Happy New Year!!

Wishing everyone a very happy and a prosperous new year!!!

Driving/Riding is one of the greatest pleasures of life. Don't dilute it with alcohol. Drive/Ride Safe. Keep Seatbelts/Helmets on. Best wishes.

Whats with the look??

Seriously, whats with the manufacturers anyway? Two wheels or four, what I don’t understand is why the manufacturers mess with a good design. It doesn’t matter how good or bad the car or motorcycle is, if it don’t look good, it isn’t selling. In some cases at least.

Take for example the Ducati 916. The iconic design, which was carried on in the 996/998, was not minimalist nor was it over the top. I want to know who was the idiot who approved the design on the 999. Now, I don’t know about the sales figures, but what I know is the thing won championships. I’m guessing it wasn’t a great seller, considering the 1098 has ‘gone back’ to try and look like the 916, and I still think it is nowhere as close to the original.

Another example of this goof up in design was the 996 Porsche Carrera. When a car which has been on sale for almost 30 years, and has become an icon, you just don’t go and make it look like something you do in the pot in the morning. What was with the idea of making the Carrera look like the Boxster. At least the 997 has gone back to the original.

Back home in India, take for example the CBZ. The motorcycle was almost like a cultural shock. There had been nothing in the country since the RD350 and RX100 stopped production. It took the country by storm and proved a great success for its manufacturers. Then they did the Xtreme. What the hell is that? Looks like a freak alien experiment. Don’t even get me started on the quality. It’s a good motorcycle no doubt, but is it selling? Now the Hunk. Hunk? Hero Honda would have done great by bringing this in the first place instead of the vomit the Xtreme is. And please get rid of the name.

Maruti Zen. One of my favorite cars of all times. After buying the 800 for so many years, people fell in love with the Zen. The rev hungry engine was a jewel. Every time I have had a chance to drive it, it has been close to impossible for me not to give it a stick. And now the Zen Estilo. It would have been great if Maruti had only called it the Estilo. But they did not, and have wasted such a great brand name.

My request to all the manufactures is, please for god sake, don’t mess with a good design. Improve on it, don’t kill it.

Hyundai to roll out i20 in 2008

After the successful launch of the i10, Hyundai is gearing up for the launch of the next i car, the i20. The car will be rolled out in the coming year and India will be the sole manufacturing hub for the hatch.

Hyundai’s new plant will go operational in January 2008, thereby doubling the production capacity from the current 3,00,000 units per year. Both the i10 as well as the i20 will be produced in the new plant. The car most definitely will be costlier than the i10, so a price range starting above 5.00 lakh mark is most likely.

Makes me wonder what will happen to the Getz. Hopefully it will be completely replaced.


Related:
Hyundai i10 diesel coming 2008

2008 Mercedes SLK

Mercedes has given details of the new SLK, which will be available in Europe in April of next year. The most prominent change is on the front end of the car. The bumper is all new and the car looks sharper than before and imitates the SLR even more. On the back, there is a new diffuser and darkened tail lamps. There is new steering wheel with all the controls and new instrument binnacle.

All engines in the line up have been upgraded except for the range topper 55AMG. The company claims less CO2 emissions with improved fuel consumption and an increase in power outputs. Also being offered is the variable assist steering system. It has very little assistance when the car is moving in a straight line, thereby giving much better feel. On the other hand assistance increases once the steering in turned. The system will be optional on all the models and standard on the 55AMG.

Expect the car to hit Indian shores within a year of it’s going on sale internationally.

Merry Christmas

May Peace Hope and Love be with you Today Tomorrow and Always Merry Christmas!

MRF Formula 1600

One of the biggest tire manufacturers in the country, MRF, have unveiled a new single seat formula racing car called MRF Formula 1600. A 1600cc Ford Duratec engine, capable of producing more than 150 bhp, powers the cars. This makes it the most powerful single seat racers in the country overtaking the Formula Rolon cars, which make a little more than 100 bhp.

