Monthly Archives: May 2010

VW Rocktan – The New Crossover Based on SX4 Platform

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volkswagen_Rocktan Toyota was the leader until the recent recall disaster. It was one of the largest producers of automobiles. Ford is the current leader. But VW must be still looking at Toyota as the toughest competitor. Now, the car maker has decided to join forces with Suzuki to battle it out against Toyota. Suzuki has agreed and so, we may soon see the Rocktan SUV from the joint venture coming to rock the roads.

Volkswagen has acquired 19.9 per cent stake in Suzuki and the investment will soon begin to work. One of the options for cooperation between the two companies is an exchange platform. Volkswagen and Suzuki could end up becoming an automobile powerhouse in India in the coming years following their decision to go in for the global cross-holding of equity. The companies said they had reached a common understanding to establish a close long-term strategic partnership. The goal is to establish a cooperative relationship while respecting each other’s independence. Both VW and Suzuki also plan a joint approach to the growing worldwide demand for more environmentally friendly vehicles.

How will the car makers jointly manage to beat Toyota? Their new Rocktan will be a low-cost city SUV based on the Suzuki SX-4. Not just Toyota, the Rocktan will also compete with models like the Nissan Juke and the Toyota Urban Cruiser. The new crossover will be placed between the CrossPolo and the Tiguan and will also be considered as a replacement for the Golf Plus CrossGolf.

Any guesses about the Rocktan’s engine? For the Japanese carmaker, the biggest plus is access to VW’s diesel engine technology. It now uses the GM-Fiat 1.3-litre diesel powertrain but will be inclined to moving to VW in the medium term. The new car will most likely sport Volkswagen’s 1.4 TSI petrol, 1.6 TDI and 2.0 TDI motors. In the current market where SUVs are highly priced, the Rocktan may give prospective SUV buyers a cost-effective alternative. It may be priced below 20,000 Euros. In Europe, the car maker plans to pit the Rocktan against the Nissan Qashqai and Hyundai ix35.

Sx4

The Rocktan will be the first Volkswagen-Suzuki joint project where Volkswagen will take up where Fiat left off with the Sedici, twin to the current SX4. The new crossover is expected to debut around 2012, in time for the next generation SX4. Both companies will continue with their individual branding strategies in India.

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Mahindra SUVs – With a Touch of Customisation!

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Bolero Invader Inspira As we all know Mahindra & Mahindra has got an amazing fleet of SUVs and the Indian car maker is trying its best to fill in the gaps by offering customisation options on its cars. Outstanding is what we would like to say. The good just got better, right! One look at these customised vehicles, and you would be singing praises.

M&M showcased its array of customized products at a special event held in Ahmedabad recently. Adorning the place were the Bolero Invader Inspira, the Bolero Stinger, the Scorpio Platoon, the Xylo Body Kit and the Customised XYLO. Mahindra is intending to give the customers a chance to customize their vehicles according to their new and old set of cars across the country. You can either approach the company directly or visit a dealership.

“We are delighted to showcase some of our most exciting auto concepts in Ahmedabad. We see customization as a great platform to reach out to individual customers and provide them with vehicles which are truly a reflection of their identity and attitude. In fact, we would like to see more and more customers use this opportunity to create customised concepts which truly reflect their personality and aspirations” said Vivek Nayer, SVP– Marketing, Automotive Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

Bolero Stinger

The Mahindra Bolero Invader Inspira is an open top off road concept that borrows the platform from the Bolero Invader. And you can choose from the 2WD version or the 4WD version depending upon your preference and driving conditions. The concept seems perfect for people who are adventurous and have an inclination towards off-roading experiences. The customisation options for the Bolero Invader Inspira are also open to customers who already own a Bolero Invader.

The Bolero Stinger is built on the Bolero platform. It makes quite an appeal with its striking exterior and powerful performance. Featuring a 97 HP CRDe engine, it is available in the 2WD BS3 variant. The Stinger exudes raw power with its rough and tough looks and is meant for fun loving drivers who thrive on speed.

The exterior sport a custom built guard with auxiliary lamps and rear roll cage in powder coated black, styled scoops and bezels on the side and a bonnet with built in mesh. Adding style to this customised SUV are body claddings and alloy wheels. The Bolero Stinger is available to customers who already own a Mahindra Bolero.

