Saturday, March 30, 2024

Leica News: Introducing LEICAR



 

By Heinz Richter

Wetzlar April 1, 2024

Leica is often criticized by the more traditional owners of their cameras for having added items other than cameras and lenses to their line-up. Yet their approach is obviously paying off. It was just reported that they, once again, showed a healthy increase in business over the previous fiscal year.

The cooperation with Huawei to enter the mobile phone market was met with substantial criticism. Since then they have changed to the world’s third largest manufacturer of mobile phones. Xiaomi. The recently introduced Xiaomi 14 Ultra is without question the most sophisticated mobile phone with its setup of four Leica lenses.

Today Leica announced what must be the furthest departure from traditional Leica products. A whole new division was established to market the LEICAR.

A few years ago Xiaomi decided that they wanted to enter the electric car market. Development has been mostly under wraps, But the Xiaomi SU7 EV was recently announced. It is designed to compete head-on with the likes of Porsche and Tesla. The specs are indeed quite impressive. The Leicar is mostly based on the Xiaomi SU7 EV.

So far, one the most important issues with electric cars has been the driving range. Leicar claims a range of up to 800 km. By comparison, Tesla's Model S has a range of up to 650 km. The car is also positioned to appeal to consumers worried about winter. It has fast-charging capabilities in low temperatures and is equipped with advanced tech allowing it to recognize obstacles under challenging conditions such as falling snow. One tech feature, so far not found in other cars, is CTB (Cell-to-Body) technology which integrates the batteries as part of the vehicle body to enhance structural rigidity and to maximize cabin space.



The Leicar will incorporate all of the highly advanced tech features of the Xiaomi. But there are also some changes which will set it apart, including the dashboard. While Xiaomi went the route of a huge display screen, the Leicar will feature a display integrated into the dashboard with the ability to select which display is closest to the driver. But unlike so many other electric cars, the Leicar will maintain a surprisingly large number of physical buttons and switches. Another nice touch is an analog clock on the dashboard, styled after the recently introduced Leica watch. The change closest to Leica, known for their expertise in making lenses, are the headlights of the car. Of course they are of the latest adaptive headlight technology, but unlike conventional adaptive headlights, which feature a multiple light array via LEDs with reflectors, Leica developed a system of special lenses which cast a substantially more precise pattern of lights.


Performance-wise, the Leicar promises to rival some of the fastest EVs globally, with peak torque output reaching up to 635 Nm and top speeds of 265 kmph.


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THE GLOBE AT LEITZ PARK IN WETZLAR




By Heinz Richter

Driving from Wetzlar to the new Leica headquarters at Leitz Park, you first arrive at a large roundabout with a huge globe off center.  It was a present to the city of Wetzlar from the Leitz Park corporation and Andreas Kaufmann, chairman of the board of Leica Camera AG.

The globe and roundabout came at a price of half a million euros.  It has a weight of four metric tons and a diameter of 16.5 feet.  The globe is covered with over 1000 circular plates of different diameters, outlining the various continents.  In Europe, at the position of Germany or more precisely, Wetzlar, a red plate marks the home of Leica.

The globe as seen from the Leica headquarters


The view of the globe when arriving from the east

The design came largely from Karin Rehn-Kaufmann and it was implemented by the Frankfurt-based landscape architecture company Wewer.  The globe was built in Ludwigshafen by the firm of Kunstwerk Maudach.  The inside is hollow.  It was built along the same principles as the hulls of ships.  It arrived at Leitz Park in two halves which were welded together along the equator.

Even motorists were part of the considerations for the design of the globe.  It is sandblasted to a matte finish to prevent reflections of the sun that might blind the driver.

By now the globe has become another landmark besides the amazing architecture of the new Leica headquarters at Leitz Park in Wetzlar, which is once again the Mecca of all Leica enthusiasts.

Areal view of Leitz Park II (left) and III (right under construction), with the globe in the middle
Photo: Andreas Kaufmann



For other articles on this blog please click on Blog Archive in the column to the right

To comment or to read comments please scroll past the ads below.

All ads present items of interest to Leica owners.

_______________________________________________________________________

EDDYCAM - the first and only ergonomic elk-skin camera strap     
 www.eddycam.com        

      



Buy vintage Leica cameras from 
America's premier Leica specialist 
www.tamarkin.com

 http://www.tamarkin.com/leicagallery/upcoming-show


Click on image to enlarge
Please make payment via PayPal to GMP Photography

Click on image to enlarge
Please make payment via PayPal to GMP Photography

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