More 370Z! - NFS:UC Trailer

EA has released one more trailer of theit upcoming NFS: Undercover game. This one marks the debut of the 370Z in the virtual world!

Game On!: Flatout Ultimate Carnage Review

When we got our hands on the Flatout: Ultimate Carnage DVD, we thought it was just another racing game. But while the game was installing itself on our hard drive, we went through the manual and it quickly suggested that the game was anything but ordinary racing – it’s a blend of destruction derbies, circuit racing and a lot of stunts. The moment we played the first event, we were hooked on. Flatout starts off with the plain vanilla race mode, where the gamer races across three different tiers of difficulty with the most basic being derby cars and the highest being ultra-fast supercars. The victories and destruction earn the racer ‘credits’ which can be used to buy more cars.

The ‘Carnage’ mode engages the player into four non-traditional racing types – Carnage, Deathmatch Derby, Stunts and Beat-The-Bomb. This mode stresses on earning as many credits as possible by destroying everything in sight – from fences and bridges to starting poles and fellow racers. The racer’s position isn’t relevant; it’s the credits that decide the standing.

The ‘Stunts’ is what the Flatout franchise is acclaimed for on the consoles. With the use of Rag-doll Physics, the developers have created a unique arcade experience where the gamers crash their cars in order to send the driver flying into various arenas like basketball, baseball curling etc.

For many who have shed their teenage attire and got themselves strangled into the nine-to-five routine, the day ends on a hectic note. But amongst all this, if you were to keep your passion for gaming alive, you definitely wouldn’t want a game that needs you to put your brains to work. You need a game that helps you relax, bust all the stress out of you and give you the chance to destroy everything in sight – something you wish to do every time your boss cribs. Flatout is definitely that kind. It’s the ultimate blend of Quake-style mayhem packaged with arcade racing into a game that also looks visually appealing. And at a legit price of INR 999, the game is definitely the cheapest stress therapy you can buy! 

Official Pics: Nissan 370Z

Following the Z-series of sports cars that Nissan is famous for, the 370Z would be the newest offering for 2009. While there were a lot of spy pics and videos floating around the net, a lot of artist gave us their impressions on what the car would look like. Since the car wasn't of much relevance to India, we didn't post the spy pics earlier. But since its once of the hot favorites amongst the enormous NFS fans we have in the country, and the fact that the 370Z is going to be one of the most significant cars in NFS:UC, we decided to post the first official pictures of the car. Here you go then:

2010 Porsche Boxster and Cayman

Auto Week claims these photos to be the official 2010 Porsche Boxster and Porsche Cayman. They dont exactly look like a rendering and might just be the real studio shots. Upon global launch, expect a 6-month gap before these entry level Porsches come to India.

2010 Porsche Cayman:

2010 Posrche Boxster:

Leaked: Sketches of future Audis

The internet is definitely an unsafe place. Recently, the sketches of Audi's future models leaked onto the net and show the brief designs of the A5 Cabriolet, A7 four-door coupe and the 2010 A8 luxury sedan. Here you go:

New Toyotas coming your way....

A few ago, we scooped you on Toyota's plans for India with the new Yaris hatch, Yaris sedan and RAV4 softroader. Though there has been no further news on the RAV4, the Car India magazine has confirmed this month that the Yaris sedan is coming soon.

The other news though is Toyota's plan to finally get the Fortuner to India after a long internal debate. The SUV will be imported as a CKD and will be assembled locally. Since they are targeting the CR-V with the Fortuner, the RAV4 plans for India look a little meek now. The Fortuner will most probably hit showroom floors by mid-2009.

Also on the cards is the diesel variant of the Altis. Unfortunately though, the engine mountings for the 2.0-litre diesel mill that is already sold in the Altis in the UK are different than the petrol. Toyota hence is considering a tuned version of the 1.4-litre mill from the Yaris sedan in the diesel Altis. This will further help reduce costs due to the platform sharing.

The hottest news though, is that of two low-cost cars that Toyota are working on. 

An entry level sedan, which is said to be based on the Yaris platform again, is being developed with a $8000 (INR 4-lakh) figure in mind. The car is in its final stages of development and will be produced in India by 2010 and in Brazil by 2011. Both the countries will play as a mass production hub for this car to export to the rest of the world. Another low cost car is a hatch which is being targeted at $5000 (INR 2.5-lakh) to penetrate into the fast growing ultra-low-cost-city-car segment which will soon see TATA, Hyundai and Nissan-Relnault-Bajaj as the major players. The car though will be launched ages after the others come out into the market, with the most probable year being 2015. Since the two cars will be ultra cheap as compared to other Toyotas, it may harm their brand image, and hence the Jap firm is considering a new brand for these apart from its current siblings - Lexus and Dihatsu. 

