Mini Cars

Mini Classic Cars

2010-06-18T03:20:00.000-07:00

Mini Classic Cars - Morris Mini Traveller and Austin Mini Countryman (1961–1969)

Two-door estate cars with double "barn"-style rear doors. Both were built on a slightly longer chassis of 84 inch (2.14 m) compared to 80.25 inch (2.04 m) for the saloon.

Picture Of Mini Classic Cars

The luxury models had decorative, non-structural wood inserts in the rear body which gave the car a similar appearance to the larger Morris Minor estate which had some of the look of an American-style 1950s Woodie. Approximately 108,000 Austin Mini Countrymen and 99,000 Morris Mini Travellers were built.

Tata Nano

2010-06-17T06:54:00.000-07:00

We told you a few days back that the Nano is going to be available directly off the shelf without the need for a prior booking. However, the car may not cost the same anymore. This is because Tata Motors seems to be contemplating a price hike for the Nano. If incorporated, the hike will range between Rs. 5000 to Rs. 15,000 depending on the variant. This comes in as no surprise, since Tata, during the launch of the Nano, had hinted towards a probable price hike once they deliver the initial one lakh orders. With the deliveries of these bookings likely to be completed by July end, the Nano may boast of a higher sticker price in order to increase the earnings for the component manufacturers.
The Nano was undoubtedly a challenge for the OE industry which the succeeded in achieving but it barely gives them any margins. As Tata puts it, ‘though the vehicle manufacturer manages its cash flow well, its the supply chain that takes a big hit’. Also add to this the fact that the raw material prices have gone up yet again, forcing most carmakers to hike their pricetags for the fourth time this year! In fact, Maruti Suzuki, Ford Motor India, Toyota Kirloskar and Mahindra & Mahindra are all set to announce a price hike for their vehicles in the coming week.
So you see, the common man’s vegetables like onions and potatoes are not the only ones going through a price hike, its the common man’s car that will face the brunt too. Probably Tata should indeed chop off the Nano’s roof to save metal costs and launch a cheap convertible version of the Nano.

Volkswagen reveals CrossPolo, fusion of a car and an SUV

2010-06-17T06:46:00.000-07:00

Volkswagen has revealed the details of CrossPolo-a softroader based on the current gen Polo platform. It gets a total of six engine options, and an optional 7-speed DSG too. The CrossPolo looks good and its muscular stance, thanks to the flared wheel arches, roof rails and a pair of good looking alloys is good enough to differentiate it from the hatch. It has a little more ground clearance than its hatchback sibling. A question lingers in my mind-Could this be the third car based on the Polo platform coming to India, after Vento?

Do you remember the time when Fiat had launched Palio Weekend and Adventure? That period wasnt something that could be termed as Fiat India’s golden period. The sales figures were bad and customer satisfaction was even worse. And launching such a product for a market not mature enough then was nothing but a wrong decision. There didnt exist any need for a car, er, estate like that. Then the same happened with Baleno Altura and Opel Corsa Swing and even the Octavia Combi. And the only estate that did good was the Indigo Marina. By ‘good’ here, I mean relatively good.

So if Volkswagen plans to launch one here, the stakes will indeed be high. There are chances the model flops the way Fiat’s did. Or has the Indian market matured enough to accept a product like this?

If it has, then there are chances that CrossPolo does well, goes head to head with the to-be launched smaller variant of Xylo, the 5-seater Xylo, the Uno( if Fiat plans to bring it), Premier Rio and the SX4 hatch(that is if Maruti brings it).

A new segment will be born. A car that can be used as your normal car, can take the shortcut through the forest and carry all the money you robbed from the bank. It surely will prove to be a cool car then, won’t it?

