Vettel takes European GP victory
Sebastian Vettel ended his victory drought with a comfortable win in the European Grand Prix in Valencia - while his Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber was fortunate to emerge uninjured from a massive accident that saw him vault Heikki Kovalainen's Lotus. Lewis Hamilton took second despite a drive-through penalty, with Jenson Button making it two McLarens on the podium. Ferrari's day was ruined by the safety car for Webber's crash, leaving Fernando Alonso only ninth and Felipe Massa 15th.
Webber's bad day began when he lost out severely during an unruly opening lap, which saw wheel-banging and run-off visits throughout the field. The Red Bull was immediately passed by Hamilton and then pounced on by the two Ferraris while out wide. His free-fall continued and by the end of lap one Webber had been elbowed all the way back to ninth. Unable to get through the traffic on-track, Webber made an early pitstop at the end of lap seven, where he lost a few more seconds as his left front wheel proved stubborn. That put him back out behind Kovalainen, and as he tried to pass the Lotus three laps later he went flying over the back of it on the fast approach to Turn 12.
The Red Bull wiped out an advertising board hanging over the track before landing upside down, rolling back onto its wheels and ploughing into the tyre barriers - though remarkably Webber climbed out unscathed. With the safety car called, most drivers from fifth-placed Button back immediately dived into the pits, while the top four had to complete a further lap. Vettel was already past the pit exit by the time the safety car emerged, but Hamilton was right alongside it. After a moment's hesitation, he accelerated past - but having passed the relevant line across the track meant he would later be penalised for overtaking the safety car.
Vettel and Hamilton were therefore able to rejoin first and second, while the Ferraris were caught behind the safety car and fell to 10th and 17th - leaving the team furious. By the time race control awarded Hamilton his penalty, he had enough of a gap over the third place Sauber of Kobayashi who was holding back Button. Hamilton started carving into Vettel's lead, but the German had pace in hand and was able to answer Hamilton with a new fastest lap five laps from home, putting his second victory of 2010 beyond doubt.
The FIA has handed five-second penalties to nine Formula 1 drivers for a safety car rules breach during the European Grand Prix. Jenson Button, Rubens Barrichello, Nico Hulkenberg, Robert Kubica, Vitaly Petrov, Adrian Sutil, Sebastien Buemi, Pedro de la Rosa and Vitantonio Liuzzi have been penalised for "failing to stay above the minimum time set by the FIA ECU when the Safety Car was deployed." The penalties mean Fernando Alonso is elevated from ninth to eighth, as he overtakes Buemi, and Nico Rosberg gets the final point from de la Rosa, 10th in the race.
It was a reasonable race for Karun Chandhok. The pace early on was reasonably good but then he started to struggle with the option tyres. The team decided to pit under the safety car and switch to primes which was a good decision as Karun was able to then settle into a rhythm and pull away from Bruno. At the end though, having done 47 laps on one set of tyres he didn´t quite have enough pace to fight against Timo and he managed to muscle past on the final lap. Karun ended the race finishing 18th.
[Via: AutoCarIndia]
Petrol, Diesel prices goes up
Government of India has announced a sharp increase in prices of petrol,diesel,lpg and kersone. No one is barred from common man to auto manufacturers are set to suffer. With the hike, price petrol is increased by Rs 3.73/litre, Diesel goes up by Rs 2, LPG by Rs 35 and kerosene by Rs 3/litre. The increase in price comes into effect immediately.
Also the government has decided to freed the prices of petrol and diesel from its control (which means it market driven from now onwards). This move is good for the Oil companies on the long run. At the same time as the inflation already hovering around 10%, it is surely a bad news for consumers. The demand for automobile may take a hit following the hike.
[Via: Vicky]
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]
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]
Nissan Micra Booking Amount, Specifications and Variants
The all new fourth generation Nissan Micra has been unveiled at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. Nissan India has launched this all new small car in India and sale will start from 15th July 2010 and it is going to play very crucial and key role in plans of Nissan for Indian Market. Nissan Micra will be displayed in all Nissan showrooms across the country from tomorrow - 25th May. The company has also decided to start the pre-order bookings for the Micra at all these showrooms. Customers can visit these showrooms and book their car against an initial booking amount of Rs 50,000. The sales for Nissan Micra will commence in July 2010. The company is expected to rollout an advertising campaign for the car shortly.
