Car News

Volkswagon Vento On Road Price

noreply@blogger.com (Sinergy) — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 13:03:00 +0000

Price: 7.32 - 9.99 lakhs
Ex-showroom, New Delhi

Volkswagen Vento Versions

Volkswagen Vento comes in following versions with 2 engine and 2transmission and 2 fuel options. Click on a Vento version name to know on-road price in your city, specifications and features.

Version	Ex-Showroom Price (New Delhi)
Volkswagen Vento Trendline Petrol 1598cc Petrol, Manual, 15.04 kpl	7.32 lakhs Check On-Road Price
Volkswagen Vento Comfortline Petrol 1598cc Petrol, Manual, 15.04 kpl	7.89 lakhs Check On-Road Price
Volkswagen Vento Petrol Style 1598cc Petrol, Manual, 15.04 kpl	7.89 lakhs Check On-Road Price
Volkswagen Vento Trendline Diesel 1598cc Diesel, Manual, 20.5 kpl	8.47 lakhs Check On-Road Price
Volkswagen Vento Highline Petrol 1598cc Petrol, Manual, 15.04 kpl	8.81 lakhs Check On-Road Price
Volkswagen Vento Diesel Style 1598cc Diesel, Manual, 20.5 kpl	9.04 lakhs Check On-Road Price
Volkswagen Vento Comfortline Diesel 1598cc Diesel, Manual, 20.5 kpl	9.14 lakhs Check On-Road Price
Volkswagen Vento Highline Petrol AT 1598cc Petrol, Automatic, 14.4 kpl Full Specs \| Features	9.81 lakhs Check On-Road Price
Volkswagen Vento Highline Diesel 1598cc Diesel, Manual, 20.5 kpl	9.96 lakhs Check On-Road Price
Volkswagen Vento TSI 1197cc Petrol, Automatic, 16.93 kpl	9.99 lakhs Check On-Road Price

Ghostrider's Cruze LTZ: Initial Ownership Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sinergy) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 13:09:00 +0000

Ghostrider's Cruze LTZ: Initial Ownership Review

FIRST, A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT AND HISTORY.....
I pretty much fell in love with the Cruze when I first clapped eyes on the car. The first thing that struck me was that it had very mondeo-esque proportions, but was much chunkier. It was like a Mondeo that had been working out at the gym for a couple of years.
Over the last couple of years I've kept a close eye on the C and D segments to see what caught my fancy. For a while I was pretty gung-ho about the Vento diesel, but when I drove the car the most important ingredient I look for in a car was missing.... it just didn't put a smile on my face.

Cut to January of 2012, and I decided that is the year I'm biting the bullet. My wife had been listening to me drone on and on about getting a new car for months, and finally she said... "Look, you've clearly wanted the Cruze for a while now. You've thought it through, you can afford it, and frankly if I have to go another day with you trying to justify why you want it I'm going to go crazy!!!"

What else was considered...
The Laura, obviously. They're very similar in a lot of respects, but they're also very different. The Laura feels more germanic when you sit inside the car, but I felt a little underwhelmed on the test drive. No whoosh.
Also, when you compare the car to the Cruze LTZ, the Laura interiors are wayyy too spartan in comparison. Say what you want, but the goodies count for a lot.
The absolute best thing about the Cruze, however, is it's engine. Enough's been said about it on the forums so I won't go into it. All I will say is the power is exhilarating.
Also considered was the Jetta. It's a fantastic car, but it was priced a couple of lakhs too high for comfort.

The booking and dealership experience...
Not the best, to be honest. While the negotiation process was fairly typical (big thanks to GTO here for his thread on buying a new car) I was on a tight schedule for delivery because I was going to be travelling... and they missed the deadline. What was worse though that when the delivery date arrived and I went at the pre-determined time to pick up the car... I was stunned. It was filthy, the accessories hadn't been fitted, and the whole car was covered in a layer of dust.
Needless to say, I raised hell. The manager of the dealership got the firing of her life. These were minor niggles, but they soured the booking experience a bit. Finally, they apologized profusely, cleaned up and polished the car, and home-delivered it wrapped in ribbons and balloons and with a cake from Birdys.

AND NOW, FINALLY, TO THE CAR...

1. What's great about it

The engine: Without a doubt, this is the Cruze's party piece. Sources inside GM claim that the turbo lag's been reduced, and I can confirm this. The turbo starts spooling and you can feel the surge building from about 1400-1600 rpm and then the it REALLY kicks in by about 1700-1800. I'm not sure why people say the Cruze MT is tough to drive in the city... I don't think so at all.
The steering and manoeuvrability: It's excellent. The Cruze is a big car, but the steering is light enough to make city driving a breeze.
The interiors are fantastic. GM seems to have improved thw quality of the plastics immensely. I haven't found a single rough or unfinished edge anywhere. The carpets and the upholstery seems plusher than on older models.
NVH is SUPERB. I'm talking about quietness and refinement by petrol car standards. With the windows are up and music off, very little road and engine noise filters through.
The AC: It absolutely chills. The climate control works exceedingly well and chills the car in minutes even if it's been parked in the sun.
The steering feel: It's the perfect diameter and it's chunky enough for most hand-sizes. Ergonomics are good, all stalks and controls fall easily to hand. Feedback is good.
Parking sensors: They're brilliant. I was parking the other day, and I knew there was a single vertical bamboo right at the corner of the bumper (3 inches from the edge)... and the sensors found it.
PEPS: It's wonderfully convenient.
Little touches: Like the fact that all the storage bins (including the little cubby holes in the door and the sunglasses-holder) are lined with soft material to prevent rattles, like the front center armrest slides forward and backwards for you to find the right driving position, like the little lights on either side of the vanity mirror behind the passenger sunshade. Like the ledge beneath the centre information display is angled and padded so you could rest your phone on it without it sliding around.

2. What's good about it

The seats: I'm 5'10 and of medium build and the seats offer the right amount of side and lumbar support.
The instrument cluster: everything is well lit, clearly visible, and looks great in ice-blue.
The gearshift:... it's slick, but not Vento-slick. The fact that it's a short-throw box is great, but it's not a rapid-action gearshift.
The center information display is informative, looks good, and easy to navigate. It's loaded with tweakable options.

3. What's just okay or not-so-good about it

The recline angle of the rear seats: It's perhaps 5 degrees too upright. Another 5 degrees of recline would've been superb.
The self-dimming OHRVM should've had a manual toggle switch like the Altis does.
ICE: It's not the best sound. It's better than most stock systems, but it's pretty low on kick and punch.
Stock JK Vectras: are pretty poor tyres. Also, the rim design's a little too bland.... but then that's a great excuse to upgrade :D
Some weird quirks: For example, if I turn the car off and open the driver's side door, it kills the music system. Why?? I could just be stepping out for a minute and someone could still be sitting in the car. Also... if you turn the the AC off, it automatically turns the blower into ventilate mode. Why???
The Clutch return action: Too strong. It takes some getting used to. Nailing perfect gearshifts is going to take some practice!! :D

4. Accessories and mods

Rims: were upgraded to Lenso ES6 17-inchers. I literally went through 100-120 designs of rims over weeks and weeks. I wanted something that would stand out, but not too flash. Something sedate and sporty at the same time.
Tyres: Yokohama Advan Sports, running 225/50 profiles. I haven't had a chance to really explore the limits of grip yet, but a big thanks to Akshay1234, Amey, Nishant Gandhi, and m4ugr8 for helping me select them.
Tints: Haven't gotten them yet... but will be getting my Vkools this week.
Tuning Box: My Swift had one, and while the power of the Cruze seems more than enough right now, I'm sure I'll be itching for some extra horses in a couple of months.

