The all-new Range Rover.

          It's no secret that I love SUVs & that Range Rover is my favorite. It's rugged, very off-road capable & at same time luxurious, fast & look handsome. As far as SUVs go it always been very desirable.

The all new fourth-generation Range Rover launch was a grand affair. Celebrity guests like Holly Valance, Jimmy Parr & Olympian models Zara Phillips & Victoria Pendleton were few of score who were invited at the Royal Ballet School, UK. Watching the launch on youtube I couldn't help but swell with pride as this iconic brand in now owned by our very own Tata Motors.

There is still nothing else like Range Rover. Audi, BMW, Mercedes & Porsche all sell SUV's in the same segment, but neither one of them has managed to marry luxury with off-road ability. No wonder, that the current car will be more popular than ever.

As with the looks, the new Range Rover is unmistakable, it has got road presence like no other SUV.
It is the biggest Rangie yet but shorter than before for a sleeker shape & better aerodynamics. All the important design elements are retained on demand, like the shape, floating roof, two-piece tailgate. The headlamps are again typically Range Rover & give a through modern look. The massive 19 & 22 inch wheels give Rangie a planted look.

The new Range Rover with all-aluminium chassis & body is the first SUV to feature so. This has slashed a whopping 420kg than the outgoing model. This will give advantage in areas like fuel economy, handling & emissions. The chassis also stiffer & 39 percent lighter than than previous steel structure which will give it better dynamic ability.

 Get on the inside & you will welcomed by acres of luxury. The cabin in enrobed in a mixture of wood & soft leather that's perfectly stitched. The armchair-style front seats gives you throne like comfort along with great visibility, the leather wrapped steering wheel is a joy to hold & large instrument cluster displays a digital speedo & tachometer., top-mounted window controls are still present. Since many customers will be chauffeur driven the rear-seat comfort have been been greatly enhanced. The legroom is up by 118mm  & wheelbase by 40mm. Range Rover's back seats offer sheer comfort & luxury, you can even opt the aircraft style 2 bucket seat package in Autobiography edition divided by a extnded centre console that houses a small cool-box & aircon controls & a pair of 12.3inh HD screens. The seats offer wide range of movements like nine-degree recline & 5 mode massage function to pamper you. Must-tick options include a mood ambiance roof lighting, panaromic glass roof & a superb 1700W,29 speaker Meridian 'Signature Reference' sound system to blow off your socks.
The only let down Is see is the paddles-shift levers are made from plastic when I want aluminium.

The 60mm wider track & lower roofline have also helped the car feel more agile through corners, with significantly less body roll. There's the same smooth palpable glide of the tyres you get with a Rolls Royce & that's no surprise as the RR Ghost was one of the cars Range Rover has benchmarked against.

Three new engines are available to choose which is attached to 8-speed ZF automatic transmission. The entry-level, high efficiency 3.0 litre V6 diesel develops a nice 254bhp & does 0-100 in under 8 seconds. Next up is more stronger & popular 334bhp 4.4litre TDV8 that develops a barge-tugging 517lb of torque 7 ensuring ton under 6.5 seconds, while the footballers & sheiks will signing the cheque for the ridiculous 503bhp, 5.0litre V8 Supercharged petrol.

The multiple modes of Terrain Response combined with hill descent manage system & ability to raise the car up on it's air-springs will manage to walk over every terrain you choose to throw at this car. Further it's got 5-star rating from Euro NCAP in crash tests.

The incredible thing about this car is while you put this through all the abuse, you're calm & in great luxury & can listen to music while it's crossing Amazon. The fourth gen version takes not just its capabilities even further but the image of Britian's most significant automotive icons, having established the concept of luxury SUV.

Finer thing sin life always comes for a price & in this case it's upward 1.7 crore, yup you heard it right.
Icon is not a word you can throw out to every car, but not all cars are Range Rovers.

