F1 season finale this weekend

The Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place at the Yas Marina Circuit this weekend after years of waiting. Billions of dollars worth of building work and months of hype have taken place to make this event a reality.

The 2009 season will witness its last event as UAE’s first proper F1 race. Even thought the title has already been decided, the drivers and teams have enough reason to still race for, as winning the race for the lower places would result in million dollars of income for the following seasons. In all, 50,000 tickets have been sold, leaving no more vacancy. This huge number of audience will help make a great atmosphere and a true F1 experience for the thousands of F1 fans who travel across the world for the event.

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix being the final round of the Formula 1 season will mark a new chapter in F1 history by being the first twilight race in the sport’s history. At 5pm, the drivers will get underway in daylight but by the time the winner crosses the finish line, it will be dark around two hours later. The track will be illuminated with hundreds of floodlights once the sun sets. The circuit is the lagest floodlit track in the world.

F1 season finale this weekend

The Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place at the Yas Marina Circuit this weekend after years of waiting. Billions of dollars worth of building work and months of hype have taken place to make this event a reality.

The 2009 season will witness its last event as UAE’s first proper F1 race. Even thought the title has already been decided, the drivers and teams have enough reason to still race for, as winning the race for the lower places would result in million dollars of income for the following seasons. In all, 50,000 tickets have been sold, leaving no more vacancy. This huge number of audience will help make a great atmosphere and a true F1 experience for the thousands of F1 fans who travel across the world for the event.

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix being the final round of the Formula 1 season will mark a new chapter in F1 history by being the first twilight race in the sport’s history. At 5pm, the drivers will get underway in daylight but by the time the winner crosses the finish line, it will be dark around two hours later. The track will be illuminated with hundreds of floodlights once the sun sets. The circuit is the lagest floodlit track in the world.

BMW cancels 5 Series convertible launch

BMW has confirmed that it had plans to launch a convertible variant of the M5. The M5 convertible had been developed around two decades ago and was going to be launched at the next Geneva motor show. The plan of launching the car was called off owing to sales concerns. The manufacturer felt that launching a M5 convertible would drastically reduce demand for its other drop-top car. At that time the 3 series convertible was registering high profits for BMW and it didn’t want any in-house competition.

The M5 convertible was revealed to a select gathering of journalists. BMW also revealed that the car had been developed to be sold at a price of £50,000.

BMW cancels 5 Series convertible launch

BMW has confirmed that it had plans to launch a convertible variant of the M5. The M5 convertible had been developed around two decades ago and was going to be launched at the next Geneva motor show. The plan of launching the car was called off owing to sales concerns. The manufacturer felt that launching a M5 convertible would drastically reduce demand for its other drop-top car. At that time the 3 series convertible was registering high profits for BMW and it didn’t want any in-house competition.

The M5 convertible was revealed to a select gathering of journalists. BMW also revealed that the car had been developed to be sold at a price of £50,000.

Honda's labour problems resolved

After running into deep labour problems for a few months now, it is said that Honda have resolved the labour issues by getting into a new agreement with the workers.

Honda is India's leading bike and scooter manufacturer with very good customer satisfaction ratings.

Honda's labour problems resolved

After running into deep labour problems for a few months now, it is said that Honda have resolved the labour issues by getting into a new agreement with the workers.

Honda is India's leading bike and scooter manufacturer with very good customer satisfaction ratings.

New Car Deliveries Delayed - Is it the right time to buy?

A spike in new car bookings has caught manufacturers by surprise. This has caused a backlog in deliveries and most manufacturers are unable to deliver cars before 20 to 30 days.

This means that as a buyer you will wait longer for your dream car and you will not be able to negotiate any deals with the car.

New Car Deliveries Delayed - Is it the right time to buy?

A spike in new car bookings has caught manufacturers by surprise. This has caused a backlog in deliveries and most manufacturers are unable to deliver cars before 20 to 30 days.

This means that as a buyer you will wait longer for your dream car and you will not be able to negotiate any deals with the car.

SX4 Facelift - 7.6 Lakhs On Road

Maruti’s once popular mid-size sedan, the SX4 has been given a mid-life makeover. The cosmetic upgrades include restyled bumpers, a honeycomb grille, new tail-lights and some much needed side accoutrements. The exterior changes have certainly helped it mask its height, which used to make it stand out like sore thumb in company of other sedans.

