URBAN AND SUSTAINABLE The Opel variant of the micro city runabout trio from the Stellantis Group is called Rocks and is modest in all respects: in all-electric drive power, in weight and also in price.
Editorial - July 12, 2023
As a tiny city runabout, the Opel Rocks is only just 2.41 meters long and therefore fits into any parking space - even crossways. With a base price of 9190 francs, it also remains very modest in price. Despite its minimal dimensions, the interior impresses with optimal use of space, allowing even people taller than 1.90 meters to drive comfortably. The two seats are slightly offset so that the driver can adjust his seat individually, while the front passenger has pleasant legroom.
The Opel Rocks is miniaturized from A to Z.
Range up to 75 kilometers
The Rocks is clearly distinguished from its Citroën Ami and Fiat Topolino brothers by the Opel-typical Vizor front. The standard glass roof, together with the large windows, provides a good all-round view. The urban flea consists of only 250 parts - numerous components are even used several times. The front and rear body parts are identical, as are the doors.
Even in the basic version, the electric starter car offers a range of up to 75 kilometers, which can be covered at up to 45 km/h. This makes it suitable for daily city driving. This makes the new Opel suitable for daily city traffic. And with a turning circle diameter of just 7.20 meters, it can be perfectly steered through tight corners or into small parking spaces. The 5.5 kWh battery is charged in around four hours via a household socket.
Three equipment options to choose from
The Klub and Tekno variants cost slightly more at 10,090 Swiss francs and are somewhat more richly equipped. Inside and out, they score with fashionable features in cosmic gray for the Klub and electric yellow for the Tekno. A Bluetooth hands-free system is also available on request.
The electric two-seater can be ordered exclusively online. But those who want to can get product advice, test drives and support for the online ordering process from Opel partners. The first vehicles will be delivered before the end of the year.
Little Car Company: Wild One Max can do 100 speed 🎥
REAL-SIZED SPIEZEUG Based on the radio-controlled original Tamiya Wild One of the 1980s, Little Car Company is now building the Wild One Max as a full-size vehicle with street legal and adventure guaranteed.
Editorial - July 12, 2023
Little Car Company, maker of hand-built electric cars in reduced scale, has put the Tamiya Wild One Max on wheels in response to popular demand from its clientele. The full-size vehicle is equipped not only with Cobra racing seats and digital screen, but also with Brembo brakes, Bilstein dampers and Eibach springs.
With the modest drive power of 28 kW, the lightweight Wild One Max achieves good driving performance.
A little comfort must be
To make the model look less spartan than the original, the cockpit has been removed for two people, and the front suspension is now based on two triangular cross members. Electric power is provided by eight battery packs with a combined capacity of 14.4 kWh. This enables the car, which weighs around 500 kilograms, to accelerate to a maximum of 100 km/h and travel 200 kilometers on one battery charge. The vehicle is offered in both left- and right-hand drive versions. The Launch Edition remains limited to a run of 100 units.
Production start planned for 2024
Says Ben Hedley, CEO of The Little Car Company, "We believe it doesn't take a thousand horsepower, nausea-inducing acceleration and torque vectoring to make electric cars attractive. I think modern cars today are too big, too fast, too complicated and too heavy - and we now have an alternative."
Production of the Wild One Max is scheduled to start in 2024. The manufacturer's asking price is 41,000 euros. The vehicle will be shown for the first time at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
ADVICE The current high temperatures quickly lead to excessive heat in the car, which can be dangerous for people and animals. The TCS provides tips on the subject of heat and cars for combustion and electric vehicles.
Editorial - July 12, 2023
The interior temperatures of parked cars rise extremely in the summer sun.
Many people don't think about the fact that after just a few minutes in the scorching sun, it can become extremely hot in the car and critical for people and animals. If you leave a car in the blazing sun, it can heat up to 50 degrees Celsius after just a few minutes. Outside temperature fluctuations and changing solar radiation can additionally heat up a vehicle. Staying in the car becomes dangerous from 40 degrees Celsius.
Sunscreen films help
Various TCS tests have shown that, in addition to parking in the shade, sun protection films in particular have a positive influence on the temperatures measured in the car. For example, vehicles parked in the sun for an hour without sun protection film measured 77 degrees Celsius on the dashboard, while the temperature was up to 40 degrees lower in vehicles with sun protection film.
Contrary to popular belief that the color of the car's paint has a major influence on the interior temperature, tests showed that the difference is minimal. Although dark cars heat up faster than light ones in the first 20 minutes, the final temperature differs by only a few degrees Celsius.