Ferrari may write off F1 by 2010

The most prominant livery on the F1 enviorns - the scarlet red Ferrari, may soon disapprear from the grid, come 2010. Max Mosley's latest brainwave of using a similar engine on all the race cars to drop produciton costs, has led to this debacle. While most F1 teams are against this rule, Max seems pretty stern on implementing this rule. 

Ferrari amongst all other teams believes that such a rule will question the very basis of Formula 1 - which in iteself is an engineering challenge. If the FIA goes ahead and implements the rule, the Italian marquee will walk out of F1 and find solace in some other motorsport. The official statement from Ferrari is as follows:

"The Board of Directors of Ferrari SpA met today under the chairmanship of Luca di Montezemolo, to examine the third quarter results. The Board of Directors also examined the proposed changes to the Formula One regulations, in the light of the current global economic crisis.
"Whilst reiterating its wholehearted commitment to a substantial and needed reduction in costs in Formula One, starting with propulsion, the Ferrari Board of Directors expressed strong concerns regarding plans to standardise engines as it felt that such a move would detract from the entire raison of a sport with which Ferrari has been involved continuously since 1950, a raison d’etre based principally on competition and technological development.
"The Board of Directors expressed the opinion that should these key elements be diminished, it would have to re-evaluate, with its partners the viability of continuing its presence in the sport."

100 posts and Happy Diwali!

We have reached a 100 posts in the last 5 months. Thanks to everyone for all the support and appreciation. We will continue to serve in the times to come. Keep checking the blog and post your comments! It will only help us get better.

Oh yes, and Happy Diwali to all our readers! Have a great time this week....

Suzuki's 150cc bike launched

As we scooped you before, the new 150cc bike for Suzuki has been launched today. Christened the GS150R, the bike takes clues from the GS150 sold in South-East Asia. Design-wise, a lot of clues come from the Gixxers - especially the tail end and the basic layout of the headlight, which resembles the '07 GSX-R1000. No fuel injection for this bike yet, as it uses 26mm carbs to feed the 150cc engine. However, a stylish digital console gives it a modern edge. 

The bike was launched in Delhi today, however, it will be available in all showrooms before Diwali. It is not a performance contender at all, as the 13.8 PS engine is tuned for city riding and coasts of a strong mid-range grunt.

Further specs are as follows:

Engine:
Engine: 149 CC four-stroke, air-cooled, single-cylinder, 2 valves, SOHC
Power: 13.8 PS @ 8,500 RPM
Torque: 13.4 Nm @ 6000 RPM
Gearbox: 6-speed
Fuel System: 26mm CV Carb
Wheels, Tyres and Brakes:
Wheels (F/R): 5-spoke 18" die-cast alloys
Tyres(F/R): 100/90-R18, 2.25/R18
Brakes(F/R): Single cross-drilled ventilated rotor with 2-pot calipers / Drum
Suspension:
Front: Telescopic Forks
Rear: Gas Charged type
Electricals:
Headlight: 12V 35W Halogen with Multifocal Reflector
Exhaust System:
Side mounted
Tank Capacity: 15.5 litres

Price:
Rs. 59,000 ex-showroom

French toast for India

PSA Peugeot Citroen are finalizing plans to enter the Indian market once again. The French carmaker had entered India more than a decade back but failed to capture the market. This time around the company plans to follow a similar route they followed earlier - that of importing the vehicles to the country and finding local partners for sales and service. They may also consider multi-brand car showroom chains like the upcoming 'Carnation' for setting up their Indian network. 

They plan to initally enter the market with low-cast fuel efficient small cars and then add mid-size sedans to the Indian portfolio. If things work out on par with their planned roadmap, PSA Peugeot Citroen should be in India by 2011.

Hero Honda's new launches

Every manufacturer likes to bank upon the festive season in India i.e. Diwali for new product launches and increased sales. HH is no different. The Gurgaon based company has launched fpur new models - Passion Pro Start, new Pleasure, new Splendor NXG and a new CBZ Xtreme. 

The new Passion gets new stickers and an electric starter. The Pleasure and NXG get new graphics (yawn). The Xtreme gets an orange rear wheel, two-tone colours and clear-type indicators.

Mahindra launches new variants

M&M has launched new variants of the Bolero and Scorpio flagship models. These are called the 'Micro Hybrid' models - where the SUVs will give the customers a 'start-stop' technology. This technology basically uses a electric micro motor which keeps the engine running when idiling at traffic signals, jams etc. thus returning better mileage. Both the models are priced in the 6.5-7-lakh price bracket and are on sale now.

Suzuki's 150.....

We scooped you on some more news regarding the upcoming Suzuki 150cc motorcycle a few posts back. Well, some of our sources have told us that the bike will be called the 'GS150' and not 'GSR'. 

