Author: Lakshya Agrawal

Indian Grand Prix Dropped From 2014 Formula One Calendar

Formula One Chief, Bernie Ecclestone and organisers of the Indian Grand Prix, Jaypee Group have confirmed that the Indian Grand Prix has been dropped from the 2014 Formula One calendar, and will be held in the first half of 2015.

There has been intense speculation about the future of the event for the past few weeks, amid major tax issues with Indian authorities. Ecclestone said from that he and his Formula 1 management always wanted the India round early in the season, but the organisers preferred October.

When we signed the five-year deal with Jaypee, we were keen on going to India in the first half and Jaypee wanted it to be in October. We gave in at that time, but now it looks we will have the race early 2015.

– Bernie Ecclestone, Chairman & CEO, Formula One

The 2014 round will not take place as it is not possible for Jaypee to host two races within six months. The organisers shell out $40 million (Rs 237.7 crore) for every Formula One race at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) as licensing fee. During the Hungarian Grand Prix last week, Ecclestone said that the Indian Grand Prix was unlikely to happen next year due to political reasons. Widespread interpretations took it as the unhappiness of Formula One teams regarding the heavy taxation policy of India and its rigid structure, which is largely inflexible towards Formula One teams.

The ditching of the Indian GP clears the way for Ecclestone to slot in the Russian Grand Prix in October next year. A race at the start of the 2015 season means India will have to be clubbed with Australia, and the Asian nations Malaysia, Bahrain and China.

July 31, 2013
Acura Teases NSX Prototype before 4th August Reveal

Honda’s luxury sub-brand Acura will reveal the prototype NSX on the 4th of August, when it shows up at Mid-Ohio Raceway for the Honda 200 IndyCar race, but the genuine production car isn’t scheduled to arrive until 2015. But just to keep fanboys (like myself) enthusiastic about the return of the sports car, Acura has released Vine and Instagram videos with very exciting snippets of the mid-engined coupe lapping a test track in both the dry and the wet.

The concept version for the new NSX was first unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show last year, with a slightly revised version making an appearance in January of this year. Honda has confirmed that the production car has retained the concept’s Sport Hybrid SH-AWD (Super Handling All Wheel Drive) system, while the styling and themes and proportions of the concept will also carry on to the final product.

The Sport Hybrid SH-AWD system features a mid-mounted V6 petrol unit coupled to an electric motor to drive the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Twin electric motors will drive the front wheels at the same time, making the NSX an all-wheel drive car. A total power of around 400 brake horsepower is expected from the system, but the torque from the three electric motors and engine will probably be the factor which really sets it apart. Great suspension and sharp handling is promised, with the twin motors up front permitting very responsive torque vectoring.

The videos made available by Acura can be found at the links below.

https://vine.co/v/hAYqxjnjlJq

http://instagram.com/p/cWxTxnoRt8/#

July 31, 2013
BMW i3 Electric Car Made Official Worldwide

Today marked what BMW hopes was a momentous day in its history, and especially the era of the electric vehicle. In a high stakes bid for electric vehicle supremacy, BMW unveiled the production version of the electric i3 hatchback – the first of what the German automaker promises will be a complete range of alternative drive models to be sold under its new ‘i’ brand. Simultaneous presentations in London, New York and Beijing were witness to the reveal of the innovative and much anticipated electric car. Unlike most cars today, the production version of the contemporary-styled hatchback managed to stay true to the concept displayed at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. The most prominent change from the concept came in way of a five door bodystyle in place of the original three door arrangement, for obvious added practicality and ease of entry to the rear.

The i3 will go on sale in the US for $41,350 in the second quarter of 2014, exclusive of any state or federal incentives that could lower the price or the $925 destination fee. The i3 will be available with three trim levels at launch, which BMW is calling ‘Worlds’: Mega (standard in the US), Giga and Tera.

The BMW i3 is truly revolutionary, with tons of new technology, probably because it was designed as an electric vehicle right from its conception. This has resulted in a vehicle layout unique to the i3, which the Bavarian manufacturer calls ‘LifeDrive‘ architecture. It features components called the ‘Life Module’ and the ‘Drive Module’.