MM_Scorpio_Lifestyle_modified_1 MM_Scorpio_Lifestyle_modified_-3 The Scorpio Platoon concept is built on the Scorpio. Featuring a cargo bay on the rear, the 4-door vehicle also has a sunroof to boast.

Apart from these, there is another SUV which adds to the list of customised Mahindra cars. Yes, we are talking about the XYLO. The XYLO concept features a restyled exterior and a new, leather interior. Exterior modifications include a restyled bonnet, bumper add on and a new grille. Adding character to the SUV are a side scoop, side body cladding, new LED tail lamps, rear bumper and spoilers. The interiors boast of full leather upholstery, a centre console with a motorized table and an Apple iMac computer with a 17” screen, wireless keyboard and mouse. The customised XYLO also features a refrigerator.

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Range Rover Compact to be Sold in over 100 Nations

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Compact-Range-Rover The other day, we at Carazoo spoke about the 2012 Land Rover LRX Crossover in a front-wheel-drive version. We have something more today. The Land Rover, one of the marquee British brands owned by Tata Motors, has confirmed the production version of its LRX concept car and the compact Range Rover will be available in both 2WD and 4WD versions. The vehicle will be built at the company’s multi award-winning plant in Halewood, on Merseyside.

Do you believe this? The small-sized SUVs will be sold in more than 100 countries around the globe. We have info that the new car will join the Range Rover inventory next year. Indians, however, will have to wait a little longer. It is said that the vehicle will be sold in India later. As we mentioned in our earlier blog, the 2012 Land Rover LRX is all set to debut at the 2010 Paris Auto Show.

Autocar UK says that the four-wheel-drive LRX will be launched initially and a 185-bhp 2.2-liter diesel engine sourced from PSA Peugeot Citroen. Gasoline and hybrid versions are being worked on. A few sources also say that Land Rover will be testing the first diesel hybrid prototype, named the ‘Range-e’, being developed using the Range Rover Sport platform. The existing 3.0 litre TDV6 diesel engine featuring a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission will be used during the test.

Land Rover feels that the two-wheel-drive option will give customers the chance to benefit from lower entry-level pricing. The lower CO2 emission levels and enhanced fuel economy are further going to attract buyers. To some extent, the entire SUV sector had dropped last year from 1.26 million to 1.22 million. However, two-wheel-drive sales had gone up by 100,000 to 274,000. But, Land Rover still remains committed to four-wheel-drive leadership and says that it will continue to make the best ATVs for customers who require the ultimate in off-road driving.

Interested in the baby Range Rover’s pricing? Unfortunately, the company hasn’t revealed any info about it. But, British media circles guess that the price may start from £30,000. Pricing in India is unknown. The compact version of the Range Rover will be the smallest, lightest and most efficient vehicle Land Rover has ever produced and will be designed and engineered at the company’s state of the art Gaydon facility.

land-rover-lrx-concept_6648 Land Rover seems to be very happy about the bringing in of the new vehicle and says that it is a demonstration of the company’s commitment to investing for the future, to continue to deliver relevant vehicles for its customers with the outstanding breadth of capability for which it is world-renowned. “Feedback from our customer research also fully supports our belief that a production version of the LRX Concept would further raise the desirability of our brand and absolutely meet their expectations,” said Phil Popham, managing director of Land Rover.

The new model, referred to as ‘Range Rover Compact’ by Popham, will be Land Rover’s most efficient car with emissions that will get into the 120s for CO2 g/km. The emission levels are the same that the company had spoken of during the concept car’s launch. Land Rover also feels that the Range Rover Compact will be better than the current Freelander with stop-start.

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Nissan Juke Crossover Will Likely Find a Sanctuary in India

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2010-Nissan-Juke Well, planning ahead is good and car manufacturers in India are doing just that. The small car segment in India could not have done any better than its current performance. And while some car makers (Mitsubishi) are still warming up to the idea of launching their small car in India, others (Ford) have already got a taste of success with their small car launches. But haven’t we had enough of small cars already. I guess we have and that’s the reason, we will be talking about the mini SUV segment in India.

A few days back, we reported that the Multi Utility Vehicle segment in India is warming up and leading car manufacturers like Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Toyota and Ford are planning to bring in their MPV’s in the Indian market. The mini MPV segment in India has been a rather unexplored territory. And here is another car maker who is ready to turn on the heat in this segment by launching its Juke Crossover sometime in late 2011.

