Monthly Archives: April 2010

Chinese Grand Prix Brings Disappointment to Force India

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Jenson Button wins Chinese GPOn Friday, Carazoo said that Force India, staying ahead of the Williams and STR, had seen its best season opener so far and would want to continue the excellent performance. Just three days, and we see the difference. Force India returned empty-handed from the Chinese Grand Prix yesterday. The team’s point-scoring streak encountered a sudden end in a messy Chinese Grand Prix. While Adrian Sutil finished 11th, his teammate Vitantonio Liuzzi retreated after an opening lap brake problem.

Force India saw a real good start and achieved three positions in just the first corner. The way conditions panned out, it could have been a very interesting race. The drivers had to gamble with the rains. The tyres and positions kept changing because of the unstable rain conditions. Only 17 drivers brought home the car, the last being Hispania’s Karun Chandhok. Great job, Karun Chandhok!

Karun, who started from pit lane, was delighted, and had to be, to finish yet another race. Because of a necessary change of hydraulic components on the car, he had to start from the pit lane and this change was profitable. The car remained fully operational until the end of the race. Karun said that it was a good outing for Hispania since both the cars made to the chequered flag. Despite having a difficult debut in Bahrain and the rains this time, Karun had finished his race yet again.

Vijay Mallya, the Force India chairman was extremely disappointed. He wanted the team to make more of the weather conditions and was saddened when the run of points ended suddenly. But, that is what happens; when the weather is so unpredictable, the game becomes unpredictable too. The adrenaline rush had finally slowed down.

Mallya hasn’t lost hopes though. He says, “We’ve got some work to do now that Renault has opened up a sizeable advantage but we have some developments in the pipeline and the season has a long way to run. We’ll regroup and come back strongly in Spain I’m sure”. Now, that’s the spirit.

Sutil felt that strategy was crucial and thought things could have been a little different but for the last pit stop which cost him a couple of extra seconds. The sudden rains and sudden dry tracks made it very difficult to predict which the best tyre to be on was. It was all a game of strategy.

Sutil lost a couple of positions in that final stop. He dropped back to 13th. He just ran out of laps to get past Michael Schumacher when they were actually close to within a second of Schumacher. That’s how it is. You sometimes win in these races, and sometimes, it just doesn’t go your way.

Liuzzi too was upset after seeing a premature end to his race. He spun his Force India into Kamui Kobayashi’s BMW Sauber and Sebastien Buemi’s Toro Rosso, bringing out the safety car. He had a problem warming up the brakes on the formation lap due to the cold and the rain. And then, unfortunately, the rear completely locked when he went into corner four on the first lap and braked. He lost control of the car and went off.

The nail-biting race saw the McLaren team at the top. While McLaren’s Jenson Button won the race, teammate Lewis Hamilton trailed close behind finishing second. Jenson Button took his second victory of the year by controlling a hectic, wet Chinese Grand Prix. He kept his head in tricky conditions and even stretched away from McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton in the closing stages when it came down to who had looked after their tyres the best.

Rosberg couldn’t quite challenge for victory, but racing ahead of Fernando Alonso, he had no trouble coming third. The Spaniard managed to finish third despite five pitstops, including a drive-through for jumping the start.

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Toyota Continues Its Recalling Spree

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Toyota SiennaToyota has announced that it will start a voluntary safety recall of 600,000 first- and second-generation Siennas in the US. We know that the recall issues, involving Toyota in particular, have become so common these days that it may not even interest you in the least, but we have to blog on it anyways.

Toyota, of late, has become notorious for fiddling with safety issues in its vehicles and the count just does not stop. This time around, the recall involves a potential corrosion in the spare tyre carrier cable. This condition is likely to affect the Siennas sold during 1998 and 2010. Continued exposure to cold climate areas, with high road salt use, may cause excessive corrosion of the carrier cable in some of these vehicles. And in the worst situations, the carrier cable may fail, causing the spare tyre to separate from the vehicle. Not a major safety issue for the Siennas, but a potential road hazard for the trailing vehicles.

