Latest news with #Alps
Motor 1
9 hours ago
- Automotive
- Motor 1
Spied: AMG's New 4-Door Supercar Caught Testing In the Alps
Hot on the heels of the AMG GT XX concept's reveal on Tuesday , spy videographers have caught Mercedes testing the production version gliding stealthily through the Alps. Expected to share much of the concept's design, AMG's all-electric, four-door supercar wears the same sleek fastback bodylines as the GT XX, albeit heavily camouflaged in a patterned wrap. The massive grille seems to be making a return, as do the circular-pattern taillights. But the headlights are notably different, with a more production-ready tri-star design, inspired by the brand's logo. Though we never see this test mule pull off any quick corners or hard accelerations, we do get a taste of its sound. That's right, this EV isn't silent. There's a distinct engine-like idle emanating from underneath that camouflage, a feature hyped up by executives at the concept's reveal on Wednesday. There's not much to glean from the sound itself—it doesn't seem like a burbling V-8 to us—but it's also likely not finalized. So take the noise with a grain of salt, for now. As for performance, there should be a lot of it. The AMG GT XX concept is rated at 1,340 horsepower thanks to three axial-flux motors, two at the rear, and another up front. It runs on an 800-volt architecture for ultra-quick charging and uses direct-cooled cylindrical battery cells for better cooling attributes. While that power figure might not be the same, it's very likely the production car will carry this same powertrain setup when it's revealed later this year. As for pricing, the AMG GT EV will likely compete directly against its closest segment rival, the Porsche Taycan , which starts at $101,395. More on AMG's New Four-Door Weapon The First Standalone Mercedes-AMG EV Has NA Miata-Looking Fake Taillights Mercedes-AMG GT4 EV Spied For The First Time As Porsche Taycan Rival Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Malay Mail
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Say woof! A unique Swiss theme park reopens — and its St Bernards are ready for their close-up
MARTIGNY (Switzerland), June 28 — Syrah walks slowly and deliberately on a treadmill submerged in a large water tank, as two therapists help keep her steady, and a crowd looks on in awe. The eight-year-old St. Bernard is receiving her regular hydrotherapy session, while visitors to the newly reopened Barryland theme park in the Swiss Alpine valley town of Martigny follow every move. 'We give hydrotherapy to older dogs or dogs that have undergone surgery,' Barryland director Melanie Glassey-Roth told AFP. 'Everything here is conceived for the wellbeing of our dogs.' Revamped from a smaller, 'living museum' focused on St. Bernards, after two years of work Barryland has morphed into a large, interactive theme park fully dedicated to Switzerland's national dog. Built in the shape of a paw print, the main building offers interactive experiences and virtual reality tours of the history and myths surround the St. Bernard, as well as the chance to interact with the big dogs themselves. The park is hoping to see its visitor numbers soar to potentially 200,000 a year, up from 83,000 before the renovation. A St. Bernard dog receives care during a press visit ahead of the inauguration of the Barryland museum and park in Martigny, in the Swiss Alps, June 26, 2025. The Barry Foundation is opening a unique venue dedicated to the rescue dog, Switzerland's national emblem. — AFP pic 'Emblematic' The St. Bernard breed, which reached a new level of stardom when it figured in the 1992 blockbuster Hollywood comedy film Beethoven, was cross-bred into existence centuries ago in the Swiss Alps, not too far from where today's theme park lies. It was originally bred from farm dogs indigenous to the region by a hospice monastery, perched 2,500 metres (8,200 feet) above sea level, to use for rescue work in the perilous Great St. Bernard Pass between Switzerland and Italy. 'This is an emblematic dog that represents the entire region,' said Jean-Maurice Tornay, head of the Barry Foundation, which runs Barryland. Barryland got its name from the most famous and heroic St. Bernard of all. An old picture of a St. Bernard dog and a priest taken at the Great Saint Bernard pass is displayed at the Barryland museum and park in Martigny, in the Swiss Alps, June 26, 2025. — AFP pic Local lore holds that Barry, who lived from 1800 to 1814 and was credited with more than 40 rescues in his lifetime, carried a little barrel of alcohol around his collar, a welcome drink for weary travellers. In his honour, the monastery always had one dog named Barry — a tradition that continues at Barryland today. The park's current Barry, a towering 7.5-year-old male weighing around 80 kilograms (176 pounds), is the largest and most decorated of its dogs. The Barry Foundation has 36 St. Bernards in all who live at a nearby kennel in Martigny. Some dogs spend whole summers up at the Great St. Bernard Pass. But with the reopening of Barryland, 16 dogs from the Martigny kennel will crowd into a large van each morning and be driven across to the theme park, ready to play stars. Visitors watch with virtual reality headsets next to a display featuring a model of a St Bernard dog at the Barryland museum and park in Martigny, in the Swiss Alps, June 26, 2025. — AFP pic New mission At Barryland, the giant dogs, with their dark-ringed eyes and fur covered in reddish-brown patches, run around in spacious, grassy parks, lounge in large indoor enclosures and submit to grooming, massages and treatments. For Thursday's reopening, the park presented two new puppies, Xcell and Xaver, who tumbled enthusiastically around their mother Lio, nudging her until she sat down to let them nurse. Nearby, dog handler Sahel Robette encouraged Tosca, an eight-year-old female, to climb onto a large weighing scale. 