       

          

The timeline of Pulsar

          When you look at the history of Indian Motorcycles, you see that Pulsar has created a revolution sort of thing in Indian Motorcycle Industry or precisely speaking Pulsar has brought the Sport Biking Concept in India that was absent from a long time.

         While that was the time of Hero Honda and Yamaha 2 strokers domination and they were bringing lot of Commuter Bike segmentation to the market with few exceptions, Bajaj was the only company who thought of bringing a bit change to the market and winning the hearts of Indian Bike enthusiasts.

        The Pulsar not only transformed the way Indians commuted, but also changed the DNA of  the country's second-largest two-wheeler maker that till then had successful but staid models like the M-80, the  rear-engine three-wheeler and of course the blockbuster scooter, Chetak.

        ‘Pulsar', a word that’s become synonymous with sports-performance, macho looking motorcycle. This Indian powerband showed & shook the Europeans & Jap’s with their technology & patents. This was competent to last nut & was smashing in every department.

      Bajaj priced the Pulsar very well, a bit low than competition CBZ X-treme & Karizma but with better performance. This was easy on average Indian buyer who would also get the best bike of that time. Another thing was Pulsar was available in wide range starting from 135cc to 220cc.

       Currently there are 5 variants of Pulsar available, with engine capacities of 135 cc, 150 cc, 180 cc, 200 cc(Pulsar NS) and 220 cc. Previously it was also offered with a 200 cc DTS-i oil cooled engine, which now has been discontinued. With an average monthly sales of  around 86,000 units in 2011, Pulsar has a market share of 47% in its segment. By April 2012, more than five million units of Pulsar were sold.  
Making it the India’s Number-1 sports bike.

The Timeline of the Pulsar

2001: The first generation of Pulsar was a runway success. It introduced us to the world of performance. It taught us the words like, bhp, torque, 0-100time and power-to-weight ratios. It was not a just a mode of transportation but was new relation between rider and the bike. The first Pulsar's to hit the market were powered by a 150cc air cooled single cylinder 4 stroke petrol engine which delivered a power output of 11.8bhp. It used a carburettor for sending the air-fuel mixture to the engine and a single spark-plug for its ignition. It sported the dome shaped round headlights and its styling was an inspiration derived from a wide open muscular human arm! The 180cc Pulsar launched after that produced a power of  15bhp and was equipped with electric start as a standard fitment. It was 'Definitely male'.

2002-03: The Pulsar was already the default choice of youth of the Youth. It became the bad-boy of the streets out-selling and out-performing every other bike. It featured Headlamp fairing with twin pilot lamps and the revolutionary DTS-i(Dual Twin Spark-ignition) technology which gave performance advantage over the competition which it still holds. Not to forget it also had engine kill switch. It had 13 and 16bhp for 150 and 180cc models respectively.

2004-05: Each Pulsar upgrade has had 2 aspects to it - styling and technology. The changes were very been significant, each time redefining the segment. Competition was constantly kept on its toes trying to stay at least just behind Pulsar thus keeping Pulsar and the Pulsar maniacs ahead of the curve. UG2 was the first all black Pulsar had many technological upgrades that are till date a part of the Pulsar. It had standard for the industry - 17' alloy wheels Exhaus TEC, nitrox filled suspension. This was where I became a Pulsar maniac.

2006: By this time more than 1 million Pulsars were sold. The 2006 pulsar had the most significant updates featuring the digital speedometer, back-lit switches, self cancelling indicators, LED tail lamps etc. Multiple sensors and the digital console gave the rider a lot of information about the overall performance of the bike and with it a confidence to push forward with additional power.

2007-08 : The first Indian bike to break the 200 cc barrier had hit the road - The Pulsar 200 and 220. Biking in India was set to change and Pulsar was again leading this revolution. While the 200cc sported a carburetor, the 220cc was fuel injected! These babies could dish out undulating power of 18bhp and 20bhp respectively and also boasted of an oil cooler. They came out with split seats, 220 also had both front and rear disc brake and projector head-lamps.

2009-10: 3 million Pulsars were on road by this time. The 150 got clip-on handle bar and 15bhp power in Feb.