2010-nissan-juke-interior

The 5 seater Nissan Juke will be manufactured at the company’s Chennai plant in India. And the radical design may go through some changes, too, so as to appeal to the conventional style of the Indian car buyers. That seems like a fair assessment considering that the Juke has an ostensibly radical look and modifying it just a bit might just click with the Indians.

The Nissan Juke would appeal to the young urban buyers because of its tough, macho stance of an SUV combines with the agility and small size of a hatchback.

The Nissan Juke is based on the V platform which has been the distinguishing feature of the upcoming Micra. This enhances the possibilities of the Juke being launched in India by 2011. Nissan would likely price it within the range of Rs 6-8 lakh.

The Nissan Juke is a cross-over, so you cannot expect it to go mud plugging for obvious reasons. But the Juke can certainly rescue you from some very tricky situations like some dirt or even snow on the road. Globally the Juke will come with a series of engines including a turbo petrol engine which can make the going a little more quick and frisky. In India, we may expect to see 1.5 liter Dci diesel engine in the Juke.

Nissan-Juke-2010-Rear Transmission options in the Nissan Juke include 5-speed manual and 6-speed CVT with manual mode. Front wheel drive will be offered as a standard option, and a 4×4 variant featuring Torque Vectoring Technology for improved cornering will also be sold along with the standard one. This technology will be able to split power from side to side and front to rear in the ratio of 50-50, providing added control and better driving.

So brace yourself for some very healthy competition in the little explored Mini SUV segment.

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The Futuristic EV – Renault 2010 Sand Jumper

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renault-sand-jumper If you are at the beach or in the desert and you are too tired, you may want a vehicle to drive in. Renault is all ready with its concept vehicle. Yes, we are talking about the futuristic electric vehicle idea put across by Renault. The Renault 2010 Sand Jumper is a weird futuristic vehicle. Nevertheless, the vehicle is believed to be very efficient and eco-friendly.

There’s something very interesting about the concept car. The designer, Luis Pedro Fonseca has decided to create it from recyclable materials and to use an electrical engine to power the car. Renewable electrical energy to power the car! Isn’t that an amazing thought? The car will have its own solar panels too. These will actually be the nano solar panels present in the car’s paint. So, what we can expect is remarkable amount of energy from the creatively designed solar panels. The panels will not even be visible and the energy generated will be stored in a set of batteries. The unused energy is drained to a battery compartment located in the rear that stores it for the further use. Isn’t it clear now that the car features the innovative use of next-gen renewable energy technology?

A few feel that the car has a very sleek and attractive outlook. But, in spite of its cool performance, there are many that believe the exteriors of the solar-powered concept car are not that impressive. That’s what the majority are going to think because the car looks more like a kids’ car rather than one made for adults. Don’t you feel the same? But this sure is an ideal vehicle for the environmentally conscious, right? The entire body of the car is made from lightweight material and you will be surprised to know that the Sand Jumper weighs merely 400 kg with its self sufficiency at 400 km.

renault-sand-jumper

As we mentioned earlier, the new car is going to use recyclable materials. Any idea what the interiors are going to be made of? It is actually difficult to even imagine recycled PET bottles forming the interiors of a car. But the designer of this concept car has done it. Other materials that are used in its body are also either recycled or recyclable. According to the designer, the onboard battery can be recharged in just over eight hours or you can use its quick charging mechanism to recharge it in just 90 minutes. The wheels that are made of a high friction polymer too contain individual electric engines along with heat cell absorbing system to add more power to the vehicle’s performance.

On the whole, we can describe the Renault 2010 Sand Jumper as an all terrain vehicle that is capable of adding more to your fun ride while being eco-friendly at the same time.

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Toyota Etios sedan to drive in before the small car?

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Toyota-Etios-Sedan Twist in the story? We have got a whiff that the much anticipated Toyota Etios sedan will be launched before the Etios hatch. Wait a minute, wasn’t it supposed to be the other way around. Apparently it was, but things change and so do the strategies of car manufacturers.

Toyota Kirloskar Motors Pvt Ltd, a joint venture between India’s Kirloskar Group and Japan’s Toyota Motor Corporation, has made up its mind to bring in newly-developed sedan on the Etios platform, ahead of the hatchback.

The Etios sedan, which has been anticipated to be launched by the end of the year, is a part of TKM’s plan to get firm foothold in the domestic market. The sedan will be targeted at the mid-level segment and will compete with the makes of Fiat Linea, Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire, Hyundai Verna, Chevrolet Aveo and Ford Fiesta.

