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]