With the new technology, the maximum output of the 4-liter biturbo engines can be increased from 820 hp, to 1000 hp. The new system is called IWI (Indirect Water Ethanol Injection) and is mounted in front of the two throttle bodies. The additional injection system is controlled by the new electronic control unit also developed by Abt Sportsline for this purpose. Ethanol is particularly well suited due to its availability and physical values.

Managing Director Thomas Biermaier: "IWI technology offers us the thermodynamic advantages to represent the most enduring power output possible in these performance regions. We use it to ensure strong internal cooling of the engine. This allows more charge air or oxygen to be supplied for fuel combustion."

Activation via the RS key

The IWI system is activated via the RS buttons on the steering wheel of the RS 6 LE and RS 7 LE models. To do this, the RS button must be held down for one second in the drive cycle in one of the two RS modes. The additional power is then made available as required. When the IWI system is activated, maximum performance is demanded of the vehicle with every spirited press of the accelerator pedal.

The 1000 hp conversion requires additional Abt components - for example a carbon intake system with enlarged air intakes and optimized turbochargers. The company also gave the two cars special intercoolers with larger air intakes in the front apron. The package also includes forged pistons with compression reduction, reinforced connecting rods and piston pins, a catalytic converter with particulate filter, an exhaust system and an auxiliary oil cooler.

Monitoring with one sensor

The system is supplied via a 15-liter tank in the trunk well. The filler neck is located under the fuel filler flap. Ideally, an IWI tank filling lasts for up to 3000 kilometers. This corresponds to a consumption of 0.5 liters per 100 kilometers. The fill level is monitored by a sensor and displayed in the myABT app and in the MMI via Apple Carplay.

abt-sportsline.com

The G-Class from Mercedes and the Big Pilot's Watch from IWC have a similar history. They were developed for purely functional reasons and have evolved over the years into modern icons. These parallels are reflected in the new Big Pilot's Watch AMG G, as the design is inspired by the recently unveiled AMG G 63 Grand Edition.

The special watch model is characterized by the contrast of black and gold. The case and crown of this fine timepiece are made of 18-karat Armor gold to match. The alloy has a modified microstructure. It makes the case harder and more wear-resistant than watches in conventional red gold. The combination of sandblasted surfaces and polished edges gives the timepiece a high-quality character.

Inspirations come from car

The radiator grilles and air intakes of AMG's performance vehicles served as inspiration for the black dial. While the numerals and indexes of the classic Big Pilot's Watch are printed on, the AMG G 63 Edition has three-dimensional applications. These are coated in black and filled with beige luminescent material. The white rings of the auxiliary counters for the small seconds at 9 o'clock and the power reserve at 3 o'clock are modeled on the headlights of the G-Class. The Big Pilot's Watch AMG G 63 is available now in IWC boutiques, from authorized retail partners or online.

mercedes-benz.ch
iwc.com

The Type 35, which made its debut on the racetrack four years after the Type 13 and took more than 2,000 podium places in the course of its long racing career, cemented Bugatti's reputation as a manufacturer of successful race cars. In addition to performance and precision, a hypercar for the race track must also offer a high level of safety. That's why the Bugatti Bolide features a new carbon monocoque developed to the same LMH and LMDh requirements of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) as for Le Mans race cars.

Proportions of a catamaran

The monocoque is reminiscent of the proportions of a sleek catamaran, so the driver and front passenger sit perfectly balanced in the vehicle. This arrangement also allows the W16 powertrain to be positioned 60 millimeters further forward than in the Chiron, ensuring an ideal layout for use on the racetrack.

Strictest safety regulations

The FIA safety requirements for the LMH and LMDh race cars were decisive for the development of the new structure and were chosen because they are among the strictest safety regulations in the world of motorsport. For a hypercar inspired by motorsport greats, safety factors such as rollover protection are of great importance. One of the most demanding FIA tests requires a load of 7.5 tons on the A-pillar of the car.

Monocoque technically perfected

Christian Willmann, chief engineer for the Bolide: "From the moment we decided to turn the Bolide's vision into reality, we knew we would be focusing uncompromisingly on several key design and development areas. To pass the rigorous but crucial safety tests, we had to ensure that everything about the monocoque was technically perfected so that the Bolide would be a safe vehicle on the race track in every driving situation."