2010: All black styling DC Lighting The 180 got a whopping 17 Ps power, split seas, clip-on handle bar, tubeless tyres, O-ring sealed chain etc. 

This period also saw the launch of the smallest pulsar, the 135LS. It had 4 valve DTS-i engine and was also the first bike to have 2 intake and 2 exhaust valve giving it superior performance in terms of both power and mileage. 

During this year the 220 carburetor version was also launched and the fuel injection was discontinued. This also meant an increase in power for the 220 taking it to 21 Ps and a highest in class power to weight ratio of 140 Ps/ Ton. Later a naked streetfighter version of same was introduced along with tanks flaps.

2011: The Pulsar 150, 180 and 220F didn't go through any major upgrades apart from some new color combinations introduced.

2012: This was the special year for pulsar fans. The Pulsar family had already sold over 5million pulsars and all new Pulsar in the form of 200 NS came, showing the all new path. It was world's first triple spark bike and set a new benchmark for bike makers.

Tata Nano-"A promise is a promise''

          Once upon a time there was a dream-born of the vision of Ratan Tata-to enable millions of Indians to have a safe and affordable means of personal mobility. This went on to become the most awaited anticipated car in the history of Automobiles. Millions of aspiring Indians and the international auto markets watched in awe, the launch of world’s cheapest car – Tata Nano at a mere 1lakh rupee price tag. The car was launched in an auto expo held at Delhi on 10 Jan 2008. Ratan Tata is a 70-year-old kind and tender chairman of the Tata group, drove this world’s cheapest car to the Tata Motors pavilion and unveiled this new car, giving sleepless nights to rival companies. This car has potential to change the existing paradigm of the whole automotive industry!

          The Nano is a small car from a big idea. The people’s car attained immortality the moment it was unveiled at the Auto Expo in New Delhi, causing a seismic shift in the automotive world. The rest of the world’s automakers drew in their collective breaths when it was announced that Tata was going ahead with producing the car. Then they all scrambled to go into that unknown territory that Tata Motors has already bravely ventured into.
 Well, Reams have been written on the Nano: about how it is a proper car and not a four wheeled rickshaw, how it is a fairly pleasant vehicle to drive, how it isn’t the death trap that many feared it would be and so on and so forth.

         

        The Nano doesn't look cheap It looks like a thoroughly modern small car that looks ike a compressed Gallardo. It couldn't have come from anywhere but India, where the need for a small car that does not cost the moon is really felt. On closer look, lots of details grab your attention.The single large wiper blade, the three nuts that hold each wheel, beautifully crafted air-intakes on the flanks, the excellent fit and finish of body panels, quality of paint, plastic-to-metal integration and so on.

utilitarian beginnings and cost-saving development process, this mono-volume car manages to look sporty – a word that couldn't have been in the design brief. The drooping roof line, the little spoiler and the Gallardo-inspired air intakes are responsible for this.

          Creative cost-saving is evident throughout the Nano. Flat side glass, a single wiper and no tailgate, three wheel-nuts instead of four and a single door lock, no glove box all help to keep the price low. But although the entry-level model is spartan, the CX and LX models have air-con. Incredibly for such a cheap car, a huge range of accessories and customization options are offered, from decal sets to body kits and dashboard trims.

       The engine that displaces just 624cc,35bhp.  the four-speed gearbox is light and easy to use it’s quick. I truly admire about this car it’s how this engine is tuned. It responds quickly, delivers power almost instantly and for all the vrooom and yet it still gives decent mileage. Low weight means f 600kg means all-round drum brakes are all that's required. Despite the cheaper technology, the Nano has independent suspension front and rear, but is designed without anti-roll bars. Could I ask for more?

