International Motor Show Germany

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Porsche Mission R concept

Porsche has been involved in customer racing for over three decades by now, 31 years ago the first Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland was held, and since then over 4,400 bespoke Porsche Cup cars have left Weissach, with the latest iteration being based on the 992 model, the 911 GT3 Cup was launched just ahead of the 2021 motorsport season, but the future in automotive is electric, so Porsche now shows us their Mission R Concept for an all-electric one-make series.

But it’s not only about being all-electric, this Porsche Mission R concept is also made from natural fiber-reinforced plastics as one of the sustainable materials to be used in the future on this extremely low-slung, all-electric competition car that still showcases the characteristic lines of the sports cars from Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen.

Porsche developed two new, bespoke electric motors for this Mission R concept study, which in qualifying mode can deliver up to 800 kW or nearly 1,100 PS, for now, the battery capacity is 80 kWh with innovative direct oil-cooling, and comes with Porsche’s innovative recuperation system … in the Mission R, you are able to do sprint racing without loss of output.

“Porsche is the brand for people who fulfil their dreams. This is also true in motorsports. We experience our innovative strength on the race track, demonstrate courage in pursuing new avenues and delight car owners with sporting performance,” says Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG. “In addition to our involvement in the Formula E World Championship, we are now taking the next big step forward in electric mobility. The concept study is our vision of all-electric customer motorsports. The Mission R embodies everything that makes Porsche strong: performance, design and sustainability.”

The Mission R can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.5 seconds while the top speed is over 300 km/h, on the track this all-electric race car performs equally well as the current Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, the peak power output of 1,100 PS is only available in so-called ‘qualifying’ while the normal, constant power output is 500 kW or 680 PS in ‘Race’ mode.

There are two electric motors in Porsche’s Mission R, the front one is capable of up to 320 kW or 435 PS while the one for the rear wheels can go a higher up to 480 kW (635 PS), with the advanced 900-volt technology and Porsche Turbo Charging, the batteries can be charged from 5% up to 80% during a 15-minute pit-stop, with charging taking place up to 340 kW.

The Mission R concept also features Porsche Active Aerodynamics or PAA with Drag Reduction System (DRS) on both the front section and for the rear wing, consisting of three louvers in both side air intakes of the nose cone while the rear wing features a two-section adjustable part, other parts of the body, like the front spoiler, side skirts, and the rear diffuser are made from natural fiber reinforced plastic (NFRP), the basic material of which is made from flax fibers obtained from farming.

While the Mission R might just be a concept study at this time, there is still a complete interior found inside, with an ergonomically positioned display between the controls on the steering wheel, a second display above the steering column shows what’s behind using side mirror cameras and even an additional, centrally mounted rear-view camera, there are even action cams scattered throughout the interior for actual live-action streams during a race.

The Porsche Mission R also wants to minimize the difference between real-life racing on a track and a virtual experience on a simulator, the central monocoque of this concept can double as an esports simulator in exactly the same form, while on the real car the safety structure is made from carbon fiber composite material, the roof structure is an “exoskeleton” that combines the roof panels and the safety cage in one unit.

When compared to one of Porsche’s successful cars on the road today, the 718 Cayman, the Mission R is a little shorter at 4,326 mm, but its width at 1,990 mm is considerably wider while overall height at 1,190 mm sits well below the Cayman roofline, the Mission R offers us a glimpse at what customer motorsports will look like in the future, the show car celebrated its world premiere at the 2021 IAA MOBILITY in Munich.

September 11, 2021 / Comments Off

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Audi grandsphere concept at IAA 2021

Audi is planning to create three ‘sphere’ concept cars as an indication of how they see the future of automobiles, the first one we could admire during Monterey Car Week, called the Skysphere, was a luxury GT Roadster that could effectively ‘stretch’ her wheelbase to offer more interior space, the second one in the sphere series is the grandsphere concept unveiled at the IAA, the International Motor Show in Germany, usually held in Frankfurt, but for the 2021 edition moved to Munich.

All of the Audi ‘sphere’ concepts will come with level 4 automatic driving, we’ve seen that on the skysphere already, where the car would really transport the occupants from point A to point B without them even touching the steering wheel, as that part of the interior isn’t needed anymore in this mode, it actually folds away, out of view. And that’s exactly what we are seeing inside this larger grandsphere concept too, and it will make its return in the third car in the series, the urbansphere which we’ll be able to admire in 2022.