The Japanese car manufacturer is working on a remedy for the condition. Until this remedy is completely developed, the owners of these vehicles will receive an interim notice for preliminary checks.

And once the remedy is complete, the owners will be notified to take advantage of the available remedy.

Steve St. Angelo, Toyota Chief Quality Officer for North America, said, “Toyota is listening to its customers attentively, and we want to make sure their voices are heard. As part of that commitment, we are providing free inspections of the spare tyre carrier cable even in states that are not included in this recall. We are also working diligently to develop a remedy as soon as possible.”

In the past, Toyota recalled 4.3 million units of its best-selling car, Camry. The glitch was with the unsecured floor mat that could trap the gas pedal and cause unintended acceleration. This recall caused some major trouble for Toyota and Camry, which enjoyed the best selling car in US for the past eight year, lost its coveted position.

Wonder if Toyota’s affair with safety recalls would ever come to a halt!

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Women can design a car, really

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An all women team responsible for creating Volvo YCCOf late women have been courting challenging roles that defy the boundaries of traditional (you may choose to read it as ‘stereotype’) careers that are deemed suitable for them. However, times have changed. And bearing testimonial to that is the team of women who took up the task of designing a car for none other but the Swedish car manufacturer Volvo. The classy interiors, the stunning exteriors, and almost every little part of the Your Concept Car (YCC) have been designed by this all-women team.

Here are the details of the interiors and the exteriors of the YCC, given especially for the sceptics who would shake their heads in disagreement.

In most of the cars, it is difficult to find a suitable place to keep a handbag, but not in the YCC. Smart Storage (as they would like to call it) explains the interiors of the car to the bets. In the YCC, the gear lever moves to the steering column, and in the process, frees a lot of space beside the seat. In the centre console, there is a shallow compartment which can hold the keys, mobile phone and other tiny items. And this compartment comfortably slides back to make way for a deeper one, big enough for a handbag. In addition to these, there is another compartment for that can swallow a laptop and a cool box within easy access of the driver. A wastepaper basket completes the storage package.

One of the most attractive features of the Your Concept Car is the pair of gull-wing doors. When you open the doors, the drop-down sill below it opens and out of the way, which makes awkward entries a thing of the past. The driver’s seat moves back automatically and the steering wheel moves upward which adds to your riding comfort.

Opening the bonnet of cars to fill up the windscreen washer fluid is clumsy and inconvenient. Hence the YCC has got two capless ball-valve filling points, one for fuel and another for washer fluid, beside the driver’s door. The YCC exterior has got an EasyClean paint that is does not let grime stick and easily washable.

Parking is a tough task, which is the reason it was given a high priority. The YCC features a two stage parking assist system, which makes the job of parking a piece of cake. The system first determines if the space is enough for the car and then guides you to the same. Additionally, the car also helps you manoeuvre the steering to the parking spot.

As is evident, the YCC scores big on the design front, including the exterior, interior and convenience factors. This just shows that women are slowly making their way in an industry that is primarily ruled by men. Does this phenomenon flash a red light for your future in the industry? Do let us know.

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Chinese Grand Prix Preview

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Shangai CircuitWell, once again it is the time when adrenaline rush is almost as fast as the F1 cars themselves. Yes, this weekend brings the fourth race of the Formula One Championship 2010 and expectations are high,

The race weekend at the Shanghai circuit will be entirely different from what we saw at the Malaysian circuit. Shanghai will be cool and dry and not warm and wet like Malaysia. The Shanghai track is abrasive ob tyres and hence it bears a lot of promise of extra fun.

The Malaysian GP, which was held two weeks ago, put up an exciting show with the Red Bull Racing drivers snagging the first two positions, while the other racing biggies struggled to touch the finish line.

