Max Biaggi and Monegasque electric motorcycle constructor Voxan marked the Venturi Group’s 20th anniversary in style, setting a total of eleven new world speed records at Châteauroux airfield in France, on 30 and 31 October and 1 November. The outright top speed achieved over the three days was 408 km/h (254 mph). 

366.94 km/h (228.05 mph) for the semi-streamliner Wattman

 

On the morning of Saturday 31 October, Max Biaggi and the Voxan Wattman achieved their primary objective, beating the most sought-after of the twelve world records they had been targeting this weekend. With a speed of 366.94 km/h (228.05 mph), the team set a new record in the prestigious “partially streamlined electric motorcycle over 300 kilos” class. In doing so, they dethroned previous holders Ryuji Tsuruta and Mobitec EV-02A with their speed of 329 km/h (204 mph).

 

In line with FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) regulations, the Voxan Wattman’s speed was measured from a flying start over 1 mile in opposite directions, within a period of two hours. Under Federation regulations, the final speed is the average of the two speeds recorded over these two runs. The Voxan, with its grey Sacha Lakic-designed fairing, sent records tumbling as the GPS speedometer peaked at an instantaneous speed of… 408 km/h (254 mph).

 

Given the relatively short track (3.5 km / 2.17 mi), reaching such an impressive top speed has encouraged Voxan to set its sights even higher. When they make their next attempts on a longer course, the team now has serious designs on an average speed in the region of 400 km/h (249 mph).

 

349.38 km/h (217.14 mph) for the non-streamlined Wattman

 

On Friday 30 October, a non-streamlined version of the Voxan Wattman without its fairing also took on the challenge over a distance of 1 mile, from a flying start. The principle was identical: 1 mile in opposite directions, within a period of two hours. Once again, the final speed was the average of the two speeds recorded over these two runs: 349.38 km/h (217.14 mph).

 

Yet the on-board systems showed that the Wattman, propelled by its powerful 270 kW (367 CH) engine, peaked at a top speed of 372 km/h (231 mph). This measurement augurs well for the next attempts planned, with Voxan set to take on more records until the end of 2022.

 

Nine other records

 

Gildo Pastor’s team had a number of other world records in their sights. After these three days of attempts, the final record tally is as follows:

 

- ¼ mile, flying start, partially streamlined:           394.45 km/h (245.10 mph) - no previous record

- ¼ mile, flying start, non-streamlined:                 357.19 km/h (221.95 mph) - no previous record

- 1 km, flying start, partially streamlined:              386.35 km/h (240.07 mph - previous 

record: 329.31 km/h (204.62 mph)

- ¼ mile, standing start, non-streamlined:            126.20 km/h (78.42 mph) - no previous record

- ¼ mile, standing start, partially streamlined:      127.30 km/h (79.10 mph) - previous 

record: 87.16 km/h (54.16 mph)

- 1 km, standing start, non-streamlined:               185.56 km/h (115.30 mph) - no previous record

- 1 km, standing start, partially streamlined:         191.84 km/h (119.20 mph) - previous 

record: 122.48 km/h (76.11 mph)

- 1 mile, standing start, non-streamlined:             222.82 km/h (138.45 mph) - no previous record

- 1 mile, standing start, partially streamlined:       225.01 km/h (139.81 mph) - no previous record

 

Quotes

 

“It was important to me to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Venturi Group’s electric adventure. Given the health situation, it hasn’t been easy, but thanks to the hard work and mentality shown by Max and my teams, we proved ourselves up to the challenge. Twenty years after buying Venturi, I am delighted that the Group can now claim to have created the fastest ever electric vehicles on two and four wheels (Venturi VBB-3, FIA record: 549 km/h - 341 mph), but also in the four-wheel fuel cell category (Venturi VBB-2, FIA record: 487 km/h - 303 mph). On each project, we have worked openly with major companies to share with them our expertise in the field of ground-breaking technologies, and in doing so contributed to improving ecomobility. That modest contribution reflects my commitment to ensuring we are fully line with the values of the Principality in terms of sustainable development. So I am sharing these records with my country, Monaco.” - Gildo Pastor, President of Venturi