'Sixty-five kilos (143 pounds)!' he exclaimed, as he began brushing her down, searching her fur for tics and inspecting her ears and nails. A woman takes a picture of a St. Bernard dog during a press visit ahead of the inauguration of the Barryland museum and park in Martigny, in the Swiss Alps, June 26, 2025. — AFP pic Once the heroes of the Swiss Alps, St. Bernards today are doing heroic work in other settings, Tornay said. With helicopters having taken over their rescue role, the St. Bernard has 'found a new social mission', he told AFP. The foundation's dogs make hundreds of visits each year to hospitals, nursing homes and prisons, where they are used for therapy and social training, 'sharing a little bit of kindness', he said. The St. Bernard is perfect for these missions, Glassey-Roth said, as one of the dogs laid its giant head on her lap. 'It has a quiet force; it is calm and very social.' — AFP
RNZ News
15 hours ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Soho Basin at Cardrona not ready yet due to lack of snow
Part of the Cardrona Alpine Resort near Wanaka which was due to open on Saturday. Photo: RNZ/Katie Todd A major expansion at Cardrona Alpine Resort will not open as hoped on Saturday as the wait continues for more snow. The Soho Basin boosts Cardrona's total footprint by a quarter with a new high speed lift, making it the biggest ski area in the country. The new terrain was meant to be officially opened on Saturday - the first day of the school holidays, but the ceremony has been postponed until Sunday due to a weather front. The ceremony would involve a lift blessing, formal welcome from Kāi Tahu, speeches, ribbon cutting and kapa haka performance before live music at Cardrona's base. Cardrona Alpine Resort said skiers and snowboarders unfortunately would not be able to test the slopes after the ceremony as they needed to wait a bit longer for Mother Nature to do her thing. Cardrona's main slopes opened earlier this month. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
BBC News
19 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Palace lay out Austria summer plans
Crystal Palace have revealed plans for a summer training camp in Austria at the end of Eagles will play two games in boss Oliver Glasner's home country during a week away in the Tuesday, 29 July, Palace will play two hour-long practice games against Mainz, with the first of those matches kicking off at 13:00 on Friday, 1 August, they will take on another Bundesliga side, Augsburg - twice - with the first game starting at 15:00.
Daily Mail
21 hours ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Revealed: Michael Schumacher's wife rejected offer from former team-mate to 'help wake him up' after his tragic skiing accident left him with brain injuries
Michael Schumacher 's former team-mate has revealed he offered to 'help wake up' the Formula 1 legend - only for his family to decline. Schumacher has not been seen publicly since suffering catastrophic brain injuries during a skiing accident in the French Alps in December 2013. His loved ones have fiercely protected his privacy and he is surrounded by a tight-knit circle while under 24-hour care at his family home in Switzerland. Flavio Briatore, his former team boss at Benetton, described him as 'just lying in a bed' while Briatore's ex-wife, Elisabetta Gregoraci, claimed in a previous interview that Schumacher is unable to speak and is only visited by a handful of people. 'Michael doesn't speak, he communicates with his eyes,' Gregoraci said. 'Only three people can visit him and I know who they are.' German journalist Felix Gorner struck a similarly tragic picture after reporting earlier this year that the now 56-year-old is 'completely dependent' on his caregivers. Despite the shroud of secrecy, Riccardo Patrese, who teamed up with Schumacher in 1993 and became close friends with the icon, offered to try and assist in his recovery, believing hearing a familiar voice might have triggered a reaction. 'Then he had the accident,' Patrese told 'That is a very sad moment. You know that sometimes if they hear [a familiar voice], some boys wake up, that they recognise a voice. 'I asked [Schumacher's wife] Corinna if they wanted me to go there and try to help if I could. Well, if I could, I would have, but they said, "No, thank you. It's not the moment. It's not the moment." But that moment has never come.' Speaking to the Irish Mirror in 2022, late F1 great Eddie Jordan revealed he had been politely turned away by Corinna when he tried to arrange to a visit. Corinna gave a rare behind the scenes glimpse into their life together in the 2021 Netflix documentary Schumacher, when she explained how his family remain united around him. 'Michael is here. Different, but he's here, and that gives us strength, I find,' she said. 'We live together at home. 'We do therapy. We do everything we can to make Michael better and to make sure he's comfortable. No matter what, I will do everything I can. We all will.'