Red Bull has been very strong from the beginning of the season but engine problems hit them hard and prevented their victories at the first two races.

Vettel was in the lead to win at both the Australian and Bahrain GP‘s, but engine issues halted his progress. However, finally the team got everything in tact when he won at the Malaysian circuit.

Ferrari and McLaren both went through a bad experience at the Malaysian GP and failed to get a driver on the podium despite having better cars.

McLaren still seems to have an upper hand for the upcoming race as their cars look better suited for the Shanghai track. McLaren would be looking at giving a tough time to the Red Bull Racing team.

Even though Ferrari leads both team championships as of now, engine reliability, of late, has become a major concern for them. And here is another piece of rumour from the team; Robert Kubica may join Ferrari in 2011. Let’s just hope that Massa’s performance does not get distracted by such rumours.

Mercedes is another team which was all adorned with Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg. However, except Nico Rosberg finishing third at the Malaysian GP, the team’s performance has been anything but exciting.

Michael Schumacher got his last win at the Chinese GP, and though that was years ago, we hope that Lady Luck smiles on him again.

Force India has seen its best season opener so far and would want to continue the excellent performance. Force India is ahead of the Williams and STR; however, Liuzzi and Sutil will have to be fast in order to catch up with Renault.

The Hispania Racing Team has been doing well so far, even though Karun Chandhok is yet to make a good presentation of his racing skills. HRT will have to pull up its socks before Lotus and Virgin Racing race past them in the points table.
Formula One Grid
Though Red Bull is on a high after its latest win, Ferrari and McLaren are in very good shape too. At the same time, you might just be surprised by the Force India and Renault team.

This is the fourth race of the season and 1983 was the last time when four different teams won the first four races of an F1 season.


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Make Way for the Santa Fe – To be here in October

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Hyundai Santa-Fe bound for IndiaIt’s now the season for crossovers to make their entry into the Indian car market and Hyundai is getting all geared up with its Santa Fe. This latest crossover from Hyundai has been made ready for an October, 2010 launch in India. Everybody is aware that the Hyundai Terracan and Tucson haven’t really worked wonders for the South Korean auto maker in India. The Santa Fe for the Indian market was first revealed at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The Terracan and Tucson sure offer great features, great levels of equipment, and amazing performance. In spite of all this, why has the car maker been struggling in the SUV and crossover markets? Oh yes, the Indian car market must be already loaded with other great SUVs and crossovers like the Honda CR-V and the Ford Endeavour.

Hyundai is now trying its best to improve its position in the crossover segment. Let’s see if the Santa Fe manages to make it to the top of the charts. This crossover has been the car maker’s American bestseller. The size? It’s going to be huge, considerably larger than the Tucson. The Santa Fe would also come with an extra-powerful engine to tempt the India’s crossover buyers. Hopefully, this time, the automotive giant will successfully be able to tap the crossover segment too.

What engine do you think the new Santa Fe is going to carry? Well, speculations say that the crossover may come with a 2.2-litre diesel motor packed with 151 bhp and 335 Nm torque and a 2.7-litre petrol engine delivering 191 bhp and 284 Nm torque. You may be aware that the Tucson in the U.S. actually makes use of the V6 petrol engine. Now, if you’ve been wondering why Hyundai does not use the same engine in its Indian cars, let us tell you that most Indian SUV buyers are not too interested in having such a big petrol motor.

Safety issues are becoming a major issue in today’s cars. What new issue will the Santa Fe bring along? Well, the new Hyundai car is believed to come with the best-in-class safety features. The exterior of the car will be decked with slanting headlamps and taillights, a flowing waistline, and sparkling wheel arches. New fog lamps and the 17-inch alloy wheels adorn the car.
Hyundai Santa-Fe bound for India
The interiors of the car too will be beautified with high quality materials and the finest technologies. A leather-wrapped steering wheel, all-new instrument console, a friendly navigation system, a smart key, and a big LCD screen connected to the parking assist system, all come as part of the new crossover. An optional rear-view camera, start-stop button and active head rests for enhanced safety are sure going to add value to the car. The Santa Fe is believed to carry a tag of around Rs 20 Lakh.

