No 116 APRIL 2011

Omans Best Automotive Resource

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ULTIMATE TT? TT?

\\ 2011 AUDI TT RS \\ 2011 FACELIFTED MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS

EXCLUSIVE FIRST DRIVE 2011 HYUNDAI ELANTRA

0 ER 30 L CHRYS T ED INSIDE OU
MENTS D BY THE ELE INSPIRE D OVE NEW FACE AN RHAUL

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editor-in-chief
Mohammad Al taie

Letter from the Editor

Just a month back, no one could have foreseen the changed circumstances that are facing the world in general and the Sultanate of Oman in particular. Around the world, tragedy struck more than once, with a large Earthquake hitting off the coast of Japan, following in the wake of the already deadly Christchurch temblor. Perhaps the quake itself may not have been deadlier, but the Tsunami that overwhelmed the coastal defences and bulwarks of the main Island, took out entire towns and villages and left a badly battered economy, a damaged nuclear plant that is leaking radiation and a populace that is still looking for the bodies to be honoured and buried. Closer to our region, a social media driven broad uprising has been happening. Egypt has seen change, so has Tunisia. Libya is in the throes of a full-fledged civil war. Closer to home, in Oman, various levels of outcry have been seen, from the genuine to the atrocious. Many demands have been heeded and there is now a genuine flow of initiatives in place to address perceived injustices.
raj@alroya.net

AL roYA PreSS & PUBLiShinG Po Box: 343, Postal code 118 Al harthy complex Sultanate of oman email: automan@alroya.net Website: www.automanweb.com editorial office: tel: +968 24479888 extn 300, fax: +968 24479889 circulation office: tel: +968 2456 2360, fax: +968 2456 2194 PUBLiSher hatim Al taie editor & GM raj Warrior

hatim@alroya.net

In the process, we have been assured that close to 50,000 youths will join the workforce for the first time, unemployment benefit of RO 150 will be paid for up to 3 months and greater sums will be available to a broad spectrum of government and private sector employees. Large corporate houses have also announced the training and employment of new trainees as well as a move towards five day weeks. To the automotive industry in Oman, this couldnt have come as better news. For it has been proven time and again that when money supply is freed up by putting extra money in peoples hand, the money is spent. Only insignificant amounts will be put away, usually money that is used to pay off debts. Other than that people will spend one the big ticket items like a house, marriage and a car. So what is the outlook for this year then? More money, more people in the job market and perhaps a greater incidence of car purchase? The demand is there then how about the supply? With Japans ongoing crisis and the outcome of the crisis on domestic car production, we may have to do for some time with a Not made in Japan sticker. Equally worrying is the worlds dependence on high-tech parts supply and vendors in Japan. Even the car that ends up being made in Thailand may be delayed due to non-availability of parts. What we do foresee is that the price point is set to rise, not only due to the demandsupply gap but also because it will become far costlier to bet on currency exchange rates. And with the threat of a Euro zone crisis just not going away, the rest of 2011 continues to be as rocky as it started out.

execUtive editor chandan B Mallik chandan@alroya.net co-ordinAtor Pratibha n Kadam deSiGn Sawsan Al Muharbi

pratibha@alroya.net

sawsan@alroya.info

heAd of MArKetinG Maged Aziz maged@alroya.net MArKetinG Supreme Philips circULAtion books@alroya.net finAnce & AdMin Abraham daniel daniel@alroya.net Printer ruwi Modern Printers LLc tel: +968 2479 4167, 2479 8157 fax: +968 2470 0545

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in this issue
News
From across the region and around the world
6

spotliGht

10

50

first drive

Geneva Motorshow

12 22 26 28 30 36 46 42 53 50 54 56 61 62 66 70 80

2011 Hyundai Elantra

braNdwatch
Top 10 headlines

News aNalysis cover story

2011 Audi TT RS 2011 Chrysler 300 Pagani Huayra

Low down on global brands

74

44

first drive safety

2011 Hyundai Elantra Ford working on new child dummy

58

36 cover story 28

previews

2011 Skoda Fabia Dodge Charger SRT8 M-B C Class Mugen Honda CR-Z Porshe 918 Special Chevy Colorado Concept

Motorsports

chicaNe

Seasons opening F1 race kicks off on Oz

Japan struggles to recover after devastating Tsunami and earthquake

poster

regional news}

gCC hot for fords stylish edge

ince its debut in the fourth quarter last year, the new 2011 Ford Edge has received outstanding feedback from GCC consumers, driving sales up 87 per cent in the first two months of 2011 when compared to the previous model sales in January and February last year. The sharpest uptick in sales was seen in the United Arab Emirates, with sales almost trebling with a whopping 198 per cent rise, followed by Kuwait with an increase of 164 per cent and KSA by 21 per cent over the same period last year. The Edge competes in one of the fastest-growing and fiercely competitive segments in our industry, said Hussein Murad, Sales director at Ford Middle East. Consumers who have driven the 2011 Edge have given great feedback and word of mouth is clearly boosting sales, as drivers realise it is, without a doubt, the segment leader, thanks to its looks, performance and class-exclusive technologies.

new skoda fabia launChed in uae

gMtops sales in february

eneral Motors Middle East registered year-over-year sales growth of 21 per cent in the month of February with total sales of 9,907 vehicles in the region across its three brands: Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC. The growth was driven by an

koda Auto is now officially represented by Ali & Sons Motors Division in the UAE and the retailer has recently launched the new Fabia for 2011. The Fabia range will offer consumers a choice of three models including the entry model Classic, mid-range Ambiante and the Elegance as the flagship model. All models benefit from Volkswagen Group 1.6-litre 16 valve engine and 6-speed tiptronic automatic

gearbox. The Fabia, which compares headto-head in its segment with other models that often come at a much higher price has an affordable price tag which ranges from AED 54,000 to AED64,500 (depending on model). The price also includes a 3-year unlimited mileage warranty. Ali & Sons further offers a special service plan for 3 years/60,000km for less than AED3,000.

increase in retail sales purchases made by individual customers of 42 per cent across GMs range of cars, pickups and utilities. Sales increases were registered across the region with the greatest rise recorded in Iraq, GM Middle Easts second largest market, where sales doubled.

twin launChes froM bMw Middle east in oMan

he German premium carmakers first generation mid-size luxury four-wheel-drive SAV, the X3 effectively had a segment to itself when it was first launched in 2004. But then competition heated up with introduction of similar models from Land Rover, Audi, Volvo, Lexus and Infiniti. With the all-new second generation X3, which was launched last month in Oman by BMW Middle East and Al Jenaibi International Automobiles LLC, BMW is keen to regain lost territory with more content, efficient powertrains and convenience factors in the incoming model. The xDrive28i is powered by a new 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine mated to the brands eight-speed automatic transmission. Meanwhile, the all-new third generation 6-Series convertible was also unveiled. Both engine variants [V6 and V8] use twin turbos, with power output ranging from 320 to 407hp and are mated to a standard eight-speed Sports automatic transmission.

Volkswagen Middle east foCuses on after sales

new suzuki showrooM opens in sur

oosa Abdul Rahman Hassan LLC opened an exclusive showroom for Suzuki in Sur last month. The outlet was inaugurated by Ali Bin Ahmed Bin Meshari Al-Shamsi, Wali of Sur. Opening a 3 S (sales, service and parts) facility in Sur

elling a car is easy, but maintaining top class ownership experience is something that Volkswagen Middle East takes quite seriously. For the past few years VW has been hosting its annual after sales conference to discuss with retail partners and service managers its future business strategies in the presence of key representatives from Volkswagen HQ. Michael Horn, executive director and head of Volkswagen after sales worldwide was flown in for the meet and

he also visited the 10,000sqm Middle East Parts Centre, located in Jebel Ali Free Zone. Volkswagen has also introduced its Service Excellence initiative, which offers customers increased benefits in after sales care. Andreas Boethfuehr, After Sales Director Volkswagen Middle East commented: The annual After Sales Conference is an important platform to ensure Volkswagen continuously strives to improve service standards throughout the Middle East.

is part of Moosa Abdul Rahmans plan to ensure premium service and convenience to our valued customers across Oman, right from pre-sale to after-sales. It reiterates our commitment to provide them with the highest quality of customer care that adds to their overall motoring experience, said Viren Agarwal, CEO of the company.

regional news}

drop top CaMaro to hit showrooMs this Month

he 2011 Camaro Convertible is scheduled to arrive in showrooms across the Middle East region this month. The introduction of the Convertible will further strengthen Camaros dominant position in the sports segment, said Luay Alshurafa, Chevrolet Regional Brand Manager at General Motors Middle East Operations. The new Convertible will attract new customers looking for top-down driving fun and precise engineering. The convertible is equipped with similar model configurations as the Camaro Coupe. The standard model has a fuel efficient 312hp direct injection V6 engine delivering 8-litre per 100km highway while the SS model features the 6.2-litre V8 engine producing 426hp. Meanwhile, Chevrolet and Yas Marina Circuit have signed an agreement marking Chevrolet Camaro as the official vehicle of the Yas Drag Racing Academy.The academy has received six Camaro SS that will form the basis of the training programme for aspiring drag racers across the region. All Camaros given to the

breaking news

or China, General Motors is serious about moving some muscle and supporting the move it plans to introduce the Camaro. The Camaro in China will be sold as the Ke Mai Luo, which GM insists is a sonorous Chinese name. The Chinese Camaro will get the base 312hp 3.6-litre V6 engine with sixspeed manual or automatic transmission.
upcoming drag race future champions before they are able to drive 1,200hp Super Comp dragsters.

Drag Racing Academy are equipped with a 6.2L V8 SFI engine with six-speed automatic transmission. The cars will be used to train

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regional news}

regional CoMMerCial VehiCles exhibition held in dubai

ajor manufacturers, industry experts and transport, fleet and logistics decision makers from the Middle East road transport business shared the stage as the commercial vehicles industrys biggest regional event last month. The exhibition is being staged in tandem with the Commercial Vehicles Conference, creating a dual platform with a double focus on cost saving as well as the future of environmentally friendly transport. A panel of industry experts from leading transport organisations will be debating key issues over the first two days of the conference ahead of a workshop on the final day to analyse future plans for effective fleet management of heavy and light commercial vehicles. In the first half of 2010, sales of commercial vehicles in the GCC countries including trucks, busses, vans, pick-ups and utility vehicles leapt by 37.97 per cent to 253,790 over the same period in 2009. The UAE led the way with a 54 per cent rise to 53,683 units sold, while Kuwait (49 per cent), Oman (41 per cent), Bahrain (38 per cent), Saudi Arabia (29 per cent) and Qatar (24 per cent) also enjoyed significant sales increases. During the exhibition a key announcement was made involving US manufacturer DesignLine and UAE-based Liberty of joint venture to set up a $US30mn manufacturing facility in Abu Dhabi for the Eco-Smart 1 electric bus.

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uae nissan dealer introduCes approVed used Car prograMMe

ollowing the recent introduction of the first manufacturer-approved Japanese brand CPO program in the UAE, Arabian Automobiles has announced the opening of UAEs largest used cars 7,000sq-m facility. Despite the economic downturn in 2009, we had foreseen a steadily increasing demand for used cars with more than 40 per cent growth in our used car sales volumes over the last year, said Michel Ayat, CEO of Arabian Automobiles.

Qatar MerCedes-benz dealer Celebrated brands 125 years

luCky winner takes it all

ubair Automotive Group announced that Jawareh Al Shuaily was the lucky winner of the Yamaha Raptor 90 all terrain vehicle, at an official Prize Draw Ceremony held at the Muscat Festival grounds in Qurum Park on Wednesday - following a month of promotions from the company that attracted thousands of Muscat residents.

asser Bin Khaled Automobiles, exclusive dealers of the iconic Mercedes-Benz in Qatar, celebrated the global Mercedes-Benz 125 years of automotive excellence with a special weeklong campaign last month. The service week offered Mercedes-Benz owners

complimentary visual checks and giveaways, special prices on genuine spare parts and servicing, test-drives of the latest MercedesBenz models and attractive trade-in offer deals.

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geneVa Motorshow

Rise

&

shine

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As an international motor show platform, Detroit did generate a lot of hype for what turned out to be in January. But the flipside contrary to expectations, the show was damp as it didnt offer many new products for the audiences. In contrast, the 81st Geneva show was a true return to form, with an array of impressive all-new vehicles occupying various different market segments making their debuts. As always the expo at Geneva can never be complete without the dazzling array of concept cars filling the halls of the Palexpo. The Swiss

shows neutral policy once again proved that it still remains the perfect ground for the French, Italian and German automakers to talk about their future visions on mobility. In our March issue curtain raiser for the show, we highlighted 30 reasons to be in Geneva. By taking into account independents, design and creative houses along with the regulars, the reasons more than doubled and heres our review of the show brand and theme wise. Read on

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geneVa Motorshow
Audi Audi released teaser sketches of the Audi A3 concept ahead of its debut at the show. We think Audi could be hinting at an expansion to the A3 line-up as currently theres no sedan in the line-up. The car is 4,440mm long, 1,840mm wide and 1,390mm high which makes it marginally longer than the current A3 Sportback but shorter than the current VW Jetta saloon. The car is slightly wider and lower than the current A3 and seems to be conceived along similar lines to parent company Volkswagens latest Jetta. It is also being described as a spiritual successor to the original Audi 80. The new variant is being looked upon to boost Audi sales in markets such as North America, China and Russia. Aston Martin Virage According to Aston, the Virage capitalises on the technology from the DBS and unites it with the comfort and refinement found in the DB9 and Rapide. A look at shared-between-the-trio numbers produced by the 6.0-litre V12: the DB9 has 470bhp and 442lb ft, the DBS 510bhp and 420lb ft, and the Virage sits neatly between the two with 490bhp and 420lb ft. 0-100km/h is 4.8secs for the DB9, 4.3 for the DBS, and 4.6 for the soon to arrive Virage. The Virage on arrival should be more sporting than the recently revised DB9, but it is not expected to be quite as agile as the DBS. Meanwhile, the Virage does without carbon body panels, and is 90kg heavier than the DBS, with the drop-top Volante version weighing 80kg more. But Aston is also talking about Rapide-matching levels of comfort, thanks to NVH tweaking. BMW BMWs Vision ConnectedDrive Concept was one of the real show stars in Geneva and its clear that it is more than just a car. Its a befitting example of BMWs vision of the future and focuses a lot on connectivity, man and machine interface. Following the acclaimed Vision EfficientDynamics Concept shown at the IAA in Frankfurt in 2009, the design in based on layer and the utilization of space between those layers with specific purposes. In fact, the layers have taken on three roles [visually identified by colour codes] such as comfort (green), infotainment (blue), and safety (red-orange). Comfort, relates the driver and the car to the world around it by flowing around. Shared information can be downloaded and passed to driver by simple touch slide on the dashboard. Safety wraps around the driver and comes together in a cone on the bonnet. Despite an array of complex technology, in the flesh the car has an elegant form and a lightness of design execution. Chevrolet With its Cruz hatchback variant, Chevrolet wants to cement its place in Europe. The production model looks identical to the show car that was presented in Paris and will be offered with a choice of four-cylinder engines. Buyers choosing the entry-level LS trim receive a naturally aspirated 1.8-litre four-cylinder while the other trims use a 1.4-litre turbocharged engine. The engines put out the same power, rated at 138hp, but the uplevel engine should offer substantial fuel economy benefits. There are also improvements in drivability, as the turbo 1.4-litre offers an additional torque and peak power and torque numbers that occur at lower revs. Ferrari According to Ferrari, FF stands for four and four, but it may well be an acronym for first and first. Not only it is Ferraris first all-wheel-drive production model, but the FF is also the brands first wagon -- or shooting brake. Interestingly, the platform combines all-wheel-drive in a performance GT wagon, which is rather unusual in the world of V12-powered luxury sports cars. Ferrari says rolling those two features can go together even though they appear unconventional. Pininfarina penned the lines and the FF looks much like a genuine Ferrari GT with a modern twist. The design blends subtle cues from the 458 Italia with those of the FFs forebear, the outgoing 612 Scaglietti.
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Honda While we were waiting to hear something about the NSX supercars resurrection, Honda disappointed at the show. The only face saver being the facelifted Honda Accord 2011. Honda described it as subtly reinforced and the car gets a new grille, revised bumpers and lights and clear lens indicators. The interior is largely untouched although the seat upholstery is new. The highlight of the show for Honda was probably the EV Concept based on the Fit/Jazz platform for a possible future mid-size plug-in hybrid vehicle. Hyundai With the European market firmly in mind, Hyundai is quick to say that the i40 was developed in Rsselsheim, Germany. It will be the carmakers first crack at the model. Beneath the skin, the i40 rides on the same D-segment platform as its wildly successful Sonata sibling (and, for that matter, Kias latest Optima). While designers suggest the new front fascia is patterned after last years i-Flow concept, but in many ways, the entire front clip bears a close resemblance to the companys new Elantra compact. The i40s powertrain offerings are restricted to four-cylinder engines, but Europeans do have a choice between petrol and diesel engines. The i40 certainly has the makings of a stylish, sophisticated midsize offering, and may fare well against the likes of the Opel Insignia, Ford Mondeo, and the new Volkswagen Passat. Infiniti Since its inception Infiniti has always struggled to create an identity of its own and with the Etherea, the brand wants to encapsulate everything it stands for including a no-compromise hybrid power in 4.4m long car which blend elements of a coup, sedan, hatchback and even crossover in one highly sculptural, near-mono volume form. The Etherea concept exterior and body kit design has an original surface treatment, with the bonnet character lines that extend to the sides giving form to a distinctively sculpted descending waistline. Several of the styling cues like the distinctive crescent-shaped C-pillar first seen on the Essence concept will appear on future car production models. All the hallmarks of a modern-day concept car are present and accounted for, including a hybrid powertrain that features a 245hp supercharged 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine and a twin-clutch system that links the electric motor to the engine. Power will be routed through a continuously variable automatic transmission to the front wheels. As far as the styling statement goes, Infiniti says: As an exploration of a future entry-level Infiniti production model, Etherea can be summed up as a four-door coupe with five-door practicality a hatchback that doesnt look like a hatchback. Jaguar Who can forget that Jaguar launched a performance-tuned XKR-S model at the Geneva Motor Show three years ago and this years theres a more powerful version that joined the Swiss extravaganza. The latest XKR-S uses a supercharged, directinjection 5.0-litre V8 which is now boosted to roughly 542hp and 501 pound-feet of torque. With a gain of 32hp and 40 pound-feet of torque, Jaguar claims the enhancements allows the new XKR-S to sprint from 0-96km/h in a blistering 4.2secs and hit a top speed of 300km/h. No wonder the automaker claims the XKR-S as the fastest Jaguar ever built. Kia While Kia has updated or replaced most of its key models, the Rio and Picanto subcompacts are among of the oldest cars in its line-up. However, this is set to change later this year with the debut of all-new 2012 Rio and Picanto. As with the rest of Kias recent product introductions, both model receive Kias corporate face and styling with key styling highlights such as corporate grille flanked by headlights with integrated LED daytime running lights, sculpted air intakes in the lower valance and flared wheel arches help to lend the car a sportier and aggressive look. The new Picanto will be powered by four different variations of 1 and 1.2-litre petrol, diesel, bi-fuel and flex-fuel engines. For the Rio, powertrains will vary by market, but a variety of engines are planned including 1.6-litre, direct-injected inline four and 1.2-litre turbocharged inline four.
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geneVa Motorshow
Koenigsegg Sweden-based Koenigsegg released the full technical specifi cations for its Agera R street racer. Built and developed in-house, the companys twin-turbocharged 5.0-litre V8 engine runs on 1.4-bar of boost to produce 820kW of power at 6,900rpm using E85 bio-fuel, but will rev on to 7,250rpm. While the standard Agera produces more than 1,000Nm of torque from 2,500rpm, the Agera R produces at least that much all the way from 2,700rpm, peaking at an astonishing 1,200Nm at 4,100rpm. That may not be enough to unseat the mighty 1,184hp/1,500Nm Bugatti Veyron Super Sport from the top of the supercar perch, but is enough to launch the Agera R from 0-100km/h in just 2.9 seconds and to 200km/h in 7.5secs. The 0-100km/h time exactly matches Lamborghinis Aventador LP700-4, despite the Italian car carrying an extra 245kg of weight and having a humble 691hp and 690Nm from its naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12. Lamborghini The Italian supercar maker is no different when it comes to re-evaluate what they do and how they do it in view of tight market conditions and tough emissions and efficiency regulations. With the Sesto Elemento in Paris, it was a materials management exercise, with the new Lamborghini LP700-4 Aventador, has pulled off a car thats still as outrageous as anything Lamborghini has ever done. And it goes without saying that it has employed a host of advanced technologies to help the newest Raging Bull meet the new overall efficiency parameters. The Aventador is being seen as a spiritual successor of the Countach which Lamborghini first produced in 1974. As with the concept, the body is sculpted around the passenger compartment, with the longitudinally mounted 6.5-litre 690hp naturally aspirated V12 situated in the middle. The big news is that not only is there more power, but it is more available at lower revs and also that it does these stratospheric numbers while using 20 per cent less fuel. MINI BMWs iconic British MINI brand still dreams of futuristic cars blending futuristic style and technology with classic design elements. The Rocketman Concept definitely lives up to its name in that context. The new space-age concept previews what the future of urban mobility could look like for the brand. Dimensionally, its slightly smaller than the current Cooper, and comes with dual-hinged doors that pivot outwards, complete with the sills. The cars interior uses a space-efficient three-plus-one seating arrangement, and were told that the car is powered by a highly efficient powertrain. MINIs new Connected infotainment system is displayed via three-dimensional graphics on the interactive speedometer screen, and theres even a steering wheelmounted joystick to operate the whole array of lifestyle functions.

