know your - kolkata on wheels

KOLKATA ON WHEELS | November 2021

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Flashback

Uttam kumar's love For cars

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connoisseUrs corner

the spirit of ecstasy

KNOW YOUR

PH TOGRAPHYCOMPETITION 2022Theme KOLKATA

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P

TEAM

5

EDITORIAL

Joydip SurEditor

T hirty years ago, in April 1992, our city acquired a new name:

it became known worldwide as the City of Joy. Notwithstanding the 16th century label Kolikata, to the British Calcutta, and today’s Kolkata, it’s the ‘City of Joy’ tag that has stood the test of time. And we have to thank French author Dominique Lapierre for this moniker, which he felt described best the spirit of our citizens to be joyous and find enjoyment in all things despite a billion adversities. In this tribute to Lapierre, Pradeep Gooptu narrates the tale of Lapierre’s mad love for cars and all things automotive, from his childhood. More of that in this edition’s ‘Do You Know’ column.

Uttam Kumar, Bengal’s numero uno hero of the silver screen still holds his sway over our hearts. His classics, many of them lost forever due to lack of preservation, have the same pull even four decades after his death. He worked in over 200 films but one of the most abiding image stamped in our memory forever is the scene from Saptapadi where he is seen riding a motorbike with screen goddess Suchitra Sen on the pillion, humming the haunting melody, Ei path jodi na sesh hoi, sung by the hit musical duo, Hemanta-Sandhya. Apart from the BSA Golden Flash motorcycle in Saptapadi, Uttam Kumar also

drove a number of cars of various make in his films. Tarun Goswami unravels the fascinating tale in this month's Flashback column. You will regret missing out on this.

For more than a century, Rolls-Royce motor cars have been graced by the Spirit of Ecstasy mascot, one of the most recognisable emblems ever created. Yet, remarkably, given her immense fame and global reach, aspects of her story remain open to speculation, confusion and no little controversy. As the marque embarks on a new era of electrification, we revisit the legend to separate established fact and documentary evidence from speculation and hearsay. This month’s Connoisseurs Corner column is a must read.

This power-packed March edition has many such enthralling tales which I’m confident you will not only love, but cherish for several months to come.

Happy reading!

KOLKATA ON WHEELS | March 2022

6

INSIDE

09

23

Headlights

Do You Know

Connoisseurs Corner

Drive Out

Know Your Autonomy

The City of Joy

Spirit of Ecstasy

Shiulibona

A sneak peek into the world of self-driving and autonomous cars

A tribute to Dominique Lapierre

Where History Meets Nature

19Flashback

Uttam Kumar's Love for Cars


7

40

53 72

86

Car Launch

Luxury Cars

Upcoming Cars

Nostalgia

My Trip

Motorsports

Kolkata Canvas

All-New MG ZS EV

The Dirty Dozen

Satpura Tiger Reserve

Sk. Ajgar Ali & Md. Musthafa Crowned INRRC 2021 Champion

The All-New BMW M4

Toyota Hilux

Refeshed and restyled

The most awaited SUV is here

Reporting from Myanmar - Part 2

Hidden gems of Madhya Pradesh

After the long run

INSIDE


KOLKATA ON WHEELS | November 2021 8

HEADLIGHTS

Yash agarwal

9KOLKATA ON WHEELS | March 2022

KNOW YOUR

S elf-driving cars are here, and the some of the popular ones sports

the Tesla badge. However, in the recent past, there have been multiple instances where self-driving Tesla cars have crashed while the drivers were reported to have been sleeping in the passenger seat or engaged in a conversation in the rear seat. While the victims might argue that Tesla advertises its self-driving feature as ‘autopilot’, however, it is the lack of awareness among some motorists which misleads them to belief that, similar to aircrafts, even the Teslas can drive themselves entirely without

human intervention, and that is where things begin to go wrong. In this article, we hope to put those myths to rest.

Many of us often confuse the term 'autonomous' and 'self-driving' to be one and the same thing, but in reality, these are very different. Self-driving cars merely comprise those vehicles that can drive themselves but need commands from an external source, in this scenario, the source being humans. Whereas a fully autonomous car would be self-aware and capable of making its own decisions. So, a simple navigational command ‘to the workplace’ would be

HEADLIGHTS


obeyed flawlessly by the self-driving car, but an autonomous vehicle might take you elsewhere.

The Tesla line-up comprise self-driving vehicles and not autonomous machines, regardless of the ‘autopilot’ term being used by the carmaker to describe its self-driving functionality.

And not only just Tesla, but most carmakers who claim that their cars feature the autopilot mechanism, are mostly self-driving cars with Level 2 autonomy. Only those cars that possess self-awareness and can be operated without any human intervention can constitute autonomous cars with Level 5 autonomy. Although, before we jump into this classification, let us understand how a car manages to drive itself.

How do they work?

Unlike the conventional four-wheeler which is a mechanical maze, the self-driving car is brimmed to the gills with electronic devices and software. A host of cameras, sensors and actuators also get embedded to execute the software’s commands. If the software and powerful processors make up the self-driving car’s skeleton, the car’s exterior metal consists of cameras and sensors placed strategically all around it.

While the cameras aid in detecting traffic signs, speed limits and pedestrians, the radar sensors help in monitoring the position of other moving vehicles in the vicinity. Lidar sensors can further measure distances and identify lane markings, whereas ultrasonic sensors come in handy while parking by detecting curbs and other vehicles. This array of cameras and sensors help create a virtual environment of the car’s

HEADLIGHTS


surroundings. Using this data, the self-driving car’s software-driven brain plots a course to the desired destination while considering the predicted

obstacles detected via sensors and further instructs the actuators to operate the vehicle’s acceleration, brakes and steering.

Classification of autonomous levels

The general confusion between self-driving and autonomous cars would tell you words don’t work best when segregating technology. Hence, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) decided to set up some commonly agreed-upon standards or bifurcation levels to define and distinguish between the varying degrees of automation in cars. The bandwidth for this classification ranges from cars with no automation to cars with full automation. Ranging from Level 0 to 5, there are six levels in the automated driving spectrum. The base Level 0 comprises cars such as the Maruti Alto 800 or the Hyundai

i10 Nios with no driver-assistance technology integration and requires full human intervention. Level 1 autonomy comprises cars where either the pedals or the steering wheel can be controlled by the car’s computer for a limited time and yet requires full intervention from the driver. Early-edition Volkswagen Polos with cruise control comprise this category. Cars equipped with Level 2 autonomy carry advanced driver assistance systems where the vehicle can take over the operation of both the pedals and the steering wheel for a limited time though human intervention is still required and the driver must be prepared to take over the control of the car when necessary.

HEADLIGHTS


The recently launched MG Astor and the Mahindra XUV700 come equipped with ADAS, a suite of driver-assistance features consisting of Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist and Auto Emergency Braking, and fall under Level 2 autonomy. Human attentiveness was required at all times in cars with up to Level 2 autonomy. However, the requirement disproportionately decreases as we go onto Level 3 and beyond. With Level 3 autonomy, the vehicle’s software-driven brain achieves partial automation and allows the driver to cede all car controls. The driver can remain relatively more relaxed compared the previous levels though they will still be required to take control of the vehicle in situations where it gets overwhelming for the car onboard computers - an usual phenomenon on the streets of India. The major difference between Level 2 and Level 3 will be a larger time provided in Level 3 autonomy for the transition from automated operation

to manual takeover, making it a tad bit more comfortable for the driver. Level 4 autonomy allows the driver to remain completely relaxed while the vehicle is in motion. Cars with level 4 autonomous features will be capable to tackle any road traffic situation by itself and without prompting the driver for aid at any point. So the part where you imagined taking a nap in the driver’s seat is possible with Level 4 autonomy cars and beyond. And finally, Level 5 autonomy comprises vehicles one usually sees in science-fiction movies with space for just passengers and no dedicated driver controls such as pedals or steering wheel present inside the car. But if one comes back to the worded differentiation as discussed above, cars with Level 4 autonomy or below would find themselves placed under the ‘self-driving car’ category, whereas the ones equipped with Level 5 autonomy can be described as fully ‘autonomous cars’.

HEADLIGHTS


Current situation of autonomous cars in India and globally

India’s mass-market cars have been a recipient of Level 1 autonomous features for over half a decade now. Cruise control, a level 1 feature that keeps the car’s acceleration steady at a set speed, was equipped in the majority of the premium segment offerings consists of the likes of Maruti Suzuki Swift, Hyundai Creta and Skoda Octavia just to name a few. In October 2021, MG Motor launched the Astor compact SUV, equipped with Level 2 autonomous features such as Forward Collision Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist, and many more. These driver assistance features form the ADAS or Advanced Driver Assistance Systems when clubbed together. Mahindra’s all-new XUV700 became the second car recently to feature ADAS. Following up on the advent of ADAS in Indian cars, Mahindra’s Chief of Global Product Development, R Velusamy, recently commented, “We anticipate ADAS features will be offered

by all the major mass market players, at least in their flagship offering, in the near future. In India, Level 2 autonomy will be widespread in the next two to four years”. Substantiating on the same, reports of Hyundai introducing ADAS in its product line-up before the end of 2022 have surfaced online. The upcoming new Tucson is anticipated to be Hyundai’s first model to get the suite of driver assistance features. Among India’s massive pool of technological startups, a handful of companies have made significant headway in integrating autonomous technology in a different, more Indian-centric way. Minus Zero is a startup based in Punjab which claims to be the world’s first for building Level 5 autonomy for unstructured Indian roads. Its goal is to achieve Level 5 autonomy by 2023 and partner with an OEM to feature the tech in mass-market cars. Flux Auto is another Bangalore-based startup working on developing autonomous tech for Indian highways. Most importantly, they aim to provide such technology that can be retrofitted into existing trucks to make

HEADLIGHTS


them driverless vehicles in the future. In the global scheme of things, Mercedes-Benz is set to offer Level 3 autonomous capabilities in its flagship S-Class sedan by mid-2022 but operational within a certain geofence within Germany and under a certain speed limit. Polestar, an all-electric performance brand from Sweden, has claimed to equip the upcoming Polestar 3 electric SUV with Level 3 technology to be unveiled this year. Even BMW is prepared to join the

Level 3 bandwagon with the 2022 MY 7-Series flagship sedan slated for a North America release by the second half of this year. American brands General Motors and Tesla are also looking to offer a similar suite of autonomous technology by early next year. Also, because self-driving cars are software-driven, technology tech giants like Google and Apple are trying to foray into the auto industry. The former is already conducting real-world tests with Waymo, Google’s self-driving project.

What does the future hold?

Developed countries such as the USA and the UK have taken massive strides in self-driving car technology. Testing of self-driving and autonomous cars is currently underway on streets of California. In contrast, India has just touched the tip of the autonomous ice-berg with the recent launches of Level 2 autonomous cars. The subcontinent is yet to witness autonomous technology in its purest form. Surprisingly, the Indian government has been disinterested in the past in allowing Tesla to set up shop on our shores. One of the major reasons for the same

could be the loss of human resources, which is found in abundance in India. According to a recent statement by Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways of India, 22 lakh drivers are waiting to get themselves a job and cars with such human-eliminating technologies would further hamper the prospects of employment generation in India. Though the past is proof that technology waits for no one, and sooner or later, the masses will adopt the same. With India’s chaotic traffic conditions

HEADLIGHTS


in the city, one should expect to see the initial application of autonomous technology in highway transport with autonomous trucks or the agriculture sector with autonomous tractors. Flawless execution of the same could lead the city traffic to be governed by autonomous friendly vehicles, but in all fairness that is still about a decade away in developed countries. In India, maybe few decades. India has to have substantial preparations in place before the masses adopt autonomous technology. The most basic issue to resolve is a better condition of roads. Potholes and undulations on the road might influence the car’s computers to take sudden evasive actions, which might cause accidents. This also includes lane markings being made more clear and visible for the car’s onboard sensors. Moreover, the market feasibility for such technology is still on the lower side. Lidar sensors and cameras are expensive equipment, and India’s cost-sensitive crowd might not see value in them.

