Indian Car Blog - Carazoo.com

Are the wedding bells going to ring soon? Wondering what car to hire? We would say, go with the latest trend. How about a Rolls Royce Phantom? Nothing can beat this car. A leading limousine hire company just conducted a poll for identifying the most popular wedding car. Which car do you think stood on top? Yes, we’ve already said it. The Rolls Royce Phantom emerged as the clear winner for the title.

This car’s Rolls Royce name has for long been synonymous with magnificence and glamour. So, it's certainly not surprising that the Rolls Royce Phantom is the vehicle of choice for couples on the most important day of their lives. In the UK, the car is so popular that a brand new website had been set up, dedicated to the provision of these vehicles. It offered the best selection of the finest Rolls Royce Phantoms in the country. From vintage models dating back to the 1920's to the latest sleek coupe models fully fitted with the latest gadgets, new cars or the old ones, Rolls Royce Phantom cars will never lose their splendor and radiance. Rolls Royce Phantom – the evergreen car for celebrations!

Not just weddings, the Rolls Royce Phantom can be the ultimate for any occasion including corporate events, red carpet functions, anniversaries, luxury shopping trips, and birthday celebrations. A customer may be just another customer while renting out a car. But just ask for the Rolls Royce Phantom and the magical effect will soon appear. You will surely be treated to a fully suited chauffeur who will assist you with every detail of your journey, from opening doors, to popping open your bubbly, to lining up your favourite tunes on the sound system, nothing is too much trouble.

The latest models of the Rolls Royce Phantom are loaded with the best-in-class onboard features which make sure passengers enjoy comfortable, entertaining, and relaxing rides. With the state-of-the-art entertainment system complete with DVD player, plasma screen, and the high-tech sound system you would want to keep travelling all the while and never reach the destination. The air conditioning, opulent leather seating with the provision of the champagne bar in the car add to the car’s luxury.

In India, the Phantom is available in two variants; the Base and the Extended Wheel Base (EWB). The luxury car has been royally designed and sports a 6.7-litre V12 engine that stirs up 453 bhp. Power is passed on to the rear wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission.

Just like its noble exteriors, the interior gives a feeling of extravagance which is embellished with premium quality leather hides that perfectly match the wood styling. The instrumentation is well placed with classic gauges and simple audio and climate controls. It also offers iDrive-like interface with a mouse-style controller veiling inside the centre console.

So, have you made up your mind to have the royal Rolls Royce Phantom hired for your special day? The Rolls Royce Phantom – the synonym of sophistication and finesse.

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We have seen and heard of the most unusual things that have happened in the auto industry. We have seen Tata Motors buying loss maker Jaguar Land Rover unit from Ford Motors to spin out some quality products to find a place in the hearts of car connoisseur and churning out huge profits in the process as well. We have also seen GM crumble from top spot in the U.S automobile market during recession that made it sell three of its top brands and phasing out a couple of brands altogether.

We have come across the mighty Japanese known for their technological prowess come to their knees when they recalled their cars citing life-threatening technical problems (Read Toyota, Honda and Nissan). Then we have also seen lesser known car companies like that of Spykar and Geely buying more prominent car brands like Saab and Volvo paying exorbitant sum of money to the amazement of other global car companies hit by global recession.

But this story below can put every other unusual car related topics to shame. Imagine a newly cropped up Chinese electric car company called BYD showing interest in buying the legendary Maybach brand itself from the mighty German owners Daimler who also own Mercedes-Benz. Cannot believe your eyes? Believe it.

In a so called rumor that’s doing rounds in the internet circles which was originally started by China’s largest auto-related websites called auto.sina.com, BYD, the electric car maker from China is interested in acquiring the Maybach brand from Mercedes-Benz within the next few years.

The site reported that an undisclosed official from BYD confirmed the company’s interest in Maybach. The source stated that BYD would "launch the acquisition" when Mercedes finalizes its decision to end the Maybach nameplate.