Do open panes make sense?
Slightly opened window panes fail to have the hoped-for cooling effect. In the test, a difference of only 2 degrees Celsius was measured over a period of 30 minutes. When driving, however, completely open windows contribute significantly to cooling the interior within a short time. The difference between an air-conditioned interior and the outside temperature should not exceed 6 degrees. Larger temperature differences can stress the organism and also lead to a cold.
Do not leave in the car
Stops in closed vehicles that are not cooled and exposed to direct sunlight should be avoided. Children and animals should also not be left behind for short stops. For the batteries of electric vehicles, on the other hand, the high temperatures do not pose a safety risk, as the batteries in the underbody are never exposed to direct sunlight. The range of electric vehicles is only reduced due to the running air conditioning.
HALF TIME In the absence of leader Jonathan Hirschi and after an accident by Mike Coppens, Jonathan Michellod secured his first win of the season in the Rally du Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise.
Editorial - July 11, 2023
The Swiss were unable to have any say in the overall victory at the Rally Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise this weekend. In the end, the local teams were too strong - above all Frenchman Nicolas Hernandez, who was in the lead on his Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo from the fourth stage and did not relinquish it until the finish (SS12).
Jonathan Michellod is in the lead as half-time champion after three of six rallies.
Best Swiss on Škoda
But the best Swiss, Jonathan Michellod (gallery right) could not care less. The 2022 Chablais winner secured victory in the Swiss championship standings in fifth place overall on his Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo and is now in the lead as half-time champion after three of six rallies.
Jonathan Michellod: "Actually, it only went really well on the first three stages. After that, we had problems. First with the engine, which didn't run smoothly and we therefore couldn't get all the power, then - on the second day - with the transmission. We drove more than two stages without fourth gear. I'm pleased that we still managed to win the Swiss championship. Although of course we also benefited from Mike's retirement."
Mike Coppens in misfortune
The 2021 Swiss rally champion retired on the eighth stage. At this point, Coppens (right gallery) was more than 30 seconds ahead of Michellod. And if he hadn't made a wrong turn on the first special stage after a false start, the lead would have been even greater.
Mike Coppens: "We were doing great, apart from that mistake on the first special stage, which cost us an easy 30 seconds. Then we had an accident on the eighth special stage - nothing serious, but it still hurt. We could have won the rally, but our write-up wasn't helpful at this point. The corner closed up. I underestimated that."
Sacha Althaus very successful
Due to Coppens' retirement, two riders who have already attracted attention this year moved up. Directly behind Michellod, Sacha Althaus secured second place (center gallery) in the Swiss classification. The 26-year-old from Moutier (JU) was only 23.3 seconds slower than brand colleague Michellod and thus made it onto the podium again after two third places at the Critérium Jurassien and the Rallye du Chablais.
Sacha Althaus: "I am very happy with this result. I'm still missing that last bit of speed, even though I drove with a knife between my teeth the whole rally. But that's probably down to experience. After all, this was only my fifth rally with this car."
Podium finish for Thibault Maret
Third place went to the 22-year-old Thibault Maret. The young man from Vollèges in the Valais, who had already made a positive impression in the Rallye du Chablais with fourth place, kept old champion Olivier Burri in his Hyundai i20 at bay from the second stage onwards and celebrated his first podium finish in Burgundy as part of the Swiss championship.
Thibault Maret: "That was a very good and constructive weekend. The stages were very fast. And the competition was strong. I have to verify that again exactly, but I think I lost one and a half to two seconds per kilometer to the fastest. That's definitely something to build on."
Sergio Pinto rounded off the top 5 in his Alpine A110 RGT. The man from the Valais lost only 17 seconds to veteran Burri and secured second place overall in the Michelin Trophy Alps Open behind French brand colleague David Lamarche.
Michelin Trophy Alps with a lot of bad luck
In the Michelin Trophy Alps 2WD none of the three starting teams finished. Olivier Ramel/Florian Barrachin had to park their Clio Ragnotti Gr. N as early as the third stage due to engine failure. The same fate befell Laurent Bérard, navigated by returnee Michaël Volluz, in SS11, just before the finish. And Claude Aebi/Justin Vuffray got as far as the seventh SS before they too had a mechanical problem.
Overall victory for favorite Pascal Perroud
In the historic class, the VHC, the favorite Pascal Perroud prevailed as expected. The driver from Vaud secured overall victory in his BMW M3 E30 ahead of Frenchman Benoit Chavet by 19 seconds, thus extending his overall lead. Third place went to Nicolas Jolidon from Jura in a BMW 325i.
