overdrive nov 2009

www.overdrive.in | November 2009 | rs 100

Urge to splurgeWords Shubhabrata Marmar Photography Gaurav S Thombre

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class brushes bonnets with the BMW 5 Series and the new Audi A6

It was an average day. We were, as usual, located at our favourite petrol pump on the Mumbai-Pune expressway,

the one we use as base to conduct our highway economy runs. We were, as usual, taking a break, bench racing on the grassy verge on the approach road, sipping cof-fee and discussing how exciting it is to drive at a steady 80kmph in all manner of cars on this busy road. In those fifteen minutes that Saturday morning, I counted 16 BMW cars of various sizes (includ-ing three 7 Series’), five Audis and seven Mercedes-Benzes. Wow. We’re spending money, eh?

Too much has been written about and blamed on the reces-sion, so I’m not going to go there. Fact is premium car sales in India, one way of another, are about as buoyant as a rubbery duck full of helium, and that’s a trend that I don’t see waning any time soon. Fortunes in the segment may vary, but the overall sales shoot upwards like a Saturn V. And why not? I think you - the lucky ones spending the dosh - deserve, er, the fruits of your labour.

Without belabouring the point any further, let me get to it. The point, that is. Leave the E-Class

out for a moment, and you have a bunch of old cars in the segment. The BMW 5 Series in its current guise is the oldest design of the three and is due for a full model change next year. Big changes are expected as Bangle’s flame sur-facing is replaced by Adrian Van Hooydonk layered surfacing. The A6 did receive an update last year - billed as the 2009 model - and it brought LEDs to the car at either end, but little else. Again, the A6 is also due for a full model change, either next year or at the very lat-est in 2011. As you read in the last issue, W212-series is the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class. And after bowing in and wowing the crowds at Geneva, the square head lamp-ed, edgy-wedgy new Mercedes is now here.

And the big story is not just which is the best car here. There’s a bigger picture. You see, Mercedes-Benz has been here for, like, ever. BMW is comparatively an upstart. But, they intended to, and have, dislodged Mercedes from the top of the premium game in India. Mercedes has enjoyed the image of established, old-school luxury. The owners are expected to be well-off, older, more well entrenched in the moneyed circles as it were.

Comparo Audi A6 3.0 TFSI vs BMW 530i vs Mercedes-Benz E 350

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If it costs nearly a crore of rupees, does it really matter if the car you drive is pow-ered by a petrol or diesel

engine? The common perception is that someone who can afford that kind of money for a set of wheels to get between point A and B, really couldn’t care less. But the reality is different which is why every luxury car manufacturer sells far more diesels than petrols and that’s why, as soon as they could get their hands on right hand drive variants, BMW have launched the 7 series with a diesel engine. The car gets the same acclaimed die-sel from the 530d and, if that’s anything to go by, BMW have yet another winner on their hands.

STYLE & DESIGN Expect nothing new or differ-ent from the petrol sibling since the cars are spec-ed identically. Which means you get the same understated and subtly elegant styling with charecteristic BMW cues like the corona-ring head-lamps topped by eyebrows and

uniquely detailed tailamps. The L in the badge denotes ‘long wheel-base’ and accordingly this frees up enormous room inside the cabin, ample enough to fit in seven-foot occupants in all the seats, together. The seats are also pretty comfortable both front and rear and the controls to adjust the seats are much better that in the older car. However the driver’s seat is no longer the focus area, unlike in the last generation 7 Series. The dash-board adopts a more minimalistic layout with the less frequently used controls hidden away in the iDrive. This however is second generation iDrive that is far, far easier and intutive to use. There is also a controller at the rear and passengers get their own screens with separate controls. Our test car also came with night vision that projects an infrared image on the central screen allow-ing you to spot obstacles before the headlamps pick it up. It also has heads-up display that project a digital speed readout in the driv-ers line of sight.

ENGINE &TRANSMISSION Some of the best engines in the world are BMW’s straight six mills, in both petrol and diesel form. And the engine that the 730LD is endowed with is nothing short of scintillating. That’s because this engine, the N57D30, is the suc-cessor to the massively impressive M57 family of diesel engines. The M57 was the International Engine of the Year in the 2.5- to 3.0-litre category from 1999 to 2002. Then its downgraded version won the same category in 2005 and 2006. With such impressive DNA, the latest N57D30 power-ing the 730D is a progressive step. That’s because its core ability is to maximise efficiency without compromising performance.

The N57D30 is a 3.0-litre, straight six diesel engine, employ-ing third generation common-rail injection technology and a single variable geometry turbocharger. To me this car feels a bit lethargic initially. The lag is relative though, since the 2993cc engine wakes

up quickly enough to discharge 245PS and 350NM of poke in a jiffy. Compared to its predeces-sor, there’s a marginal power and torque increment, that’s enough to give this engine a substantial per-formance boost.

What else makes this engine a worthy heir to the M57? Firstly, at just 185kg, it is 5kg lighter than the M57, thanks to both the crankcase and the cylinder head being made of ultra strong aluminium alloy. Secondly, the third gen common-rail direct injection system employ Siemens piezo injectors that oper-ate at a peak pressure of 1800 bar. Thirdly, this engine’s efficiency is assisted by the use of innovative ceramic glow plugs. The injec-tors are positioned in the centre of the combustion chambers and the valves in vertical arrangement ensure a smooth and consistent combustion process, thus reduc-ing raw emissions. A diesel partic-ulate filter and oxidation catalyst further reduce greenhouse pollut-ants while the aluminium cylinder head optimises engine acoustics.

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Test BMW 730LD

Cruise missileWords Bertrand D’souza Photography Gaurav S Thombre

The BMW 730LD is a monstrous super-luxuryexecutive saloon with a heart of gold

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FOR A cARThAT wEIGhS

NEARLY 1.8 TONNES, ThE 730LD IS AN

AERODYNAMIc MARvEL

Perfect timingWords R Sukumar / Mint

Talking to Ford CEO Alan Mulally at the Figo launch in India

R SukumaR Why launch now?alan mulally I think this is the perfect time because when we look at the markets that are going forward. About 60 per cent of the vehicles will be of a smaller size - this is a very important market in India and around the world.

RS When you look at Ford’s history in India, close to 15 years, are you happy with what the company has achieved? am Well, I think the fact that we have established ourselves 15 years ago in India was a very important first step. I think we have devel-oped a very good foundation in India. We have tremendous engi-neering and manufacturing capa-bility and India is a key element of our global fortunes. We could have gone a bit faster but clearly Ford’s new strategic action is to empha-sise smaller vehicles that people want around the world.

RS You look at all the products Ford has launched in India over the years and many of them have been small but very significant successes. The Ikon when it was launched gave Ford a very sporty image. It was the same with the Endeavour but some-how Ford does not manage to create a blockbuster product in India. am Well, I think with the Figo this is a real opportunity to focus even more on the Indian market. We are doing that because we believe this is a great market. We think Ford has the right vehicles for the Indian customer, vehicles that are stylish, have a lot of capability and are great value. These cars are the best in class for quality, fuel effi-ciency and safety.