But the most important aspect is accidents with self-driving

cars involved. Whom or rather what is to blame in situations like these - the pedestrian, the driver or the manufacturer? Accident accountability raises a big question on autonomous cars, and every angle of the same has to be legislated before widespread adoption of the same. And the final cause of concern is us, or rather our willingness to trust the computers. Driving a car is an entirely different experience than any other activity replaced by a machine. Driving requires all limbs of the body and the constant attention of the mind, which would require a plethora of sensors for a machine to replicate. Moreover, there’s always the question of the computer’s ability to collate data from all the sensors and arrive at a decision, basically duplicating the human nervous system within a split second. The only workaround here is smart development of autonomous technology, repeated testing in all possible conditions and maintaining an environment suitable enough for these autonomous cars to work flawlessly. And that summarises the science-fiction dream we are working towards next.

pradeep Gooptu


DO YOU KNOW

The CiTy of Joy

T hirty years ago, in April 1992, our city acquired a new name: it became

known worldwide as the City of Joy. Notwithstanding the 16th century label Kolikata, to the British Calcutta, and today’s Kolkata, it’s the ‘City of Joy’ tag that has stood the test of time.

And we have to thank French author Dominique Lapierre for this moniker, which he felt described best the spirit of our citizens to be joyous and find enjoyment in all things despite a billion adversities. A great humanist and brilliant writer, plus a global traveler, he was till recently a regular visitor to our city. His work with and for Mother Teresa and the great Swiss caregiver Gaston Grandjean are unparalleled.

In this tribute to Lapierre, I want to tell you about his mad love for cars and all things automotive, from his childhood. Me and my friends, and many of my

generation, grew up on his books. His efforts for our city’s under-privileged are astonishing. His book is also the famous 1992 film.

Childhood bugLapierre was six years old when on his birthday, he received a Torpedo pedal car. He was ecstatic. He describes his gift as his first experience of that magical feeling of wrapping his hands around a steering wheel. It was a magic that stayed with him for life, though all the torpedo could do was be driven furiously along tracks and embankments, and not the road.

At the same time, his visits to his grandfather exposed him to the cars owned by uncle which he adored and dreamt about. Both were American two seater convertibles. One was a dual tone blue Hupmobile. The other was a pale green Chevrolet. Shining chrome

The little Torpedo pedal car that started the love affair

The 1928 Nash tourer

17

DO YOU KNOW


headlights, gleaming radiator grilles, long trumpet horns, running boards, painted fender mounted spare wheels – the cars mesmerised the young Lapierre. But what mesmerised him the most was that the two cars had a ‘box’ at the back that opened up to produce two seats with backrest. Called a ‘rumble seat’ in USA, a ‘dicky’ in UK and a ‘spider’ in his birthplace of France, his childhood rides in the ‘spider’ ensured his addiction to all things automotive.

As a child, when he learnt that two young men had driven a car from Paris to Saigon in Vietnam, in an ancient Ford convertible and on a shoestring budget, all to write a book on it - he decided this was the life he wished to lead. Childhood stays with families with cars that didn’t move became his best memories - at least he could sit in a car and grip a steering wheel for imaginary trips!

First adventuresHis life really changed at 14, when

his mother bought him a 1923 Nash convertible that (you guessed it) didn’t run. It was a graceful American giant, suitable for their home in the USA where his father then worked. Lapierre, secretly, mined junkyards for missing parts for the Nash, and over a period of two years collected enough components, and the support of a genius of a mechanic, to restore and bring that car back to life.

This earned him a sound beating from his mother, but his parents finally relented. His first adventure was a trip on American highways with his friends, during which they painted letter boxes to earn enough money to keep them going. In fact, thanks to newspaper reports on them, communities and families came out into the street and invited them to paint their letter boxes. Lapierre and friends were heroes, thanks to their car!

More Car CrazinessThis he followed up with a 5,000 mile

A folding seat for two, called a dicky seat in Britain, rumble seat in USA and spider in France

The 5CV Amilcar that traveled Paris to Ankara with 2 passengers

DO YOU KNOW


drive from Paris to Ankara in a 5CV Amilcar, a miniscule French motor that often had to be driven in reverse to go up hills. He and his friend D. Fremy became celebrities.

On his wedding, he purchased a 1938 Chrysler convertible (much like his childhood Hupmobile and Chevrolet) in the USA; after the ceremony the young couple went on a 4,500 mile honeymoon drive across USA and his highway adventures.

In the meantime, he had also managed to drive thousands of miles in a Simca across the former USSR, a Communist dictatorship that very rarely allowed foreigners to travel by road. Here too, he was saved by miraculously talented technicians.

adventurer with a heartLapierre is truly a great in many dimensions: as a writer; as an automobile loving adventurer; and as a care giver to the under-privileged. His work and contribution across continents makes him an unforgettable character.

The Simca Marley wades across a river in the unique transcontinental tour of Russia

The 1938 Chrysler, a wedding buy that took the couple all the way to Mexico and back

Mexico. It was the stuff of legend.

indian sagaHis Indian adventure is especially memorable. He went to buy a Rolls-Royce but the company refused to sell him one. He then, under advice from Lord Mountbatten, purchased an old Silver Cloud model, landed it in Mumbai, and proceeded to drive it to Delhi. At the capital, the engine started making noises. A venerable Sikh technician at British Garage in New Delhi overhauled the engine to such perfection that even Lapierre couldn’t hear it when it was restarted. The magnificent car then proceeded to travel 6300-plus miles across Afghanistan, rest of Asia and Europe to France. Lapierre calls it the greatest of

A set from the City of Joy - his contribution to Calcutta. Few have ever set in motion a process that led to the reimagining of a city, and done so much for the underprivileged

FLASHbACK


UTTAM KUMARThe Superstar on a Roll

tarun Goswami

U ttam Kumar, Bengal’s numero uno hero of the silver screen still holds his sway over our hearts. His classics, many of them

lost forever due to lack of preservation, have the same pull even four decades after his death. He worked in over 200 films but one of the most abiding image stamped in our memory forever is the scene from Saptapadi where he is seen riding a motorbike with his lady love (Suchitra Sen with whom he shared a fabulous on screen chemistry) on the pillion, humming the haunting melody, Ei path jodi na sesh hoi, sung by the hit musical duo, Hemanta-Sandhya. Apart from the BSA Golden Flash motorcycle in Saptapadi, Uttam Kumar also drove a number of cars of various make in his films. Read on to unravel this fascinating tale.

FLASHbACK

Deya Neya, a Bengali classic, made in 1963 featured Uttam Kumar as an amateur singer and son of an industrialist who leaves home after an altercation with his father over music. He takes up the job of a driver to earn his livelihood. In one of the romantic scenes, Uttam Kumar as Driver Gourhari lends a hand (or should we say his foot!) to the niece of his employer, the role essayed by Tanuja, to press the accelerator of the American-made DeSoto car and impress her friends with her driving skills. The film was an all-time hit.

Uttam Kumar’s passion for driving was not limited to his reel life but transcended to his real life as well. Old-timers from Tollygunge studio-para still remember how passionate he was about his cars. A brilliant driver himself, his favourites were cars of American make. Jayanta Bhattacharya, one of his close friend recalls that the celebrated actor would often drive him home after dinner. It was a long way to his house at Santraganchi from Moira Street, since the second

Hooghly Bridge was yet to be constructed. “We would meander through Circular Street, Red Road, Strand Road, Howrah Station and finally reach Santragachi. He simply loved driving. He would say driving helped him to relieve stress,” recalls Bhattacharya.

Uttam Kumar owned a sedan- Studebekar President and later bought a Chevrolet Impala, one of the most expensive passenger automobile of the company. His younger sibling, celebrated character actor, Tarun Kumar once recalled that following the success of Agni Pariksha Uttam Kumar had bought his first


FLASHbACK

car. Not only he learned to drive but he also displayed a deep interest in the mechanical aspects of an automobile. His words are testified by Mr. Sadhan Bagchi, General Secretary of Shilpi Sansad, an organisation established by the great actor for the poor film artists. “Dada (Uttam Kumar) was very particular about maintenance of his cars. He used to travel to shoots in a spotless white ambassador. If he ever heard any noise, he would ask the driver to take it straight to the workshop without even getting in,” said Mr. Bagchi.

On holidays he preferred to go on long drives. In the 1960s the roads were less congested and he would often travel by the Impala to tour Diamond Harbour and other places in the vicinity. Impala, a premium product of General Motors was a quite a comfortable luxury car with a sensitive steering and accelerator.

On screen, he drove a number of models - a Buick Roadmaster in Bikele Bhorer Phool, in Rajkumari it was a MGTC while in Jay Jayanti he drove Cadillac. In Sudhu Ekti Bochhor where he shared screen with Supriya Devi he was seen driving a Ford. The matinee idol was also a perfectionist when it came to driving on screen. Take the instance of Naboraag where he is shown driving a Buick Super 8 at night amidst torrential rain. The wipers are working overtime and the headlights of oncoming vehicles constantly


trouble him. He turns away his face repeatedly to avoid being blinded by the headlights. Anybody who has driven during a heavy downpour at night would know how realistic his portrayal was.

During the shooting of that famous scene in Saptapadi, Uttam Kumar had sat on a stationary bike but his body posture was perfectly that of a long distance biker. It is said that he took a motor cycle mechanic, Satyababu to Victoria Memorial before the shoot to perfect his sitting posture. In British-made bikes, holding the handle bar (often referred as the ‘tiger-head’)

is extremely important. A good biker would always keep his shoulders and arms straight while riding a short-handled bike. Uttam Kumar picked this up perfectly for that sole scene in the film. Kamal Bhandari, a reputed body builder and a brilliant biker who trained traffic sergeants in the art of motorcycle riding, says: “Uttam Kumar’s posture in Saptapadi as a biker is perfect and should be emulated by all long distance motor-cyclists.” Be it acting or driving, undoubtedly it was his sincerity and perfection that made Uttam Kumar a legend and his films-all time favourites.

FLASHbACK


Joydip sur

CONNOISSEURS CORNER

Spirit of EcstasyThe Human Drama Behind The Legend

For more than a century, Rolls-Royce

motor cars have been graced by the Spirit of Ecstasy mascot, one of the most recognisable emblems ever created. Yet, remarkably, given her immense fame and global reach, aspects of her story remain open to speculation, confusion and no little controversy.

As the marque embarks on a new era of electrification, we revisit the legend to separate established fact and documentary evidence from speculation and hearsay.

It is a tale of four people from different

backgrounds, whose individual personalities and intertwined, sometimes complex relationships were the genesis for the world’s most famous and

desirable icon.

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce

Motor Cars said: “Our Spirit of Ecstasy mascot is the most recognisable automotive emblem in the world. Like our company and our motor cars, she has changed constantly over time, yet remains true to her origins and inspiration. As we enter a new era


with Spectre, we have taken the opportunity to revisit our treasured icon and her story, which remains endlessly fascinating, eye-opening and intriguing after more than 100 years. It is both a significant chapter in the brand’s memory, and a rich human drama that, though the product of a bygone age, still resonates with us and our clients today” The Spirit of Ecstasy story is a very human drama, in which fact and fiction often become blurred. What is undoubtedly true is that in 1902, freelance journalist and motoring enthusiast John Montagu – richly titled but perennially short of cash – set up Britain’s first motoring magazine, The Car Illustrated, and hired Charles Sykes as his Chief Illustrator. It is also certain that around the same time, Montagu’s friend, Claude Johnson, employed a young woman named Eleanor Thornton as his Assistant at The Automobile Club, where he was General Secretary.