The series will be called the ‘Spec Formula’, while Ford India has also agreed to co-sponsor the series. The cars are manufactured by Elan Motorsports Technologies, UK. Ford will supply the engines here in India and they will be prepped in the country itself.

Good news for Indian Motor Sports, with new and more powerful cars coming. Now if we can only have more than just two tracks in the country.

Auto Expo 2008 – The Motorcycles Expected

The list of new motorcycles I’m expecting the manufacturers to bring to Expo apart from their range already shown or on sale.

Bajaj: Blade, two prototypes bigger than 220, KTM range…Duke, RC8
Honda: CBR1000, new 125, new 100cc scooter
Kinetic: next Italjet waiting in the wings, SYM range
Royal Enfield: 500 with twin spark and Fuel Injection
Suzuki: a 150-175, a 250, GSX-1300 Hayabusa, GSX-1000, B-King, Bi-plane concept
TVS: RTR FI, Flame, concepts
Yamaha: 150 prototype, upgraded Gladiator, R1, MT-01

Auto Expo 2008 – The Cars Expected

The list of new cars I’m expecting the manufacturers to bring to Expo apart from their range already shown or on sale.

Audi: The new A4, TT
Bajaj: small car prototype under development with Renault-Nissan
Bentley: Azure, GTC
BMW: hopefully the X6, 6 series
Chevrolet: Captiva, new U-VA??, diesel Aveo
Fiat: Punto, Linea, diesel Palio Stile, throw in a couple of Ferraris (F1 winning F2007) and Alfas (159, 8C Competezione)
Honda: Civic Hybrid, FCX, 2.0 liter CRV, new Accord
Hyundai: i10, Santa Fe, concept from Tokyo, Paris
Mahindra/ Mahindra Renault: mHawk Scorpio/Logan based hatch
Maruti: A-Star, Splash, mid sizer to replace Esteem on stretched Swift platform, Kizashi concept?
Mercedes: new C-Class
Mitsubishi: Lancer Evo X, Outlander
Nissan: Teana, Godzilla…please Nissan!!…pretty please!!
Rolls Royce: DHC
Skoda: new Fabia…c’mon Skoda it’s been so long
Tata: 1L car, new Indica/Indigo, new Sumo, new Pickup (Xenon), maybe just maybe a couple of Jaguars and Land Rovers
Toyota: new Corolla, RAV4 please!!
Volkswagen: Passat, Jetta, Polo
Volvo: S80, XC90, XC60

Bajaj Pulsar 200 - Good looking maniac!!

When Bajaj launched the Pulsar 200, everybody said that the company surprised them and that they were not expecting it to do so. Of course we had only heard about the 220 coming in. But what everybody forgot was the Pulsar was originally showcased as a 200 at the 2000 Auto Expo in Delhi. Also while developing the 220 the engine first grew to a 200 and then to a 220. Now that we have that sorted out.

I spent almost whole of yesterday riding a Pulsar 200 and I for one am completely floored by the bike. I had ridden the bike before but for only short distances and had really liked it then, but yesterday was the longest time I spent in the saddle at a stretch of a 200. The bike is owned by a friend and has 5000+ kays on the odo, maybe a couple of hundred more now.

The thing you notice first is the riding position. It’s out and out sporty and absolutely amazing. The foot pegs are rearset and all your weight is on the short handlebars. The legs easily reach terra firma even for a person of average height like mine. The seat is very supportive but I did feel on occasions the pillion seat to be a bit of a pain in the bum.

The engine is quite smooth and builds revs fast enough. The sound the end can makes is very throaty and you just feel like twisting the throttle all the time. The mid range is brilliant and on the city roads you can overtake almost anything. Although I felt that in lower revs the pulling prowess is missing. But you don’t feel like staying there for long. Once on the highway, the bike felt most happy cruising at around 80kays. The max I saw on the Speedo was 115, but it took a while to get there. The gearshift is via a toe shifter and the gearbox is much improved than previous iterations. It's very unobtrusive and you hardly notice it's there.

