Mahindra Renault's New Collection Logan

Mahindra Renault introduced the 'New Collection Logan' garnished with a few new features like a unique Driver Information System – provides detail information including average speed, mileage and the distance the car can travel with the existing fule.
Souped up interiors like the wooden centre console, velvet seat covers and side door trims. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) and EBD (Electronic Brake-force Distribution).
This 'fully loaded' New Logan will replace the existing Logan range and will be priced at Rs 5.02 lakh onwards ex-showroom Mumbai. Available in Rocky Beige (in pictures) and Java Brown (obviously not in picture, hee heh hee).

Now, Yamaha scooters heading to India

Guy, here's some super cool news! Yamaha the sleeping giant (at least in India) have awaken from their sweet slumber by launching kick ass bikes like the R15 and the FZ16. And the this seems to be just the beginning, as they are testing waters to launch they super sexy range of scooters in India.
The guys at BIKE India have spotted some Yamaha scoots at the firms showroom in Pune. Have a look at their story click here.
Cheers!

P.S. Honda better run for cover...heh hee hee

Come a... come a... Karizma-aa

Hero Honda head-honchos: Sir, when do we some real action from HH?

Finally... Hero Honda insiders have confirmed the launch of an upgraded Karizma. The Zma will boast a slightly bigger mill and a much awaited FI (Fuel Injection).
Here's the down side, Hero Honda will have to wait for Japanese mother-firm Honda to launch the big-boys like the Fireblades in India first. So, be patient for a month or so but expect fire-crackers from Diwali onwards. And yes, if you have been enjoying Hero Honda's colour & sticker upgrades then there's some treat for you. As the India's biggest two wheeler maker plans to launch a 'new' CBZ Xtreme... Yawn!

Tata Nano variants

Tata motors is leaving no stones unturned to make sure the Rs 1 lakh Nano is launched on schedule, though the diesel variant will debut mid-2009.

Meanwhile, the petrol version will be available in three options. Ironic as it may sound but the cheapest car on the world has a top-end luxury variant... which will have a range of features like HVAC, power window, central locking, tinted glasses, extended reflector, front and rear fog lamps and instrument cluster with trip metre. Yup, all this for an extra Rs 20,000 to 30,000. The car will also sport body colour bumper and door handles, door lock on the co-driver side, slider with recliner, three-spoke steering wheel and double stalk combiswitch.

So how is it better than our primitive Maruti 800?
Tata Motors spokes person was quick to point out that the much awaited car has roomy passenger compartment with generous leg space and head room. With a length of 3.1 metres, width of 1.5 metres and height of 1.6 metres, and adequate ground clearance, it can “effortlessly manoeuvre on busy roads in cities as well as in rural areas. Its mono-volume design, with wheels at the corners and the powertrain at the rear, enables it to uniquely combine both space and manoeuvrability”. Hmmmm...

Like the 800, Nano will sport a multi-point fuel injection engine. “This is the first time that a two-cylinder gasoline engine is being used in a car with single balancer shaft” said the spokesman. He further enlighten “The lean design strategy has helped minimise weight, which helps maximise performance per unit of energy consumed and delivers fuel efficiency of about 20 km to a litre.”

Sounds good... Mamta ji, are you listening?

Tata Nano website

The Night Fight - Singapore F1 Grand Prix

It's being already considered as the most exciting Formula One premiere in the history of the sport. The forth coming night race through the spectacular Singapore metropolis, on an all-new anticlockwise street circuit that will see drivers speed past historic landmarks such as the Anderson Bridge, St Andrews Road and Raffles Boulevard. It's difficult to decide who's more excited – spectators or the drivers!

When Lewis Hamilton was in Mumbai recently one of the ignorant reporters asked him 'how McLaren was preparing for the Singapore night race and will they fit head lights on the race car?'

HA HAA HAA HAA ... Plonk! I fell off my chair HAH HAA HAA!!

Here's a preview of the tempting race track – on board with Mark Webber... cheers!

BIKE India October 2008 - Smashing!!

Visit BIKE India

i-SRS - Honda's driver-side airbag system

Honda Motor has successfully developed what it claims is the world's first driver-side i-SRS airbag system. The i-SRS system far safer and reduces occupant impact by continuously staging the volume of airbag-inflating gas. Honda plans to implement the new continuously staged inflation i-SRS airbag system on the driver's side of the Life minicar to be released in Japan in November 2008.

FZ16 - Rock on Yamaha!

Goa, that's where most automobile journalist are spending their weekend. No it's not holiday but all work. They are getting together to witness the launch of the uber-cool Yamaha FZ16 tomorrow (Sept 14th).

And from Goa to some cooler things. For those who share a passion for icecreams or bikes here's some more super scoop!