When Montagu met Eleanor, who was both highly intelligent and famed for her beauty, he was instantly smitten and offered her the job of Office Manager at his magazine. She accepted, and the aristocratic publisher and his new colleague – 14 years his junior and from humble origins in south London – soon embarked on a 13-year affair that was as passionate and sincere as it was inevitable and clandestine.

During 1903, Eleanor became pregnant. She and Montagu decided it would be best for the baby to be adopted at birth. For a few seconds, Eleanor held the infant Joan before handing her to Montagu, instructing him “never again to mention the name of the baby”. Eleanor never saw her again; but her father did. He arranged (and paid) for Joan to be initially brought up by an ex-sergeant from his regiment and his wife, and latterly a doctor and his wife. Over the years that followed he visited his daughter, who knew him only as

CONNOISSEURS CORNER

24KOLKATA ON WHEELS |March 2022

Charles Sykes and Eleanor Thornton

CONNOISSEURS CORNER

Uncle John, and did what he could to support her, within the bounds of propriety and secrecy.

It is here that the various strands of the story start to draw together. Sykes and Eleanor would, of course, have met through their work at The Car Illustrated; but intriguingly, they knew one another already. A few years earlier, Eleanor had taken rooms at The Pheasantry, an artists’ colony in the Kings Road, Chelsea. Here, she lived a secret double life: demure, respectable, professional assistant to Johnson at The Automobile Club by day; sensuous exotic dancer and life-model by night. One of the artists for whom she regularly posed was Charles Sykes.

Although Sykes was employed by Montagu as an illustrator, he was also a talented sculptor, having studied under the eminent Professor Edouard Lanteri at the Royal College of Art. In 1903, he sculpted a trophy, modelled on Eleanor, for Montagu to present at the Gordon Bennett race. Another of Sykes’ works, entitled Bacchante, was shown at the Royal Academy and the Paris Salon. Her face and figure are also strikingly similar to those of his long-time muse.

During this period (the precise date is unknown) Sykes produced a mascot for Montagu’s Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. Called ‘The Whisper’, it was a small aluminium statuette of


a young woman in fluttering robes with a forefinger to her lips. It has been confirmed that Eleanor was the model: whether the mascot was a token of appreciation from Sykes to his friend and employer, or made at Eleanor’s instigation as a gift for her lover, remains a mystery. Whatever the truth, Montagu displayed it on every Rolls-Royce car he owned until his death in 1929; perhaps as a discreet acknowledgment of his love for Eleanor, which he kept secret for so long.

The conventional wisdom is that ‘The Whisper’ was the inspiration for the Spirit of Ecstasy; and that the mascot,

The Whisper

CONNOISSEURS CORNER

therefore, is modelled on Eleanor Thornton. It is an appealing and logical notion, and there are enough similarities to support it. But once again, the story is not as clear-cut as it first appears.

In 1910, Eleanor’s erstwhile employer, Claude Johnson, re-enters the narrative. No longer at The Automobile Club, he was now Managing Director of Rolls-Royce, the company co-founded by his former business partner, The Hon Charles Stewart Rolls, and the brilliant engineer Henry Royce.

Royce was already becoming irritated by what he felt were tasteless mascots adorning radiator caps atop Rolls-Royce motor cars, including black cats, devils and a jovial policeman. Claude Johnson, however, spotted an opening, and argued that they should produce their own mascot that would enhance a Rolls-Royce rather than demean it.

Eventually, Royce grudgingly agreed; and through his friend Montagu, Johnson commissioned Charles Sykes to create it.

Johnson already had a mental picture of the kind of adornment he wanted. On a trip to Paris, he had been impressed by the artistry of the Grecian marble statue of ‘Nike of Samothrace’, Goddess of Victory, sculpted in 190 BC and exhibited in the Palais du Louvre since 1883. Standing nine feet (2.75 m) tall, she is depicted as a winged deity descending from the heavens, draped in a flowing tunic and mantle. Sadly, the vicissitudes of time and fortune have deprived her of both arms and her head.

“I want something beautiful, like Nike,” Johnson said to Sykes. “Go and have a look at it.” Sykes did so, but quickly decided Nike was too martial and domineering to be a suitable Rolls-Royce mascot. Having often travelled in Montagu’s Silver Ghosts, he believed a


Claude Johnson

Eleanor Thornton

CONNOISSEURS CORNER

more delicate, ethereal figure would better express the marque’s grace, silence and subtle power. Once again, his muse was almost certainly Eleanor Thornton.

But even here, doubt remains. While it seems highly probable that Eleanor was the model for the Spirit of Ecstasy’s overall form, the face could be that of another as it is an excellent likeness of a woman with whom Sykes had a close and adoring relationship – his mother, Hannah Robinson Sykes. Some have speculated that Sykes used his imagination to create a female physique that satisfied his artistic eye and vision of the ideal of womanhood.

Sykes’ new mascot was initially called ‘The Spirit of Speed’. The title that would make her immortal appears in a letter from Rolls-Royce to John Montagu. In it, the Company describes its search for a mascot that would convey “the spirit of the Rolls-Royce – namely, speed with silence,

absence of vibration, the mysterious harnessing of great energy, a beautiful living organism of superb grace like a sailing yacht”.

The letter adds that when Sykes designed his “graceful little goddess”, he had in mind “the Spirit of Ecstasy, who has selected road travel as her supreme delight and alighted on the prow of a Rolls-Royce car to revel in the freshness of the air, and the musical sound of her fluttering draperies”.

Rolls-Royce registered the Spirit of Ecstasy as its intellectual property in 1911. However, it is noteworthy that she did not receive the unreserved blessing of either of its founders. Sir Henry Royce disliked mascots of any kind; and The Hon Charles Stewart Rolls never set eyes on her, since she was created after his death in a flying accident in June 1910. It is due almost entirely to the vision, acumen and sheer force of character of Claude Johnson that she exists.


Rolls-Royce Spiritof Ecstasy Kneeling

CONNOISSEURS CORNER

His instincts were proved correct when, in 1920, Rolls-Royce entered the Spirit of Ecstasy in a competition in Paris to find the world’s best motor car mascot. She won, of course, and Sykes received a gold medal.

It is also not often appreciated that the Spirit of Ecstasy was an ‘Optional Extra’ right up until 1939. Perhaps reflecting Sir Henry’s undimmed antipathy, mascots graced only about 40 percent of the 20,000 or so cars delivered during this period, though many were later retrofitted.

The Spirit of Ecstasy has been a defining feature of the Rolls-Royce brand since 1911. But just as the marque and its motor cars have constantly evolved and changed with the times, so she herself has undergone her own periodic transformations.

In her original 1911 form, she was a statuesque 6 7/8 inches (18cm) in her bare feet; by the 1960s, she had passed through eight iterations and stood a more petite 4 5/16 inches tall (11cm). The distance from her nose to the tip of her outstretched robes had also

shrunk proportionally, from five inches to three. There have also been subtle variations in her base shape, stance and precise inclination of her ‘wings’ over the decades.

More radically, clients buying models from 1934 until 1959 had the option of a kneeling figure, which some considered better suited to the coachwork designs of the period.

In the 1970s, some countries tried to ban the mascot on safety grounds. In Switzerland, for example, clients weren’t allowed to display her at all, and on receiving their cars found her languishing in the glove compartment. Rolls-Royce’s typically elegant and ingenious solution was to mount the mascot on a spring-loaded base, allowing her to sink into the radiator out of harm’s way at the merest touch. This retraction mechanism has evolved into a smooth, graceful movement known as ‘the rise’ and is a standard feature on every Rolls-Royce motor car hand-built at Goodwood.

One of the many remarkable aspects of the Spirit of Ecstasy’s story is that from


Rolls-Royce Spirit of Ecstasy Modern Investment Casting Process

CONNOISSEURS CORNER

1911, every figurine was personally cast, inscribed and hand-finished by Charles Sykes himself. His daughter, Josephine, took over in 1928 and continued until manufacture was interrupted by the outbreak of war in 1939. Each Spirit of Ecstasy from this period is therefore minutely different from every other.

Today, they are made by specialists in Southampton, England, using a wax casting process combining methods and materials dating back over 5,000 years with 21st century technology.

Each figurine is based on a three-dimensional computer-generated image, digitally mapped from the original Spirit of Ecstasy. Using this image, skilled craftspeople created a solid cast tool, made by hand using cutters measuring just 0.2mm in size to ensure even the finest details were precisely replicated. From this cast tool, they produced a highly accurate wax model of the figurine, which was then coated in ceramic. After this coating

had dried, the wax was melted away, leaving a perfect mould from which the new cast would be taken.

Each figurine is made by filling the mould with molten stainless steel, at a temperature of 1600°C. Once the steel has cooled, the mould is opened to reveal the Spirit of Ecstasy in all her glory. The final transformation takes place in the Finishing Department, using a process called peening. The casting is blasted by millions of stainless-steel balls, just 17 thousandths of an inch (0.04mm) in diameter, which help to polish the surface without being abrasive. After machining, a final mirror polish and stringent quality assurance checks, the completed figurine takes her rightful place above the iconic Rolls-Royce grille.

In 2020, Rolls-Royce unveiled The Spirit of Ecstasy Expression. For this wholly new visual treatment, designers redrew her in a simplified, modern form to be used as a graphic symbol as part of the marque’s updated corporate identity. The computer-generated, online-friendly illustration translates the figurine’s curves into a ribbon of parallel lines that undulates and changes according to its setting. It is designed to evoke movement; a silky, fluid form that appears to drape and flow over physical and digital surfaces.

Today, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announced that the Spirit of Ecstasy would take a new form for her adornment on Spectre, the marque’s first electric motor car. She is more streamlined and graceful than ever before – the perfect emblem for the most aerodynamic Rolls-Royce ever


Charles Sykes

CONNOISSEURS CORNER

created, and for gracing the prow of our bold electric future.

The earliest Spectre prototypes have a drag coefficient (cd) of just 0.26, making it the most aerodynamic Rolls-Royce ever created. The figure is expected to improve during the product’s exhaustive testing protocols undertaken in 2022.

On 30 December 1915, Montagu and Eleanor Thornton were enjoying lunch in the first-class saloon of the P&O passenger ship SS Persia. They were sailing through the Mediterranean en route to India, where Montagu had been made Chief of Mechanical Transport for the British army. Eleanor was to disembark at Port Said and return to England for the duration.

The ship was struck by a torpedo and sank in less than five minutes. Eleanor Thornton, together with hundreds of other passengers, was never seen again.

Montagu, however, was lucky. After 38 hours adrift in a lifeboat, suffering with a broken shoulder and a damaged lung, he and a handful of other survivors were picked up by a passing liner. While recovering in Malta as a guest of the Governor, he enjoyed the bittersweet pleasure of reading his own obituaries in the London newspapers.

Montagu never got over the loss of Eleanor, which of course he could never mention publicly. But for the rest of his life, she was with him in spirit wherever he travelled in his Rolls-Royce motor car.


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km distancefrom kolkatahoursdriving timedaystrip duration

team Wheels

DRIVE OUT

As the snares of the quotidian life threatens to tread closer towards a

strangle, the need to break free becomes more ardent than ever. Some place nice, some place calm and away from the unwanted yet predictable vicissitudes of modern living. Shiulibona Weekend Stay provides just that.