The tires are the same tubeless ones on the 220. They provide a lot of grip even on gravely surfaces. The bike goes over potholes with aplomb without you feeling a thing. The ride quality is great, but the bike still provides enough feedback. You get a lot of confidence to push the bike around bends. It turns into corners pretty quickly. Even in traffic the bike feels pretty light and criss crossing through traffic is easy. Usually I don’t cut across lanes of traffic but I did yesterday, hopefully that didn’t gain me the ire of the other motorists. :D

The brakes I must mention here are one of the best available and the bike scrubs off speed in double quick time. They bailed me out of trouble on more than a couple of occasions. Even preventing me from being plastered across the back of a truck.

Lastly while waiting for my friend to show up to collect his bike, I had the time to look at the bike. Everywhere you go you get noticed on the 200. Heck, an Octavia driver coming in the opposite direction in a narrow lane stopped and let me through. The tank extensions look good and the black treatment on a red bike looked great. The end can is big with all the right notes built in and the exposed chain gives the 200 a sporty appeal. The owner also reports a ridiculous mileage of 42 kays to a liter consistently.

Finally…

The Good: riding position, mid range, gearshift, brakes, sounds it makes, gets you noticed.

The Bad: for the nth time the indicator switch, lack of power in low range, takes time to reach top speed, seat is a bit hard for long trips.

The Ugly: Ugly?? Hell no!! This is the best looking Pulsar ever. I would say it’s the best looking bike on sale in the country right now, except for the R1 maybe.

Don't sell Flame High Court tells TVS

The Madras High Court yesterday ordered TVS not to book, distribute or sell the recently launched Flame. Bajaj had filed a patent infringement suit against TVS, and it looks like they currently hold the upper hand as far as the case goes. The court was adjourned till 3rd January 2008.

It all started when TVS showcased its new bikes to the media in September this year. The bike features two spark plugs and three valves, which TVS claimed was in no way infringing on Bajaj’s patent. They later also filed a Rs. 250 crore defamation suit against Bajaj in Bombay High Court and another one in Madras.

I personally think that TVS didn’t really think things through. Bajaj had already patented the use of two spark plugs in a small capacity engine. Now the patent can be revoked if TVS are able to pull it off. But until that happens I don’t think they will be allowed to sell the bike. The use of twin spark plugs is not new in fact Honda uses the two-plug format in the City. Internationally Ducati have used the same.

Also TVS also is becoming the bad guy in all this. They already knew of the patent and what it was all about, and now it seems they were only trying to take advantage of a technology perfected by their rival. If TVS wins this case, then Bajaj becomes the good guy and TVS becomes the bully. If Bajaj win, then they still become the good guys and TVS becomes the bad guy with a bike they can’t sell.

So it seems that it doesn’t matter if Bajaj win or loose, they will get all the publicity for their technology, while TVS will become the one’s who stole the technology. And I’m quite sure they don’t want any negative publicity.

The silver lining in all this mud slinging is that now the manufacturers are fighting over technology, something you expect the Japanese to do. After all both two-wheeler giants have their own R&D and great products to show for it. We can only expect new technology and better products to come into the market from both the rivals. Bajaj recently launched the GDI (Gasoline Direct Injection) in their three-wheeler.

Karun Chandok for I-Sport in GP2

Its official now. Karun Chandok will be partnering Bruno Senna, the nephew of late great Ayrton Senna in the next years GP2 series at the I-Sport Team. I-Sport was the champion team in the 2007 season.

Although Karun was not able to fully meet the 2.2 million euros required to confirm a slot with the team, he said that both parties “met half way”. It just goes to show the confidence the team has in Karun’s abilities. This year the season will start with the GP2 Asia series on January 26, using last year’s cars. The European series will have the new cars with new electronics just like in Formula One.

He intends to finish in the “top five” next year. He said it was always the plan to race in GP2 for two years and then make the jump to Formula One. He will also be a part of the Red Bull Junior Program, and will get a chance to drive the Formula One cars next year.