But the changes are not just cosmetic. Thanks to the upcoming BS-IV norms, the SX4’s 1.6 litre unit now boasts of VVT (variable valve timing) which has nudged the power up to 105 PS and the torque to a meaty 145 Nm. The previous iteration of the SX4 was already popular for its potent and torquey mill. However, it was also known for its healthy appetite. The VVT should bring on marginal improvements in both.

Interestingly, Maruti has also launched an automatic variant of the SX4. Automatics have never really caught on in our country, thanks to the penalty they incur in terms of fuel-efficiency. Apart from the notable exception of Honda and Skoda, none of the manufacturers have offered cutting-edge automatic gearboxes in our market. Even the SX4 sports just a 4-speed unit, albeit with a overdrive button on the shifter for overtaking situations.

Though the SX4 might still find it hard to match the City, it can certainly aim to be the best of the rest.




Prices:

SX4 VXi MT Rs 7.60 lakh.
SX4 ZXi MT Rs 8.34 lakh.
SX4 ZXi (Leather) MT Rs 8.70 lakh.
SX4 ZXi AT Rs 9.04 lakh.
SX4 ZXi (Leather) AT Rs 9.41 lakh.
*All prices On-Road, Pune.

SX4 Facelift - 7.6 Lakhs On Road

Maruti’s once popular mid-size sedan, the SX4 has been given a mid-life makeover. The cosmetic upgrades include restyled bumpers, a honeycomb grille, new tail-lights and some much needed side accoutrements. The exterior changes have certainly helped it mask its height, which used to make it stand out like sore thumb in company of other sedans.

But the changes are not just cosmetic. Thanks to the upcoming BS-IV norms, the SX4’s 1.6 litre unit now boasts of VVT (variable valve timing) which has nudged the power up to 105 PS and the torque to a meaty 145 Nm. The previous iteration of the SX4 was already popular for its potent and torquey mill. However, it was also known for its healthy appetite. The VVT should bring on marginal improvements in both.

Interestingly, Maruti has also launched an automatic variant of the SX4. Automatics have never really caught on in our country, thanks to the penalty they incur in terms of fuel-efficiency. Apart from the notable exception of Honda and Skoda, none of the manufacturers have offered cutting-edge automatic gearboxes in our market. Even the SX4 sports just a 4-speed unit, albeit with a overdrive button on the shifter for overtaking situations.

Though the SX4 might still find it hard to match the City, it can certainly aim to be the best of the rest.




Prices:

SX4 VXi MT Rs 7.60 lakh.
SX4 ZXi MT Rs 8.34 lakh.
SX4 ZXi (Leather) MT Rs 8.70 lakh.
SX4 ZXi AT Rs 9.04 lakh.
SX4 ZXi (Leather) AT Rs 9.41 lakh.
*All prices On-Road, Pune.

Formula1: Jenson might drive for McLaren

If Formula One rumor mongers are to be believed, then Jenson Button will be donning a McLaren racing suit for the next season. The 2009 F1 champion is yet to sign a driver’s contract with any of the teams including Brawn GP. Mclaren intends to replace Heikki Koveleinan for the 2010 championship. They were interested in signing up Kimi Raikonnen but have been unsuccessful in negotiating a contract.

Formula1: Jenson might drive for McLaren

If Formula One rumor mongers are to be believed, then Jenson Button will be donning a McLaren racing suit for the next season. The 2009 F1 champion is yet to sign a driver’s contract with any of the teams including Brawn GP. Mclaren intends to replace Heikki Koveleinan for the 2010 championship. They were interested in signing up Kimi Raikonnen but have been unsuccessful in negotiating a contract.

Hyundai plans to expand its used car arm

Hyundai motor says that it plans to expand its used car business exponentially. Currently it operates less than 50 used car supported dealerships and intends to increase it to over 200 by end of next year. The used car market is expected to grow multifold in the coming years, and manufacturers have been trying to keep up the pace of getting into this space as it also allows them to keep their customers satisfied with an end-to-end car buying experience, as most car owners are set to go down the exchange schemes in future.

Hyundai plans to expand its used car arm

Hyundai motor says that it plans to expand its used car business exponentially. Currently it operates less than 50 used car supported dealerships and intends to increase it to over 200 by end of next year. The used car market is expected to grow multifold in the coming years, and manufacturers have been trying to keep up the pace of getting into this space as it also allows them to keep their customers satisfied with an end-to-end car buying experience, as most car owners are set to go down the exchange schemes in future.

British Car Festival 2009 - It's a Wrap

British Car Festival 2009 was one of the most successful car shows to be produced by SABCC in many years.