          
         Since its launch with great fanfare in 2009, the Nano has swerved from one crisis to another. There was opposition to Tata's original plans to site the factory in West Bengal, forcing a last-minute scramble to switch the site to Sanand. It opened last summer, but not enough cars came off the production line to meet a huge surge of early orders. The orders then petered out. To make matters worse, a few cars burst into flames, raising fears about the Nano's safety. Sales, which had been predicted to be 20,000 a month, fell as low. as 509 in November last year. Sales recovered to 10,000 a month in the spring, but have fallen back again this summer: 3,260 in July, amid a slump in the Indian car market caused by rising interest rates and fuel prices.

          The Nano was aimed at capturing a lion’s share of the lower middle class market, it ended up sadly capturing a lion’s share of headlines. At the beginning it was for the revolution it was, later on for the illusion it turned out to be. Don’t get me wrong, mechanically this car ticks all the boxes, even emotionally it plays the right chords, yet what Indians want above all else is paisa vasool and a status symbol, preferably at the same time. The Nano for the average Joe on the street just couldn’t replace the two-wheeler when affordability showed up at their door.

          Burn all the critics. The Nano is the triumph of Indian Automobile industry. It's serving it's purpose. Let’s face it, the Nano drives like a normal car. Though It has its own unique driving signature (which is good and bad in equal measure). The driving characteristics are far removed from a cheap and cheerful 800 but maybe that’s why every drive in the Nano is so entertaining. You won’t tire of squeezing into gaps a car could never fit into. The high seating position offers extraordinary visibility allowing you to drive it like you would ride a bike. The space inside is even more extraordinary. Carry speed round a corner and you feel like you’re about to die – yet she refuses to land on her roof. And you will never tire of cursing the fuel filler lid hidden underneath the bonnet.

          I feel this car can be a brilliant 2ndcar and alternative to the Activa in your garage serving your wife or daughter. You don't have to worry about your wife scratching your expensive sedan everytime she decides to go shopping in you car alone. At just the price of 2activa's you are getting a car. Isn't that great? 

The Nano is India’s first car to feature a RR (rear engine, rear wheel-drive) car layout, something seen on... Well... Porsches. Of course the Nano is no Porsche but I did manage to get its tail to step out on loose gravel once,Yes. We like rear-engined cars, don't we???

          This is the cutest car I have seen, whenever I see it roads I simply feel like pulling it's cheeks! It still manages to turn heads. Girls feel like adding it to their make-up kit! It's our Beetle and Mini Cooper, actually par. Many upgrades and variants have and now it even come-in CNG forms and. But it still hasn't lost any charm.
Very soon a diesel engine will find it's place in the tiny bonnet of  Nano and am sure the true potential of it will be realised and will set the charts on fire. 25kmpl with dirty cheap fuel is really irresistible.

         

            It takes a lot of vision, trust from a lot of people to back that vision and plentiful frugal thinking to come up with an automotive solution to a genuine issue – in this case, cheap and safe personal transportation for a hell of a lot of people. This is legend. This is Nano, second to None!!

Gypsy- My first love

           A man should have a car that suits his attitude! Rugged. Masculine. Kind of vehicle for cool dudes to commute, drive and use. Uncomplicated. Heavy duty. Outdoorsy. Yeah, that more or less describes me, all right. Think of one such machine and the Maruti Suzuki Gypsy comes up in your mind. It is still the best off-road vehicle money can buy in India today. Ya there's Thar now but we all know what Gypsy is...It doesn't need to pull it's skirt up when you say 'Action'! This is the Indian counterpart of Suzuki Jimmy/Samurai and has much better masculine than the Japanese version.

          The Maruti Gypsy has been on roads of India for more than two decades. Through the course of time it has undergone many crucial changes. Thelate  90’s saw the release of the Gypsy king which was a more powerful version of the old school Maruti Gypsy. In some ways the Maruti Gypsy can be said to have stood the test of time as it still has a considerable amount of respect even though many better SUV’s have been released in the market.