He was called for testing by Red Bull Racing in November, to test their car for 2008 and was able to provide the team with valuable feedback. The call came to him as the regular test driver was not available and also because he was the only Red Bull backed driver to win a race last year.

Lets hope that Karun will be able to achieve all he wants and that we have another driver in Formula One soon.

Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 - SV or Superleggera

The upgrade to the LP640 has been spied testing in Europe a long time ago and it should be out in the coming months. It has a Carbon fiber wing on the back, which does not reduce rear visibility, since there is none to begin with. Weight reduction like on the Gallardo is a no-brainer and so is the bump up in the power output. Racing seats and carbon trim in the cabin make the list too.

I hope they name the SV, like the Diablo SV. Also you can’t really name a two tonne car a Superlight, no matter how much weight it has lost.

Hyundai i10 diesel coming 2008

Hyundai will bring in the diesel variant of the recently launched i10, in the later half of next year. Hyundai have confirmed that the 1.1 liter diesel will go into production in India. Initially only meant for export the car will be launched soon. Considering the love of the nation for diesels and the overall package the i10 already is, it just might be the success story Hyundai is hoping for.
On the other hand the Santro, sold as the Amica, in Europe will continue to be in production. Both the Santro and i10 will be exported and while the Santro will cater to the lower end of the entry level segment, the i10 will be positioned in the upper end of the segment.

BMW X6 – Details Out

BMW have given out the details of the most eagerly awaited models in recent times, the X6. This will be the third model in the X range after the X5 and the X3. For the first time in it’s history, BMW has come out with a fully turbocharged lineup. Four engine options will be available, two petrol and two diesels, and all variants will be turbocharged.

The range topper will be the xDrive50i with a twin-turbo 4.4 liter V8 producing 408bhp and 600Nm of torque. The engine has been uniquely packaged with both the turbos within the vee of the engine. The other petrol on offer will be the xDrive35i. This is the award winning 3.0 liter twin turbo straight six producing 306bhp of power and 400 Nm of torque.

Now the diesels, which are expected to be the largest selling engine options in Europe as well as India, whenever it makes it to our shores. First up is the xDrive30d with a 3.0-liter single-turbo six-cylinder engine making 235bhp and 520Nm of torque. The other diesel is the xDrive35d which again is a six cylinder engine but with twin turbochargers making 286bhp of power and 580Nm of torque. Both the diesels use third generation common rail technology.

The X6 is expected to go on sale in the middle of next year in Europe, so it should make it here within a year of international launch.

Ekstrom wins Race of Champions

Audi’s DTM driver Mattias Ekstrom has won the Race of Champions held at the Wembley Arena, London, England. He defeated the seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher. After both had won a round each, it all went down to the wire in the last and final heat. Mattias had won the last year’s event too.

Other current Formula One drivers who took part in the event were David Coulthard, Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel, and Heikki Kovalainen. WRC drivers Marcus Gronholm and Petter Solberg also took part.

TVS Flame-on while Bajaj XCD-ing expectations

First of all what I don’t understand is why the hell were TVS Flame and Bajaj XCD being compared to each other by every single auto magazine and the auto shows in the country. Granted, both have a capacity of 125cc, but that is where all the similarities end. While the Flame, which was launched recently, is priced slam bang in the middle of the 125cc segment, the XCD always competed with the upper end of the 100cc segment.

TVS it seems are finally letting their designers do some real work. Starting from the Apache, then later the RTR and now with the Flame, are starting to give Bajaj, some competition as far as designs of their bikes are concerned. Flame is one of the best designed bikes to come out of Hosur. But I still think the headlamp could have been better designed, it looks a little too big for the bike and is oddly shaped. The bike is currently available only in the south, but will be available across the country by January next year.

On the other hand Bajaj have hit a jackpot with the XCD. The company claims to have sold 100,000 XCDs in the first three months of its launch. Judging by the number of XCDs on the road in the capital, I don’t think the trend will change in the coming days.