Mini Classic Cars - Wolseley Hornet and Riley Elf (1961–1969)

2010-06-13T03:00:00.000-07:00

Mini Classic Cars - Wolseley Hornet and Riley Elf (1961–1969)

Picture Of Mini Classic Cars

Built as more luxurious versions of the Mini, both the Wolseley Hornet and the Riley Elf had longer, slightly finned rear wings and larger boots that gave the cars a more traditional "three-box" look. Front-end treatment, which incorporated each marque's traditional upright grille design, also contributed to a less utilitarian appearance. The cars had larger-diameter chrome hubcaps than the Austin and Morris Minis, and additional chrome accents, bumper overriders and wood-veneer dashboards. The Riley was the more expensive of the two cars. The name "Wolseley Hornet" was first used on a 1930s sports car, while the name "Elf" recalled the Riley Sprite and Imp sports cars, also of the 1930s. The full-width dashboard was a differentiator between the Elf and Hornet. This better dashboard was the idea of Christopher Milner the Sales Manager for Riley.

Picture Of Mini Classic Cars

Both cars went through three versions. Initially, they used the 848 cc engine, changing to a single carburettor version of the Cooper's 998 cc power unit in the Mark II in 1963. The MKIII facelift of 1966 brought wind-up windows and fresh-air fascia vents; also concealed door hinges two years before these were seen on the mainstream Mini. 30,912 Riley Elfs and 28,455 Wolseley Hornets were built.

Innovative, Brilliant, 2011 VW Phaeton

2010-06-12T01:24:00.000-07:00

Consider yourself lucky if you are planning to buy the luxo-barge from VW, the 2011 Phaeton that is. And if you belong to the group of mortals who admire high-tech stuff then this one is for you.

The car has a long list of features but there are some which sets it apart from the competition. Take for example the option of downloading images off the google server and integrating them with the in-car GPS. In this way the driver gets to familiarize with the route easily.

And there is a camera fitted on the car’s windscreen which can read the speed limit signs, no passing zones etc. Brilliant!

Then there is another feature called Dynamic Light Assist, which checks whether the surrounding cars are suffering from the glare of the car’s headlights. If yes, then this masks out a certain portion of the car’s headlights in order to reduce the glare on others. Innovative!

All this makes me wonder if we would need to drive in future or the cars will do that too on their own.

Source: Motoroids

Ritz & Estilo CNG coming soon!

2010-06-12T01:20:00.000-07:00

The Alto is the only car from the Maruti Suzuki stable that sports a CNG variant. The Alto will not feel lonely anymore as far as the CNG option is concerned. According to a report by Goa on Wheels, Maruti Suzuki will be launching the CNG versions of the Ritz and Estilo soon. With this move, the firm intends to grab a larger share of the CNG vehicle market which will prove beneficial owing to the rising fuel prices.

The launch of the CNG versions of the above mentioned cars would be just like icing over the cake as Maruti Suzuki has already been selling in good numbers and the firm is no doubt the king of the ‘Small Car’ segment. As of now, the firm will reportedly introduce CNG versions of the Ritz and Estilo only. After analyzing the response of their move, the firm may think of adding a CNG variant to more of its cars to start with, Maruti Suzuki Eeco.

However, CNG is not available nationwide which poses to be a problem. But the problem may not be big enough to worry Maruti Suzuki as CNG is available in major places like Mumbai, Delhi and Gujarat and will be available in more major metros across the country in the near future.

FIAT Palio 1.6 Sport: The king is dead!

2010-06-12T01:13:00.000-07:00

The small car that started the ‘Hot Hatch’ concept in India with its 1.6-litre, 100 bhp petrol engine has met with a sad demise. FIAT has decided to pull the plug off the Palio to immediate effect for two primary reasons – lack of demand and the Palio’s incompatibility with the Bharat Stage IV norms. The Palio, since its launch in 1999 has offered a lot of goodies to its customers without making a huge hue and cry about the price. However, lack of a potent aftersales network and the low fuel economy had led to the last generation Palio to its downfall in a market like India. The Palio Stile did revive FIAT India to an extent, but the current success of the Grande Punto had put the Palio on the back-burner.