The morning dawned bright and breezy and it was so cool that a light jacket was in order for the day. The fall sun was low enough that the bluff above Fairhope Beach Park kept a lot of the show field in the shade until late in the morning.

The folks from MINI of Pensacola arrived early and set up their display of new MINI models - A convertible and Clubman wagon were on hand. The wind was so strong that they MINI of Pensacola team had a hard time keeping their table upright. They didn't even try to tie up the banner they brought along.

Many SABCC'ers were at the show site by 7:00AM to get the windbreaks tied up on the pavilion and to get the all-important coffee brewing. The class signs were out in the show field ready for the traditional potted mums to finish the look.

The use of the portable 'porch' for registration kept the wind off the paperwork and gave the registration team a comfortable place to work. The entrants photos were also taken there with Mobile Bay making a nice backdrop for the photos. Once the photos were taken, the participants were directed to their class parking on the field.

There was a steady stream of classic British cars entering the show all morning. In fact, word reached the registration team that a minor traffic delay in Fairhope might make some of the entrants late to the show. A decision was made to keep the registration open an extra thirty minutes.

Once the field was set, the popular choice ballots and souvenir dash plaques were handed out and the balloting began. It was a tough call in most of the classes, especially in the Britannia Sports class. With the encouragement of the show announcers (over the clubs new PA system), the ballots were returned in record time and the vote counting began while the valve cover racing and the excellent bar-b-que dinners kept the show participants busy.

Raffles were drawn, tee shirts were sold out and television interviews were performed.

The awards ceremony began a little before 3:30 thanks to the hard work of the vote counting committee. All the trophies were in the hands of the winners before 4:30 and the work to take down the show commenced. In less than an hour, everything was loaded and ready to go - another British Car Festival in the history books.

Everyone associated with the show went far beyond the call and brought home once the best organized and executed BCFs in recent memory. The show committee deserves the highest commendation for their efforts - no job went undone.

Thanks to all who made BCF 2009 a success and a special thanks also to MINI of Pensacola and the Mini community for their support.

VW Polo coming to India

VW are planning to launch their flagship small car Polo's launch in India during early 2010. The car has already been a big success in european markets and if priced competitive it could soon cause ripples among sales figures of other small cars in the same segment.

VW Polo coming to India

VW are planning to launch their flagship small car Polo's launch in India during early 2010. The car has already been a big success in european markets and if priced competitive it could soon cause ripples among sales figures of other small cars in the same segment.

A target too high? Time will tell!

General Motors today said that it aims to sell over 4000 electric spark cars over 1 year. The company has made investments in Bangalore based Reva for technology in its new Chevrolet Spark Electric version. It is also said that the electric version of spark will have a top speed over 100 kms per hour and would also cover a maximum distance of around 160 kilometers on a single full charge. However these have to be tested and proven after launch.

A target too high? Time will tell!

General Motors today said that it aims to sell over 4000 electric spark cars over 1 year. The company has made investments in Bangalore based Reva for technology in its new Chevrolet Spark Electric version. It is also said that the electric version of spark will have a top speed over 100 kms per hour and would also cover a maximum distance of around 160 kilometers on a single full charge. However these have to be tested and proven after launch.

Nano's on Fire!

About 3 customers have so far complained about fire in their Nano's. The fault is so far reported on a switch which could be faulty. On all 3 occassions it is reported that the owners were not injured and also the cars were idle. Is it time to buy a Nano yet! These initial technical snags and faults are a usual case in every cars launch. However, our suggestion is to wait for another year before getting your hands on it.

Nano's on Fire!

About 3 customers have so far complained about fire in their Nano's. The fault is so far reported on a switch which could be faulty. On all 3 occassions it is reported that the owners were not injured and also the cars were idle. Is it time to buy a Nano yet! These initial technical snags and faults are a usual case in every cars launch. However, our suggestion is to wait for another year before getting your hands on it.

Photos from Tokyo Motor Show

Here are some of the photos from this years Tokyo Motor Show.

Mazda

Honda

Lotus Stealth

Lexus Hybrid

Toyota Prius

Subaru Hybrid Tourer

Caterham

Lexus Hybrid

Photos from Tokyo Motor Show

Here are some of the photos from this years Tokyo Motor Show.

Mazda

Honda

Lotus Stealth

Lexus Hybrid

Toyota Prius

Subaru Hybrid Tourer

Caterham

Lexus Hybrid