Mercedes and BYD have already joined forces in an effort to market electric vehicles in China, so the companies have a working relationship, but whether or not this relationship translates into the acquisition of Maybach is unknown. It seems unlikely that Mercedes would hand over the Maybach nameplate to another company, but it just might happen. BYD's expansion efforts have been strong and luxury cars such as the Zeppelin, pictured above, tend to sell well in foreign markets so it could be a fit for BYD. For now, we will just have to wait it out and see what develops.

Daimler which heads the luxury German brands such as Mercedes-Benz and Maybach, in a bid to save its face, desperately pleaded that the rumors were false.

Daimler states that Maybach is slow-selling as they could sell just 200 cars last year. They also admitted that the Maybach brand had failed to reach and achieve the appeal of the established classic ultra-luxury brands like Bentley and Rolls Royce, but it’s still important to Daimler and stressed the point that the brand was not for sale.

A Daimler spokesman told Reuters that there is no truth to the recent speculation that Maybach could be sold to Chinese automotive firm BYD. In the meanwhile, BYD also denied the claims, according to the report; with a spokesman conferring with company chairman Wang Chuanfu to reach the conclusion the whole thing is merely speculation. BYD and Daimler are, however, cooperating on electric cars for the Chinese market.


Maybach’s sale is speculation that may eventually bear fruit, however, as the brand’s product lineup is stale–though due for an update soon, according to leaked patent images–and its tiny sales figures haven’t shown any signs of growing even as Rolls-Royce is nearly doubling production plans thanks to the new, smaller Ghost sedan. Bentley is also bustling with product news, primarily its somewhat controversial plans to go green with the addition of flex-fuel capability to its entire Continental range by 2012.

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As you may know already Abu Dhabi remains and will be the one of the best markets for Rolls-Royce and in order to thank everybody for this, the British luxury car manufacturer released a new limited series called Yas Eagle.

The new Bespoke Yas Eagle range includes three models: the Phantom Sedan, Phantom Coupe and Phantom Drophead Coupe. The Yas Eagle Edition is celebrating the first Formula 1 Grand Prix in the region and features a Yas Eagle White/Yas Eagle Blue paint scheme as well as Cobalto Blue and Mugello Red upholstery, special wood interior accents and white dials. Also, the cars feature the exclusive 7-spoke 21-inch wheels and chromes exhaust pipes and a theatre configuration lounge seat.

But there is more. Lambswool foot mats in Navy Blue – special design with checkerboard applied on the Fascia, an illuminated spirit of ecstasy, special tread plates, thicker steering wheel, RR logo on the head rests and seat piping in Mugello Red. Full natural grain leather, a veneered instrument panel and steering wheel spokes.

No words about the price yet, but it will not be cheap!

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Well like the earlier blog that we published on Rock and Roll star John Lennon’s psychedelic Rolls Royce, this blog is very much off-beat form our usual tone of writing blogs.

Nissan Cube is the epicenter of this particular blog. This car very much looks like our own home grown WagonR, but on a chubbier end. Nissan introduced its new Cube a few months ago in the European market. The car will go on sale in Spain this month. Nissan Cube comes in two engine options such as 110 bhp petrol with automatic and 106 bhp diesel.

The most striking feature of the car as you see in these images is the absence of sharp edges and the designer’s usage of curvy laidback retro design. But since this car is some sort of blast from the past as retro is very much in vogue. The Cube is unlike anything known for having an asymmetrical design, which is not very nice at first glance. The front is simple and the back has to optic, in my view, misplaced, since they are almost part of the rear bumper.

Cube has standard equipments like Bluetooth, browser, access and keyless start, and rear parking camera. The rear bench also has three positions for adjusting the backrest recline and is available in attractive colours such as military strategist, White pearl, turquoise sea and bitter chocolate. How does that sound?

We have to say that the model is very interesting and faithfully represents the spirit of the Japanese market, but by taking into account such as the European taste is to imagine not having the expected success. Anyway this is not the last word, so we expect to see the reaction of the audience, and the final price for both versions. The Nissan Cube is for sale in Japan since 1999, and it has reached the European markets only now after almost a decade.