So one of the neatest things in focusing on Ford and investing in other brands is that we did it before the slowdown. We could also go

to the capital markets and actu-ally raise money when credit was available so that we could spend on the transformation. I think we are the only company that contin-ues to invest in new products dur-ing the worst of times. We have got a chance today to launch a new car as the company starts to stabilise and come back. In the US itself we have been pretty conservative on the turnaround which is appropri-ate. Because we have been as high as 17-18 million vehicles in the United States. We assume that we will be somewhere around 10 ½ to 11 million this year, 12 ½ million in 2010 and maybe 14 ½ million in 2011. So our gradual recovery of vehicle sales with slow recov-ery in economy, I think, is pretty prudent. It’s very encouraging to see the markets in the Asia Pacific stabilising and starting to grow in some areas. As you know, it’s going to be the highest growth world-

wide. That’s why India, China and the rest of the Asia Pacific region are very important to us.

SC You have had a vantage seat to the economics crisis in the US. What’s been your single biggest learning over the last one year?am I think that just the most important thing in business is to focus on the customer and what he really wants and values. The auto-mobile industry, just like the air-plane business, is about safe and efficient transportation, and con-sumers want quality vehicles, they want fuel efficient vehicles. They want a safe vehicle, they want a neat design that makes them better drivers. As a reflection on the sales, it has great capability. They also want really great value on their purchase. So the most important thing is to be focused on the customer and what he really wants. Secondly, everybody

aligned with the company works to satisfy the customer with the very best designs. The key learn-ing is to size your production to the real demand. Don’t over pro-duce. Another important aspect is to make sure you have a good financing plan. We went out to the markets, borrowed money when we needed to. When we are paying the money back, we have gone to the equity markets and regionally raised 1.6 billion dollars. We paid 10 billion dollars of our debt last quarter. So we are creating a very strong business to be very support-ive of these great products.

SC How is Ford doing in the hybrid and electric vehicles area?am Very well.The Ford technology road map is, I think, absolutely one of the most solid. To give you a lit-tle insight on that, the most impor-tant thing we do as a foundation, is that we continuously improve the internal combustion engine whether its petrol or diesel. There are so many enabling technologies that will allow us to do just that. And even as we speak, we move more to turbo charging and direct fuel injection. Right away you can improve mileage by 20 per cent and reduce CO2 by 15 per cent. Then we move to hybrids that of course have an electric engine along with an internal combustion engine. That’s a tougher economic case because you are carrying two powertrains as you know. But can you make improvements on hybrids, especially by getting the costs down and getting the battery size reduced. Then we move to a very exciting feature, that is the electric vehicles. The key aspects are the battery technology and also infrastructure because we want to use and generate electric-ity in a clean manner.


In Conversation Alan Mulally

‘l’m a Ducati fan’Words Bertrand D’souza

In conversation with India’s youngest head of state,J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah

BertranD D’souza When did the petrol bug bite you?omar aBDullah I think ever since I can remember. I was 15 when my mom decided that I was old enough to learn how to drive. She had a Premier Padmini Fiat; that’s where I started from and I think the bug never left me.

BD That’s interesting; most mothers generally don’t like their kids to ride and drive. oa Oh no, the bike wasn’t her idea. The bike came thanks to dad. He has a bit of a bike craze and he was the one who bought me my first motorcycle which was a Hero Honda. They weren’t the coolest bikes to have, but as a youngster having a two-wheeler was a dream come true.

BD What was the first bike that you bought yourself?oa Well, actually the only bike that I bought has been a Honda dirt bike 250. My friends and I developed a little dirt track in Gurgaon and almost every weekend you would find us there, throwing these dirt bikes across the bumps.

BD What is your favourite motorcy-cle, international or in India?oa Well, I haven’t ridden very many but the one I am standing next to has to be a huge favour-ite. The Ducati. I am not a big fan of choppers and laid-back bikes where you actually sit back and have your knees up. I am much happier with sporty bikes.

BD Since you are a fan of Ducati, do you also follow motorsport? oa As much as I can.

BD MotoGP or Formula One?oa Formula One more than MotoGP

BD Who is your favourite driver in Formula One?oa None of the current crop, to be very honest. I like Schumacher but I am a huge Ayrton Senna fan.

BD Do you have a favourite road or a destination?oa I haven’t ridden unfortunately because of the whole security par-aphernalia that has to go around with me. I am hoping to ride the Manali-Leh route in the near future.

BD What are your views on the hel-met issue, since there is a legislation making them compulsory but not many states enforce this rule?oa I think it’s really something that should come from the rider. I cannot understand why a biker would want to be suicidal. You are not doing the goverment a favour by wearing a helmet. Having fallen off a bike on more than one occa-sion, I know how vital it is to wear one and the better the helmet the better it is for you. I don’t under-stand people who wear cricket helmets just to get past the rules of wearing a helmet, which will do nothing for them. God for-bid if they fly off the bike. But if

they wear a helmet to do the gov-ernment a favour, they are doing themselves and their families a favour. Helmets save lives, it’s as simple as that.

BD Why does the enthusiastic per-sonal side of politicians not come up for the masses to see? oa I think sometimes people feel that these sort of interests are at the cost of your work and con-vey a sort of non-serious persona, which I think is unfair because if I take ten minutes out to ride a bike on the banks of the Dal Lake and back, I don’t think I am causing any harm to anybody. Nor is it at the cost of my job. If anything, I come back with a clearer head and a bet-ter idea of what I want to do. But the perception is that if you are a biker or if you do things like these, then you are not serious. Also the typical image you have about poli-ticians is somebody who is a little older than me. Somehow bikes and that age group hasn’t quite gelled as yet at least in this country.

BD Do you get a chance to ride often?oa These days not as often as I would like. I used to be able to do

it very quietly but now I don’t think that’s going to be possible.

BD What do you think will take us to the level of other developed nations? Is it better infrastructure, tighter licensing norms or regulations on automobiles?oa Absolutely all of the above. We need to regulate the licens-ing norms. It is very easy to get a license India. Besides it is more of a rule than an exception in India to come on the wrong side of the dual carriageway, which does not hap-pen in the developed countries. There needs to be equal effort from the government as well as the citizens.

BD What should be done so that international motorcycle compa-nies bring more bikes to India?oa Oh, I think it is happening. Sure, the duties are prohibitive but I think over time they will come down. When my dad was getting a bike for me, you had the Hero Honda, the Yamaha RX 100 and the Suzuki. Before that you had the Rajdoot Yamaha RD350 which unfortunately never did take off. Today you have a really good choice of machines. I think gradu-ally the market will grow and you will have the 500s and 750s and even bigger ones as well.

BD What is the next bike are you looking to add to your collection?oa None for the time being any-way since it’s difficult to actually ride with all the restrictions.

BD Are you a two-stroke or four-stroke lover? oa Four-stroke. Both my bikes and even the dirt bike are four-stroke. I am more comfortable handling them than the two-strokes.