The Life Module is the i3’s pillar-less passenger cell, and is all set to become the first mass-produced monocoque made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). The tougher-than-steel material, usually seen only on very expensive supercars, is 30-percent lighter than aluminum, which results in the i3’s relatively light weight of approximately 1,200 kilograms. The Drive Module is basically a 100-percent aluminum chassis which is mounted under the Life Module and houses the hatchback’s powertrain. The 22-kWh, 250-kilogram lithium ion battery is mounted as centrally as possible to optimise vehicle dynamics, and provides power to a rear-mounted synchronous electric motor which drives the rear wheels.

The in-house produced unit, known under the BMW eDrive banner, provides 170 horspower and 25.4 kgm of torque. This translates to a 0-100 km/h time of about 7.0 seconds, but a relatively low top speed of only 150 km/h. Drive is sent through a single ratio gearbox mounted to the end of the electric motor, offering the choice of three driving modes: Comfort, Eco Pro and Eco Pro+.

The lithium ion battery is produced by Samsung and bears a warranty valid for up to six years or 1,60,000 kilometres. It consists of 96 individual cells mounted within the flat floor structure and has been designed to allow the replacement of damaged cells on an individual basis. BMW has mounted the battery as low as possible in the i3’s carbonfibre structure as possible, allowing a claimed centre of gravity lower than that of the BMW X1 compact SUV.

According to BMW, the i3 has a real-world range of 130-160 kilometres, and the standard charger can fill the battery in three hours. However, if you go for the optional SAE DC Combo Fast Charger, you get 80% charge in 20 minutes and a fully charged BMW i3 in half an hour. If the range is an issue for you, BMW provides the option of a 34 horsepower, 650cc two-cylinder generator as a range extender for the electric drive system.

The attractive little car was conceived under the working title of Mega City Vehicle, in order to focus attention on its suitability for urban driving. Reportedly, BMW has spent up to €2 billion (over Rs 15,000 crore) in research, development, testing and production processes for the new four-seater. At first glance, the BMW i3 seems to be properly revolutionary. Technologically marvellous, and visually very appealing, it may become the first real mainstream electric vehicle, in history.

Check out some pictures of BMW’s new electric hatchback, and let us know what you think in the comments below!

July 29, 2013
2015 Facelifted Nissan Sunny Leaked?

Images of the 2015 facelifted Nissan Sunny have been leaked on to Chinese auto site Sohu. Introduced at the 2010 Guangzhou Auto Show, the Sunny is expected to be given a mid-cycle refresh and the images shown here come from China, where the refreshed Sunny could go on sale first. According to the Chinese media, the new Sunny could make its debut at the Chengdu Auto Show in September.

From the grainy pictures, the biggest change will evidently be to the headlights with the Sunny getting boomerang-style units as seen on the new Nissan Micra. Other changes to the grille and front bumper are in the works with a new housing for fog lights and the addition of a chrome strip.

A bigger chrome strip finds its way to the rear-end of the sedan, and a restyled bumper can be seen. New alloy wheels make up all the changes to the sides, and the interiors are expected to be the same as well. All in all, as it stands, the mid-cycle refresh isn’t a major overhaul, but only time will tell whether this will really be the production model, or if more changes are yet to be executed.

[Source: Sohu via IndianAutosBlog]

July 29, 2013
Brilliant ‘Sound of Honda’ Commercial Celebrates Ayrton Senna [w/Video]

In 2015, we will witness the return of Honda to Formula One in collaboration with McLaren, but when you mention those two together, one man’s legacy is never far behind: Ayrton Senna. The late brazilian legend scored three world championships with McLaren, running Honda engines before his death at Imola in 1994.

In 1989, McLaren’s MP4/5 Formula One car, driven by Senna and powered by a Honda 3.5-litre V10 engine set the world’s fastest lap at the qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix. The 1989 race at Suzuka turned out to be one of the most momentous of his career for good and bad reasons; he won, then was stripped of, the driver’s championship. That was the same year, in which Honda introduced telemetry systems to Formula One. Honda Japan has now released a stunning commercial called Sound of Honda in tribute to the racing great.

In the following video, Honda has used sound and telemetry data from Senna’s ‘89 MP4/5 and lined the Suzuka circuit with speakers and lights and used Senna’s telemetry data from 1989, to bring him back to life, if only for a minute or so. Enlarge the video, turn up the speakers, and once you’ve seen it, let us know what you thought of it in the comments below.