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First Look: Audi R8 GT

noreply@blogger.com (Sinergy) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 15:16:00 +0000

First Look: Audi R8 GT

Audi has imported an R8 GT for showcasing it during the R Drive event at its Delhi outlet.

Its a track ready version of the R8 V10 with some weight shaved off and carbon fibre kits splashed all around. Think of it as Audi's version of the superleggera.
Powered by 5.2 V10, it makes 560 ps and does 0-100 in a claimed 3.6 seconds.
Only 333 coupes wll be built, in addition to 333 R8 GT spyders. The colour showcased was a matt frosty white.

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Special Sport Bikes: Part 3: Bimota V-Du

noreply@blogger.com (Sinergy) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 14:31:00 +0000

Special Sport Bikes: Part 3: Bimota V-Due

Bimota V-Due: The forbidden fruit

Last weekend, despite being under the weather, I searched through a dilapidated carton for my favorite article in Motorcyclist [or Cycle World] magazine titled – "knocking on heavens door" – the heaven alluded to here is Rimini, Italy, home of Bimota. I could not find it, but with the help of my son, launched a project to revive the last remnants of my video collection of F1 races from the 90s. I had a few hundred tapes of full races and qualifying sessions – now reduced to around 30. My next article should have an apt caption: "Now playing at Ksanjeev's - 1994 Italian GP."

Back to the topic – great excitement surrounded the imminent launch of V-Due at the Milan motorcycle show in late 1995. It was indeed an ambitious project on two fronts. It was not only the first bike to be powered by Bimota motor but also a platform to prove the viability of 2-strokes – and this, during a time when the two-stroke intelligentsia was beginning to disappear faster than the ozone layer. The V-Due flaunted a direct injected 500 V-Twin, a technology that Bimota had been working on since 1990. Bimota had shown their ability to innovate with radical ideas around chassis and suspension – case in point - the success of Tesi – which continues to flourish two decades after its introduction. Would the same apply to their engine department and would the gamble pay off for a small company already in challenging financial times.

In 1996, Honda announced their intent to field privateer teams with the V-Twin brethren of their mighty NSR500 V-4. This was in the interest of filling the grid with competitive yet affordable machines. Although in today's analogue, it would be like the CRT experiment, make no mistakes about the NSR Twin – it was NOT based on any production/superbike platform – but built from the ground-up. HRC produced 20 odd bikes in total from 1997 to 2001 before the MotoGP class killed the glorious 2-stroke era. The NSR twin had indeed produced impressive results and showed solid potential.

So there you have it, you could buy from Bimota, a V-Twin powered 500cc 2stroke that came close to a GP machine, all for under 30,000 USD. Bimota produced a few 100 and I had chance to see one in flesh at GP motorcycles in San Diego, California. The bike was not super attractive to say the least. It simply lacked the sex appeal of a Tesi. It did feature exquisite bracketry, Carbon fiber rear subframe and integrated mono-posto tail - fully adjustable Paoli forks and an Ohlins rear shock mated with what experts believe was a superb chassis. With around 110HP and tipping in at 300 odd pounds, it would not out gun an R1 on a long straight. But Bimota was not after setting records on out right horse power or top speed – but rather delivering a street legal track weapon – especially one that leverages 2-stroke simplicity in Bimota skins and chassis. The engine was a work of art – too bad it was hidden under the full fairing – but it would turn out to be the least of its problems.

Come 1997, the euphoria around the debut quickly turned into a mass recall of all the bikes – and this recall actually was different – because Bimota basically bought all the bikes back. The culprit was the direct injection technology – where oil was fed separately and not mixed with the fuel as in conventional petrol EFI systems. It was be-fit with gremlins that wrecked havoc with the combustion chamber –fouling spark plugs in a few hours. A Carburetor retrofit was offered – but it was a farce in light of the purpose of this grandiose project. It suffices to say that it did very little in saving the V-Due much less saving Bimota. The financial causality was severe enough to drive Bimota to bankruptcy – ironically the V-Due was the first and the last of Bimota powered motorcycle. I have read that all the bikes, spares and legal rights were bought out by a Bimota engineer. Somewhat of a somber ending to what could have been a great weapon for 2-stroke craze.

I sometimes wonder why Bimota did not collaborate with Cagiva for Fuel Injection technology since Cagiva had a proven platform with their V594 racer. In fact, Cagiva commenced their work with EFI in 1988 – probably even ahead of HRC. They had experience with the Weber-Marelli systems [adapted from Ducati Suberbikes], TAG electronics, and had hired experts from F1 to get this right. Cagiva, tuned various aspects of their FI platform by running countless laps on various circuits for years. Andrea Goggi, head of engine development for Cagiva had emphasized the need for thorough testing to get the injector position, fuel pressure and quality of spray dialed in – with a squirt for each crank shaft rotation per cylinder unlike a 4-stroke. While recognizing that the Cagiva EFI was developed with a focus on maximizing power and V-Due's had to balance power and emissions, I still feel there was a middle ground. With the Castiglioni brothers' decision to pull out GP racing, the last of EFI powered 2-Strokes would end-up on a pedestal at CRC.

I really wish Bimota had sorted out the direct injection technology fully before launching the bike for public even if it meant a year delay. May be this would have been the holy grail for saving the 2-stroke technology.

Today there is a very good resource pool for the V-Due. So, it could a dream project for a 2-stroke nut with liberal financial resources. I am neither, but, still cannot completely rule-out the possibility of getting one – but I simply don't like the carbureted version since it defeats the original purpose of the project.

I have a unique candidate for my next special sport bike of choice..
Krishna

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Single Day, 4 States, 1000 KM in 18 hours

noreply@blogger.com (Sinergy) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 08:04:00 +0000

Single Day, 4 States, 1000 KM in 18 hours

It was late back in 2005, when I was first travelling from Hyderabad to Kerala by road and the 4 lane work of NH7 just started, I thought that one day I should be able to drive in a single day from Hyderabad to Kerala. And this dream has been in my mind since then. This seed sprouted again when one of my invited me for his marriage. As an icing on the cake his marriage is going to be in Calicut so that I can drive through the driver's paradise Bandipur Jungle, Wayanad "Churam". ( I have never travelled through this road).
Planning
First steps was to get the approval from my parents and wife. Somehow got that . (In other words I can say that I took it ). The next thing was thinking aloud about the travel .. Planned to start from Hyderabad as early as 4:00 AM. Planned to reach Bangalore outskirts by 10:00 AM. (I have done a couple of Bangalore trips in the last 7 months and my average time was 6 hours to reach Bangalore outskirts). From Bangalore it is nearly 400 KM to Calicut, so with the info collected from friends and relatives, I projected 5-6 hours of driving time from Bangalore exteriors to Calicut. 2 hours to cross Bangalore city. 1 hour for Lunch break. So an overall time of 15 hours.
Preparation
Took the car to service station and did a complete check-up. Did a wheel alignment. Changed the Wiper blades to Bosch. Burned a couple of CD's with AR Rahman hits for the travel.