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Narain Karthikeyan Gets Nissan GT-R Supercar as a Gift

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Narain KarthikeyanThe ace Formula 1 car racer and now NASCAR driver Narain Karthikeyan just got presented a Nissan GT-R supercar by Nissan Motor India.

Isn’t that super news? Have the Indian car prices gone low? Just kidding! The superman of Indian Motor racing was presented the supercar by Nissan Motor India’s CEO and MD, Kiminobu Tokuyama at a ceremony held at Madras Motor Sports Club, Irrungattukottai near Chennai. Abhijeet Pandit, vice-president (Operations), Hover Automotive India and other Nissan officials were also witnessed the occasion.

Padmashri Narain Karthikeyan is not a new name to Indians. He is the fastest Indian on wheels. But did you know that this self-proclaimed fan of performance cars had a soft corner for the Nissan GT-R. The racer had also driven the supercar on the test track for some hot laps. And whoa! That was real treat for the eyes. The power of the multi-performance supercar was simply mind blowing.

The Nissan GT-R is sure a multi-performance supercar. It has the super ability of fulfilling every dream that a driver can ever dream of. That is why the car is believed to belong to a completely new, out-of-this-world category of supercars. If you are now thinking that the Nissan GT-R must be fulfilling all the eligibility criteria of a supercar, that’s not all. Anyone, anytime, anywhere can enjoy the ultimate performance of this ultimate car.

Just go for a drive and you would know what we are talking. A ride in the supercar can offer great excitement that no one in the world may have ever experienced. The car’s interiors are loaded with electronics and decent bucket seats. The ergonomics are dead right; the knob for seat adjustment and the padded steering wheel just perfectly positioned for max track attack.

The Nissan GT-R had registered the world’s fastest ever lap time for a mass-produced supercar at the Nurburgring circuit. The lap time was less than seven and a half minutes as recorded in April 2009. The sports cruising in this Nissan car is just another great feature that lets the driver enjoy a comfortable ride from time to time. The driver just has to shift the A-range automatic gear shift into the Resort mode.

Nissan GT-R
There’s a switchable suspension, with “normal” and “comfort” meant for the tracks and smooth streets respectively. The Nissan’s four wheel-drive system works to put all the power to the ground like a lightning bolt. The turbo-charged engine has minimal lag, and so, there isn’t huge torque upon tip-in. But as soon as the manumatic transmission hooks up and boost appears, an amazing 500 bhp reveals itself. The Nissan GT-R has the fuel efficiency and environmental sensitivity required in a 21st century supercar.

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Kia Cerato may replace Hyundai Elantra

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Kia CeratoIn the past, we have heard some rumours regarding the entry of Kia Cerato in the Indian car market. But here is the latest one. According to a post by Techneclave, three test mules of not-so-well disguised Kia Cerato have been spotted doing their rounds on the roads of Kolkata. Kia, which is a low-cost sister concern of Hyundai, is planning to make its foray in the Indian market.

So long, Hyundai has neither confirmed nor denied these rumours. But the latest appearances of these Kia cars prompt us to believe that these rumours might just carry some weight of credibility.

Kia shares a number of its key components with Hyundai, including the engines. And so it is likely that the Kia Cerato will be positioned just above the Hyundai Verna, in the space that was once occupied by Hyundai Elantra, which has now been discontinued. Though Hyundai is doing wonderfully in the hatchback segment, it is yet to make an impression in the above Rs 10 lakh segment. So, Hyundai might be pinning its hopes on the Kia Cerato to enter the above-mentioned segment.

Supposedly, the Kia Cerato would be competing with sedans like the Fiat Linea, Honda City and Chevrolet Cruze.