Mitsubishi Touted as Mitsubishis new bread-and-better car and the Colt replacement, the new five-door model attempts to combine compactness with affordability and fuel efficiency in a sharp design package. Seating five adults, the new compact employs either a 1.0- or 1.2-litre petrol engine with a regenerative braking system and idle-stop mechanism that creates CO2 emissions in the mid-90g/km range. To be built at the companys new factory in Thailand, the car will also get CVT transmissions.

Nissan While the Esflow concept wasnt one of the top stars of the show, but it shared the podium with some very interesting details. The Esflow uses quite a lot of technology from the mass-market Leaf EV hatchback, but uses a separate motor to turn each rear wheel and should hit 100km/h hour from a standstill in under five seconds. The laminated lithium batteries are mounted low to help out the center of gravity and are said to be good for 240km per charge. Any weight penalty of the energy storage system is offset by a rollbar-integrated aluminium chassis mated to a composite shell. At the moment the Esflow is a pure concept, but there is hope it could come to production: Nissan has a heritage in sports cars and now it is establishing one in electric cars, said a company spokesman.
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Pagani Horacio Pagani and his team of detail-obsessed engineers and designers all the time in the word [seven years to be exact], 10 design models, five heavily camouflaged prototypes, and almost half a million kilometers of testing -including Death Valley and the Arctic Circle to produce the all-new Huayra. Like the name of his other creation, the much-drooled-over Zonda, the cars name takes inspiration from ancient South American culture. According to the Aymara peoples legend, Huayra Tata is the deity of all things pertaining to wind, who could lift water, move earth, and basically shape the world. The manually-assembled 700hp Huayra has spare-no-expense detailing and was carefully detailed to avoid negative performance consequences [eds note: see preview. ROLLS-ROYCE Rolls-Royce, one of the worlds most iconic of classic luxury marques, has stepped firmly into the EV waters with the 102EX Concept. According to CEO Torsten Mller-tvs, the concept was created to help the company understand what technology may be suitable to drive RollsRoyce motor cars of the future. The concept started life as stock Phantom from which the 6.75litre engine and six-speed automatic gearbox were removed and replaced with a pair of electric motors putting out 145KW each. That thrust is sufficient to send the 6,000-pound EV to 100km/h in under eight seconds. The cars battery pack is comprised of 96 individual cells assembled to resemble the shape of the original engine and transmission. Rolls-Royce believes its 338-volt, 71-kWh unit is the largest battery ever fitted to a road car. A charging [inductive] mat on the underside of the vehicle wirelessly recharges the battery. A plug also exists where the fuel filler normally resides. SAAB Given the change of ownership and subsequent turmoil Saab went through in 2010 and its current status, it is surprising that this carmaker is still alive. The Swedish company is trying hard to prove that it is quite ready for new challenges. Is Saabs PhoeniX concept a step in that direction? Well, giving the benefit of doubt, it seems that the PhoeniX concept could be that indicator of the direction Saab will eventually use for its future powertrains, technology, and design. The platform and powertrain used by the PhoeniX are a preview of what will underpin the next-generation 9-3. The concept uses a 200hp 1.6-litre turborcharged four-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission. The concept uses Saabs new eXWD (electric Cross Wheel Drive) system, with the gasoline engine powering the front wheels and a 34horsepower electric motor driving the rear axle. SEAT The Spanish arm of Volkswagen Group unveiled its IBX crossover concept at groups pre-show party. The IBX has been designed under ex-Lamborghini designer Luc Donckerwolke and its the second concept car to preview Seats future design language. It also gives a strong hint that company is preparing to launch a new small SUV mechanically based on the Tiguan. As a design concept, the IBX blends cues from a crossover, a two-door mix of SUV and sports car in a package which is almost identical in dimensions to the Tiguan. Seat claims the IBX has been conceived as a hybrid, and can travel 60km on electric power before a direct injection TSI or TDI engine has to take over. The IBX is front-wheel drive to save fuel, but Seat says four-wheel drive could be an option. SUZUKI The diminutive Swift, about the size of a Mini Cooper, has been a success in Europe, and Suzuki has said the newest version of the car was engineered to meet U.S. regulations. Based on the latest Swift, which debuted last year at the Paris auto show, the S-Concept gets an appearance package and some mechanical tweaks. The car is lowered on stiffer springs, and its wider fenders accommodate a 2.4-in stretch in width. Front and rear bumpers adorned with slats and a Ferrari-like exhaust and diffuser. Inside the S-Concept is a race-car-inspired steering wheel with an up marker band in yellow. Behind the wheel are two sport seats and the engine is derived from the previous generation Swift Sport. In the old car, the 1.6-litre four-cylinder made 123hp, but Suzuki is mum on the concepts proposed output.
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geneVa Motorshow
Concepts: a special mention Tata Motors The Indian car maker which also owns Jaguar and Land Rover is setting its sights for Europe. Two years ago it launched the worlds cheapest car, the $2,500 Nano for domestic markets, but it did show a Nano concept with European flair. Now, that the Nano sales are beginning to pick-up after several improvements, the platform served as the base for the Europe youth-oriented Pixel Concept. It shows how a more upscale four-seat urban car could be built on the underpinnings of the tiny Tata Nano, the worlds cheapest new car. One clever feature in the 10-foot-long car is that its scissor doors open up, rather than out, so they stay within the cars footprint without impinging on passing traffic, cyclists, or pedestrians. But theres another feature thats even cooler: Spin on the spot parking, which lets the Pixel park in little more than its own length. This unique feature comes courtesy of a unique Zero Turn infinitely-variable transmission, designed by Torotrak, that splits the torque from the Pixels rear-mounted engine to let one rear wheel rotate in one direction while the other goes in the opposite direction. Toyota Toyotas rear-wheel drive FT 86 coupe is almost ready to hit roads. Its a compact sports car, measuring 4,235mm in length, 1,795mm in width and 1,270mm in height. The new Toyota FT-86 II or shall we say facelifted version was unveiled along with its Subaru version. While the two sports cars are being co-developed, Toyota president Akio Toyoda said: I want to transfer the thrill of the race track to our vehicles, and make driving fun and exciting for our customers. The FT-86 was designed with input from the companys ED2 European design centre and its F1 experience has helped develop the aero package. Toyota is positioning the FT-86 as the spiritual successor to Celica, and of course the legendary rearwheel-drive AE86. Volkswagen One of VAGs premium performance brands, Bugatti made some headlines with their very first appearance at the Qatar However, aficionados who were expecting the marques latest Super Sport to turn up at the venue were slightly disappointed. But the presence of the blue and white open top 16.4 Grand Sport, by far, the worlds fastest, most powerful and perhaps the most exclusive car in its segment made up for the absence of the Super Sport. Like with the coupe version, the Grand Sport edition is powered by an 8-litre W16 engine that develops a whopping 1,001hp at 6,000rpm. This car will do 0 to 96km/h in an incredible 2.7secs. Top speed goes up to 406.4km/h, but is reduced to 347km/h with the top down, obviously for safety reasons.

Peugeot

Peugeot had a pretty busy agenda. The carmaker presented the new Peugeot 308, launched the new 508 and introduced the worlds first diesel hybrid - the 3008 HYbrid4. The 3008 Hybrid4 is being offered in a limited production run of 300 units. It combines a 2.0-litre diesel engine driving the front wheels with an electric motor at the rear and sets the scene for an all wheel drive with maximum combined power output of 200 bhp, a zero emission mode and standardised average fuel consumption of 74.3 mpg. However, it was the new 908 endurance racing car which Peugeot Sports will use for their campaign in this years Le Mans 24 Hours and the ILMC that stole the show.

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Concepts: a special mention IED Developed in partnership with Abarth, aspiring design students at the Turin-based Istituto Europeo di Design this year they teamed up with Abarth [Fiats performance arm] to create the Scorp-Ion under the supervision of Luca Borgogno, senior designer at Pininfarina, and Luigi Giampaolo, a designer for Maserati, these students have created the Abarth Scorp-Ion, a concept car that was presented in a 1:4 scale at the Geneva Motor Show.Emphasizing the ion in the name, the design study calls for an all-electric drivetrain, using four electric motors (one per wheel) that get their power from a lithium-ion battery pack. The concept aims at exploring the very essence of the brand independently from the Fiat models.

Nissan While the Esflow concept wasnt one of the top stars of the show, but it shared the podium with some very interesting details. The Esflow uses quite a lot of technology from the massmarket Leaf EV hatchback, but uses a separate motor to turn each rear wheel and should hit 100km/h hour from a standstill in under five seconds. The laminated lithium batteries are mounted low to help out the center of gravity and are said to be good for 240km per charge. Any weight penalty of the energy storage system is offset by a rollbar-integrated aluminium chassis mated to a composite shell. At the moment the Esflow is a pure concept, but there is hope it could come to production: Nissan has a heritage in sports cars and now it is establishing one in electric cars, said a company spokesman.

Renault The Captur is the second in a series of concept cars put out by Renault in recent times that explores the different stages of relationship in a human life cycle. The first being the DeZir, shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year with a theme of introducing two people and now the Captur moves into the second phase of human exploration. Hence the car is tagged as A Crossover Thats All Muscle in Motion. As in the DeZir, strategic LEDs placed on the matt-finished car highlight its profile. Another example of the use of carbon fibre at the show is fitted in Capturs hard top convertible roof that reveals an exotic interior created that uses layers of design elements.

Ssyanyong Ssangyong, the ailing Korea-based automaker exited a court-led bankruptcy protection in force since 2009, after Indias Mahindra formally completed the takeover last month. The SsangYong SUT 1 Concept is similar in size to the current Actyon SUV -- 4,985mm long x 1,910mm wide x 1,755mm high, and with a generous 3,060mm wheelbase. The new 2.0-litre diesel engine is Euro 5 compliant and produces 155hp and torque of 360Nm. The new model will offer the choice of either six-speed manual or automatic transmission in either 2-wheel or 4-wheel drive models.

VW-Guigiaro The first concept design from Italdesign Giugiaro after becoming a part of the Volkswagen Group was the Tex concept. Its designed to be a fuel efficient small car, under four meters long. Giugiaro also presented the Go! MPV, giving a glimpse at what a people-mover could look like in the future. Like the Tex, the Go! uses Volkswagens new modular transverse architecture which could help accommodate a wide range of powertrain options. The Go! is powered by the automakers Blue-e-motion EV technology, Volkswagens Twin Drive plug-in hybrid system with a 1.4-litre turbocharged engine that works in tandem with the electric system. This will enable the concept to travel 35km on battery power. With seven-speed direct shift transmission and 400Nm of combine torque, 0 to 100km/h takes a bit over six sec.
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geneVa Motorshow
Tuner Specials: a special mention Brabus Brabus has worked wonders again on the SLS AMG V8. On an alreadyexcellent mill, it has attached a pair of turbochargers resulting in a bump of output from 563hp and 479 lb-ft of torque, up to 700hp and 626 lb-ft of torque. It goes without saying that the intake and exhaust manifolds, engine mapping and exhaust system on the car have also been changed. Traditionally, twin-turbocharged engines have a pair of turbos both spinning in the same direction. Brabus has fitted a right-turning and left-turning exhaust to the respective sides of the engine, and this allows for optimal air flow into the engine. All of this work has produced a car thats lightning quick with 0-100km/h coming up in 3.7sec with top speed of 340km/h. Commendably, Brabus has achieved this feat without resorting to major tampering of the stock aerodynamic package.

Fab Design Swiss tuner FAB-Design has unveiled its take on the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. The car with matte blue paint finish had an outlandish aero treatment with things such as massive rear air vents below the taillamps and blue-trimmed wheels sticking out as a sore thumb. Fab designs for some other premium German brands have come in for scrutiny and this latest addition is no exception. Even the interior hasnt been spared and it uses a mixture of white and blue on nearly every touchable surface, including the leather seats.

Bentley The Bentley ICR Convertible was specially created to commemorate the achievements of Juha Kankkunen. Kankkunen took a lightly-modified (tyres, aero bits and roll-cage) car out to a long stretch of sea-turned-ice. The car set a new ice speed record by hitting 328.76km/h. Bentley marketing pundits seizing the PR wasted no time in grabbing the opportunity to create a limited edition [100 units] Continental Supersports Ice Speed Record Convertible. Each of these cars will boast standout features that will help them stand out from non-ICR versions. Only three exterior colours will be available to compliment the Dark Grey Metallic top; Beluga, Quartzite and Arctica White. Inside, carbon fiber has fitted on the dashboard and center console, while the familiar Breitling dashboard clock gets red accents. MTM MTM Tuning and Individualisation specializes in VAG brands such as Audi, VW, Seat, Skoda, Bentley, Lamborghini, as well as KTM, Spyker and Porsche. The hand-polished MTM Audi R8 V10 BiTurbo sports the mirror-like good looks of Audis seminal 1991 Avus Quattro concept. The bi-turbo V10 engine has been modified to produce 777hp and 888Nm of torque, helping the R8 achieve a 0 100km/h sprint time of 3.0secs. The car sprints to 200km/h in 9.37secs and 300km/h in 19.42 secs with a top speed of 350km/h. Complementing the enhanced output, MTM had added adjustable sports suspension and large brakes with 8-piston calipers in the front and back. Other visual and aerodynamic improvements include a massive rear spoiler, front lip, and 20in rims wrapped in Michelin PS2 tyres. Mansory The Germany-based customizer of high-end exotics arrived in Geneva with its take on the MercedesBenz SLS AMG called the Mansory Cormeum. In the past, Mansory has produced some truly questionable designs, but it seems this time, its creation was in tune with the market. Mansorys engineers have put the car on diet and shed almost 91kg, while simultaneously boosting output to more than 660hp. This was done by replacing many of the body panels with lighter carbon fiber units, and swapping the wheels with lighter forged units measuring 20in up front and 21inc in the rear. Drivetrain modifications include a high-flow air filter and exhaust, as well as a remapped ECU. Only 15 examples of the gullwing Mansory Cormeum will be produced.

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Wild and whacky cars: a special mention

Rinspeed This Swiss automobile manufacturer and tuning designer never fails to entertain at the Geneva Show. Founder and owner Frank M. Rinderknecht loves to stimulate and provoke the status quo with quirky concepts and ideas. This year it was the Bamboo, a four-seater summer buggy. Jointly developed and built by Swiss engineering firms 4erC and Esoro, the car employs for propulsion a hightorque 54kW electric motor that helps accelerates the 1,090kg vehicle to a top speed of 120km/h with a range of 105km on single charge. In its construction, the Bamboo combine steel and composites. Lifestyle and connectivity were a big part of the Bamboo concept with colour changing rollover bar. The rear seats and roof are inflatable and can be removed and taken to the beach and instead of a grill there is a conversation panel supported by Identiface an Intel product developed by Daimler MBtech.

