 58,800 Swiss francs) are also already available. The market launch of the 1.5 TSI evo2 eHybrid and 2.0 TSI 4-Motion models will follow at a later date.

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Launched in fall 2021, the all-electric small car Dacia Spring is a very successful electric car throughout Europe and also in Switzerland. It is considered the perfect solution for people looking for affordable and efficient emission-free mobility. The data collected shows that Spring customers travel an average of 37 kilometers per day at a speed of 37 km/h.

No chrome parts

The new Dacia identity is reflected in the black stripes at the front and rear. These are framed by the Y-shaped light signature, which is particularly striking with the full LED daytime running lights at the front and the lights at the rear. 15-inch wheels underline the robust impression of the car. As with all new Dacia models, there are no decorative chrome parts. The new Spring is available in six colors.

The interior and dashboard have been completely redesigned. The Spring now has a customizable 7-inch digital display and a 10-inch multimedia screen. White elements around the instrument cluster, selector lever and door pockets create a fresh atmosphere. The central color accent on the instrument panel varies depending on the trim level: Alto Gray for Essential, Brick Red for Expression and Olive Green for Extreme. With a luggage compartment volume of 300 to 1000 liters and additional storage space in the interior and frunk, the Spring, which is only 3.70 meters long, offers a comparatively large amount of space.

Range of 220 kilometers

The Spring's electric motors produce 33 or 48 kW (45 or 65 hp). Thanks to the low unladen weight of less than one ton, the car still accelerates quickly enough. The expected energy consumption is 14.6 kWh per 100 kilometers. The 26.8 kWh high-voltage battery enables a range of more than 220 kilometers. The Spring is equipped with a 3.7 kW AC charger as standard, with which the battery can be charged from 20 to 100 percent in less than 14 hours at a household socket or in eight hours at a 3.7 kW wallbox. Prices are not yet fixed

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Shortly before its market launch, the all-electric Alpine A290 compact sports car undergoes driving tests in extreme weather conditions near the Arctic Circle. The technical teams are testing the prototypes in Sweden at temperatures of up to minus 30 degrees Celsius on the race track and on the road.

Philippe Krief, CEO Alpine: "To ensure that the A290 works perfectly in all conditions and in all weathers, the winter development phase is crucial, especially as this is a completely new model."

As with every model of the brand, special attention is paid to the dynamic performance of the A290. Engine response, driving precision and agility are carefully tested to ensure an excellent driving experience at all times.

De-icing and ESP function in the test

The engineers also test numerous equipment details, including the heating, the quality of the windscreen ventilation and de-icing and the ESP function in snow. None of these points can be tested anywhere near as realistically in a technical center as under the extreme conditions in the Arctic Circle. On its first official drive, the A290 presented itself with the A-Arrow logo as camouflage on the roof and in the color Alpine Blue. The prototype was launched for the first time with its final dimensions: 3.99 meters long, 1.82 meters wide and 1.52 meters high. The wheelbase is 2.53 meters.

Details come from Formula 1

The exclusive, flattened sports steering wheel made from nappa leather and with center markings has three key functions borrowed from Formula 1. The overtake button (Overtake), recharge (RCH) and the driving modes with one-touch access. To measure braking performance and driving precision in harsh winter conditions, the A290 was fitted with Michelin high-performance Pilot Alpin 5 tires.

Since the beginning of their collaboration in 2012, Alpine and Michelin have expanded their partnership in tire development. Three tire types now allow the A290 to perform optimally in all conditions. Each tire has an exclusive marking that corresponds to the coding system of the respective Alpine model.

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