The organisers of this year’s IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships have chosen Asterix and Obelix to be the official mascots. “Nothing is impossible” according to this famous duo, words that offer encouragement to teams and fans alike. However, there are some areas where these two indomitable Gauls do not serve as role models for the athletes. Take travel, for instance. Whereas Asterix and Obelix adventures are mostly spent walking here, there and everywhere, the ice hockey teams have the luxury of travelling to games in a comfortable coach. So that the German national team could travel in style, MAN Truck & Bus presented the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) with the first of the 20 Lion’s Coaches that MAN are providing for the championships.
“We’re delighted that our coaches will make a significant contribution to ensuring that the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships are a success,” revelled MAN Truck & Bus Head of Marketing, Björn Loose, following the presentation of the team coach. “Dynamism, technique and power are three qualities inherent to ice hockey and its ability to captivate. Qualities that align perfectly with those of our commercial vehicles.”
Specifically, the total fleet consists of four dual-axle coaches, six compact tri-axle coaches with a length of 13.26 m, and ten tri-axle models with an extended length of 13.8 m. The dual-axle MAN Lion’s Coaches measure 12 m in length. These three variants offer capacity for between 49 and 57 passengers, depending on the seating arrangements. All coaches are equipped with air-conditioning, as well as on board kitchen and toilet facilities.
MAN Lion’s Coaches really get into gear during journeys on all routes as a result of their powerful and high-torque common-rail engines (available in 324 kW (440 hp) and 338 kW (460 hp) variants) that offer pure drivability. Together with the 12-speed MAN TipMatic automatic transmission with EasyStart, the engines are incredibly environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient. Passenger safety is guaranteed as a result of numerous assistance systems such as the Emergency Brake Assistant (EBA), the Lane Guard System (LGS), and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). In addition, some of the team coaches are also equipped with MAN Attention Guard and topographical Tempomat MAN Efficient Cruise with MAN EfficientRoll cruise control for a particularly efficient drive.
On 5 May, the coaches will transport the Swedish and Russian teams to their opening fixture in Cologne, and the Finnish and Belarussian teams to their opener in Paris. The 16 days that follow will show who has what it takes on the ice to be as unbeatable as Asterix and Obelix.