Audi and CARIAD, the Volkswagen Group’s global software think tank, are working together to create new technology, and their Level 4 is nothing less than changing the interior concept of a car as we know it today, still being a driver-oriented cockpit with seats for three or four passengers, but once the auto-driving mode is engaged, both the steering wheel and the pedals are moved out of sight to create a serene environment for all occupants.

Audi calls these concepts ‘spheres’ because all three are designed from the idea of the interior being the most important part of the car of the future, the occupants’ living and experience sphere while traveling, in case of this grandsphere, Audi calls it a private jet for the road, with an overall length of 5.35 m (17.6 ft.) with a 3.19 m (10.5 ft.) wheelbase that’s even longer than the current Audi A8 Long, the grandsphere is all about luxury and comfort once you open the ‘suicide doors’ found on this concept, the front doors are hinged from the front, but the rear doors open from the rear to allow much easier access into the luxurious interior as there is no B-pillar on this model.

The Audi grandsphere will also come with a pathway identification … this means the car will recognize who is approaching the vehicle, and will automatically open the doors to welcome them, but it goes way further than that, depending on who the car senses, the ambient light changes, climate control settings are restored and the seats move into their predetermined position … even the infotainment system picks up on where a passenger stopped streaming a video before getting into the car, only to resume that video on one of the displays found inside the grandsphere.

A feeling of openness and breadth is created, helped by the absence of the steering wheel and pedals, but also because of the large window surfaces on the Audi grandsphere, even the entire roof is transparent on this concept, even the side windows use a futuristic concept where the upper half gets a very distinctive angle while the widest part of the side window is just above eye level.

Because the Audi grandsphere is all about comfort and luxury, the front seats are considered first-class seating now, especially as the car will drive itself, the passengers have an amazing view over the completely clean dashboard through the fast windshield, despite the size of the grandsphere and the roominess inside, this is actually a 2+2 seater, the rear offers a two-person bench with an armrest that goes around the side, integrated as a seating option in the back when the two front seats are in their most backward position.

With the seats in their upright position, the Audi grandsphere can be perfectly ergonomically controlled when outside level 4 zones as the car has to be driven using the pedals and steering wheel, however, when in ‘auto drive’, the back can be tilted 40 degrees and passengers can relax or use the infotainment system. ultimately, with the back folded down to 60 degrees, the result is a perfect resting position. The headrest can be moved 15 degrees forward while vents emit filtered and temperature-controlled (even scented if desired) air, and then there are speakers that are inaudible to other passengers and allow for a private aural zone while being transported in the Audi grandsphere concept’s first-class cabin.

There is leather inside the Audi grandsphere, instead, you’ll find wool or synthetic textile material combined with wood and metal to offer the most pleasant touch, either sourced from sustainable cultivation or made from recycled material, and while every car needs displays, in case of this grandsphere these are actually projected onto the wooden surface, and while the car is in the automated driving mode, the entire dashboard fascia becomes a CinemaScope screen for entertainment or video conferencing.

The Audi grandsphere comes with the innovative MMI touchless response, using haptic controls and even eye movement detection to interact with the driver, this concept comes with eye-tracking, gesture or voice control, and it comes with a level of AI as the system will ‘learn’ the preferences of the driver and frequently used menus … in the end, the system will be able to offer personalized proposals to the occupant, and if you really want to ‘tune out’, there are VR glasses in the armrests.

Being a concept for the future, the Audi grandsphere is an all-electric car and should come with a 120 kWh battery module using the entire vehicle base between the axles, the massive 23-inch wheels are mounted on axles that have their own electric motor, one for the front axle, one for the rear axle, so this Audi has the famous quattro drive system … power output is an impressive 530 kW with 960 Nm of torque.

Similar to the Audi e-tron GT, the grandsphere comes with an 800-volt charging capacity, this means a depleted battery can be charged up to 270 kW almost instantly when connected to a fast-charging station, it takes only 10 minutes to add 300 km (186 miles) to the range, going from a 5% load to an 80% load on the 120 kWh battery takes less than 25 minutes, the grandsphere comes with a range up to 750 km (466 miles), and while maximum speed is limited to offer more range, acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) takes little over 4 seconds.

I have to admit, if this is the future we are heading into with electric cars, I’m not too worried, this car looks good, a sleek 4-door GT sedan, I wouldn’t call it a supercar or hypercar like the Koenigsegg Gemera, but this Audi grandsphere is intended for a different kind of customer … the future is electric, and the Audi grandsphere is a glimpse of what’s to come in the next decade or so.