Route DesCRIptIonWe started our journey from Vidyasagar Setu at 8.00 AM and set up our trip-meter to zero. From Vidyasagar Setu we drove through Kona Expressway and from the junction at Kona we took

right diversion onto the flyover to enter the Delhi Road followed by Durgapur Expressway (AH-1/NH-19) straight up to Bamunara at Durgapur. En route, we had to cross three toll tax plazas at Dankuni, Palsit and Durgapur. Next we took left diversion towards the Durgapur Barrage through SH-9, and continued straight till Borjora before taking a right turn and followed the route straight through Ghutgoria, Shrichandrapur, Durlavpur, Mejia Thermal Power Station, Beldanga, Narayanpur, Lakshmanpur to finally

Where History Meets Nature


DRIVE OUT

reach our destination. Shiulibona is around 220 kilometres from Kolkata. The driving time is around five hours. We spent an additional hour at Hindustan Hotel at Singur for a leisurely breakfast and reached Shiulibona around 2 PM. We mostly drove on national and state highways followed by the PMGSY and village roads for few kilometres. The drive was safe and comfortable.

shIulIbona Located near the north-eastern foothills of the Shushunia hills, Shiulibona is

a tribal village concealed within the wilderness and guarded among the hills. Almost like discovering a secret hamlet, one is sure to be enchanted by the rich history, the tribal culture and the serenity that come naturally with a trip to this part of the world. Every nook and corner of this place engrosses you with their proud historical tales from the stories of King Chandra Barman, someone you might not have come across while turning the pages of your history book. Nonetheless, as Winston Churchill would have said, “History is written by victors,” and the historical narratives bestowed by the West and by the “victors” couldn’t drive this valiant Bengal hero into oblivion. People have preserved and celebrated him through their tales and folklores over generations as a fond memory.


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Apart from history, Shiulibona has also preserved ancient fossils from the most primitive days of the world and mankind that is sure to transit you to the ancient Gondwana land. Weapons, ancient paintings, fossils of animals that have departed this region since long shall be brought alive. Coming to paintings and art, this is a hub for the beautiful ‘Nakshikanthas’ hand-woven by the natives and Bharatpuri paintings. Moreover, the mysterious wilderness around enhances the adventure of the stay with the deep and distant calls of the wild, the anxious wait for an inhabitant of the wild to make a sudden appearance or even the wide array of avian world will do its best to keep the shutterbug in you on the toes.

shIulIbona WeekenD stay Despite the primeval ambience, accommodations at Shiulibona Weekend Stay are comfortable and designed to suite the modern requirements of urban guests, thereby presenting you with the best of the both worlds in a terracotta platter, a novelty of the “laal matir desh.”The area of the property is less than an acre at the foothill of Shushunia. There is well maintained garden and barbeque area which are of attraction during the winter nights. There are five similar types of cottages in a row with attached balcony and toilet facility. The interiors of the cottages are tastefully designed featuring local art & artefacts and provide urban comfort with geysers, air-conditioners


DRIVE OUT

and other modern amenities. The rooms have two queen size beds which can accommodate four persons and cost INR 1800 per night. There are provisions of two Swiss tents which can accommodate four persons in each of them with attached toilet. It lends a feel of camping in the woods and comes at a price of INR 2500 per night.

The in-house restaurant offers simple yet tasty meals at reasonable rates. The meal package for a day which includes breakfast, lunch, evening snacks and dinner cost around INR 500 per person and serves a pre-fixed menu. Filtered water is provided for drinking. However, one can opt for packaged drinking water as a cost option. The visitors can also order other items outside the pre-fixed meal packages at reasonable charges. Pre-ordering before arrival is recommended for ease and promptness of service.

neaRby DRIvIng DestInatIonsThere is little to no chance of your heart wandering away from the mellow allures of Shiulibona, in fact it might as well encourage you to extend your trip and venture further into Gorpanchakot, Baranti, Biharinath, or even Bishnupur and Mukutmanipur. These remote parts of Bengal have a unique charm of their own that lingers and keeps bringing you back.

Shiulibona

Tourism attractions Distance from Shiulibona (Km) Drive time

Gorpanchakot 48 1 hour 30 minutes

baranti lake 40 1 hour 15 minutes

biharinath hills 32 1 hour

bishnupur 60 1 hour 30 minutes

Mukutmanipur 70 1 hour 40 minutes


DRIVE OUT

VIDYASAGARSETU TOLL TAX PLAZA

Set car’s trip meter to "0".Pay toll tax of Rs.10/- andenter Kona Expressway.

KonaExpressway Go on to the bridge

KonaExpressway

Cross Santragachi Railway Station on left and continue forward

KonaExpressway

Go under the bridge

KonaExpressway

Don’t take the left diversion. Go onto the flyover

NH-19(NH - 2) Proceed on NH-19 (NH-2)

Delhi Road Crossing. Proceed straight NH-19 (NH-2)

Dankuni Toll Plaza

Palsit Toll Plaza

Nawab Hut Morh – Renaissance

Budbud Patha Sathi on left

Go onto the Paragarh Flyover

144.9

155.6

Ullhas Morh.Keep driving straight.

0.0

3.3

4.3

5.7

7.7

16.9

13.5

22.1

83.7

109.8

19.0

99.2

165.5 Panagarh toll gate

ROAD NAME ROUTE DESCRIPTION

ROUTE MAPKOLKATA - LUDUNG, ODISHA

ROUTE MAPKOLKATA – SHIULIBONA

Muchipara crossing. Leave NH-19 (NH-2) Take service lane.167.5

NH-19(NH - 2)

DURGAPUREXPRESSWAYNH-19 (NH - 2)

NH-19(NH - 2)

NH-19(NH - 2)

NH-19(NH - 2)

NH-19(NH - 2)

NH-19(NH - 2)

NH-19(NH - 2)

KHANTPUKUR

Muchipara Morh168.3

DURGAPUR-PURULIA

RAGHUNTH PUR ROAD

Take left towards Durgapur Barrage along Durgapur – Purulia – Raghunathpur Road

Durgapur Barrage Crossing

171.4

174.5

175.2 Turn right on Maliara DurgapurRoad

ROAD NAME ROUTE DESCRIPTION

ROUTE MAPKOLKATA - LUDUNG, ODISHA

ROUTE MAPKOLKATA – SHIULIBONA

179.2

179.9

181.1

184.4

184.6

193.7

195.4

200.6

209.3

Temple on left. Keep going straight

Maliara – Durlavpur Road. Take left at the Y-fork

Take the immediate right in next 200 mts

Unmetalled road on left

Take right from here

Alok Tirtha gate. DVC on left

Take left towards Bankura on NH-14 (NH-60)

Take right towards Saltora – Kushtolia – Deuli – Mejia Road

Take left – towards Shushunia Mejia – Kushtolia Road

177.2

215.3 Continue straight

DURGAPUR-PURULIA

RAGHUNTH PUR ROAD

DURGAPUR-PURULIA

RAGHUNTH PUR ROAD

MALIARA DURGAPUR

ROAD

MALIARA DURGAPUR

ROAD

MALIARA DURGAPUR

ROAD

MALIARA DURGAPUR

ROAD

MALIARA DURGAPUR

ROAD

MALIARA CROSSING

ROAD

DURGAPUR-PURULIA

RAGHUNTH PUR ROADKALGORA

BAZARSHRICHANDA

PUR

KALGORABAZAR

SHRICHANDAPUR

DEULIMORH

KUSHTOLIA MORHNH-60

LAKSMANPURBAZAR

Take left from this point

220.6 Form Shushunia road to Shiulibona Road – Hanpania

SUSUNIA ROAD

222.6 SIULIBONA ROAD

Shiulibona Weekend Stay on the right


CAR LAUNCH

MG Motor

ZS EVIndia Launches All-New

Joydip sur

MG Motor India has announced the launch of its all-new ZS EV. The

all-new ZS EV comes with 50.3 kWh battery with advanced technology, offering a 461 kilometres certified range in a single charge.

The all-new ZS EV will be available in two variants - Excite and Exclusive, priced at INR 21,99,800 and INR 25,88,000, respectively. While the bookings for Exclusive variant have begun, bookings for Excite variant will start from July 2022.

The all-new ZS EV has been restyled with striking exterior design elements, comfortable and premium interior, first-in-segment features like dual pane panoramic skyroof, digital Bluetooth key, rear drive assist, 360° camera, i-SMART with 75+ connected car features, hill descent control and much more. It also packs a globally certified (ASIL-D, IP69K and UL2580) battery that has passed eight special safety tests, including fire, collision, dust, smoke, etc.


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CAR LAUNCH


Speaking on the launch, Rajeev Chaba, President & Managing Director, MG Motor India said, “The demands for ZS EV has been encouraging since its launch, and the all-new ZS EV will further strengthen the brand connect with our EV customers. ZS EV has been a global success in key markets, including the UK, Europe and Australia. Committed to the future of electric mobility in India, we ensure a superior ownership experience by building a robust & sustainable EV ecosystem. With the all-new ZS EV, we are confident to change the mindset and accelerate EV adoption in India.”

The all-new ZS EV adopts MG’s signature global design cues and features a new electric design grill and 17-inch tomahawk hub design alloy wheels, offering superior aerodynamics while giving it a modern look. The Full LED hawkeye headlamp and new LED tail lamps gives a fresh look and eye-catching design, making a powerful impression.

Customer comfort is at the core of the all-new ZS EV. Its advanced features and styling offer a luxurious, comfortable and convenient in-cabin experience to the customers with luxury and refined elegance. The premium leather-layered dashboard, the centre armrest and a dual-pane panoramic sky roof can immediately grab eyeballs in the renewed and modernised interior. The all-new ZS EV also enhances the comfort of rear-seat passengers who can now enjoy comfort on every trip with the newly added rear centre headrest, rear centre armrest with cup holders and rear AC vents.

While the current ZS EV already has a relatively long list of innovative features, the all-new ZS EV builds upon it. It comes with a full digital cluster with a 17.78 cm (7-inch ) embedded LCD screen, a 10.1-inch HD touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, wireless phone

CAR LAUNCH

charging, five USB ports including two Type C charging ports, climate control through auto AC, and PM 2.5 filter. It also includes an advanced i-SMART connectivity system with 75+ features to make the ride smart. The all-new ZS EV even features a digital Bluetooth key that allows customers to drive without a physical key in select cases.

The all-new ZS EV ensures the utmost safety with six airbags, a 360-degree camera and hill descent control along with a tyre pressure monitoring system and electronic stability control for a smoother and controlled drive. The all-new ZS EV offers rear drive assist feature that enhance driver and passenger safety. These include blind spot detection which helps identify vehicles coming from a blind zone that are not detected by the outside rear view mirror. It also features lane change assist which warns the driver about possible collision hazards the moment the indicator is turned on.

Finally, it offers a rear cross traffic alert that detects cars that might be approaching from the rear left or right but are outside the range of the reverse camera and rear parking sensors.

The all-new ZS EV will now come with the largest in-segment 50.3kWH advanced technology battery that meets the best global safety standards (IP69K & ASIL-D). It is equipped with a new powerful motor that delivers 176PS power and accelerates from 0 to 100 kmph in just 8.5 seconds. Further, the battery has undergone eight special safety checks and received UL2580 global certification.

MG Motor is taking conscious steps towards strengthening the EV infrastructure in India. The brand has recently launched ‘MG Charge’, where 1,000 AC fast chargers will be installed at residential localities across India. In the past, MG has also partnered with companies like Fortum, Delta, eChargeBays, Exicom, Electreefi and


Tata Power to introduce DC and AC fast chargers across the country.

The car is available in four exterior colour options: Ferris White, Currant Red, Ashen Silver and Sable Black.The all-new ZS EV is covered under MG

eShield for private customers, wherein the automaker provides a free-of-charge 5-year warranty for unlimited kilometres, 8yrs / 1.5 lakh kilometres warranty on the Battery Pack system, round-the-clock Roadside Assistance (RSA) for five years, and five free labour services.

CAR LAUNCH



LUxURY CARS

The All-NewBMW M4

Competition Coupe Launched In India

Joydip sur

bMW Group India has launched the new BMW M4 Competition Coupe at

an ex-showroom price of INR 1,43,90,000. The pace-setting high-performance sports car is available effective immediately as a completely built-up unit (CBU).

Mr. Vikram Pawah, President, BMW Group India said, “For the last 50 years, BMW M has stood for those who enjoy high performance and supremacy of excellence. The all-new BMW M4 Competition Coupe delivers an uncompromised track and street experience at a whole new level with distinctive combinations. Superior engineering promises unparalleled driving dynamics, adrenaline-fueled body styling, head-turning road presence, while still holding the famous legacy of its motorsport lineage.”