Now, I may be wrong, but this is what I have understood so far.

The TVS uses a three valve head, two intake and one exhaust. It features a special carb that supplies fuel and air mixture only from one valve at low engine speeds and at higher engine speeds increases the fuel supply to the engine. This is done by utilizing the second intake valve. This helps in aiding fuel efficiency at low speeds and increased power in the higher reaches of the rev range.

The XCD on the other hand is designed for extracting the best fuel efficiency. The whole bike is deigned to be light and the engine itself weighs only a couple more kilos than the one in the CT100. It uses swirl to help in the better mixing of air fuel mixture in the cylinder. The spark plugs don’t fire simultaneously like in the Pulsar but separately, to better ignite the fuel, giving it more torque lower down while making power, which is at par with most of the 125s.

Tata gets Jaguar - Land Rover

In a few weeks time Ford is expected to name Tata as the chosen bidder for the two British marques Jaguar and Land Rover which it had put up for sale in June this year.

The deal has reportedly cost Tata close to a billion pounds. The other two bidders were the Indian UV manufacturer Mahindra and One Equity from US. The exact amount is to be worked out in the coming days. Tata also announced that the One Lakh Car would begin testing in April next year.

Narain Karthikeyan wins A1 GP China - Review

After finishing a creditable seventh in the feature race, here was a chance for Narain to finish on the podium for the very first time, having qualified a brilliant third on the grid for the sprint race. At the start of the race Oliver Jarvis overtook Neel Jani before turn one while Narain maintained his third position. The first four cars were pretty evenly matched till the first pit stop window. That’s when Jarvis lost his position to Jani thanks to a poor pit stop. While a brilliant pit stop by team India saw Narain maintaining his third behind Adrian Zaugg from South Africa who was yet to pit.

After Zaugg did go in after a couple of laps, Narain started to increase the distance between him and NZ and slowly and steadily kept chipping away the gap between him and Jani. By the time the pit stop window opened again, Narain had increased his gap from NZ to about 3 seconds. Narain entered the pits, another precise pit stop by team India. On the other hand Jani’s dream turned into a nightmare. The right rear wheel wouldn’t go on and his race was ruined and could only finish sixth.

Then on Narain led throughout the race to the chequered flag, keeping a determined NZ at bay and winning by half a second and India became the fourteenth country to have won an A1 GP. The team now stands tenth in the championship.

Narain showed immense class through the race with brilliant car control, braking later and harder than anyone else. The important thing is that the win came in early in the season, and hopefully we will see the Tricolour waving on top of the podium more often.

Narain Karthikeyan wins A1 GP China

This has to rate as one of the most proud moments for Indian motorsports. Narain Karthikeyan won an international race, racing for the country. On saturday I read an article in the papers saying “Fast in practice Slow in race” or something like that. It said something like how team India was showing good pace in practice and not in the actual races. Then on Sunday it said P3 for Narain in qualifying. I turned a few pages to find out when the race will be on and it said 1900 hrs. “so long?” I thought to myself. Then while having lunch I see a news flash saying Narain Karthikeyan wins the A1 GP in China, and I just couldn’t wait any longer. Even though I knew the result, watching the race was still a lot of fun.

The proudest moment was hearing the national anthem with Narain on the top step. Now what are the chances of that happening in Mainland China? Take that Chairman Mao. There were other moments worth remembering too, like Yohan Setna crying in the interview right after the race and Narain running like a kid to climb the podium, spraying champagne, I almost had tears in my eyes.

Double Figures

10 posts already!!.....woohoo!!

Mahindra Bolero Biodiesel

It seems a little late now, but I still thought it deserves to be shared. I ran into the Bolero Biodiesel a few months ago (as in saw it parked outside a Maruti dealership, and recognized it from the green paint scheme) close to where I live. The company test driver was more than happy to talk about the car. The car was on a 100,000 km long test.

