Maserati Quattroporte Sport GTS to debut @ NAIAS 2009

The famous Italian race car manufacturer that now makes exquisite sport sedans as well as some sleek uber rich sportcars is all set to debut its latest offering, the Quattroporte Sport GTS at the upcoming NAIAS in January 2009.The launch of the Quattroporte Sport GTS also marks Maserati's 70th anniversary of their first Indianapolis 500 win. Literally, the legend lives on!
The Sport GTS is a take from the past of packaging a luxury saloon car with the dynamics and a fire breathing engine that literally take this machine into supercar territory. It helps that Maserati is part of the Fiat S.P.A group of companies and therefore directly benefits from Ferrari engines. Like the famous prancing horse, Maserati’s H.Q is also located in Modena, Italy in order to maximize the benefit that it can draw from Ferrari.

The 4.7 V8 engine under the hood of the Maserati now generates 323kW and comes with a remapped gearshift software to allow for faster and smoother transitions between shifts. Maserati has also fitted in a front and rear suspension system that features single-rate dampers, stiffer springs and lower ride height in order to offer sportscar like dynamism for this ultimate saloon. To add to the sport element that this car possesses, Maserati has taken the liberty to add pneumatic valves to the sports exhaust in order for the car to bellow a deep growling sound that is sure to make the heart of any car enthusiast flutter.

Of course, like all things Italian, the new Maserati is not only sportier or more aggressive to look at, but is extremely stylish, both on the interior as well as the outer skin. This is one car, where you really don't need a pick up line; it'll do the talking for you-tried and tested!
What I'm talking about is written all over the car. Starting from the front, the new black grille with concave vertical fins featuring the Trident logo dressed in red accents is symbolic of Maserati models that possessed a sportier demeanor. From the titanium finish on the headlights to the side and rear "shadow line" and ending at the twin black oval exhaust pipes, the Maserati is strictly a drool machine.

How much? For that information, you'll have to wait till January 12th, 2009 when the price will finally be announced, but if you ask me, its right up there in supercar territory. Rob a bank, ask your father for a loan, or sell your house, for this is one car you really don't want to miss out on!

Rally School

Drifting, heel-toeing, left foot braking and displaying an unnatural level of vehicle control are skills that I aspire to have, and what better place to get started on these than a Rally School!

Nothern Motorsports recently held a day long rally driving program recently. The day was set to be action packed and the small group of 15 odd learners were set to get lessons from none other than Gaurav Gill, driver of Team Sidwin India-WRC, himself!

For me, this was a double whammy and I didn't hesitate one bit in waking up early to be the first to arrive at the grounds where we would be learning how to control a car that literally looks as though it is out of control.

The day was divided up into two sessions, the theoretical and the practical. Gaurav explained various technics that we would have to use on the 1 km tarmac track laid out for us. One of the most important lessons for the day was to understand the track and determine the racing line. This very objective is what racing in any sport is all about, and it makes all the difference in a tight situation.

Once done with the classroom work, we headed out towards the track and did a walk around. Even the best of drivers do a walk around in order to get better knowledge about the track, familiarize themselves with the terrain and also mind map the layout of the track. This helps in their judgement while driving, and is an amazing tool to use when applicable.

Finally, the time to get in the cars had dawned upon us. With Gaurav in the passenger seat ( a pleasant change for him as well), each of us individually set out to do a timed lap of the track. This timing would later be used to evaluate our improvement, for the rest of the day involved practicing various technics, and learning how to push the vehicles to the limit without loosing control. My timing was 53.75 seconds on my first run, possibly the slowest in the group, but I didn't loose my cool.

The rest of the afternoon, I spend behind the wheel to learn the art of mastering vehicle control around sharp corners, doing a calculated drift, and speeding through a slalom section. These three elements would greatly benefit my timing, and once I was feeling a bit confident, I was sure to show a significant improvement in my final lap timing.

Gaurav, meanwhile set a lap speed record of 42 seconds. This was sort of a ballpark figure of what we had to try and achieve, considering his rally pedigree. Post which he took each of us for an individual run with him driving, so that we could see and understand just what he did on the course to tackle the various obstacles.

