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.