Until recently the car was only manufactured against order, but FIAT’s sudden decision has axed the hopes of prospective enthusiasts buying the car. One of our members, John Fernandez is one such unfortunate enthusiast who had his booking amount refunded to him by the company showroom after the car-maker’s harsh (yet practical) decision. We are only hoping now that the Palio’s demise will make way for a new car from the FIAT stables in Ranjangoan, that can lift of gauntlet and be a worthy heir to the ‘hot hatch’ concept.

Source: Motoroids

Scoop! Volkswagen Golf caught testing for India

2010-06-09T04:31:00.000-07:00

One of our members and a hardcore automotive enthusiast who is well known on the world wide web as ‘Shrivz’, recently caught the Volkswagen Golf MK6 on test in India. Our photographer, Eshan Shetty, too had caught the Golf on test a few months back (and almost got himself killed doing so, thanks to a loyal VW driver flinging a stone at him). That Golf however totally undisguised and in a left hand drive avatar – hence we let the test mules be, thinking that it was one of those export models undergoing some component testing. But when Shrivz sent us the Golf’s photo last month and highlighted the fact that the test car was a right hand drive, we got down to work and getting in touch with the vast network of sources (ahem!) that we have!

Our sources tell us that Volkswagen is indeed testing the Golf MK6 for the Indian market. Apart from the Beetle, the Golf has been one of VW’s signature cars. The German carmaker is hence looking forward to introducing the car in India as well. However, since the car is not manufactured in India (yet), VW is looking at various options to keep the car’s prospective price tag as low as possible. VW is expected to use the same 1.6-litre petrol and diesel engines (probably in a different state of tune), that will be used in the upcoming Volkswagen Vento and the Skoda Felicia sedans. Our sources tell us that the car is expected to boast of a sticker price between the Rs. 10-13 lakhs rupees – making it one of the costliest four door hatchbacks in the country.

Volkswagen is expected the launch the Mk6 Golf by Q2 2011 where it will join the companies ever increasing product portfolio in India. Though the Golf might not be able to gain the same market share as the rest of the of the hatchbacks in the country, VW will have a premium offering slotted between the Vento and the Jetta sedans.

Source: Motoroids

India vehicle sales jump 39 per cent in May

2010-06-09T04:25:00.000-07:00

Vehicle sales in India jumped 39 per cent in May as rising incomes drove up demand despite higher costs and Ford's new made-for-India Figo compact enjoyed a strong launch.

Car sales rose 30.5 per cent to 148,481 vehicles in May while commercial vehicle sales surged 57.7 per cent to 48,580 vehicles, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, an industry group, said.

Read more on this news in Economic times.

Source: Economic Times

Mini Classic Cars - Mark II Mini (1967–1973)

2010-06-08T02:24:00.000-07:00

Mini Classic Cars - Mark II Mini (1967–1973)

Picture Of Mini Classic Cars

The Mark II Mini Classic Cars featured a redesigned grille which remained with the car from that point on. Also, a larger rear window and numerous cosmetic changes were introduced. 429,000 Mark II Minis were made.

Picture Of Mini Classic Cars

A bewildering variety of Mini types were made in Pamplona, Spain, by the Authi company from 1968 onwards, mostly under the Morris name.

Picture Of Mini Classic Cars

The Mini was arguably the star of the 1969 film The Italian Job, which features a car chase in which a gang of thieves drive three Minis down staircases, through storm drains, over buildings and finally into the back of a moving bus. This film was remade in 2003 using the new MINI.

Mini Classic Cars - Mark I Mini (1959–1967) The End Part

2010-06-03T17:50:00.000-07:00

Mini Classic Cars - Mark I Mini (1959–1967) The End Part

Picture Of Mini Classic Cars

From October 1965 the option of an Automotive Products (AP) designed four-speed automatic transmission became available. Cars fitted with this became the Mini-Matic

Picture Of Mini Classic Cars

Slow at the outset, Mark I sales strengthened across most of the model lines in the 1960s, and production totalled 1,190,000. Sold at almost below cost, the basic Mini made very little money for its owners. However, it still did make a small profit. Ford once took a Mini away and completely dismantled it, possibly to see if they could offer an alternative. It was their opinion though, that they could not sell it at BMC's price. Ford determined that the BMC must have been losing around 30 pounds per car. BMC insisted that the way company overheads were shared out, the Mini always made money. Larger profits came from the popular De Luxe models and from optional extras such as seat belts, door mirrors, a heater and a radio, which would be considered necessities on modern cars, as well as the various "Cooper" and "Cooper S" models, to be discussed later.