The trip.
First setback of the trip. The CD's burned on the previous days were not playing. I tried to burn the CD's on the Developer Preview of Windows 8 and I think that is the reason.
Promised to meet my friends from my office at 3:55 AM . So I started from my home at 3:45 AM and reached office by 3:55. One of my friends remembered to update his weekly time sheet by that time only. (You can imagine how difficult A software engineer's life ……). So had to wait till 4:45 to start from there. 4 people, all set to experience their longest drive in a day.
We entered Nehru ORR and to NH 7 and the distance was 22.7 KM, we covered it in exactly 9 minutes. (Wow I really liked that figure.) Kept on cruising .. Crossed Kurnool at 6:45 AM (220 KM in 2 hours). Reached a dabba near penukonda (The exact name of the place is ChennaKothapally) at 8:45 and stopped for breakfast .. (Selected this particular one because this is being owned by a mallu guy ..) Good breakfast and relaxed for some time and started at 9:40.
Crossed New International Airport by 10:30. Saw a Essar pump near Yelhanka and put Diesel from there. Till this time the mileage was 17.35. (We were cruising at really good speed averaging around 120-130, with 100% A/C and this is a mileage I feel).
Reached Hebbal at 11:15 and we were thinking by this velocity we would be reaching Calicut by evening 4-5. Crossed Bangalore city by 12:30. Stopped near a computer accessory shop to write the CD's again and this time it worked. Started from there 12:40. (Near BHEL circle).
Stopped for lunch in a Kamat restaurant chain .. really good food. Enjoyed to the core. Haven't taken much break there. Lunch was over in 30 minutes. Started from there by 1:40 and reached Mysore by 3:10. The luxury of good road ends here. Took a diversion to Kozhikode through the outer ring road. Seems like the road is not completed fully after some driving again we had to come to city for taking the Kozhikode.
From Mysore only I started enjoying the drive. Single lane road (Without divider) with lot of turnings .. Crossed Gundulpet, Bandipur and reached Sulthan Bathery by 5:00. In between stopped near Muthanga for a coffee from a roadside shop. Wah.. What a taste after a long time had such a good coffee.

Once we reached Sulthan Bathery, We were thinking Kozhikode is just 90 KM from there , so we should be reaching there by max 7 PM. With this assumption we started driving, to our surprise in some areas there were no roads at all. We could see big big boulders in the road. And our car kissed a couple of such boulders. There was no momentum at all. In 2 hours we could cover only 35 Km only. One of my friend wanted a Massage in Kozhikode and after travelling for 2 hours he said that now he doesn't want a body massage as it has been already done (With the condition of the road he already got a good massage … ) When he saw that we covered only 35 KM in 2 hours, he was saying that measurement for a KM in Kerala is different from other states … To add the Chaos once we crossed Pulpally there was a traffic jam in the road because one truck broke down in the middle of the road and the Vehicle movement was very slow. Luckily people are in Q and there was slow momentum. If it could have been in Hyderabad, then I am sure we would not have moved from there until unless someone came and controlled the traffic. After all these hurdles reached Kozhikode at 10:05 PM. For me it was almost 18+ hours journey. The interesting part is that 3 states, 975 KM in a day .. A dream came true.
Stayed in a Hotel in Claicut. Had a sound sleep. Got up at 8:00 AM got ready and went for the marriage of my friend. Marriage got over by 12:00 noon. Went out for some shopping. My wifes birthday was on next day. So bought some authentic Kerala design jewelry from Atlas Jewelry and some dresses from Kalyan Silks. Most importantly bought Calicut Halwa (Which is very famous in Kerala) from the authentic "Mittai Theruvu" (The meaning is sweet street) for my friends. One of my friend wanted to go to Coimbatore and we dropped him also in bus stand.
Return Journey

As the road condition was really bad. We explored another option by asking the taxi drivers in Calicut. And every one suggested Nilambur-->Vazhikkadavu --> Gudalur --> Gundalpet --> Mysore and we took that route and we started at 2:40. The road was very narrow but the road condition was awesome. In every 5 minute there was a small town and we had to slow down every now and then. But I really enjoyed the driving … You need to overtake very carefully, curves are very sharps, I like this road .. Worth driving … Reached Vazhikkadavu at 5:40. Stopped there for a tea/coffee and surprised to see the prices of Banana, Tapioca, Coconut, etc. are very cheap. So bought very large quantity of all these items. Now the boot is also full .. Started from there by 6:15 and entered in to forest zone and very good drive .. Started climbing towards Gudalur.. Man this drive is getting better by better every minute. Ford's drivability had been helping me in taking sharp turns with ease.
Near Gudalur saw a garden restaurant which is near to tea plantation factory. So thought of having food there. When we enter, that restaurant is also owned by a mallu .. Great food .. We had quail biryani .. And started from there immediately. Because have to cross Bandipur forest by 9:00 PM …. On the way we saw so many elephants and one incident was little bit freaky. There was a thick fog and I was using wiper to clean glass. Onetime I wanted to check whether fog is forming inside of the glass also and I just examined with the hand, so I took the eyes from the road for a momentum, then next moment I heard a scream from my friend, "Elephant" and a Single Tusker on our immediate left .. Oh my god, I don't know what are all the feeling came to my mind …
Crossed Bandipur exactly by 9:00, so we were about to leave the sanctuary the entry from the Mysore they closed and was not allowing a KSRTC bus to come towards Calicut saying that the time is already over . Later we could understand that this is a trick from the Forest officials to take money from passengers. But this time the scene was different. Some of the passengers started beating the Forest officials and they opened the gate. Lesson learned again .. Need to react wherever needed 
Once I crossed Mysore started getting a little bit sleep. So wanted to take some coffee (Black coffee) and to my surprise there was no roadside coffee shop. At last we found one and there was no coffee.. So again continued the driving .. And we found a Café' A Coffee day outlet. Stopped there. Had a black coffee. Oh Jesus., what a strong coffee. Literally I could not able to sleep for next 12 hours. (Seriously)..

Reached my sister's place in Bangalore by 2:30 AM (390 KM in almost 12 hours …) Wanted to have a nice sleep. But the black coffee was not allowing me to sleep. Hardly had only an hour sleep in the night …

We were thinking of starting in the afternoon having a good sleep. As I was not getting the sleep, changed the mind and started at 10:00 AM .. As I haven't got a good sleep I was not driving that fast .. When we saw a shell pump we put the diesel from there. Even with the hilly drive. The mileage was 20.9 .. That is an amazing figure..
When we reached Kurnool I was getting some sleep. So thought of taking a nap and we really slept for more than 30 minutes and had a coffee from there then started again. As it was becoming night, the rush was building up in the road and we were not able to overtake any one because of the so called "disciplined" driving … (Hope you got the sarcasm ).

We reached Gachibowli at 7:20 PM. 1965 KM, 4 states and 3 days.. A wonderful journey. I am really thanking to my family members and my friends.

The Obiang Family Cars Seized in Paris

noreply@blogger.com (Sinergy) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:57:00 +0000

The Obiang Family Cars Seized in Paris

Police conducting a money-laundering probe into Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, President of Equatorial Guinea since 1979, swooped on his Paris mansion and seized 11 Super Cars. This news is from September 30th 2011 but I thought it'll be good to share it here considering the cars that were seized. His son Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue is also supposed to have an amazing collection at his Malibu Mansion in USA. He recently purchased a $380 Million Yacht. I'm always into shock and awe and my face looks like this :Shockked: everytime I read about the kind of wealth these guys have.

More info on Father & Son respectively at the following links

Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

More info on the seize of cars:

11 Supercars of Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo Seized by French Police

Here are the pictures of the cars that were seized from his Paris mansion.

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Which of the New Age Two Wheelers Have the Inherent Charecters to Become A Classic? Which of the New Age Two Wheelers Have the Inherent Charecters to Become A Classic?

noreply@blogger.com (Sinergy) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:38:00 +0000

Which of the New Age Two Wheelers Have the Inherent Charecters to Become A Classic?