In Conversation Omar Abdullah


Tork of the townThe TORK is an electric bike that began as a college project and wound up on the Isle of Man podium

Words Vijayendra Vikram Photography Gaurav S Thombre

Ride Tork TTXGP bike


Let’s face it - speed has a monstrous appe-tite. And to satiate it, we have blown most

of our fuel reserves. What fol-lows this argument is a series of serious questions. Hybrids? Even they consume fuel and eventually hybrid Lamborghinis, Porsches and Ferraris will drink up the rest of the remaining fossil reserves as well. Where do we go from there? In the quest for this answer, men (and women) in white lab coats as well as greased overalls have been scratching their heads all over the world. Electrics seem to be the light at the end of the tunnel and we saw the Tesla that assures that we won’t need liquefied dinosaurs to keep up the speed. But what happens to us bikers?

No electric two-wheeler I have ridden though has been able to deliver anything resembling a thrill. Being glacial and impracti-cal, the electrics I have used are painful to ride every day. Looking beyond their meagre energy con-sumption, what I see mostly is their inability to go long distances and to reach speeds of over 30kmph. Consequently they have no abil-ity to overtake even average speed traffic. The battery packs that e-scooters employ take up storage space too. All this was before I heard about the TTX-GP, a racing event for electric bikes at the Isle of Man. It was heartening to real-ise that I was not the only one who believed that electric bikes could be racy and do almost everything conventional ones can. However,

I was completely ignorant of the Indian team running its bike in the time trial race at Man. Well, Team Tork India not only participated, but even claimed a historic place in the results.

The TORK is an in-house developed electric bike that won India its first ever podium finish at the legendary Isle of Man a few months ago.

TorK on The paperProject TORK started when col-lege mates Kapil Shelke, Ketan Mhasawade and Krunal Nanavati decided to make an electric bike that was exciting but cleaner and greener to run than conventional bikes. This eventually became their project at the DY Patil Engineering College, Pune. Come their final year, the bike was up and running. They heard about the TTX-GP and decided to give it a go under the name of Team Tork India.

The TORK bike adheres to a sim-ple concept. It utilises an electric motor that powers the rear wheel using a chain drive as in a conven-tional bike. The motor is obviously battery-powered. The configura-tion had to be magnified hugely to achieve the kind of performance they had in mind. The use of a 16kw motor and 24 stacks of batteries to power it, was the creative solution. However, the race bike had gotten way too expensive to remain within college project parameters.

Now that the heart of the proj-ect, the motor was installed, a body was needed. The trellis frame chassis was finalised after assess-

ing various configurations given the simplicity and ease of fabrica-tion. Bajaj Pulsar front forks and a Honda Unicorn monoshock were employed in the making of the sus-pension. To ensure an eye-catching look, Honda CBR600RR inspired race fairing and tail unit were con-jured up. A faux fuel tank ensured that the bike mirrored a conven-tional look.

The powerful motor remained the core and thorny issue in the bike’s development. The battery packs sourced from China too hiked up the cost and the budget to an astronomical Rs 12 lakh. However, Agni Motors sponsored the cost of the motor to ensure that the project did not get bogged down. Tweaks were administered until the last minute but the bike was ready well in time for the scru-tiny. In addition to the regular run-ning gear, the bike needed to have emergency stop switches at front and back, and a charge meter to monitor battery and hazard stick-ers where there were live connec-tions on the bike. With battery packs to last the 60km long Isle of Man circuit on a single charge, the bike eventually weighed 180kg, far more than what was desired in a would be race bike.

TorK aT The Isle of man Team Tork India got hold of Brit racer John Crellin to pilot the bike on its first ever outing on the track. The bike fared quite well, finish-ing third in the open class category at an average speed of 60.475mph (96kmph). More than the victory,

Is this a track-spec CBR600RR? No, it’s India’s first electric race bike

Emercency stop button regulatory

Controller functions like an ECUTeam Tork India

with their winning creation

Small is coolWords Aaron Cardozo

Ford renews its assault on India with its first small car, the Figo, set for launch in March 2010


Preview Ford Figo


Ford’s new Figo is the American car maker’s foray into the highly competitive but lucra-

tive small car market in India, which accounts for nearly 70 per cent of new car sales. It is a com-pletely new supermini designed and engineered specifically for the Indian market by Ford Australia’s engineering and design team, led by Scott Strong. Ford Australia is a leading Ford design and engi-neering centre for the Asia-Pacific and Africa regions and was also responsible for the creation of the Ford Ikon on the old Fiesta plat-form. The car is based on Ford’s Global-B platform (think previous generation European Fiesta) and shares the same 2486mm wheel-base with the Indian Fiesta.

The name for Ford’s latest small car is colloquial Italian for ‘cool’, which is also meant to underline the fact that the car aims to be strong on the design front since Italy is best known for design and fashion. The Figo is the first Indian Ford to be part of Fords ‘One Vision’, ‘One Team’ and ‘One World’ project - an initiative to make every Ford look, feel and drive the same all over the world.

So how does the design of the Figo fit into this formula for suc-cess? Lets talk a little about Fords Kinetic Design philosophy. In the mid 2000’s Ford decided to create a new dynamic design language for their entire range of vehicles pri-marily focusing on the European market. Martin Smith, Ford of Europe’s executive design director felt that Europeans wanted dyna-mism, emotion and refinement reflected in their vehicles. “They like very expressive design and a vehicle that looks like it’s moving when it’s standing still,” said Smith. “‘Kinetic expresses e ve r y t h i ng we want to talk about through design - energy, movement, the notion of visual movement while the vehicle is standing still,” he said, cit-

ing the Iosis and SAV concepts as strong examples.

These concepts previewed the design of the Mondeo, Kuga, C-Max and the new Fiesta - all very good looking cars that retain many of the strong design cues from their conceptual counter-parts. The ‘face’ of each of these concepts has strong character while the rest of the car has so many cool design elements in com-mon with the other concepts that Ford’s new design language was an instant hit.

So what happened with the Figo? Why does it look like the pre-vious generation European Fiesta with a nose job? First impressions of the Figo are of being a love-child of the ‘new’ Ikon and the Fusion. The car looks like it has the Ikon’s face and the sides and rear of the Fusion, albeit on a smaller scale. Ford says the design language con-veys a dynamic spirit of energy in motion. Seriously? Why is it that in India we get older, tired looking designs while more exciting and modern Fords like the Mondeo, Focus and new Fiesta always seem out of reach?

The overall form and stance of the Figo is solid and mildly sporty and its compact dimensions and the short overhangs aided by the positioning of the wheels at the corners help convey a sense of agility. There are many familiar Kinetic Design elements in the Figo although most of them are quite subtle. Take for instance the face of the car, which is dominated by the bold trapezoidal lower grille, which is now a key part of the Ford brand identity. The overall shape and arrangement of the lights, grille and trapezoidal air intake is signature Ford and can be seen

in the Focus, Fiesta and Mondeo as well but lacks the dyna-mism and aggres-siveness exuded by these elements in those cars.

The large side DLO (Day Light Opening) graphic shape is another key

The name figo for ford’s small car is colloquial iTalian for ‘cool’

Man-sizeWords Vijayendra Vikram Photography Gaurav S Thombre

The Tata Indigo gets elaborate upgrade and Manza tag


Test Tata Indigo Manza

Indians have crazy habits. We save money for our dream car, for years in some cases, and then keep the envelope

sealed awaiting the auspicious moment. Diwali, the festival of lights, is when vehicle manufac-turers have much cause to rejoice since this is the auspicious time when those envelopes are opened; when vehicle sales soar to all-time highs, year after year. It’s when car dealers lay out the red car-pet in the form of lucrative dis-counts and deals - and gold coins or scratchy scratch cards. And the game goes on.

