This Lego car drives! Lando Norris, driver in the McLaren F1 team, whizzed around the Silverstone racetrack (UK) in a Lego car. The Lego and McLaren
developed Lego Technic McLaren P1 in 1:1 scale consists of 342,817 Lego Technic bricks and 768 Lego Technic E motors. Rebuild it? Unfortunately not on a 1:1 scale, but
on a scale of 1:8: The Lego Technic McLaren P1 set 1:8 consists of 3893 parts and is available online at Lego for CHF 479.

Zurich-born Felix Hirsiger also impressed in Mugello, Italy. Hirsiger won both rounds of the Porsche Sprint Challenge Suisse (PSCS) on the 5.245-kilometre F1 circuit in Tuscany on 21 September, taking his eighth and ninth wins of the season. Hirsiger thus secured the title of GT3 Cup Champion 2024 ahead of time!

As previously in Portimao, Portugal Hirsiger claimed the perfect hat-trick at the Autodromo del Mugello: in his 375kW (510PS) Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, he secured pole position for both races, set the fastest lap in each and thundered across the finish line in first place. The 26-year-old returned home with full points for the third time this season. Second and third place went to Gregor Burkard and Peter Hegglin, who fought an intense duel, especially in the second race: Burkard won by a narrow margin of 0.265 seconds.

Tomas Guedes also achieved a hat-trick in the GT4 Clubsport group. The Portuguese driver secured pole position twice in Mugello in his Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, set the fastest lap in both sprint races and won both heats. With a lead of 37 points, Guedes travels to the season finale in Misano, Italy, on October 26 as the clear favorite for the title.

The podiIn the Open GT class Philippe Menotti won both races. Italian Vittoria Piria took both victories in Class 21 for 911 GT3 Cup cars with ABS ahead of Sebastian Schmitt, while Marcelo Tomasoni was celebrated as the new champion in this class. Finally, in the Porsche Drivers Competition Suisse, Kevin Lattion took first place twice ahead of championship leader Xavier Penalba.

"For the Porsche Sports Cup Suisse Mugello was worth the trip again this year," emphasizes Richard Feller, Race Director PSCS. "In late summer conditions, we once again experienced top-class motorsport in a professional environment. Congratulations to Felix Hirsiger and Marcelo Tomasoni on their early title wins in the GT3 Cup Group and in Class 21 of the Open GT Group. Now we look forward to the finale in Misano."

Your AutoSprintCH is back and is picking up speed again under new management: From now on, you can once again rely on the latest and competent news. As before, daily online and every two months in printed form. The first print edition has just been published. Your personal copy will be delivered to your home.

Not yet a subscriber to the print edition? Then simply send us an uncomplicated e-mail to abo@autosprint.ch with the subject "Free annual subscription". We look forward to supplying you with valuable car-related information in printed and electronic form free of charge for the whole of 2025.

Thank you, Stefan Donat
Following the death of Stefan Donat in May of this year, AutoSprintCH, which he founded in 2013, suddenly faced an uncertain future. In August 2024, this highly regarded publication was handed over from the Publisher Galledia to us, the Viva, a communications team that is widely involved in the mobility sector.

Individually on the road
Stefan Donat, one of the pioneers of car reporting in Switzerland, lived for the emotions and the experience of the car and tirelessly acknowledged that mobility is a key factor in our prosperity and freedom. Anyone who knows Viva knows that we share this attitude.

Competence meets passion
As pleased as we are about the restart of AutoSprintCH, we are also aware of the responsibility that we are taking on with this publication towards you, our valued readers, and towards our industry partners in the automotive and mobility sector. We will handle this carefully and prudently.

See you at Auto Zurich?
In addition to news and models, you will now find more advice topics online. And one focus in the October print edition is the Car Zurichthe largest motor show in Switzerland today. We thank you for your loyalty and look forward to an active exchange with you.