The distinctive body design of the all-new BMW M4 Competition Coupe sends out a bolder statement than ever of its performance supremacy and emotionally engaging driving experience at hand. Visually striking exterior includes the M-specific version of the large, vertical BMW kidney grille with hallmark double bars in a horizontal design, the powerfully sculpted wheel arches with eye-catching M gills, and the prominently extended side sills with attachment parts for the front and rear aprons. Adaptive LED headlights with BMW laserlight are specified as standard. The M-specific exterior mirrors have aerodynamically optimised contouring and are painted in high-gloss black as standard. The car also sports aerodynamically optimised fins, a rear spoiler and two pairs of exhaust tailpipes finished in Black Chrome.

The interior has clearly structured surfaces and an ergonomically impeccable cockpit design that ensures the driver’s focus remains one hundred percent on the intense driving experience. The electrically adjustable M sport seats and M leather ‘Merino’ with extended contents upholstery with carbon fiber trim come as standard. Exclusive functions such as M seat belts, multifunction for steering wheel, seat heating with lumbar support (driver and front passenger), electrical seat adjustment with memory function, and automatic anti-dazzle function in all mirrors add a further sporty touch to the interior. Extremely lightweight high-tech Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) sunroof lowers the centre of gravity and enhances its agility. Ambient lighting

41

LUxURY CARS

42

LUxURY CARS

creates an atmosphere for every mood while automatic three zone air-conditioning further enhances the in-cabin experience. The car is equipped with adaptive M-specific suspension, M sport differential, M high performance compound brakes and 19-inch/20-inch M forged wheels double-spoke style 826 M bicolour black in the standard profile. Customers can add more equipment to enhance the overall experience through optional offerings such as active seat ventilation, M racetrack package, M carbon exterior package, M drive professional, M compound break red high gloss and 19-inch/20-inch 825 M double-spoke wheels in polished orbit grey and bicolor black.

The new 3.0-litre straight-six unit combines the hallmark high-revving character of BMW M GmbH engines with the latest version of M TwinPower Turbo technology. The petrol engine of the BMW M4 produces an output of 510 hp and a maximum torque of 650 Nm at 2,750-5,500 rpm. The car accelerates from 0 -100 kmph in just 3.5 seconds.

The eight speed M steptronic transmission enables extraordinary short shift times and fast, precise responses to every nudge of the accelerator. The driver can access three clearly distinct setups in both automatic and manual mode – comfort oriented, sports focused, or track optimized. The Setup button on the centre console provides direct access to the settings options for the engine, chassis, steering and braking system, plus traction control. EFFICIENT, SPORT and SPORT PLUS settings can be engaged to modify the engine’s characteristics, while

selecting the COMFORT, SPORT or SPORT PLUS chassis mode

provides access to the three settings for the

electronically controlled dampers.

A host of BMW ConnectedDrive technologies continue to break the innovation barrier in automotive industry – telephony with wireless charging,


43

LUxURY CARS

head up display, smartphone integration, active protection including attentiveness assistant with park distance control with sensors at the front and rear and parking assistant. Options include the driving assistant, parking assistant plus, comfort access system, gesture control, steering and lane control assistant, as well as the BMW drive recorder. The modern cockpit concept BMW live cockpit professional running on latest BMW Operating System 7.0 includes 3D navigation, a 12.3-inch digital instrument display behind the steering wheel and a 10.25-inch control display. Harman Kardon surround sound system with 16 speakers provides an intense musical feast for the ears.

For utmost safety, the all-new BMW M4 Competition comes with head and side airbags for driver and front passenger as well as head airbags for rear seats as standard. Additional standard equipment includes Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) including Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Automatic Stability Control (ASC), M Dynamic Mode (MDM), Cornering Brake Control

(CBC), Dynamic Brake Control (DBC), dry braking function and

active M differential. DSC with M xDrive further enhances the

safety aspect.

The all-new BMW M4 Competition delivers

maximum driving pleasure coupled with an outstanding performance and fuel consumption ratio thanks to BMW EfficientDynamics measures such as intelligent lightweight design, brake energy regeneration, auto start-stop function, electric power steering, differential and transfer case with optimised warm-up behaviour and aerodynamics.

The all-new BMW M4 Competition is available in metallic paintworks – Skyscraper Grey, Portimao Blue, Black Sapphire, Sao Paulo Yellow, Toronto Red and Alpine White in non-metallic. Optional BMW Individual metallic paint finishes available are – Tanzanite Blue, Dravitgrey, Aventurine Red, Frozen Brilliant White, Frozen Portimao Blue. Other optional BMW Individual Special Paintworks available are Frozen Orange, Frozen Black, Frozen Deep Grey. The new M4 is available in a range of fine upholstery combinations – M Leather ‘Merino’ with extended contents in the following combination – Yas Marina Blue, Kyatami Orange, Silverstone | Black, Black | Black.


CALCUTTA CORNER

sarojesh MukerjeeNo Way Out!

v isits to State Bank of India are not frequently celebrated for the

experience, especially if the branch is not one of the new-fangled, air-conditioned, coffee-dispensing ones. And yet such a foray some years ago proved to be unexpectedly rewarding, if not a unique experience.

The branch is at Kalighat, one of Calcutta's oldest localities, dominated, as can only happen in India, by a very holy Hindu temple the sanctum sanctorum of which is supposed to contain a severed-finger of no less than the Goddess Kali, a red-light district, and ancient Victorian markets called Kataras. As if all that were not enough, a Greek church and a tram depot lend even more charm and ambience.

The branch has been serving the area for a very long time, dating from SBI's Imperial Bank of India days. Its premises are old and were almost inviting with a decrepit, period charm until it suffered rude modernisation in the wake of competition. The competition came mainly from the ATMs of Johnny-come-latelies like ICICI and HDFC, which surround the old behemoth like a shoal of piranhas massed to launch a killer attack on a beached whale.

I had dropped in at about six thirty in the evening, a time in those dark days of winter and liberalisation when even the Babus of SBI had to work. I found the manager, whom I wanted to meet, sitting in his cabin with a

KOLKATA ON WHEELS | March 2022 44 44

CALCUTTA CORNER

customer. The manager waved me to a chair and indicated that he would finish with the other customer before he attended to me. The customer was an elderly, very-obviously-Bengali gentleman, dressed in a sparkling, white, starch-pressed silk shirt the kind of which must have been popular in the 70s or even before. Yet it looked new. This he had complimented with a pair of pyjamas, clean but un-ironed and topped it off, or bottomed it out, as one might say, with leather slippers. He was chewing paan, mildly sweet smells of which were wafting all over the manager's cabin and was sitting with a very aggrieved expression, head bowed and hardly talking to the manager.

It seemed that some moments had passed in this apparent state of non-business for it continued for a minute or so after I entered. The manager then gently entreated his customer to accept his advice and reminded him that although the bank would have liked to accede to his request, the computers simply wouldn't allow it. At this the man looked up with baleful eyes and said in a half-whisper, seemingly blaming fate as King Lear might have done when he discovered the rascality of Goneril and Regan, “So you'll make me a new customer.” After a pregnant pause, he added, “And after half-a-century of growing old with you.”

The manager seemed chastised by this, for he lapsed into an apologetic silence that lasted for over a minute after which he renewed his entreat in his softer voice by pleading “But, Mr. Banerjee, we don't have a way

out (kono rasta nei).” At this, Mr. Banerjee's eyes suddenly twinkled and his face became flushed with colour and he almost rose from his chair to tell the manager, “No Way Out! Do you know when I heard those words the last time in this branch? Do you know?” The manager looked baffled and slightly disappointed too for he must have been entertaining some notion that he had managed to guide the interview to a successful, if not a particularly happy, close and it now seemed evident that that was not to be the case for some more time.

Mr. Banerjee, though, it was plain, was clearly on a new high. “Bishwanath Babu, whom I shall never forget, for he was a cashier here for twenty five years, was the person who last said No Way Out in this branch,” he was saying expansively, “and do you know when? It was the late sixties, Calcutta was in the grip of the Naxal terror, a bank dacoity was in progress in this very branch, and Bishwanath Babu was standing spread-eagled in front of his strong room, telling the armed dacoits – No Way Out – Kono Rasta Nei!”

The manager mumbled his ignorance of Paleolithic history which poured some more fuel into the by-now-raging fire in Mr. Banerjee's bosom. “How would you know? Were you even born then”, he demanded of the manager in his single sly aside of the evening, and continued, "The robbers fired and Bishwanath Babu took the bullet. He had the sense to duck at the last moment and so the bullet, instead of killing him, just grazed his left hand. Some months later, when a grateful management asked him his

KOLKATA ON WHEELS | March 2022 45 45

CALCUTTA CORNER

46

for I imagined that he had by now become resigned to his fate, and said – “Yes, but you don't understand, do you now? If you close my old account and open a new one, you will be making me a new customer then. But I am not new, I have been coming here for fifty years now!”

And then he got up and shuffled away - the living embodiment of W.B. Yeats’ “An aged man is a paltry thing, a tattered coat upon a stick"- having given up all hope of a just world in the time of internet banking and nanotechnology.

All the same, I do not think that I have ever heard a complaint made with such passion and resignation together, or even a more moving and poignant one.

choice of reward for his act of bravery, Bishwanath Babu expressed the simple wish of being allowed to serve in this branch and asked for nothing more." Mr. Banerjee ended his story triumphantly, satisfied that he had made a telling point but the manager looked frankly bewildered, unable to link the story to his customer's banking travails.

This was eventually understood at the other end of the table and necessitated an explanation which went: “And you sit there and tell me – No Way Out! In this branch and that chair, you should think twice before you say those words – kono rasta nei – again!” The point now taken, the manager resumed his supplicatory manner and started mumbling his faint entreaties. “What can I do, Mr. Banerjee, if my systems don't allow it? I would have liked to delete your father's name from the account and let you continue as the account-holder, but the software simply does not permit it. If the first account-holder expires, the account has got to be closed and a new account opened in the name of the survivors. Please do that, Mr. Banerjee, you will not suffer any financial loss and you shall see that with Core Banking, our services are better than ICICI and HDFC.”

Mr. Banerjee sat and listened patiently,


UpCOMING CARS


HiluxToyota Brings iconicTo The indian Market

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T oyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has introduced the iconic Hilux in the Indian

market to cater to the needs of customers seeking a globally acclaimed lifestyle utility vehicle that is best suited for off-roading adventure drives on tough terrains, as well as everyday city use. The name Hilux, which is derived from ‘high’ and ‘luxury’, is known for its ‘toughness’ and ‘ruggedness’ across terrains of the world for decades.

This announcement by the Japanese carmaker ends the wait for many SUV aficionados looking to experience the Hilux on the tough roads of India. The Toyota Hilux has been developed considering the local

conditions and requirements even as it stays true to its character. Globally, the Hilux sales have surpassed 20 million units winning hearts of millions from over 180 countries. For over five decades and through eight generations, the Toyota Hilux has moved with the times to create exceptional experiences and an unbreakable bond with those who desire for awesomeness in their daily drives, be it business or family. With class-leading engineering, enhanced safety, advanced technology and best-in-class comfort, the Toyota Hilux offers many first-in-segment features.

UpCOMING CARS

This global icon’s reputation of being a powerful performer is courtesy of the rigid Innovative Multi-Purpose Vehicle (IMV) platform and a strong powertrain system. It is the same platform (body-on frame chassis construction) that underpins the Innova Crysta and Fortuner which have been a runaway success in India and across many countries. The Hilux is loaded with features a heavy-duty turbo engine and diamond-like carbon coating on the piston rings for maximised frictional efficiency. The result is a whopping 500 Nm of torque which is by far the best in the segment. In essence, the Hilux is an unrivalled amalgamation of performance, power and fuel efficiency in its class. The Variable Flow Control to the power steering has boosted drivability making the steering lighter at low speed in city traffic condition and heavier at higher speeds cruising on a highway. The steering dynamics intelligently adapts according to the drive mode - switching from Eco to Power, or Power to Eco. Being true to its reputation of being a tough outdoor companion, the Hilux features a large flatbed deck which provides unmatched flexibility to carry anything from outdoor gear to sports kits.