With the training done, and the day's lessons coming to an end, it was now judgement time. So, helmet on, I proceeded to the SX4, buckled myself in, made sure I was in the right sitting position and took off to tackle the track. I refrained from being too aggresive, and played it cool. I tried to achieve as much as Gaurav had taught me throughout the course of the day and I made my way around the track in what to me felt like eternity, but the lap time told a different story. I had managed to do the course in 46 seconds! Just 4 seconds off from Gaurav's time! I was overjoyed, and couldn't help thinking that if a single day's session could improve my driving by 8 seconds, what would a routine practice do?

Having started my journey towards becoming a rally driver, I was given the most important lesson at the end of the day, when Gaurav told me that no matter how much he teaches me, it is up to me to put it into practice. Find ways to teach myself, now that the basic 'theoretical' knowlegde is in place and that is just what I intend on doing.

I also hope that the Rally School becomes a monthly initiative instead of just being an annual event, for that would not only help me hone my skills, but would also help build the interest of any budding rallist who wishes to really learn the tricks of the trade.

i20 and the craze

Why do I write about the Hyundai i20 even though it is yet to see the light of day in India? Well, for one, it is touted to be most awaited car after the Suzuki A Star to grace our lands this year. Even more convincing than that arguement is the fact that the Hyundai i20 has been searched and googled like never before. Everyone wants to find out a little bit more about this B Segment killer that is on the anvil from the Korean Manufacturer.

Keeping with the 'i' generation, Hyundai is extending its range from the i10 to the i20. There is an i30 also available in international markets but that has no plans for India at the moment. For most of us who have seen the i20, either at the Paris Motor Show, or in pictures splashed all over the internet, you can't help but think that the i20 looks like an evolved Getz. I personally feel that the i20 is Hyundai's answer for a Getz replacement in international markets, but in India they will keep both brands alive, afterall, why kill off a good thing right?

Anyways, the i20 is in the limelight, and its touted to come with several engine options as well as a neat styling package. Personally, I feel that the i20 is destined to be a winner, provided that the price is right.

I've Been To Speed Heaven and Back!

The month of November has been a personal festival of speed. It all began with the Audi R8 launch in Delhi. This mid engined supercar that churns out around 500 bhp from its 4.2 litre FSI engine finally made its way over to Indian shores.

I have been a fan of the car since the first time I saw it roll out for public viewing in Paris in 2006. At a gala evening event the world finally got to see how Audi makes a supercar, and there is no doubt about it now that the R8 has become a living legend.

The Indian launch was no letdown either. Audi, it seems is oblivious to the fact that there is an economic crunch in place and spent lavishly on one of the most spectacular car launches i've ever witnessed in my short career as an automobile journalist so far.

However the icing on the cake was that the day following the launch, I found myself behind the wheel of this supercar on a handling course built for the purpose by Audi in Greater Noida, UP. I managed to clock about 1 hour behind the wheel of this car, and though I didn't get to push it as much as I would have liked to, I did manage to burn some rubber...and what a feeling that was!

That was that....I was a fan, and the R8 goes down in my books as a dream car that I intend on owning sometime soon! However, even before I could truely soak in the total experience of the R8, I found myself on assignment in Aamby Valley to take part in the Porsche World Roadshow.

So, here I was again, in speed heaven with the entire 2009 range of Porsche cars available for a days' worth of hard driving on various tracks! I had my hands full I tell you, The Cayenne GT3, the Cayman S, the 911 Turbo as well as the 911 PDK....just feeling those acceleration figures...instead of just reading about them is a total eye opener.

So, as I sat sliding sideways in the back of a Cayenne, while a crazed German driver showed me how to drift an SUV on an unused runway, it dawned upon me that this is what life is all about. Pushing it to the limit, living at the speed where the world around you becomes a blur, yet you remain in control. It was speed heaven.

Mr. Bus Driver!

It just so happened that I got assigned to travel down to Bangalore, alright, Bengaluru if you must, to drive the all new Volvo B9R 9400 bus. It's the latest offering from Volvo Bus India Pvt. Ltd and I should mention that it also happens to be the largest and most powerful bus available in India today.