Your AutoSprintCH team

AutoSprintCH
c/o Viva AG for Communication
Flurstrasse 50
8048 Zurich
Tel: +41  43 499 19 19
Email: info@autosprint.ch

Newsdesk-AutoSprintCH
redaktion@autosprint.ch

 Editorial management
Jürg A. Stettler, jstettler@viva.ch, T +41 43 499 19 72
Timothy Pancake, tpfannkuchen@viva.ch, T +41 43 499 19 85

Publishing house management
Karin Beutler, verlag@autosprint.ch, T +41 43 499 19 84

Marketing
vermarktung@autosprint.ch, T +41 43 499 19 83

One more thing, then another: at critical points on the highway, cars repeatedly take shortcuts via rest areas or parking lots during traffic jams. Just one of many examples in Switzerland is the A1 near Zurich at the Gubrist tunnel with the Büsisee parking lot. Annoying: just like merging too early at the zipper, it leads to another bottleneck in traffic and only delays the flow of traffic even more. In other words, because one driver gains a few seconds, everyone behind them waits longer.

But is driving in traffic jams legal? Unfortunately. Because it disrupts the flow of traffic and also the spirit of partnership, fines are imposed elsewhere. Germany, for example, has two legal regulations: Entrances and exits may not be misused; rest areas are explicitly there for breaks. There is no legal problem in deducing this: It is illegal to drive over parking spaces. Fine: 75 euros. However, the Swiss Road Traffic Act simply lacks an article from which something like this could be interpreted. And without a legal basis, no ban and therefore no fine is possible. This has already been demanded politically, but legislative processes are complex.

The question remains: Can you block? Yes not! Not only because the threader may have just taken a regular break. Because in traffic jams, the zipper system is also mandatory at highway entrances. This means that anyone who fails to create a gap at the end of the merging lane will be fined 100 francs. Above all, however, there is no room for revenge in traffic: you must never react to the mistakes of others with your own mistakes, otherwise you will be severely punished, and rightly so. Incidentally, if you don't create a gap and the other person tailgates you anyway, you both pay a fine. If the whole thing leads to tricky maneuvers, you will be fined very dearly.

So it's best to stay relaxed and please think in terms of partnership: it's true, these tailgaters are annoying, but they gain almost nothing anyway. And in general, zipping up is the best way to ease the traffic jam as soon as possible. By the way: the police are increasingly reacting with speed checks. This is because the speed limit in parking lots is often 40 km/h, and people who drive through are usually in a hurry ... We appeal to common sense: if you stay in the convoy, you help to ensure that we all arrive as quickly as possible in the end.

The French have never lacked courage. Take Renault, for example. Courage did not always pay off (e.g. Avantime). But it often paid off all the more (Espace, for example). The revival of a legend requires a great deal of courage. Everything has to be right, otherwise it flops. The VW New Beetle, for example, was unsuccessful because it only looked like a Beetle and was otherwise a Golf in disguise.

Made in tune to lure hit potential. A prime example: the Fiat 500. The Cinquecento is not a styling copy, but translates the 500 feeling into the present. At Renault, we long hoped for a renaissance of the R4, R5 or Alpine icons. Then came the Alpine - and it's perfect. Next year will see the new R4. Currently, the spotlight belongs to the Renault 5. We are certain that the little Renault 5 E-Tech Electric has what it takes to be a big hit! Why? A look back: in 1972, the Renault 5, or R5 for short, was launched as a 3.51-metre city runabout - modern but charming; cool on the outside and inside; compact but spacious. "The little friend", as the advertising praised it, lasted in two series until 1996 and made nine million friends.

Now the "little friend" is back and remains true to itself. With a length of just 3.92 meters and a small turning circle (only 10.3 meters), the parking miracle whizzes through narrow streets. It has shed the former rocking motion and gained precise steering and painless, yet sporty fun. It has also got rid of the stink. The electrician is already available to order from CHF 32,500 with a very, very brisk 110 kW (150 hp, battery 52 kWh; range 410 km).

From November, the Renault 5 will be buzzing across a broad front in Switzerland, and the base model (70 kW/95 hp or 90 kW/120 hp, 40 kWh, 312 km) will follow in the course of 2025 for less than CHF 25,000. Inexpensive and, if I may say so, pretty cool - a direct hit!

The design is an eye-catcher and quotes the original in a number of details; Renault would have deserved an award for these rear lights alone. What we like even better is that the interior continues to be so cool. There is once again fabric on the dashboard for that home-from-home feeling, witty ideas such as a holder for baguettes (or umbrellas in this country) next to the center console and countless customizations. A space miracle? Well, we don't want to go on vacation with four people here. In the city, the rear is enough: a city runabout.