With the IMV frame structure at its heart, the Hilux has set new benchmarks in off-road capabilities. The Hilux comes with an impressive water wading capacity of 700mm meant to maneuver though Indian trails. The exceptional wheel articulation and the adoption of electronic diff-lock also give the Hilux outstanding off-road capability in the toughest of conditions with greater fuel efficiency. In real sense, it is based on Toyota’s philosophy of “customer first” - truly understanding customers’ expectations and desires, testing and driving on a wide variety of


UpCOMING CARS

local road conditions, to experience and feel the multi-functional elements. The length and height of the Hilux give it a presence like no other. The engine hood, front bumper, lower guard, and bumper corners converge to bring focus to the bold and sophisticated trapezoidal piano black grille with chrome surround. Distinctive LED rear combi lamps give a dynamic presence and enhance night time visibility. The style quotient is further enhanced with striking 18-inch alloy wheels.

The Hilux truly offers the most advanced experience by beautifully harmonising performance with premium interiors that combines sophistication and practicality with innovation, style and design. The leather seats, soft touch interiors with metal accents give it a modern and progressive look. To enhance driving comfort the vehicle comes equipped with front parking sensors to ease parking in tight city conditions.

The tablet style 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay ensures you are always in control and connected on the go.

Safety is paramount to Toyota, to ensure the safety of driver and passenger, the Toyota Hilux packs the most advanced safety features across its variants. The ABS, EBD, Brake Assist System and Hill-Start Assist Control ensures safe driving in any given road conditions, making it the most desirable car. With features such as reverse camera, clearance sonar and back up sonar for all variants, with seven SRS airbags, Downhill Assist Control and Vehicle Stability Control, customer is assured to experience the thrill and joy of driving the safest Toyota Hilux.

As a result of high-levels of in-built safety features, Toyota Hilux was awarded a 5-Star Crash Safety Rating by New Car Assessment Program for Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN NCAP).



UpCOMING CARS

Talking about the design concept of Toyota Hilux, Mr. Jurachart Jongusuk, Toyota Regional Chief Engineer, said, “In our pursuit of developing ever-better cars, we conduct deep analysis of consumers’ driving needs and varied usage of vehicles in local conditions with greater market insights. Considering their wants and desires for an enriching mobility experience, we are pleased to bring to India the tough and invincible Hilux based on the strong IMV lineage. Powerful, sophisticated and built to last, the Hilux is a testament to Toyota’s world-class engineering, enhanced safety and best-in-class comfort rightly channelized to position the go-anywhere, do-anything vehicle for those seeking adventure, thrill and enriching moments with friends and family”.

Commenting on the launch of the Toyota Hilux, Mr. Masakazu Yoshimura,

Managing Director, TKM, said, The launch follows our ‘customer first’ philosophy of responding to the ever-evolving expectations of various customer demographics, with new product offerings. Today, as India continues to make larger economic strides, many customers are seeking a sophisticated lifestyle vehicle that delivers exceptional on & off-road prowess and fulfill their daily urban mobility needs be it work or pleasure. The Hilux will cater to these customer demands and hopefully spawn a new genre in the country. Further, this launch will set the path for us in India to welcome many more new customers to the Toyota family and help us achieve our goal to deliver “Mass Happiness to All”. We look forward to bringing more awesomeness in the time ahead as we begin 2022 with landmark moments.”Sharing his views, Mr. Tadashi

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UpCOMING CARS

Asazuma, Executive Vice President – Sales & Customer Service, TKM, said, “The launch of Hilux brings out the key essence of “unmatched toughness & sophistication”. Customers will get to enjoy the Quality, Durability, and Reliability that they have experienced with the successful models as Innova Crysta and Fortuner. For many of our loyal customers, this new offering will be a step up in their journey with Toyota. Our desire is to continue to excite them and our new customers with lifetime experiences that fulfill varied needs and provide a bouquet of options.

The Hilux which draws inspiration from the lifestyles of people who don’t give up,

brings together the best of all worlds. Further, to supplement the amazing experience of Hilux, we are much excited to launch the specialised range of accessories for adventure-oriented customers’, truly reflective of the design concept. These range of suggested accessories will amplify the versatility of the Hilux. To know

more about such accessories, we urge the customers to visit and explore at

their nearest Toyota touchpoints. There is already a good response from our existing and newer customers in the run-up to the launch and we are confident that this will peak even further.” Further, the new GR DKR Hilux T1+ developed by Toyota Gazoo Racing team brings the outstanding victory at the 44th edition of Dakar Rally 2022, which is considered the most grueling rally event, held at Saudi Arabia recently. This spectacular win with new Toyota GR Hilux is a testament of Toyota’s ability to continuously push the limits of engineering and build ever-better cars. Bookings for Toyota Hilux are open. Ex-showroom prices will be announced in March 2022 before we start the deliveries in April 2022.


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abhijit Dasgupta

The Dirty DozenReporting From Myanmar - part 2


W e cross hills and meadows, pass through slush, the

long stretches rather tiring but the enthusiasm is to the brim.

At Ywangan, a small village, we pause for breakfast. Villagers in throve have turned out in their best attire. Folk dance and music reverberate in

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the air and the rallyists, irrespective of the country they belong to enjoy every minute of their halt. After hours of drive, we reach the small

town of Kalaw. This little hill town, quite popular with the British, still boasts of a number of Indians particularly from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. They still speak in Hindi. The cars need re-fueling. So does the crew. Soon the rally column reach Taunggyi. Out of nowhere,

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the Deayetheaye Thar Yar Golf Resort is a surprise offering star facility. It is a world class golf resort. And here too, food and music greet us. So engrossing is the atmosphere that our hard core super strict leader too cannot resist to take out his camera. At the base of the Shan hills, amidst the golden triangle, famous for drugs

and illegal smuggling of gems and rubies, this golfing paradise is almost a gift of God. Since quality fuel is not available, arrangements have been made at the Golf Resort. Pumps mounted on Chinese trucks show how indigenously fuel can be supplied. While the cars get filled up, the unique Swiss-chalet type log huts not just offer delicious food but a large share of traditional dance.

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While we eat the delicious food, the army guys have to be content with their daily ration.

Photo-ops with the army becomes a craze.

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The next is a long haul to Loilem. Pre-warned, all the participants are prepared to log it out in sleeping bags under some tin roof or even the sky. The road, the dust, the dark night adds up to our reaching very late at night. A huge surprise awaits us. The government technical school – a huge building has been converted overnight and the army has provided a cot for every participant with a blanket, hot tea and snacks. In a hall, it is the ideal to build friendship. Vicky leads. And the food here consists of fried

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sparrows. It is well past midnight in nearly freezing temperature that the participants sleep only to get up very early in the morning to stand in a queue in front of the very few common toilets. We move and at 800 ft. get a glimpse of the surrounding scenic beauty. The road at places is slippery with mud or clay surface and the incline pretty stiff giving the vehicle hardly enough ground traction. Any miscalculation in speed or the turning angle can mean the car hurtling down below the hills in to the bone chilling mountain stream.

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Driving the treacherous stretch at an average speed of 20 kilometeres per hour take over 20 hours. More thrills are in waiting. The drivers soon face a swollen river. For the first cars to cross, it is quite a nightmare since no one knows what lay below.

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The next stop is Kunhing at the height of 5,000 ft. The lunch just before the bridge at Takaw is also quite an interesting experience. Temporary tables and chairs are laid out and even in this remote area, bottled water and hot tea in a flask is a delight. The night halt is at Kengtung which the rallyists reach well past midnight. Driving through the mountain path in nearly freezing temperature with hairpin bends, without any parapet walls, with no lights whatsoever prove a daunting experience. But even after such a strenuous drive, it is heart-warming to see local people standing and waving flags and clapping their hands.

On 28th of November, the cars are flagged off by a Mayanmar Military General who arrive in a helicopter at a makeshift starting point in the outskirts of town. The local ladies in their traditional attire become a photo hunters delight. Not much appreciated by the General. The rally is nearing Tachilek – the border town in Mayanmar.

Across the border is Maesai in Thailand. History has been written in the soil of Myanmar that will live long.


DRIVE TOUR

Falta and Hooghly are irreversibly attached with each other. The gurgling water of the river and the swirling tides and

the picturesque scenery on the two banks set off an amazing dream called Falta. The blue sky blends into the brownish

water of a robust river that flows like a danseuse in ecstasy

Destination: FaltaDate: 23-24 April (Sat-Sun), 2022

Distance: 52 km from KolkataFor any clarification please call: 9830370371 / 9830273443


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The Lake Club

EIMGConcours D’Elegance 2022Sets Temperature Soaring

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After the recent success of their Goodbye 2021 Breakfast Meet, Eastern India Motoring Group (EIMG) was back with yet another exquisitely curated event in the form of The Lake Club - EIMG Concours D’Elegance 2022 in association with ACE Commercial which was held on Sunday, March 13, 2022 at The Lake Club, Kolkata. While the City of Joy has been witness to several vintage and classic car events in the past, a few of which have been successfully organised by EIMG over the last couple of years, however, this particular event occupies a pride of place for being the city’s first ever Concours D’Elegance.

The mere mention of the term ‘Concours D’Elegance’ among

Rekha Kanoria's 1931 Chevrolet Big 6

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historical car enthusiasts conjures up the image of a very special automotive event. Like several objects of worthy of beauty and admiration, not surprisingly, the term ‘Concours D’Elegance’ is also French, and translates to ‘competition of elegance.’ According to sources, the first such events were held in France when carriages were still in use, and later shifted to automobiles in the early 20th century. Those early Concours D’Elegance not only celebrated automobiles, but women's fashions and food as well. Prizes were awarded in all categories, and the celebrations extended over several days. Today, some critics of the early Concours dismiss them as mere ‘beauty contests’. Judging was entirely

subjective, which gave birth to the term ‘French judging’, which is still considered by many purists to be true Concours judging.Fast forward to March 2022,

and EIMG set the temperature soaring in the city with an array of stunning automobiles which took part in The Lake Club - EIMG Concours D’Elegance. Mr. Shrivardhan Kanoria, Founder and President of EIMG handpicked around 80 heritage vehicles and categorised them into seven different categories inspired by the world-renowned Pebble Beach and other internationally acclaimed Concours D’Elegance held globally. The cars were judged by Kanoria’s Concours Restoration team on the basis of authenticity, restoration, maintenance, historical importance, and rarity.


S.K. Lahiri standing next to his 1948 Plymouth

A sight to cherish


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While each of the 80 participating heritage vehicles on display at the EIMG Concours D’Elegance came with considerable history and interesting anecdotes from the yesteryear, however, worth a special mention are Ananda Chowdhury's 1913 Stoewer (oldest car of the show), Hossain's 1923 Panther, Sanjay Agarwal's 1926

Fiat, Sanjay Ghosh's 1932 Ford V8 (the maestro’s favourite), Azam Monem's 1937 Rolls Royce (an exquisite car), Golam Momen's 1938 Rolls Royce (won the Best of Show), Rupak Ghosh's 1947 MG (a marvel), Siddharth Swarup's 1947 Wolseley (a very original car), Abhishek Jaiswal's 1938 Mercedes (came all the way from Ranchi for this

Shrivardhan Kanoria drives in with his 1925 Rolls-Royce Phantom 1

Ananda Chowdhury seen driving his 1913 Stoewer


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event), Sanjay Ghosh's 1947 Chevrolet, S.K. Lahiri's 1948 Plymouth (owned by a true blue enthusiast), Sarojesh Mukerjee's 1959 Ford Zephyr (latest addition to Kolkata) and Saikat Dutta's 1963 Triumph Spitfire (a head turner) that left the audience mesmerised.