Picture Of Mini Classic Cars

The Mini etched its place into popular culture in the 1960s with well-publicised purchases by film and music stars.

Ford Figo to be more expensive

2010-06-03T07:12:00.000-07:00

Ford launched the Figo this year hoping it to be game-changer for them. And what a game-changer it has proved to be. Ford has recieved more than 20,000 bookings for the car since the last two and a half months.

The pricing was one of the major factors behind the car's success apart from the brilliant engines and overall package of the car. The car's introductory price was kept as low as 3.5 lakhs for the 1.2L petrol engined version and 4.48 lakhs for its 1.4L diesel engined sibling. But due to increasing costs of components and materials, Ford will have to re-consider the pricing, which means a hike in price soon.

"We can't defy gravity for ever. The general industry cost is rising, steel prices are up, components are costlier and there has also been an increase in transport cost." Ford India Executive Director (Marketing, Sales and Services) Nigel Wark told PTI. The revised price will be effective from June 1st. When asked about the hike, he said ,"We are still fine tuning the price. It will, however, not be a major hike and well below two per cent.”

And came another news along. Ford will be upgrading their plant and boost the production of Figo in order to meet the market demand and thus reduce the 4-week waiting period of the car. At present Ford manages to produce around 6,000 cars a month but with an introduction of 700 new employees and a second shift at their plant in Chennai, expect the numbers to increase soon.

Volkswagen Vento. All the pictures, details and specifications

2010-06-03T06:45:00.000-07:00

After being the first in the world to catch the Volkswagen Vento in the flesh, we are again one of the first in India to bring to you the official images, specs and details of the much anticipated car. Volkswagen has released the official images of its Polo sedan in Russia. The model displayed will be built in the company’s manufacturing unit in Kaluga near Moscow. The car will make its show debut at the 2010 Moscow Motor Show in August.

The sedan, as we had said earlier, will not just be a boot stuck on to the Polo, but a nicely executed car. The wheelbase of the car, and resultantly the overall size of the car will be much larger than its hatchback version. The new car will be 4.38 meters long, 1.7m wide and 1.46m high with a wheelbase of 2.55m (Polo is 2.456m). This will result in not only better legspace for the back benchers, but also a cavernous boot. The new car’s ground clearance too is increased by 15mm.

Engine options will include a 1.6-litre gasoline engine producing 105PS mated with a 5-speed manual transmission. Height adjustable driver’s seat, trip computer, air bags, power windows etc. will be available as standard equipment or options varying from variant to variant.

In the Indian market, the Vento will also come with A 1.6 liter diesel engine producing 105 bhp. We can expect a DSG gearbox to make an appearance on the car at a later point in time. The price is expected to be in the region of 7 to 8 lakh, depending on the variant. Looking at the pictures, the quality of the interiors appears to be top notch. Feast your eyes on the pictures, covering every single detail of the car. And don’t forget to write your comments on how you like this new machine from the German automaker.

A Small Car from Hyundai

2010-06-03T06:20:00.000-07:00

The number 800 was made legendary by the very much famous Maruti 800 from the Maruti Suzuki Stable. Even babies now know that the small-car market in India has been growing at the speed of a meteor just about to hit the earth. As far as the small-car market is concerned, Maruti Suzuki has proved to be the King. However, other car manufacturers are trying their best now to get their share of the small-car market. There have been a lot of speculations which indicate that Hyundai is planning to introduce a small car to its fleet of cars in India.

The car may hit the production lines by next year at the firm’s Chennai plant. According to our friends at Indian Autos Blog, the car will sport an 800cc three cylinder petrol engine which churns out around 50hp of power. The car might very well be christened ‘H800’ which could be similar to Maruti’s legendary Maruti 800 (H may stand for Hyundai). The H800 is expected to be smaller than the Santro. The car might sport a 5-speed transmission system too. According to various sources, a Diesel engine may be added to the menu in the near future after its launch which is expected to take place by March or April, 2011.

