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Motorsport

Is This The Nissan Ariya Nismo?

Well, shade us intrigued. The 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon opens later this week, and it will be the venue the place Nissan debuts a brand new Nismo mannequin. The mannequin continues to be unknown, however we do know it is a road-going car with an “electrified” powertrain.

Some automakers use that phrase to indicate pure EVs whereas others confer with plug-in hybrids. Judging by the shadowy teaser, although, we’re tempted to imagine this new Nismo will likely be absolutely electrical. The silhouette hints at a efficiency mannequin primarily based on the Ariya. It would not be the primary Nismo-branded SUV, although – the Patrol Nismo has been on sale within the Middle East since 2015 and the Juke Nismo predates that by just a few years.


Car review

Fisker Ocean

The Fisker Ocean comes with a unique feature called ‘California mode’. With just a touch of a button, the car opens its sunroof and lowers seven of the eight panes in the glasshouse, giving you a near open-air driving experience without actually removing the roof. Another interesting feature is the car’s infotainment screen that can rotate to a landscape orientation when parked, allowing you to stream your favorite TV shows while waiting for the car to charge. These features may seem gimmicky but they add novelty to the overall experience.

However, Fisker hasn’t neglected the substance elsewhere. The company aimed to bring value to the family EV class with the Ocean, and it delivers on that front whether you opt for the entry-level or mid-level price.

In the UK, the mid-level, twin-motor, Ultra-spec model starts from just under £50,000. In comparison, competitors like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Tesla Model Y, BMW iX1, and Ford Mustang Mach-E AWD have higher starting prices ranging from £51,000 to £65,000. Despite the lower price, the Fisker Ocean offers 106kWh of usable battery capacity and up to 440 miles of WLTP-certified electric range. These figures are on par with more expensive electric vehicles like the Mercedes EQS.

During testing, the Fisker Ocean demonstrated its capability of achieving a range of 375-400 miles on a warm day, comprising a mix of urban, motorway, and country road driving. For those with on-street parking or apartment lifestyles, this car is convenient as it only requires charging once or twice a week. Fast charging is possible at up to 200kW using DC charging or at a nearby on-street AC charging post, making it a suitable option for those accustomed to traditional combustion-engine cars.

Lamborghini

Endurance personified: 24h in the life of Romain Grosjean

Lamborghini Factory Driver Romain Grosjean opens up on life after Formula One as the countdown to the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship with LMDh begins

Sant’Agata Bolognese, 20 June 2023 – Former Formula One and Lamborghini factory driver Romain Grosjean is preparing for his next challenge: as a key player in Lamborghini’s campaign in the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship. Profiled in two new Lamborghini films, the Swiss-French star discusses the exhilarating power of endurance racing; the anticipation surrounding Lamborghini’s newly announced LMDh contender; and the impact the events of the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix had on his life, and personal philosophy.

Now based in Miami, 36-year old Grosjean made 179 race starts in Formula One in a career that spanned nine seasons, from 2012 to 2020, as well as appearances in 2009. Since 2021 he has competed in the American IndyCar Series. He made his debut for Lamborghini’s Squadra Corse motorsport division when he raced a Huracán GT3 EVO2 in the celebrated Daytona 24 Hours race in January 2023. With progress on the LMDh rapidly gathering momentum, Grosjean is playing a key role in the development of Lamborghini’s eagerly-awaited LMDh racing hybrid prototype. The car is powered by an all-new 3.8-liter twin turbo V8, whose power output is limited by regulation to 680 CV.

Says Grosjean, “I love endurance racing. When I moved to the US, I really wanted to come to Daytona and the opportunity came with Lamborghini to do it. I love the atmosphere, and I love the fact that we were able to represent such an iconic brand. When you’re 20, all you care about is being the fastest. Now I’m older I love having team-mates. It’s not only about you, it’s about making sure that your team is the best around the race-track. It’s about compromise and making sure that everyone is happy.”

He continues: ‘There’s a lot of trust there, and the biggest challenge really is the endurance – for everyone, including the mechanics and the engineers. The drivers get the easy job, we get to rest! You have to expect the unexpected in endurance racing, and be ready for it.”

As well as the FIA World Endurance Championship, which includes the famously challenging Le Mans 24 Hours race, the LMDh will also contest the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in North America. This marks Lamborghini’s greatest commitment yet in motorsport following three class wins in the GTD category at the 24 Hours of Daytona, two consecutive wins in the Sebring 12 Hours, and numerous other successes during the past decade. Now the Hypercar class of the world’s two most fiercely contested endurance racing championships beckons, with Grosjean one of the drivers leading the charge.

“I’m very excited to be part of the project with the LMDh for next year,” he says. “I love the brand, I like the project, I like the approach, I like the people behind it. I know there’s a lot of work to do and there’s going to be a lot of learning for everyone, but I’m ready. Lamborghini is a brand that loves to be successful, one with a lot of history. So when we go into something, we need to do it right.”

During the opening lap of the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, Grosjean survived a terrifyingly high-speed impact which saw him trapped in his Haas VF-20 for 28 seconds while an inferno raged. Arguably one of the most dramatic incidents in modern F1 history, Grosjean reflects positively on how the crash and its aftermath have affected his life.

