Automotive Blog

In a recent report by UNIDO International Yearbook of Industrial Statistics 2008, India ranks 12th in the overall standing of worlds top automakers. The emerging giant also ranks 4th behind Mexico, Korea and Iran among developing countries.

Not surprisingly so, what with India also leading the increase in numbers of millionaires that exceeded 100,000 at last count. Indian millionaires club is growing at an astonishing rate of 21 percent per year. These affluent people are also ready to show their wealth by way of sporting high end apparel brands and driving the latest luxury cars coming out of Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Porsche or Jaguars stable. In fact Indian auto industry has become the engine of world auto market growth with a consistent rate of 12 percent. The high end or luxury segment is growing at even higher rate and is estimated to grow above 100 percent this year over previous year.

For long, the German trio of Mercedes-Benz,BMW & Audi has dominated the luxury car market on a global scale and its not different in India either. Mercedes has opened shop in India way back in 1996 and been numero-uno till now. But it is now facing stiff competition from its traditional rivals - BMW & Audi. They are matching Mercedes model for model and even the highest end Mercedes Mayback (that cost Rs. 15 million onwards) is not safe. Of course it is the entry level luxury models like C Class, E Class of Mercedes, 3 Series, 5 Series of BMW and A4 of Audi have been selling like hot-cakes.
The rapid growth of the luxury segment is also attracting other players like Lexus, Porsche, Jaguar or even high end sports cars like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bugatti and other smaller brands who plan to sell exported cars because their sales is not yet big enough to set up an assembly line here.
So I am expecting to see a Ferrari whiz past me anytime soon or a young couple going on tour with their sports BMW.

Each and every year - my friend comes over from London to go around India. It has been going on for the last 17 years and every year we face a big problem - that is finding a car on hire!

Basically, we are not interested to see monuments or forts. What we strive for is to see the real India - its people, villages, fields, nature and so on. As India is big, we have to take either trains or flight to go from one corner to another. But the problem arises when we want to have a look around a particular area the way we want to - to drive slowly through the mud road and enjoy the serene environment of rural India.

My friend has to visit lots of countries in Europe and America as his job demands it. Once in a while, when he gets some spare time he just searches the internet ( viz. car hire Spain or car hire France ) - books his tickets and the car is delivered on his hotel door. He then can go anywhere he wants and leave the car there without worrying about returning the car.

Here lies the difference or should I say shortcomings of car rentals in other countries and in India. True, one can hire cars even in India. but Indian companies do not offer the freedom other countries offer. One has to take an accompanying driver with the caror have to return the car to the pick up point.

There might be several reasons for this kind of drawback that the market is facing despite it having huge potential. A car is still an exclusive domain of affluent people in India whereas every 1.5 people in Canada own a car. So car hijacking or theft is rampant in this part of the world. Also, bigger companies are not yet in the market thus the network of a car hire company is too smal unlike international network of car hire companies in Europe or Americas.

Hopefully , someday in the near future, me and my friend could land in Kochi, hire a car, drive through to Bangalore, leave the car there and again go to another destination. With booming economy and introduction of the world’s cheapest car “Nano” by Tata Motors, Indian car rental market will soon catch up with other countries like all other services sector in India is doing. This will also give boost to its tourism.

It has been long a classic eyesore, butt of many popular jokes as well as post-independence national symbol of India. But the Dilip Chabria touch with all new look, re-modeled intelligent retro-futuristic Ambassador car christened Ambierod of Hindustan Motor Ltd. Has attracted 2 million visitors at recently held Delhi Auto Expo.

The altered design is sleek looking with gull-wing doors and screen mounted interiors. Mr. Chabria choose Ambi, as is popularly known, because according to him most adult Indians could connect with it and due to its history, the eyesore offered him a huge professional challenge. He was determined to create magic out of a staid 70s vehicle and he took inspiration from American Hot Rod movement that works very well on old cars of 30s and 40s. With outsize wheels and an altered BMW petrol engine that has a six-liter V12 powertrain generating 600 600HP, new chassis, electro-pneumatic suspension the car’s interior is very much hi-tech, futuristic and European in nature. The exotic look of the car comes from the hydraulically activated gull-wing doors.

The Ambierod is a three-seater car with three 19” screens which could double up as DVD player or be used for satellite television. The ambient lighting system is controlled by touch screen and there are no buttons whatsoever. The storage space is mind-boggling too which can hold a fridge, a computer, and many more that is necessary for the owner.

Priced at $1 million, the car is for the rich. But it has certainly surprised many who might see the eyesore of Indian roads to vanish soon.

Harley Davidson is well-known to all bike lovers. I am a bike lover too. I used to collect the pictures and stickers of special kind of bikes, information about their engines and look, everything. Honda, Yamaha, American Eagle, Big Dog and Suzuki all are included in my collection. But one famous Italian name attracts me so much that I have become a devotee of that bike. It is my dream bike. It is 350 cc V-twin sport Bike of Morini Family. The company is owned by Franco Morini and was established in 1927. The model I’m talking about was first presented by the company in 1970. The engine is liquid cooled and it has 8 valves. It is called 87 degree V-twin engine. The bike is a real fun for the professional bikers. Its fuel injection is Magneti Marelli indirect injection.

The bike is available in two colors – red and black. It has an 18 liter fuel tank and its headstock rake is 24.5 degree. Its front brake is 320 mm disc and 4 pistons Brembo where as the rear brake is 220mm disk with 2 pistons Brembo. Morini’s Engineers are still working in their own state of art R&D division to enhance this bike. The company has made more then 500 changes in this bike after it was first manufactured in Italy. At first Morini was a scooter manufacturer and they posses a long experience of designing motorcycle and scooter engines. If you are thinking that it is just another 350 cc sport bike than you must miss something. Remember, it is an Italian finished product with greater look and heavy reliability. It looks very small as its dimension is wheelbase 1,440mm. Morini Corsaro V-twin is also offered by the company in 1200cc engine. This bike won the Italian title for several times. This 198kg bike can accurately turn very quickly. The maximum power is 140bhp@8500rpm and the maximum torque is 12.5kgm@6500rmp. It has an unbelievable suspension and control over any kind of surface. It has a 120/70x 17 front tyre and a 180/55×17 rear one to grab the road. This bike is one of the top hottest bikes in Europe. The German first started exporting this from Italy and after that all the speeder customer show a hues demands. It keeps its promises. So it is the best bike in its category.