The festive season is also an auspicious time for new car launches - not only are the Gods in a happy frame of mind but invariably there are enough buy-ers with stuffed envelopes. A great time then for Tata Motors to debut the first variant on the new Indica Vista platform - the Indigo Manza.

The Indigo, based on the Indica, has always been an afford-able option for the masses; a big car at a wallet-friendly price. Sticking on a boot on to the old Indica hatchback was a master-stroke - it spawned the Indigo and the Indigo Marina estate. It also sired the long-wheelbase Indigo XL and later to take advantage of sub-four-metre excise breaks the Indigo CS, the cheapest three-box in the world. Long story short, the old Indica platform got a proper workout and this new Vista plat-form will be expected to carry on in the same vein. But it will also be expected to consign the pre-vious generations bugbears to the dustbin - chiefly poor qual-ity, lax fit and finish and unsatis-factory NVH. After all, unlike the old Indigo that didn’t have much competition, today the entry level sedan market is crammed with genuinely good cars all sporting very attractive price tags.

The Indigo Manza thus has a job on its hands, to eat into the market that’s currently being hogged by the Swift Dzire and to a lesser extent by the Fiesta, Logan and Linea.

DeSIGn

The Manza’s contemporary styl-ing is what first caught my eye. Unlike the previous Indigo that looks like a boot-ed Indica, the new car is a more authentic sedan with the boot well integrated into the design - after all a sedan body style (and estate) would have been part of the design brief from day one itself.

The Indica Vista nose has been retained but it gets more grown up visual elements. The head-lamps get new optics and multiple elements which look classy while the grille gets liberal splashings of chrome. Together with the front bumper that is bigger with a more pronounced chin it gives the nose an air of sophistication; come to think of it the nose better suits the lines of a sedan than a hatch.

The wheelbase has been increased by 50mm over the Vista and the additional length adds to the visual appeal as do the chrome inserts on the rubbing strips and door handles. Fifteen-inch tyres, standard across all variants, fill the wheel arches adequately so the car doesn’t look under-tyred.

The line of the rear door does give the game away - that this car is based on a hatch - but the over-all boot integration is well thought out. From the rear the boot does look a bit bulbous and fat and the slim taillamps do nothing to alleviate the visual bulk but this is a design that will grow on you quite quickly.

The slim tail lamps serve another purpose; it results in a wide boot aperture and the low loading lip ensure ease of loading and unloading. The 460-litre boot has a nice rectangular shape and the engineers demonstrated its practicality by stuffing in five big bags in there.

Build quality is a significant improvement over the Vista’s with visibly neater and uniform shut lines, especially around the bon-net. The paint finish is flawless. Overall, Tata has ensured that the Manza exudes a decidedly upmar-ket look and feel.

Road Test no. 826OD rating

Price Rs 6.75 lakh

ex-showroom New Delhi

+ Styling is sophisticated

+ Interior space

+ Great value-for-money

- Ride over small undulations

- NVH levels

- Lacks outright performance


Frankfurt Motor Show

Low carbon was the key issue at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show. This biennial event

lacked some of the big players (Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi are notable absentees) but is still the world’s biggest car show, occu-pying all 11 halls of the Frankfurt Messe showground.

The emphasis on low and zero emissions models was hardly sur-prising given the environmental agenda that covers most of Europe and the EU law requiring car man-ufacturers to achieve lower lev-els of carbon dioxide from 2012. Intriguing though were the vari-ety of solutions – there were pure electric cars on most manufac-

turers’ stands but clearly some car makers are more convinced than others.

The champion of the plug-ins is Renault which presented four EVs, two of which are based on pro-duction models – the new Fluence sedan and the Kangoo van – and will be available in early 2011 and two are prototypes of purpose-built electric cars for launch in the following year.

BMW had the astonishing looking Vision Efficient Dynamics while Mercedes-Benz brought its first ever production fuel-cell vehi-cle, the B-class F-cell, to Frankfurt with promises to start building it in limited numbers within weeks. Also unveiled was the S500 Plug-

in Hybrid which can run for 30km on electric power alone and has an official fuel consumption figure of 31.25kmpl.

Audi, celebrating its centenary, pulled off one of the few surprises of the show with the e-tron, a kind of electric R8 which is slated for showrooms once the concept hits targets on range, performance and durability. And parent company Volkswagen had the fourth varia-tion of the up! platform, now with an electric powertrain.

Volkswagen, the largest European car company, had looked as if it was running behind in this race to go electric and this EV isn’t slated for production before 2013. CEO Martin Winterkorn forecasts

only 1.5% EVs by 2020. But then on the first preview day of the show Volkswagen trumped eve-ryone with the L1 concept prov-ing there’s still life left in the internal combustion engine. VW claims is the world’s most fuel-efficient car with a consumption of 72.46kmpl and will serve as a test bed for future light-weight, low consumption and low emis-sion technologies.

Finally there was something to cheer for the Indian auto industry. Reva chose to unveil two new cars at Frankfurt – the NXG and NXR – both of which are slated for launch later this year and will ensure Reva figures prominently in the world’s plans to go electric.

Words Sirish Chandran & Ray Hutton

In light of the recent economic crisis the mood at the largest and most important motor show of the year was not electric, but going by what manufacturers had on their stands at Frankfurt, we all may be driving electric or hybrid cars in the not-so-distant future!

ElEctric!


Says Peter Schwarzenbauer Audi’s board member for Marketing and Sales “With the e-tron it was impor-tant to us to show that we have a different interpretation of what could be the future elec-tric car. You see so many small cars running around now with an ‘e’ label on it; I mean if you walk around the show you would think that you could all drive electric tomorrow which will not happen. We thought that the right approach would be for us to make it a top-down introduction. On top of it we wanted to make it a very sporty interpretation because we think that a consumer does not want to have an electric car that is boring. We don’t believe that this is a technol-ogy which will be implemented very quickly on a broad basis. Research of independent insti-tutes agree that it will take till 2030 for 50 per cent electric cars on the road. “This is a serious project , you can order this car by 2012 so we are working on this seri-ously. When we started with the e-ron several years ago, it was not about ‘let’s take out the engine and put a battery pack in’. We basically re-thought the whole concept of the car from the point of view of what will be the best thing if you only have electric cars. All the com-ponents are developed to be most be the most efficient elec-tric car without thinking about the combustion engine.”

“This is a seri-ous project”

E-tronWho says electric cars have to be boring city runabouts? Not Audi, making their debut in the electric car sphere

with the R8 supercar-based e-tron, and confirming Audi’s intention to introduce an electric powertrain from the top of its range down-wards. Styled distinctly similarly to the R8 the e-tron is based on the same aluminium spaceframe structure and has the same track widths but is slightly shorter thanks to the smaller electric powertrain.

Power comes from a 53kWh lithium ion battery pack which sends power to all four wheels via four independent electric motors (each making 80PS of power and 1125Nm) making this a true quattro four-wheel-drive supercar. Together it gives the car 317PS of power and an incredible 4500Nm of torque (ten times that of the V8-engined R8!) good enough for a 0-100kmph time of 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 200kmph.