Pics: Maruti Suzuki A-star/Alto

Here are some real life photos of the Maruti Suzuki A-star which will be launched soon in India. 

Has demotorization begun?

The land that gave the world some of the best value-for-money cars till date is now turning its back on the four-wheeled marvel.

Japan, a nation that is home to some of the finest automobiles giants like Toyota and Honda, is currently on the brink of demotorization. The term ‘demotorization’ simply means ‘giving up on cars’ and instead moving to other means of transport.

According to various sources, today’s youth, which forms more than 40% of Japan’s population, are shifting focus towards spending their dough on the latest mobile phone, gaming device or a personal computer than saving up for a car. The Statistics Bureau of Japan claims that the average Japanese household income is approximately Rs. 1.7 lakhs out of which Rs. 24,000 are spent on consumer electronics every month. In spite of various features that an automobile offers, the youth considers a car to be nothing more than a ‘gadget’ from the 20th centaury, and by today’s standards, something that is obsolete.

Further, the Japanese demography shows that the urban population has grown by up to 20% in that last two decades. A vast number of these inhabitants prefer to use the mass transit options like the Japanese Railway for their daily travel instead of investing in a car. It is justified. According to Newsweek, owning and using a car in Japan on a daily basis can cost up to $500 (Rs. 20,000 approx.) per month. This includes the parking fees, vehicle insurance, fuel costs, tolls and other taxes. The subway network however, which is known to be one of the best in world, costs the residents as low as 300 Yen (Rs. 125 approx) a day, sans the hassle of traffic jams, parking space etc.

The country also happens to be the second largest automobile market in world by contributing to 18% of the global sales. But since 1990, the new-car market in Japan has dropped by over 33%. Though the country still holds some value for mini cars and high-end luxury brands, the decline primarily comes in the form of family cars, saloons and hatchbacks. Last fiscal, the sales dropped by 7.6% for the mid-size cars with an overall drop of 6.7% in the Japanese market. Analysts Standard and Poor predict a sharp drop this fiscal in U.S, Europe and Japan. They believe that declining sales in U.S and Europe would be primarily because tax hikes and rising fuel costs. Japan though is a more serious threat to automobile manufacturers as the decline comes due to lack of demand. Though not as drastic as Japan, analysts believe that Europe with its strengthening public transport may be next in line to embrace demotorization.

Japanese manufacturers have been able to counterbalance this decline to an extent with the rising exports (up by 8.1% in the 2007-fiscal) to the developing BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) markets. The rented car industry in Japan on the other hand is growing in yearly revenues with a 30% gain in the last decade - but that hasn’t helped the domestic sales in any way. The Japanese don’t aspire for the automobile lifestyle anymore and hence the ‘car’ has lost the charm of being a status symbol. Car-makers are hence striving hard to find alternative methods to market their ‘wares’ in Japan – from sponsoring Playstation titles to buying big spaces in mega-malls. But at the end of the day, the Japanese automobile market is getting harder to resurrect.

SEMA Motor Show preview

With almost all major auto shows wrapped up, its now time for the tuner aftermarket to display wares that add the extra zing to production cars

2010 Chevrolet Camaro:

One of the most significant aspects of the 2008 SEMA Show will be the launch of the 2010 Chevy Camaro. The car has been formally announced as the ‘Official Vehicle of the Show’. This means that apart from its full bounty launch, the Camaro will also be seen in various avatars with aftermarket manufacturers displaying their own project vehicles.

Hyundai Genesis:

Hyundai has decided to go all out with its Genesis range not only in the luxury segment, but also within the tuner community. Seen at the SEMA show will be six project Genesis models – three saloons and three coupes. The coupes will be tuned individually by HKS, Rhys Millen and Street Concepts. While the prior two will boast of large turbo-induced engines, the latter will use the stock V6 engine with a cold-air induction kit mated to a tuned exhaust system by Magnaflow. One of the saloons will be worked on by the famous tuning house RKSport while the other two will be kept under wraps until the show starts. Hyundai aims at keeping all the six project vehicles as practical as possible to provide prospective customers an insight into the premium vehicle’s tuning capabilities.

Mercedes GLK:

Mercedes Benz’s GLK promotion tour will take a few days off at the SEMA show. On display will be four concept vehicles that adapt to the show’s theme. These include a hybrid Rally Racer show truck from RENNtech, a BRABUS tuned GLK300 Bluetec, a highly customized variant from Boulevard Customs and an off-road concept from Legendary Motor Cars.