Smart After the Smart Crossblade, Smart has created another open top based on the Fortwo -- the Forspeed EV concept. The Forspeed is similar to the 2002 Crossblade concept, which means it is roofless and doorless. The Forspeed is ecofriendly as it electric, using a 30kW electric motor with an additional 5kW boost mode available via a centre-console switch. The electric motor draws power from a 16.5kWh lithium-ion power cell, which offers 104km of range. Charging is via a 220 AC volt port located between the rear light clusters, and Smart claims the Forspeed can be charged to 80 per cent in 45mins. Theres also a clever use of solar cells in the wind deflector, to assist in charging the inevitable built-in smartphone. Volkswagen While Volkswagens Microbus may be one of the most iconic vehicles ever to come out of the German automakers stable after the Beetle, VW has so far resisted in making a re-entry in this segment. With the Bulli concept, it is believed that VW could be testing waters with the concept with some modern technology applications. The Bulli is equipped with an electric motor that generates 114hp. With a lithium-ion battery pack, the car has a range of roughly 300km which is surprisingly high versus most EVs. It can also accelerate from zero to 100km/h in 11.5sec and has a top speed of 140km/h. A footnote from VW that seemed to hint at future production possibilities indicated that the concept was capable of incorporating petrol and diesel direct-injection engines as alternative drives. It specifically noted that those engines have a 1.0- or 1.4-litre displacement. De Tomaso The last time we heard of this legendary Italian marque De Tomaso, was when Gian Mario Rossignolo, a former Fiat executive was trying to resurrect it. Rossignolo, allegedly, was seeking a production facility in Italy to build a new range of sports cars under the brand. Cut to Geneva and it seems that some progress has been made in this respect. Three concept models bearing the De Tomaso name -- a crossover SUV, a luxury sedan and a new coupe, were presented as part of the portfolio. The cars have been penned by Pininfarina and feature an all-wheel drive system and is said to be capable of accommodating V8 or V6 powertrains.

Bertone-Jaguar Jaguar has plans to enter new market segments by 2014 and this fact is perhaps Italian design house Bertones inspiration for the B99 Jaguar Concept. The concept may have moved the crowds at Geneva, but somehow, Jaguar was not impressed by it and theres no question of this going into production. It is not our concept. We appreciate the fact that Jaguar is interesting enough for people to do a concept around. Its not that we are offended by it, or against it it is just not for us, said Adrian Hallmark, Jaguars global brand director.

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regional news

Porsche Roadshow returns to Yas Marina

automan automan had some fun with the sportscars at the formula 1 track ormula
Author Chandan B Mallik

o true petrolhead will dispute ever with the fact that there is no better way to experience the excitement of sportscar than to drive one. And thats why Porsche conducts the Porsche World Roadshow, a branded international driving event in different countries around the globe with an in-built programme designed to give potential customers the opportunity to drive a range of Porsche models for one day in different situations. The last Porsche World Roadshow for the UAE was held in 2009 at the Dubai Autodrome. Last month, the 2011 edition of the Porsche World Roadshow was held at Abu Dhabis Yas Marina circuit and the programme ran from 2-9 March. Porsche flew in 25 vehicles of the current model range for this event which was accompanied by specially trained European and UAE-based driving instructors. Among

the impressive line-up of models was the recently introduced 408hp Porsche 911 Carrera GTS, 500hp Panamera Turbo and the 320hp Boxster Spyder. The programme started in late afternoon with a brief introduction about the brand and activity. Guests were splitted into groups and the track programme was split into four sections namely: handling, braking, Moose test and slalom. The grand finale was taxi rides with the expert instructors.

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25

regional news}
Handling
This section involved lapping the North loop of the track behind an instructor. The cars we drove in convoy included the Carrrera 2S/4S, Cayman, Boxter, Panamera and Cayenne Turbo. Since the convoy had a mix of drivers and laps were extremely limited, the real track potential of the cars were difficult to ascertain. However, they did give a basic feel of capabilities.

Braking
In this exercise, the objective was to accelerate as fast as we could on a fixed length with hard braking and turning at the same time. The car for the job was a 997 Turbo convertible which not only is mind blowing fast but is equally capable of putting serious Gs during acceleration and braking. What impressed was the cars vice like grip, ABS and to some extent brakes which showed no signs of fading after repeated use.

Moose test
Technically, this exercise is a little harder than the previous exercise as theres an element of uncertainty thrown in. Cones are placed strategically in a such as way that in instant a driver has to make a choice of steering either right or left. However, the catch is: the driver doesnt decide which way to manoeuvre the car till the last moment. A marshall with yellow flag standing behind the cones beckons the driver after he approaches or crosses the demarcated line. The marshal will wave the flag indicating either right or left to avoid the moose with no braking at all, just steering the car to avoid that moose. And this is where the Panamera S was put to test. The test was carried out with and without PSM (Porsche Stability Management).

Slalom
the setting for the slalom in a large parking lot can be quite challenging if your reflexes are slow. The car we had was the new Boxster Spyder which now comes with a similar engine to the Cayman S. As far as performance and handling goes it is a whole different animal. First there is a trial run to get acquianted with the course and and then three time trials. As always, theres no need to hard push the car, just maintain line, length and speed. In experienced hands and with a bit of practice, the Boxster Spyder can be drifted through the entire slalom course without hitting the cones. The real secret for being quick in a slalom is to use both feet during driving. Since most Porshces come with PDK (double clutch), so no real clutch work is required.

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The score so far

Automan announced in January 2011 its first exhaustive editorial team has been quite busy. We are pleased to respective categories] for The Car of the Year 2011 award The members of the editorial jury have nominated most of the segments in the market based on tests You can also monitor the progress each month in [www.automanweb.net]. The following models which have received nominations in Car of the Year (COTY) programme. And since then, the announce that there have been several nominees [in their so far. these models from several potential candidates, covering carried out either in Oman or in the GCC region. Automans dedicated Car of the Year official website Q1 are as follows:

January 2011-04-05
Bentley Continental GT [Performance car] Infiniti M37 S [Luxury car] Ford Mustang GT [Sports car]

February 2011-04-05
Audi R8 V10 Spyder [Sports car] Volvo S60 [Premium car] Ford Edge [Premium SUV]

March 2011-04-05
Dodge Challenger SRT [Performance car] offering] Lexus CT200h [Premium hatch] Suzuki Kizashi [All new debut/

brandwatCh

K-based and Indias Tata Motors owned Jaguar is all set with its own business plans which covers activity for the next 12 years. Of course, much of the eventual offerings will be determined by factors such as legislation, emissions, fuel efficiency, hybridization and other applications of technologies. Whats immediate on the palate and effective later this year is an updated version of the XK sports car. Following this in mid-2012, Jaguar will launch a refreshed version of the XF, along with a long-rumoured wagon variant. The XF wagon will likely be reserved for the European market. At the tail end of 2012 Jaguar will launch a smaller XE sports car to slot beneath the XK. Although earlier reports suggested the smaller sports car could employ a mid-engine layout, it appears Jag will go with a shortened version of the XKs platform to save costs. In early 2013 Jaguar will release an updated version of the XJ sedan followed by an allnew XK.

Kia wins two red dot design awards

aab Automobile is advancing its entrepreneurial business strategy by initiating the establishment of a subassembly plant in co-operation with ZF Chassis Systems, a leading international supplier of driveline and chassis systems. Located in Halvorstorp, just three kilometresfrom Saab Automobiles state-of-the-art production facilities at Trollhttan, the plant will be operated on just-in-time, lean production principles and supply front sub-frames and complete rear axle assemblies for installation in the

saab signs uP with zF For chassis systeMs

next generation of Saab cars. Under the agreement, the plant will be run by ZF as a subsidiary company, ZF Sverige AB, and is expected to employ about 50 people. Large sub-frame pressings will be stamped out at the Trollhttan press shop and taken to the ZF Sverige plant where they will be welded together and fitted with chassis mountings. Suspension and brake components will also be fitted to the rear sub-frames to form complete rear axle assemblies. All units will then be shuttled back to the factory for vehicle installation on the production line.

he decision about the production site for the fifth model line of Porsche has finally been made. The new vehicle is the smallest SUV, which has an internal project designation Cajun. This new addition will be manufactured at the Porsche plant in Leipzig, Germany. This decision has been approved by the supervisory board as the monitoring body authorised the board of management to finalise plans for the Saxony plant to become a fully-fledged production site for the Cajun including body assembly line and paint shop. Within the context of the Cajun production, at least one thousand new jobs are to be created in Leipzig, and additional new jobs at Porsche in Zuffenhausen and Weissach. Subject to approval by the authorities, construction work at the 400 hectare site is scheduled to begin in 2011. Currently, the Leipzig facility produces the Panamera and Cayenne models.

Porsche to build cajun in leiPzig

Maruti-suzuKi Production Milestone

5
T

Peugeots new 908 earns its First PodiuM

a fully-fledged production site for the Cajun including body assembly line and paint shop. Within the context of the Cajun production, at least one thousand new jobs are to be created in Leipzig, and additional new jobs at Porsche in Zuffenhausen and Weissach. Subject to approval by the authorities, construction work at the 400 hectare site is scheduled to begin in 2011. Currently, the Leipzig facility produces the Panamera and Cayenne models.

he decision about the production site for the fifth model line of Porsche has finally been made. The new vehicle is the smallest SUV, which has an internal project designation Cajun. This new addition will be manufactured at the Porsche plant in Leipzig, Germany. This decision has been approved by the supervisory board as the monitoring body authorised the board of management to finalise plans for the Saxony plant to become

uzuki Motor Corporation has announced that car production at its Indian subsidiary, Maruti Suzuki India, has recently passed the 10 million units milestone, 27 years and three months after the first production began. Maruti Udyog Limited, which was formed as a state enterprise in 1981, signed a carproduction agreement with Suzuki in 1982. The first resulting model, the Maruti 800, reached the Indian market in 1983 when the passenger car market was just 70,000 units. The company, now named Maruti Suzuki India, has since produced and sold models such as the Omni (known in Japan as Every), Gypsy (known in other markets as Jimny), Wagon R, Alto, Swift, SX4, A-star (Alto) and Ritz (known in Europe as Splash) in line with improving Indian road conditions and consumer demand. Maruti Suzuki India has plants in Gurgaon and Manesar (both near the capital, New Delhi), which have combined annual production capacity of 1.2 million units. In line with rapid market growth, the company is building two more plants. The new facilities are scheduled to be completed in 2012 and 2013 and will each be able to produce about 250,000 units per year. Maruti Suzuki India plans to have maximum production capacity of about 1.7 million units per year in 2013.

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fter a record year in 2010 with over 762,000 vehicles sold, koda expects to continue this growth in 2011. By 2018, the Czech manufacturer plans to double its annual sales to at least 1.5 million units. To achieve this, the company has ambitious plans to increase production across all manufacturing facilities. koda finished 2010 with a positive result, with sales revenue rising 22.4 per cent to EUR 8.692 billion. The operating profit was more than doubled to 447 million EUR. 2011 is exactly 20 years after the entry of Volkswagen this is a year of setting the course and setting out new horizons for koda, said the chairman of

sKoda record sales and strong growth rePorted

the board of koda, Prof. Dr Winfried Vahland at kodas annual press conference in Prague. In the first two months of the 2011, worldwide sales for the brand increased by 25 per cent to over 132,000 vehicles compared to last year. Skoda plans to increase the production at koda locations, both in domestic as well as outside of Europe. Within the framework of the koda Growth Strategy developed in 2010, the company aims to double its sales to at least 1.5 million units by 2018.

daiMler-Fiat: no alliance For the tiMe being

7
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chrysler eMineM coMMercial insPires Merchandise and KnocK-oFFs

bMw banKing on Mw Mw t twinPower turbo technology For threecylinder engines also

hryslers Born of Fire two-minutelong video clip that debuted during the Super Bowl featuring the Chrysler 200 had Eminem and a gospel choir. The commercial generated lots of publicity, even though some of that buzz seems unwarranted and even though Chrysler may not know what to do with it. The company had to file a trademark-infringement lawsuit against Detroit retailer Pure Detroit for using the tagline Imported from Detroit in its t-shirt designs. While the law is on Chryslers side, since Chrysler owns the trademark and already offers its own line of Imported from Detroit products. While we understand the importance of protecting trademarks, we are also aware that since a sizable chunk of Chryslers equity is now in foreign hands, the imported from Detroit tagline seems pretty apt. But according to analysts, the lawsuit could easily blow up in Chryslers face since the Imported from Detroit shirts are designed within city of Detroit and printed in the metro Detroit region (Madison Heights, specifically) and the company cant guarantee that the shirts themselves are made in America (much less Detroit) or that theyre made from American cotton. For the time-being, Pure Detroit seems to have removed items with the Imported from Detroit tagline from its website and Facebook page.

bout a year ago BMW indicated that it was developing a new family of petrol and diesel engines and was considering a three-cylinder variant. BMW has now revealed that these new generation efficient engines will feature its latest TwinPower Turbo technology in order to ensure that any car fitted with such tiny engines will still be worthy of carry the Ultimate Driving Machine tag. TwinPower Turbo technology features a twin-scroll turbocharging system, direct fuel injection and solenoid injectors, the latter being the latest innovation for BMWs VALVETRONIC variable valve control system. The resulting effect is a small engine--and small engine fuel economy-but with big engine performance. The most recent application of this new TwinPower was seen in a turbocharged 2.0-litre fourcylinder engine which develops 245hp. This performance is comparable with the automakers naturally aspirated 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine. It wont be surprising to see forthcoming models ditching their in-line-sixes in favour of the turbo four. As for the new three-cylinder TwinPower Turbo engine range, the first model expected to use it will be the next-generation MINI due in 2014 and two front-wheel drive BMW models following shortly after. The move to downsized engines is part of BMWs wider goal to cut its average carbon dioxide emissions another 25 per cent by 2020, after they were reduced 30 percent between 1995 and 2010.

report emerged last month suggested that inside sources had confirmed that talks were taking place between the worlds top producer of commercial vehicles, Daimler AG, and Fiat Industrial S.p.A. regarding a possible partnership to build commercial trucks. Now, the suggestion has been shut down by Daimler in a phone interview between a representative from the German auto group and Automotive News Europe. There are no talks between Fiat and Daimler, said Heinz Gottwick, Daimler spokesperson. The clarification by Heinz counters a previous report by Maneger Magazin, which cited John Elkann, head of the Agnelli family which owns a 30 per cent stake in Fiat, and suggested that the Italian automaker was in the midst of talks with Daimler AG. As expected, Fiat refused to comment on the situation, which was a resurrection of talks that ended last year when Daimler walked away from talks with the Italian automaker, citing its disciplined approach to mergers and acquisitions.

hile Indian automaker Mahindra and Korean automaker SsangYong consider themselves specialists in utility vehicles in their respective countries, with Mahindra leading the utility market in India and SsangYong laying claim to building the first-ever SUV manufactured in Korea back in 1988, known as the Korando Family. Indian automaker Mahindra says that the single largest benefit it hopes to gain from the merger is the ability to harness synergies between the two companies. As a result, a Synergy Council is planned that will contain senior management representing both companies, with the aim at improving global procurement, new car development and business strategies in order to penetrate various international markets. Mahindra has laid out a five point agenda for the Korean automaker: strengthen the product pipeline, harness synergies between the two automakers, invest in the SYMC (SsangYong Motor Company) brand, build human resources and focus on creating financial stability. SsangYong has also laid out proposals for investments in 2011, which include for a 70 per cent increase in product development compared to 2010, or at least $177 million. SsangYong also intends to spend $35.5 million, or a 60 per cent increase in brand building within Korea, and an increase of four fold
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10

Mahindra-ssanyong wraPs oFF deal Finally wra

{headlines}
1

ford reclaiMs NuMero uNo spot with New buyers

Kbb.com Brand Watch Q4 2010 Study Most-Considered Auto Brands Overall (Regardless of Segment) Ford 29 % Chevrolet22 % Toyota 22 % Honda 21 % Nissan 13 % Hyundai 11 % BMW 11 %

TOP 10 HEADLINES

Automans take: According to the latest Kelley Blue Book Brand Watch study shows Ford has reclaimed the No. 1 spot as the most considered automotive brand overall for new car shoppers. And Ford is back on top in a big way, with a significant lead over second-place Toyota/Chevrolet and third-place Honda. In addition to being the most-considered auto brand overall (regardless of segment) for Q4 2010, Ford has been the highest-considered brand within the truck segment for nine consecutive quarters. Currently, Ford is the mostconsidered brand in the non-luxury SUV/CUV segment, and continues to gain ground quarter-over-quarter in the non-luxury sedan/coupe/hatchback segment. kbb.com shoppers opinions are leading indicators of future new car sales, and the study shows that in the fourth quarter of 2010, durability/reliability, fuel efficiency, driving comfort, and performance and safety ranked as the top five most important factors in their search for a new vehicle.

New child seat GuideliNes froM Nhtsa

children always ride in the back. If the back seat is unavailable, passenger air bags should be turned off when car seats are in front of them. After kids reach the age of two, NHTSA recommends leaving them in a child or booster seat appropriate for their weight and height until they properly fit in an adult seatbelt. Further, NHTSA recommends keeping kids in the back seat at all times until they hit those magical teen years.

ferrari ff sold out

Automans take: US-based The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released new guidelines today to help parents decide on a safety seat for their child and the best use of that seat. According to the new guidelines, kids should stay in rear-facing child seats until theyre two years old, or have reached the height and weight limits advised by the seats manufacturer. Whether kids are kept in a rear- or forward-facing seat, NHTSA says it is important

ducati corse app puts the MotoGp chaMpioNship iN the palM of your haNd!
the world of Ducati. The Ducati Corse app is compatible with iPhone (3G or later), iPod Touch and iPad. It requires iOs 4.2 or later operating system.

