What a weather at the Silvretta - E-Rallye conclusion

Hot curves, black asphalt, shiny paint in red - here's just everyone for his Thoughts themselves responsible!

It was really "hot", but I mean the weather, the route on the Silvretta High Alpine Road and the mountain roads in the area - and the car paint the FCX shone dark red in the sunlight. What did you think?

I would do it again, yes, being a pilot at the Silvretta E-Auto Rally is an experience. How does that feel? Not easy to describe, but I put together a video where the most intimate board talks between the pilot and the copilot were recorded, you can be close to a special stage and the view through the windshield is at the top of this report!

But what is the Silvretta Rally all about? On three rally days to drive three different routes that are between 42 and 62 km long. Why so short? The classic cars drive longer distances?

Quite simple: to let all e-cars participate, because the small Stromer (see left) have not yet such a range as z. For example, the FCX Clarity fuel cell I ran - 1 tank = 460 km.

Is it about speed? Yes and no. It is not heated around, although it has sometimes teased me in the Gasfuß - in 8 seconds to 100km/h to be fun, the response I could try on the highway sometimes rudimentary (of course not from a stand, of course). The unbelievable unfamiliar thing when driving an e-car is accelerating. On the accelerator pedal traipse and the car comes immediately and without delay to the "pedal request". Just as getting used to is the downhill. There is - logically - no engine brake and the automatic is always on "D" (selector lever has only D, N and R).

Driving otherwise: at just under 5 meters (4.83m) have length of the Honda I have a certain "smoothness", but it is an agile vehicle (10.8m turning circle), which I could test at the slalom on the day of the test drive (with video proof!), We had set up the pylons at a distance of 10m and I came " loose ". I was even more disappointed that there was no "real" skill test on the Silvretta, no slalom and no roll test was available.

But: to keep the average time of the long distance special stage, I had to the Bielerhöhe quite a lot of speed on the straights to compensate for the many bends. That was to my taste.

Where did it last?

Day 1 with legend, Day 2 Silvretta and Day 3 Silvretta (Map)

The other two days (see links above) I had also previously looked at maps and saved. Important here: the rally route was not designed according to the shortest route (as Google indicates), but we were still criss-crossed, so we had to pass certain time controls that were off the track - cheating or abbreviation so impossible!

Mood while rallying and before and after

I already had the mood on the first day something written.Nevertheless, everyone was anxious to achieve a good result and ambitious. But one thing does not exclude the other.

Mitsubishi,
Toyota and Tesla

And in Team Honda? How was the mood? Unbleached and unblemished? Ok, I admit it: the mood was great! But how could it be otherwise when three car-trapped people meet and attend an event involving four wheels, tin (yes, we've also been fooling around) and motorsport?

With Fred Bauch I was a veteran of car experience by my side, whom I could ask anything when it came to the FCX or driving tips. Only once did I make a small mistake (too narrow in the turns), which we discussed and eradicated right away.
With my co-driver Alexander Heintzel (I deny the Dr., I say jokingly "Doc" at most I did it seriously, but we laughed that much as well. Always everything in his time. It's nice to be able to show off hard rally-speak with impunity, when things have to go fast and then, after the rally, can prosaically and witty words.

I did not bring it to a newspaper cover, but this little photomontage was so much fun that I would not hide it from you would like to. More - unbelievable - photos can still be found on flickr!

The enthusiastic spectators? Yes, we had them, on the spot, the people of all ages were really great, I'm still seriously touched, when people - as seen in the video - enthusiastically waving the flags at the roadside, were happy, thumbs up and waved , The feeling can not be reproduced, that is indescribably beautiful!

The encounter with the unpredictable cows, who simply stood on the rally route and did not avoid a step, I will never forget, as well as the whole wonderful landscape, in which I felt very comfortable and which must have been satisfied with us, because the FCX has just distributed a few drops of water as a "final product" in the area.

Have I raved about slow enough? What are you still interested in? What I have not written yet, I mean (-> to all Silvretta articles). I could still write a lot ... oh yes, the Alex has also described the last day on the GT Worldwide, which complements well. And now? I think the moving picture, so video, says more than 1000 words:

Disclosure: my lyrics are not copywriting, reflecting my own opinion. HONDA has obtained the rights of use for my freely written texts, photos and videos and reimburses me for my expenses.