           Today, the Gypsy is available in three different variants. The  MG-413 King hard cover,  MG-413 King soft cover and ambulance versions and is available in a range of four different colors. On the road the Maruti Gypsy flaunts a petrol engine of 1300cc. Good on-road power, sturdy control, higher thermal conductivity and high end 4 wheel drive offer you a combo of 80 bhp@6000 rpm mated to 5-speed gearbox now,  the 4WD is fully engagable from the cabin, using a simple additional gear shift lever marked "4L (for 4 low), 4H (for 4 High), N (for Neutral) and 2H (for regular 2 Wheel drive).

          It's got High ground clearance of 210mm to ensure better handling. Diaphragm Spring Clutch designed to withstand higher rotational speeds requiring requiring less release load thereby reducing the wear of parts.  

        The Gypsy is devoid of any kind of frills and really takes a hands on approach to roughing it out on the road. Instrumentation on the Dashboard is very basic with a speedometer, RPM and the basic indicator lights. The driving position is just comfortable but very commanding. Add to that the design of the gear-shift lever which just reaches out into your hand, it's as comfortable driving design as one could desire. Instrumentation on the Dashboard is very basic with a speedometer, RPM and the basic indicator lights. Gypsy does not come with creature comforts such as power steering and air-conditioning. It never did and looks like it never will.

          But getting a Gypsy is no fun if you don’t mark your individual stamp on it. The car has ample room for customisation which is something the Rally freaks greatly relish about the car. A black bull bar, a wench, a new canopy, racing seats, loud music system, A/C unit, a new Momo steering wheel and most importantly wider and bigger tyres with some really cool smoked wheels and better suspension unit will be my choice. Perhaps, a bypass surgery with a new heart from Baleno/ SX4 will be cool.

        People should have knowledge about you when you drive Gypsy. This macho is a performer. It is built for off-road. With 4X4 you can climb uphill without need of a road. It's an all weather, All terrain performer. 
If you are a not a hardcore 4X4 lover, don’t go for it. if you want fuel efficiency, buy a Swift or an Indica or any other rickshaw-like cars( no dis-respect to above cars). But of course you can't walk into it, grab the steering and go off-road with half a dozen friends. 

          It’s extremely capable off-road and am sure ,it can challenge a Land-Cruiser any-day.

          It’s absolutely bland with the least features and interiors may resemble a cart, but who needs these while conquering the unconquered? Throw anything infront of it and it will jump over with smile. This vehicle is by FAR, the BEST off-roader in India.It has won numerous Rallies and Raids. I give it 5-stars for its off-roading capabilities. The car handles like a dream on rough roads and that's what it was designed for. The Leaf spring suspension is what makes all the difference.  

All it has is an excellent engine, tough-as-the-Rock-of-Gibraltar transmission and the most uncomplicated transfer-case, with low-range ratios.  
Age has not dimmed the Gypsy's capabilities, be it ride, handling or offroad ability. The underpinnings make you feel invincible when confronted with any terrain. Perhaps this is the reason why our military police and Rallyist's still use and abuse it. Even John Abraham has one.

          It’s reliable, cheap to maintain, highly modifiable and moderately fuel-efficient. What more can you ask for? You drive it in the city easily like car and you think that its just a heavy weight toughie which burns lot of fuel but you feel good when the rickshaw drivers behave well not only with you but also with others on the road when you are around in your Gypsy. Once you own it, its an inseparable friend. Be it shifting your house, picking up heavy goods, camping, trekking you say it, yes sir the monster is on your side. 
If your heart is young and like some wind in your hair. Want to be a loner, get away from humanity, love nature and you want to explore it on your own terms, have the spirit of adventure and the lure of the outdoor, be it winding Himalayan roads or dusty mud tracks in some remote interior of Rajasthan, then Gypsy is for you. If you have Rs. 6 odd lakh to invest, this is the vehicle that will take you there with pleasure. Go on do not waste time,buy it,they may not make it forever. This may not munch miles like the most so called fuel-efficient engines.
But it's somehow different and admirable - cross your heart. 

You don't worry much spending money for your girl, do you? Then why compromise here.

So buddies, please save our Gypsy from phasing out and thread safe..