Audie-tronAudi’s shocks with its first ever electric car - and it’s a sports car!

Audi


Crown jewelsWords Vijayendra Vikram Photography Gaurav S Thombre

The fuel injected Karizma ZMR encounters up close the Pulsar 220 and Yamaha R15


Comparo Pulsar 220 vs Karizma ZMR vs YZF-R15

It’s been only two months since we hit the highway with India’s fastest and most expensive bikes to settle the

question of which is the ultimate touring bike in the country. The latest bike then was the Pulsar 220 DTSi whose claim to fame was its ‘fastest Indian’ tagline. On the highway the Pulsar 220 held its own very well, fending off competition from the Hero Honda Karizma to earn the crown in that comparo. But now the Karizma is back, and with a vengeance. The ZMR has been given fresh new styling, upgraded equipment and while the 220 returns to carbura-tion, the ZMR takes a leap forward with fuel injection. This is the long awaited Karizma upgrade that was due a few years back, but as they say, better late than never.

To find out if it now has the goods to cut it in this company, we went back to the roads we hit last month and brought along our favourite bikes for company – the Pulsar 220 and the Yamaha R15.

HH Karizma zmrThe Karizma ZMR is a poser’s delight, a visual treat. It wouldn’t look out of place alongside the Ninja 250. As I mentioned in the ini-tial riding impression last month, the front fairing takes inspiration from a whole load of bikes, from the Suzuki GSX-R, Hayabusa and the Honda Fireblade. The good thing is that instead of turning the Karizma’s half fairing into a full one (what many customisers were doing in any case), Hero Honda has gone the whole nine yards to give the ZMR a fresh new face. The



Ride Kawasaki Ninja 250R

Fighting fi tWords Shubhabrata MarmarPhotography Gaurav S Thombre

Bajaj has stirred up the Indian biking arena by launching the Kawasaki Ninja 250R

Until this green arrow landed a few days ago, if the most expensive motorcycle in India,

the R15, wasn’t good enough for you, your next upgrade was going to cost at least a full 1000 per cent more. It is a ridiculously large gap, of course, and I am happy to report that the gap is being plugged. Too optimistic for you? Okay, now the gaping hole is smaller. Bajaj, hav-ing made us wait the customary two years, has finally launched the Kawasaki Ninja 250R in India, pegged at Rs 2.69 lakh ex-showroom.

The Ninja 250R is Kawasaki’s largest selling motorcycle and it sets the stage for, among many other things, for Kawasaki’s other

big bikes to filter into India in time. The 250R began life as the GPz250 in the ’80s and has con-tinued more or less unchanged - mechanically, design-wise and popularity-wise - until two years ago, when Kawasaki turned out a hugely improved new Ninja 250R. Not only the was the new bike fully updated, it also cured the previ-ous bike of a styling package that looked decidedly old. In came a ZX-6R/10R inspired set of lines, scaled down appropriately that has given Kawasaki’s smallest Ninja great street presence. Just to give you a context of why the Ninja is so important for Kawasaki and why it has remained so popu-lar, consider the European license regs. In Europe, you get a begin-


Political mobility Words Kartik BajoriaIllustrations Sagar Arankalle, Gauree Panicker

OVERDRIVE undertakes an imaginary exercise to allot Indian politicos the cars that suit them best

The Indian automotive landscape has changed dramatically in the past few decades. In this short span of time, the country has gone from lit-

erally two choices in the Ambassador and Fiat; to now being treated to a bevy of options, from the world’s choicest car-makers.

What’s interesting is that even the country’s government machinery has been profoundly affected by this new era of vehicular trans-formation. The days of the politician’s humble white Amby seem numbered. Even the police force and the larger bureaucratic organisation seem to be steadily moving to newer, more modern alternatives like the Honda City and the Tata Indigo!

At government meetings, at the Parliament, the Accord, Camry and the even more unat-tainable and luxurious Mercedes and BMW cars have become common place. So even as prime minister Manmohan Singh cruises

along in the protective cocoon of his specially appointed BMW, we can’t help wonder about how politically correct or not is it for Indian government servants having access to CEO level luxury.

At one end of the spectrum is Mamata Di, proud in her egalitarian Maruti 800, and at the other, there are the sons of our politicians ‘beating the retreat’ in their S Classes and more! Amidst all of this, we give you, OvErDrIvE’s free-wheeling list of ‘which politician - what car’, of the best vehicular fit, matching person-ality and image of the country’s ‘it’ politicos.

MANMOHAN SINGHP r i m e m i n i s t e r Manmohan Singh is the genteel, quiet, unassuming econo-

120 NOveMber 2009 www.OVERDRIVE.in

Feature Cars for politicos

mist who was thrust into active politics quite by accident. Owing to his squeaky clean image, forward thinking, and restrained character, he has risen to the political pinnacle. Credited largely with the birth of globalisation in India – thanks to which we now see the slew of inter-national cars that we do, Singh represents the rarest blend of modernism and idealism. Soft spoken but resolute, admired but reticent, shy yet firm, he is a modernist with a soul. Given all these qualities, there can hardly be a better fit for Singh than Toyota’s green car, the Prius. Harnessing modern technology and being pol-lution-free, the Prius is as avant garde as it is socially conscious. After all, the Indian prime minister ought to be politically correct.

PrAFUL PATeLIn stark contrast is aviation minister Praful Patel who is in the business of jetting around. And he takes it very seriously. Outspoken, media

savvy, suave and business oriented, Patel runs a tight ship, or at least tries to. One hardly ever catches him in an unsettled frame of mind, be it during an airlines strike or when the national carrier is in financial doldrums. The minister always offers a cool, calm, composed and well informed explanation, usually supported by realistic solutions. Young (relatively), smart, well turned out and unapologetic, Patel is one of the striking faces of the modern Indian neta.

To keep up with all the globe-trot-ting and to restructure the Indian

skies for the next millennium,

www.OVERDRIVE.in NOveMber 2009 121

New bloom Words Ray Hutton

Hail the Evora, the firstcompletely new Lotus in 13 years

Lotus has a chequered history – quite apart from its seven Formula 1 World Championships.

The road car and engineering busi-nesses have gone through periodic crises and since Colin Chapman, the founder and inspiration of Lotus, died in 1982, the company has had three different owners: General Motors, Romano Artioli’s Bugatti, and Proton of Malaysia.

Lotus seems to have settled down under Proton thanks in no small part to Mike Kimberley, Lotus CEO from 1983 to 1991 who

returned to the company in 2006 and established a five-year plan to secure its future. Kimberley’s retired with health problems in July this year but only after he had brought the new Evora to the market.

The Evora is the first com-pletely new Lotus in 13 years yet it was developed in just 27 months. In recent times Lotus has sur-vived – and thrived – by producing multiple variants of the Elise, the lightweight back-to-basics open two-seater that was born in the Bugatti era. Apart from numer-

ous special edition Elises and the Exige and Europa coupes, the Opel Speedster and the electric Tesla Roadster are derived from the same platform.

