Swift has a record anniversary
Maruti Suzuki celebrated its fifth anniversary of the Swift in India on May 25, 2010. To commemorate this, Maruti organised three large, individual parades of the Swift in three cities - Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. The aim of the parades was to smash the Guinness record for the most number of single-make cars in a controlled environment. Japanese car manufacturer Mazda bagged this record back in 2005 with 249 MX-5s parading in a park in New Zealand.
On May 30, 2010, Maruti officially broke the record with 342 Maruti Swift at Gurgaon's Leisure Valley Complex. In each of these three cities, hundreds of Swift owners along with their families joined and interacted with fellow car owners. Incentives for the participants included free fuel and free service/accessories coupons for Swift owners.
Though the number of Swifts gathered at Mumbai and Chennai far exceeded that of Delhi, it was a tiny catch that disqualified the parades held in these two cities. The Guinness rules strictly states that all the participating cars must carry out the entire parade in a formation of two rows. As the temperatures soared at Mumbai's Bandra-Kurla Complex and Chennai's Sriperumbudur track, frustration and more so agitation appeared to have set in with the drivers - which lead to the breaking of this rule. Unfortunately this automatically disqualified the parades held in Mumbai and Chennai.
[Via: AutoCarIndia]
Polo Cup India – Round 1 results
Volkswagen India & JK Tyres flagged-off the inaugural race of the Polo Cup India 2010. The first round in Pune saw a full grid with 20 drivers competing on the 2.15km long specially designed street circuit. The tight circuit with a mixture of 90 degree corners and narrow long straights meant overtaking was difficult, and the similar spec cars din't help either. But the drivers gave their best shot. Qualifying was the key to winning the street race and Sailesh Bolisetti, winner of both the Round 1 races, did exactly the same.
After the race Sailesh Bolisetti said; "I enjoyed the race and it was a great experience. The track was difficult but not dangerous and our cars have the best safety features available for a saloon race car on our tracks." Karthik Shankar, who had two podium finishes said, "It's an amazing feeling. It was my first race on a street circuit and first time in a saloon car. On such a circuit you need 100% concentration at all the times. One blink and you may end up in the barriers."
He adds, "Even the slick tyres were different from the ones we use for other Formula cars in India. They perform well when new, but the drop in performance and grip in the later stages of the race is noticeable. You have to take care of your tyres."
The spectators too had a feast watching the Polos thrown into the corners at high speeds and later with the stunts performed by Hari Singh - the multiple National Rally Champion - and VW's driver coach, Ronny Wechselberger. At the end, with immense on-track action and excellent response from the spectators, it was a spectacular race weekend that marked the beginning of a new era in the history of motorsport in India.
Race 1 Results
1. Sailesh Bolisetti
2. Saran Vikram
3. Karthik Shankar
4. Vishnu Prasad
5. Sahil Shelar
6. Mohd. Fahad Kutty
7. Oshan Kothadiya
8. Parth Ghorpade
9. Munjal Savla
10. Samyak Shah
Race 2 Results
1. Sailesh Bolisetti
2. Karthik Shankar
3. Mohd. Fahad Kutty
4. Sahil Shelar
5. Vishnu Prasad
6. Oshan Kothadiya
7. Munjal Savla
8. Imran Majid
9. Gurniaz Maan
10. Gokul Krishna
[Via: AutoCarIndia]
Suzuki India all set to launch GSX-R1000 in India
Suzuki India is planning to launch another superbike in India GSX-R1000 which is also known as Gixxer. Suzuki entered power bikes segment in India by launching Hayabusa and Intruder M-1800. Suzuki is now planning to increase its presence with the launch of GSX-R1000. The expected price will be around 10-12 lakhs. Suzuki may launch the bike in June. GSX-R1000 is a super bike from Suzuki's GSX-R series of motorcycles.