But guess what? No candies for guessing as this car will not be India-bound any time sooner atleast.

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The show business star's taste for powerful and luxurious cars is well known.

As it would be expected, Rolls Royce is one of the most sought after car brands, not only because it possesses all of the above characteristics, but also because it offers its customers the opportunity of personalizing their car according to their every whim.

Among pop/ rock musicians, for instance, there have been numerous lucky car owners, from Elvis to Stevie Wonder to Freddy Mercury to rapper 50 Cent. They all share an air of sobriety, distinction and stature that this brand ensures them. However, there was one that was considerably less sober: Jonh Lennon's fabulous psychedelic Rolls Royce.

The vehicle we are speaking about is the magnificent Rolls Royce Phantom V with the FJB111C license plate that was handed over to him in 1965. At that time, the car was still sober enough (although it was white in photographs from the time, it's been said it was originally black), but Lennon wasn't happy with it until he personalized it. He started by installing a radio-telephone, then a very special stereo system, a Sony television set, a fridge and a bed in the back seat. Only Lennon would remember to do something like this...

But the musician was still unhappy about the dull colour of his automobile that clashed with his extrovert and megalomaniac personality, so he ordered a psychedelic paint job from a group of Dutch artists, who filled his car with all sorts of cornucopias, multi-colour florals and yellow background. Lennon was stunned and paid 2000 pounds for it. Believe it after you see the picture above.

Needless to say, the car shocked Britain's mentality at the time, for those of whom Rolls Royce was motive of national pride. Some say there was an elderly lady who was so shocked she actually hit the car with her umbrella... In spite of these nuisances, that obviously amused Lennon, the car became The Beatles' main means of transportation until they split-up in 1970

When Lennon and Yoko moved to the USA, the car moved with them. Already on American soil, it was "lent" to other musicians, such as the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, until it was placed in a garage and, later, donated to the Cooper-Hewitt Museum in New York, where it remained from 1978 until 1985, when it was finally auctioned. The winning bid reached the $2 299 000 USD and allowed Jim Pattison, a Canadian millionaire to become the proud owner of the famous automobile. Later, as an act of kindness, Pattison offered the car to the queen of England. Today, it can be found on display at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria.

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Get a load of this. Rolls Royce has taken 60 orders in November-December 2009 for its newly launched Rolls Royce Ghost in India. How cools is that? India is finally back to its old ways in the global business of buying Rolls Royce cars, punching above its weight. This fact certainly is a nostalgic-feel for the RR marquee.

India is back in track from where it started for RR market. The new breed of Indian business tycoons are following in the footsteps of the pre-war maharajahs in their quest for luxury cars, snapping up the new $600,000 Rolls-Royce Ghost at the fastest rate in the world. The first Ghost will be delivered to a Chennai based realtor next month.

Rolls-Royce, the iconic British carmaker now owned by BMW, is hoping for big things from the Ghost, a “baby” 2.4-tonne luxury sedan that is about 40 per cent cheaper than the company’s flagship Phantom range.

Rolls Royce’s global sales dropped southwards with just 1000 RR Phantoms being sold in 2009 when compared to 1212 in 2008 thanks to the Global recession. But RR is quite optimistic this year and targets selling 2500 units of Phantom and Ghosts this year. The Ghost, was unveiled at the September 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show as the new entry level Roller.

Though Abu Dhabi and Dubai were the top sales outlets for Rolls Royce in 2008, thanks to the global financial crisis, the Middle-East luxury car sales is now cooling off and the new markets for the RR is emerging from the Asia-Pacific particularly from countries like China and India. RR expects to sell over 400 units with China accounting for half of the sales while India, Japan and Australia raking the rest of RR units.

RR though is targeting the global market for its sales, Indian car market will always remain special to the Rolls Royce as the saga of RR in India dates back to 1907 when Maharaja of Gwalior, Madho Rao Scindia , imported the first example of the car to India , just three years after Rolls-Royce was formed.