As far as fuel economy is concerned the car was then giving a 14 kmpl on a regular basis. There was not much difference in the performance of the car compared to the diesel. Not many modifications were required to make the car run on the new fuel.

It has been a long time since then, and the one lakh km test has probably finished too. Whatever has happened to the car I can’t say. It is however nice to know that even Indian companies are looking at alternative fuels, and not just the global majors. Mahindra also had showcased the fuel cell powered Scorpio at the Auto Expo 2006.

Mahindra Scorpio mHawk

Mahindra’s successful SUV the Scorpio has received a thorough upgrade. The company launched the new V-series, with the launch of the Scorpio VLX. The new model features a new and improved 2.2 liter engine and goes by the moniker mHawk. The engine produces 120 bhp of power. It is about 20 bhp less than the Safari 2.2, its closest rival. It uses a second generation common rail system and also gets a VGT turbo which helps in reducing the turbo lag at low rpm. The thing I like though is the fact that the dummy scoop on the CRDe is not a dummy anymore and is functional. How much it helps the engine breathe, I’m not quite sure.

Since the engine is lighter the suspension has been tuned and the driving dynamics have improved vastly though they could have done more. The car runs on tubeless tires and alloys as standard. On the exterior the car isn’t much different from the CRDe, although it does have a new set of graphics up front on the doors and bonnet. The overall styling though remains unchanged.

A host of new features have been provided which include steering mounted controls for the music system, parking sensors, cruise control, intelligent wipers and lights, and a tire pressure monitor which lets you know about a flat tire with a warning light in the dash.
The new mHawk equipped VLX variant costs Rs. 9.66 lakh ex-showroom Delhi, which is almost a lakh more than the CRDe, but is still a great VFM package.

Bugatti Targa

Bugatti have confirmed that they will be building a new supercar based on the Veyron. The car will get a glass roof, which will not be an automatic. The glass roof will lead to a little increase in weight, which will be compensated by reducing the weight of the doors and hood, carbon fiber most likely.

The top speed will be around 40 kays less than that of the coupe. But it will still be enough to make it the fastest open top car in the world. More details will be available in the coming months.

Scoop!! Yamaha 150cc beater

A Yamaha insider has been kind enough to let me in on a “few sketchy details” about the new 150cc motorcycle. The bike will be shown as the Auto Expo as a “prototype” most likely. The bike will have a 150cc oil cooled engine employing an oil cooler. It will be fully faired, aping its big brother, the R1, launched recently or it might have a belly pan a la the Karizma. Fuel economy is “not that great”, 40 kmpl is a safe bet I presume.

As far as the engine is concerned it most likely will be fuel injected and most probably is from the V-ixion, which is a 150cc Yamaha in Indonesia. Power output is “classified”. On further prodding “most powerful in it’s class” came out. The styling is “killer” translated that means “Apache and Pulsar will look staid in comparison”. Lets hope so.

The down side though is pricing. “What first started as 85k was later reduced to 80 and currently is at 70k+ mark”. At that price it will be the most expensive 150 around. Hopefully the price will be reduced further. Lets keep our fingers crossed. The bike will go into production at around June and go on sale in July.

Also two Yamaha flagship stores are coming up in the Capital. These will be on the lines of Yamaha One, which was inaugurated by the actor John Abraham almost two and a half years ago. The store though closed down shortly thereafter due to the sealing drive in the capital. The store was located hardly a hundred yards away from the DND Expressway.

An upgraded Gladiator is also on the cards.

Godzilla is back!!

Early nineties was a great time. Disco was dead. Rock was at its peak and super cars were being made in their dozens. Every manufacturer worth it’s salt was building one. In middle of all this chaos Nissan resurrected the GT-R. Resurrected you asked? The famed R32 was not the first GT-R as people think. The Skyline name had been in use since the mid 60s. The GT-R was raced successfully during that period till 1973 when the moniker was laid to rest as a result of the Oil Crisis.