It is hard to control the excitement that comes with the offer to drive a bus. I, for one have been an avid bus lover and there is a certain aura about these behemoths that make them so crave-worthy for auto enthusiasts. Let alone the fact that I have secretly harboured the intention of getting my hands on a bus, any bus for that matter, when lady luck smiled upon me, I was offered to drive the best, biggest and most powerful one so far!

Bus driving isn't about speed. Now I don't need to tell you that. What it really does drain out of a driver is the ability to make his way through traffic. Luckily for me (and my insurance company..hehehe) I was driving the B9R 9400 on a test track near the Volvo Bus factory. This bus comes fitted with a 9 litre, 350 Bhp engine that churns out more than 1600 Nm of torque, so I truely got more than I bargained for.

I managed to do 2 laps of the 2.5 km course plus a little extra in terms of driving it back to the 'lunch-stop'. Around 7km is all i managed to get on my log book, but it is a memory that I will take to the grave. The sheer mass, when it moves is so fluid and I was taken aback by how easy it is to drive this around the track. Not once did my wheels leave the tarmac, and when you consider that I was navigating a 13.7 metre long vehicle around a hairpin bend, that is pretty damn good for day 1 in bus driving school!

Now I managed to hit only 4th gear and reach only 45 km/h on the speedo, but it was an exhilirating experience none the less. Shifting gears at 1200-1500 rpm, using the retarder to slow down and accelerating on the straights while keeping an eye out on the rear view mirrors to ensure that the bus is in line and positioned well on the road. Going around corners was what my main worry was, but the trick is to use the rear view mirrors to make that rear judgement and in doing so keep the wheels planted on the road. Of course it would have been a whole different experience to drive this bus in traffic, but honestly I don't think I am ready for that yet. Maybe I need to enroll in the Volvo Bus Driving School first, get a certificate and then pursue a side business of inter-city coach driving!!

Anyway, having driven a bus, it is one topic I can cross off from my long list of "Things to do before I die"....now to get my hands on a Abrams Tank!

The French Countryside, A GPS system, and Cows..

With my sojourn at the Paris Motor Show over and done with, its time for me to enjoy a day drive out to the city of Le Havre and Dieppe located somewhere towards the northwest of France ( provided I have my directions in order).

Wasting no more time, I step into my ride, a beautiful Volkswagen Touareg R50, which shall be my chariot as I make my way through the French wide open. But the countryside will come later, first I had to leave the city of Paris and make my way to the open highways that beckons me to unleash the entire 350 PS of energy that I have at my right foot's disposal.

With all that exictement packed in and looking forward for a fun day, I fired up the V10 turbo diesel mill and then began to patiently follow the directions blurted out to me in a sultry female voice from the GPS system installed in the SUV. Now, a female voice giving directions to a healthy male ego is not one of the best ideas on the planet, but since I don't speak an ounce of French, I figured that the 'guy' way of just winging it would be rather futile and therefore listening to the GPS is essential. Letting go of my ego, and making do with the fact that in some morbid manner it is rather fun to talk back to the 'GPS lady', I managed to make my way out of Paris, without getting lost too many times! Thank god and the GPS system for recalibrating a new route to my destination within nano-seconds, so that the 'lost' isn't permanent :)

So, after a rather animated one sided discussion with the GPS lady, I finally found my bearings and was out on a nice French highway heading towards an unknown destination called Le Havre. The weather was brilliant-overcast skies, light drizzle, and temperatures touching 6.5 degrees
Celcius to which I was oblivious to thanks to the brilliant climate control system on board.

I was excited, of that there is no doubt, for this really is an experience to have-open country roads, nice straights, little or insignificant traffic, and an amazing SUV to enjoy all this in. I was also excited about driving through the 'French villages' that our friends in Paris promised. But I was in for a let down, for as I made my way out of the city, I suddenly felt as though the Touareg was my only solace, my island in the middle of the 'land of grass and cows'.