Above is image manipulator Samuh Yogetta’s version of the H800. The above illustration has a close resemblance to the i10 and i20. The front-end of the car has been taken from the ix-onic concept. However, no further comments or claims can be made regarding the small car unless and until we get official pictures of the same. So let’s wait and watch whether the car turns out to be similar to the above illustration.

By: Motoroids

Mini Classic Cars - Mark I Mini (1959–1967) Part 2

2010-05-29T17:10:00.000-07:00

Mini Classic Cars - Mark I Mini (1959–1967) Part 2

Picture Of Mini Classic Cars

Until 1962, the cars appeared as the Austin 850 and Morris 850 in North America and France, and in Denmark as the Austin Partner (until 1964) and Morris Mascot (until 1981). The name Mini was first used domestically by BMC for Austin's version in 1961, when the Austin Seven was rebranded as the Austin Mini, somewhat to the surprise of the Sharps Commercials car company (later known as Bond Cars Ltd) who had been using the name Minicar for their three-wheeled vehicles since 1949. However, legal action was somehow averted, and BMC used the name Mini thereafter.

Picture Of Mini Classic Cars

In 1964, the suspension of the cars was replaced by another Moulton design, the hydrolastic system. The new suspension gave a softer ride but it also increased weight and production cost and, in the minds of many enthusiasts, spoiled the handling characteristics for which the Mini was so famous. In 1971, the original rubber suspension reappeared and was retained for the remaining life of the Mini.

Nissan announces commencement of Micra

2010-05-26T08:23:00.000-07:00

Nissan is in the headlines these days as it tries to increase its foothold in India. Be it the BMW Z4 and Porsche Boxster rivalling 370z or the to be launched Micra, Nissan seems to have going in the right direction.

They had a few announcements to be made regarding their to-be launched Micra. The most important was that they have started commercial production of the car here in India.

The car in question will be displayed in showrooms on May 25th and pre-order bookings will start the same day at a nominal amount of Rs.50,000. Micra ( codename – W02A) will be produced in Oragadam, Chennai at the Renault-Nissan plant. The 640 acre big plant is worth of 45 billion Rupees. 1900 workers are on duty now, which will be increased to 3000 in the next two years. The plant can produce 4,00,000 cars at its full capacity, while the initial production will be of 2,00,000 cars only.

The pricing is yet to be done, though expect this Nissan to be priced competetively. The sales will begin in July this year.

Being built on Nissan's V-platform opens up possibility of other models making it to the Indian market.

Nissan will use their Chennai facility to produce Micra for the international market too. As we reported earlier, they sent a batch of cars for testing in the international market too. The export will begin this September.

Source: Motoroids

Hyundai Plans to Regain Market Share

2010-05-26T08:17:00.000-07:00

Small car maket is witnessing a lot of heat this year. Ford Figo is giving nightmares to all other players in the market. And Hyundai is no exception. Hyundai's consistent efforts and products have made sure that the brand attained its niche in the market. But now as the competetion speeds up Hyundai seems to have lost its sleep.

And if Economic Times is to be believed, Hyundai will launch a diesel version of their i10 car soon in order to show the competetors what Hyundai is worth of. After all Hyundai once gave nightmares to every brand from Maruti to Mercedes, here in India. Hyundai Motor India (HMI) MD H W Park said that he wasnt worried because of the to-be launched Nissan Micra but because of the Ford Figo and the new Wagon-R. He hinted at Hyundai's plans of launching a diesel i10 but he didn t comment on the when the car is going to be launched.

If i10 diesel is launched then Hyundai will be able to snatch some customers from both Figo and Ritz diesel. This will increase i10's sales as well as Hyundai's foot hold in the market.