We have seen many older two wheelers metamorphose to be now recognized as classics and vintages.The list is endless and some that were not given a second look have also now come to be regarded in the favoured categories.Time plays the greatest role in transforming these machines from zero to hero (sorry heroine as these are she's).
Take the case of Lambretta scooters among the many examples.Till the Quota Raj was in vogue, Lambrettas (the Li 150) commanded premiums and waiting lists of up to 8 to 10 years.The build quality and the components were excellent in the older ones, but soon after 1965, the deterioration commenced. The later scooters were prone to rust, nuts and bolts when even slightly, excessively tightened would damage the threads.The reliability was suspect and starting trouble was a rule. I can personally vouch for these minuses, as we had three of them and I learnt most of my DIY jobs on these.When the bookings ceased, API landed into a cesspool and had to eventually quit the scene. Now these are classics.
Back to the topic, I would add a few names of two wheelers that are likely to become classics sooner or later:
(1) Yamaha RD 350- costs Rs 100,000 plus now. Remember enquiring about it for Rs 18,000 in a showroom around 1985.
(2) Yamaha RX 100-own one
(3) Bajaj Chetak - the original ones meant for export
(4) Peugeot Sportif- the moped with a self starter (showroom priice Rs 6500 in 1984)
(5) Vespa XE- attracted very long booking lists followed by cancellations!
(6) Royal Enfield Bullet 350 - the original black ones, which from the older era already are.(Yeh Dosti Hum Nahi Chhodenge (Sholay) and Zindagi Ek Safar Hain Suhana (Andaz) fame). Royal Enfield has named two of its models as Classics (350 and 500cc), but that does not give these the licence to become classics.
(7) Vespa PL 170- joke was that the Bajaj Super after a bout of malaria had become frail !
The additions to this list by friends should be preferably from the list of mass produced two wheelers and not imports like the BMW F 650 that was once launched with fanfare but bombed.

1993 MM540 4X4 Restoration

Hey everyone,
Let me start by introducing myself, i'm Sachin Patrick from Bangalore, doing my architecture here, been an automobile enthusiast pretty much all my life.
It was a couple of years ago that i got bitten by the Jeep bug, after i took my brother and fellow bhp-ian, J_4_Jeep's CLASSIC out for a spin!
With a lot of hunting, i was able to acquire myself a 1993 MM540 4wd here in Bangalore. It was used in a convent all along, hence hasn't been exposed to any form of off-roading as yet.. Engine work done recently, 4wd disconnected, body has a bit of rust in certain places, overall condition: good.
After using her for almost a year now, i've decided to restore my jeep, in Wayanad at Erumad auto industries near Bathery, pictures will follow in a day or two.
Let the pictures speak for itself :)

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noreply@blogger.com (Sinergy) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 06:28:00 +0000

Uday Hussein's Car Collection Uday Hussein's Car Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Sinergy) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 07:47:00 +0000

Uday Hussein's Car Collection

Uday Hussein was son of Saddam Hussein. A very notorious man but certainly had an amazing garage. Though most of his cars were destroyed during bombarding by US army. Anyway not here to talk about Uday Hussein or Saddam Hussein, most of us know who they were and what they were famous or infamous for. Wanted to post some pictures of his cars and garage that I found on the internet. Some of the car are in terrible shape and as evident from the pics are used as posing objects by American troops :). Some of the cars may have been auctioned or sold or kept in some sort of museum, but certainly most of them belonged to Uday Hussein till he died in 2003.

Hussein's Ferrari Testarossa & Porsche 993 Turbo

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His Rolls Royce Corniche Convertible (Most probably sold now)

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His other Rolls Royce which were found by Iraq police. Reports say that These two Rolls Royce and 3 Other cars including two vintage cars and a Plymouth Prowler, had been stolen from Udai Hussein's palace during the looting after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. For years, the cars were buried beneath the dirt of an orchard in Baghdad's Dora neighborhood.

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The recovered vintage cars & the Plymouth Prowler

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This is a horrible sight, some pic of his destroyed Ferrari 550 Maranello

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His very rare Lamborghini LM002

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His Mercedes 500k & 500 SEL

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This one I don't know the name, front end looks like a BMW Z8 but its definitely not that as the rear is different, but the rear alloy wheel has a bmw logo. Some pics of the front also remind me of Fiat barchetta, but not sure. Anyway here are the pics

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Heritage Car Rally in Chennai - Feb 11 Heritage Car Rally in Chennai - Feb 11

noreply@blogger.com (Sinergy) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 06:22:00 +0000

Heritage Car Rally in Chennai - Feb 11

The Heritage car rally took place this morning at the besant nagar beach. The rally was flagged off at 9.00am. The cars were proceeding towards pondicherry.

Karun Chandok was present at the event. Will be uploading more pictures soon.

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Yamaha announces Riding Clinic-III

noreply@blogger.com (Sinergy) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:51:00 +0000

Overview
The focus of training would be towards improving physical & mental fitness, vehicle setup, performance comparison, high speed cornering, etc.
Ex-GP rider, Mr. Osamu Miyazaki to conduct this Clinic in India and share his knowledge
Separate clinics for expert & novice class,
The Riding Clinic is open for all riders restricting the entries to first 30 registrations in each batch (first come first served basis).

Opportunities:
During the course of attending "Yamaha Riding Clinic-III" and "R15 One Make Race Championship-2012", best performing riders selected as per the selection criteria will get a chance to represent INDIA and participate in the "Yamaha Asean Cup Race" to be held in late, 2012.
Talented riders can further get a chance to compete in "Asia Road Race Championship 600cc Class" based on their performance in "Yamaha Asean Cup Race-2012".
Rider selected based on his results in the "Asia Road Race Championship 600cc class" can make his life time dream come true as he could get a chance to participate in the Grand Prix.

Doni Tata, a rider from Indonesia made to Grand Prix through this race.
He started his career as a rider in "Indonasia Yamaha Cup Race". Due to his excellent performance, he got a chance to participate in the Yamaha Asean Cup Race, where he proved himself and which led him to Asia Road Race Championship Race 600cc class and later to the Grand Prix 125cc, 250cc and currently 600 CC category.

Details

Dates:
Batch I: 8th – 9th May 2012
Batch II: 10th – 11th May 2012

Venue:
Madras Motor Sports Track, Irrungattukottai, Chennai

Max entries per batch: 30

Fee structure:
Normal fee: Novice- Rs. 4000/-, Expert- Rs. 5,000/-
For Yamaha R15 customers: Novice- Rs. 3000/-, Expert- Rs. 4,000/-
(Yamaha customers need to submit a copy of their bike registration certificate as a proof of ownership.)

Payable by DD favoring Madras Motor Sports Club, and sent to the Club at 123/1, T T K Road, Alwarpet, Chennai 600 018. Email: mmsc_chennai@yahoo.co.in

Contact Person: Mr. Pramod Kumar (09841065145)

It will be a two (2) day event for each batch.

Day 1
08.30: Riders Registration
09.00 – 09.30: Opening Ceremony
09.30 – 10.00: Riding Seminar
10.00 – 10.30: Machine Setup
10.30 – 17.00: Practical Training, Advice & Free Practice.

Day 2
08:30: Riders Briefing
09.00 – 09.30: Machine Setup
09:30 – 16:00: Practical Training, Advice & Free Practice.
16.00 – 16.30: Q&A
16:30 – 17.00: Race
17.00 – 17.30: Closing Ceremony

Last date of registration: 1st April 2012.