... and so it goes on this season:
August 31 - September 2, Rally Mont-Blanc Morzine (F)
TARGET ACHIEVED All 53 cars offered at the RM Sotheby's auction at Meilenstein Businesspark Langenthal AG have been sold. Special sports cars from the Carrera Collection went under the hammer.
Bruno von Rotz - July 10, 2023
In fact, the supply in Langenthal consisted of over 70 percent from vehicles from Stuttgart. In addition to the 38 Porsche (AutoSprintCH reported), seven Mercedes-Benzes, four BMWs, three Chevrolets (one was withdrawn) and one Lancia and one modern Abarth each went under the hammer.
The Porsches did slightly better than expected, with an average of 115 % of the median estimate. However, the cars with star performed much more positively, here were offered 141 % of the median appraised value, while BMW and Chevrolet were sold in the range of expectations.
The Abarth 695 Biposto from 2016 could be sold at 56 350 francs, twice as expensive as hoped.
Offers without minimum price
Despite mostly low starting prices, the auction sometimes lacked a bit of dynamism, with some lots taking what felt like forever to finally reach the hammer. Especially bidders via telephone and internet were important in reaching the achieved prices, but there were definitely also interested parties on site who came to a new car. As a sales quota 100 % could be noted, which was to be expected with vehicles offered exclusively without a minimum price.
Second round on July 12 in Milan
The cars in Langenthal, most of which had a Swiss registration or for which at least one had been applied for, are joined on the July 12, 2023 still other vehicles of the Carrera Collection in Milan under the hammer.
FINALLY A big surprise at Silverstone in the UK: At the British round of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Alexander Fach claimed his first victory in the most popular of all one-make cups.
Editorial - July 10, 2023
A strong performance in qualifying, a sure instinct in the early stages and a cool head in the race paved the way for Alexander Flach's success. With his best qualifying result to date, the 21-year-old had already indicated his ambitions for a top position. Hardly anyone - least of all himself - would have expected him to be the beaming winner in the end.
The team around Alex and Alexander Flach (center) celebrates their success at Silverstone.
Dream came true
Alexander Fach: "The Supercup is one of the toughest championships in the world and I've always dreamed of standing on the podium one day. Now I've won my first race, which is incredible. Our team has had to cope with some tough setbacks recently. This victory is simply awesome."
Son ends dry spell
The Swiss team has been active in the international one-make cup for eleven years with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, and in 2014 provided the champion with New Zealander Earl Bamber. Son Alexander Fach, of all people, has now ended the dry spell. The 21-year-old celebrated his Supercup maiden victory on the Formula 1 circuit at Silverstone in the UK.
The junior laid the foundation for his success in the early stages of the race. After a good start from fifth place, he managed to stay out of a starting pileup of the leading cars. He mastered the subsequent 14 race laps with flying colors. He didn't allow himself any mistakes and managed the lead of a few tenths of a second until the end.
It was time for first place
Alex Fach, team owner of Fach Auto Tech: "We had to wait five years for this moment. We haven't won a Supercup race since 2018. It was finally about time again. We have many people and partners who support us every weekend anew and believe in us. Today was the best way to say thank you for that."
The next race weekend of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup will be held in Budapest from July 21 to 23.
BACKGROUND Two stars, four episodes and an electric Subaru. In four short episodes, musician Eliane Müller and ski legend Bernhard Russi discuss the benefits of the Solterra 4x4 electric car in everyday life.
Editorial - July 10, 2023
The musician and former ski racer are promoting the Subaru Solterra 4×4 in a campaign consisting of four videos that focus on the benefits of the all-electric vehicle.
The story begins at a charging station, where Russi and Müller reveal their (in)knowledge about battery life cycles. The advantage of the low center of gravity during dynamic cornering is a welcome effect for Russi.
The second episode plays with the generations. About musical tastes, with Eliane more attached to the rock style of the band Shugarshakers than Bernhard. In this way, both allude to the brand's leap into electromobility.
Bernhard Russi and Eliane Müller present the Subaru Solterra 4×4.
Driving behavior and emotions
Third place is again about the battery. Statistically, Russi points out the average driving performance and wants to prove that the range of the Solterra 4×4 is perfectly sufficient for everyday use.
In the end, Eliane misses a bit of emotion in the car. Despite recuperation and full digital connectivity, she is not entirely convinced. The electric acceleration, however, does stir her emotions as well.