[youtube id=”oeO2q8FzcnM” width=”100%” height=”300px”]

[Source: Honda JPPR via YouTube]

July 29, 2013
Mini Vision Concept Hints at Next-Gen Mini’s Styling

Even though Mini’s upcoming third-generation trademark three-door hatchback has already been spied upon sans all camouflage, the BMW-owned marque feels the need to release a concept previewing the next-gen design. This is it, and it’s called the Mini Vision Concept. It looks mostly similar to the next-gen Mini hatchback, except for a few typical concept-like styling touches, which never end up making it to the production vehicle anyway.

The Mini Vision seems to combine styling elements of both its predecessors. It’s more rounded than the 2002 hatchback which rebooted the Mini brand, but more muscular than the bloated 2007 model. Modern accents like full LED headlights inspired by the Rocketman concept find their way on to the Mini Vision. Mini’s traditional floating roof keeps its place on the Mini Vision, while the concept shows side grilles which seem to be borrowed from the Countryman and Paceman.

The interior will almost definitely not make it to the production version. Integrated Union Jack straps in the door panels make for a very cool interior, but surely not production-practical. Mini revealed the Vision Concept at an event called the Mini Design@Home. We expect to see it on the auto show circuit this year before Mini unveils the third-gen F56 Mini Cooper Hardtop.

[Images source: Mini]

July 27, 2013
Aston Martin, AMG Announce Technical Partnership

Reports from a little over 2 months ago spoke of talks between Daimler and Aston Martin, about “supply and technical-cooperation agreements.” Now, Aston Martin has announced that it has signed a Letter of Intent which looks “towards a technical partnership” with Mercedes-AMG GmbH. The two companies aim to have definitive agreements done by year’s end.

The proposed deal will allow Aston Martin access to AMG’s resources for the development of bespoke V8 powertrains for the next generation of the British marque’s models. AMG, which is owned by Daimler, will also assist Aston Martin with electronic architectures. In return for the technical assistance, Daimler will get a non-voting stake of up to five percent of Aston Martin and will join existing shareholders including Investment DAR and Investindustrial.

Aston Martin sources cutting-edge technology from key suppliers around the globe and the opportunity to include content from Mercedes-AMG GmbH in our next-generation sports cars is, clearly, good news. Working with Mercedes-AMG in this way while, of course, remaining independent and preserving the unique character and style of Aston Martin that has been the mainstay of the company throughout its 100-year history, points to a very bright future for the company as it starts its second century in business.

– Ian Minards, Director, Product Development, Aston Martin

Even though part of the deal ensures a supply agreement between AMG, Daimler and Aston Martin, the British automaker will continue to manufacture all of its sports cars at its Gaydon facility.

We are proud to work with Aston Martin and provide them with powertrain and electric/electronic components for their forthcoming sports cars. This is proof of AMG’s technological and performance expertise and a real win-win situation for both sides.

– Ola Källenius, CEO, AMG

July 26, 2013
Mercedes Benz launches E63 AMG

German automotive giant Mercedes Benz has launched the high performance E63 AMG variant of its E-Class luxury sedans in India.

The E63 AMG is basically an E-Class underneath, however a few modifications make it unlike any other E-Class on the market. Tuned by Mercedes’ high performance division, AMG, the sedan packs some serious power. It is powered by AMG’s 5.5-litre twin-turbo engine, which churns out a massive 557 bhp and 73.4 kgm of torque. Those numbers lie somewhere in Lamborghini Gallardo territory. To handle all this power, the E63 AMG also comes with larger brake discs as standard.

The E63 AMG’s exterior is modified as is typical of all other AMG’s. Featuring a new body kit with an aggressively styled front bumper, splitter, AMG sports exhaust with quad-pipes, AMG wheels and AMG badging, the car improves on the elegant base model’s looks.

Directly in competition with Audi’s S6, BMW’s M5 and Jaguar’s XF-R, the Mercedes Benz E63 AMG seems to be quite a promising performance sedan, and we can’t wait to see it on Indian roads. It retails for Rs. 1.29 crore (ex-showroom, Delhi).

July 26, 2013
Renault-Nissan Has Sold 1,00,000 Zero-Emission Cars

Allison Howard, American graduate student at Kennesaw State University in Atlanta, Georgia purchased a Nissan Leaf earlier this month. That Nissan Leaf was the 1,00,000th zero-emission car sold by the Renault-Nissan alliance.

The age of the mainstream zero-emission vehicle is here. We expect demand to keep growing as the charging infrastructure develops – and we remain 100 percent committed to zero-emission technology for the long term.