He also said that there still exists demand for their once best selling car, Santro, which manages to sell around 8000 units a month and they dont plan to phase it out anytime soon. “Development of the sub-Santro model is at evaluation stage at Namyang (its R&D centre). We are on schedule as far as the development stage work is concerned,” he said about their sub-Santro category car. “We will launch one new model every year, one face-lifted version and a model year model,” he said regarding their plans. So expect some surprises from the Korean manufacturer soon.

For the i10 diesel we will have to wait until some concrete announcement is made. Once that happens, Hyundai will be able to regain its lost market share.

Alto might get a K-series

2010-05-26T08:09:00.000-07:00

Take a small car and fit a bigger engine to it and see what difference it makes. All of a sudden your everyday car gets a much needed soul and it becomes a lot more desirable. But then bigger engines mean lesser fuel efficiency, which in turns makes small cars with big engines impractical. Seriously?

Well, not exactly. The engines made these days are actually more efficient than the ones made some ten years back. So when NDTV's sources suggest that Maruti plans to give its bread and butter car, Alto a heart transplant, we should be happy. And by now some of us might have thought of buying the car. Alto has proved itself in the market. It is a proper successor to the legend, the 800. Though Alto had a 1.1L engine in the past, but it was thirsty. So they discontinued it and the car was available with just one engine option. But as emission norms get stricter with each passing day, Maruti had to upgrade the 800cc engine to BS-IV. But replacing the engine to an already BS-IV engine makes more sense. The only engine they have in their line-up suitable for this small car is the 1L K-series (K10B)engine doing the duty in Alto's European namesake, the A-star. So fitting a 1L K-series engine solves a lot of problems. Maruti-Suzuki can produce a total of 2.5 lakh K-series engines annually, which will have to be upgraded once they start producing the new Alto.

Maruti Suzuki India Chairman R C Bhargava said, "Alto needs a face-lift. It has been there for quite a while." No comment was made on how the car be like, an upgrade or an entirely new one. Sources suggest that if this plan of Maruti's materialises, then Alto's price will go up by a small margin.

Alto has been doing good in the market with around 20,000 units selling per month. The new car is worth a wait. Lets see how Maruti plans to upgrade the Alto.

Source: Motoroids

2011 Volkswagen Passat – a technological marvel!

2010-05-26T08:03:00.000-07:00

Germany’s highly regarded magazine Auto Bild has come up with the first leaked image of VW’s much awaited 2011 Passat. The new car (in case it really is what it’s said to be) is the most honest representative of the VW’s new design language.

The new design stresses on highlighting the width of the car and is reminiscent of the recently updated Phaeton limousine as well as the Touareg. The front and back of the new car have been accentuated with a heavy dose of chrome. The new Passat has a flat shoulder line and with the subtle, yet strong lines of its reasonably big size, it presents itself as a transportation tool of choice for well-to-do executives. The new Passat is expected to hit the international market by the end of this year and it should be first previewed at the Paris Motor Show.

The new Passat is expected to take the game higher for VW, and the company expects the new machine to be comparable to the 3-series, C-class and the A4 in terms of brand perception. While that may sound a little too optimistic to a lot of people, it’s not difficult to understand why VW are so positive. The new Passat will host an array of technologies which have yet been unheard of. Some of these wondrous technologies will include airless tyres and a wiper-less windscreen cleaning system. A magical electronic stability system is also expected which will automatically offer counter-steering assistance in adverse driving conditions.

Engines for the new car will include a 300bhp power plant with a displacement of 3.0L. The new engine will also be using direct injection for enhanced power and fuel efficiency. The rest of the engine lineup is expected to benefit from some form of forced induction as well. Other models will include a new hybrid as well as a high-performance diesel with AWD.

Source: Motoroids

Mini Classic Cars - Mark I Mini (1959–1967) Part 1

2010-05-24T16:40:00.000-07:00

Mini Classic Cars - Mark I Mini (1959–1967) Part 1

Picture Of Mini Classic Cars

The production version of the Mini was demonstrated to the press in April 1959, and by August several thousand cars had been produced ready for the first sales.