Entry Form: Attachment 885006

Attached Files
Yamaha Riding Clinic-2012_Entryform.doc (384.0 KB)

The new addition to our family.... the CAAAR.... Bronze Grey Nissan Sunny Diesel

4:22:03 AM

aroonanand

My search for the new car and the selection process
My hunt for a new car started in mid 2011 – I have been driving a faithful Santro for the last 5+ years but with the car showing signs of age and the need for a larger more comfortable car, the search for the next addition to our family started.
When I started, the budget was ~6-7 lacs and I was looking for entry level petrol sedans. Primary requirements were an efficient engine, decent space, quality of interiors and finish, and finally some "fun" factor to drive. I generally do not race on my cars and prefer to drive sedately, so the car need not be a total "drivers car". Was going to be primarily self driven with ~30 kms in cities daily and so fuel efficiency was a factor to consider. The options were the Swift Dzire, Etios and Tata Manza. Here're my take on these cars:

Maruti Suzuki Dzire – Overall good value for money, decent driving comfort and experience, features for the price offered. Liked the features offered in the Vxi and for ~6.75lacs OTR, was a decent buy.
Toyota Etios – Had mixed opinions about the car before I test drove, and only one opinion after the test drive – just not worth it notwithstanding the Toyota badge and the efficient engine. NVH was extremely poor – my Santro had better noise insulation, quality of plastics and interiors were way below what you would expect in a 7 lac car. Only top model had music system, no centre armrest even in top variant and several other misses meant I gave this car a skip by all means !
Tata Manza – classic case of dealerships turning away eager customers. Walked into a Tata showroom on a Sunday morning in Bangalore and was told the TD car was under service and unavailable for next week !!! Request for brochure and price list resulted in salesmen running all over the showroom who finally managed to trace it after ~10 minutes !!! Was informed they would call me in a few days for the TD, which never happened.

Also saw the Fiat Linea parked in the same showroom; the car looked amazing and is clearly one of the best lookers… But the fact that you would depend on Tata for A.S.S was something to consider. Also fuel efficiency and ground clearance was an issue and given the pricing, was out of contention.

So the decision was in favor of Dzire and was getting ready to book it when Ford announced the launch of Fiesta Classic at great prices – Test drove the Classic and the features were more or less the same as the outgoing Fiesta. Was ~50k more expensive than Dzire but did not mind it given that this is a proper Sedan and not a hatch with a boot… Loved the driving experience and is truly a driver's car…. The decision was moving quickly in favor of the Fiesta Classic…

Also test drove the Honda City and Chevy Aveo just for the sake of it – City met expectations and is a very good car for a OTR of ~9L, was way beyond my budget. Did not consider Aveo or Suzuki SX4 as these were outdated models and the VW Vento was also beyond budget.
As if to delay the process, I started reading about the impending launch of the Nissan Sunny in mid Sep 2011. Having waited all this while (it was end of Aug now), I did not mind waiting another month given that the car will be staying with us for a few years atleast… Preliminary reports on the internet meant that the Sunny ticked all the boxes when it came to meeting the criteria. I had stayed in the Middle East earlier and was quite familiar with the value proposition of the Sunny and hence was a contender. Was a bit more expensive than the others considered but then, scored much higher on features and hence decided to stretch budget to ~8L.
Come Sep and I checked the Sunny out – the car offered oodles of space in the front, rear and the boot. Nissan was offering Airbags, ABS and EBD as standard across variants, which was nice to see. Interiors and finish was overall very good as were the features offered at the price point. For ~8L OTR, you have a proper sedan with lots of space, dual airbags, ABS, EBD, music system, rear AC vents, electrically adjustable mirrors etc etc and importantly, quality interiors…. I am quite fussy about the quality and finish of the interiors including plastics, seats, dash etc and is a deal breaker.… TD the petrol and was overall satisfied, despite not being as much fun as the Fiesta to drive … Everything looked good and looked like Sunny was going to be my new car. Decided to go for the Bronze Grey

The booking process: Booking 1 – a nightmarish experience, and the re-search for a car
Went ahead and booked the car with Sherif Nissan but had a miserable experience with them – they defaulted thrice when it came to delivery despite making payment and had to call the deal off… They were just not professional and I did not want a long term association with such a group. A detailed review of Sherif Nissan is posted at http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...velachery.html
So, I was back at the drawing board – after a bad experience with a Nissan Dealer, I was skeptical about approaching another dealer. By now, a few things had changed. There were more reports of petrol price hike in end of 2011 and so seriously started considering diesel cars. Did some math and with ~1000 kms of monthly usage primarily in the city, looked like Diesel was a better option despite additional upfront cost of ~1L. On the cars front, the following happened:
· Launch of the Skoda Rapid
· Launch of Sunny Diesel
· Price cuts in the Vento and Linea

TD the Linea and found the car too heavy and the ground clearance of ~160mm on the diesel was too low for comfort given the condition of Indian roads. Trendline on the Vento and base / mid versions of the Rapid were too basic and so went back to the Sunny. The fact that it had the frugal Renault 1.5litre diesel engine was a major plus – I frequently take the Logan cabs to Bangalore Airport and am amazed at the engine performance despite these cabs being abused by drivers and having run over 2lac kilometers on an average.

Booking -2, a pleasant experience

Decided to give Nissan another chance and approached Jain Jubilant Nissan at Egmore, Chennai and initial impressions were very good. Were a lot more professional than Sherif and offered TD on the diesel. Went to the showroom and the good experience continued – staff were very courteous, specific mention of the sales consultant Jai Ganesh and his manager Balaji who handled my account. TD the car and liked it instantaneously – while the petrol engine did not feel very powerful, the diesel overcame this issue easily. NVH levels were quite refined and the engine settled down very nicely. Absolutely no turbo lag and good low end torque. Test drove during the peak hour traffic and found it extremely easy to handle. Made up my mind that the CAAAAAAAR was going to be my car… It was end of Dec 2011 and was promised delivery in mid Jan, which worked for me…. Paid the advance and eagerly awaited delivery.

Got a call in 1st week of Jan that the car has been shipped from the factory and I can expect delivery around the 20th. Excitement levels went up and started inquiring about an auspicious date for delivery. Took printouts of the Team BHP delivery inspection checklists and fixed the delivery for 20 Jan 2012. Was promised that the car would be registered on the 19th and the accessories would be fitted on the 20th before delivery.

D Day – the much awaited delivery

Called the dealer on the 20th morning and was informed that everything is on course, the number plate would be received in the afternoon after which I could take delivery. I reached the showroom around 230 PM and was informed that the delivery team has taken the car out for a pre-delivery test drive and to fill in the customary 5 litres of diesel. Was shown the papers but I stated that I would sign them after the inspection. I wanted the "formal delivery" to happen post 430 PM given that was an auspicious time of the day. The car returned by 245 PM to the showroom and I had plenty of time to inspect and check.

Extensively used the Team BHP checklist and did not find anything amiss – Odo read ~55 kilometres and the interiors were clean. No dents / scratches / anything abnormal were found and the papers were good to be signed. Jai Ganesh sat down with me to explain the papers, the features of the car and any queries I had. Once I signed the papers, I got the customary box of chocolates and completed the puja at the showroom. After thanking everyone, I left the showroom to drive home…

Driving the diesel through evening traffic was a breeze – was nice to see other drivers acknowledge the new car by giving long glances and passing comments that this is the "CAAAR". Reached my hotel in Chennai in no time and parked the car. I was getting excited about the drive to Bangalore the next morning, which would let me test the car fully.