There had been a plan to extend the range with ‘MSC’ (Mid-engined Supercar), a V8 successor to the old Lotus Esprit that would compete in same price class as the Porsche 911 and Audi R8. Kimberley reck-oned that Lotus was missing a trick by favouring MSC ahead of a less expensive 2+2 model which would be an attainable step up for Elise enthusiasts. MSC was postponed

and Project Eagle put in its place. Because other companies had

title to the name, Eagle became Evora: the only current mid-engined production car with occa-sional rear seats. The Elise requires its owner to make compromises in comfort and practicality for a driving experience like race car. The Evora had to retain Lotus’ renowned performance and han-dling qualities while providing the refinement and ease of use of an everyday car. And have a UK price below £50,000 (Rs 37 lakh).

The Evora achieves its objec-

Drive Lotus Evora


tives. It is, quite simply, a delight to drive. It is adequately fast: 0-100kmph in 5 seconds and 260kmph maximum speed. It cor-ners impeccably and rides over bumps with a suppleness that is typical Lotus: sports cars don’t have to have joltingly hard suspen-sion. Part of the secret is a mastery of spring and damper settings but Lotus engineers say that the major contributor is the stiffness of the car’s aluminium chassis.

Elise owners will tell you that their car fits like a glove, makes you feel part of a machine that

responds directly and accurately to driver inputs. The Evora is equally rewarding but its talent is accom-panied by the refinement of a lux-ury grand tourer. Whereas in the Elise one is always aware of road noise, of stones rattling against the aluminium floor and body panels creaking against the chas-sis, the Evora is quiet and rattle-free. Again, chassis stiffness is the key – the Evora is three times stiffer overall than the Elise.

Being a coupe helps the struc-tural integrity. The Evora is a clev-erly packaged. At 4.3m, it is the

same size as the Porsche Cayman but has a longer wheelbase, at 2.57m. The driver and front seat passenger sit well forward, and the engine is mounted transversely along with the gearbox, ahead of the rear axle line. Somehow, Lotus designers have fitted a rear bench seat in between, on top of the fuel tank. The result is a car that looks mid-engined – and part of the Lotus family - but doesn’t suggest rear seats.

The cabin is built on the main part of the chassis, which is made from bonded aluminium sheet and

extrusions in much the same way as the Elise’s. But to get into an Elise you have to clamber over a wide sill. The Evora does not require such contortions; its sills are low and the doors are wide enough to allow easy access to the rear seat.

It is fair to point out that this rear seat is not suitable for adults on a journey of any distance. The ‘+2’ really means children but even they may find it rather claustro-phobic. Others will appreciate the extra easily accessible load space. The trunk is small (160 litres) but can accommodate a set of golf clubs


New inningsWords Sirish Chandran Photography Gaurav S Thombre

A reincarnated Premier Automobileshas China-made SUV as maiden offering

Not that long ago if you wanted a car your choices were limited to the Ambassador

and the Premier Padmini. It didn’t matter how much money you had; these were the only two cars you could have, and you’d have to wait years for delivery. My generation may struggle to recollect those days, but my parents - they grew up in that era, an era where Padminis were desirable and Premier auto-mobiles called the shots.

How times have changed. After its ill-fated dalliances with Peugeot and then Fiat, today Premier Automobiles has been reduced to a fringe player, operating from its old machine tools factory in Pune and making small commer-

cial vehicles that you rarely see. Now, nine years after the last Premier Padmini was made (to the lasting regret of Mumbai taxi-wallahs) it’s getting back into the automobiles business.

The vehicle of choice is rather interesting. The Rio lays claim to being India’s first compact SUV but history will remember it for mark-ing an even more significant mile-stone – that of the first Chinese car to be sold in India. The Rio is manufactured by Zotye in China, a relative unknown that only started making cars in 2006, and its current portfolio includes the Rio (sold there as the Nomad with Mitsubishi engines), a slightly upgraded Nomad II, the JN Alto which is our Maruti 800 with the

nose from the current 800, tail from the old 800 and interiors from the Alto and the M-Series which a rebadged Fiat Multipla. It seems that Zotye has bought a container-load of tooling from Fiat because its future products are all rebadged Fiat products; the D-Series is the Fiat Doblo van, the L-Series is the Lancia Lybra saloon and the S-Series is the Palio pick-up as sold in Brazil. Depending on the success of the Rio more cars could follow this CKD route (Multipla and Doblo being the most likely) and it’s not inconceiv-able that Premier could once again start selling Fiat vehicles, a decade after their acrimonious split.

The Rio is assembled at Premier’s Pune factory from CKD

kits. Right now nothing is indigen-ised; the body panels come from China fully painted and even the tyres (Kendra radials), stereo and batteries are Chinese. What is Indian is the engine. When Peugeot left India it left behind the 1.5-litre TuD 5 diesel engine which contemporary reports rated very highly in the Peugeot 309, Esteem deisel and Zen diesel. The same engine has now found a new lease of life in the Rio. Cubic capacity has been reduced to 1489cc (why, we’ll get to in a bit) and in doing so Premier claim to have significantly re-engineered the engine and thus have badged it their own. The engine gets a fixed geometry turbocharger which helps it meet BS3 emission


First Drive Premier Rio

norms. Power is rated at 64.8 PS while there’s 152Nm on tap from 2250 to 3000rpm.

All said and done though this is still an old school IDI diesel engine, not a common-rail engine we’ve gotten so used to. It even has a switch to activate the glow plugs and when was the last time you saw that in a passenger car? Fire it up and the longitudinally mounted engine settles into a noisy idle – there isn’t much sound deadening in the car as in China it runs a petrol engine – and the clatter rises significantly with revs. The engine is mated to a 5-speed transmission which comes from Zoyte and power is sent to the rear wheels. There is no four-wheel-drive variant.

But why under 1.5 litres? Well, the whole rationale behind a compact SUV is to duck in under four metres in length and thus take advantage of the excise duty breaks. Tata Motors was the first to exploit this loophole with the Indigo CS and now Premier is doing it with a compact SUV.

It measures 3900mm with the spare tyre sticking out behind the tailgate. Obviously then the compact dimensions have come at the expense of interior room. With me in the driver’s seat there is very little room for a passenger behind – small cars today have more interior room. Getting into the back is also not easy; the rear door aperture is very small and the doors don’t open wide (which come to think of it is exactly like the Mumbai Padmini cabs). There is a small luggage bay, again as small as small cars. The car is so compact that there’s no space to rest your right hand while driving and the design of the dashboard is such that the front passenger sits with his knees angled to the left thus robbing him of comfort.

Chinese manufacturers aren’t exactly known for high quality goods and the Rio is no excep-tion. Step into the car and there’s an overwhelming smell of indus-trial glue. The dash is a mix of greys and blues while the central console is painted silver – both

The first SUV that qualifies as asmall car according to Indian excise laws!


I am intrigued by the term ‘man scooter’. Does it even exist? No, I am not going to wander into Suzuki Burgman

or Yamaha Tmax territory nor go down the nostalgic Bajaj Chetak route. In fact, the only two cur-rent scooters that come to my mind are the Honda Activa and Suzuki Access 125. I can comfort-ably ride either of the two without looking like I’ve sneaked a ride on my sister’s set of wheels. While the former feels too plain jane the lat-ter is great for kicks with its punchy but thirsty motor. I still would pre-fer something better looking. The Kinetic Blaze would’ve sufficed but is gone now while the Honda Aviator is just too European and odd looking.