Although not participating in the Concours D’Elegance, however, the

two cars which were cynosures of the event and drew admiration from onlookers were Shrivardhan Kanoria’s 1925 Rolls-Royce Phantom 1 and Rekha Kanoria’s 1931 Chevrolet Big 6.

Mr. Shrivardhan Kanoria, Founder and President – EIMG, commented: “Such shows are the call of the day when it comes to enjoying this

Saikat Dutta driving his 1963 Triumph Spitfire

Abhishek Jaiswal's 1938 Mercedes


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Heritage Vehicle hobby. I feel it as an integral responsibility towards this movement and hence put in my time and effort towards organising these events, throughout the year, for the benefit and encouragement of the Heritage Vehicle owners of Eastern India.

Organising an event of this magnitude can’t succeed without the support of your team. I would like to thank Mr. Shubhajit Kumar, Secretary – EIMG for coordinating with our venue partner and Ms. Siddique Cowper & team for marshalling the event. I would like to acknowledge Mr. Dharmaditya

Rupak Ghosh driving his 1947 MG

Gadai Dey with his Morris 8


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(Julia) Patnaik (ACE Commercial) for sponsoring the beautiful mementoes and trophies and Mr. Diljeet Titus (founder of The Titus Museum) for hosting a gala dinner for the participants and EIMG team.”

“For the past three years, The Lake

Club has been collaborating with EIMG in organizing this vintage and classic car & bike show for their members and guests. This annual event has steadily gained in popularity becoming one of the most awaited events in the Club’s calendar which witnesses a great

Azam Monem arriving in his 1937 Rolls Royce

EIMG President Shrivardhan Kanoria (right) seen with Golam Momen and his 1938 Rolls Royce

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turnout of exotic heritage cars, as well as a huge footfall of both members and guests, making this the best heritage motoring event in Kolkata. I’m grateful to Lake Club for their continued support”, Kanoria added.

Californians like to regard Pebble

Beach as the most prestigious heritage car show in the world. We Kolkatans are undoubtedly much more reserved in our acclaim, although the ‘zest and fervour’ that was witnessed The Lake Club - EIMG Concours D’Elegance 2022 was perhaps parallel to the best heritage car show anywhere in the


Captain Naha's 1948 Buick and Sarojesh Mukerjee's 1959 Ford Zephyr

The bevy of historic beauties

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world. California might have its Pebble Beach, London its Salon Prive’, Lago di Como its Villa d’Este, but Kolkata’s first Concours D’Elegance certainly has the potential to become as illustrious in years to come.

This marquee event will hopefully inspire other Kolkata based heritage motoring clubs to organise more Concours D’Elegance, but like Neil Armstrong, EIMG will always be credited for doing it first.


Participants and guests at The Lake Club - EIMG Concours D’Elegance 2022

Participants of the two-wheelers category poising with their motorcycles


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Vintage Cars upto 1930

Vintage Cars from 1931 - 1940

Classic Cars from 1941 - 1950

Classic Cars upto 1951 - 1970

2nd Runners up

2nd Runners up

2nd Runners up

2nd Runners up

1926 – studebakerkunal banerji

1936 – Fordnirmal khaitan

1948 – Mghimanshu ajmera

1964 – Fordamrit Roy

1928 – Forda. palchowdury

1932 – Fordlate sanjay ghosh

1948 – plymouths.k. lahiri

1963 – triumphsaikat Dutta

1926 – Fiatsanjay agarwal

1938 – Rolls Roycegolam Momen

1947 – Chevroletlate sanjay ghosh

1959 – Fordsarojesh Mukerjee

Runners up

Runners up

Runners up

Runners up

best in Class

best in Class

best in Class

best in Class



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Vintage Cars upto 1930

Indian Heritage Cars

Two Wheelers

Off Roaders

The Oldest Car Award

The Restoration Cup

The Admirable Cup

Special Car Award

2nd Runners up

2nd Runners up

2nd Runners up

1947 – arielharjit Dhanjal

1963 – Fiatprithvi tagore

1958 – land Roversarojesh Mukerjee

1940 – triumphterence lobo

1964 – standardshubhajit kumar

1952 – Willyssaikat Dutta

1923 – pantherhossain

1955 – Fiatvinay agarwal

1942 – FordRavi khedwal

Runners up

Runners up

Runners up

best in Class

best in Class

best in Class

The preservation Cup

The Resurrection Cup

Judges Choice Award

best Of Show

1913 – stoewerananda Chowdhury

1947 – MgRupak ghosh

1937 – Roll Royceazam Monem

1948 – buicklate Captain naha

1947 – Wolseleysiddharth swarup

1938 – Mercedesabhishek Jaiwal

1937 – Roll Royces.k. karnani & ors huF

1938 – Roll Roycegolam Momen


Photographs by Sourish Meryson and Deepanjan Sarkar

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Wheeler shivaji sengupta

Satpura Tiger Reserve


Hidden Gems of Madhya Pradesh – Part 2

‘Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference’ – Robert Frost, Poet (1874-1963)

My journeys to the road less travelled have been very fulfilling to say the least. After having been mesmerised by Sanjay Dubri National Park in 2018 about which I had written in our January edition, we had decided to visit smaller reserves over the next few years. So, in October 2021 we revisited Sanjay Dubri National Park along with Satpura and Panna forests. In this issue, I will take you on a journey to the

A herd of spotted deer

One of the many streams flowing through the forest

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Satpura National Park, another hidden gem of Madhya Pradesh.

The name ‘Satpura’ owes its origin to a Sanskrit word

meaning seven mountains.

The region encompasses an

area of 1,427 square kilometres located to the

south of River Narmada in the district of Narmadapuram and

Chindwara. The forest is rich in biodiversity and in the year 1999 it was declared as the first biosphere reserve of Madhya Pradesh. In the following year, Satpura was named as a Tiger Reserve. Its topography is undulating as the park ranges from 300 to 1,350 metres and the

terrain is unique with waterways, rugged mountains, narrow gorges, deep ravines, large grasslands and

pristine jungles making Satpura National Park an ideal destination for the jaded soul. Unlike

other forests which are very tiger-centric, a safari in Satpura is much more relaxed and absorbing. Here, one can enjoy the beauty of the forest without the normal running around to sight tigers and can rather focus on the highly endangered arboreal mammals like flying squirrel, Indian giant squirrel and leaf nosed bats to name a few. Apart from the usual fauna like gaur, leopard, tiger, Satupura National Park is also a birder’s paradise along with being home to many varieties of butterflies. A journey inside the park offers a completely different experience and cannot be compared with the other national parks of Central India.

We started our visit with

Panchmarhi which is one of the gateways to Satpura

Ruins of an ancient Shiva temple deep inside the forestSerpent eagle on the lookout

for its prey

Another waterbody inside STR

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Tiger Reserve. MP Tourism has many properties in Panchmarhi and we stayed

in a colonial-era bungalow called

Satpura Retreat. The rooms at the Satpura

Retreat were of the size of a residence in most cities and with

each room having a fireplace - one is transported back to the days of the Raj.

The entry gate from Panchmarhi is called Panaarpani. This safari offered a very different

flavour from our earlier experiences. What we really loved and enjoyed was that the guide along

with the driver were very knowledgeable about both the flora and fauna of the area. We came to

know about 30 different species of medicinal plants which grows there. The driver plucked a few leaves

from one such plant, the juice of which is said to have antiseptic properties and can heal small cuts & wounds.

Although I was not in the position to experiment the benefit on myself, my friend who was also travelling with us

used it on a lingering sore on his leg and surprisingly it healed within the next two days - such are the miracles of traditional

knowledge. Though we did not see any carnivore during the safari, we thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

Our next destination was Madhai, another entry gate to Satpura Tiger Reserve. Panchmarhi to Madhai is a distance

of around 95 kilometres and takes nearly two hours to drive. A small village dotted with a few hotels, Madhai

is nothing short of paradise. The River Denwa flows between the village and the forest. Therefore, for

safaris one has to take a speed boat ride to reach the entry gate and I was very pleasantly surprised with the impressive infrastructure. Proper jetty has been built and all the passengers are made to wear inflatable safety jackets during

the three-minute ride. Most importantly these boat rides are offered

free, although one can hire them for a joyride at


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View of the Satpura range from Panchmarhi

‘Lord’ in a relaxed mood

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a very reasonable cost. Impressive arrangements, to say the least. Needless to say, our accommodation was booked in Bison Resort, a MP Tourism property situated on the edge of the river. Sunrise and sunset views from the balcony were mesmerising. We were booked for two safaris and wanted a third but sadly all slots were sold out. This area of the forest has very large population of gaurs (Indian bison). Though these animals look very docile from a distance, however, they are extremely powerful. I have heard stories of them charging at safari vehicles. One such incident had recently happened at Madhai. The vehicle was damaged during the incident, although the occupants were unhurt. The same fate nearly awaited us on our second safari. We saw a herd of gaurs in the middle of the road and stopped for them to crossover. When we thought the road was clear and the vehicle moved

forward, we did not notice a solitary bull was still feeding to our left. As we were driving slowly to enjoy the sight of these powerful beasts, the solitary bull whose size was similar to a small elephant suddenly appeared very close to our vehicle and with its head down charged at us. Luckily the driver was alert and he accelerated to safety. Talk about close saves! This part of Satpura has ruins of ancient temples situated deep inside the forest. During our first safari, we visited one

Gaurs drifting aimlessly

A sambhar deer looking at us suspiciously

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such ruin of an ancient Shiva temple. This is a standard halt for safari vehicles and visitors generally walk around the place to explore, though the forest is very dense and visibility was not more than twenty metres. When we arrived at the location, there two more jeeps which were already at the venue, however, the occupants were still seated inside with a tensed look on their faces. Then we also heard the alarm call of monkeys first and then of a deer which appeared to be very close. We all waited inside the vehicle for the predator to appear but sadly it was not to be our day. After some time, the call faded away. When the coast was clear, we all got down to take a closer look at the ruins of a temple from a bygone era. I’m pretty sure, everyone must be wondering, who would visit a temple in such tiger infested land. During our two safaris we sighted deer, gaur, several birds and few wild dogs (dhole) from a distance. Although

the sighting of predators eluded us, however, we were not disappointed to say the least. The speed boat ride, views from the hotel and the sight & sound of this magnificent forest will be etched in our minds for many, many years to come.

For those of you, who are interested to visit Satpura Tiger Reserve, do contact your nearest MP Tourism office and they will guide you to this very enchanting forest which is approximately 125 kilometres drive from Bhopal.


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Satpura Retreat - our hotel at Panchmarhi

A solitary kingfisher

The jetty at Madhai with speedboats

CAR TECH

FiveBasic Rally Mods For Beginners

promit hazra

M otorsports is inherently an expensive hobby, especially for a young petrolhead. One of the most cost effective ways to get

into motorsports for a budding enthusiast is through rallying. The most common form of rallying held in this part of the country is the Regulatory Runs, popularly referred to as a TSD (Time-Speed-Distance) Rally. In this edition, we will talk about five basic recommended modifications in your stock car to enter the world of rallying.


CAR TECH

sump and petrol tank guard Rally cars are subjected to demanding driving conditions

where rocks and gravel batter the underside of the car. Since many crucial component are exposed

beneath the car, it is important to install a sump guard and a petrol tank guard so that

rocks and other debris coming in contact with the under-carriage do not cause

severe damage leading to a situation in which the car fails to finish the event also known as a DNF (Did Not Finish). Sump guards and petrol tank guards need to be custom built for each car. A sump guard costs INR 10,000-12,000 approximately, while the petrol tank guard will set you back by INR 3,000-4,000.

all terrain tyresTyres are the only part of a car which is constantly in contact with the ground and good tyres are an absolute must-have for rallying. The regulatory runs are staged on a variety of surfaces from tarmac to gravel and from jungles to river beds. Therefore, it is recommended for new entrants to choose good quality all-terrain tyres. These tyres are like ‘the jack of all trades’ and strongly recommended for beginners.

