Best of 2014: a turning point ?

2 January, 2015

J-C Etter

The Asphalte wishes you the best for 2015 and proposes a last look at 2014.

Via Sicura: year two

2014 was the second year since the introduction of the Via Sicura law cracking down on speeding. Born from the Road Cross popular initiative as a parliamentary counter-project, the Via Sicura law targets significant speeding offenses (+50 km/h in a 50 km/h zone, +60 in a 80 km/h). Article 90 of the LCR imposes prison sentences of 1 to 4 years and allows the confiscation of the vehicle of the offender. The statute seeks punishment for those who, through an intentional violation of fundamental traffic rules, takes a severe risk of accident resulting possibly in injury or death, whether by particularily high speeding or dangerous overtaking, or by illicit street racing with automobiles.

Undoubtedly, Via Sicura is a success for its promoters, at least in appearance. The Damocles Sword hanging continuously over car enthusiasts is changing behaviours, enticing many to stay clear of the new thresholds. The irresponsible who still dare to risk their freedom by committing gross speeding offenses make for juicy headlines in regional newspapers. Social consequences will take a while to emerge – the judiciary process is slow – but will eventually come. Jailing people for speeding offenses without consequences, and punishing them more harshly than drug dealers, burglars or even rapists violates the principle of proportionality. By mandating up to 4 years of prison time, Via Sicura actually crosses the treshold separating a misdemeanor from a felony according to swiss law.

In spite of such disproportion, the swiss parliament voted this statute with a comfortable majority. Until now, Via Sicura has been a subject of political debate only in the context of its effects on law enforcement and emergency vehicles. The exemption of emergency vehicles from speed limits when driving in bonafide interventions was throughly mixed up in the press with isolated cases of stealth police cars breaching the law without proper justification or signaling. On Nov 20th 2014, the highest swiss court, the Federal Tribunal, ruled that the lower cantonal courts have an obligation to apply the statutory minimum (1 year prison sentence), whatever the circumstances are, as written in the statute. The lawmakers who voted this law will have to face their responsibilities.

BMW i8: the future of GTs ?

There were grounds for skepticism. There were grounds for skepticism. On paper, the BMW i8 is a gamble. Powering a GT with a 1.5L turbocharged three cylinder assisted of an electric powertrain could only show its limits in spirited driving on mountain roads. In practice, the demonstration proved very convincing, thrilling even. Performance is entertaining thanks to the torque filling function of the electric system and its energy harvesting capabilities. The engineered exhaust note gives character to the i8, and the serenity of electric drive gives a sense of occasion to the most mundane commutes. This plug-in hybrid entertains no matter what the conditions are, a twisty road or a congested highway, and makes driving interesting in all conditions. The pricing of the i8 will not restrict its appeal, but BMW holds the recipe to an attractive and realistic technology package. The first sporty hybrid will be a cornerstone in automotive history, and its definition has even more relevance in times of increasing policing and environmental pressure. Car enthusiasts are likely to seek their thrills in new experiences, and the BMW i8 provides just that. Our road test.

Audi RS6 Avant: Trans Audi Express

A 5 meter long wagon. A twin turbo V8 with 700 Nm of torque and 560 hp. Three figures reminiscent of another era, generous gas consumption and high speed autobahn vessels without real pertinence elsewhere. And a surprise: a bewitching sports car, irresistibly seductive, frugal like a sparrow at mellow freeway speeds, but with a ferocious appetite for twisting roads. In theory, the Audi RS56 Avant had all contemporary trends stacked up against it. In practice, it is fabulous automobile, a great Audi RS. High revving naturally aspirated engines feel dull in comparison to the torque surges delivered by the 4.0 L V8 TFSI. The firm ride starts to make a lot of sense when this large car is thrown around from bend to bend, demonstrating amazing poise for a two tons behemoth. A scintillating proof that downsizing can be good, that turbodiesels are not a foregone conclusion, and that the refinement and luxury of a grand tourer can still be paired with a genuine sporty character when conditions so allow. Our road test.

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