Did not add any accessories to the car apart from the rear parking sensor – did not feel the need for anything else as the CAAAR had everything else !!!)
Drove from Chennai – Bangalore on the 21st of January – completed the distance in ~5.5 hours. I did not want to push the car to its limits given the requirements of the initial run-in period. Here's my take of the car after ~500 kilometers of running

What I like

Looks and finish –the car may not be a head turner to many but it is pleasing to the eyes. The exterior finish and paint job is extremely good. Doors feel reasonably sturdy and whilst there is no "thud" like the European cars, it does feel well built.
Space, space and more space… At the front and the rear….. No issues with legs / knees hitting either the dashboard or the front seat… Rear seat can comfortably accommodate 3 well built adults
Responsive engine offering linear power delivery – as it is the same engine used in the Logan, I was quite sure of what to expect. The engine has been tuned to offer more power compared to what is offered on the Micra / Logan and found it more than sufficient for reasonably sedate driving. The car easily did 100-110 kmph without much effort on the highway and I could easily overtake vehicles without significant gear downshift.
Automatic Climate control is very efficient and cools down the car very quickly. Not noisy at all, say, compared to the AC on the Fiesta Classic
Quality of interiors is definitely good amongst its peers – whilst many might find the grey dash to be boring, I quite like it and find it classy !
Good quality OEM music system with steering mounted controls makes it easy to use – would have been better if there was USB compatibility too
Rear passengers (mom and wife) found the rear AC vents to be quite useful – at blower position 1, it does offer wafts of cool air at the back. Having said this, this could be better tested at hotter places as in Bangalore you really don't need it
Fuel efficiency – despite being a brand new car, the fuel efficiency on the Chennai – Bangalore drive with the AC continuously on is a very good 21.7 kmpl !!!

What can be improved

Gear box – Definitely not as bad as made out to be in various posts but can be improved, especially the shift from Gears 1 to 2 / 2 to 1 and the reverse.
Noise levels specifically tyre noise. Read in some forums that this is due to the nature / make of tyres – not very sure. Will be helpful if someone can throw light on this
Brakes take some time to react – for the first second after using the brake, there is no reaction from the brakes.
Boot lid feels light and flimsy – definitely an area of improvement

Will post some pics soon.

Pathetic After Sales Service from Fiat India

noreply@blogger.com (Sinergy) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:28:00 +0000

Pathetic After Sales Service from Fiat India

While ,car makers can learn from MUL on how to sell 'not-so -great "cars effectively ,people can also learn from Fiat India on how NOT TO SELL .Fiat India will be a perfect example of failing in India ,inspite of having such superb cars like the Uno,Palio,Siena,.... What a shame !

Now this isnt the first time we reading about this ...so lets not waste time in talking about "what" and "why"

My boss who is a Fiat lover ( a perfect example of the heart ruling the brain ...like most of us ) has this well maintained 1.9D Palio which he has been using extensively over long drives and also city commuting.A couple of weeks ago,he damaged the LHS front fender on his 7 year old Palio . Instead of taking the car to a local garage ,he took the car to Pratham in Kudlu Gate assuming an authorised dealership would do a quality job.

Its been close to 3 weeks and they havent been able to replace this part .The first time ,a part is ordered ( now they dont have stocks available) and reached Bangalore after 3-4 days ,only to realise that this fender is not for this car .Its some other size!!

They then say that the part has to be ordered again .Its been 2 weeks now and a simple front fender has still not arrived!

I can only pity Fiat owners here and I can only admire their love for their cars .If a small fender cannot be sourced ,imagine what would happen if its an engine part that has to be sourced .

We are now trying to source this part from a local scrap dealer who has said he can get this part ASAP !

I can now understand as to how did cars like Santros and Zens sell more than the Fiat Uno which had been best selling in all other geographies .I am only grateful ,my family didnt agree to my original choice of a Palio GTX and instead opted for a Zen as our first car .

If I had to buy a Palio GTX and if I had to maintain it the same way as I maintain my Zen ...I would have been divorced and bankrupt by now .

Rx100 at last...

Hi friends,

This is my newly aquired Yamaha RX100. 1989 model ( reg in Jan 1990).
Run around 69000 kms. It was in bad shape when i purchased it.
Spent around 10k.
Engine was not touched, just a few new bits added.

It runs like a dream and i am very happy owning it.

Now a breif history behind purchasing the RX100.
I had earlier owned a 1987 model Rx100 and used it for over 10 years.
Then later on i moved over to 4 wheelers and neglected RX which was getting deteriorated. MEanwhile i got an oppurtunity to leave to US hence sold my bike for very less money.

After coming back from US i started missing my bike badly and made up my mind to buy a bike. But this time i wanted to get my long time due dream bike YAMAHA RD350, I purchased it...but even after owning it for more than a year my heart was yearing for yamaha rx100...and i started to lookout for good RX100 and ended up buying 2002 model RX135 4 speed with cat silencer. This bike was very good and very neatly maintained too.
But somehow i was not satisfied and finally i got hold of this bike.

I dint not go for complete rebuild since the engine is running smooth and the paint was not bad. (The bike is still with Original paint)

Wish to keep it in the same stock condiition and i may add crash guard and saree guard soon.

A few pics of my old RX100 ( Red color)

Just for comparison, a pic of the bike before purchase, infact it was still in bad shape than this

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Birds in Sultanpur bird sanctuary

Recently got a Canon 7D and went to Sultanpur bird sanctuary to try it out. Some pics from the shoot.

Disclaimer - i dont have a big lens and hence reach is limited. Currently shooting with 18-135 lens.

Also - would dont know the name of all the birds - so will appreciate help in naming them.

White breated Kingfisher - psychedelic sillouthe
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Bar headed goose - Panorama attempt
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Bar headed goose
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Bar headed goose
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Landscape 1
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Abstract
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New fortuner AT or manual

noreply@blogger.com (Sinergy) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:10:00 +0000

New fortuner AT or manual

I am happily driving the XUV500 for over two months now.
No complaints with the vehicles,all the problems are rectified by the workshop.

I am in love with the new fortuner.I am thinking of passing the XUV to my dad and I drive the new fortuner.

I am never ever going to offroad in the fortuner,90% city driving,one trip to Goa every month Nh4 highway.

Should I buy the manual or the Automatic?What will be the FE for AT fortuner?

I really dont enjoy manual cars and the lesser FE with the AT is ok for me.

Called up Lakozy and they said they are accepting the bookings and delveries start Jan end.

Which one should I go for?

BMW Group India 2012 model updates,

noreply@blogger.com (Sinergy) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:16:00 +0000

BMW Group India 2012 model updates,

Hello,

here are some references for anyone buying a BMW this year,

Mini - All Details can be found in the Auto Expo thread,

BMW 5 Series F10 - 2012

Has a few model updates, While I have posted them on the 530d Test drive thread below is the repost for the same,

The BMW 5 series range has been upgraded for the year 2012 with the following,

1. Drive dynamic control in basic models also
2. Auto start stop function
3. Eco mode
4. A new rear seat design, according to them it improves on comfort.
5. Dynamic experience control.
6. 525d now has a 2 liter engine and 530d is now updated to 560nm.
7. New alloys for 520i, a better design.