September 9, 2021 / Comments Off

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One of one Isdera Commendatore 112i goes to auction

Renowned RM – Sotheby’s will host a very special auction on February 13 2021 in Paris that has some amazing super and hyper cars already listed at this moment. How about six different Lamborghini from the time when Ferruccio was still running the company from Sant’Agata, or a 2015 Spania GTA Spano, one of 12 ever made, and the only one from the 2nd series production, interested in a 2008 Gumpert Apollo? It’s entered into the auction next month too, don’t miss it.

But for me personally the most interesting car is the silver metallic, 1993 Isdera Commendatore 112i … only one was ever built, and it comes with the same V12 Mercedes-Benz M120 engine as a Pagani Zonda! But the story of the Isdera Commendatore 112i begins in the Seventies, when Eberhard Schulz joined forces with B&B in Frankfurt to develop the CW311 prototype unveiled at the local 1978 IAA.

Mercedes-Benz even allowed B&B to put the famous star on the front of their CW311, but Schulz left B&B four years later and started his own company, Isdera, an abbreviation for Ingenieurbüro fur Styling, DEsign und RAcing. His first car was the Isdera Spyder 036i in 1982, a very rare car today as only 17 would be built, but Schulz really wanted to create a road-going version of that CW311 prototype … which became the Isdera Imperator 108i in 1983.

The Isdera Imperator 108i was powered by a 5-Liter V8 engine from Mercedes, the M117, and it came with real gullwing doors just like the Mercedes 300 SL, between 1983 and 1991 only 20 units would be made, all bespoke to order … but Schulz wasn’t satisfied yet, so he continued the development of a real boutique super car.

1993 Isdera Commendatore 112i Rémi Dargegen © 2020 RM Sothebys

In 1993 Isdera unveiled the next step in design and performance … the Commendatore 112i, a car named in honor of Enzo Ferrari himself, this new model took the Imperator idea to the extreme. Installing a V12 engine underneath two gullwing-style engine covers, delivering 400 hp from its 6-Liter displacement, dual overhead camshafts and coupled to a manual gearbox through a bespoke flywheel (Mercedes only had developed an automatic gearbox for this engine). RUF delivered the Porsche gearbox for the Commendatore with an additional sixth gear … which resulted in a theoretical top speed of 340km/h (211 mph), during wind tunnel testing this one-off prototype reached the magical 200 mph speed (322 km/h) … in 1993!

Over the lightweight spaceframe chassis, Schulz mounted a body made from GRP, a Porsche 928 suspension was modified with BBS/Bilstein developed active dampers … the Commendatore would lower itself three inches at speed to reduce drag, which was only 0.306 when tested. The car came with the Isdera trademark gullwing doors, their own windshield wiper system to avoid drag, and the Commendatore didn’t even have traditional rear view mirrors on the fenders … there was a glass panel in the roof and a periscope style mirror was fitted on top of the roof.

Massive BBS racing wheels were used and Schulz had every intention to build a few road-legal cars and have a racing variant enter the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France … but in 1993 a major economic downfall occurred in Japan. And unfortunately most of Isdera’s funding came from Japan, so the company was forced into a restructuring and the Commendatore 112i project was halted. No entries into Le Mans, and the one-and-only car built was put aside, only to be unveiled again at the 1999 IAA in Frankfurt. Renamed into the ‘Silver Arrow’, a Swiss consortium had removed the BBS wheels, the periscope mirror and installed five-spoke wheels and ‘normal’ wing mirrors, have a look at those modifications in our earlier article on this car.

But things had turned around for Isdera by 2016, and they managed to buy this unique prototype back from the new owner, with only 10,500 km on the counter, it was rebuilt for road use and even had a license plate and registration now. Isdera did return their Commendatore 112i back to 1993 specs with those stunning, gold finished, multi-piece BBS Racing wheels. But also blue and black upholstered Recaro seats and the correct Porsche Arctic Silver paint.

This Commendatore 112i comes with a certificate if authenticity from Isdera themselves confirming this is the only one in existence, ever. This very special Nineties car will draw attention, even when parked next to a Koenigsegg or a Pagina from the same era … or newer, the Commendatore 112i is a very unique car that aged extremely well.

January 20, 2021 / Comments Off

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