Automans take: To celebrate the start of the 2011 MotoGP season, Ducati has released the new Ducati Corse App via the Apple App Store and iTunes. Its free and full of info direct from the Ducati MotoGP Team pit garage and factory in Bologna. Discover everything you need to know about the Ducati MotoGP Team with Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden and hold all the secrets of the Ducati Desmosedici in your hand. Receive rapid updates on races, results and championship standings in addition to all the latest trackside news and a wealth of additional information from

Automans take: The Modena-based automaker has announced that it has found qualified buyers for the first 800 FFs it intends to produce annually. Deliveries of the car begin in May, and the first cars will be handed over to domestic clients in Italy, where the car lists from about $368,750). Subsequent orders wont be delivered until the second half of 2012, when FFs will be titled as 2013 models. Interestingly, you cant walk in and just buy this new shooting brake model. Like all recent Ferraris, being the first owner of a new car means that you must have owned at least one used Ferrari. To become an owner of the companys newest model, we would assume requires a much more extensive Ferrari resume. Eventually, Ferrari plans to assemble 70 FFs monthly at its factory in Maranello, Italy. Meanwhile, a media event for the car was held where the car was air freighted by Chinook helicopters to the test location.

Kia Motors hits 10MN export MilestoNe

increasingly significant imprint of the global automotive industry, particularly in recent years with the introduction of a new generation of models including Picanto, Rio, Sorento, Sportage and Optima. Following the companys cumulative five millionth export in March 2005 which took 30 years to achieve, Kia Motors was able to reach the next five million exports in just six years thanks to a focused management strategy that has resulted in rapid improvements in product design and quality as well as major enhancements in its global marketing and dealer network strengthening activities. The milestone event was attended by some 400 guests including Kia Motors Vice Chairman & CEO Hyoung-Keun Lee, local government officials and numerous foreign dignitaries stationed in Korea.

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Automans take: A Snow White Pearl Optima sedan destined for the US market shipped from Kia in South Korea represented the 10 millionth vehicle exported since the car maker began exports in 1975. The first exports Kia made was a consignment of Brisa pick-up trucks for Qatar and ever since Kia Motors has made a rapid,

ultra liGhtweiGht Mazda Mx-5 Gt uNveiled for british eNduro raciNG

to 96km/h in three seconds flat. The raceready Mazda can also crest 256km/h while looking damn fine with its new Spirited Green paint job. The Jota Sport racing team removed interior components, revised other interior fittings and dipped the stock cars shell in acid. The doors, like many interior components, are made of carbon fibre and the windows are made of polycarbonate. The racing team also lowered the engine height, adjusted the suspension and added a six-speed paddle shift transmission to aid with handling.

Automans take: Off late, Mazda has been focusing on flab reducing gram strategy across its product line-up and the best examples of how this philosophy works is in the new MX-5 GT race car. The roadster, which will compete in the Britcar MSA British Endurance Championship this year, weighs just 1,874 pounds while packing nearly twice the punch of the standard MX-5. The heavily modified MX-5 engine produces 275hp, which is enough to propel the light-weight roadster

MeNtal KoeNiGseGG aGera r specs released

twin turbochargers and a seven-speed dual clutch. Standard features include dual airbags, detachable storable hardtop with glass roof, power windows, adaptive rear wing, adjustable pedals and steering column, Agera stitching, adjustable seats in rake and length, carbon ceramic brakes with Sport ABS, hydraulic lifting system, power steering, power brakes, extra four-point seatbelts for track use, Satellitenavigation, Intelligent LifePo4 battery, MP3 player, USB connection, climate control, digital warning and info system, G sensor, alarm, tire monitoring system, silver key, leather carpets, roof storage bag and a car cover. The insanity that is the Agera R can be had for the low, low price of just $1.4 million U.S.

Automans take: Till now, the Bugatti Veyrons 1,001hp rating was considered obnoxious, absurd and outrageous. But, the usually quieter Swedes at Koenigsegg think 1,099 horsepower is more appropriate for their rangetopping Agera R. Shown to the public at the Geneva Motor Show, it is unofficially reported that one car has already found a home in the Middle East. Although the power figures are impressive, the Agera R will scoot from a standstill to 100km/h under three seconds, then on to 199km/h in 7.5secs, and a top speed of 392km/h [which just falls short of the Veyron Super Sports top speed by about 35.2km/h]. All of this power and speed comes from an aluminium 5.0-litre V8 which features four valves per cylinder,

uK wiNNers aNNouNced iN toyota dreaM car art coMpetitioN

2012 vw Golf cabrio rolls off productioN liNe

from its hatchback sibling. Unlike the staple appearance of prior cabriolets, VW removed the fixed roll bar and replaced it with units that automatically deploy in the event of a roll over. European customers will have the choice from the same array engine options as the Golf hatchback, all I-4s ranging in displacement from 1.2 to 2.0-litres in both gasoline and diesel. Rolling off the Onsabruck production line first was a model painted Sunset Red. By the end of the year VW will have invested some $420mn into the plant in preparation for the new model. With an annual capacity of 100,000 units, the Osnabruck facility has the ability to produce Porsche Boxter and Cayman models.

Automans take: Spring has officially begun and it seems just in time for Volkswagens production of its newest drop top: the 2012 Golf Cabriolet. For the past two generations of the Golf, Volkswagen hasnt offered a cabriolet variant. VW toyed with the idea of filling the gap since 2003 with the slightly upscale Eos and retro-chic New Beetle Convertible. Now it seems that both were aimed at different target markets, meaning there was still a potential in the VW line-up with this open top variant. Largely resembling the two-door Golf, VW took steps to give the Cabriolet its own flavour. A slightly revised front fascia and steeper windshield rake offset the drop top

Automans take: Cars that can fly, cars that run on water and a limousine boasting twin hot tubs inside: these were among the many colourful and inventive ideas produced by the winners of the UK section of the Toyota Dream Car Art competition. The winners achievements were celebrated at a recent prize-giving ceremony hosted at Toyotas head office in Surrey, attended by many of the young artists and their families. Toyota chairman Naoya Taniguchi presented the winners with their certificates and prizes and told the audience: The goal of the competition was to create opportunities for children to have fun drawing their dream car of the future. We wanted to see how their imaginations could run wild and inspire creativity. Dreams and how we can inspire the young people of tomorrow are very important to Toyota. The subject of future cars and future technology is at the heart of our business, which is why we spend more on research and development than any other vehicle manufacturer. All fifteen short listed finalists will now go forward to the global competition.

10

is the Maserati Quattroporte replaceMeNt coMiNG to fraNKfurt? NG

new GranTurismo Coupe and Cabriolet. For power, Maserati is expected to continue with its current 4.7-liter V8 with improvements especially in the fuel economy and emissions departments. With Porsches Panamera as the key rival, it is expected that the entry level model could command a price tag of around $75,000 to compete with the German sedan.
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Automans take: In all likelihood yes, as the aging Maserati is almost overdue for a replacement. Analysts believe that the Frankfurt Motor Show which will be held later in year will offer the ideal platform for a first glimpse of the mid-range sedan. As for the new Quattroporte, the design is being carried out in-house by Maserati and is expected to incorporate the design language of the

{road test}

ool er c Ub TT

Editorial
Author B Mallik Chandan phy Photogra Nabeel uthor and A Ferzan

NomiNEE

audi tt rs sports ca r

S
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called TT RS. is bombshell w is that this its drops th with all understand no ion in the line-up But what we fine tural progress ut TTS was just part of the na a high outp among the exercise is a also provided nts such as ie t en the best series which potent ingred gine thats no r ometimes ev nalists can of the model ur-cylinder en its five-cylinde e Cayman motoring jour rbocharged fo to rekindle the Porsch d and tu ell-informed carmaker in favour w t ving the ive bran ain. First poin capable of gi a credible e an automot logy once ag oduct only -derived , but also as underestimat re V6 techno ing with its pr ghly flexible VW for its money a run lky 3.2-lit e TTs hi ble of do ative to the si for this was th hat it is capa ing led. Take w tern d neer and sporty al to surprise an ally if it is engi Audi decides e. When we line-up, especi d its TT rang wered sibling, po di an the case of Au a 265hp Audi to think that e beginning wer

s a highcoupe get Audis TT th the RS badging. For 2011, nt wi s been ance varia rform this car ha pe vers how ports car man disco veritable s Auto a osed into etamorph m

irements. conomy requ escribed fuel-e pr is the end of was was th ld have been as a third The question flip side wou but the turbo since there w ning lots of ing set-up, ? Actually no, receiv operations. el mea the road was capable of VAGs global old-school fe er rpm. To atform which n thanks to re TFSI an ming at high t co optio a 170hp 2.52.0-lit PQ35 pl and full boos or the 3.6e group, the it produces ket limits in lag a donor. In th s Mexico un 2-litre of VR6, VW such e 3. r the US-mar hed its turbocharge th CC could have s almost reac der engine fo and Golf R. d this engine ur-cylinder ha e Volkswagen litre five-cylin fo th s an oR g litre variant in d Jetta model di are phasin d VWs Scirocc t VW and Au is engine is Rabbit/Golf an the Audi S3 an en possible, bu 265270hp, th t meet with be esn een because it do lag. A bigger Offering betw t this engine smooth turbo lively with its hp in this ou still or so d another 40 turbo could ad

33

{road test}

pleasantly provides a from fort mode om designed a and C d Audi has forced fe arated by ed ride. s sep pact balanc ultra-com in exhaust h has tw hic ratch an rear are engine w not etallic sc further. -cylinder tweaked rsely and exterior m stly 2.5-litre five iffuser. d the ansve to be is mo line-five is affect the potential ounted tr ontrast to r in t In c had a been m re interio Mexican e it doesn er gly, the , the enti hes. The Audi has ally. Henc four-cylind Interestin paintwork longitudin metal finis imensions. enerable VWs v contrast Europe, erhang d antara/ h ov Alc FSI direct . In based on black wit front end feature an arger with ed EA113 p ntrasting orts seats a turboch on power code-nam ill vers 340h d sp er co ined engine TFSI deli focus is st ches, this heate . on with silv S logos in comb and this customer in p per litre combinati R TT jection where leather f cubic f 137.1h embossed instead o ciently adges in a specific output o km/h d b e effi 00 itching an dditional ith and torqu far more e of 0 to 1 heel, w arged st front backrests. A d of sprint tim s job is top spee itre twinch steering w i claims a raight-five e st th rned e 1.4-l on the ll Aud and gove e-restrict s appear lished by th e door si d go th accomp in 4.6sec Audi can n and lo v counter, and on brushed However, erful five, grandso four. in the re 250km/h. made from ultra-pow nd Pich . The ature Ferdina lays are ead of in ats fe l-efficient, 0km/h ow h It took trims. The emely fue he and n ile, floor m sts and it to 28 00 , to turn . Meanwh and Porsc gine is extr e .2 litres/1 er en board of Ferdin aluminium trim and the footr e of just 9 I cylind pervisory carmaker. an averag erates up minium. agens su iping n m p Volksw e of alu requiring h, premiu harger ge r silver also mad leather a high-tec rge turboc pushed fo ing torque Audi into pedals are ked the perforated km. The la ade, he ressure aid 0 rpm. eering li boost p er by tr tic fivest e y of sma @ 1,60 An engin particularl to 1.2 bar ifunction the chari of 450Nm r is fed air from el drive, ed mult such as ailability at-bottom ro all-whe projects av att oole , fl frame sy with the interc ngine, Qu ultimately o quite bu with Meanwhile, cylinder e the single wheel. s, and, ment of oard is als gment d engine b e se seg nel mperature The dash turbocharg e into the luxury ment pa the lower es the te t its not ted instru anc e driver lle, reduc v ri Th 0 per cen tegra . So Audis ad radiator g l displays. by over 8 inium A8 r an in manual and digita ssed air ears afte lay boost e all-alum ed mpre with th st 30 y analogue can disp w six-spe s of co that almo al Quattro, Audi n system d. The ne cteristics as well a surprising informatio at full loa perature rigin ing chara defin ontrol of the o d oil tem h an ons a sportily ate-c the launc pressure transmissi in 2010. ratio and matic clim efficiency the TT RS r. An auto nstructed stem are tios via a d sy high is co launched a lap time e gear ra long car ncert soun t are a read of th expected, the TT e principle system and the co 4,200mm the outpu The narrow sp id double pace Fram As nd e Audi S So how d w shifter. all-wheel much like onents a as per th standard. short thro ermanent ally, very ht comp ghtweig as also quattro p ded or ine? Actu li g s Its heart bon RS w wherein of this en RS feature res are quipment. 6, the TT ally a pure, andard e elbase of nd the RS m structu whe as st S4 a H as electronic aluminiu axle: an ur the R attro Gmb hine. The drive the same clutch. ed by qu . It has xterior, o the rear c p a t the e riveted multi-plate e develo barred driving m n lies a and from , hydraulic foundatio ugello Blu s2,468mm controlled metallic M ck TT in no-hold the car builds on a n. sporting sto suspensio s test car chassis of ked like a at the rear pression avier , which ny subtle that uses four-links rk still loo chassis r scruti riving im TT RS is slightly heeavy. paintwo orts close 9 D es andard sp 0 millimeters (0.3 t air intak ont h , but on h, the st fr ug profile The fron 1 nt feel it so The gs Altho is evident. e body by TS you do lly feel the so much ned sprin detailing lowers th than the T ou can rea tightly tu siderably, in atures where y . Theres wn con nal Audi ar , fe more optio g for you have gro This is a c f inches) lights any ers. The ox workin g system wer end o ck absorb re no fog nd of the nd gearb in o lo u there a engine a tive damp ar on the like the so e and sh ride adap al silver b e of two ss sound dem. We ser and th an option magnetic select on do with le super tan rear diffu a irt and nd could simply driver to nit. The sk e er a ed u us an extr rs by the front allows th five-cylind a large fix has done k absorbe ic mode ck single er is now , but Audi r the shoc m g bla rear spoil modes fo dampenin tton. Dyna igh-gloss e Sport bu o gets a h luminium the road model als e in matt a pushing th RS to hug m e Audi TT e with a fra hts come frame grill s headlig enables th xenon plu . At the e ts finish. Th nning ligh daytime ru with LED
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favour by providing an S butt sharpens on that no throttle re t only so sponse bu valve in th on!]. Wh t also ope e exhaust ats more ns a th for a more sound. T , with th rottle blip he short-t authoritati e incessa ping even hrow, six ve so-e transmissi nt us w when driv -speed m xperience on [the o hich mea en by the d fails to su anual so nly one o nt that w not- cru delight to undtrack bdue the ffered now e could ise lazily use. Whil impressiv of this en ] is a d effectively in top ge e, we thin transmissi e limite gine. And rag coeffi ar, or rev k the ma on is cool, r. With its thanks to cient of ju it up to th nual co but Audi free flowin us with su a redlin st 0.30, th e up glide ha g characte per hit du e become e 2+2-se s effortle al-clutch tr s pampered The r, hitting s addictiv much tha at dont ssly throu cars acce ansmissio e, especia t we could gh the w ns so a leration is lly if you ind. boo watch the tachom wish for o RS [grape ggressive pretty fast st just doe ne in the eter beca vine sugg pulling po and the s not drop use the TT of m ests there wer and th few turbo aximum to off. This is s one co e availabil engines th ming an rque of 45 one of the ity and at accelera 0Nm betw d 5,300rp eagerly b te seamle m is what een 1,600 eyond red ssly particularl millisecon line and e y impress ds before ven in the ed is ca the turbo t quick p boosts, th assing oth e RS er traffic with little

35

{road test}

ay, then erdict t the TT was cool anyw this car, m (ESP) V ed gra ugh e we test ization Pro ntirely. In If you tho oler. Whil e could nic Stabil is even co Spyder. W ially or e e Electro th off part V10 R8 rvene this had the the inte ched also had ably, we does not n be swit s. e engine cars, argu attro ca gly, the we ifts or rev qu bility and th ndin de, th ownsh of the y with bo ll, flow, usa nd its , correspo Sport mo need for d e. In the sa combination of thri action and availability tanding r tr uts rcar a erwis That the to monito lting in o in a supe d. best r than oth t for the yet seen TT RS resu d superb gage late deactivate in s, an fully e next, bu kes en rability drivetrain g dynamic t will com red. bra the ESP is ions, we found desi ou e, wha ght boxes fascinatin time hon cond mod rd to think s all the ri ondit traction, n ountain ha ct that is TT RS tick , the se nding on driving c to mentio a fa the m g the eering Depe aining in nt hesitate dered as onsive st y time bein stability is chassis, and resp We would stly entert on the wa si o n d y. e ise the car m discovere ould be co confidentl ns of th The prec y ke all the E. We also ng limit s reactio di TT RS sh ar in the RS famil ads in UA antaneou g corneri t really ta traction that the Au inst sports c eels ro r durin s it can as the ic wh f h me ehaviou first class the 18in titors suc because o at someti neutral b ng compe W Z4 grip from loaded the urve th the apex n, the BM 55 espite stro exiting a c eels gets e vice like er before wh pow while Cayma r. and d and th the front nz SLK ortiness. 5/45 tyres understee xster and e re sp 24 Bo an bias whe ercedes-B ssence of fitted with ently into ng Porsche nd the M T RS will feel the distilled e ar goes g r is by usi rive35i, a that the T you could and the c udes the ge the ca ex the car will sD onfident ly time to enga . We also the way using are c the on y of them is when The best yle where AMG, we However, ore against an driving st avy side eering. e car with list d some m al st e he l-driv p well a minima udi create ont-whee car on th omechanic isc stack u out time A cise, it is ntilated d ke a fast fr tive electr si ve pre ink its ab just feel li speed sen uick and The large diameter th ry here as well. bigger TT is quite q agenda. 370mm in it feels a hough it a hidden histo Alt sure are b, so hich mea the rear y but num e. brakes, w 0mm at also heav t and 31 ed. eavier on and the o on ah at the fr e chassis t over serv as well as rmers, bu ssive is th ms that rong perfo lso impre ent syste A st agem r purists, ndly man orts car fo driver-frie a true sp . As go with it

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A formulA thAt clicked!