The equipment is incredibly diverse and goes beyond the scope of this report. Examples: There are 18-inch wheels that suit the R5 as well as the full LED lights. Five colors in a number of variants are tempting. How about a black roof, set off by red trim? We recommend the price-free (!) frog green ("pop green"), as the original often wore in its day.

Digitization is the motto inside. The instrument display is seven or ten inches in size, depending on the equipment, and the multimedia screen is always ten inches. After some initial confusion - countless setting options such as four driving and mood modes - everything is easy; the logic is right. Ambient lighting is also on board - and Reno, the personal avatar. Reno accompanies us and answers questions. By the way: Google is also on board (e.g. Maps).

A model of sustainability the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric will also be. Built in France at "ElectriCity", Renault's three-plant e-center. To protect the environment, all components come from a maximum radius of 300 kilometers. Incidentally, this includes batteries, for which there will be a new gigafactory from 2025. Over 19 percent of the materials used in the R5 (which could become established as an abbreviation again in the future) are recycled (e.g. seat covers made from pet bottles), 26 percent from the circular economy, and its recyclability is almost 89 percent. So when it comes to eco-friendliness, everything is just right.

Is there nothing to complain about? We don't find much. Or should we really find fault with the rear grip shells instead of door handles? Especially as the new e-platform makes the little friend affordable in terms of price and running costs, despite being electric. By the way: Charging is at 11 kW (AC), at the fast charger at 100 kW (DC, 15 to 80 percent 30 minutes). What's more, the Renault 5 supplies 220-volt devices bidirectionally and feeds electricity back into the grid when required. So this little friend has grown up. But it has remained charming.

Snow, ice and low temperatures pose special challenges not only for the driver behind the wheel, but also for the tires fitted. Every year, the TCS winter tire test provides an important indicator of the quality of winter tires. This year, the Test & Technology department put a total of 28 winter tires in the dimensions 205/55 R16 91H and 215/55 R17 98V under the microscope. The individual tyres were assessed in no less than 19 different test criteria, divided into the main areas of "driving safety" and "environmental balance".

Seven meters more braking distance
In the current winter tire test, there was a whopping seven meters difference in braking distance between a good and a worse tire! The TCS experts led by Reto Blättler, project manager for tires at TCS, also noticed a particularly heavy tire weighing over twelve kilograms. "With such a heavy tire, fuel consumption is higher and driving comfort is poorer. In addition, it cannot be classified as sustainable in terms of disposal or recycling," says Blättler. The experts used a VW Golf 8 and a VW T-Roc as test vehicles. When it came to "driving safety", the tire professionals focused not only on dry and wet performance, but above all on properties on winter roads. Among other things, the tires were tested in a special ice braking hall, in which the temperature of the road surface can be varied, and evaluated on snowy and icy roads. In terms of "environmental balance", abrasion, efficiency, driving performance, noise and sustainability were assessed. This has once again resulted in comprehensive and independent test results for this season.

"Highly recommended" for three winter tires
215/55 R17 98V tires correspond to the best-selling winter tire dimension for SUVs in the lower mid-size class and are suitable for the Audi Q2, the VW T-Roc, Passat or Caddy, the DS Automobiles DS4, the Hyundai Kona, the Ford C-Max or Fokus, the Skoda Karoq or Superb, or the Toyota Avensis or Verso. The Goodyear "Ultragrip Performance 3" and Dunlop "Winter Sport 5" models top the table with the rating "highly recommended". They have good marks for both driving safety and environmental performance.

The Vredestein "Wintrac Pro" makes up for the slight weaknesses in the environmental balance with good driving safety and therefore also receives the rating "highly recommended". Ten other models are in the midfield of the test, seven with "recommended" and three with "conditionally recommended". The models Triangle "Winterx TW401", Kenda "Wintergen 2 KR501" and the Davanti "Wintoura +" bring up the rear due to their weaknesses in terms of driving safety, with the performance of Triangle and Davanti in particular being very poor on wet roads. They are rated as "not recommended" by the TCS.