Toyo Tires:

With ‘drifting’ gaining popularity by the day, thanks to events like Formula D, tyre manufactures have more than one reason to be a part of the SEMA show. Toyo Tires for one, has tied up with various tuning houses to make project vehicles that can highlight the application of Toyo’s tyres for drifting and track use. On display will be a Nissan GT-R tuned by Bulletproof Automotive running on limited edition BBS LM-DBK-P wheels shod with Toyo's 20-inch Proxes R888 tyres. Another highlight will be 650PS Lancer Evo X painted in Porsche GT3 RS colours.

Mopar/Dodge:

Mopar will showcase its fondness for the Dodge brand by showcasing some amazing project cars. Two of the most significant models however will be a Dodge Ram R/T concept and a Challenger. The Ram will display strength and aggression with a wide body kit, bed cover with a spoiler and lowered suspension over 22-inch muscle wheels. The Challenger on the other hand will get a Mopar Supercharger onto its SRT-8 engine with a boost to over 600PS of power. Expect the project vehicles to incorporate high flow exhausts, crazy wheels other intake options.

RONN Scorpion:

One of the most awaited unveilings at SEMA would be the RONN Scorpion. The car is said to use an innovative technology wherein water from an onboard tank is broken down to produce hydrogen, which in turn is mixed with fuel to efficiently return a mileage of more than 14 kmpl. The manufacturer claims to achieve sportscar performance with high fuel efficiency figures. With such hype backing it up, its launch at SEMA will be a highly awaited one.

Suzuki's 150 to be unwrapped soon...

Suzuki India will soon unwrap their 'new 150cc contender. The bike is said to be using the same 150cc enigne which revved under the Fiero F2. Since the licensing for the engine from TVS is now said to be expired, Suzuki will incorporate the mill in the new bike. And dont expect it to run for the R15 either, as the company is looking forward to a mass production commuter bike and not a performace machine. There is a word that the name 'Lanza' may also be dropped and 'GSR150' would be the new one - following Yamaha's footsteps for building on a known 'brand' like they did with the YZF series. The bike is said to be unveiled by the end of October (probably the 23rd) and will be slightly lesser in price than the TVS RTR carb.

NFS Scale Models!

World leader of scale models, Maisto, has tied up with Electronic Arts to bring you a complete range of scale models from the upcoming game, NFS:Undercover. However, what we wonder is, if you buy stock cars in the game and then customize them later, whats the whole point of Maisto releasing the scale models specific to NFS anyway? We'll have to wait and watch....

Formula 1: FIA releases 2009 calendar

2009 FIA Formula One World Championship:
29 March Australia
5 April Malaysia
19 April Bahrain
10 May Spain
24 May Monaco
7 June Turkey
21 June Great Britain
28 June France
12 July Germany
26 July Hungary
23 August Europe (Valencia)
30 August Belgium
13 September Italy
27 September Singapore
11 October Japan
18 October China
1 November Brazil
15 November Abu Dhabi

Honda Updates Unicorn GP Ed.

Honda has replaced the 'Repsol' paintjob GP edition Unicorn with a 'Gresini' paintjob one. Again, no technical changes, only the new color scheme. In showrooms by next week.

RE takes you back the memory lane....

RE has unveiled a 'new' motorcycle to add to their exsisting range. The bike is called the Bullet Classic and as you may expect, it looks even more retro than you can imagine. It uses a 499cc mill with a 27PS power output and 41.3 Nm of torque. Available in 3 colours, the the bike will go on sale soon. 

Scale Model Colection

Rash has posted an article on Mr. Praveen Sathaye and his scale model collection on his blog, the Sagittarian Angel. Check it out HERE.

The Interceptor lives...

Many thought that Honda will discontinue the VFR800 Interceptor since a newer and larger VFR 1000 was under consideration (and to be launched later this month). However Honda has released info on the 2009 Interceptor. Well nothing new technically, the customers now have a chance to buy an all-black model for 2009.

VDO: Schumacher testing a 1000RR

Schumacher recently tested a Hanspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR WSBK bike. Though he claims this was a one-off test, we are speculating that the ex-F1 champion is up to something! Here's the video:

Courtesy: MCN

Lambo's mystery car revealed!

Well, its not a car but a concept. As we speculated, its a 4-seater GT study and has been unveiled to the media today at the Paris Motor Show. More images and press release will follow soon.

Skoda Laura Facelift

Skoda has a new facelift coming for the Laura in India. The car will be officially unveiled soon, but here's a small preview of what you can expect.

The new design follows the aggressive theme of the new Superb and the Fabia with completely restyled front end and a significantly redesigned headlight unit. The tail end gets minor updates to the lights and the bumper. Interiors will get new colors and redesigned air-con vents, integrated audio and multi-info display. Customers will also get new alloy design options to match their taste. With minor testing and ARAI proceedings to follow, the new Laura should be available across the showrooms by mid-2009. Technically the car will remain the same for India.