The Kia Cerato would likely enter the Indian zone in both petrol and diesel engine offerings, as it is already doing its global rounds with the range of petrol and diesel engine offerings. And as Hyundai is already an established and trusted name among the Indian customers, it would rather offer the Cerato with a Hyundai badge than taking a chance of introducing something new to the Indian cutomers. Keep watching this space for we will be back soon with more info and news on this. Kia Cerato rear end

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Team MRF is all Set for APRC

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Team MRF car being driven by Gaurav Gill at a APRC RallyThe Chennai-based tyre manufacturer is geared up. Yes, Team MRF is all set with a two-car team for the 2010 Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC). National champion Gaurav Gill and Japanese ace Katsuhiko Taguchi will be on the hot seat.

The APRC has seven rounds and this year’s first round has been scheduled for April 23-25 to be run at Johor Bahru in Malaysia. MRF has chosen not to take part in the Caledonia round. However, the team will participate in other rallies. The Japan rally would be on the 22nd and 23rd May and Team MRF would participate in the New Zealand (July 3-4), Australia (July 31-Aug 1), Indonesia (Sep 25-26) and China (Nov 6-7) rallies too.

This year’s APRC marks the debut of the Super 2000 cars against the Group N4 cars in the series. The Super 2000 class was, in fact, introduced by FIA in order to encourage more car makers. It is an entirely modified production car without the turbo charger for the APRC. The Group N4 cars, on the other hand, are unmodified automobiles which will have a drawback over the S2000 Proton Satria. These Group N4 cars, however, will be allowed to use a larger restrictor which is likely to give the cars a 30+ bhp advantage.

With great teams participating this year, the chase too for the APRC title is believed to be great. Subaru driver Cody Crocker may have opted out. But, Team MRF will still have to be fully prepared to fight its way with the even more alarming Subaru World Rally Championship driver Chris Atkinson. Chris had been quite successful in the recent WRC. Chris Atkinson has Stephane Prevot as his co-driver and will be racing in a Proton Satria S2000 for the Proton R3 Team. Proton R3’s second team would comprise of Alistair McRae and co-driver Bill Hayes.

Hiroshi Yanagisawa with Yoshimara Nakahara as his co-driver will also be battling it out at the APRC. The experienced Japanese driver and his team-mate will be driving a Mitsubishi Evolution-10 for the Cusco team. Also in line, we have Indonesian Rifat Sungkar, the single-handed Subaru Impreza WRX driver racing for the Pertamina Oil Team from Indonesia.
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Nano Europa to have a French Connection?

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Tata Nano EuropaThe Tata Nano. Don’t you think this car has been grabbing the spotlight for long now? For good reasons and bad, the car has been the talk of the town. This time, there’s pleasant news. We just heard that Tata Motors has confirmed that the Nano Europa would hit the European shores by next year. We are not sure though, if the little wonder would be locally manufactured or imported. But, it looks like the province of Moselle in France is welcoming the Indian car maker with arms wide open to manufacture the Nano Europa in their region.

Tata Motors should have actually been worried. But, the Moselle Development Agency was more interested in offering space to the car maker. He said that Tata Motors should take a look at the Moselle province for manufacturing Nano cars and added that the province has profitable business openings for major auto component makers. The province is already home to German firm Daimler’s manufacturing unit for the well-accepted urban two-seater small car ‘Smart’.

The European version of the Nano, named as Nano Europa, was unveiled at the 79th Geneva Auto Show. While the car was being revealed, the chairman of Tata Sons and Tata Motors, Ratan Tata had announced that the car would hit the European market by 2011.

We may call the Nano ‘people’s car’. But, stay informed that the Nano Europa is a lot different from the Indian Nano. Tata Motors says that the car would have to meet different safety and emissions standards. There are rumours that the world’s cheapest car is going to cost 5,000 Euros in Europe. It is also widely believed that once Nano Europa gets launched, Tata Motors would control the immense distribution network of Italian auto giant, Fiat S.p.A. Great confidence!