Audi has once again produced a five-cylinder engine and a very special one at that. Michael Dick, Audis board member for R&D, recalls how the engine for the TT RS was developed. For the Mexican engine, we added one cylinder to the four-cylinder unit, and we used a cylinder head basically coming from the Lamborghini Gallardo V10. The focus was low cost. Audi engineers then added directfuel-injection technology, an intercooler, and a turbocharger with up to 17psi of boost to create an adequate TT RS powerplant. Switchable flaps in the intake manifold mix the incoming air in a calculated configuration. Injected at a pressure as high as 120 bar by the common-rail system, the gasoline swirls intensely in the combustion chamber - which in turn cools the walls. The result: 340hp at 5,400rpm and a 7,000rpm redline, which is twice the power of the naturally aspirated engine. Thanks to direct injection, there is instant torque even at low rpm and before the turbo kicks inand it kicks in quickly. From 1,600 to 5,300 rpm, 332 lb-ft are on tap. The power-to-weight ratio is also outstanding. In the case of the Coup, which weighs in at a mere 1,450kg, the power-to-weight ratio is just 4.3kg per hp. the 2.5-litre TFSI is ultracompact. Just 19.29in in length, it is ideally suited for transverse installation in the Audi TT RS. And its weight of just 183kg also sets a record of sorts. The crankcase is made of vermicular-graphite cast iron. This high-tech material unites the utmost in strength with low weight; it has otherwise only been used for the large TDI engines from Audi. For a forced fed engine it boasts of a very high a compression ratio of 10.0:1. And its no secret that sporty five-cylinder petrol engines have a long legacy at Audi. The most famous one we can recall is the

turbocharged 2.1-litre engine in the 1980 quattro which by then standards offered an impressive 200bhp. The Sport Quattro was inspired Audis motorsport success delivered a whopping 306bhp in 1984. For over 25 years, turbochargers and quattro have been a dynamic formula for success.
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{CoVer

story}

300 Prepare for Glory!

ast month we took a detailed look at the new Dodge Charger and what it means for the Dodge brand under Chryslers umbrella plan for meeting the challenges of a new American automotive landscape. This month it is our turn to look at the flagship brand and the flagship product. For years most automotive brands have been recognized by one single flagship model and Chrysler has gone through quite a few models taking that label. At one time, it almost seemed that the flagship product was the Voyager/ Caravan combination. However the past decade saw the renaissance of the big American saloon car as the mainstream Chrysler product. Despite a tie-up with Daimler for much of that time, the most well-known product was the 300M series of models, including the extended versions like the Concorde. For its time and considering what we know of the American marketplace in hindsight, perhaps the 300M was in the right place at the wrong time. We do know that we liked the car itself. Oddly enough, the 300M was one of the cars that we saw at a Hyundai test facility as it was considered good enough to be a benchmark. We are of course aware that the decade has seen Hyundai grown to be a leader, catering in essence to the same market where Japanese car makers had made their biggest gains the US home market. Practically all these gains, by both the Japanese and Korean manufacturers were at the cost of the big three in Detroit. Now it is the turn of the littlest of the erstwhile big three to mark a departure. We participated in the global media ride and drive event of the 300 at the end of this January. It was followed with the official launch of a communication programme for Chrysler that built on the imported from Detroit slogan.

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caught at the crossroads of the march of technology and an increasingly globalised customer, the new chrysler corporation is pulling out all the stops in getting battleready. and leading the charge is the completely overhauled 300
Author Raj Warrior

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{CoVer

story}

300 anges in the ary ch nd a the evolution windscreen a d back include a rake y look the the bentle m departure fro

ULP gging for 22 ells (almost be ok of a hotrod large wheel w lo and the inborn it is something u dont even chromed rims) San Diego. So s character. Yo s much of ceiving us at the 300 ha ate the 300 shops re hine domin r to know that e that eel works, mac a relief to se e rear of the ca and is more u against the st ve to get to th ongoing car e the city of ha odernised. Yo the mad Filmed have been m the genes of ants that have ture. ed spoiler on mobiles, it d assembly pl the tail would na an grat auto docks the car evolutionary in nk of the inte d of American the San Diego can see the ki ck and as you ce of rapper the homelan redesigned ro in the choi of the rear de Parked beside unlikely he due to the ory of ailing edge the st the tr jewelled lamps casts an , largely agonist, telling ction, the new l bars, the looks the part rome em as the prot und the tail se n horizonta Emin seve d a strong ch nt ro grille with l. em and the hi light pipes an come visible. at a critical with vertical dustrial reviva sler wing embl be in ry ance n the tailpipes creen raked a redesigned Ch es its appear er le with a winds The 300 mak linkage betwee utionary ladd . Saddled as a sportier profi e car is still ers fortunes ong the evol in Chrysl moves al riors and st glance th mplete of te ood . At fir juncture sk of a co lighten the in r the 300 G rther 3 back e onerous ta e the move to ost like the ca ent and fu it is with th ches, includ s managem 0 but it is alm 30 haun haul, Fiat mpany the l along. Beefy product over have been al erything the co be seen in ev staff should hand can dges of the g the name ba does, includin
40

trimming er visibility by ea all round bett rear glass ar provide creasing the pillars and in C-pillar. The the s at the a quarter glas though the by adding in lity is striking, driver visibi t, admittedly effect on main prominen r does still re ever the cabin A-pilla e mirrors. How current due to the larg also ace feel of the e confined sp ramic roof itself loses th a large pano e roof gets cross bracing 300 as th e with a large ass n in, two-piec throw is is the only gl terestingly, th neration as the B-pillar. In at this ge on the 300 in drawn from roof available has been with al sunroof ct a large car the norm u would expe tion. Now, yo n technology produc new productio factor some radical with a much better 0 now claims eel tailored used, the 30 High speed st of nal stiffness. rtain degree of torsio ses and a ce ; new proces utive sedan blanks e exec n also make th upgraded added insulatio n has also been ter. The cabi nsole gets a much-quie back. The co e dashboard n looking blue from th d more moder ion h brighter an muc all multifunct d and a sm black twin po has a classic on sh also tween. The da console in be ue clock. alog ed inside out, trapezoidal an been redesign back. e seats have Th in around the a support built the cabin, with more of lours inside choice of co s and leather Also the of the plastic ral with the feel the large cent along arket as does centre for s the car upm take e nerve serves as th vigation and display that , camera, na munications the com t. s as part of its entertainmen ts two engine RWD or e 300 now ge Th n of an only with the optio powertrain, sion. r the transmis at tar engine th AWD layout fo all-new Pentas e Chrysler e first is the Th the entir e mainstay of is becoming th

range across Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge brands. The 3.6-litre V6 engine with VVT, 292 horsepower and 353Nm of torque has cylinder angle of 60degree and offers exceptional smoothness and fuel-efficiency. The larger of the two, which will get the coveted C badge, is the Hemi 5.7-litre V8. Both engines will be available with the proven W5A580 five-speed automatic transmission. The Hemi gets fuel saver technology allowing it to run on four-cylinders while switching over to 8

41

{CoVer
milar in both e torque is si er Surprisingly th ide for a high on demand. emi does prov though the H engines . e the car power output part of its cycl g e in the early on too. Sittin At some stag D in our regi ique in its lable with AW un will be avai rangement is , the AWD ar ill from the slightly higher t-wheels at w ct the fron onne hile bringing ability to disc e efficiency w der to improv or d stability. drivetrain, in ide traction an . It online to prov to drive nature them back any of its fun 0 has not lost s some degree The 30 that allow ifting gearbox road through has a quick-sh torque to the le and plants its 6-cylinder, whi of wheelspin band in the rt of the rev e AWD gives a large pa the Hemi. Th e tarmac with le the RWDchewing up th e bends, whi stance in th l e tail exists. a very neutra know that th d does let you all versions an only layout improved on s been vastly as standard Braking ha and wheels of large tyres P235/55R19 the provision d going onto 25/60R18 an P2 P245/45R20 starting with ance sizes of tional perform and the op rgone a wheels. has also unde with chrome e suspension th t- and rearIn the bargain htweight fron y w isolated, lig ne rigid assembl revamp with liver an ultracradles that de suspension

story}

r new roll-stee gn features control of spension desi su ent ance. ing independ ement for n and perform ometry, allow sorbers, ge spension mov ed for precisio need and toe su ont-shock ab monotube mber ube fr nt shock- ca ling. All-new All-new monot e ned lower-fro ld-class hand wor make the rid repositio and springs er improved springs and a bushing deliv ock-absorbers g handling sh in link while improv bined, these to-suspensionne jounce comfort. Com ore refined, rol, ride and emium uretha the front m cont namics. Pr s improve with rubber and dy mponent ension links lity, while suspension co g and durabi pers and susp the sedans bum handlin bushings help road bumps suspensions ieter ock absorber rshness from ha ute to a qu 300 sh reducing the ension contrib ious Chrysler susp per and ith the prev ension rear dition, new up compared w ew front-susp r cabin. In ad interio ide additional dition, all-n isolators prov suspension sedan. In ad rt a premium er spring-seat low s ssenger comfo rshness and hydrobushing r increased pa duce ride ha dampening fo re component teristics. er bumps. braking charac k rear- ov olong smooth pr 300s five-lin the At the rear,
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0 close to the driving the 30 ng After a day of just help thinki er, we couldnt st Mexican bord home, not ju much at to the e car was so that th it is born re it looks like through in the city whe open road and on the manor, but also again a large is untryside. It e the winding co has risen to th p sedan that the Fiat ican flagshi Amer ion and sler Corporat version occasion. Chry nk on the new e can ba America and Chrysler allianc s of ttle to the road e to take its ba ive in the larg main competit fault to re by de the GCC. car market of

Rethinking the basics

High-strength and Advanced Highstrength Steels
require higher structural rigidity. These body areas include the vehicles seat cross members and upper-rear cross-car area behind the rear seats, which allow the vehicle to deliver higher cross-car rigidity.

The 300 has gone through a major revamp in production of the body structure, right from the steel it uses. Five aspects bear particular mention:

More than 67 percent of the 300s lower unibody structure and 53 percent of its upper unibody structure are stamped from stronger high-strength or advanced high-strength steels. Use of high-strength steel can be found in the vehicles centre tunnel, bodyside, front-wheel housing structures and rails. With approximately twice the tensile strength of high-strength steel, advanced high-strength steel is applied to critical areas of the vehicle that

Weight Reduction through Ultra Highstrength Steels

The 300 features hot-stamped ultra-highstrength steel in the A-pillars, bodyside doors, upper front-rail section and windshield header. Delivering the tensile strength of advanced high-strength steel with thinner and

Energy-absorbing Dual-phase Steel for Impact Protection

Delivering twice the strength of high-strength steel with maximum energy absorption during an impact, dualphase steel enables the 300 to compete with the worlds best with

lighter applications, total outward visibility improves by 15 percent compared with the previous model, and the windshield header was positioned rearward 3 inches to make it easy for the driver to see stoplights and overhead road signs.

Transformation Induced Plasticity (TRIP) and Nylon Reinforcements Add Strength, Rigidity
The 300 features advanced transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) steel in its upper unibody structure. TRIP enables the B-pillar, lower header and rocker areas to use thinner, lightweight steel. In addition, the

respect to crash test ratings. Thin, lightweight dual-phased steel is strategically engineered into the Chrysler 300 sedans inner-front rails and engine box area for occupant protection.

Laser Brazing for a Seamless Surface

Chrysler 300 strategically integrates nyloncomposite reinforcements in sedans upper header cavities and A- and B-pillars for enhanced passenger crash protection. Enhancing the 2011 Chrysler 300 sedans sculptural body is the use of laser brazing. This advanced manufacturing technique harmoniously creates an uninterrupted unibody with smooth roof panel and rail sections for a precisionappearance and improved aerodynamics.

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first driVe

Out O

shadO shadOws Ows

the soon-to-arrive fifth generation 2011 all-new elantra compact sedan is like no other car in the segment. automan gets a first-hand feel of the car in seoul, south Korea and returns highly impressed
Author Chandan B Mallik 44

ntering the very top of the extremely busy and fiercely competitive global compact sedan market is no easy task these days. Its not because its bitterly cold [minus 6C] outside Hyundai-Kia Motors HQ in Seoul where we first saw the fifth generation all-new 2011 Hyundai Elantra [Avante in the domestic market and Malaysia], but its more to do with how the segment has behaved over the years. Automakers have rarely been ambitious in this segment which has long lived in the shadow of midsize sedans till now. But thats going to change very soon with the arrival of a car codenamed MD internally, or for the masses, the production version of the incoming fifth generation Elantra. This new model debuted at the 2010 Busan International Motor Show in April 2010 and while we warm up to this volume global all-new compact sedan model for which Hyundai has spared no effort in getting all the elements right in packaging this model be it style or design, levels of kit, powertrains, safety or performance, we also realize that we are looking at possible new benchmarks in the segment. To begin with, the fifth generation Elantra has shed its bland and boring and now appears sharper and visually balanced under the influence of Hyundais current Fluidic Sculpture design language a new styling philosophy successfully applied on the new Sonata and to some extent on the Tucson/ iX35. The new Elantra has been designed at Hyundais North American Design Center in Irvine, California and Korea, as a global model is able to buck the general segment convention convincingly with its distinctive Wind Craft-inspired profile. Add to that elegant style features such as small boot, wraparound headlights, signature hexagonal front grille, front fog lights and muscular wheel arches to give it sporty profile. A lot of design and aesthetics in the new Elantra seem have been inspired by larger and expensive sedans, particularly the way the Day Light Opening or DLO [a designers term for the side glass] has been blended in. Compared with the outgoing model, the incoming Elantras dimensions have marginally changed. Now the car rides on a 106.3in wheelbase, which means it is just two inches longer than the previous generation. Meanwhile, the overall length has also been increased by 0.9 in to 178.3in,but theres no change in width which remains fixed at 69.9in. The cars height has been lowered by 1.8in to 56.5in and hence the car has a squat look. While the sheetmetal comes with sharp and flowing character lines, the Elantra

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first driVe

can easily be mistaken as a shrunken Sonata except for the fact it has got an extra feature line originating at the front door. These lines, along with muscular wheel arches and a sleek roofline also contribute to a highly evolved aerodynamic profile that comes with an exceptional drag coefficient of Cd 0.28 that compares favorably to the performance cars such as Audis TT RS(0.30). The cars assertive stance is complemented by a choice of 15-, 16- or 17in alloy wheels. The bright spot in the Elantras interior is that doesnt resemble that of a budget compact anymore. While leaving its own predecessor miles behind Hyundais interior designers have found an intelligent way of blending style with some interesting trim materials in this car. Despite the change in dimensions, the interior is very spacious with generous head and leg room. In fact, it has more space than the current Toyota Corolla or the Honda Civic. And its not just open fields, the Elantra has plenty of room for premium features like front and rear heated seats- a compact segment first, leather seating surfaces and even a factory installed 360w audio system. From the features perspective, heated rear seats are standard on the Limited, along with leather upholstery and imitation leather door panels all perforated in a wave pattern. GLS models use cloth covering but all the seats are the same construction. The headliner employs a mix of material that includes volcanic rock
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to an interesting effect more attractive than plastic. We were also surprised to find the AC vents were colour-coded. Room up front is very good and the seats are set well in from the doors for extra elbow space. Front seats are comfortable with adequate bolstering and so are the rear seats. Since theres no driveshaft tunnel, the floor is nearly flat. Drivers of the entry level will miss the benefits of a telescoping steering column, which usually helps a driver to get ideal driving position and view but all Elantras have electric power steering. Outward visibility is fairly good despite the presence of thick A-pillars. But in terms of information and instrumentation, theres quite a bit of kit which not only is stylish, but highly functional and uses stateof-the-art technology. Hyundai expects a lot of family-oriented customers and hence cabin storage is extra generous in quantity, variety and location. Each door has a map pocket, electronics plugs arent right next to the cupholders waiting to fill with coffee or cola, and theres a pocket on the right side of the console with an adjacent 12v power point. Its handy for charging things but anything in it takes away the passengers left knee-rest. The boot offers nearly 15 cubic feet of space and we think only the Chevrolet Cruze or Mazda3 might offer a bit more. Its not a big opening, but sufficient, and there are pulls to drop fold the 40:60 folding rear seats for more capacity.

But the real piece of news actually lies under the Elantras rakish bonnet. An all-new, all-aluminum 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine with Dual Continuously Variable Valve Timing (D-CVVT), dubbed the Nu offers respectable 148hp and 131 lb.-ft. of torque. The new engine is smaller and weighs 34 kg less than the Beta engine it replaces and is able to offer 16-18 per cent improvement in highway fuel economy. If we are not incorrect, then new Elantra can boast of offering the best power-toweight ratio, lower fuel consumption than the standard engines in all its compact car rivals. Thanks to advanced clean engine technology, the new Elantras are certified as Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV) by the EPA in the US. And backing up the new engine are two equally new six-speeds transmissions, in manual and automatic versions with Tiptronic function. The rest of the running gear keeps up to the new drive-train. Steering is via a new electric system and front suspension uses MacPherson strut, while theres a torsion beam at the rear. Four-wheel disc brakes with ABS are standard, unlike the rear drums found on most compacts except the Mazda3. The safety kit in this car does put a lot of models [even some bigger names] to shame. Besides a comprehensive active and passive safety kit, Hyundai now takes compact car safety to the next level with the introduction of Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) which manages Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and the power steering. Interestingly, ESC is still not standard on the higher priced 2011 model year Civic. For stopping, the new Elantra also features a

state-of-the-art braking package comprising of four-wheel disc brakes (Civic, Jetta and Corolla still use rear drum brakes) and an AntiLock Braking System (ABS) including Brake Assist, which provides maximum braking force when a panic stop is detected, and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Electronic stability control. ABS is now standard across all Elantras.

Driving impressions
We drove only the automatic top of the line GLS version which had a two-tone interior and premium features such as keyless entry, push button start and immobilizer, power sunroof, one touch drivers window and leather trims. The touch-screen navigation is user-friendly and includes a high-resolution 7.0-in TFT screen and can also operate via voice-activation. The sound system plays compact discs, accesses digital music files via Bluetooth streaming audio or allows driver and passenger to access their personal listening devices through the iPod/USB/auxiliary inputs. Within a few kilometers of the drive, the quieter new engine feels sharper in response and part of that is due to the introduction of electronic throttle control which does the mapping for air intake and engine torque and NVH efforts. While, the 1.8-litre engine offers as much power as the 2.0-litre say in the Mazda 3, like most compatriots it has to be revved a bit to get the most out of it. Even doing so, it seems fairly happy and cooperative. The six-speed automatic transmission is also shifts effortlessly and holds gears as needed to maintain speed or acceleration.