Well, that is all fine. But we don’t like the fact that the launch date of the Etios hatch has been pushed to the first quarter of 2011. The only reason that comes to assist us is that this step might have been taken to thwart competition from other car makers who have scheduled the launch of their new compact cars for this year.

TKM had earlier, during Delhi Auto Expo in January, announced that the Etios hatch will be launched first, and a sedan version of the same would follow soon.

Other small cars, including Volkswagen Polo, Ford Figo and Chevrolet Beat, launched this year have been received well by the Indian customers and Nissan is almost on the verge of launching its small car Micra.

The Toyota small car will feature a new 1.2-litre engine, while the sedan will sport a 1.5-litre petrol engine. And it was rumoured that the company was planning to bring diesel engine variants of the two models too. That seems apt considering that there is such a huge demand for diesel cars in India.

TKM is being quite discreet and not divulging any information that could be even remotely related to the prices of its upcoming new cars. Sources say that Toyota would price the car very competitively. In fact, the company is ready to cast off its rich brand image to become a mass market player.

This project is of prime importance to TKM considering that it is the first time that the company has developed a new platform, combined with an equally new engine, for the Indian market. Other Toyota models that have been launched in India so far are international models.

The Etios will have an Indian debut before it is exported to other countries in the world. According to Toyota, the exports will start from 2012 to Asean and African nations. The company aims to have a localisation level that is close to 75 per cent.

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Increasing Car Purchases in India to Affect the U.S. Economy? That’s Insane!

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Barack obama U.S. President Barack Obama recently spoke of constructing a very good transit system. He was visiting Buffalo in upstate New York, a city that has been badly hit by the current economic crisis. Obama was worried about the fuel prices. Wondering if he was going to blame the Indians once again? Luckily, the President did not repeat his ‘Buffalo to Bangalore’ speech, but did say something else. He said that Indians and Chinese are increasingly buying new cars and this will be putting a lot of pressure on fossil fuel.

Obama favours public transportation and not individual cars for commutation. He feels mass transit system would be good for the environment. Oh, Mr. Obama, then is that why you asked for a hybrid limo for yourself? The U.S. President feels oil prices will go up and down. The prices may vary every year. But, he knows for sure that no matter what they do, oil prices are going to be going up over the long term. We too agree with the fact. Not just oil, prices of almost every other commodity is going to go high. But why blame Indians and the Chinese?

“You’re not always clear what’s going on, but the long-term trend is just because countries like China — they’re starting to buy cars and countries like India are starting to buy cars, and so the demand on petroleum and fossil fuels are going to be greater and greater — we’ve got to get a first-class transit system,” Obama said. Mr. Obama, we wish you good luck with the transit system.

“We don’t have one right now. We used to be at the top. Now you’ve got China — they’re building multiple high-speed rail lines all across the country, leaving us behind. But it’s not just transit. It’s our ports, our airports, our sewer systems, our water systems. We’re going to figure out how do we make those kinds of long-term investments, but do so in a way that doesn’t increase our deficit, and that’s going to be a challenge, but I think it’s going to be a priority,” said the US President.

Last year, he had announced end to years of tax incentives to those U.S. companies which create jobs overseas in places like Bangalore. He had said, “It’s a tax code that says you should pay lower taxes if you create a job in Bangalore, India, than if you create one in Buffalo, New York.” Now, these incentives go to companies that create jobs for those in the U.S. Now, it looks like something is seriously wrong. Obama also said that the economist must have juggled with the figure to declare that recession has ended; and the stock market might have bounced back.

As of now, the U.S. has 950 cars per 1000 people. In India, we just have 8 cars for every 1000 people. Yes of course, India is developing and we are buying more and more cars. But, don’t you think these small cars that we buy consume lesser fuel and pollute the environment lesser than the big monstrous gas guzzlers that use 80 per cent of the roads in the U.S. every day? Is it just the Americans that have owning cars as their birthright? Even ladies in the U.S. drive huge pick-up trucks and SUVs to work. Hatchbacks are seldom seen on roads. The Volkswagen Beetle may be the smallest car there.

USA still eats up 25 per cent of the electricity generated and is the largest consumer of paper products. The country promotes recycling, but loads of ships turn up to dump garbage on the landfills of developing countries and with radioactive waste at times. Please stop the blame game, Mr. Obama!