Another three with distinction "highly recommended"
In the 205/55 R16 91H dimension, which is the best-selling winter tire dimension for lower mid-range vehicles in this country, three tires also performed very well. They are therefore ideal for vehicles such as the VW Golf or Caddy, the Audi A3, the Citroen C3 or C4 Cactus, the Hyundai i30 or Ioniq, the Renault Mégane or Scénic, the Skoda Octavia or the Ford C-Max. The top three of the twelve tires tested and therefore "highly recommended" are the tires from Continental "WinterContact TS 870", Goodyear "UltraGrip Performance 3" and Michelin "Alpin 6". Four other models each scored "recommended" or "conditionally recommended". The Chinese Winrun "Wintermax A1 WR22" showed a significantly longer braking distance in the test on both wet and dry roads. Its performance in relation to the test field must be classified as poor, so that the TCS advises against this product.

The Hyundai Group has already been successfully competing in the World Rally Championship for some time, and now it is clear: the Koreans are also returning to the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans (F) with their Genesis brand and will soon be competing in the FIA WEC World Endurance Championship. After a thorough analysis of the options in various areas of motorsport, the company opted for the so-called hypercar series, where Genesis has the opportunity to present its sophisticated hydrogen technology at racing level.

Jacky Ickx impressed by South Korea

With his six Le Mans victories, Belgian motorsport legend Jacky Ickx, who recently became a Genesis ambassador, knows exactly what it takes to win at Le Mans. Together with his daughter Vanina Ickx, who is also active in motor racing, he revealed what it takes to succeed at an exclusive Genesis Switzerland masterclass. "Luc Donckerwolke and his crazy invitation are actually to blame for everything," explained the 79-year-old with a laugh at the start. The Chief Creative Officer (CCO) and Head of Design at Genesis and the former Ferrari driver - with 116 starts in Formula 1 - have known each other for years. "On this trip, I got to know South Korea, a traditional country with very nice people," says Jacky Ickx. "There are also people there who have made the impossible possible and turned one of the poorest nations after the Korean Wars in the 1950s into a booming economic power today!" And the people - even in a motorsport project like this - are crucial to success. "In Korea, they don't just want to be one of the best, they want to be the best," Ickx continued. "You are extremely strong when you pursue a goal together. Alone you are nobody, together you are much stronger. And if I can be an inspiration to someone at my age, all the better."

Advancing the Magma program

His daughter Vanina Ickx, who has raced at Le Mans seven times herself and contested two seasons for Audi in the DTM, was almost taken by surprise by her father's plans: "I was probably one of the last to hear about the new cooperation," she said. Her father not only provides input for a successful debut in the endurance championship, but also supports Genesis with the so-called Magma program. This is intended to drive forward the brand's technological and performance-related development; production of the Genesis GV60 Magma will start as early as 2025. "The Magma program underlines how strongly Genesis is focusing on the further development of its high-performance models. I am delighted to make my contribution to this," says Jacky Ickx. Vanina Ickx was also impressed by the plans: "Genesis is very fresh, very agile, and I felt welcome here right from the start. I was very impressed by the quality of this brand, whether in terms of technology or design."

Picnics instead of expensive motorhomes in the paddocks

During the masterclass in the Genesis Switzerland showroom on Zurich's Bahnhofstrasse, where the X Gran Berlinetta Concept can currently be admired, the likeable Belgian explained: "The Genesis brand is already well known in Germany, Switzerland and the UK, but not really in the rest of Europe. By entering motorsport and the LMDh category with a racing car with hydrogen technology, this will certainly change." He made it clear to everyone why it is so important for a brand today to gain recognition: "There is no such thing as a bad car today. You used to be able to double the value of a Lada Niva by filling it up, that's a thing of the past," said the two-time world championship runner-up jokingly. Motorsport has also changed massively. "Then and now, it's like night and day. In racing today, they test a lot in the simulator, but I get sick after a few seconds," said Ickx. "I crash the car after just a few corners. For the tests, we still drove to various tracks like Vallelunga or the Nürburgring in real life."