Picture Of Mini Classic Cars

The name Mini did not appear by itself immediately—the first models being marketed under two of BMC's brand names, Austin and Morris. The name Austin Seven (sometimes written as SE7EN in early publicity material) recalled the popular small Austin 7 of the 1920s and 1930s. The other name used until 1967 in the United Kingdom (and in Commonwealth countries such as Australia), Morris Mini-Minor, seems to have been a play on words. The Morris Minor was a well known and successful car, with the word minor being Latin for "smaller" so an abbreviation of the Latin word for "smallest"—minimus—was used for the new even smaller car. It was originally going to be called the Austin Newmarket.

Design and development Part 3

2010-05-19T03:10:00.000-07:00

Design and development Part 3

Picture of Classic Mini Cars 1

Sliding windows allowed storage pockets in the hollow doors; reportedly Issigonis sized them to fit a bottle of Gordon's Gin. The boot lid was hinged at the bottom so that the car could be driven with it open to increase luggage space. On early cars the number plate was hinged at the top so that it could swing down to remain visible when the boot lid was open. This feature was later discontinued after it was discovered that exhaust gases could leak into the cockpit when the boot was open.

Picture of Classic Mini Cars 2

The Mini was designed as a monocoque shell with welded seams visible on the outside of the car running down the A and C pillars, and between the body and the floor pan. To further simplify construction, the hinges for the doors and boot lid were mounted externally.

Picture of Classic Mini Cars 3

Production models differed from the prototypes by the addition of front and rear subframes to the unibody to take the suspension loads, and by having the engine mounted the other way round, with the carburettor at the back rather than at the front. This layout required an extra gear between engine and transmission to reverse the direction of rotation at the input to the transmission. Having the carburettor behind the engine reduced carburettor icing, but the distributor was then exposed to water coming in through the grille. The engine size was reduced from 948 cc to 848 cc; this, in conjunction with a small increase in the car's width, cut the top speed from 90 mph (145 km/h) to a more reasonable (for the time) 72 mph (116 km/h).

Picture of Classic Mini Cars 4

Despite its utilitarian origins, the classic Mini shape had become so well known that by the 1990s, Rover Group—the heirs to BMC—were able to register its design as a trade mark in its own right.

A Brief Overview Of The History Of A Mini Classic Cars
A Brief Overview Of The History Of A Mini Classic Cars Part 2
A Brief Overview Of The History Of A Mini Classic Cars Part 3

Fiat to launch a sportier Punto

2010-05-18T08:57:00.000-07:00

Fiat Punto is undeniably the most beautiful car in its segment.The car looks elegant and it seriously turns more heads than a higher D-segment car too. It has a nice chassis too, which means good handling. And as now Fiat's service department is also managed by Tata, service shouldn't be an issue as it used to be. This means Punto should be a hit in India, like it is elsewhere.

But the sales figures tell a different story. Only 900 odd units were sold in the month of April this year. The irony of the situation is that the same car saved Fiat from bankruptcy in the International market. So what is stopping its prospective buyers and making them think over their decision again.

During a small survey carried out by a fellow Motorep it was found that the first sentence people say after driving the car is, “It is sluggish”.

Fiat also realised this and if guys at Autoholiks are to be believed, Fiat will be launching a new and sportier variant of the car called 'Punto Sports'. The car will be powered by the 1.3L Multijet engine that powers the Linea. The same engine, albeit in a more powerful avatar will produce 90bhp and around 205 Nm of torque.

The car will be given some visual treatment too. Remember they displayed an Abarth-Punto replica at the Auto-expo, Delhi earlier this year. Thats how the Punto Sport is going to look. Fatter tyres, better looking alloys, smoked headlamps and special leathers too and they might put a sunroof too is all the Sports is going to get. The Punto Sports will be dearer than the normal Punto. If Fiat prices it right, then they can easily get a good market share with this wonderful product of theirs. This might be not be as sporty as a petrol engined car would have been,nevertheless we will love to have this car in the market. Won't we? With this car they might be able to continue selling this car before they plan to launch the Punto-evo here, if they want to. The Sports will be launched in June this year as Punto completes 1 year in the market.