“My accident changed my perspective in a big way. Being brave is about pushing yourself to always go further than you think you’re going to go. It’s about challenging yourself. Life is a beautiful thing, and I didn’t realize it could go away so quickly until that accident. It sounds a bit crazy but because my life is better now, I would think of [my accident] as a positive. I want to enjoy life in a bigger way, have fun and make sure that every day is a good day. I’m aware that I take risks in my life but there are also limits I set for myself.”

A committed family man, amongst his many talents Grosjean is an accomplished cook, and recently learned to fly. This is a man dedicated to expanding his horizons. “I’m a father, I’m a husband. I’m just someone normal that loves activities, that loves ‘doing’. When I start something I go flat-out. Flying makes my travelling and my life more efficient and more fun. I feel peaceful when I fly. You are taking a small space in the sky for yourself when you fly, you see the Earth in a different way.”

Back on terra firma, Grosjean has an equally stimulating mode of transport: a Lamborghini Urus Performante[1]. As he says, it’s a family car but one with a serious twist. “It’s just so cool to drive. The Performante sounds amazing, and even if it’s an SUV everyone knows it’s a Lamborghini. And I’ve got space for my kids.”

Lamborghini’s outstanding colour palette presented some problems, however. “My daughter wanted purple or pink. My second son wanted yellow. My eldest son wanted orange, and my wife wanted black. So I said, ‘all right guys, you know what? We’re going to go with green. It’s my car, I decide…”

[1] Fuel consumption and emission values of Urus Performante; Fuel consumption combined: 14,1 l/100km (WLTP); CO₂-emissions combined: 320 g/km (WLTP)

Volkswagen

Focus on sustainability: Volkswagen Group supports German Pavilion and grand neighbourhood festival of Venice’s 18th International Architecture Biennale

The 18th International Architecture Biennale opens in Venice on 20 May 2023. The Volkswagen Group is a partner of the curatorial team of the German Pavilion and supports the pavilion concept ‘Open for Maintenance – Wegen Umbau geöffnet’, which focuses on sustainable approaches to building construction and urban development. For the first time, the citizens of Venice as well as local and social initiatives will be invited to a grand neighbourhood festival on the eve of the opening to get in contact with artists and experts. Federal Building Minister Klara Geywitz takes part as commissioner of the German Pavilion. In March, materials for the pavilion were sustainably transported from Leipzig to Venice in an ID. Buzz Cargo.

The German contribution to this year’s Biennale takes up curator Lesley Lokko’s chosen theme, ‘The Laboratory of the Future’, with a multilayered conception of the term ‘laboratory’ – including as a workshop in an actual sense. The German Pavilion is orienting itself to local needs and is being transformed into a site of collaborative everyday life. In this spirit, citizens of Venice, artists and Venetian initiatives will come together for the first time in a grand neighbourhood festival on 19 May. The goal is to jointly discuss the interplay of sustainable habitats and resource use and to establish connections between local social initiatives and experts. In the framework of its international cultural engagement, the Volkswagen Group is a partner of the German Pavilion and of the neighbourhood festival.

Benita von Maltzahn, Head of Global Cultural Engagement at the Volkswagen Group: ‘We need spaces in which to live and work, but above all in which to generate ideas. Rethinking how we give shape to these spaces while placing the highest priority on using resources sustainably is one of the greatest challenges of our time. We’re thrilled that we can support the curatorial team of the German Pavilion in opening this topic up for critical artistic and creative examination among a broad public in Venice.’

The curators of the German Pavilion say about their idea: “Transforming the way we build toward sustainability does not depend on changes of economic, financial and legislative frameworks. We have to empower the people to take responsibility for designing their living environment according to social and ecological principles. And that is why the German contribution to the International Architecture Exhibition 2023 also covers questions and solutions discussed by people in Venice, and it promotes the process of making. The support of Volkswagen Group helps us to connect ideas and people in Venice so that our work resonates beyond the Biennale.”

The Volkswagen Group has supported the curators of the German Pavilion since the start of their work on the project. Among other things, the Group provided an all-electric Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo so that the team could bring equipment and materials for the pavilion workshop from Germany to Italy in a resource-saving manner. For the period of the Biennale, the workshop will serve as the basis for various Venetian and international initiatives and institutions of higher education to engage in the maintenance of socio-spatial structures on-site through 1:1 interventions. The German contribution to the exhibition was conceived by the curatorial team of ARCH+ I SUMMACUMFEMMER I BÜRO JULIANE GREB. The curators were selected in an open competitive process under the direction of the German Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building.

Volkswagen Cultural Engagement

As a promoter of art and culture, the Volkswagen Group supports institutions and actors in enabling impactful and multilayered encounters between the artistic and public spheres, as well as innovative offerings in cultural education. The Group is especially dedicated to providing opportunities for as many people as possible to get to know artistic standpoints, exchange with one another and, through

this, to gain new perspectives. These dialogues are essential for the development of creativity, innovation and strengthened social understanding.