PRACTICAL From August, BMW will have Connected Ride smartglasses in its range. The motorcycle glasses, which are worn under the helmet, serve as a head-up display. Important data is projected directly into the field of vision of the right lens.
Editorial - July 9, 2023
The system works like this: A small projector sits at the top of the left edge of the frame and transmits navigation data, speed or the gear engaged. The smartglasses can be paired with the smartphone via Bluetooth and app. The positioning of the projection and the selection of settings can also be made while riding via the multicontroller on the handlebars.
The equipment of the Connected Ride Smartglasses includes a lithium-ion battery with up to ten hours of operating time.
Different nose pads
BMW Motorrad also supplies two sets of certified UVA/UVB lenses with the frame. One set of lenses is 85 percent transparent and can be used for helmets with integrated sun visors. The other has tinted lenses and can therefore be used directly as sunglasses. In addition, two standard sizes with different nose pads are available.
An RX adapter (+/- 4.5 diopters) is available for eyeglass wearers. This can be ordered directly online. The corresponding QR code can be found in the user manual of the Connected Ride smartglasses. The head-up display glasses will cost 690 Swiss francs and will be available from August.
SUSTAINABLE The Waisenhausplatz near the Federal Palace in Bern became a meeting place for soccer fans. The reason: The Volkswagen ID.3 presented itself in the jersey of the women's national team.
Editorial - July 9, 2023
Luana Bühler, Coumba Sow, Viola Calligaris, Seraina Piubel, Alisha Lehmann and Lia Wälti with their service cars.
Fans met their idols from the women's national team in Bern to take them for a spin in Volkswagen's new ID.3. This was a special model: The all-electric ID.3 presented itself in the official jersey of the Swiss national women's team. The female soccer players were easy to spot, as they wore the new red Nati jersey launched by Puma in time for the finals in Australia and New Zealand.
Foliation like the Nati jersey
The excitement was palpable among the fans as they were warmly greeted by members of the Women's A team, including VW ambassador Luana Bühler as well as Coumba Sow, Viola Calligaris, Seraina Piubel, Alisha Lehmann, and Lia Wälti. And of course, the six branded vehicles on site were also eye-catchers.
Each of the new ID.3s shone in a soccer look - with a foil inspired by the Nati jersey.
Quiz during the test drive
Each fan was allowed to sit on the back seat with one of the soccer stars. During a detour through the city, tricky quiz questions had to be answered. Winner Pascal Sauter from Winterthur is now driving an ID.3 for a year. He rode along with Alisha Lehmann and was able to answer most of the questions correctly (center gallery). In his spare time, he plays soccer and works as a referee coach in eastern Switzerland. A perfect fit.
EXCLUSIVE Together with the Austrian Frauscher boatyard, Porsche is developing an almost nine-meter-long electric sports boat that will be equipped with drive technology from the future Porsche Macan electric.
Editorial - July 9, 2023
Porsche wants to become a pioneer for sustainable mobility. In the future, this ambition will not be limited to racing and road cars alone. Together with Frauscher Bootswerft in Austria, the sports car manufacturer is now developing an electric yacht that will also set standards on the water with typical Porsche e-performance.
The Frauscher x Porsche 850 Fantom Air will be equipped with attributes that already characterize the Taycan electric sports sedan: impressive acceleration, sporty pulling power, and inspiring design. What you can expect from the boat can already be seen in some details in the video.
Leadership in the industry
Stefan Frauscher, Managing Director Marketing & Sales Frauscher Bootswerft: "Electric drives are also becoming increasingly important in our industry. On the one hand, they are increasingly enjoying a high level of social acceptance, and on the other, our customers are enjoying the advantages of electric mobility: quiet, odorless and superior. Frauscher has been building electric boats since 1955. The collaboration with Porsche opens up the opportunity for us to expand our leadership role within the industry on this topic."
The Frauscher x Porsche electric yacht is expected to be able to glide through harbors and bays with zero local emissions from 2024.
800-volt technology from Stuttgart
The Frauscher x Porsche 850 Fantom Air is based on the Frauscher 858 Fantom Air day cruiser, whose 8.67-meter-long and 2.49-meter-wide hull it adopts almost unchanged. For use on the water, Porsche has further developed the drive technology designed for road vehicles. This makes it possible to use the technology of the Premium Platform Electric, on which the future all-electric Macan will also be based.
These include the high-voltage battery with a capacity of around 100 kWh, a permanently excited synchronous machine, and the power electronics. Thanks to Porsche's 800-volt technology, the electric boat can be charged at DC fast-charging stations. AC charging is also possible.