That's right, grass and cows, everywhere. I was getting the feeling that the French too might be religious about their cows! I mean, these beasts were healthy, clean looking, and had that aura of bovine supremacy! Cows with attitude I tell ya. In fact, these animals were so stuck up that they refused to sleep out on the open highways, like the bovine beasts we have back in India. These French versions, if I may call them that insist on having their own land! Alright, a bit overboard, but you get the idea. India could learn a thing or two in Cow control from the French....

Anyway, back to soaking in the beauty of the French countryside. So the lush green grass and the rolling hillocks sort of swept by as i cruised along at approximately 120 km/h. It is autumn after all, and the trees had those multi colored hues that we associate with a smile and a gentle 'Aw'. I was yet to see a French Village though. Anyway, we made it to Le Havre for lunch. This coastal town was beautiful and though I didn't have time to totter around town and get a sight seeing tour, I can tell ya, its one of those James Bond locations where he meets a gorgeous dame and ..yeah..you know the rest. :)

After a rather late lunch ( it took over two hours to get through that 5 course meal), I could still taste the snails in my mouth (not bad actually, however they are an acquired taste) and since I was driving, I couldn't really wash all this French cuisine down with some classic wine. Anyway, it was back to the road for me.

Leaving Le Havre for Dieppe, I was finally off the highway network and would now be using the state routes to travel. These are the roads that ran through villages, I told myself...and sure enough, soon after I left the town of Le Havre there was a village. Unfortunately for the untrained eye, this place might come across as a set of villas surrounding a church in some exclusive locale, but believe me, these were french villages! The pain, the agony, I was looking for something with a bit more cultural heritage, if I may say so, not some small cluster of modern houses with Peugots parked outside. Anyway, the distress of not seeing Villages was soon lost as I approached Dieppe.

The land was flat, yet the ocean was a few hundred feet below. It was then realized that the road was literally on the edge of a rigde overlooking the ocean! Breathtaking and very Bond like again, except James would most probably be attacking the enemy in such a locale. of course the babe would be around requiring the rescuing but James would be fighting using all of Q's gadgetry. However, I am Vikram, not James, and the only damsel I had for company had gone quiet, as she had no directions to give me out here on a single road that ran for a coupla hunderd kilometers!

Dieppe was a quick pit stop and a tank up on gas, from where I proceeded back towards Paris. The dash towards the city was done as nightfall began. The setting sun, the images of open land and crisp chilly air all made for a great memory, which I am sure to cherish and tell stories about in the future, but right about now, all that I really had in my mind was the thought of some fine French red wine to enjoy after my day long drive......

Motor Show Madness!

I have just returned from the Paris Motor Show, and as expected, there were over 90 new cars unvieled at the event! 90 new cars, I mean, wow right? So, what this boils down to, especially if you have only one day, or more specifically 9 hours to manage all this in, is that you have to view 10 cars an hour, or roughly one car every 6 minutes.

Now, to make these figures a bit more interesting, you have to account for food stops, loo breaks, walking from one hall to the other, photography, a bit of chit chat with officials at a stall, shopping for model cars and of course the stealing glances at the models located at various stands. All these activities roughly add up to 3 hours of your day, which now means you have 6 hours to check out 90 cars! Do the math, and you realize that in effect you are stuck with only 4 minutes per car! That my friend is an actual rush job!

So what does it take to manage all this? Advance preperation. If you are already in a gym or go for long walks, you are in a better state of affairs than I am, but then again, I ain't the atheletic type and that is most probably why I choose automobiles as my mode of transportation as, say a bicycle. Anyway, its not about my health here, but the sheer requirements to handle a busy Motor Show schedule.

The holy grail of attending a motor show boils down to the shoes on your feet. This singular item could either make you or break you. 2 years ago, I chose to attend the Paris Motor Show in formals. This was possibly the worst idea of my life, save for going shopping with two women at the same time, but you get the idea. So, shoes are very important, nicely worn in, comfortable and reliable is what you need to take along.

Secondly, an i-pod would be handy. Music has a rejuvinating ability, and what better to walk to than music of your choice ( plus this was France and everyone spoke french, so understanding anything was out of the question).