 

“When Gildo Pastor, the President of the Venturi Group, approached me about this project, I was curious, very motivated, and at the same time a little uncertain. Having said that, right after our first meeting, I quickly realised that, like Gildo, his teams were driven by an incredible belief and determination. They told me “we came close to 600 km/h (373 mph) on four wheels, and now we want to flirt with 400 km/h (249 mph) on two wheels, nothing’s going to stop us!” These records make me a happy man! I’m proud of the team and delighted to bring these titles back to Monaco!” - Max Biaggi, rider of the Voxan Wattman

 

“At ROKiT we believe electric vehicles are the future and we are proud to partner with the fastest electric motorcycles in the world. Venturi and Voxan are true innovators and it’s exciting for ROKiT to be part of history in the making.” - Jonathan Kendrick, Co-Founder and Chairman ROKiT.

 

VOXAN WATTMAN: THE FASTEST ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE IN THE WORLD

• Anniversary Motorcycle Speed
• At 11/04/2020 05:07:00 p.m.
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Images available on Image.net and All Access: https://www.image.net/tagheuermonaco50th

TAG Heuer kicked off the 50th anniversary celebrations for the Monaco timepiece at the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix, the legendary event that gave the watch its name in 1969. TAG Heuer unveiled the first of five new collector’s timepieces inspired by the original Monaco. Five creations of the timepiece will be successively revealed throughout 2019. Guests were granted access to some of the most prestigious and exciting events in Monaco, including a Saturday evening party on the TAG Heuer Yacht hosted by Patrick Dempsey, Bella Hadid and more.   All eyes were on the Rock of Monaco for the legendary Formula 1 Grand Prix this weekend, and on the iconic TAG Heuer timepiece celebrating its 50th anniversary in the Principality. In honour of this milestone, it was announced that throughout the year, five creations will be successively revealed, inspired by the different decades from 1969 to 2019, and paying tribute to timeless design, enduring innovation and a style icon now more contemporary than ever. The Monaco’s daring and iconic design has made it instantly recognisable. Every aspect of the Monaco timepiece design was radical, and went where no other watch had gone before in terms of design and technology. Not only was the TAG Heuer Monaco the first ever water-resistant square watch, it was also the first to feature an automatic-winding chronograph movement. Since its debut, the Monaco watch and the Monaco Grand Prix, for which TAG Heuer has been the Official Watch since 2011, have had a strong connection – the most glamorous Grand Prix of the Formula 1 season gave its name to the TAG Heuer Monaco collection in 1969. No other place and location would therefore have been more suitable for celebrating the iconic timepiece’s 50th anniversary. Taking over Monaco during the busiest weekend of the year, TAG Heuer unveiled the first Monaco limited edition at the beautiful Key Largo Villa, in the presence of Stéphane Bianchi, CEO of the LVMH Watchmaking Division and CEO of TAG Heuer and Frédéric Arnault, Chief Strategy and Digital Officer. They were joined by the rising star of the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Team Max Verstappen, as well as Patrick Dempsey, Bella Hadid, Winnie Harlow, Kai Lenny and selected guests from all over the world. Over the course of the exclusive three-day event, guests were granted access to some of the most prestigious and exciting events in Monaco, from a private tour of the Monaco Top Cars Collection museum including a retrospective of the Monaco timepiece, to a debrief of the Grand Prix  qualifications with Christian Horner, Team Principal of the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Team. They also attended an exclusive party hosted on the TAG Heuer Yacht on Saturday evening with an exclusive performance by famous French DJ Bob Sinclair attended by Patrick Dempsey, Bella Hadid, Winnie Harlow, Jourdan Dunn, Kai Lenny and Jean-Éric Vergne. The event culminated on Sunday with VIP access to the coveted Formula 1 Grand Prix, for which TAG Heuer is the Official Watch.