Directional stability in general is good, with little of that vague on-centre feeling that characterizes some electric-assist steering systems. However, it does add assist when the steering wheel is turned in the correct direction, and lessens assist, requiring more driver effort, when the steering wheel is turned the wrong direction. Since the new Elantra unibody structure is extra stiff, the car feels solid, tight and is mostly squeak free. Suspension seems to be calibrated more for ride comfort than outright speed but the rigid structure means it can do a commendable job on twisty roads and still glide down the highway with equal ease. However, it does exhibit body lean in hard cornering but this is more than acceptable in a car in this class.The electric-assist steering has nice weighting and feedback for this class of car and we not

Verdict
Till now, buying a compact car used to be a compromise with consumers settling for affordable, fuel-efficient cars without style, space, or luxury amenities. The all-new 2011 Elantra not only encompasses all of Hyundais latest ambitions including modern design, advanced safety technologies and best-inclass 40 mpg highway fuel economy, but it also has delivered a car that not only challenges the compact status quo, but seemingly will give the elite competition a run for its money. With a 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine producing a respectable 148hp, the Elantra has more power than the industry benchmarks, mainly the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.
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InspIred by an
ancIent legend

<< ancient legends of the aymara tell us of huayra tata, god

of wind, who commands the breezes, winds, and blizzards that invade the mountains, cliffs and hills of the andean highlands. it is told that huayra tata resides deep in the high peaks and valleys, abandoning them only to demonstrate his power to his wife,
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Gullwinged Huayra is officially Paganis long-awaited all-new Zonda supercar successor

Author Chandan B Mallik

pachamama, goddess of mother earth. with his power huayra tata was able to lift the waters from lake titicaca and rain them down on the fertile pachamama. when huayra tata sleeps, the waters and rivers lay quiet. >>
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ts no secret that its over a decade since Modena-based Pagani Motorbili released its game-changing supercar, the Zonda. Horacio Pagani, founder of the extremely specialized handcrafted supercar company and architect of the Zonda C12 is calm as usual and in no hurry. Pagani has spent seven long years in creating a befitting successor to the ultra-high-performance million-dollar Zonda and the first specifications of this awesome new gullwing supercar creation, also known as Huayra has just been released. Pagani builds cars inspired by natures elements and the Huayra (pronounced whyra) takes its inspiration from god of the wind. The Huayra measures 4,605mm in overall length, 1,169mm in height and 2,036mm in width. Weight distribution is biased 44 per cent front and 56 per cent rear, with the bodywork (including the doors) made from carbon-fibre. The monocoque chassis is made from carbontitanium and is combined with active front suspension which allows for the ride height to be adjusted. At the same time, once again, fruits of Paganis exclusive alliance with Mercedes-AMG is showing up in the form of a highly tweaked Pagani specific twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre M158 V12 which is also homologated to meet the strictest environmental regulations, EU5 andLEV2. Although, the same engine also graced the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black

Series three years ago, it gets specifically designed heads, pistons, turbos and exhaust manifolds from AMG. Meanwhile, the previous AMG-sourced 7.3-litre V12 used in the Zonda has been discontinued. Depending on customer preferences, two levels of turning for the engine will be offered. The base package will offer an output of 700hp and 900Nm of torque and a bumped up Sport grade will add a modest extra 30hp and 200Nm of torque, with the latter taking it into the 1,100Nm range. Although, these are still preliminary figures, according to Pagani, but the Italian supercar marque has made it clear that Huayra despite being bigger than the Zonda will improve on its predecessor in the performance benchmarks, with the new-generation coupe (dry weight: 1,350kg) reportedly accelerating from 0-100km/h in 3.3 seconds. As before, the engine is mounted behind the seats and drives the rear wheels through a transverse-mounted sequential seven-speed gearbox with paddle shifters and a dual-plate clutch. Pagani says a dual-clutch system was evaluated but ultimately not selected as it would have increased the weight by approximately 70kg, thus negating any minor improvement in shift-time. The Huayras Xtracdeveloped gearbox weighs just 96kg and dry sump lubrication ensures an optimal oil feed to the engine even when the car is subjected to the most extreme lateral accelerations.

The performance claims place the Huayra three tenths of a second faster than the 2005 Clubsport-spec Zonda F. Although not quite as ballistic as the wild 2009 Zonda R ultra 1,079kg dry weight track special [which came with AMGs race-derived M120 6.0-litre drysump V12 (producing 551kW/710Nm) and could hit 100km/h from standstill in an even more eye-watering 2.7secs. Even with these performance figures, Pagani is quick to point out that the Huayra, which was developed under the codename C9, was not designed or engineered as a Zonda clone in any case. It was developed with more safety technology than Zonda, and to ensure it passed homologation requirements for sale in the US and some new first time makers for the Italian brand. Since the original design of the Zonda was done in the early 90s, the first thought was that it was now an obsolete project and we decided to imagine the car totally different in form, dimension, dynamics and technology all this without losing the essence of our approach, says Pagani. While there are plenty of mod-cons onboard, as evidenced by an advanced infotainment system operated via a high-definition central touch-screen, the Italian designers have also placed an emphasis on a living, breathing atmosphere rather than an overtly digital one.

What
Aerodynamics

Horacio

Pagani

Aerodynamics inspired by an aircraft wing played a major part in the design evolution, not simply in the flowing shape but also specific aviation tools, such as moveable flaps at each corner of the car that are independently and automatically operated. The eternal element air in all its forms, especially wind, became

determining in defining the concept and it was a great inspiration, as it is ever present in our lives: a jet turbine, the silence of a glider... the elegance of the movements the wind creates, but also the violence and force that it can unleash, says Pagani. Four specially designed flaps allow the car to be optimally balanced especially the vehicles drag coefficient and downforce.

Size matters
In defining the size of the new vehicle, he wanted it longer than the Zonda, with a wider track, a more spacious cabin (with the seating position pushed back a little) and, overall, with a silhouette that would be soft, easy to read and form itself from lean and sleek lines that have a clear beginning and an end.
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Breaking news: Roadster version planned Horacio Pagani has announced plans to build an open air version of the new Huayra supercar. There will be a Huayra Roadster in approximately three years. This, of course, means we can expect the model to be launched in 2013 or 2014.

wanted in the Huayra

Lightweight construction
As a composite material specialist in supercars, very few people would know that it was Horacia Pagani who introduced carbon fibre as key material for construction in Lambhorghini. The new central monocoque on the Huayra is an entirely new design made from carbon-titanium composites. However, with the gull wing doors cutting deep into the roof, much research was focused on achieving the highest levels of rigidity through the application of new advanced composite materials and technologies first tested on the Zonda R. The fuel tank is located integrally in the best protected area of the monocoque, behind the driver, reinforced by safety cell made of different composite and ballistic materials. The dry weight is 1,350kg and makes the Huayra the lightest sports car in its class.
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Safety and performance

The car complies with the strictest European and American standards in term of safety and pollution regulations. According to Pagani, the goal was to have neutral vehicle behaviour under all conditions and tight rein over bodyroll via aerodynamic means rather than electronic intervention. It says the behaviour of the flaps

is managed by a dedicated control unit that is fed information from the ABS and ECU, which pass information about the cars speed, yaw rate, lateral acceleration, steering angle and throttle position. Keeping the car connected are specially developed the bespoke Pirelli P Zero tyres.

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Revisited!
Author Chandan B Mallik

For 2011, koda has completely revised the Fabia supermini with a new face and has put greater emphasis on energy efficiency and comfort

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lmost two decades of cooperation with Volkswagen and with an investment of $14bn over the years, no wonder Skodas cars are better than ever. For what was once a small regional European brand is now on the threshold of becoming a top tier global player. While the company initially focused on Europe, now it sees major potential in Asia and markets such as Middle East. The smallest supermini of the Skoda family available in the Middle East is the Fabia and its family roots are evident throughout. From the bold, elegant lines of its exterior styling down to its smallest component, the Fabia exemplifies kodas attention to detail through simple, clever solutions and innovation. And now, the breadth of its technical innovations goes far beyond a mere facelift. It begins with a completely redesigned front end incorporates strong horizontal forms, which visually lower the car despite its unchanged height. The Fabia now looks much more dynamic but does so without compromising any of its

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comfort. Meanwhile, according to Skoda, some changes in the engine programme made it necessary to redesign the Fabias front end and so the opportunity to reprofile its face was also taken. The bumper and its mountings, the headlamp shapes, the bonnet and the front floor area - nothing is shared from the previous koda Fabia. The new grille and the three-dimensionally shaped headlamps define the new look of the koda Fabia, their horizontal lines emphasising the front ends width. Despite its redesign, the cars existing virtues havent been forgotten. The visor-like window surface which wraps around the passenger compartment has always been a key feature of model. The option for a complementary roof paint have been kept. The Czech-built 2011 Skoda Fabia range consists of three models including the

entry-level Classic, the mid-range Ambiante , and the full-options Elegance, all powered by a 105 hp 1.6-litre Volkswagen-sourced 4-cylinder engine with a 6-speed tiptronic automatic gearbox. Available features include 16in alloys, dual-colour cloth upholstery, Bluetooth phone, auto climate control, cooled glovebox, cruise control, sports suspension, a multifunctional steering wheel, parking sensors, stability control and front airbags with side airbags. Skodas are already priced well below equivalent VWs offerings, although they share engines, transmissions, and many other parts and technology. The 2011 Skoda Fabia is priced from Dhs 54,000 to AED 64,500 in the UAE, depending on model trim.

<< the new engine meets eu5 exhaust emissions regulations,

offers excellent fuel efficiency and extremely low co2 emissions >>

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newsMaker

ord has started working on a digital child body model to better understand the effects of car crashes on youngsters. The model will be created from MRI scans of real children and used in computerized crash tests to see how accidents specifically affect small kids. Ford hopes the model will significantly help reduce injury rates for children in car accidents. The child model is a continuation of an adult model project that Fords been working on for more than a decade. Like the digital adult, the childs skeleton and vital organs will be painstakingly rendered to make sure theyre as near-to-life as can be. According to Ford, the technology has already been put to good use designing better restraints, but theres always more to be learned. Building a digital model is no simple task. The

Ford begIns work on chIld crash-test dummy

work on Fords adult human body model that started back in 1993 was not completed until 2004 and only then after extensive validations. Digital models are used in research, not in vehicle development. They dont take the place of crash dummies, which measure the effect of forces on the body. Instead, they are used as a way to understand how to further improve restraint system effectiveness through better understanding of injury mechanisms. The digital model is constructed component by component brain, skull, neck, ribcage, upper and lower extremities, etc. with extensive research included on each part. Ford says that building the model of a person is just like building a model of a car where the starting point is surface geometry for each component and any subcomponent it contains in this case the geometry of the human body and its internal organs. After gathering such data through medical scans as well as anatomical texts, the researchers build a model section by section, creating regions of the body. The brain in Fords adult human digital model was constructed as a separate component, detailed down to the stem, the gray matter and the fluid between the layers. The components are then joined into a virtual human body, which is extensively validated. Then, using mathematical and analytical tools combined with available body data, researchers are able to determine the effects of a crash and the pressure of a restraint system on the body.

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thoroughly
recharged
As part of the Dodge product onslaught, the fire-breathing Charger SRT8 will return for the 2011 model year
Author Chandan B Mallik

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he fast-paced rebuilding of Dodge as a performance brand and the expansion of the in-house SRT branded product lineup in 2011-12 is an important part of Chrysler Groups rejuvenation plan has received a shot in the arm with arrival of the beefed-up Dodge Charger SRT8 sports sedan. The cars now famous Coke-bottle lines have been slightly modified reflecting intent and purpose. With the addition of a full SRT body kit, the car looks much more aggressive up front and in the rear with Chargers new signature racetrack LED taillamp, while sculpted rocker panels and a rear boot mounted spoiler differentiate the model from lesser variants. A gloss black cross grille sits prominently and polished four-inch exhaust tips indicate that this SRT-badged Charger which is connected to the road via 20in alloys

srt8 will be built at the brampton assembly plant in, ontario, canada >>

<< the 2011 dodge charger

012 DODGE CHARGER SRT8 Engine: 6.4-litre HEMI V8 Power: 465 bhp (est.) Torque: 465 lb.-ft. (est.) Handling: .88g on skidpad (est.) Top Speed: 175 mph (est.) 0-60 mph: High 4-second range (est.) mile: High 12-second range (est.)

t least for now, it is beginning to get clear means business. where Honda is heading with its product The cabin of the car has also been tweaked befitting has demands direction. Although Honda the earned a of a spirited driver. Uniquely bolstered, stitched, and branded SRT reputation for producing a fuel-efficient line adjustable front bucket of cars and crossovers,heated. Even rear up seats are vented and it is beginning to passengers get a similar at models that Carbon fibre-themed trim look arrangement. have been its bedrock and pieces replace some of thecost effective to plastics and a the rising also stock Chargers produce. As 900w 19speaker Harman Kardon designed audio system comes with an 8.4in yen is playing havoc with Japans carmakers, touch screen. Very similar tois a little late in SRT8 392, the central Honda the Challenger understanding that it display can be configuredto work out a global strategy for effective has to show Performance Pages, essentially all the statistics petrol heads would love to see and measure (like manufacturing. The Alabama, US-built 0-100km/h, average Odyssey tops the list of priorities and despite g forces, and quarter-mile times etc). Other notable features that add fact its not an all-new model butcontent the to the premium bells and whistles clearly will include keyless Enter-N-Go,next generation of one of and blind marks the adaptive cruise control, Americas spot monitoring. favourite vans which is also available in the Under the bonnet comes the new 6.4-litre Hemi Honda wants to Middle East. It seems that V8 delivers more horsepower and torque than the 6.1-litre V8 it replaces. arent prove that these multipurpose vehicles While estimated power ratings are 465hp and 465 lb-ft of torque, theres just plain Jane minivans anymore. an estimated extra 80 lb-ft of revealed as concept in early 2010 at First torque available at 2,900 rpm. Specific horsepower, torque and fuel economy Show, the will be announced the Chicago Auto numbers production version closer to the vehicle of the incoming fourth-generation Honda introduction. Thats not all. The new SRT8 Charger focuses on improved efficiency and it further builds upon Odyssey has been thoroughly redesigned the standard displacement on demand fuel saving technology in the in almost every aesthetic and functional new 6.4-litre Hemi V8. New for 2011 is and adaptivethe skin. New department over the under valve exhaust system which allows exterior features to engage overfront end with the technology include revised a wider rpm range, which in turn delivers improved fuel efficiency or the use of HID headlamps and new 18in alloy wheels. all eight cylinders whenHonda not is needed. This means with an the power only improved the safety of active intake manifold and high-liftfor 2011, but the Charger SRT8, the Odyssey camshaft on also made it more it will optimize low-end grunt for even more speed. stylish. The incoming Odyssey gets more Dodge continues to use a token nip and tuck upgrade. The car than the aging W5A580 five-speed automatic transmission, but SRT has added paddle shifters. Even with this now sports and aggressive stance and sporty gearbox, Chrysler reckons the SRT8 can sprint to waistline.from a lightning-bolt influenced 96km/h This standstill in the high unique character line not only provides an four second range and offer enough grunt to achieve 0.88 g on theexclusive appearance, but also adds increased skidpad. Some work has also been for third-row suspension department. visibility done in the passengers. Meanwhile, Dodge claims it as ansits lower than before and it now also wider it SRT first, wherein the adaptive damping suspension adjusts stiffness levels based on driver inputs and road and longer which in turn gives it an athletic conditions. When left stance mode, the suspensions ECU calibrates in Auto and Honda claim that the overall all four corners to a softer level; toggle to Sport for a tauter road aerodynamic efficiency has improved by 5.5 feel. SRT engineers have also installed a beefier power steering per cent. system for direct, yet livable communication.poise on the road are While, comfort and For additional stoppingclass, Honda has set up the car to carry top power, there are four-piston Brembos to clamp down hard on 14.2in front/13.8in rear slotted rotors. The massive binders utilize Chryslers Ready Alert Braking system that positions pads closer to the rotors when a collision is anticipated by onboard telemetry.
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on an

eFFIcIency drIve
Over the skin, the fourth generation Mercedes-Benz C-Class, gets a very modest facelift for the current model year. The big news is really under the skin
Author Chandan B Mallik

58

ercedes-Benzs compact fighter and volume model, the C-Class was completely redesigned for its 2007 launch, but surprisingly even after four years in the business it doesnt look outdated even after a million units having being sold worldwide. Its styling still has an air of contemporary freshness and has weathered competition [Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series mainly] quite well and this is perhaps one of the major reasons why M-B decided not to tamper with it too much during its traditional mid-cycle refresh. Technically, the 2011 C-Class is not an all-new car, but instead a revised 204 series model where even the minimal exterior design tweaks such as the new aluminium bonnet, slightly restyled headlamps and LED daytime running lamps are noticeable. However, most of changes made are under the bonnet where it is evident that Mercedes-Benz is on an efficiency drive with its BlueEFFICIENCY packaging and the efficiency-enhancing packages include new engines and features such as engine start/stop function among others. Direct fuel injection is being used on all engines in the line-up now and that helps the smallest 1.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder pot to offer 201hp and 229 lb-ft torque. Meanwhile, all-wheel versions get a normallyaspirated V6 displacing 3.0-litre and delivering 228hp and 221lb-ft of torque. The top-ofthe-line rear-drive powertrain gets a 3.5-litre V6 making 302hp and 273lb-ft [an increase of 34hp] over 2011s C350. Interestingly, all engines are mated to the companys seven-speed 7G-Tronic transmission. Mercedes-Benz claims that with the combination of direct injection, an extra cog in the gearbox and a small overall weight savings help boost fuel economy by up to 15 per cent. The gains are bigger in markets where engine stop/start system is also standard. As with improvements to overall efficiency, dynamic performance is also improved. Daimler says to expect a 5.9sec 0-96km/h sprint for the 3.5-litre and about 7.1secs for the other two powertrains. For the interior, the car gets a significant jump with a lot of design inspirations coming from the stylish new CLS with focus on quality and comfort for occupants. Interior designers have paid painstaking attention to restyling the dashboard, which gets a new surface treatment with high-resolution colour integrated display screen in the instrument cluster. A nappa leather steering wheel comes as part of the standard specification. New comfortenhancing equipment and appointments now include climatised seats and automatic climate

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control. As part of the standard specification, all Mercedes-Benz C-Class models include the two-zone automatic climate control. M-B also offers an optional luxury automatic climate control which allows individual temperature settings for three zones - for the driver, the

front passenger and the rear passengers. A new feature in the C-Class climate modes includes pre-select adjustable air quantity and distribution buttons. Occupants can engage Diffuse, Medium or Focus settings to their individual requirements without having

to leave the convenient automatic mode. The new Mercedes-Benz C-Class also sees the debut of a new telematics generation which will also be gradually introduced in other model series. Major new features include greater operating convenience, larger

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<< with over a million cars worldwide since its launch in March
2007, the Mercedes-benz c-class is the highest-selling model series for the brand >>

displays, telephone directory transfer, SMS message display, wireless music reproduction via Bluetooth and a USB interface now accommodated in the centre armrest. In addition to the standard appointments, for marketing purposes, customers will be of-

fered two distinct design and equipment lines under Elegance and Avantgarde trim designations which are now part of the individualisation programme of the C-Class. Mercedes-Benz claims that the two lines are now even more readily distinguishable from each other.