The FZ-16 will sport a 153cc, 2 valve, SOHC unit, with 5 speed gearbox and 26mm CV carburettor. The 'Lord of the street' will be available in three colours — lava red, midnight black and flaming orange...now that's yummy!

Everything about this beast is chunky — from the FZ1 inspired overall design to the thick MRF tyres. The front has a wide100mm tyre that can be found in the rear wheel of most bikes and the rear wheel will have a fat 140 mm rubber - radial man – cheers! Built on a diamond frame, this new FZ-16 runs on tubeless tyres both at the front and the rear.

Now let's check the rear end.. ahem! This gets even more interesting. The forks are really meaty and I mean at 41mm they are not just thick in the segment and but even more than the Zma, 220s and and the rear mono-cross suspension provides 120mm of wheel travel... Wow!

Ya, it might sound humongous but it just weighs 126 kg, so maneuvering won't be a big concern. The bully sports disk in front and there's a drum in the rear. With completely digital LCD speedo, you can't be complaining.

The naked street fighter definitely sounds better than its predecessor – R15. When it's static, it purrs like a Puma and when it's revved up it growls!

This big cat will be out in the open tomorrow and I'm sure several worthy hunters will be on the on the prowl!

Mahindra Ingenio caught on film!

Mahindra's much anticipated Ingenio caught on camera. Enjoy.



For more Mahindra Ingenio click here

Mysterious Karizma ad solved!

We spoke of the Bollywood masala inspired TV commercial, where a chopper cruises in mid-air and a guy on a bright yellow Karizma jumps out of it. And, the teaser did succeed in conjuring up exciting images in the minds of motorcycle buffs who have their fingers crossed for a smashing new product from Hero Honda for years now...guess their fingers must have become numb by now... tch...tch...

All anxiety gone in vain... I know it sounds like your first date, but it was yet another false alarm with no confirmation of new models being launched by the country's largest bike manufacturer.

The commercial features hot bod Hrithik Roshan jump off the chopper astride a Karizma and land on a helipad. Mean while hottie Priyanka Chopra is waiting to break into an impromptu jig as over half a dozen sports personalities, yes everyone's here from our boys in blue to not-so-successful Olympians. They all dance, sing and ride the age old Hero Honda bikes around the country side. And the never ending ad goes on-and-on-and-on snore-burrrp-snore...

You wonder whats the occasion? Well, they are celebrating the Hero Honda's 25th year and brand ambassadors Hrithik and Priyanka have been roped in to be part of the celebration. Cheers to Hero Honda but the commercial has left us - biker buffs asking for more!

The hot new James Bond movie trailer!

The latest trailer of JB 007 - 'Quantum of Solace' promises to be nothing less than a mind-blowing action-flick! Exploding boats, guns trotting, nicely laced with witty one-liners.

And did I forget Olga Kurylenko, who looks even hotter than Indian curry!! Slurrrp...slurrp...salivating.

So practice those killer icy stares and be ready with the haunting MP3 Bond theme tune– the year’s biggest action movie is just around the corner. And yes it stars Daniel Craig as Mr. ice cool James Bond yet again... Not that you care :P

Pix: FHM.com

New Karizma coming this Sept?

You guys must have seen the new TV ad where a yellow Hero Honda Karizma jumps off a helicopter with a Karizma. The ad ends with a message - 'Wait till September 12'.

With speculations whizzing around about a new Zma, some say it will be the Karizma 250cc while others point at the much anticipated Fi version. Though most believe HH will live up to their reputation launching a face-lifted – read: striking new sticker job with untouched stock-engine! Yawn...snore...
All you know it could be just another publicity stunt for the new season of the TV reality show - MTV Roadies. After all it is sponsored by HH and no significant graphic or sticker changes were spotted on the yellow Karizma... ZZZzzz...

Toyota Corolla Altis launched

Japanese auto major Toyota on Friday launched an advanced version of its sedan, Corolla Altis, priced between Rs 10.83 lakh and Rs 12.86 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The new car would come with a 1.8 petrol litre engine in three options. More details on its way...

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) Vice-Chairman Vikram Kirloskar said. "This year's target is to sell 63,000 vehicles, and by fiscal 2015 we are aiming for a market share of about 10%. The Altis marks our big step toward the achievement of this goal."

The company sold about 50,000 units last year and currently has around 3% of the Indian passenger car market. It is also planning to introduce several new models in the near future to meet its target, he added. TKM plans to sell an average of 2,000 Corolla Altis a month.
"Regarding the small car that everyone has been waiting for, we aim to start production and sales around 2010 or early 2011," Kirloskar added.

Exclusive Yamaha FZ-16 details

If you've been waiting all this while to know all about the Yamaha FZ-16; your wait is finally over. Here's the inside story of the naked-street fighter...