India, pre-independence though predominantly a British Raj, was a royal mass of land with over 500 princely states in it. Most the maharajas and Royals of these princely states were avid buyers of the brand, customizing them to suit Indian conditions. The Nizam of Hyderabad, for example, had a fleet of 50 Rollers, while the Maharajah of Patiala had 44 in his collection.
But with the coming of Indian independence in 1947, royals and Maharajas were forced to abandon their ostentatious lifestyles and lead a life of austerity for many decades to come. Their Rolls-Royces were garaged or sold to private collectors, such as the industrialist Pranlal Bhogilal, who has a collection of 200-plus vintage cars on his estate near Ahmedabad.

Further financial privation for the royals came in 1971 when then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi abolished the Privy Purse system of payments to them. By this time Rolls Royce had withdrawn from the Indian market and it was not until 2005 that it returned, appointing Navnit Motors in Mumbai as first authorized RR dealer in almost 50 years. Navnit subsequently opened a showroom in Mumbai’s Atria Mall in May 2006, and this was followed by a second Rolls-Royce dealership in India in September 2008, when Select Cars opened a showroom in New Delhi.

Going by the reports of the latest world wealth published by consulting firms Capgemini and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, India had 84,000 US-dollar millionaires at the start of last year, down more than 30 per cent from an estimated 123,000 at the start of 2008, when share markets were at their peak. Of the 84,000, about 1000 Indians are in the “ultra” high net worth category, with assets above US$30 million, while between 50 and 100 are billionaires. India has already become a land of modern new age Maharajas.

While high net worth individual numbers may have receded a little from early 2008, the return of strong economic growth in the second half of 2009 in both India and China points to strong sales ahead for sellers of luxury goods. China’s GDP growth in 2010 is likely to be around 9 to 9.5 per cent, while India should reach 7.5 per cent. That compares with just a 2.2 per cent outlook for the US and 3.5 per cent for the world overall.

This is what makes India a fertile hunting ground for Rolls-Royce and other luxury car purveyors such as Bentley, which is owned by BMW’s rival German maker Volkswagen. Maybach, the Mercedes-Benz luxury model, rounds out the trio of brands at the top catering to the “chairman” segment, where customization is the name of the game. Family crests, cocktail cabinets, special carpet trim and unique colour combinations are among the personal touches most often requested.

In addition to the “chairman” luxury-car segment, there is also strong Indian demand for sports-style “supercars,” where names like Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche dominate the market.

Source: The Australian

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The 2010 Rolls-Royce model line has something in common with the all new Volvos.

Any guesses?

It has nothing to do with the engines, safety ratings, comfort or design.

In fact, Rolls-Royce joins Volvo became the second car maker to offer HD radio as a standard feature in every model. Previously HD radio was available as an option in Rolls Royce models. Rolls-Royce began offering HD Radio in vehicles in 2007.

Of course that’s only the new Ghost and three different variants of the Phantom.
Mercedes-Benz also is slowly rolling out the radio option and it’s a standard option in many model’s premium feature packages including the E-class coupe, and E-, CL-, CLS-, S- and SLK-class cars.

Other car makers offering HD Radio either as optional or standard equipment in some models include Audi, BMW Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercury, Mini USA and Scion.

HD Radio stations are available to 85 percent of the U.S. population, according to iBiquity.

More than 2,000 HD Radio stations are on the air, and many of the FM stations are multicasting more than 1,000 HD2 and HD3 programs simultaneously with their main program.

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Here we are referring to the Rolls Royce Ghost. Today, the Ghost is being revealed to the Indian car lovers in the capital city.

The Rolls Royce Ghost was announced in the 2006 Paris Motor Show and was revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September this year. Earlier, the car was hinted as RR4, which increased anticipation and last year, the company released sketches of the car, which showed that it had some changes from the conventional Rolls Royce cars.