On the handling front, In addition to the standard-specification suspension, the C-Class range will offer two optional packages in line with drivers personal preferences. As an optional extra a sports suspension can be selected - it has shorter springs, shock absorb-

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ers with tauter tuning, and stronger torsion bars. Meanwhile, the dynamic handling package which is available as an alternative will offer the driver two shift programs to choose from: Sport and Comfort. Within these shift programs the shock absorbers are electrically adjusted on a continuously variable basis. New driver assistance systems like Attention Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Blind Spot Assist and Parktronic help keep things in check out on the road.

<< More than just a facelift, over 2,000

new components find place in the latest generation of the Mercedes-benz c-class >>

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cr-Z cr-Z on mugen

sterI sterIods
Author Chandan B Mallik

Hondas tuning arm Mugen Euro to build high-performance CR-Z hybrid

ealising that the all-new CR-Z has the looks but is short of customer performance expectations, Honda has turned to its in-house tuning set-up for help. Mugen Euro is developing a highly-tuned version of Hondas CR-Z, which will deliver Type R-like performance from the hybrids petrol-electric powertrain and may offer

even better fuel economy. The CR-Z Mugen will feature enhancements to both the 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine and the Honda IMA system to boost power and torque, while bespoke brakes and suspension will be fitted to improve the chassis dynamics. The major engine changes, and those made to exhaust and induction, may even result in greater mpg and lower CO2 emissions during some conditions. However, at this early development stage, final power, torque and fuel economy figures are not yet known. Lightweight components, including a carbon fibre bonnet, will be employed to lower the overall weight, and the car will use Mugen

Breaking news Honda R&D chief Tomohiko Kawanabe revealed to some UK-based journalists that the automaker is working independently on a hotter version of the CR-Z. Kawanabe denied some reports which suggested that the CR-Z hot hatch would be powered exclusively by a turbocharged petrol engine and reconfirmed that the new performance model will retain its hybrid system. Its true: we are working on a more powerful CR-Z, Kawanabe said. Our problem with the car as it stands is that it looks very good, but it doesnt have the performance some customers expect. Turbocharging is an option, but a high-compression petrol engine would work better in tandem with a hybrid assist system. It seems now that in all likelihood, the performance CR-Z will get Hondas next-generation and upgraded IMA hybrid system which uses lithium-ion batteries instead of the current nickelmetal setup. The new battery pack will offer more power and is lightweight. Over all, the car is expected to arrive with 160hp representing a 40hp bump from the current car. The best part is that it will retain the standard cars fuel economy ratings.

designed alloy wheels to reduce unsprung mass and to improve aerodynamics and give the car an even more sporting look, some new body parts will be added, including front and rear bumpers, and a spoiler. We wanted to extend the performance of the CR-Z, says Hiro Toyoda of Mugen Euro. It is already a fun car to drive, with an excellent chassis, but we thought that with more power and enhanced torque delivery it could be even more exciting. However, as with all Mugen projects, we have stayed true to the Honda design and philosophy, and the electric motor is still a vital ingredient to boost performance and economy. The CR-Z Mugen is a joint project between Honda (UK) and Mugen Euro the Northampton-based subsidiary of Hondas long standing tuning partner Mugen. It may be recalled that in 2009, Mugen Euro produced the 240hp Civic Type R Mugen hot hatch. This will be one quick hybrid, says Martin Moll, Head of Marketing for Honda (UK). With more torque, more power and Mugens experience of working with Honda cars, were expecting great things. It promises to show how hybrid cars can be even more exciting to drive. At this stage, the CR-Z Mugen is being developed purely as a one-off prototype, with no plans for a production version. This faster, more powerful car will make its world debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July.

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Plug & play

L
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ast month, the Stuttgart-based sports carmaker announced a European price of 645,000 plus value-added taxes and country-specific charges for the limited-edition model. In all, 918 left-hand drive units of the

mould-breaking plug-in hybrid supercar have been confirmed for production. Production of these cars are scheduled to commence on September 18, 2013. What is interesting, is that unlike the turbocharged flat-six engined

GT2 RS and petrol V10-powered Carrera GT [which were also produced exclusively as left hand drive models only], the 918 combines a 368kW petrol V8 with two electric motors delivering at least 160kW to deliver claimed

Plug-in Porsche 918 hybrid supercar in either coupe or convertible guise will be available from 2013. In the interim, however, customers can opt for a strictly limited edition 911 Turbo S-based Edition 918 Spyder
Author Chandan B Mallik

0-100km/h acceleration just 3.2 seconds and a 320km/h-plus top speed. At the same time, the 918 comes with an estimated fuel consumption figure of just 3.0L/100km and CO2 emissions of only 70g/km, making it

actually more efficient than a Toyota Prius. The 918 Spyders mid-mounted 4.0-litre-plus V8, which is based on the RS Spyders racing engine, will be matched with a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission. It will combine with

an electric motor at each end, offering variable all-wheel drive with independent control of the propulsion force on both axles. Using the latest in rechargeable battery technology, the electric motors are powered by a liquid-cooled

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Porsche 918 Spyder rear and interior

lithium-ion battery pack that can be fully charged from a conventional domestic power socket. Its charge cycle is about three hours and Porsche says that its even less with a quick-charging option. With an electric-only mode, the driving range of this car will be at least 25km. Porsche has also confirmed that further development of the 918 Spyder model line-up as suggested by three accompanying sketches indicate a twoseater convertible with and without its removable hard-top roof. During the concept presentation last year, Porsche had mentioned that it would require 1,000 firm orders to guarantee production of the car. Before confirming it for production in mid-2010, a spokesman from Porsche said at last Aprils Beijing show the 918 has attracted more than 900 legitimate customers. Thats all fine, if you are a Porsche aficionado and prepared to wait for at least two and half years for delivery of this car. In a smart marketing move involving creating limited production editions, as a sweetener for future 918 customers, Porsche has bookmarked new flagship edition based on the current 997 as special 911 Turbo S Edition 918 Spyder. This version of will be limited to 918 units and is differentiated from the regular Turbo S by unique acid green interior highlights including part-embroidered model logos, leather trim seams, instrument cluster needles, PCM screen and illuminated door sills. The special 911 Turbo S, which also comes with a unique plaque on its glove box lid to reflect the customers 918 build number, can also be had in acid green exterior paint. We are expecting this to be the final version of the current 997-series 911 before an extra-hardcore 4.0-litre version of the current GT3 RS and then the next-generation 911 emerge later this year.

911 Turbo S 918-edition coupe and convertible

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For the Middle east only! edition tours region Limited bespoke Panamera 4S

he first of only 66 production Panamera 4S Exclusive Middle East Editions visited Porsche Centre Abu Dhabi, Ali & Sons Co. L.L.C., last month for an exclusive viewing experience over a period of 66 hours only. Customers and Porsche aficionados were invited to view the limited edition Panamera

4S Middle East Edition.With its exterior colour Carrera White Metallic and the unique Carrera Red natural leather interior with real carbon fibre trims/inserts, the Panamera 4S Exclusive Middle East Edition is the first ever Porsche model built to meet the customer demand of a specific region and hence bears model number 1 inlaid in the illuminated door entry guards. The csr rides on 20in wheels. The 4.8-ltre V8 is good for 400hp and 0-100km/h takes just 4.8secs.

Behind this special project is a team of 100 specialists of the Porsche Exclusive department at Porsche AG in Stuttgart. It offers handcrafted and bespoke options in terms of design and performance. Bespoke, manual work also with needle and thread wherever appropriate is the most important principle of Porsche Exclusive; as no machine handles material with as much finesse as human hands. The next stop of this car is Muscat, Oman where it will be on display from 5 to 7 April. The retail price for this is edition is RO 62,800 and it will be intersting to see which of the GCC countries will get its hands on the first car!
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s on sale, Colorado goe e redesigned ars officially year before th than a ute in eight ye Less ew one-tonne Bangkok lets first all-n ut at the 32nd b Chevero f its world de r on the eve o nd last month broke cove how in Thaila Motor S International
n B Mallik Author Chanda

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rado Colo vered unCo

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<< trucks have been chevrolets heritage for nearly all of its 100-year history >>

t seems that automakers are now paying attention on producing new global compact utility pick-ups with a taste of lifestyle attached. As of now, Ford has an all-new Australian designed and engineered T6 Ranger, Volkswagen has Amarok and Mazda recently showcased its BT-50 concept [mechanical twin of the Ford Ranger] in dual-cab body styles. General Motors candidate till now in this segment dates back to 2003, which was a Colorado (nee Rodeo) based on the Isuzu D-Max. The current Colorado continues to share its full ladder chassis underpinnings with its Isuzu-badged mechanical twin. However, all that is about to change very soon. Offering a cue of what GM has in mind with a future Colorado replacement, it was on the eve of the 32nd Bangkok International Motor Show that GM officially revealed its response to Fords new Ranger under the Chevrolet brand umbrella. Called, in its initial project stage, the Colorado Show Truck, the model is a preview of the production version Colorado which will be launched later this year by the American manufacturer. The concept presented in Thailand seems to be designed for the emerging Asian markets and is powered by a 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine. The engine, promises Chevrolet, has been designed in such a way that produces a broad torque band for excellent cargo and towing capability. Engines and mechanical underpinnigs aside, the new Colorado is intended as a revival of the nameplate in terms of design. With a more powerful look, the pick-up brings with it more fluidic sculptures compact lines enhanced by detailing like the 20in wheels and 285/50-section Zeon LTZ off-road tyres, polished aluminium in the trim and LED lighting. For the interior, the Colorado has been revised to include dual-zone, digital climate control system, 7in TFT display, motorcycle-inspired, three-dimensional gauges and details in low-gloss and soft-touch materials. The concept feel of the model points to some possible changes to be brought to the Colorado for the production version. GM says it will release more details about the pickup for the masses in the months to come. Although this is a show vehicle, the basic proportions and form convey the vision for the next-generation Colorado that we will bring to market, said GM global vehicle line executive Brad Merkel. GM said its all-new compact pick-up, which is this time expected to be sold in North America where a bigger pick-up based on the same GMT 345 platform has carried the Colorado name since 2004 was developed within the US auto-makers global product development organisation. The Chevy bow-tie logo on the Colorado concept vehicle will also be swapped for a Holden Lion badge for Australia. Once the production model is signed off, the all-new model will be produced in a separate GM plant to the D-Max in Thailands Rayong province.

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Vettel wins with ease in Melbourne

ed Bulls Sebastian Vettel got his world championship defence off to the best possible start in Albert Park on Sunday evening. The German beat Lewis Hamiltons KERS-assisted rush as they had a drag race to the first corner, and thereafter that was all she wrote. Vettel was 2.4s ahead at the end of the opening lap, and simply controlled the pace to win by 22.2s after a problem with the floor of Hamiltons McLaren caused an off-course moment in Turn One on Lap 32 and cost him some downforce. At times the Englishman was able to match Vettels pace and he did a better job controlling his tyres in the first part, as both ran two-stop strategies in a race in which all the gloomy predictions about Pirellis tyres proved completely unfounded. Behind them, Red Bulls Mark Webber originally ran third ahead of fast-starting Vitaly Petrov in the Renault, who benefited when McLarens Jenson Button kept Ferraris Fernando Alonso out wide going into Turn One at the start. As Webber faded after being the first to change tyres, Petrov moved into the third place he maintained throughout as he became the first Russian ever to stand on the podium after an excellent race. In the closing stages he must have been thinking of Abu Dhabi as a recovered Alonso, who like Webber was on a three-stop strategy, began to haul him in. But as Petrov finished 8.2s adrift of Hamilton, the Spaniards Ferrari was still 1.2s behind by the flag. Jenson Button had a miserable race for McLaren, unable to pass a tough Felipe Massa in the opening stages despite the drag reduction rear wing. He got by the Ferrari on Lap 11 after having to run off the track as Massa squeezed him, whereupon Alonso also slipped ahead of Massa. The race stewards

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Motor sports - f1
later gave the 2009 champion a drive-through penalty for going outside the track limits, and that compromised his race completely. At the end, however, he pushed ahead of three-stopping Massa at the end of the pit straight going into Lap 54, and brought the second MP4-26 home in sixth place behind an unhappy Webber, who pulled off the track immediately past the pits after crossing the line. Adrian Newey said later that he had no idea what was wrong with the Australians car during a disappointing race. Saubers Sergio Perez was another sensation. Driving on his debut with the spirit of Pedro Rodriguez at his shoulder, the young Mexican drove an incredible race with just one pit stop (up to four had been predicted) and beat team mate Kamui Kobayashi for seventh place on a great day for Peter Saubers team. The Swiss cars pace was too much for Toro Rosso, who saw a resurgent Sebastien Buemi fighting with Massa for ninth place. The Swiss moved ahead on Lap 51, only to be repassed by the Ferrari three laps later. Rookie Paul di Resta ran 10th in the opening stages after narrowly avoiding a Turn Three clash between Mercedes GPs Michael Schumacher and Toro Rossos Jaime Alguersuari. He was overtaken by Force India team mate Adrian Sutil, got ahead again after their first of two stops, and traded lap times with the German as they headed home 11th and 12th. It was a very strong performance from the young Scot. Alguersuari recovered from the first-lap tag with Schumacher, which damaged his Toro Rossos front wing and necessitated an early pit stop, while Schumacher got his right rear Pirelli torn off and later retired his Mercedes on safety grounds after replacing the damaged tyre at the end of the lap. With Nico Rosberg losing his engine after damage from a strike by Rubens Barrichellos Williams, it was not a great day for the Silver Arrows Nor was it for Nick Heidfeld, who was totally overshadowed by his Renault team mate and could not better an unimpressive 14th place ahead of Jarno Trullis surviving Lotus and Jerome DAmbrosios Virgin. Barrichello hit Rosberg in Turn Three when an adventurous overtaking move went wrong, which was a shame as hes been flying in the early stages after losing ground in the opening lap traffic. Williams Team mate Pastor Maldonado was the first retirement when his FW33 stopped out on the track. Timo Glock made several pits stops for attention to his Virgin, while Heikki Kovalainens Lotus succumbed to a water leak. Following postrace checks, both Saubers were disqualified for technical infringments, so Vettel now leads the world championship with 25 points to Hamiltons 18, Petrovs 15, and Alonsos 12, while Red Bull lead the constructors title chase with 35 points from McLaren on 26, Ferrari on 18, Renault on 15, Toro Rosso on four and Force India on three.

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MexiCo out in forCe for perezs sauber deMo run

aubers Sergio Perez was given a very warm welcome as he returned home to Mexico for a demonstration run ahead of his Formula One debut. Between 150,000 and 200,000 people lined the streets in the city centre of Perezs home town of Guadalajara on Saturday to cheer on the first Mexican F1 driver in over 30 years. This was one of the best days of my life, the 21 year-old exclaimed. It was a great, great experience. I have never experienced something like this before with so many people cheering me. Im proud to be Mexican, and Im proud to receive all this support. It is a big boost for me ahead of the new season. Perez took charge of the teams 2010 C29 on the 1.5 kilometre long course, before taking part in several interviews and signing autographs for fans.

perez thrilled with flying start to forMula one Career

s the highest-finishing Formula One debutant of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Saubers Sergio Perez left Melbourne with a big smile on his face. Perez wowed in the quicklooking C30, converting his 13th on the grid into seventh place (which was later disallowed) in the race to take six world championship points and to finish just ahead of his more-experienced team mate Kamui Kobayashi. I will never forget this race, that is certain, said the Mexican. After we changed from the hard to the soft tyres, I thought at first

sauber will not appeal Melbourne disQualifiCation

I had to push. But then I realised I could manage the tyres quite well and we decided to go to the end with them. I am very proud of my team, the strategy worked and it was a nice surprise the tyres lasted so long. I want to thank everybody, especially in Mexico, who helped me to get into Formula One. Before the race, many had predicted the drivers would have to pit up to four times, but Perez managed to pit just once, completing 35 laps on a single set of the soft Pirelli tyres. Kobayashi, who had to change tyres twice, finished in eighth.

auber have decided they will not appeal their disqualification from the Australian Grand Prix. Drivers Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi lost their seventh and eighth-place finishes after postrace checks by the Melbourne race stewards revealed that a radius on the upper rear wing element of both Sauber C30s contravened the FIAs technical regulations by a few millimetres. It did not bring us any performance advantage, but the fact is that it was a deviation from the regulations, explained Saubers technical director James Key. We take note of the stewards decision. We have since found that there was an error in the checking process for the relevant dimension on this component. We have already put measures in place to ensure that nothing of this kind occurs again in the future.

