ramp #57 Really?

If you think logical thinking is the perfect epistemological tool, you’d better put this magazine aside right now. Unfortunately, life is not unconditionally logical. More like merrily untamed. But no matter. People may think logically – but also always intuitively. The ideal philosophical method: dialectics.

Among the ancient Greeks, it was the art of conversation. The main difference to logical thinking, after all, is that dialectical thinking challenges the position from which it starts by making opposing claims for a solution-synthesis of both positions. For Plato, it was the “theory of ideas”, for Aristotle “mental gymnastics”. Hegel later brought it to the point, calling dialectics “the driving moment of the sensible within the reasonable mind, by which the mind finally cancels itself out”.

In this issue of our magazine, on the other hand, we are simply engaging in a stimulating conversation. We ask the question “Really?” and allow it to unfold in a playful range between indignant outrage and thoughtful reflection. Because not only is everything connected, it also is the relationships between things that make them what they are. Or something like that.

The Future of the Car

The University of St. Gallen is the new home of a Future Mobility Lab. We spoke with its director, Dr. Andreas Herrmann, and with Jürgen Stackmann, who heads the university’s Institute for Mobility. To get there, we chose an AMG A 45 S 4MATIC+.

Wladimir Kaminer drives an M and gets lost in thought

This super super super test covers such topics as Vladimir Putin, the situation in Ukraine, the importance of the color green in the former Soviet Union – and ends in Munich with two BMWs: an M4 and an M8.

Jozef Kabaň, Head of Volkswagen Design, on the ID. Buzz

Who could resist a car like this? It’s simply irresistible. Completely on purpose, of course. After all, the ID. Buzz just wants to be loved. We spoke with Jozef Kabaň, Head of Volkswagen Design, about his charismatic and appealing new creation.

A Blue Maserati MC20 and a Chalky White Passenger

For our author Kurt Molzer, getting behind the wheel of a Maserati MC20 and driving it on the streets of Italy was the greatest of joys. For the photographer, it was – to put it mildly – somewhat of a challenge.

Anniversary Chat with Frank van Meel, Head of BMW M GmbH

To mark the fiftieth anniversary of BMW M, CEO Frank van Meel met with ramp editor-in-chief Michael Köckritz and author Wladimir Kaminer to talk about the brand’s past and its future. And about matchboxes.

Rodsha Mooah’s Coool Caah

We forced our author to go on a road trip in a CV2. He suffered a lot because of it, though in the former East Germany, they immediately recognized the value of this unique car. By the way, the headline translates to “Roger Moore’s cool car”.

The Winged Beast: Cayman GT4 RS

A first drive of the new Porsche Cayman GT4 RS. That’s RS with a heavily rolled R and extra-spicy S. Our author had to fold himself up in an interesting way to get in, but it was worth it.

Chief Designer Mitja Borkert about the Lamborghini Principle

Extreme impact, high speeds on the way into the future and designer clichés. These are just some of the topics we touched on in our conversation with Chief Designer Mitja Borkert.

Do It Like a Taycan!

The third Taycan variant offers elegant practicality – a delightful blend of Porsche and prestige. But wait! What happens when you press this little button here? Spoiler alert: That’s when things get really interesting!

Polestar Head of Design Maximilian Missoni about the Polestar O₂

Where are sports cars headed in the future? Thanks to electric motors, straight to a renaissance, says Maximilian Missoni – and explains to us the O₂ concept.