The Belgian also revealed to those present what Formula 1 was like in the 1970s. "We used to have picnics next to the track before and after the races and of course cooked pasta at Ferrari," said Jacky Ickx. "In addition to the racing cars, the only team truck back then also contained Lambrusco, pasta, Parma ham and Parmesan cheese - and of course a camping stove with a propane gas canister to prepare the pasta." The 79-year-old remembers: "When the weather was bad, we ate between the Ferraris in the hold. That was a wonderful life. You have to dare to dream and not give up on your dream, that's very important in life. There were a lot of more talented people in my day, but there were also a lot of accidents. I simply had a guardian angel who made my career possible."

Vanina Ickx then made it clear how much the perception and image of women in motorsport has changed and said almost self-critically: "Back in the 2000s, we were only there to be pretty and to be there. Fortunately, that has changed massively. If we look at where the Iron Dames are currently racing, for example, then we will probably soon see women in F1." The former male domain of motorsport is also changing and moving with the times. "Despite climate change, interest in motorsport is still very high. And fortunately, there are also very different ways to live out your passion for cars," added her father. "We will still see very different forms of mobility, but motorsport will not die," said Jacky Ickx. "The important thing is that we simply have to continue to live out this passion!" Just as Genesis is now doing with the Magma program and its upcoming debut in the World Endurance Championship.

What an exciting week: From September 10 to 15, 2024, the WorldSkills 2024 vocational world championships were held at Eurexpo in Lyon (F). The 45-strong SwissSkills National Team competed in 41 skills (professions) against an international field of over 1450 young talents from 64 nations. Among them: 22-year-old Sophie Schumacher from Hagneck BE and 21-year-old Nevio Bernet from Ufhusen LU. For the first time, two Swiss champions in the automotive mechatronics category were part of the Swiss national team. Schumacher qualified for the World Championships at the Transport-CH 2023, Bernet at the EuroCup 2024 in Bolzano (I).

Schumacher prevailed against strong international competition from six talented athletes and is the first ever world champion in her profession. The Swiss fans, her friends and her family were correspondingly jubilant. "I am very, very happy. All the stress and tears are forgotten. All the effort has paid off," says Sophie Schumacher after her historic triumph. "I knew it was going well, but I couldn't assess what the others had achieved. Towards the end, however, I was already expecting a medal."

Olivier Maeder, AGVS Managing Director, Education, is also proud after winning the title. "We were able to accompany Sophie Schumacher at national level for two years. The development she has made in this time is impressive," he explains. "In January 2023, she missed out on qualifying for EuroSkills. Fortunately, she got motivated again to take part in the SwissSkills Championships 2023. In the end, she still qualified for WorldSkills 2024 in Lyon. Watching her compete was impressive. I have never accompanied a participant to WorldSkills who was so focused on the tasks on all days and was able to deliver such top performances throughout. Congratulations, Sophie! It was a pleasure to be there and watch you!"

Nevio Bernet, the second Swiss participant in the automotive mechatronics category, was also celebrating. He won his silver medal in the competition against 34 international participants in the Automobile Technology category and said after the ranking ceremony: "I haven't really realized it yet, but I'm very happy about this great success." For his mentor Michel Tinguely, who has accompanied him along the way, winning the medal came as no surprise: "I never doubted that Nevio would be on the podium. He worked consistently well over these four days. It was a tough competition, the opposition was strong. He absolutely deserved it."

Tinguely has been active as an expert at the WorldSkills Championships since 1995 and coached Jean Trotti in 2015, who himself was a candidate at the WorldSkills in São Paulo (Brazil) in 2015 and is now a medal winner as an expert: his candidate Damian Schmid won gold at EuroSkills 2021 in Graz (A), Fabio Bossart won silver at EuroSkills in Gdansk (Poland) last year and now he has guided Sophie Schumacher to the WorldSkills title. Jean Trotti works as an automotive diagnostician at Kolly Aigle SA and is responsible for training.

With the medals won by Sophie Schumacher and Nevio Bernet, this year's WorldSkills will go down in the almost 100-year history of the AGVS (Swiss Automobile Industry Association) one: Never before have there been two medals for the automotive industry. What's more, with 15 medals - seven gold, seven silver and one bronze - WorldSkills 2024 was the most successful vocational world championships for the entire SwissSkills National Team. The AGVS congratulates its two medal winners and all other Swiss participants on their phenomenal performance!