A commercial caught my atten-tion during routine channel surfing

- a guy scraping the underside of a scooter around a race track, pop-ping wheelies and then modestly cloaking his hooligan intentions to pose as the quintessential softie before women. I am talking about Mahindra 2 Wheelers’ ad campaign for the Rodeo, the brand’s first new launch along with the Nova looka-like Duro since it took over Kinetic Motors. The company is promoting the new scooters as ‘power scooters’ and while the Duro is a do-it-all, the Rodeo is targeted at er… men. Kinetic has already tasted success with the SYM Flyte and both the new bikes feature the same tech-nology and underpinnings. I was more interested in the Rodeo so I decided to pit it against the Honda Activa that has been our overall benchmark scooter. The Activa too received an upgrade a few months

ago and now exudes softened looks and a mildly tweaked engine.

There is a huge contrast between the two when it comes to styling. The Rodeo is a slightly reworked Flyte and looks abso-lutely identical to the chick-scooter. The changes are very subtle and only the eagle-eyed would spot the new blinkers and slight changes to the front apron. The Rodeo also gets a front fender. The rest of the styling remains identical to the Flyte except for a smaller grabrail at the rear. This also means that the dimensions and ergonomics stay the same and men will find the female friendly seating a bit too cramped. I even found the handle-bars a bit too narrow.

What it features are good equip-ment levels that spruce up its con-venience factor. The Rodeo gets full

digital instrumentation, a first on an Indian scooter. The display fea-tures readout for speed surrounded by a semicircular bar that serves as the tacho. It also gets a tripmeter, fuel gauge, clock and an accelera-tion indicator that stores the fast-est acceleration time you achieve on the bike, pretty much like the one on the Apache RTR. Yes, it also gets an option of seven different colours for the backlight. Rodeo also gets mobile charging point with space to keep the phone while charging as well as front fuel filler. The fuel tank below the footboard frees up space under the seat and the Rodeo has wide stowage that is divided into two levels and is illu-minated too. Fit and finish is quite good too. Close resemblance to the Flyte makes it anything but mascu-line and I would have loved more

Male orderWords Vijayendra Vikram Photography Gaurav S Thombre

The Honda Activa or Mahindra Rodeo? Take your pick, guys

112 November 2009 www.OVERDRIVE.in

Comparo Mahindra Rodeo vs Honda Activa

styling changes and larger, more masculine dimensions.

The Activa, on the other hand, isn’t flashy or petite but has a full bodied design to accommodate most body frames. Though still on the conservative side, the Activa manages to look graceful and will appeal more to men. The seat is wider and taller while the ergo-nomics are accommodating. What it doesn’t get is a flashy dash and makes do with an analog speedo and fuel gauge that look primitive compared to the Rodeo’s snazzy display. The underseat storage is adequate but is no match for the Mahindra.

The Rodeo is equipped with the same SYM engine that powered the Flyte. In fact the same engine will be used on the Duro too. The engine displacing 124.6cc produces maxi-mum power of 8.1PS at 7000rpm while max torque of 9Nm comes in at 5500rpm. The engine feels very refined but felt very soft on the Flyte. Things are very different on the Rodeo in spite of the specifi-cations remaining the same. I was amazed the first time I opened the throttle as I expected it to be the same as Flyte but the Rodeo feels much quicker. Although Mahindra hasn’t revealed what changes it has made to the engine it definitely feels like its been fiddled with and performance now feels worthy of a

125cc scooter. The Rodeo acceler-ates from standstill to 60kmph in just 9.4 seconds, against the Flyte’s 12.3 seconds. I also registered a top speed of 82kmph that comes in at an impressive pace.

The Activa, on the other hand, displaces much less but doesn’t feel underpowered. The 109cc engine also develops 8PS of power and 8.8Nm of torque, almost similar to the Rodeo. This is a very refined engine too and takes 10.2 seconds for the 60kmph sprint and is good for a top speed of 85.5kmph.

Both the engines feel evenly matched in terms of refinement with the Rodeo edging out the Activa in terms of performance. But the Activa makes up for it in terms of its fuel efficiency. The Activa returned an overall figure of 54.4kmpl while the Rodeo could manage 45.9kmpl.

Another area where the Rodeo impresses is its handling. Although both scooters weigh roughly the same, the Rodeo feels much lighter and is far more agile to steer in traffic. It also feels very confident around corners and can actually do what it is shown doing in the TV commercial. I reckon I could have non-stop fun on similar SYM scoot-ers at the manufacturing facility in Taiwan. The chassis has been designed to make it quick while carving its way out of traffic and

the ActivA mANAgesto look grAceful ANdwill AppeAl more to meN

Activa’s refined109cc engine lacks pep

Slim tail lamps looknice. Grabrail is functional

Deep storage withwide loading is adequate

Activa Dlx getsa shutter lock for ignition

Rodeo’s 125cc mill is zippy and equally refined

Rodeo’s tail lampis carried over from Flyte

Functional space withtwo levels for better organisation

Front fuelling and power outlet standard on Rodeo

www.OVERDRIVE.in November 2009 113

SpellboundWords Sirish Chandran

The CEO of Rolls-Royce talks exclusively to OVERDRIVE at the launch of the Ghost

SIR ISH CHANDRAN What’s so special about this car?TOM PURVES What’s really special is that it’s a brand new Rolls-Royce – it is a little more agile, a little less formal than the Phantom. Phantom has re-established Rolls-Royce at the absolute pinna-cle, this car comes along and widens our opportunities – it is a little less expensive. We expect for every Phantom we will sell two these. It’s a substantial expansion to our business.

SC Does a Rolls-Royce have to be more sporty?TP Sporty is not a word I would use with Rolls-Royce. It needs to deliver very good ride, waftabil-ity we call it. It also has to deliver highest performance and speed with silence, that’s very important. But it needs to do it in a timeless way, in a trouble free way. With no nervousness. It is all to do with elegant progress and with arriving and departing and with having the finest a man can possible have in an automobile.

SC Do a lot of Rolls-Royce owners drive their cars?TP Yes, they do. It’s interesting as it does vary by continent - in the Americas and Europe most of the customers drive their cars. They may have a driver though but in principal they drive their own cars, in Asia they do have drivers. So there is a difference between the two but by far the highest percent-age I would say 60 – 70 per cent are self driven.

SC Do you see great potential in India?

TP Yes, great potential. I mean India is a wonderful market for Rolls-Royce, way back the first overseas office was set up in India, And you have the history with the maharajas and so on. We have lots and lots of interest in India and I think the market is developing out there. Obviously the level of taxes and duties have an effect. Things like the road surfaces and the dis-tances you would cover will have an effect but I think India is going to be one of the most important markets for us in the future and I think in ten years time instead of handful amount of cars we are selling, we will be selling substan-tial numbers.

SC Can you put a figure to those numbers?TP No. I never forecast because especially with this kind of busi-ness many of these cars are built with very high specifications. The unit volumes are not so important to Rolls-Royce as the actual reve-nue and the actual cars that sell. So we never give number forecasts.