Say for an example, a rally consists of both tarmac and off-road sections and the choice of tyres opted by an experienced rally driver is a set of pure play off-road tyres which are knobby and therefore work best on loose surfaces but suffer from lack of grip on tarmac. Being an experienced rally driver, he or she will be able to extract the full potential of the tyre in the off-road section and at the same time will be able to manage its handling and under braking in the road section, however, a novice would find it a challenge to pull off the same. Most all terrain tyres from brands such as MRF, Bridgestone and Apollo cost upwards of INR 4,500 per tyre.


CAR TECH

tRIp MeteRTrip meters play a major roll in regulatory runs and although there are many apps on playstore which perform the same function, however, using mobile phones in competition is generally not permitted by officials in rallies and having a trip meter in your vehicle is recommended. The trip meter allows the navigator to measure the distance travelled and correlate it with distances in the roadbook / tulip. A trip meter is usually installed on the dashboard towards the co-driver/navigator. There are several brands which manufacture trip meters among which brands such as Terratrip and Trippy will cost around INR

20,000.

CIRCuIt bReakeRA circuit breaker is an electrical switch designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused

by overcurrent / overload or short circuit. Its basic function is to interrupt

current flow after protective relays detect a fault. A circuit breaker helps to prevent

fires caused by electricity in the case of an accident. It is one of the essential safety

features in a rally car. The cost of installing a circuit breaker would be around INR 2000.


CAR TECH

Roll Cage A roll cage is a metal frame which is specially designed to protect the passengers from injury in case of an accident (example a roll over incident). It adds to the structural rigidity of the passenger cabin and its main objective is to protect the passengers. Installing a roll cage is mandatory for high speed rallying.Roll cages help in stiffening the chassis of the car which also results in improved handling. They can be bolted or welded on. Roll cages need to be custom built for each car and the cost of installing the same ranges from INR 6,000 – 12,000.

These are the five basic modifications recommended for beginners to safely begin their journey in the world of rallying. For those who wish to participate in special stage rallying, autocross or other forms of motorsports, there are several other modifications such as headers, a custom exhaust system, performance air filters, better shock absorbers, fog lights, and engine tuning which can be opted for depending on the category in which the competitor wishes to participate in.


MOTORSpORTS

Sk. Ajgar Ali & Md. Musthafa

A fter an intense battle of man & machine that lasted for three days,

the team of Sk. Ajgar Ali & Md. Musthafa were crowned champion of the coveted JK Tyre Indian National Regulatory Run Championship (INRRC) 2021. Closely following on their heels was the duo of Sk. Aniruddha & Raj Kumar Mundra who emerged second, while the experienced driver-navigator team of Subir Roy & Nirav Mehta clinched the third position.

The team of Jit Mitra & Dinky Varghese triumphed in the Adventure Category.

The duo of Abhijit Singh & Sk. Ibrahim Ali came second while the young team of Nisan Chowdhury & Chandrasish Roy finished third in the Adventure Category.

The Ladies Cup, the team of Sheena Sabharwal & Trupti Gupta emerged first followed by Jasmeet Kaur & Jyoti Iyengar in second position and the mother-daughter duo of Nilasha Das & Ipsita Das finished third.

The team of Pranjal More & Milindo Paul won in the Local Category.

team Wheels

Crowned INRRC 2021 Champion


MOTORSpORTS

JK Tyre Himalayan Drive 8, which also was the Grand Finale of INRRC 2021 started from Siliguri on March 24 and culminated in Darjeeling in the evening of March 26. A total of 24 teams, including seven all-ladies’ team, took part in the grand finale.

Several big names in this format of motorsports locked horns in the bid for the ultimate glory in INRRC 2021. The 24 teams had reached the national finals after going through grueling qualifying rounds at the six zonal levels in Northeast, East, North, West, Central and South India. The competitors had to navigate through some tough terrains, including dirt tracks, river beds and hilly roads to reach the finish point of each leg. The river beds on the first and second legs of the rally proved to be especially challenging with many vehicles getting bogged down in the sand, gravel and rocks.

JK Tyre Himalayan Drive 8 was ceremonially flagged off from Siliguri’s City Centre on March 23 by North Bengal Inspector General of Police Devendra

Prakash Singh and Siliguri Deputy Mayor Ranjan Sarkar in the presence of senior police and civil administration officials and corporate bigwigs. JK Tyre Head of Training Ajoy Shah was also present at the event. On the first day of the rally run on March 24, the competitors started from City Centre and sped down a highway before


MOTORSpORTS

entering a dirt track that took them past a tea garden and then on to a river bed. This river bed took a toll on the vehicles with six of them requiring assistance from the recovery team. The veteran team of Jogendra Jaiswal (the runners-up of Himalayan Drive 7) and Suvrajit Dutta had to retire from the first leg due to a clogged gearbox on this river bed.

Once successfully past the river bed, the competitors drove through more dirt sections and challenging terrains to reach Gajoldoba where the first part of leg 1 culminated at a resort called Bhorer

Alo. The night section of the leg 1 started around 7 PM and the competitors then drove through a long river embankment to reach Malbazar and Chalsa before going into village roads to arrive at Murti where the day’s run culminated. At the end of day 1, the team of Sk. Aniruddha and Raj Kumar Mundra were leading, closely followed by last year’s champions Sk. Ajgar Ali and Md. Musthafa. The second leg (March 25) was equally challenging. After being flagged off from Murti, the competitors – including the duo of Jaiswal and Dutta who got their


MOTORSpORTS

vehicle back in action – drove down to Jaldhaka river bed. The river bed presented a tricky loop which had even the most experienced rallyists in a fix. Many competitors, including some top league ones, were seen making mistakes, thereby picking up penalty points. A few vehicles also required help from the recovery team. Once out of the river bed, the competitors drove through verdant forests and picturesque hamlets nestled in the Himalayan foothills. The second day’s run also took them through many popular

tourist spots like Lataguri, Damdim, Gorubathan and Chalsa, as well as several tea gardens en route to Murti where the leg culminated. The day’s only casualty was, once again, the team of Jaiswal & Dutta who were forced to retire for the second consecutive day, this time due to fuel line failure.

The final leg of the rally on Saturday (March 26) saw the competitors being flagged off from Murti in the morning to drive through the dense forests of Gorumara and Chapramari before entering the narrow roads through Matelli


Tea Estate and driving past scenic spots like Samsing and Gorubathan.

During this leg, the competitors crossed the 81-year-old Coronation Bridge over the Teesta to start climbing the Himalayan mountains through narrow and winding roads with hairpin bends. They drove past Mungpoo, Jorebunglow and Ghoom to ultimately reach Darjeeling in the evening. The team of Jaiswal & Dutta deserves a special mention, who despite of two consecutive retirements showcased great sportsmanship to turn up at the starting line of leg 3 and successfully finished the final leg of the rally.

The prize distribution ceremony was held at

Bhanu Bhavan in Darjeeling on

March 27. An array of dignitaries including the

General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Sukhna-headquartered 33 Corps, Lieutenant General Tarun Kumar Aich and his wife Saswati Aich, 123 Mountain Brigade Commander Vikas Batra and his wife Pallavi Batra, former Darjeeling MLA Amar Singh Rai and Darjeeling Municipality Chairman Ritesh Portel gave away the coveted trophies to the winners.

MOTORSpORTS


Photographs by Ranadip Mandal and

Sandy Acharya

KOLKATA CANVAS


WHEELSPHOTOGRAPHYCONTEST

After the long run Photography by rajat ghoshPosition 10thYear 2021-22

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team Wheels


A Drive to Daringbadi

‘The Kashmir of odisha’

The drive tour to Daringbadi – the ‘Kashmir of Odisha’ was earlier planned to be held during the Republic Day vacation, but Omicron had played havoc derailing our plan during that time. Since then, getting the plan together to execute a 1500+ km drive tour was a real challenge. But Team WHEELS was up to the task. Team WHEELS was happy to have a partner in ShiftUp – our Title Sponsor, who provided us with the mechanic, driver-in-help and professional car wash on the go.

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This being a very long drive, needed a detailed briefing which would have eaten into the start time on the day of the drive. Thus, a separate dedicated participant’s briefing session was organised two days prior the drive, in association with The Circle Club, Chinar Park.

On Saturday, March 12, the day of the drive, the convoy started at sharp

7.30 AM and reached the outskirts of the city in 15 minutes. However, Santragachi traffic held the convoy back by quite some time. Still, the convoy managed excellent time to reach the breakfast point 135 kms away by 10 AM. A quick breakfast followed and soon everyone was on the road again to take a 140 km highway stretch down in two hours to

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break for lunch. An hour’s break at lunch was enough for everyone. The rest 172 kms to The Presidency Hotel in Bhubaneswar was done by 7 PM, exactly as per time. The innumerable diversions on the Mumbai Highway (NH 16) slowed the convoy

down, otherwise this route would have taken lesser

time.

The Presidency Hotel in Bhubaneswar was quite contrary to what it seemed from

discussions with them earlier. They were less


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than hospitable, with small rooms, dysfunctional air conditioners and almost denying us a place a private space for the evening fellowship. Overall, the experience was unpleasant and didn't turn out to be a good value proposition.

The next morning, the convoy began its journey towards Daringbadi from Bhubaneswar around 9 AM. It was to be a six hours

drive, with more than half of it through the winding Eastern Ghats. As the 12 cars in the convoy spiralled through the Eastern Ghats, it was a sight to behold. Additionally, it was thrilling for those participants who were driving on hilly


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terrain for the first time. Such was the excitement amongst them that even after a late lunch, everyone was up for a short drive to the Nature Park and the Emu Park nearby. The evening, with its chill, was raised to immense musical heights by the participants.

The resonance of immortal songs with the romanticism of the resort surrounded by the hills justified the analogy of the place to Kashmir.

The first morning at Daringbadi was as beautiful as the night before and


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everyone was ready to explore the surrounding places. The pre-lunch was dedicated to the Mandasuru Nature Camp and a nearby hidden waterfall. The view of the gorge from the Nature Camp watch tower was mind blowing. Though the waterfall was literally hidden, but still

many participants trekked to the spot to experience it. The route from Daringbadi to Mandasuru was enchanting. Cutting through the hills on both sides, the road, devoid of any cellular network had a celestial charm of its own. The evening route was on the other side of Daringbadi towards Medubanda Waterfalls. This



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waterfall turned out to be a real beauty and watching the sunset from the valley view point was icing on the cake. The cherry topping was again the musical evening, which was graced by a local dance-drama troupe, who gave us a real taste of the local music.

Both these evenings turned out to be busy for the ShiftUp team, as they put in a lot hard work to deep clean the cars

of several participants. Having traversed a distance of 700 kms, the cars had gathered dust and dirt, but kudos to the ShiftUp team for executing a neat job in cleaning the cars.

The return was through the same route from Daringbadi to Bhubaneswar and our stay was booked in the same hotel. However, this time the lunch was organised en-route so that drive could

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be a more comfortable one. Also, this time, the drive gave the participants an opportunity to individually explore the Lingaraj and the ISCON temples at Bhubaneswar.

While returning from Bhubaneswar to Kolkata, Santragachi again played spoilt sport, delaying everyone by an hour right outside the fringes of the city. Thus, the 1500+ kms drive with a convoy of 12 cars and over 40 participants came to a lovely finish, getting everyone supercharged for the Holi weekend ahead!


WHEELERS FORUM

Announcement

Venue: TBA For Wheelers

Wheelers Meet

23-24 April 2022

(Sat - Sun)Destination: Falta

For Wheelers and Guests

Drive Tour

Venue: TBA For Wheelers

Wheel Drill

19May 2022

(Thursday)

19June 2022(Sunday)

KOLKATA ON WHEELS | January 2022 96 96

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