The Ghost has a centre opening door configuration, with hand crafted interiors and grill. Moreover, the car is slightly smaller in dimensions compared to other Roll Royce cars, yet it is more powerful and it is the most technologically advanced car from Rolls Royce stable. The top-end model of the Ghost will come for a whopping Rs 2.5 Crore where as the Phantom comes for Rs. 4.45 Crore.

The super luxury sedan comes with a 6.6 L twin-turbo V12 engine. The whisper-quiet engine aptly suits the name ‘Ghost’ of this Rolls Royce luxury sedan.

In India, Rolls Royce has focused on the chauffeur-driven segment of the population and hopes to sell 50 cars in the country. The company historically has had a big market in the nation, as its cars were the preferred mode of transportation for the royal families in the pre-Independence time.

However, post-independence, this market has lessened considerably. Last year, the British car maker sold only about 14 cars here. Apart from this, the fact that the company does not believe in routine marketing and advertising activities, may further hamper its chances as compared to other luxury car brands that have made a niche for themselves in the country.

The first delivery of the Ghost in the country is expected to happen in quarter one of the next year.

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Yes, the Rolls-Royce Phantom is on the way to get an electric version.

Why not? The latest fad is either to have a blue or green heart. And the luxury car maker has decided bring in the Phantom sedan in a new incarnation with a blue heart.
Besides, the torque curve of an electric motor suits the Rolls-Royce mission perfectly, as would the distinct lack of noise, vibration and harshness. Sounds like a match made in heaven!

If you are thinking about sourcing a suitable large battery for the three-tonne Phanton, we would like to barge in your thoughts and say that it shouldn’t be a problem. With electric motors and lithium-ion batteries being available almost off the shelf, the Phantom can get hold of them from its parent company BMW.

This luxury car behemoth has showcased its Electric Vehicles (EVs), the Vision EfficientDynamics Concept, Active Hybrid X6 and Active Hybrid 7-Series at the ongoing Frankfurt Motor Show. The Phantom EV could cost much less than a normal Rolls Royce Phantom.

Currently, the Phantom is powered by a 6.75L V12 453 bhp engine and costs around half-a-million dollars. The Phantom is the Rolls-Royce’s replacement for the original Silver Ghost.

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Ghost will haunt you day and night as it has already been launched! There is nothing supernatural about it; it is about the Rolls Royce Ghost that we are speaking about here as the it has been officially launched at the ongoing Frankfurt Motor Show.

The Ghost is a production model from Rolls Royce, which has a much informal presence than the Rolls Royce Phantom.

It is really a triumphant task to more explain about the Rolls Royce Ghost which is designed to perfection and will be subject to awe and inspiration with its prevailing, focused proportions. And it seems to surely make the whole Rolls Royce folks really proud of their creation.

The Ghost will be available in a latest, 6.6-litre twin-turbo V12 that produces 563 horsepower and 780Nm of torque and has an eight-speed shift-by-wire automatic transmission from ZF. And it will pick up the pace from zero to 100km/h in just 4.7 seconds and strike an electronically governed top speed of 248 kilometre in an hour.

The Rolls Royce Ghost rides on double-wishbone (front) and multi-link (rear) suspension and it works with an intellectual air-suspension system and electronic variable damping.

The interior of the Ghost is a perfect blend of the premium features and materials. It has the finest and highly expensive wood, leather, and other materials used for style and comfort. The interior is also fitted with the latest, entertainment and navigation electronics that is available in the car market, making this proud machine a truly supreme car.

India is now among the most promising luxury car market, and the Indian car buyers need not feel miserable, though in limited numbers, the Ghost will also be coming to the Indian car market in 2010. As the company has not mentioned about how much will it be priced in the India, there are plenty of speculations about its price.

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The cars that will be showcased in the Frankfurt Motor Show will be the best in of our times as the companies are competing with each other for bringing out the best. And the show will not only be an exhibition of wonderful machines, it will also display the toil of the car makers round the word for the past years and a peep into the future of cars.

For the Indian car market, it will not have the privilege of driving all the cars available in the motor show, but yes there will be cars from the Frankfurt Motor Show that will be later launched in the Indian car market.