525d is a 2 liter 1995cc 4 cylinder unit producing 218 bhp and 450nm of torque, and gets to 100 in 7 seconds, While the displacement is lower its as powerful and in some areas even better but the best is the fuel efficiency is up by 21%

530d is the same old engine but with higher bhp and torque,

BMW X1,

Continues with the same specifications but adds a model between the Corporate and the Highline called the Innovation, and sits in between the two with a price tag of about 29 Lac Ex-Showroom. A lot will be upgraded during the arrival of Q3.

BMW 3,

E90, Will continue to be sold as there is a pile of inventory, and sometime towards the start of Q2 2012, will we see the press launch of the F30, there are big plans for it, and will have a lot more engines and trims compared to the outgoing models, and for now initially only 320d and 320i will come in with more models joining in later, higher spec diesel too is planned but will happen after global release as currently the 20d is the only model sold and does a job well enough.

In the pipeline later to keep momentum running planned are 325d or 330d, and towards the lower end of the spectrum is 316d, which will be a segment beater when launched.

BMW 7,

Has been equipped with BMW Apps since some weeks now, and no other major changes, but expect this to go CKD in next few months, but thats at least 6 months or more from now so do not hold back if you need to buy one now.

BMW 6 GranCoupe,

Car will be delivered by September, I will update once you can start placing custom orders.

X3 has no major changes, and 1 is not coming at all this year.

Pricing of most models is pretty similar with a marginal price hike on a few cars. But I expect the 5 to continue to dominate with BMW's pro active stance, and with the arrival of the new 3 expect that segment also to be theirs in a big way,

Regards,

SMS confirmation on renewing PUC

I renewed the PUC for my Corsa and before the guy could even hand over the receipt, I heard my phone ring.

Here's the SMS I received :

"Vehicle AB 12 CD 3456 is Passed emission test, with certificate no. A123456789 valid till 11-07-12. Commited to Reduce Pollution:Transport Department,Karnataka"

Another thing I noticed - the PUC certificate has the amount of the certificate mentioned i.e. Rs. 75/-

Going by the message, I guess the Transport Dept. has a computerized record of a lot of details for a vehicle.

MODS : I'm not sure if this SMS is sent in other cities in Karnataka or other states so please edit the title accordingly.

Ford Working on Global Platform Consolidation

noreply@blogger.com (Sinergy) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:15:00 +0000

Ford Working on Global Platform Consolidation

One of the main focus points when Alan Mullaly took over was to ensure consolidation of platform.
Later, Ford has done a great job of ensuring that all the platforms are worked on and consolidation where ever possible was done.
Few years back, Ford had set a target of having 11 Global platforms by 2014. People were skeptical about this but Ford ensured all were proven wrong.

Today Ford has gone a step ahead and got aggressive and announced that Ford will be having 9 Global platform and that too get this done by 2013 (by the time Alan retires). It would be interesting what all vehicle lines would be stopped owing to this.
Additionally, it would be interesting to know what will end up coming to India.

LINK

Renault Pulse Diesel vs Nissan Micra DCi

noreply@blogger.com (Sinergy) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:21:00 +0000

Renault Pulse Diesel vs Nissan Micra DCi

It is the inevitable question on ones mind is which one to buy when we think of the two siblings The Renault Pulse and Nissan Micra siblings or shall we say Twins separated at birth. We consider the Diesel avatars since the Pulse is currently available only with this heart. Read more in these threads and all the stuff available on both these hatches before casting your vote and tell us why did you do soclap:

Honda unveils 2013 Accord coupe concept

Looks great except for those outlandishly large front fog lamp LED casings.

Pics courtesy paultan.org.

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Source - Honda Accord Coupe Concept previews ninth-gen Accord

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Chevrolet Sail (Hatchback) & Chevrolet MPV : Auto Expo 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Sinergy) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 14:46:00 +0000

The definitive source for unbiased Indian car reviews, news and analysis from owners & enthusiasts. View pricing, pictures and scoops of new launches in India. Discuss supercars, vintage cars, motorbikes and more...

3:08:54 AM

Link to the main Chevrolet Auto Expo 2012 Report

As expected, cars from Chevrolet India's 50% owner - Chinese Company SAIC - are making their way to India.

Chevrolet Sail Hatchback

I'm afraid Chevy might be doing another Aveo here (the Aveo & UVA ended up as market duds). The Sail hatchback already looks like an old design, and it's only just been unveiled! Except for the headlamps, nothing else looks contemporary enough for a 2012 launch. Sure, Ford had a similar approach with the Figo, but they priced it really well @ 3.xx lakhs. Another reason for the Figo's success was Ford's super-aggressive marketing. Will Chevrolet be able to pull it off, or will it meet the Aveo's fate? The Beat & the Cruze have given Chevrolet India a new identity...people have started equating the brand with modern, funky products. Somehow, the Sail doesn't fit into the new family.

The Sail is only intended for sale in emerging markets. Going by the length of the wheelbase, the interiors should offer decent space, much like the Aveo UVA which the Sail will replace. Interestingly, the petrol tank is placed at the center of the car. Chevrolet had jointly developed the 1.3 MJD with Fiat and thus, chances of the engine making its way to the Sail are very high (the Beat already uses a 3-cylinder version of the same diesel). The Sail hatchback will be launched in the 3rd or 4th quarter of 2012, and be positioned a segment above the Beat (alongside the likes of the Swift).

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Chevrolet MPV

The Chevrolet MPV, on the other hand, looks pretty good by people carrier standards. It will be sold in 7 & 8 seater configurations. Dual-row air-conditioning, airbags and ABS will be optional extras. It will be interesting to see if the new MPV replaces the Tavera, or sells a market position above. Also, the Tavera sources its new BS-IV compliant 2.0 turbo-diesel from ICML. Will the same engine power this MPV?

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Remember the "flying" Beat mentioned in the main Chevrolet Report? Well, it flew yesterday:
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Harley-Davidson @ Auto Expo 2012

1:49:23 AM

On January 5th 2012, Harley-Davidson announced the expansion of its CKD production to now include two bikes from the Company's Dyna family of motorcycles. The FXDB Street Bob and Super Glide Custom, previously offered as CBU imports, will now be assembled at the company's facility in Bawal, Haryana from component kits supplied by its U.S. plants.

Harley-Davidson prior to this started CKD assembly operations in the country in January 2011 for its Sportster family – Superlow, Iron 883 and Forty-Eight.

With this announcement, bike enthusiasts will be able to lay their hands on a 1600 cc bike for under Rs. 10 lakh.

Harley-Davidson Street Bob 1585cc, will be available at Rs. 9.95 lakh as against the earlier Rs. 13.95 lakh.

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Audi Q3 test mules spied yet again, also see which SUVs compete

noreply@blogger.com (Sinergy) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 10:20:00 +0000

It seems, Audi isn't really bothered about auto-buffs clicking away at their test mules, as the Q3 was yet again caught testing in India. The mini SUV has been doing rounds of Mumbai for a couple of months now, and is expected to be launched at the Auto Expo next month. The car barely has

Hi All...........BMW M3 Restoration

noreply@blogger.com (Sinergy) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 09:18:00 +0000

clap:Hi everybody

Joined BHP sometime back back but have been travelling quite a bit hence no prior posts. Guys, I am working on a beautiful project - E36 BMW M3 1998 convertible. No guesses as to who owned the car before!! Suffice to say, it has only got 8673 miles on the clock, still has the original michellin pilot tyres.

I am the third owner and have just started working this honeypot. The previous owner got very annoyed with all the smg trouble he had and decided to sell the vehicle, as there was nobody to buy the car in a non-drivable state, I managed to get the vehicle.