Weight of only 1450 kilograms

The passive safety features are complemented by motorsport-leading active safety technologies. Traction control, stability control and anti-lock brakes ensure that the Bolide offers maximum safety. The Bolide's W16 engine produces 1600 hp at 7000 rpm and delivers maximum torque of 1600 Nm from 2250 rpm. Dry, the car weighs just 1450 kilograms.

bugatti.com

The award was presented today for the twelfth time and honors outstanding sustainable action by Swiss family businesses. Gartenpflanzen Daepp from Münsingen in the canton of Bern was able to beat the other two finalists, Bolliger + Co. AG from Grenchen and RWB Groupe SA from Pruntrut.

VW ID. Buzz for the finalists

All three finalists received a Family Business Award certificate attesting to their particularly sustainable entrepreneurial activities. In addition, the three companies will receive a new all-electric VW ID. Buzz Pro, which will accompany the finalists for one year. The winning company gets to keep the vehicle.

Newly discovered winter apple

Since 1875, Gartenpflanzen Daepp has been cultivating and marketing plants of the highest quality. In Münsingen near Bern, 55 employees cultivate and care for over 5000 different species of trees, shrubs and garden flowers on an area of 25 hectares.

In 1870, Adolf Daepp grafted a newly discovered winter apple, founded the Daepp Nursery and launched the newly discovered apple on the market as the Bernese Rose Apple - a first-class success story. 150 years and five generations later, the independent, family-run company is setting new trends with the first experience nursery and the largest plant selection in Switzerland. In 2005, Patrick Daepp took over ownership of the sole proprietorship and management of the company from his parents. His wife, Cornelia, runs the company's own bistro "Florenc" in the adventure garden center.

Memory of Walter Haefner

Since 2012, Amag has endowed the Family Business Award in memory of company founder Walter Haefner. The award is intended to promote the mindset, values and commitment of family businesses and to underscore their importance for the Swiss economy.

The winning company will be selected by a top-class jury consisting of experienced personalities with proven expertise. The jury is chaired by Gabriela Manser, President of the Board of Directors of Goba AG, Mineralquelle und Manufaktur and President of the AI Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

family-business-award.ch

The long-distance journey of more than 28,000 kilometers will take the driver through more than 30 countries on six continents. This will also involve testing the charging network infrastructures and the performance of the all-electric Ford Explorer. Lexie's journey is a tribute to Aloha Wanderwell, who was the first woman to successfully circumnavigate the globe in a Ford Model T, starting in 1920. With the tour, Lexie Alford wants to show what is possible today with an electric vehicle, also in terms of range and charging infrastructure. She also hopes to be the first person to circumnavigate the globe in a purely electric vehicle.

Without special modifications

The pioneer Aloha Wanderwell had to overcome many difficult situations on her great journey. In India, she had her wagon pulled by oxen through muddy passages and through rivers. In China, she had to be pushed for miles by people because there was no fuel amidst the tumult of civil war.

Lexie's Explorer comes from a pre-series production run at Ford's Cologne Electric Vehicle Center in Cologne-Niehl and already largely corresponds to the production model that will roll out to customers from summer 2024. Without any special modifications, it lends itself as a suitable vehicle for the long haul. To claim the record for being the first person to circumnavigate the globe in an electric vehicle, Lexie Alford must meet strict requirements. The distance must be at least 28,968 kilometers, passing through two antipodean points. At the same time, the journey must end where it began. See you in Nice then

ford.ch

The highly competitive GT3 championship makes a guest appearance this time in Valencia, Spain, and the Swiss team is aiming for consistent points results. As usual, the Circuit Ricardo Tormo will host two one-hour races on both Saturday and Sunday with a strong field of 40 cars. Since its debut on the race calendar in 2021, the 4-kilometer circuit on the Mediterranean coast is the venue for the GT World Challenge for the third time.

Excellent performance

The number 69 Ferrari 296 GT3 put in an excellent performance at Hockenheim, giving Albert Costa Balboa and Thierry Vermeulen two strong finishes. After the #14 Ferrari of Giacomo Altoè and Konsta Lappalainen performed well at the two previous events, especially in Misano, Italy, the team is looking to return to the top again with the Italian-Finnish driver duo in Valencia. Albert Costa Balboa is the only Spanish competitor on the grid. The Emil Frey Racing driver was born a few hours north in Barcelona and now lives in Andorra.