Suzuki GSX-R1000 is ready to own the racetrack or deliver an exhilarating ride on the road. The latest GSX-R1000 features significant upgrades across the board, including a completely re-designed engine and chassis, with major suspension, brake and bodywork developments. The 999cc, four-cylinder, liquid-cooled, DOHC engine, featuring the Suzuki Dual Throttle Valve (SDTV) fuel-injection system, is lighter and shorter and delivers improved performance and throttle response throughout the entire rpm range, while also reducing emissions.
[Via: Goaonwheels]
Honda India plans to export 110,000 units
Two-wheeler manufacturer Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) is planning to raise its exports to 110,000 units of motorcycles and scooters this fiscal over 80,000 units last year, a top company official said here Thursday.
"In a span of eight years the export destinations have crossed 50. We not only export to developing countries, we also export to the developed nations of Europe," said Shinji Aoyama, HMSI president and chief executive officer. The company would infuse Rs.500 crore in the next one year into its second two-wheeler manufacturing facility that would come up in Alwar, Rajasthan. "The second plant will come up with capacity of 6 lakh units per annum and will be operational by second half of 2011," Aoyama said.
The company's current plant at Manesar, Haryana, would have an annual capacity of close to 15 lakh units by end of this fiscal. HMSI's motorcycle sales were at 5.2 lakh units and that of scooters were at 7.5 lakh units in the last fiscal. The company is expecting to sell over 15 lakh units in the current fiscal up from 12.7 lakh units of two-wheelers sold in 2009-10. Aoyama said the company is expecting to continue its 18 percent sales growth that it achieved last year.
[Via: Autosplugged]
GM India Ends Partnership With Reva
General Motors India has broken its partnership with Reva and will roll out electric cars on its own after the electric car maker was acquired by Mahindra. The company has stopped testing a fifteen-car fleet with Reva and will pursue the project independently.
Intially GM had planned to roll out the e-Spark by December with Reva supplying technology and batteries along with technical assistance. GM will now source technology from its US parent company's R&D center in Detroit, to roll out electric variants of the the Beat and Spark in India. The Chevrolet Volt will see its global launch by the end of this year and similar technology can be used by the Indian arm.
[Via: Motorbeam]
Bajaj Pulsar 135LS Crosses 100000 Sales
The Pulsar 135 LS has reached 100,000 units sale since launch. The Pulsar 135LS, where LS stands for Light Sports, is powered by a 4-valve DTS-i engine delivering 13.5 Ps power. With its aggressive stance, a sporty split-seat, aluminum clip-on handlebars and a host of other features this 135cc Pulsar's light kerb weight of only 122 kg gives it a great Power-to-weight ratio of 110.6 Ps/tonne. Pricing has been crucial for the success of the entry-level Pulsar at Rs. 52,997/- (ex-showroom Delhi).
[Via: Motorbeam]
Jaguar Land Rover back in profit
Jaguar Land Rover has returned to profit, posting pre-tax growth of £32 million for the financial year ending 31 March 2010. Parent firm Tata puts JLR's success down to improved market conditions, as well as cost cutting measures and the launch of several new models. The most improvement to its financial position was seen in the financial year's third and fourth quarters, which coincided with the launch of revised Land Rover Discovery, Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models.
JLR has also been implementing a new business plan, part funded by a £340m loan from the European Investment Bank. JLR's sales were up 25 per cent year-on-year in the UK in the last financial year, while there was also strong growth in China. Jaguar saw its sales rise 38 per cent and Land Rover 55 per cent year-on-year in the country. The firm made 193,982 units worldwide in 2009/10 compared to 167,348 units the previous year.
"With the positive market reception of the enhanced product range in an improved market environment as well as continued cost reduction efforts, the business was able to show sustained quarter on quarter improvement towards solid profitability in Q3 and Q4," said Tata in a statement. "Jaguar Land Rover retail sales improved favorably in the second half of the year, after addressing the effects of the global economic turndown and launching new model year products."
