Swiss car designer sets new world record
Across the English Channel and into the Guinness Book of Records
Cash Back, Weber Motor and BayerMaterial Science support Rinspeed with prototype hydrofoil car
Dover (GB) / Sangatte (F) – The cross-channel trip that took place on July 26th, 2006 from the British port of Dover to the French town of Sangatte was certainly an adventure. It was also the fastest ever crossing of the world's busiest waterway by hydrofoil car. In the time of 193 min 47 sec, pilot Frank M. Rinderknecht, boss of the Swiss design company Rinspeed set a new world record. “It was like a giant slalom on an alpine mogul piste. The only difference was that it was not flexible poles we had to get round but enormous tankers and container vessels,” said Rinderknecht, thrilled at getting into the Guinness Book of Records. A hard hit of a big wave in the first third of the journey caused a yet unknown defect which considerably slowed down the top speed fort he rest of the passage. „But to give up was not an option, the cross and get to France was the determined goal”.
The world record was broken in the Rinspeed “Splash” - a completely new concept in amphibious vehicles which had already caused a sensation at the Geneva Motor Show in 2004. Whereas "normal" amphibious cars displace the water like a boat and therefore bear some resemblance to a bathtub, the “Splash” skims over the water on extendable wings like a hydrofoil. Rinderknecht: “We crossed the busiest waterway in the world as if on a surfboard.”
Thanks to the generous support of Cash Back, the specialist for the simple recovery of foreign VAT on travel or show related expenses, foreign supplier bills and inter company expenses the ambitious project was prepared over a period of almost two years.
It took a great deal of effort to convert the original “Splash” into the present offshore version, so Rinspeed took on board the Swiss engineering specialists, Esoro, and one of the world's biggest plastics producers, Bayer MaterialScience. With their extensive materials know-how, the experts helped Rinspeed get the “Splash” fit for the high seas. The main design modification involved the wings, which had to be reinforced. To guarantee dimensional stability, the molds were cut from molded polyurethane foam.
The successful record ride over the waves was a tough ordeal not only for the pilot but also for the material. The 140 bhp, 750 ccm Weber Motor engine can take the “Splash” up to 80 kph, and at that speed even small waves feel as hard as rock. To supply enough power for the maiden voyage, WeberMotor supplied a brand-new version of its lightweight, low-consumption, environmentally friendly two-cylinder engine. This extremely compact power package produces 140 bhp/103 kW at 7’000 rpm, and generates maximum torque of 150 Nm at just 3’500 rpm.
In theory, the 36 km or so between Dover and Sangatte would have taken just under half an hour but, says Rinderknecht, “I may be able to drive at that speed at home in Switzerland on Lake Zurich with no wind and the surface as smooth as glass, but not on one of the most difficult stretches of water in the world. But safety was always the prime concern.”
With his arrival at the French town of Sangatte, he captured his entry in the Guinness Book of Records. Frank M. Rinderknecht was overjoyed: “We Swiss are not just good at making the tastiest chocolate; we can also build the fastest hydrofoil vehicle in the world – even though we’re not exactly a seafaring nation …”
Cash Back
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Weber Motor
With its extremely compact and powerful MPE 750 two cylinder 4-stroke Multi-Purpose Engine, Weber Motor presents the first member of a group of outstanding engines. Due to the remarkable design, the Weber 4-stroke engines have a power-to-weight ratio similar to that of 2-stroke engines but without the typical disadvantages of high fuel consumption, noise, emissions and short service life. This concept allows Weber Motor to position itself successfully in the market as a manufacturer of highly-efficient engines packages for both automotive and non-automotive applications.
Additional features such as power take-off on either engine end, reversible cylinder head, and the broad performance range of the MPE 750 from 15 kW to 100 kW allow for engine usage in the most varying applications. Owing to its flexible engine concept, the Weber engine is perfectly suitable for passenger car, ATV, snowmobile, motorcycle, marine and light aircraft applications as well as for composite engines and hybrid drives. The engine control system enables optimal adaptation for the various operating conditions.
Bayer MaterialScience
The most striking modification of the Splash as far as the car's appearance is concerned is the outer skin. The bright, made-to-measure paintwork has been tailored from Bayer MaterialScience coating materials, and the complete paint system – the primer, the sparkling orange basecoat and the clear topcoat – is water-based and thus very environmentally friendly. A splash-protection windscreen made of high-tech Makrolon® protects the pilot from salt water spray and ensures clear vision at all times. The visors on the pilot's helmets and the lenses of the goggles are also made of Makrolon®. Special sealants and adhesives formulated with Bayer MaterialScience raw materials prevent any water from entering the interior.
On the subject of the vehicle interior, the surface is lined with a leather-like fabric comprising a yarn covered with Desmopan® (thermoplastic polyurethane) that not only looks and feels good, but is also extremely wear-resistant. Special seat cushions made of Technogel® absorb the bumps that inevitably come from riding the waves at speed.
The work to get the “Splash” ready for the world record attempt went according to plan, which is not surprising, because the two companies have been working closely together since 2004. The partnership's first successful project was the “Senso”, which Rinspeed and Bayer MaterialScience unveiled to an astonished public at the Geneva Motor Show in the spring of 2005. In this, the first “car that senses the driver”, innovative technology measures the biometric data of the pilot and exerts a positive influence on him through colors, music and odors. And it was only a few months ago that the two companies presented the “zaZen” concept car at the same show. The transparent roof dome made of Makrolon®, the holographic third brake-light, and the transparent seats with Technogel® cushions in particular caused industry experts to sit up and take notice. Ian Paterson, the Bayer MaterialScience Board member for Innovation, commented: “As one of the leading manufacturers of high-tech products and innovative system solutions, we regard ourselves as drivers of technology. And as such, we are working today on the cars of tomorrow.”
Car4you
Car4you is an international automobile platform for the sale and purchase of cars and motorbikes: Under www.car4you.com one can always find more than 300'000 offered vehicles. Swiss based Car4you is active under that very same name in Switzerland and Austria. In France the services are offered under www.autoreflex.com" and in Germany under www.webauto.de.
The Car4you Group has started ist activities in 1997 in Switzerland and is wholly privately owned. Already in September of this year the activities will be expanded to Italy It is further planed to start the well established and recognized platform in Spain as of January 2007.
Suppliers and partners of the Channel Challenge:
Engineering : www.esoro.ch
Channel pilots Michael und Lance Oram:
www.channelswimming.com
Clothing: www.musto.co.uk
Helmets: www.uvex-sports.de
Interior: www.haensel-verbund.com
Eye glasses: www.ic-berlin.de
GSM network: www.swisscom-mobile.com
Mobile phones: www.motorola.ch
Mobile radio: www.motcom.com
Headsets and microphon: www.phonak-earcare.com
Navigation: www.garmin.ch
Catering: www.fbmgroup.ch
Printing: www.maxiprint.ch
Pepino: www.pepino.cz
Partner of the Rinspeed Splash:
Naval design: Naval
Power train: Swissauto
Design: Protoscar
Natural gas: gasmobil + Engagement EnergieSchweiz
Wheels: Barracuda
Tires: Continental
Interior elements: Folia Tec
Lighting: in.pro.
Suspension: KW automotive
Exhaust: Remus