– Carlos Ghosn, CEO, Renault-Nissan

Renault-Nissan has sold more zero-emission cars than all other automotive manufacturers put together. Electric cars sold by the French-Japanese alliance have driven approximately 841 million kilometers, enough to circle the earth more than 20,000 times, and they have produced no-emissions while doing so. Together, they have saved 53 million litres of oil and prevented emissions of 124 million kg of CO2.

The Nissan Leaf makes up more than half of all global sales of pure electric driven cars. More than 71,000 sales comfortably makes it the world’s best-selling electric vehicle. The Nissan Leaf won the 2011 World Car of the Year, European Car of the Year 2011 and Car of the Year Japan 2011-2012 awards.The top markets for the Leaf are the United States with about 30,000 units, Japan with 28,000 units, and Europe with 12,000 units.

Comparatively, Renault has sold 30,000 electric vehicles since late 2011, looking after other segments of the EV market with the Kangoo Z.E., Zoe, Twizy and Fluence Z.E.

July 25, 2013
Triumph Motorcycles coming to India soon

Bike-manufacturer Triumph’s entry into the Indian two-wheeler market has been making the rounds for a long time now. According to rumours, Triumph motorbikes may be available in the market as soon as the 2013 festive season. However, we are slightly skeptical of these rumours, given the history of ups and downs of Triumph’s attempts at foraying into the Indian scene.

The 2012 Auto Expo witnessed the famous British marque’s announcement of aggressive pricing for a model range of seven big-bikes. However, not much has happened since then with the only worthwhile news being that of an upcoming factory located on the outskirts of Bengaluru. A major reason for this delay is Triumph’s intelligent business strategy, which involves bringing bikes through the CKD (Completely Knocked Down) route instead of the much more expensive CBU (Completely Built Unit) route. According to other rumours, the iconic English company is already in process of setting up a compact, efficient motorcycle assembly unit in Manesar, on the outskirts of New Delhi, which will help bring in Triumph motorbikes without further delay.

The CKD units can be expected to be competitively priced, close to their announced target prices from the 2012 Auto Expo. Triumph will be directly competing with other high-end motorcycle marques such as Harley-Davidson which has been present in India for much longer, and the upcoming Indian and Victory brands.

July 24, 2013
New Renault Duster to be Unveiled at Frankfurt Motor Show

Renault will be heading to the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show and has already made some exciting announcements. Apart from a new concept car, it has promised the introduction of an all-new Duster at the popular auto show.

The new concept is an interesting prospect, with Renault’s press release mentioning a “new brand identity. However we believe the big newsmaker will be the second incarnation of the French automaker’s successful compact SUV.

The Duster which is sold in India under the Renault badge, is manufactured and sold globally under the badge of Renault’s Romanian budget brand, Dacia. Introduced in 2010, the Dacia Duster has been a massive hit in markets such as the UK, Russia and India, becoming Renault’s best-selling global model. Clearly, the new Duster will have big shoes to fill, and all eyes will be on Renault’s pavilion in Frankfurt, come September 10.

Spyshots of test models have been spotted more than once on the internet. Multiple shots of the new Duster testing in and around Europe show evident cosmetic changes both inside and outside. Exterior changes to the Duster include revised headlights and tail lights, grille, bumpers. It is believed that inside, the new Duster will get most of the upgrades that were shown on the 2013 Dacia Logan sedan. A slightly revised version was spotted testing in Romania five months ago and featured a revised instrument cluster and cruise control. The interior will get a brand new dashboard, better electronics such as a touch screen display, higher quality upholstery and lots more. A lot of these upgrades may not make it to India, but we’re hoping Renault includes the more important ones.

July 24, 2013
Maruti WagonR Stingray Coming Soon

Maruti Suzuki will be launching an all new version of its immensely popular WagonR hatchback, called the Stingray. The Stingray will sit above the current base WagonR and will be much sportier looking. With a redesigned front and rear end, the WagonR Stingray will hope to draw back attention to the Maruti brand and help spur sales in what is turning out to be a poor economy for automotive manufacturers.

The front end gets a slimmer grille flanked by sleek headlamps which may house projector-beam units. A flatter bonnet and an all-new bumper with a bigger air dam make for an aggressive look. The rear also adds slimmer tail lamps with clear-lens units and a new rear bumper. Alloy wheels may come as standard, but the side-profile of the tall hatchback is expected to remain largely unchanged.

The WagonR Stingray will also get minor interior upgrades in the form of different colours for the upholstery and other tweaks. Power is expected to come from the same 67bhp three-cylinder 1.0-litre K10 series engine as offered in the current WagonR.

