(click images for a larger view)
Monday, February 28, 2011
Porsche Boxster S Porsche Design Edition 2
B6 / 3.436 cc / 310 PS / 265 lb/ft (360 Nm) @ 4.750 / 0 - 62 mph (100 km/h): 5,3 s / 0 - 100 mph (160 km/h): 11,5 s / Vmax: 170 mph (274 km/h) / limited edition (500 cars)
(click images for a larger view)
(click images for a larger view)
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Now, How about Indiawide technical assistance for your car? At home or in the road, Anywhere!
Here's a great oppurtunity to protect yourself and your car. Get yourself a MyTVS 24x7 Emergency services membership card. As a proud owner of this card, you can be sure of a hassle free drive across the entire nation*.
In case of any emergency in your car, all you have to do is give MyTVS a call. We will get to you within the shortest possible time and get you back on the road! The moment you call the 24 Hrs helpline, our call centre swings into action. Within moments you will be on a conference call with one of our ASPs (Authorised Service Providers) who is nearest to your location. The ASP will then assess the situation and reach you in the shortest possible time.
In case of any emergency in your car, all you have to do is give MyTVS a call. We will get to you within the shortest possible time and get you back on the road! The moment you call the 24 Hrs helpline, our call centre swings into action. Within moments you will be on a conference call with one of our ASPs (Authorised Service Providers) who is nearest to your location. The ASP will then assess the situation and reach you in the shortest possible time.
Its not just for an emergency, even if your battery is dead on a fine morning, and you are unable to start your car, you can avail this service. Things like, when you are on the move for an important meeting with a client, and your engine overheats, you wonder what to do, risk driving the car? or hitch a ride in an auto? It would also be best to have helping hands who can take care of your car...
Here is an answer to all of that... at a price which wouldnt buy you even 15 litres of petrol for a whole year...
Rs 999/- will fetch you all these services for 1 year. Check out the link for more details and online subscription.
2011 Honda Accord Indian commercial
Honda have refreshed the Accord with minor design changes and a sunroof which is now standard across all models. This new ad campaign hints at Honda’s renewed will to take the fight to the Skoda Superb which has done much damage to the D-segmenter’s sales. The video starts on a strong note – beautifully shot, covering a variety of landscapes and focusing on the car’s agility and comfort. The music is intriguing too making you straighten your slouched back in anticipation. It’s all good before the sunroof slides and wakes the pretty dame up, who says something which kills it. Watch the video and let us know what you think of it.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Alto ranked Number One while Nano Last in TCS 2010
Today the Total Customer Satisfaction (TCS) of 2010 reports were released. This survey was done by the pioneers TNS. The basic parameters set for this survey was satisfaction, product quality, vehicle performance, design, after sale service, cost of ownership and brand image. Survey was conducted on 9300 new car buyers covering over 56 models over all the major segments.
The Executive Director of TNS Automotive Mr Pradeep Saxena said that 2010 was a year where industry saw a lot of growth in the sales. There were cars like the VW Polo, Maruti Swift & Swift DZiRE, Toyota Fortuner, Hyundai i20 which saw a very long waiting line. In such a case there is a lot of pressure on the companies to supply the cars on time and also keep the customers happy with the after sales service. With the rise of cars there is immense burden on the workshops and supply of components too. The companies who cope with all this perfectly will finally emerge out as a winner. Customers at the bottom segment too expect a lot like the Maruti 800 owners expect better service while the Tata Nano owners expect a better design.
In the whole survey certain things that came into picture were that people staying in northern India were relatively less satisfied compared to the rest of the nation. That’s because of the after sales service is lacking or is not up to the mark. The whole market scene remained mostly unchanged, cars like the VW Polo and Swift made noise in the Upper Segment Hatch while the VW Passat have impressed the buyers in the entry level luxury car segment.
Nano was supposedly a threat to the bike market and rickshaws. Ranking last in Customer satisfaction the Nano has surely not managed to impress many. The king of the ring was Maruti Suzuki which also ranked number one in the top MNC in India. Maruti has proved it once again that it is here to rule.
Here is the list of the cars that ranked number one in their segments
Segment Car
Entry Compact MSI Alto
Premium Compact MSI Zen Estilio & A-Star
Upper Premium Compact VW Polo & MSI Swift
Entry Mid-Size MSI Swift DZiRE
Mid-Size Honda City & Ford Fiesta
Premium Mid-Size Toyota Corolla Altis
Entry Luxury VW Passat
SUVMPV Toyota Innova & M&M Scorpio
Premium SUV Honda CRV
Tata Motors announce new Indica with better engine
Tata Motors have today announced that the Indica will soon be available with a new diesel engine. The new diesel engine, Termed to be powered by CR4 technology is possibly the DICOR engine that the Indica has been expected to be powered by for quite some time now. The new engine is claimed to be capable of making the Indica the most fuel efficient car in India. Apart from enhanced fuel efficiency, the new engine will also boast of BS IV compliance. Not much info has been released about the car featuring the new engine, but the press release says that the car will have a host of other ‘exciting’ features apart from the new engine.