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Red Bull claims 1-2 at Grand Prix de Monaco

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Mark Webber, Vettel and Kubica celebrating their victory The exciting Grand Prix de Monaco started with 24 cars on the grid but ended with just 12 on the track. The fun-filled Monaco GP did remind us of the Malaysian GP where the Red Bull team claimed its first 1-2 of the season.

From the beginning Mark Webber of Red Bull dominated the race and his excellent manoeuvrability helped him become the first Australian driver to claim the Monaco GP since the three-time World Champion, Sir Jack Brabham, did in 1958. Webber won the Spanish GP last weekend and he showed the same consistency even on the highly demanding streets of Monaco, despite being slowed down by safety cars on four occasions, including one in the final 5 laps of the race.

Teammate Sebastian Vettel followed close behind and finished the race at the second position, just 0.4 seconds behind Webber. Vettel started at the P3 spot on the grid and quickly overtook Robert Kubica and maintained the same pace for all the 78 laps.

Webber leads Vettel (Both Red Bull) in the Monaco circuit

Vettel admitted, “I just wasn’t able to keep up with Webber. There was a big difference, and then late on when I felt the grip come back I wasn’t too far off. There was no real point to make an effort to overtake, but to be honest I had to look more in the mirrors as Robert was pushing quite hard. But I’m very, very happy. I don’t think we could have done better.”

The poor start cost Kubica his second position and pushed him to third. He said, “Pulling away, I thought I had a chance to overtake Mark. But I got on the power too early, had too much wheel spin, and then I had to defend from Felipe. But this is a positive. No-one was expecting us to finish on the podium.” Tyre related fatality caused team-mate Vitaly Petrov to retire just 2 laps before the end.

Felipe Massa held his position from the start to the finish and ended up at the fourth position. Team mate Fernando Alonso brought some of the nail-biting moments in the Monaco GP and claimed an excellent finish for the team at number seven. Alonso, despite suffering a bad crash on Saturday practice and eventually starting from the pit-lane, managed to overtake Williams’s Nico Hulkenberg, Virgin Racing’s Lucas di Grassi, Lotus’ Jarno Trulli in lap 12, Virgin’s Timo Glock in lap 15 and finally Lotus’ Heikki Kovalainen in lap 16.

The appearance of the safety car at the final 5 laps helped Michael Schumacher snatch the sixth position from Alonso. The legitimacy of Schumacher’s overtaking is being reconsidered, though. Team-mate Nico Rosberg claimed the eighth position.

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton had to contain himself at the fifth position.

Force India drivers, Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi, laid their clean hands on the ninth and tenth position at the Monaco GP. The two drivers flaunted their excellent driving skills and stayed ahead of Petrov and the Torro Rossos.

Mark webber

Monaco did not bring the desired effect, but we would still be happy with the fact that Karun Chandhok managed to complete 70 laps. Chandhok started just ahead of Alonso, who finished sixth. But it would be unfair to compare the two. Chandhok had to retire following a crash caused by the Lotus driver Jarno Trulli who tried to overtake Chandhok’s F110 on the inside of Rascasse and caused an uncalled for crash.

1. M Webber (Aus, Red Bull) 1hr 50min 13.355sec 2. S Vettel (Ger, Red Bull) +0.448sec 3. R Kubica (Pol, Renault) +1.675 4. F Massa (Br, Ferrari) +2.666 5. L Hamilton (GB, McLaren) +4.363 6. F Alonso (Sp, Ferrari) +6.341 7. N Rosberg (Ger, Mercedes GP) +6.651 8. A Sutil (Ger, Force India) +6.970 9. V Liuzzi (It, Force India) +7.305

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Ford at #1, above Toyota

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Ford-headquarters Ford or Toyota? Which one do you think is the best? As of now Ford looks like the Pied Piper. Toyota has slipped to the second position and Ford Motors wins the gold medal as per results shown by the Automotive Brand Indicator (ABI) put out by Kelley Blue Book, the United States’ largest automotive vehicle valuation company. The issues in its new cars and then the recalls must have brought bad luck for Toyota.