The Maruti Suzuki WagonR Stingray is to be launched in the coming months. Expect the car to carry a premium of around Rs. 30,000 – Rs. 50,000 more than the standard WagonR.

[Image shown is of the Japanese Suzuki WagonR Stingray]

July 24, 2013
Bentley Confirms First SUV for 2016

After over a year of speculation, Bentley has finally confirmed that it will produce an SUV. The new model line will be built in Crewe and will go on sale in 2016.

The new model will will represent the brand’s hallmarks of “luxury, performance, quality and craftsmanship”, and Bentley says that it will be the “most luxurious and most powerful SUV” on the market. The announcement of a production SUV follows the Bentley EXP 9 F concept, which was shown at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. The as-yet unnnamed SUV will help create 1,000 jobs in the UK.

To prepare for the fourth model in its lineup, Bentley will be investing 800 million British pounds (around $1.2 billion USD) into its Crewe headquarters and production lines over the next three years.

This £800 million investment and a thousand new jobs from Bentley is fantastic news for both Crewe and for the UK as a whole. It is another important milestone in strengthening our economy. I am delighted that Bentley will be building their new vehicle here, not only creating a thousand jobs, but safeguarding many more, as well as increasing training opportunities for highly skilled apprentices.

– David Cameron, Prime Minister, United Kingdom

The Bentley SUV is likely to share its platform with the next-generation Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne. Past rumors have indicated that the SUV could look completely different from the 2012 EXP 9 F Concept shown above, be renamed the Falcon and offer options like a plug-in hybrid version and three-row seating.

July 23, 2013
Mercedes Benz now offering a ‘9G-Tronic’ 9-Speed Gearbox

Mercedes-Benz has introduced a new nine-speed automatic gearbox as standard equipment on the Mercedes Benz E350 BlueTec, which is the diesel version and is sold internationally. The new ‘box has been developed in-house, and is known internally under the name 9G-Tronic. According to reports, Mercedes has been working on the 9G-Tronic for a long time, and even denied its existence officially until this past weekend.

Now though, Mercedes-Benz’s German language website configurator has gone live with various updates for the E-class line-up and the 9G-Tronic is shown to be available on the standard rear-wheel-drive E350 BlueTec. It replaces the older seven-speed ‘7G-Tronic’ automatic gearbox.

The 9G-Tronic gearbox does not affect the 6.6 seconds 0-100 km/h acceleration time of the E350 BlueTec. However it improves the stop/start function and helps increase fuel efficiency while reducing emission levels.

July 22, 2013
Ford Fiesta EcoBoost wins Women’s World Car of the Year 2013 award

The Ford Fiesta EcoBoost has bagged the 2013 Women’s World Car of the Year award. The Fiesta won the economy car category, and edged out other finalists Mazda CX5 and the Range Rover in the final round, to be announced as the Supreme winner.

Women pack powerful purchasing power, representing a huge market opportunity. The fact that a respected panel of published and specialist women motoring writers selected the Ford Fiesta 1.0-litre EcoBoost is a significant accolade as we work to design, develop and market our vehicles, technologies and services in a way that captures the attention of this very influential buying group.

– Craig Von Essen, product and communications manager, Ford, Asia-Pacific and Africa

Judges were also asked to nominate their ‘Dream Car’. This was won by the Aston Martin Vanquish, ahead of the Jaguar F-type.

According to Chief Judge, Sandy Myhre of New Zealand, the judging categories changed for 2013 and the three-tier voting system makes it hard for any car to be selected as a category finalist, let alone winning. Judges supply their own shortlist from 2013 model year cars they’ve tested. From there a shortlist is formed to determine the finalists and from the finalist list judges choose their supreme winner and the podium finishers.

The official results in each category are:

Family Car: 1st – Audi Allroad, 2nd – Volkswagen Golf, 3rd – BMW 3 Series

Luxury Car: 1st – Range Rover, 2nd – Mercedes Benz SL550, 3rd – BMW 6 Series

Sports Car: 1st – Porsche Boxster S, 2nd – Audi RS5, 3rd – Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ

SUV: 1st – Mazda CX5, 2nd – Hyundai Sante Fe, 3rd – Nissan Pathfinder

Economy Car: 1st – Ford Fiesta 1.0-litre EcoBoost, 2nd – Kia Forte, 3rd – Toyota Prius

July 21, 2013