The Nano Europa may be petite, just 3.29 metres long and 1.58 metres wide. But the roominess and liberal legroom that it has is simply amazing. The slightly long 2.28-metre wheelbase combines admirable space and ability of movement further enhancing the standards set by the Nano. The improved spaciousness is matched by redesigned interiors, marked by smooth curves and a state-of-the-art yet gentle feel.

To meet the driving needs, the Tata Nano Europa will be equipped with a 3-cylinder sporty all-aluminum MPFI engine mated with a 5-speed automatic transmission and an electric power steering. The gasoline engine will be best in class, offering great fuel economy and low carbon dioxide emission levels, lesser than 100 gm / km so to say. These low levels help the Nano Europa meet the twin goals of being nature friendly and stylish, just like the Tata Nano.

Unlike the Indian Nano, which had a few safety issues lately, the Tata Nano Europa meets all safety regulations. The Nano Europa comes with a sheet-metal body with an energy-absorbing design. It makes use of advanced restraint systems, ABS, ESP and air bags that are sure going to enhance passenger safety.
Tata Nano Europa
Just like the Tata Nano, the Tata Nano Europa has the feature of exterior compactness with interior comfort and tries its best to provide motorists the joy and convenience of personal mobility within one’s means. The Nano Europa’s eco-friendliness, in a world where smaller and fuel-efficient cars are emerging as a preferred choice, makes it the perfect choice.
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“Bugatti Veyron, a Piece of Junk”

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Rod Dennis with McLaren MP4-12CWhenever you hear these two words “Bugatti Veyron”, what are the words that come into your head? Powerful, beautiful, exotic, mind-blowing, stunning, speed and similar such words we would pick up to describe the Bugatti Veyron. But there is one person who would prefer to have a different opinion about this supercar.

The Chairman of McLaren Automotive, Ron Dennis, is not at all that impressed with this 1001 bhp monster. He went ahead with his dislike for the supercar and described the Bugatti Veyron as “a complete piece of junk.”

“The Bugatti Veyron is a complete piece of junk. I think it is. I believe I can look at a range of women and I can see beauty in most of them, but I can look at a Bugatti and I think it is as ugly as a pig,” Dennis said. “The Veyron doesn’t do anything for me. I’ve been looking at it for years, and I don’t see one single thing that makes me feel good.”

Blasphemy you say. Calm yourself down because more is coming out of the mouth of Ron Dennis. He expressed his dissatisfaction with the agility of the supercar and said that if someone wanted to remove the engine, the car must be cut in half. Now, only if we knew who would want to take the engine out of the car. Yes, McLaren may want to do that so as to update themselves on the engine technology of the Veyron.

McLaren F1, with a top speed of 240mph, was officially the fastest car in the world, but then Bugatti Veyron appeared and ended their 13 years’ reign over the coveted title with its top speed of 253 mph. McLaren recently released the MP4-12C model, which is not a top of the range but Dennis said that an even stronger model would follow and give some class to the “pig” Veyron.

Once Dennis started on the complain campaign, there was no stopping him. He also went to the heights of criticising BBC’s Top Gear and their recent road race organised in Abu Dhabi between the Bugatti Veyron and the McLaren F1. He said that the race had to be manipulated so that the Veyron could look quicker than the McLaren F1.

Bugatti Veyron“I know that they have to cut the car open to take the engine out. To make an engine in that configuration, you know, it doesn’t go around corners. When we did the race in Abu Dhabi, we beat it off the line so many times that the film crew was getting frustrated because the outcome was supposed to be for the Bugatti to win. So we had to do that whole thing about ten times before it managed to get off the line cleanly and catch us up. Because every time they dropped the clutch it bogged down and we were gone.”

Well, so much for being honest. But we get a whiff of a different feeling altogether, and may be that feeling starts with a ‘J’ factor. Any guesses!!
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