Since the car has been standing for ages, and I am in no mood to buff out the minor scratches, the first thing that I am doing is getting a complete paint job. But dont stress, the original colour will be kept for the purist in me - Techno Violet Colour Code 299.

As we stand now the car is striped of the soft top hood and will be replaced with the company hardtop. By taking out the soft top and its ancillaries, there will be a 40 kilo saving on weight. I want to get this machine as close as possible to a CSL - by the way that also includes me getting into a stringent diet, need to lose 12 kilos and I will be racing fit.

The main job on this vehicle is going to be the stripping and removal of the SMG gearbox and replacing it with a manual gearbox. Yes!! Tuff!! Hell yeah! This going to be the most challenging mod that I have done in my entire life and believe me when I say I have scoured every possible resource that there is out there but am none the wiser. Obviously the main worry is the electronics and how to get the DME to accept that the car is now a manual rather than an smg offering that it was when built. Any inputs on this are always welcome.

When the gearbox is sorted, the next part is to get the seats redone - the paint coating on the leather seats have started peeling off and it looks downright ugly. This I am going to change, gonna change the colour from cream to a light brown tan.

Lots more to add and do, will keep you in the loop

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More Images of the Safari Storm

noreply@blogger.com (Sinergy) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 09:04:00 +0000

Thanks to our friend Sagar Apte for sharing more shots of the all new Safari Storm, which he captured during the ad shoot in Pune. It was very difficult as the entire was cordoned off and one was not allowed to take photos. The Safari Storm will get a new colour option and from the new

FIAT Abarth Tributo Ferrari Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Sinergy) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 08:44:00 +0000

If I were to drive a FIAT this would be it.

Fiat500USA - Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari - YouTube

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Blessing in the Urban Jungle - Carbon Grey i10 Kappa2

noreply@blogger.com (Sinergy) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 08:38:00 +0000

Seasons Greetings BHPian's !! I will get straight to the point. Well, it was time that we bought a 3rd car. Primary requirement was I wanted a second diesel car because I simply love my Hyundai Verna 1st Generation and simply cannot let it go. Always brings a huge grin on my face after 3.5 years of ownership, when I floor the accelerator!!

Below are the cars I short listed:

1.) Volkswagen Polo – 1.2 TDI Trendline
2.) Chevrolet Beat Diesel LT
3.) Hyundai i20 1.4 CRDi
4.) Fiat Punto 1.3 MultiJet 90HP
5.) Skoda Fabia 1.2 Ambiente

I simply love all of the cars mentioned above, Heck if I had that kinda money in my vault I would buy all of them :)

No offense to anyone who owns the cars above, its just my personal opinion but I rejected the Skoda due to horror stories heard everywhere about the A.S.S. and spare part prices.

I was keen on buying the Polo and everyone loves it for sure. Took a test drive and my Mom was …… Hey, I cant drive this car, its too heavy and big for me. She is 72 years old (and drives a Spark currently).

Fiat Punto …. Mmmmm …. Lovely car for sure !! again the same problem with size and after sales service with Tata Motors got me thinking.

Chevrolet Beat Diesel – I was pretty sure everyone would like this car but somehow it did not appeal to me and Mom found the dashboard design way too high. NO Height adjustable drivers seat in this car !! What a feature not to give in a top end model !! The Chevy designers must have been high when they were thinking of putting in a list of features.

Well, was left with only the Hyundai i20 CRDi which is also one of my favorites. Went in the showroom thinking there must be a December discount and was shocked to hear they cannot deliver a car because it is over booked and forget the discount !! Only petrol cars have discount & ready delivery !!!

Was sitting there …. Wondering what to do now ?? My parents were fishing around and called me over "Hey, what do you think of this car" ?? It was the i10 1.1 Litre Era model.
Dad was asking me …. Why are you so keen on buying a Diesel car when we have to drive it mostly ?? We don't drive the car daily for more than 30 kms. odd !!
Because I was obsessed with buying a CRDi I glaringly omitted the actual cost difference between a petrol and a diesel car, and was rightly pointed out by my Dad !!
That said, I sat down and calculated, even if I buy the cheapest diesel car which was a Beat Diesel LT and calculate interest on the price difference and only use the car for 30-45kms daily, i.e. yearly usage of 15,000 kms average it will not even save me money !! It looks good only when you go to the Fuel Pump and fill diesel and hand over 1500-2100/- Rs. for a full tank. Other than that, it is no use.

So, we were about to finalize the deal on the 1.1L Era model, full down payment & no loan and I got up to see the i10 1.2L Kappa2 !! Typical BHP'ian's that we are Ha Ha Ha !!
I knew the Kappa engine was good and this one was EVEN better …. The Kappa2. A full second faster to the 100kph mark …. WOW !! Astonishing fuel economy even with this sort of power …. Claimed ARAI – 20.7km p/l.
Now, I had to buy this car for sure …. And we finally did the very next day !! Taken delivery of a Kappa2 Carbon Grey color model. Tyres given by company are shabby Bridgestone B250's 155/80 R13" !! Yes that's not a mistake … 80 is correct.
Immediately went to a Tyre dealer and got them replaced with Yokohama A Drive 175/70 R13, inclusive of balancing, alignment and year membership for Nitrogen.
Those of you who would like to know, I paid 4250/- Rs. extra for all 5 tyres and nitrogen (year mem.)

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Merry Christmas to all

noreply@blogger.com (Sinergy) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 08:36:00 +0000

May the Christmas season, fill your home with joy your heart with love & your life with laughter. Team Carsnbikes.in wishes all a very Merry Christmas. A small request from the Santa Claus: Please wear your helmets while riding and strap your seat belt while driving. Happy Motoring Use Facebook to Comment on this

Lakshadweep - A "dive" vacation ...

noreply@blogger.com (Sinergy) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 06:11:00 +0000

Hi guys,

Read a travelouge on Lakshdweep posted on this forum recently. Going by the interest shown in the place by a number of T-BHPians, thought would share some pics of my vacation there.

I was in Lakshdweep from 8 - 13 Dec 11. Had been there for a day about 8 years back, and had always wished to come back for a longer vacation. The pristine white sand beaches, and breathtaking beauty of the vast lagoons in amazing shades of blue sorrounding the islands are beyond description.

My agenda for this vacation was just dive, dive and then dive some more. Crystal clear waters with visibility of around 20-25 meters, amazing underwater life and the beautiful corals made the vacation an unforgettable one. The best experience was Diving in a spot called the "Turtle Nest". True to its name, the place was teeming with turtles, swimming and floating by all around you.

Will not waste any more time, and will let pictures do the talking. Unfortunately, not too many pics, and none clicked underwater. But then, a place like lakshdweep sometimes just sweeps you off your feet and you forget you have a cam in your hands.

Yamaha FZ16 to Yamaha Fazer16 - Conversion modification

noreply@blogger.com (Sinergy) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 05:29:00 +0000

Hello all....

I just want to share my happiness with you all that I have converted my 3 year old Yamaha FZ16 to a Yamaha Fazer16 :)

I started working on this almost 1 year ago, with planning, researching, reviewing my plans and once everything was ready...I went to my local mechanic and we both started on this.

Lucky that I have a friend who owns the original fazer16 and that he allowed me to strip his bike so that I can study the "internals" as to what goes where and what has to be welded to where to fix the "stay" to mount the fairing. I thank my friend Ricky - Extreme Dimensions, for helping me with all my vehicles.

Took me around 3 months to complete the whole project...as I know patience matters ....research matters...and you have to have the passion in you !

Well I am posting the pictures of my Fazer16. Hope you all like this.

Thank you

Ebin