TAG HEUER HOSTS A GRAND CELEBRATION TO MARK THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ICONIC MONACO IN ITS NAMESAKE CITY

• Anniversary Celebration Formula 1
• At 5/27/2019 07:35:00 p.m.
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• Audi’s first all-electric production model drives up to the red carpet
• The daily Audi Berlinale Lounge with top-class events such as Electric Minds and Berlinale Lounge Nights
• Jason Lusty, Head of Marketing Germany at AUDI AG: “We encourage dialogue between creative visionaries who help shape the changes of our time.”
• 2020: Audi is principal sponsor of the Berlinale for its 70th anniversary edition

Audi will drive the stars to the red carpet at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival in the Audi e-tron (electricity consumption combined in kWh/100 km: 26.2-22.6* (WLTP), 24.6-23.7 (NEDC); CO₂ emissions combined in g/km: 0*). In its sixth season as principal sponsor, Audi and the Berlinale will together welcome visitors to the Audi Berlinale Lounge, to dive into the festival experience directly next to the red carpet. From February 7 to 16, the Berlinale Open House program will present varied event formats and exciting discussions with visionaries from the fields of film, culture and business on socially relevant trend topics. The Audi Berlinale Lounge is open to filmmakers and journalists as well as festival visitors.

In the midst of the urban glamour of the 69th Berlin International Film Festival at Potsdamer Platz, the Audi e-tron will be the first all-electric production model of the brand with the Four Rings to demonstrate what locally emission-free mobility looks like. At the grand opening gala, the gala premieres and the awards ceremony, the film celebrities will drive to the red carpet in the electric SUV. Festival Director Dieter Kosslick is already driving to and from his numerous appointments in the current Berlinale season with the Audi e-tron and testing its suitability for everyday use in the capital city. “It’s an exciting experience to be on the road with the Audi e-tron. The car sets the course into a new era of mobility.”

The Berlin International Film Festival brings together courageous and unconventional filmmakers. They are shaping the changes of our time and breaking new ground with a selfconfident spirit of discovery. “Audi has a close connection with this film scene and is therefore once again promoting dialogue with change makers and creative visionaries by hosting the Berlinale Open House program in the Audi Berlinale Lounge,” says Jason Lusty, Head of Marketing Germany at AUDI AG.                                                                                                       

The Audi Berlinale Lounge offers a special platform for exchanging ideas and networking. It is a temporary pavilion directly at the red carpet in front of the Berlinale Palast and is open to all festival visitors. Within the framework of the Berlin Open House, Audi and the Berlinale will present discussions with top-level participants, interviews and special events on a daily basis during the festival (February 7 to 16). In the new Electric Minds pre-evening format with moderator Jörg Thadeusz, creative minds from film, culture and society will transfer topics from electric mobility such as voltage, silence and range to other areas of life. At the podcast masterclass, visitors will learn how podcasts can be used effectively from expert Vincent Kittmann, head of the Podstars OMR marketing network. In the evenings, the “Berlinale Lounge Nights” will be held with exclusive concerts and DJ sets. The opening gala and award ceremony of the Berlinale will also be shown there live.

The Ingolstadt-based company has also been supporting talented directors of short films since 2015 with the Audi Short Film Award. The €20,000 prize for experimental cinema art will be presented at the official award ceremony of the 69th Berlinale on February 16. “Short-film makers always take a special pleasure in experimenting and have the courage to implement new forms of expression. This spirit of discovery is reflected in our own corporate philosophy, so the promotion of such talented people is important to us,” says Lusty. One of them is Réka Bucsi, Hungarian filmmaker and winner of the Audi Short Film Award 2018. At the Berlinale Open House Program on February 10, she will talk to Jeffrey Bowers, head curator of the streaming platform Vimeo and member of the International Short Film Jury 2019, about her journey and the response in various countries to her winning film, Solar Walk.

Audi once again designed the festival bag for this year’s Berlinale and produced 27,000 of them. “For all film lovers, the bag has established itself as a cult accessory in Berlin and symbolizes that film and Berlin belong together also beyond the festival period,” says Kosslick. 

In 2020, Audi will once again be a principal sponsor of the Berlinale for the 70th anniversary of the festival. The automobile manufacturer and the Berlinale have extended their cooperation by another year. 

Audi e-tron at the Berlinale: film celebrities on the road all-electric

• Anniversary Celebrities Film Festival
• At 2/09/2019 12:11:00 a.m.
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