16.5 points missing for the top 3

Despite the disappointing race at the Hockenheimring two weeks ago, Emil Frey Racing is still in fifth place in the Sprint Cup team standings. With 42 points, the team currently lacks 16.5 points to make the leap into the top three.

The Sprint Cup weekend in Valencia begins on Friday morning with free practice at 11.20 am. Later in the afternoon, pre-qualifying will follow at 4.20pm. On both Saturday and Sunday, qualifying will take place at 9 a.m. and the one-hour race at 2 p.m.

It is important to learn from the mistakes

Jürg Flach, Technical Director: "After the last sprint race in Hockenheim, we have to learn from our mistakes and show a strong performance. The track in Valencia is very twisty and it can still be very hot in September. So it's essential to adapt the setup to these conditions. That means having a car that rotates well, especially for qualifying, and minimizing tire degradation on the rear axle for the race. We know the track very well from previous races and tests and are traveling to Spain full of optimism."

emilfreyracing.com

As the Südkurier reports, Swiss traffic offenders in Germany could be asked to pay more consistently in the future. At least, that is what the law implementing the new police treaty between Germany and Switzerland envisages. Conversely, however, this also means that violations by Germans in Switzerland could also be punished more easily.

From illegal parking to racing

Until now, penalties for Swiss nationals following offenses in Germany were often not enforced because the effort would have been too great for the German authorities. In the future, the Federal Office of Justice is now to enforce cross-border fines in order to relieve the police and fine authorities. According to the federal government's draft law, it should not matter whether the offenses are criminal or administrative offenses. Parking offences would therefore be covered in exactly the same way as illegal street racing.

Cross-border persecution

It was already the case that a Swiss national who broke the rules abroad could be punished under Swiss law if the offense was reported in Switzerland. For the police, however, the cross-border prosecution of traffic offenses was too costly. Conversely, Swiss authorities have also lacked the means to collect fines from drivers from Germany in many cases.

In its draft legislation, the federal government now assumes 5000 incoming and 6000 outgoing enforcement requests in the traffic sector each year - i.e. 6000 offenses committed by Swiss road users who are to be prosecuted. The new police treaty is to come into force on January 1, 2024, by which time this draft should also have passed through the parliamentary procedure.
Source: Südkurier

axa.ch

The Memorial Mountain Race Steckborn is at the top of the calendar for classic car fans. On the fourth weekend in September, vintage vehicles from well-known brands will tackle the 2.8-kilometer Memorial course in memory of the race that was first held in 1955. Starting from Steckborn, the route will take the Frauenfelderstrasse over the Seerücken in the direction of Hörhausen.

Claude Schönherr, president of the hill-climbing association, is pleased with the great demand: "This year, our event offers the perfect mix of nostalgia and innovation. We hope to share our enthusiasm for classic vehicles and motorsport with as many visitors as possible. We expect around 8000 visitors."

Synfuel in use as fuel

The Memorial 2023 is also particularly innovative because, for the first time, a large number of the historic vehicles will be starting on synthetically produced fuel. Here, the past is on the road with the future.

OC President Roger Forrer: "By using synfuel, we can preserve the motorsport tradition while making a positive contribution to climate protection."

Marco Werner in the Porsche 918 Spyder

Well-known faces from the international racing scene, including Fredy Lienhard and Le Mans winner Marco Werner, among others, driving a Porsche 918 Spyder from the Autobau Erlebniswelt. The two-seater hybrid super sports car was built in 2014 and it produces 887 hp and has an estimated price of over two million Swiss francs. The rare bolide is part of the vehicles from the collection in Romanshorn that will roll to the starting line in Steckborn to mark Porsche's 75th anniversary as a sports car manufacturer.

Winning car from 1955 is at the start

Sure to be greeted with applause is the winning car of the first hill climb in Steckborn in 1955, driven by Albert Scherrer. The 1949 Jaguar XK 120 Alu is now part of the collection of Christian Jenny from Thalwil. He will personally steer the vehicle from his Classic Jaguar Collection over the mountain course (top center gallery). The municipality of Steckborn will become a mecca for classic car fans on the race weekend, and the open paddock is a must-visit.