Finally, you need a roller bag. This mainly applies to journalists who require presskits from all stalls. At the end of the day, you find yourself lugging around 10-15 kilos of press material that will come handy at the time of writing stories.....so it's better to have them in a bag, than in your arms ( which will most probably lead to you to collapse under the excessive weight!)

Other tips would include, having a layout map of all the halls, and a working cellphone, incase you get lost!

Prepare well, for you have to capitalize on those 4 minutes...else you shall be left behind in the madness....

i20 Coming to India

Hyundai has a trick up its sleeve, and that car is the all new i20 sub compact that is due to be unveiled officially at the Paris Motor Show in the first week of October. The car will make its Indian debut at the end of November.

The ‘i’ fixture on the latest Hyundai cars are more than just a nomenclature gimic, for in these cars lie the true spirit of the ‘i-gen’, or today’s youth. Just like the name suggests, its all about being alive, playful, youthful and fun spirited. India has already borne witness to one such car with the ‘i’ prefix, namely the i10, which has lived up to its individualistic spirited attitude. The next car that takes the prefix forward is the much awaited sub compact i20, which is more than just a significant addition to the new generation of Hyundai vehicles.

Designed at Hyundai's European Design Centre in Russelsheim, Germany, the i20 can best be described as individual-chic. The sleek 5 door hatch, which incidentally replaces the Getz model worldwide, rides on a longer wheelbase than its predecessor, which immediately translates to the fact that the slick new i20 is expected to have a more spacious interior architecture. The car also features Hyundai's distinctive design motifs, namely, a bold chrome-topped grille flanked by piercing teardrop headlamps at the front and striking stacked rear light clusters. Adding to the element of design attitude are the rather robust modern lines that accentuate a hint of sportiness in this sub compact hatch.Interior levels are said to be class leading and will come with a generous amount of standard equipment.

Fitting in with Hyundai’s theme of producing global vehicles, the i20 has been designed and engineered to meet European standards. It’s a new platform that boasts of better driving dynamics-something we’ll get to know soon enough. Incidentally the i20, like its smaller sibling, the i10, will be manufactured at Hyundai Motor India’s manufacturing facility in Chennai, which aligns with HMIL’s plans of making India their small car manufacturing hub.

Paris Premiere

Six new Hyundai models will make their international debut at this year's Paris "Mondial de l'automobile". Hyundai Motor Company will use this event to showcase several production - ready vehicles designed and built for Europe such as the i20, as well as demonstrate its 'green' credentials with two innovative concepts, the eye-catching Coupe show – car and the premium sedan Genesis.

Also debuting will be the i20 blue concept, the latest model in Hyundai's i-blue range of advanced low emissions concepts. Alongside the eye-catching i20 will be the luxurious seven-seat ix55 sports utility vehicle, and Hyundai's eco-friendly Santa Fe as a Petrol-Electric Hybrid concept.

Check out pictures of the i20 on www.zigwheels.com

Honda Civic hybrid finally here

No manufacturer has ever opted to take this route as India has a history of being a consumer driven market that thrives on a price war, therefore making such a decision didn't seem to make enough business sense.

The arrival if the Civic hybrid marks not just a commitment from the manufacturer to help curb air pollution and reduce the burden on fossil fuels, but also the fact that India is definitely a market to be taken seriously.

The evolution shows in the fact that a manufacturer like Honda, who has had a stellar run in the country with their vehicles, deems it possible to make a mark with such a technologically superior machine.

The all new Civic hybrid is literally a technological masterpiece on wheels. It comes fitted with a 3-stage 1.3 litre i-Vtec engine (which provides 3 stages of valve timing) mated to a brushless DC motor and is finally driven by an efficient CVT transmission. All three mechanisms work in perfect synchronization to offer the user an environmentally friendly car that is not just frugal but fun to drive.

It is one of the rarest combinations to find in an automobile, but Honda has made this possible with their Civic IMA (integrated motor assist) hybrid.

Priced at Rs 21.5 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), the car is not cheap, but this is due to the fact that the Civic hybrid is a 100 per cent import from Japan, and therefore the duty of more than a 100 per cent has to be paid on it.

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