Aveo CNG unveiled

2010-05-18T08:53:00.000-07:00

GM was hit bad during the slump and most of you know what happened afterwards. But the brand shined in the developing markets like India, China etc. And now these 'key' markets require more attention and obviously GM is taking all the right steps.

They launched the LPG version of their Chevrolet Aveo sedan on 13th of this month. This important step was taken keeping the market trend and the competetion in mind. CNG is a cleaner fuel and is more economical than petrol. The same old 4-pot 1399 powerplant produces 94ps when run on petrol but a small drop in performance is expected. Mind it, as this is a factory CNG kit, the drop will be negligible. The CNG unit is computer controlled which means low wastage. The engine gets anodized pistons while the body and suspension are reinforced to welcome the introduction of CNG.

The car is priced at Rs. 6,26,645 (ex-showroom Ahmedabad), which is quite reasonable for a car that is greener and lighter on the pocket too.

Mercedes-Benz brings CGI technology to India

2010-05-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

“Effortless performance with excellent fuel economy,” is just what the CGI technology from Mercedes-Benz has to offer. The firm has launched this technology just recently in India. Riding a brand new car with an age old technology does not fit into the scenario of a luxury car manufacturer. Thus, the firm has unveiled its plan for gasoline engine technology in India.

During the launch, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bharat Balasubramanian, Vice President Product Innovations & Process Technologies, Group Research & Advanced Engineering, Daimler AG stated, “The CGI technology heralds a new era in gasoline engines with improved output, optimized consumption and even more impressive emission statistics.”

This new technology CGI engine is the first one-of-its-kind in the world to use sophisticated petrol direct-injection engine with spray guided combustion process. CGI engines use sophisticated piezo-injectors (also seen on the F700 DiesOtto concept). Mercedes-Benz has replaced the previous 4-in-line petrol engine with the world's first spray-guided direct petrol injection and chosen to move over to direct-injection technology for its petrol engines. The powerful, efficient and clean engine has four catalysers and a series of in-engine measures mean that as well as meeting all current legislation.

Design and development Part 2

2010-05-15T02:55:00.000-07:00

Design And development

Picture of Classic Mini Cars 1

The suspension system, designed by Issigonis's friend Dr. Alex Moulton at Moulton Developments Limited, used compact rubber cones instead of conventional springs. This ingenious space-saving design also featured rising progressive-rate springing of the cones, and provided some natural damping. Built into the subframes, the rubber cone system gave a raw and bumpy ride which was accentuated by the woven-webbing seats, but the rigidity of the rubber cones, together with the wheels being pushed out to the corners of the car, gave the Mini go kart-like handling that would become famous.

Picture of Classic Mini Cars 2

Initially an interconnected fluid system was planned—similar to the one that Alec Issigonis and Alex Moulton were working on in the mid-1950s at Alvis. They had assessed the mechanically interconnected Citroen 2CV suspension at that time (according to an interview by Moulton with CAR magazine in the late 1990s), which inspired the design of the Hydrolastic suspension system for the Mini and Morris/Austin 1100, to try to keep the benefits of the 2CV system (ride comfort, body levelling, keeping the roadwheel under good control and the tyre in contact with the road), but with added roll stiffness that the 2CV was very much lacking. The short development time of the car meant this was not ready in time for the Mini's launch. The system intended for the Mini was further developed and the hydrolastic system was first used on the Morris 1100, launched in 1962; the Mini gained the system later in 1964. Ten-inch (254 mm) wheels were specified, so new tyres had to be developed, the initial contract going to Dunlop. Issigonis went to Dunlop stating that he wanted even smaller, 8 in (203 mm) wheels (even though he had already settled on ten-inch). An agreement was made on the ten-inch size, after Dunlop choked on the eight-inch proposition.

A Brief Overview Of The History Of A Mini Classic Cars
A Brief Overview Of The History Of A Mini Classic Cars Part 2
A Brief Overview Of The History Of A Mini Classic Cars Part 3