In 1989 Nissan brought back the famed GT-R and rest as they say is history. The R32 was raced for first time in the 1990 Japanese Group A series and it won all, yes all, the races that year. So impressive was the car that it was the champion three straight years and ultimately led to the disbanding of the series itself. Fosters maybe Australian for beer, but do you know what is Australian for Sportsmanship? It’s “Ban the car or the Holden’s will get their arse whupped, mate”.

So impressive was the car when launched in Australia that Wheels magazine named it the Godzilla. In Australian Group N it was the heaviest car in its class, and still gave competition nightmares. They tried to slow the car down by adding a ballast of 160 kg and reducing the boost pressure. But all was in vain. In the end they had to ban the car from the endurance racing in Australia.

All this prowess and the engine was a mere 2.6 liter straight six. It had twin turbo chargers and Nissan said that it produced 273 bhp in stock trim, although dyno tests showed it actually produced 300+. At the hands of a good tuner it was known to produce close to 1000 bhp. Trust the Japanese to put technology in everything they do. This car was so far ahead of its time that the technology used by Nissan in late 80s and early 90s is now being applied by competitors in their rally cars (read Subaru and Mitsubishi) 15 years after it was first implemented. The car could convert from a full rear wheel drive to a proper 50-50 all wheel drive. The torque split was controlled in real time by a computer. It also had four wheel steering. This mid eighties technology is still ‘high-tech’ today.

The R33 and R34 were only minor improvements over the R32. By the end of it’s life cycle Nissan had added a g-force meter into the electronic display, which showed how many g’s you were pulling in each turn. It also showed everything from boost pressure to water temperature and a lap timer. The R34 stopped production in 2002 and since then Nissan has been steadily working on the new GT-R. Although the Skyline name has been laid to rest. The target this time it seems is the Porsche Turbo. Both cars seem pretty similar on paper. 6 cylinders, 470+ bhp, all wheel drive. The initial reports suggest that the wait has been worthwhile. The Godzilla is well and truly back

NDTV Profit - Car India & Bike India Awards 2008

The awards time is here. This is the time when all the Automotive Magazines and Auto Shows on the telly give away their awards. The NDTV in conjunction with Car & Bike India will have their distribution ceremony at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi on the first day of Auto Expo. Will be hosted by the ever smiling Siddharth Vinayak Patankar.

Auto Expo 2008

The biannual show will be held for the ninth time at the Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from January 10th to 20th. Don't miss it. I know i wouldn't, haven't done so since 1998 when i first went to the expo. A lot of excitement is in store. Apart from the major auto manufacturers a whole bunch of accessories and parts manufacturers are expected as well.

No Traction Control this

Kawasaki has just come out with the new ZX-10R. The new liter class super bike was shown at this year’s Paris Motor Show and the Tokyo Motor Show. All the usual blah-blah that is associated with new launches is there. Kawasaki are claiming power increase, new frame, new swingarm, new brakes and all the shebang. But what is interesting is that they are not talking much about the….sshhhh!!….Traction Control. Damn it!!
The legal beagles at Kawasaki don’t want the company to mention it with that name. Scared of being slapped with lawsuits by bikers who are too stupid to control the bike and hurting themselves. All that is fine, but the real interesting thing is the race bred technology trickling down in street machines. The system doesn’t cut in too early, so all the owners will still be able to enjoy the manic power and burnouts and stoppies. But remember not to boast about the…you know what to your friends, cause it isn’t what it is.

Honda Accord?? Really??

It all started with the Sonata, it borrowed the headlamps from Mercedes C-Class and tail lamps from Jaguar. Very nice they thought. Mercedes thought otherwise. Then the copied the Accord headlamps. So Honda were not happy. They changed the Accord to a more aggresive looking car. But it seemed that Honda copied Sonata rear. So they went for a triangular rear. Merc was again not happy. And now this. Honda have again copied the Sonata, which has recieved an update in US. In the end the new Accord looks ugly to say the least. Hope it looks much better in flesh.