[Via: AutoCarIndia]
Tata Nano on Superdrive mission
Tata Motors has organised a special event involving the Nano called the Tata Nano 'Superdrive'. The event will be flagged off from the Nano's mother plant at Sanand on the 2nd of June. Nine Tata Nanos will circumambulate India on three different routes on an enchanting 26 day long voyage, visiting 36 cities and covering an incredible distance of more than 15,000km.
Ratan Tata and Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi will flag off the rally in three groups. According to the sources, through this long-distance drive, Tata Motors wants to reiterate that the World's cheapest car is a robust and a safe car. The cars will be divided in three groups and will take separate routes - north, south and east. During the drive, the Nanos would cover major landmarks on the way in 40 key markets of the country.
The Nanos will be put through diverse terrains in extreme conditions to test for its robustness, durability and reliability. Everyone will get a chance to get a first hand experience of the Nano its exciting features and its exceptional capabilities. Each route has been named after a colour namely 'The Saffron Route', 'The White Route' and the 'Green Route' keeping with the theme of the trans-national adventure. The caravan is expected to consist of cars with designs based on themes like sports and music.
The group heading south will pass through cities like Surat, Mumbai, Pune, Goa, Bangalore, Kochi and Chennai. Another group would pass through cities like Jaipur, Chandigarh, Delhi and Agra in the north. The third group will travel through Bhopal, Patna, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad, besides many other prominent centres.
[Via: AutoCarIndia]
Suzuki unveils 25th anniversary GSX-R 1000
Suzuki is commemorating 25 successful years of the GSX-R badge with a 25th anniversary special GSX-R 1000s. The final 25th Anniversary GSX-R - a brown and cream GSX-R1000s has been unveiled by the company. The bike is available at a price of £11,000 (about 8 lakh rupees in the UK) and available to order online only through www.imgsx-r.com. There is hardly any difference in terms of technical specifications. There are only a few subtle changes on the bike apart from the paint scheme which distinguish this SE bike from its regular version. The only performance related parts changed are the end cans, which are Yoshimura GP Evo road legal silencers.
There are only 1000 such bikes on sale worldwide. The new paint scheme is unique to the anniversary bikes with a set of wheel rims stripes. You have to pay about Rs 50,000 extra for the SE version in the UK. What for? Well, in material terms, over the standard GSX-R1000, there's a numbered plaque on the headstock, and you get a certificate of authenticity too. Then there is a mention of the SE distinction on the end can and on the central part of the clip-ons well.
[Via: Motoroids]
Kawasaki launched 2011 KX250F and KX450F
Japanese bike manufacturer Kawasaki launched the two new four stroke motocross machines today .This new motocross bike, aimed at helping the company take over leadership in the MX2 and MX1 racing classes. The new KX250F runs on battery-less fuel injection while other hand the KX450F gets an extensive makeover. The 2011 KX250F comes with the bridge bottom piston and also have option of a factory Fi calibration kit. This kit and piston are used for fine tune and map the new fuel injection system. The main highlights of the new 2011 KX250F is the new Showa Separate front Fork that features the damping assembly in the left tube while the spring sits in the right, leading to quick and easy pre-load adjustments which previously required fork disassembly.
As far as the KX450F is concerned, the Fi settings are now revised and so are the parameters that can be adjusted via the optional calibration kit. Also updated are elements of both the front and rear suspension with Kayaba AOS (air oil separate) forks at the front and a rear shock featuring dual compression adjustability allowing high and low speed damping to be tuned separately. "The addition of fuel injection to the KX250F has taken this class defining machine to the next level. Along with the new Fi, the Separate Function front Forks show just how important the MX2 class is to the factory," Sales and Marketing Manager for Kawasaki Motors UK, Michael Johnstone, said in a release.
"Added to that, the KX450F has received a carefully targeted make-over. Included are new suspension components front and rear plus fine tuning of a whole host of other features, making one of the most powerful and competitive MX1 machines better still. Like our legion of Team Green customers, we can't wait to see the machines in the flesh and experience their performance first hand."
[Via: AutoPlugged]