Compared to the earlier homegrown Tata engine, the new engine is claimed to have 32% increase in power, 65% increase in torque, and a mind boggling 46% percent improvement in fuel efficiency. The official power and torque figures are rates at 70PS @ 4000 rpm and 140Nm @ 1800-3000 rpm. The engine will apparently make the car lighter and peppier. If the blokes at Tata Motors are to be believed, the new car is going to be smarter too. The new engine is expected to improve the drivability of the Indica as well.
Apart from the changes made under the bonnet, the new Indica will also boast fresh exterior and interior looks and new features which Tata Motors claim to be ‘class defining’.
Lamborghini Aventador revealed, and our two bits on its design
After scores of spy pictures, Lambo sponsored test mule videos and months of speculations, the pictures of the Murcielago replacement, the Aventador are out in the open. Like it has happened many times earlier, the pictures got leaked as a result of the high lead time required before magazines go into print. There are always some invisible fissures in a publication, allowing such yummy pieces to pass through. And that’s why we love to be on the web so much.So now that the pictures are out in the open, what do we think of the new Lambo Flagship? Well, it’s every bit a Lambo, with those angular lines spread all across the bodiwork of the car. Exceptionally huge front and side air intakes are signature Lambo bits too. The headlamps seem to be featuring a cluster of LEDs – welcome! The alloys are as evocative as ever, and the rear end is a tad sportier for me than the earlier Bulls.
However, even af
ter having pulled a laudable job of creating an amazingly well proportioned and modern looking replacement for the Mulrcielago, the designers have failed somewhere. Why? Well, we have seen much more ‘whoa!’ inducing designs from Lamborghini than this. The Reventon, which was introduced two years ago, still remains my all time favourite car design. The Sesto Elemento Concept was quite striking too. And even if we forget all that, we are talking about a flagship model replacement design here, from a carmaker which gave us a spaceship in the form of the Countach at a time when the rest of the carmakers were rowing boats. I mean, we could have done with something more radical, something louder than a sonic boom and more revolutionary than the recent outburst in the Muslim world. I mean, I would have wanted to springboard out of my chair, get tangled into the fan and have my head dangling down and still have my jaw pop and crash into the roof on seeing the first undisguised pictures of the car. That’s really what I expect of Lamborghini. And that’s what I really think any true Lambo fan expects of the Marquee.
Will all due respec
t Lambo, you have a disappointed fan here, with the design of your new ‘lago. Your Aventador looks good, but it isn’t quite the revolutionary design that has made you what you are.
And just in case all my fellow Lambo fans happen to disagree with my discontented jabber here, please make a point to support the brand you love by using the comments box below.
Leaked: Next generation Polo and Sciroccooo
These are allegedly the pictures of the next generation Polo and Scirocco models. This is evidence that the Germans do plan in advance, as it’s not been too long since the current generation Polo was unveiled. The pictures have emerged allegedly from the European patent office. While one cannot expect an official confirmation on these pictures being of the Polo and Scirocco, but if they really are, then we see the next-gen Polo getting a lot more practical as well as tech laden than its current version. The first noticeable change is the huge glasshouse area with those enormous windows. If those windows make it to production, I am sure they would be one of the largest on any production car doing considerable volumes.
Another intriguin
g element is the slat that runs along the windows, positioned within the glasshouse area. Also, we don’t see any ORVMs on the car. Does that mean that it’s a rear view camera cum sensor transmitting a video of the outside world to a screen acting as a visual aid to the driver? We cannot be sure, as we are just letting our imagination loose based on what we see in the pictures. A similar slat runs horizontally across the rear windshield as well. This, hopefully will replace the inside RVM by mounting cameras and sensors for the activities at the rear.
Apart from the 
Polo, another car sketch that has been leaked is said to be that of the Scirocco. Wide, with a sporty stance, the design looks quite appealing, and should be able to take the evocative Scirocco into its next generation reassuringly.
VW bought the famous Italdesign Guigiaro design house recently. The company is working on quite a few new VW cars, and at least two of the new designs by the styling firm will be showcased in the ongoing Geneva Motor Show.