Engine & Suspension of Nissan Micra
- 1198cc 3 cylinder In-Line Petrol Engine
- 75 Bhp Power with 104 Nm of Torque
The all-new naturally aspirated HR12 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine, which will be on offer in India employs valve-timing control (VTC), which will generate maximum power of 75 Bhp with maximum torque of 104 Nm. The engine is available with a 5-speed manual gearbox. Not satisified merely improving performance levels, engineers excelled in developing ride and handling characteristics which combine agility, refinement and poise. Mounted onto Nissan's new signature V-platform, the suspension has been designed to be both compact, minimizing intrusion at the rear for maximum trunk space, but not at the expense of the car's on-road dynamics. Particular attention has been paid to bump absorption, meaning that the Micra will ride serenely over challenging road surfaces, not suffer from wallow or float, and cruise effortlessly at highway speeds.
Variants of Nissan Micra
Nissan Micra is available in 4 variants.
- Nissan Micra XE
- Nissan Micra XE Plus
- Nissan Micra XL
- Nissan Micra XV
Price of Nissan Micra
Though the price of Nissan Micra has not been announced but it is expected to be priced between 3.5 lakhs to 5.5 lakhs. If it is priced as per the speculations then it will be a instant hit. Micra will set new standards for small cars when it will be launched in India.But the only problem for Nissan India is small dealer and service network.
Shades Available in Nissan Micra
Nissan Micra is available in 6 Shades:
- Sunlight Orange
- Blade Silver
- Storm White
- Onyx Black
- Pacific Blue
- Brick Red
Honda CB Unicorn Dazzler Launched
Honda entered the Indian motorcycle market with Honda Unicorn gifted with strong engine, rugged looks and pleasing performance. Unicorn offers superior mileage and pick up and has all the features and facilities one could wish for. Unicorn was the first bike in India with mono suspension feature. After doing a twist with its last launch - the 110 cc Twister, Honda India has now dazzled with a new sportier and premium version of its Unicorn, which has been christened CB Unicorn Dazzler .
Honda always had a trump card with the Unicorn which has been its flagship motorcycle in India for long. CB Unicorn Dazzler is a sportier and premium version of the Unicorn and has been launched with a price tag of 63,000 (Ex-Showroom), which is very competitive and reasobale for a stylish 150cc bike.
Main Styling Elements and features of Honda CB Unicorn Dazzler
- New front cowl
- Stunning rear tail lamp
-Attractive tank shrouds - Dual tone styling
-Spilit grab rail
- Digital Sppedometer
- Analogue Tachometer
- Digital Fuel Gauge & Trip Meter
- Tubeless Tyres
- 149cc engine, 14.2 Bhp power, 13 Nm torque
- Matte finish alloy wheels
- Matte finish exhaust
Shades of Honda CB Unicorn Dazzler
Honda CB Unicorn Dazzler is available in four eye grabbing shades:
- Red
- Black
- Silver
- Golden
[Via: Bikes India ]
Mahindra Opens New Dealer in Margoa
Mahindra 2 wheelers which is relatively a new player in the 2 wheeler industry is trying its best to grab market share and has opened anew dealer in Goa in Margoa.This is Mahindra 2 nd new dealer after Mapusa. Mahindra sells automatic scooters and is planning to launch electric and motorcycles by 2011.
Mahindra scooters like Rodeo, Duro, Kine and Flyte compete directly with Honda's Activa, Dio & Aviator and Suzuki's Access. The Mahindra dealer has opened at Fatorda near Arlem.
[Via: Goaonwheels]
Mahindra Kine Launched
Mahindra 2 Wheelers India has announced the launch of Mahindra Kine scoorette, though no official press release is out but all the details and specifucations of Kine are available on the official website of Mahindra 2 Wheelers.
The Mahindra Kine is a actually based on the Kinetic Kine launched a few years back. But the new Kine gets a all new 71.5 cc engine, ergonomic styling, funky colours, fresh body graphics, body-coloured grab rail and self start. The Kine will compete with the TVS Scooty which has been the market leader in small scooter segment.
[Via: Goaonwheels]