The two models from the Indian electric car maker Maini Reva is a good example for this. Reva will be showcasing its two electric cars, NXR, a four-seater two door hatchback, and NXG, a sporty two seater. Both the cars will run on lithium-ion batteries and these eco-friendly cars from the only electric car maker of the country will also be available to the Indian customers within a period of two years. The production of NXR will begin by 2010 and for the NXG by 2011.

Another car that will be showcased in the Frankfurt Motor Show and will also mark its entry into the Indian car market is the baby Phantom from Rolls Royce, Ghost. This small ultra luxury sedan is engineered by Helmut Reidl has very alluring and dominant features. The Ghost that will be powered by a 570PS 6.6-litre turbocharged V12 engine is expected to hit the Indian car market by the end of 2009 or by early 2010. The car will be price between 1.2 and 1.3 crore.

Within the next few years, the Indian car market will be flooded with luxury and eco-friendly cars and the models mentioned will surely make a huge hit.

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This car that you see above is the 1935 Rolls Royce Phantom II 40/50 HP Continental “All-Weather Convertible” which was custom made for the erstwhile Maharaja of Rajkot. This is a car which is also known as the “Star of India” amongst the Rolls Royce aficionados.

This Rolls Royce will soon be auctioned for an asking price of 10,000,000 Euros. While you keep counting those zeroes suffixing the numeral One and breaking your head hard to convert it into Indian Rupees we will quickly brief you about this Phantom, er, Car.

This car is one of special cars in the vast private collection of cars belonging to Hans-Günther Zach. Zach has a private museum in Mühlheim, Germany which houses around 27 cars (24 Rolls-Royces and 3 Bentleys) many of which belong to the pre-war period. Mind you, Zach is one crazy Rolls-Royce buff and yes of course it shows.

But now, probably recession has really hit everybody real hard as that shows too because Zach is planning to sell the entire private collection of cars and it is the “Star of India” which will be auctioned for this astronomical sum. If sold at the auctioned price, this Rolls Royce will be the costliest car ever sold in the face of earth.

The body of this Rolls, as we have earlier mentioned was custom built by Thrupp & Maberly and is painted in saffron ochre finish and aluminium. This 7.7-liter pushrod straight-six is a seven-seater with the interiors also decked up in saffron, a colour regarded as auspicious in India and carries a whopping fourteen headlights, which gives the car a superior appearance.

To top it all, this car has on it an inscription which reads “An impartial ruler of men of all faiths.”

Now for the real puzzle, If Zach, being aware of the economic slowdown, still puts a huge price for his Star, then he should be equally confident that he will get a buyer for his precious procession. But, who could be the buyer, who is least affected by the economic meltdown.

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The ultimate name in luxury, the Rolls Royce will be launching its smallest offering, Ghost, in India by the end of this year. It is also called the Baby Rolls Royce and is perfect for an everyday drive to office and back.

The Rolls Royce Ghost will be globally launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show scheduled to be held in September 2009. It will be brought to India in November or December. The Ghost will be priced around U.S. $ 250,000 and U.S. $ 270,000 (Rs 1.2 crore to Rs 1.4 crore). It will come with all the exclusive features a typical Rolls Royce will have.

Currently, the Indian car market has around 40 Rolls Royce cars of which 14 of them were brought last year. Interestingly, Indians were busy buying Rolls Royce when the world was going through an economic slowdown. Rolls Royce in India sells three models already- Phantom, Phantom Coupe, and Phantom Drophead Coupe.

With the inclusion of the Ghost in the Rolls Royce portfolio, Indian luxury car buyers’ will be spoilt for choice. The Rolls Royce Ghost is expected to be a Moolah-Churner for the Indian operations of Rolls Royce.

The Indian luxury car market is very small compared to China, its nearest rival. It is said that Indian market is only one eighth of the Chinese market. However, Rolls Royce believes that India has a lot of potential as it is an emerging market.

It believes that there are at least 1,000 customers yet to tapped. This is where the Rolls Royce Ghost is targeted.

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