“Toyota had a very tough first quarter this year due to the recall crisis, and the latest Automotive Brand Indicator (ABI) results from Kelley Blue Book Market Intelligence reflect Toyota’s struggles in all areas in which the ABI tracks,” said James Bell, executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book and kbb.com. “Meanwhile, Ford is the darling of the industry right now with exciting new product and marketing initiatives, and undoubtedly they were able to overtake the top spot in Q1 2010 due to problems Toyota experienced at the time. However, Toyota is slowly crawling back into consumer’s good graces, especially with its continued enticing incentive offers. Even if Toyota reclaims its top position in Q2 2010, the fight to see who is king of the hill has certainly gotten more crowded.”

Kelley Blue Book’s ABI is a standardized measure providing an all-inclusive summary of how consumers analyze OEMs. The ABI specifies how a car brand is performing and how well it accepted relative to the market and its key contenders. The ABI index and ranking data can be used as an analytical tool, identifying key drivers to help car makers draw attention to areas in which they can perk up or leverage to increase their brand power. Not just that, ABI results can also help the car manufacturers find out where exactly they need to concentrate and where they need to put in marketing efforts so as to place their brands at a higher position in the current highly competitive car market.

“While some companies may track various forms of consideration, shopper activity or leads, Kelley Blue Book Market Intelligence’s all-new Automotive Brand Indicator is revolutionary in that it adds in consumer perception data from surveys and provides the additional advantage of showing an automakers’ performance relative to both the market and competition,” said Rick Wainschel, senior vice-president of market intelligence and brand strategy for Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com.

He added that “The ABI results combined with detailed analysis from Kelley Blue Book’s Market Intelligence and Advanced Analytics teams can help automakers gain a better understanding of where their brand stands in the marketplace, strategically hone their marketing plans and ultimately, improve new-car sales.” The Kelley Blue Book Market Intelligence tracks 37 car brands and can provide quarterly ABI results upon request by the car makers. Deep-dive analytics and consulting also are available.

That was how KBB helps car makers. Don’t you think it helps consumers too? Originally, it was available only to those in the car industry. But now, both a consumer edition and an online edition are available for the general public. It helps steer people away from something that’s not so nice. Information on car pricing, trade-in values, the ratings and reviews get published.

Toyota HQ

The Kelly Blue Book has become one of the leading assessment guides for automobile price quotes. Auto insurance groups often use it as a standard for reviewing the market value of a car that has been involved in a collision in order to determine whether it’s worthwhile to fix the car or whether it should be written off as a total loss.

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Force India boss warns over qualifying ‘lottery’

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Force-India-Formula-One-Vijay-Mallya Spanish Grand Prix proved to be a good one for the Force India team and the team is quite excited about the next race at Monaco. Force India owner Vijay Mallya seemed upbeat and shared the feelings of many other Formula One participants on Thursday when he warned that Saturday’s qualifying session for the Monaco Grand Prix will a “lottery.”

Mallya entered the coveted motor sport in 2007 when he took over the struggling Spyker team. Mallya agreed with the opinions of various other owners and managers and was heard saying that the speed differences between the cars will cause trouble and prevent many from clocking their fastest potential times.

He said: “We were very satisfied with the pace of our longer runs and the positions in both sessions were encouraging. “However, what we have seen is that the speed difference between the cars — sometimes up to five seconds — will make qualifying a lottery.”

The circuit has a very unforgiving nature and over taking proves to be one big challenge. And the ever-present complaints about the traffic are just so typical of the Monaco circuit for decades now. But in reality, it is the very ‘lottery conditions’ and the burden on driving expertise that have kept this unique event alive in Monaco.

The Circuit de Monaco boasts of a number of twists, tight corners, elevation shifts and a narrow corner that makes it one of the best-loved and most demanding tracks in Formula One racing championships. No wonder then that three-time champion Brazilian Nelson Piquet compared the feeling of racing a Formula One car at Monaco to trying to ride a bicycle through your living room.

Circuit_Monaco

Vijay Mallya epitomizes luxury and his vast yachts are already parked at the harbours. The Indian liquor baron feels that his team deserves a place in the top ten for their speed and performance, regardless of his drivers’ ability to avoid trouble and pick the best moment to go for a fast lap time. “We believe we have the potential to be right up there fighting for Q3, but we’ll have to see how it goes on Saturday,” he said.

“The right ingredients are there, we just need them to mix together in the right way.” Force India’s German driver Adrian Sutil was eighth fastest after Thursday’s two free practice sessions. “It was a very good day for me” he said. “I’m very happy with my performance and with the car. The car is going very consistently and I could set good lap times so it looks promising.”

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