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karun Chandhok joins lotus as reserVe driVer

otus have announced Karun Chandhok is to join the team as reserve driver for the 2011 season. Chandhok, who raced for HRT at 10 Grands Prix last year, will make his first appearance for Lotus on Friday during the opening practice session for this weekends Australian event. This is another great day for Team Lotus, said team principal Tony Fernandes. Karuns appointment to our team gives us not only his immense driving talent and F1 experience, both of which will help us develop the car even further, but also brings one of the warmest, most professional personalities I have the pleasure of knowing into the Team Lotus family. I do not think it is going too far to say that Karun represents the future of motor

tony fernandes reCeiVes Cbe

he Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) award will serve to further facilitate the promotion of commercial and cultural ties between the United Kingdom and Malaysia, says Dato Sri Tony Fernandes who was honoured with the award by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in London today. The award is attributed to his services to promote commercial and educational links between the UK and Malaysia. I am extremely humbled to have received this award today and I would like to thank Her Majesty The Queen for bestowing such an honour upon me. More than a personal honour, it will serve as a catalyst to further enhance relations between the UK and Malaysia, particularly in the areas of business, culture and education, says Tony Fernandes CBE.

racing - he is living proof that geography is no boundary to talent and ambition and that you will succeed if you work hard and keep dreaming. He is fiercely proud of his Indian heritage but he has a truly global outlook and I am honoured that Team Lotus is now giving one of Indias brightest stars the chance to continue to develop his talent. Everyone in the team is excited about working with Karun, and I cannot wait to see him representing the Indian nation in our car. Chandhok will join race drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli, third driver Luiz Razia and test drivers Davide Valsecchi and Ricardo Teixeira in the teams line-up. In addition to his Melbourne appearance, he is expected to take part in a number of Friday practice session.

daiMler CoMplete MerCedes gp takeoVer

armakers Daimler announced at the end of February that, together with Aabar Investment PJS, they have acquired the remaining 24.9 per cent stake in Mercedes GP from the teams management, led by team principal Ross Brawn. Daimler and Aabar - Daimlers biggest shareholder - now own 100 percent of Mercedes GP, with Daimler upping their stake from 45.1 percent to 60 percent, while Aabars has increased from 30 to 40 percent. It follows Daimlers purchase of a 45.1 percent stake in the team (then Brawn GP) back in November 2009. This majority stake holding demonstrates our determination to build a long-term Formula One involvement on an even more successful platform, explained Dr Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.Our companys founders invented the automobile 125 years ago and the very first Mercedes was a racing car. These are the reasons why we see our Formula One programme as an important element of our brand history.

The acquisition of a majority stake holding in our Silver Arrows team sends a clear signal that we intend to achieve technical and sporting success on world motorsports biggest and most important stage - and to do so in cost-effective conditions. Ross Brawn commented: Daimler and Aabars acquisition of the remaining 24.9 per cent stake in Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix will be a further step in the consolidation and strengthening of our team for the future. Motor racing, particularly Formula One, is a very specialised industry, and we are privileged to have such strong and understanding partners as Daimler and Aabar to support our joint ambitions.

williaMs to float on frankfurt stoCk exChange

fter announcing in January that they were considering selling shares in the team to the public, Williams have now confirmed their intention to launch their Initial Public Offering (IPO) on Germanys Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The offering will consist of up to 27.39% or 2,739,383 existing shares, with a nominal value of GBP 0.05 each, of which up to 330,000 shares will come from an over-allotment option, read a statement from the team. Sir Frank Williams will remain the majority and controlling shareholder of Williams and Team Principal of the AT&T Williams team. The IPO will included a public offering in Germany, the UK, Austria and Switzerland and a private placement for institutional investors outside Germany, the UK, Austria and Switzerland, the United States of America, Canada, Japan and Australia.

Meanwhile Williams reduced the price range for its 265m German flotation, just as the sport scrambled to fix its racing schedule in the midst of the Middle East crisis. The range was reduced and tightened from 24 (20) to 29 a share, to between 25 to 27 a share, creating an expectation that up to 72m will be raised after Formula Ones season opening race in Bahrain was called off because of anti-government protesters. The shares sold in Williams will create a free float of about 28pc with the majority of the offering sold by co-founder Patrick Head. He will see his stake drop from 23.5pc to 5.8pc netting him a cool 54m-plus. Formula One legend Sir Frank Williams will remain the companys biggest shareholder. He is selling only 640,000 shares valued at 14.4m at the midprice. He will retain a stake of more than 113.3m.
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Ogier strikes gold in Portugal

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Motor sports -wrC

ebastien Ogier completed the final day of Vodafone Rally de Portugal to claim his third victory since breaking into the world championships top division three years ago. Driving a Citroen DS3 WRC, Ogier and codriver Julien Ingrassia produced an error-free performance to land their second successive triumph on the demanding gravel stages of the Algarve. After completing the rally-closing Power Stage with the third fastest time, Ogier said: Im very happy, we had the perfect weekend, the car was perfect and Julien was perfect. I would like to dedicate this victory to all the team who prepared a perfect car. They showed trust in me since the start of the season and following my mistake in Mexico. It is the best way to come back. It is a long way to go in the championship but Im in a better position. Ogiers team-mate, the seven-time world champion Sebastien Loeb, won the Power Stage to cement second overall. The three points he scored for winning the final run, combined with his 18 points for finishing second, means the 37-year-old Frenchman is now equal on points with Fords Mikko Hirvonen at the top of the drivers standings after three rounds. Hirvonen finished fourth overall behind Ford team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala after being delayed on Sunday morning by a broken driveshaft. He was also slowed in the closing section of the Power Stage with a suspected rear damper problem. Latvalas third-place means he has now finished on the podium on the opening three events of the year. That makes me really happy, he said. Matthew Wilson started the final loop of stages in fourth place but couldnt prevent Hirvonen from overtaking him on the rain-hit penultimate stage. He admitted he crawled through stage 17 to secure an impressive fifth overall in his M-Sport Stobart Ford Fiesta RS WRC. Petter Solberg started day three in ninth position but wins on stages 15 and 16 hauled him back to within touching distance of sixthplaced Kimi Raikkonen heading into the Power Stage. Although he was unable to bag a thirdstraight win on the test, he did manage to overhaul Raikkonen, in a similar DS3 WRC, for sixth spot.

It was not bad but for me I am very sad about the first day with the unbelievable punctures, said Solberg. But I recovered from this and I will never give up. Ice 1 Racing driver Raikkonen said: I knew Petter would push like hell [on the last stage] but it was okay. We learned a lot with this car on this rally after just a little test. We improved the car, now we have to pick up the speed a bit. Argentinas Federico Villagra said he still needs more time to learn his Munchis Fiesta after finishing eighth with stand-in co-driver Jose Diaz. Henning Solberg started Sundays opening stage in sixth overall but fell back when his Fiesta suffered a turbo boost problem on the penultimate stage. Fearing he might delay Hirvonen on the Power Stage (the Finn was running behind him after the running order was reversed for the last two stages), Solberg lost more time when he stopped to wait for Hirvonen to pass. He settled for ninth. Dennis Kuipers landed his first drivers championship point of the season by finishing 10th in his FERM Power Tools World Rally Team Fiesta. The Dutchman said: Im really happy. Its been a tough rally with lots of difficult stages. Mads Ostberg restarted on day three following his retirement with powersteering failure on Saturday. He spent the morning experimenting with different set-ups on his Fiesta and set several top 10 stage times in the process. Peter van Merksteijn Jr also restarted on Sunday after stopping with an unspecified mechanical fault on Saturday. He brought his DS3 WRC, which he was using in competition for the first time, to the finish in 22nd after surviving an overshoot on the Power Stage. Team Abu Dhabis Khalid Al Qassimi was another driver to return to the action on day three after crashing on Saturday. His accident left Michael Orr, celebrating his 100th start at WRC level, with broken ribs. Bruno Magalhaes was the leading Portuguese driver home. Driving a Peugeot 207 Super 2000, the former national champion finished 12th overall following delays on Friday morning with brake problems.

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Loeb profits as Ogier crashes

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ebastien Loeb made the most of Citroen team-mate Sebastien Ogiers crash to win Rally Guanajuato Mexico for the fifth time in Leon. Loeb started the final three stages 10.5s behind Ogier. But when Ogier left the road 13 kilometres into the Guanajuatito test on the Sunday morning, damaging his Citroen DS3 WRCs front-left wheel in the process Loeb moved into a lead he would not relinquish. It was very hard to win because it was a big fight with Ogier, said Loeb, whose win was his 63rd in 140 starts at world championship level. He was pushing me really hard. We are team-mates and we have to fight for the championship and it is a shame it ended for him like this. But I am happy with the performance of our DS3 WRC; it has been very fast on this rally. Mikko Hirvonen also benefited from Ogiers exit to inherit second place in his Ford Fiesta RS WRC. The result means the Finn maintains his lead in the world drivers championship following his triumph on Rally Sweden last month. He ended the event by winning the Power Stage to secure three bonus points in his bid to become world champion for the first time. Friday was difficult cleaning the road but when it was obviously we couldnt consistently match the speed of the Citroens we just took it steady, said Hirvonen. Getting three extra points is also good for the championship. Jari-Matti Latvala completed the podium in his Fiesta and secured his second stage win of the rally with the fastest time on the penultimate test of the event. Petter Solberg opted to carry one spare tyre in his DS3 WRC in an effort to give him the best possible chance of winning the Power Stage. After adopting a cautious approach on the first two stages to save his tyres, Solberg hoped the reduced weight in his car would help him take victory on the Power Stage. However, he was ultimately unsuccessful when he slid wide on a corner, allowing Hirvonen to take the best time. Mexico rookie Mads Ostberg continues his impressive start to the 2011 season in fifth place in his M-Sport Stobart Fiesta. Following his extensive time loss with a puncture on day one, the Norwegian spent the remainder of the event fine-tuning his pacenotes. Henning Solberg battled through brake and powersteering problems to a hard-earned sixth in his Fiesta, one place ahead of Super 2000 World Rally Championship winner Nasser Al-Attiyah. Class rival Martin Prokop took eighth with Juho Hanninen surviving a light roll on the penultimate stage to claim ninth overall. Federico Villagra fought back from his delays on Friday to bag the final WRC point on the first appearance of the season by the Munchis Ford World Rally Team, despite completing the final stage with a broken driveshaft. An electrical fault halted Ken Block on the penultimate stage although he was eventually able to complete the run and make it to the finish.

nissan patrol is offiCial Car of 2011 abu dhabi desert Challenge

ohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA Vice-president, and Chairman of the Desert Challenge Organising Committee announced an agreement between the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2011 and Nissan Middle East FZE. With this, the eight year partnership between the two sides scales new heights. Interestingly, Nissans flagship Patrol SUV marks its return as the official car of Abu Dhabis international cross-country rally. Nissan will provide a fleet of Patrols and other SUVs for the organisers in the build-up to the event. As in previous events, one of the rallys toughest stages, which will take place on April 6, will be named after Nissan, and will start and finish at the prestigious Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara, deep in the heart of Abu Dhabi emirates Western Region of Al Gharbia. Nissan is a highly valued, long-term partner of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. They have been with us for eight years and their support has been invaluable in helping us to take the great strides we have taken to make the rally the world-class event that it now is, said Ben Sulayem. The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is organised by the Automobile and Touring Club of United Arab Emirates (ATCUAE) under the title sponsorship of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), and is held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Rulers Representative in the Western Region.

rally bites
ABU DHABI DESERT CHALLENGE 2011: April 1 April 7 FIA Cross-Country Rallies World Cup and FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship, round one Open to competitors driving cars and trucks complying with FIA T1, T2, T3 and T4 technical regulations and motorcyclists and quads running under the auspices of the FIM March 28, Rally HQ opens at Abu Dhabis Yas Marina circuit April 2, Super Special Stage and ceremonial start April 7, Leg Five; the final leg from Liwa to Abu Dhabi for ceremonial finish and prize-giving

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Motor sports al-attiyah exCluded froM MexiCo results

asser Al-Attiyah has been excluded from the results of Rally Guanajuato Mexico. The Barwa World Rally Team driver completed the 22-stage event at the top of the Super 2000 World Rally Championship standings in seventh overall in a Ford Fiesta S2000. However, a post-event scrutineering report issued by the technical delegate from the FIA, motorsports world governing body, stated that the fuel cell ventilation valves did not conform to the technical regulations. After deliberation, the event stewards took the decision to exclude Al-Attiyah and codriver Giovanni Bernacchini. It would have been the duos first win in the SWRC. After being informed of the decision, a dejected Al-Attiyah said: Im bitterly disappointed. Im looking to win the championship this year. This is a rally I like very much and a rally where I have a lot of experience. We did not get any advantage

through this and its very bad after such a

great race where we made no mistakes.

raikkonen to try his hand at nasCar

imi Raikkonen wont turn his back on the World Rally Championship despite announcing plans to branch out into the US-based NASCAR Truck Series later this year. News of Raikkonens plan was reported in the Finnish Turun Sanomat website earlier. It revealed that the 31-year-old would use the Truck Series to build his experience of oval racing before a future switch to the NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup stock car disciplines. However, his WRC campaign would not be affected, the article stated. Raikkonen will compete under the Ice 1 Racing banner, which enters his Citroen DS3 WRC in the world championship. Foster Gillett, whose family have interests in ice hockey and football, will become a major partner of the team, according to the website report. Im really looking forward to get there to familiarise to the world of NASCAR, Raikkonen was reported as telling Turun Sanomat. I have been following it for a long time. I know its a very tough and open, top racing series. I just love the American spirit of racing. It feels just great to get involved with that. Obviously, it will be very challenging and great fun for me. Its not clear what type of vehicle Raikkonen will use or when his first event will be although there are 21 rounds remaining this season. Raikkonen has committed to a 10-event WRC campaign in 2011. His next event will be the Jordan Rally in April. He will skip the rounds in Sardinia and Argentina before returning for Acropolis Rally of Greece in June. On Vodafone Rally de Portugal last weekend Raikkonen claimed second overall, his second point-scoring finish in as many starts. I am trying to improve all of the time and learn more and more to go fast more often, Raikkonen told Wrc.com in Portugal. Its more or less the same story as last year but of course we have more experience so its a bit more easy.

Motogp unites to help japan

he MotoGP community has moved to do all it can to support those in Japan following the recent earthquake and its aftereffects, and the 17 riders in MotoGP have put their signatures on a specially printed shirt with the message We are for Japan. The t-shirt will be available at a range of circuits on the World Championship calendar, as well as being available from the MotoGP official website at weforjapan.motogp.com. It can be purshased for 20. The funds collected through this initiative will be presented to a humanitarian organisation during the Japan Grand Prix, which is scheduled to take place on October 2nd. Jorge Lorenzo: We must give our maximum support to Japan at a moment such as this. Japan is already a strong country that has always demonstrated its ability to overcome adversity. A strong embrace to all Japanese people and fans of motorcycling who live there. Casey Stoner: We considered the floods in Australia at the beginning of the year a huge disaster, but after the events weve seen in Japan - its beyond what we can comprehend. Having heard some of the stories from colleagues in Honda and seeing the coverage on the news, its devastating to hear what they are going through and our hearts and thoughts are with everyone in Japan. I hope they can find the courage to keep fighting and get through this period to help rebuild their lives. Valentino Rossi: This is a very tough moment for everybody but we support Japan and we are with our Japanese friends. We encourage them not to give up, and I wish good luck to everybody from me, and from all my team. Unite with the MotoGP community and buy this t-shirt to help the people of Japan. Please forward this information to friends, relatives and colleagues across the globe using every outlet of social media to bring the MotoGP paddock and fans together with the message We are for Japan.

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What the tide brings in...

on Friday, March 11, 2011 at 02:46:23 PM a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck off the coast of Japan. To the Japanese people, this is a point in time that marks a national tragedy in equal parts a natural one as it is man-made. To the rest of us, in the safety of the distance we have between our lives and the North-West Pacific, it is something that makes us pause, reflect and then continue with our lives. But can we afford to be dismissive in the least? For this time around, when the klaxons blared out along the hundreds of kilometres of Japanese coast, they blared for humanity. The lessons of mankinds technological progress tell us about how capricious nature can be. We know that Earths surface is made of plates that move and shift, releasing immense energy that dissipates in the form of earthquakes and Tsunamis. The question is not if, but when and where will the next one strike. If you are stone-hearted enough you may even dispense with the tragedy of Japans Tsunami as one that affected less than the Indonesian one. Even the economic aspect of the tragedy seems to be palatable, with the latest estimates topping out at around 300 billion dollars, something that the worlds third largest economy can digest. However, this time around the effects are much, much deeper than we comprehend. Who was it who went and placed six nuclear reactors in the path of a Tsunami? It could be anyone, because reactors need to be cooled and with all the heat generated by nuclear plants, having the sea close by is just dandy. So now we have a nuclear emergency adding in to the problems already faced by Japan. Admittedly, we have to admire the dignity, calm and character shown by the Japanese public, the bravery and dedication to duty shown by the emergency crews and the sheer Samurai spirit that cloaks the people trying to avert a meltdown. Japan, its industry and its society will take sometime to bounce back from the wall. Already the wheel of industrial production is clamped due to unavailability of parts from vendors. Japanese manufacturers have put production on hold and there has been immediate effect on global production. The risk of contamination hovers over other exports, including prized Japanese food. It is likely that more Japanese companies will shift manufacturing abroad altogether, a trend that had already begun due to an aging populace and high Yen values. However, I believe that national character will define the path ahead. Japan has rebuilt after every tragedy, something that is taken for granted among a population that has faced thousands of years of natures wrath. Japan as we know it is the post-war Japan that rose from the ashes to become a superpower. After the Kobe earthquake, Japan rebuilt again. Despite its high level of debt and the current tragedy it will invest in itself and the country will rebound. But one thing that will need to be sorted out in the process is the status of nuclear power as a commercial source of energy. It is very odd indeed that the only country to experience the horrors of atomic warfare has become so dependent on nuclear power for electricity. And that the lack of electricity is what has brought about the latest nuclear issue. In the meantime, what happens to brand made in Japan? Will its appeal change? For better or for worse? And just at a time when car prices seem to have gone through the roof it seems like there is still some area for growth. Of course, I would also dare to ask is this the big one? It doesnt seem like it considering how much aptitude we have to hurt ourselves and how little we respect nature as a species.

Raj Warrior is editor of Automan and has been in the thick of the Automotive journalism field from the past 15 years. Want to comment or have your say? Email at raj@alroya.net. Identify yourself or your message will be trashed and your id blocked

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