Contrary to speculation, it will not be called FZ-15, FZ150 or Fazer-15. However, it will boast of a power-packed 153.7 CC four-stroke, air-cooled engine. The mini-Fazer will also feature state of the art – YTPS (Yamaha Throttle Position Sensor), for better throttle response and fuel efficiency and will be loaded with fully digital console with digital readout for RPM, Speed, Trip and Odo.

The uber-cool FZ-16 will roll-out on September 15th 2008 and the deliveries will commence by Oct. 2008. The bike will cost around Rs. 70,000 ex-showroom.

FZ-16 Specs:
Engine: 153.7 CC four-stroke, air-cooled, single-cylinder, 2 valves, SOHC
Power: 15PS @ 8,400 RPM (Estimated)
Gearbox: 5-speed
Fuel System: 26mm CV Carb
Wheels (F/R): 5-spoke 17" die-cast alloys
Tyres(F/R): 100/60-R17, 140-60-R17
Brakes(F/R): 267mm single cross-drilled ventilated rotor with 2-pot calipers / 130mm drum
Suspension:
--- Front: 41mm Telescopic Forks
--- Rear: Monocross type
Headlight: 12V 35W Halogen with Multifocal Reflector
Exhaust System: Mid Ship type, side mounted
Tank capacity: 13 litres

The A-star rolling out in October

Time for some garma-garam news. India's leading car company, Maruti Suzuki has just confirmed that it is set to launch the A-star in India right on scheduled – that's October '08. The Jap auto giant will start exports by January next year. The firm also announced that car will be priced between Rs 3-4 lakh.

The A-star will introduce Suzuki's revolutionary next-gen 'K-series' engine in India. The new star-car , if I may say so, is targeted to fight back Hyundai's i-10 assault as the i-10 has not only dented the Waron-R and the sad Zen Estilo, but the Kappa engine has kicked Swift sales below the belt.

Meanwhile, the parent of the Indian company, Suzuki Motor Corporation, has asked its subsidiary to boost its research and development (R&D) for small car engines, according to news reports.

Pics: Team-bhp.com

Motown's big boys visiting India

Auto-majors from around the world are waking up to realize India's importance in the automobile industry, be it in the consumer section or the low-cost of manufacturing.

Come tomorrow and the crème de la crème of the global automobile industry would be making a stop over in India.

Apparently, the top bosses of Suzuki Motors, General Motors, Fiat Spa, Continental AG and Mercedes-Benz are arriving to take part in the annual Indian auto industry meet and would also be taking some key decisions during their stay here.

Suzuki Motor chairman Osamu Suzuki will be visiting India for the next three days for Maruti's AGM. Chairman saheb will also review some the key products of his Indian subsidiary.
Maruti is gearing up to roll out the next gen K-series engines, which would be strapped on to the 'A Star'. The compact car will be produced in India for exports to Europe and is due for launch during Diwali.

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne is also paying us (read: India) a visit and will be here till Friday.
Marchionne will be busy at the Tata-Fiat joint venture plant at Ranjangaon holding detailed meetings with Fiat officials and suppliers to assess Fiat's journey in India so far.

General Motors' president and COO Frtiz Henderson is arriving at a time when his company has just announced $200 million investment in setting up an engine and transmission facility and is also enhancing the car manufacturing capacity.
The next generation Chevrolet Tavera might be launched in Henderson's presence.

Christoph M Eisenhardt, executive vice president of Continental GmbH, and Rainer Schmueckle, CEO of Mercedes-Benz, are also expected to stop over for some Indian curry by mid-week. And if they get the time from the hot Indian curries, they might also review their future plans with officials of their respective subsidiaries here for India.

Toyota's three world premieres at Paris Motor Show

Toyota, probably the worlds largest car maker, will unveil the all-new Avensis, its European flagship model. The Avensis will project an athletic and sleek design and will feature a more powerful and cleaner engines that emit less C02. The amazing new Avensis is set to push the boundaries of the D-segment in Europe.

Next in the queue is the much awaited iQ production model, that was showcased as a prototype earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show. IQ is less than 3 metres long and the cute little car is not just the world’s smallest premium 4-seater ever built but is also a serious driving machine with CO2 emissions levels starting at a mere 99 g/km. The iQ will also offer all-round protection to all occupants with high levels of safety features, including the world’s first rear window curtain shield airbags.

The other show-stopper is Toyota’s new urban all-roader - Urban Cruiser, featuring 1.4-litre D-4D diesel All Wheel Drive (AWD). This urban all-roader will sport a unique rugged exterior design, along with high level of safety equipment.

These three world premieres will mark the beginning of a whole raft of new models and futuristic technologies from Toyota.