With the SBB directly into the paddock

The recommended journey for visitors with the SBB ends at Steckborn station virtually in the middle of the paddock and the pit lane. Those taking the journey to Steckborn in a classic car can purchase the classic car package in advance on the Memorial Hillclimb Race website: for 50 Swiss francs, two people and their vehicle (1986 and older) receive a VIP parking space near the paddock, two daily admissions and two grandstand seats with the best view of the race track. Further detailed information is available on the Internet.

bergrennen-steckborn.ch

A total of 15 people qualified for the finals in the three categories Pro, Ladies and Ü45. In the Pro category, the old masters Thomas Schmid and Leonard Heidegger had to prove themselves until the end against the strong competition with partly new riders. In the end, Heidegger had to settle for 8th place and thus did not qualify. The entire top 7 drove lap times within 0.173 seconds.

Andrea Aymon behind Nadia Brülisauer

In the over 45 category, Martin Bodmer and Tiago Parreira were among the newcomers to qualify. In the ladies' category, Andrea Aymon surprised her competitors and ended up in the lead behind Nadia Brülisauer. But Aymon is not an unknown. In the first edition of the Swiss SimRacing Series in 2019, she competed alongside Danica Brönnimann and made it to 6th place at the qualifier in Bern.

Age of 15 years is a prerequisite

Participation in the Swiss Championship is possible for anyone and everyone with Swiss residence or citizenship. Minimum requirements are an age of 15 years and a height of 1.55 meters. The entry fee for qualifications two through four through four is 40 Swiss francs and includes a 25-minute qualifying session. Registrations for the fifth edition of Porsche Esports

Carrera Cup Suisse are held under http://simracingseries.ch adopted.

Dates qualifications and finals

• September 23 Qualification 2: A Plus Simracing Lounge, ZH; Race Sim Zone, AG; Pole Position Lounge, Zug.
• October 07 Qualification 3: Racing Lounge, BL; Beo Racing Center, BE; Racing Fuel Academy Horgen, ZH.
• October 21 Qualification 4: Autovirtuell, TG; Kartbahn Lyss BE; Racing Fuel Academy Dietlikon ZH.
• November 02 and 03 Qualification 5: Auto Zürich Car Show, ZH.
• 04. November Final Cat. Pro, Ladies and Ü45: Messe Auto Zürich Car Show, ZH.

Don't miss: The Swiss champion in the Pro category will compete live against the Swiss champion of the Flanc GT3 Series on November 5 and thus, as in previous years, has the chance to represent Switzerland at the FIA Motorsport Games. High-quality material prizes await the champions of the individual categories.

simracingseries.ch

At the ID meeting in Locarno, Volkswagen presented its vision of an electrically powered sports sedan in the upper mid-size class. The ID.X Performance impresses with 411-kW all-wheel drive (558 hp), performance-oriented chassis tuning and a correspondingly sporty look.

Maria Soni Reissfelder, Head of Marketing & Sales VW ID Family: "Presenting the ID.X Performance to ID enthusiasts from all over Europe gives us the opportunity for direct exchange with members of the ID Drivers Club. The development team led by Andreas Reckewerth exploits the possibilities of the MEB modular e-drive system and combines sporty performance with elegant lines."

Front splitter and rear diffuser

The exterior of the new sports model has many sporty features, such as the carbon front splitter and rear diffuser. The developers widened the track by 80 millimeters and lowered the body by 60 millimeters. The vehicle stands on 20-inch alloy wheels with central locking and 265 racing tires. Tinted taillights further emphasize the sporty appearance.

The driver and front passenger take their seats on carbon bucket seats that offer the best possible lateral support during dynamic driving. Red accents throughout emphasize the sportiness of the interior.

High continuous power output

In the ID.X Performance, Volkswagen supplements the synchronous motor on the rear axle with an additional asynchronous motor on the front axle to create an all-wheel drive system. The advantages of the asynchronous motor are its short-term overload capability and low drag losses. This type of motor is therefore ideally suited to providing more power in boost mode for a short time.

The drive torque is controlled by a Driving Dynamics Manager, which also controls the operation of the rear axle differential lock in the ID.X Performance. The function is controlled via a separate display with a 17-centimeter screen diagonal in the center console. The all-wheel drive draws its energy from the traction battery, which enables high continuous power output and can be recharged with up to 200 kW.

volkswagen.ch