SC You have two dealers in India; are you looking to expand?TP No, not at this time because clearly in terms of our own man-ufacturing ability the taxes and duties we are well covered but as business develops then I’m sure we need more than one or two dealers, but right now we are very happy with what we have got. Step by step we build a network.

SC Do you think this is the right time for a proper luxury car? Are we out of the recession?TP When we started building or planning this car we were not planning for a recession, that’s clear. Nobody plans for a reces-sion but we are very happy to have it in this time because Rolls-Royce has always been at its best when there has been a larger car or a smaller car. In the 30s it was the Phantom 1, in the 50s it was a Silver Wraith and a Silver Dawn. In the 70s it was a Silver Shadow and a Phantom 6. We have had a great Phantom product, now we

have a great Ghost product.SC The Ghost after all has a BMW powerplant. How is it different in the Ghost? TP It’s a 12-cylinder and it’s a Rolls-Royce engine! Of course it’s a part of the BMW group - we have a research and development partner-ship that we can draw from. This is a unique engine to Rolls-Royce. It has its own cubic capacity, it is a 12-cyl-inder twin turbo charged. BMW has a 12-cylinder turbo charged but not with the torque and power char-acteristics; it works through an 8-speed automatic trans-mission which gives us state-

of-the-art fuel consumption and CO2 efficiency. The car is balanced with more or less 50:50 weight distribution with air suspension so the ride and handling are impec-cable but you also have the preci-sion and classic steering of a Rolls. Everything you touch is unique to a Rolls-Royce.

SC What’s the one thing that will make you buy a Ghost? TP I think if you are sophisticated automobile person, you will look at the car and love the holistic design. You will love the detailing then you will drive the car and you will be blown away and you will buy it because of what it is dynami-cally. If you are not an automobile person you will look at the car, love the presence, you will love the way the coach doors open and can be closed by an electric switch. You will love the way the car has great presence. A Rolls-Royce is much about arriving and depart-ing as much as it is about the jour-ney. You will be convinced that this is the car for you.


In Conversation Tom Purves

Stunts extremeWords Abhay Verma Photography Gaurav S Thombre

We get three of India’s best stunters to show you just what’s possible. Please - don’t try this at home!

It is only human to want to move up in life, be it life-style, habits or whatever. We even take our hobbies

and passions to higher levels. Motorcyclists are no exception, pushing the very limits in their constant quest to ride harder and faster, nailing that apex perfectly with the knee-slider scraping dirt.

I am a biker who gets more of a thrill from being on one wheel than scraping his knee-slider. I have always wanted to perfect a new stunt, get a more outrageous angle to my stoppie, get more

speed and air to my wheelie. Basically make a motorcycle dance to my tune. It is this pas-sion that provides me the zeal to spur me on beyond my limits.

I have graduated as a motor-cycle stunter popping a sim-ple wheelie to now getting more elevation and carrying the wheelie for as long as pos-sible. From stoppies induced by a jab of the front brake at 15kmph, I have progressed to rolling stoppies at 70-80kmph.

Stunting is an art, I firmly believe. It is also dangerous - the

number of times I’ve fallen of a bike is not funny (just last week my jaw was wired shut) and I strongly urge you to consider the pitfalls. It is impossible to be good at a stunt without knowing where the limit lies, and it is impossible to know where the limit is unless you overstep it - and crash. It is also hard on your bike and worse stunting is still an underground community in India and stunters are usually tagged as hooligans.

We’re here to give legitimacy to the whole stunting commu-nity, a legitimacy which already

exists abroad, in the various Stunt Wars competitions. As you will see in the following pages stunters in India are supremely talented athletes, guys (and girls) with incredible bike control and a natural gift for balance.

To show you just what is pos-sible on one wheel we got three of the finest stunters from across the country and set them loose on our long-term fleet of TVS Apache’s - the RTR 160, RTR160 FI and RTR 180. These are bikes they have no experience of but in a matter of minutes they were dancing on it.


Feature Stuntaholics

Built by Dave Cook, this bike claimed the top spot in its class. the Rambler sports a 550cc engine with a four-speed BMW R75 gearbox set in a modified BMW R25 case. Sporting 21” rims, 35-degree rake, an extreme girder front end with nickel and brass plating, this machine is robust but with subtle touches. the engine driveline is an amalgamation of comprehensively modi-fied Honda, BMW, Yamaha parts and one-off components. the one-offs include exhaust, timing cover and assembly; bell hous-ing and clutch assembly, oil regulator, intake manifold and auxil-iary oil reservoir. Cook has fabricated the entire frame, controls, front end, the brackets and wheel hubs. laminated, glamorous hardwood adorns the hand and foot controls. While the joints are brazed in yellow silver, the components are nickel plated.

Free style class: RambleR (1st)

WoRld CustomBike Building

ChampionshipWords Firdaus shaikh Photography horst Roesler & Frank sander

Zeroing in on the most stirred-up creations from the planet’s most creative bike builders

What are the first things that come to mind when you hear about a custom bike building championship? Big wheels, funky paint jobs, weird designs. that describes the scene at the AMD World Custom Bike Building Championship, held at Sturgis, South Dakota in the uS. With competitors converging in from all parts of the

world, the show gave one the opportunity to lay eyes on the most amazing and creative bike designs under one roof. Yes, this year’s edition lived up to its reputation of being the superhot destination for bike aficionados. it was bigger than ever before, with 83 entries compared to the 67 last year. Here are some of the most eye-catching designs.

130 November 2009 www.OVERDRIVE.in

Feature AMD Bike Building Championship

How on earth does one turn this thing around? is the question that must cross one’s mind, at the first sight of this bike. And the seat seems tiny in comparison with the rest. Designed by Kris Krome, this bike sports a polished stainless steel frame with an elas-tamerick front suspension, 23-inch wheels and a t120 triumph engine. Besides claim-ing second place in the freestyle class, the Re-flex-tion also won the metric class.

Free style class: Re-flex-tion (2nd)



In Conversation David Coullthard

SiriSh Chandran When did you start racing and when did you realise you had it in you to enter Formula 1? david Coulthard I started racing when I was 11 years old. At that time it was purely for pleasure, I loved karting and I was trying to improve every weekend. And then when I got into my teenage years, I thought it was possible to try and progress to cars. But I was really enjoying karting. My father gave me the opportunity to go into cars. Once I took that then I realized it was may be possible to make a career because I was winning races, I was getting prize money. Then I left col-lege to pursue a full time career as a driver. When I first drove a Formula 1 car, in testing, it would have been 91, 92, I realised it would be possi-ble because it was just another ca. Before I was always a little intimi-dated by Formula 1 car. But I had a great journey, lots of testing for Williams, nine years for Mercedes-McLaren, and four years as a driver for Red Bull, helping this team grow and become a winning team.

SC Who was your idol when you were getting into F1? dC Well, I always admired Alain Prost because he was always very efficient, won a lot of grands prix; I felt he was a sporting driver. There is no denying Ayrton Senna was a bigger talent but he had quite a bit of controversy sur-rounding him. I think you’ve got to follow the rules otherwise, where’s the honour and the victory?

SC You stepped into the Williams seat after Senna’s tragic demise. Was that a baptism by fire?

dC The fact that I was testing for the team made it a lot easier. I knew the people, it was a kind of seamless transition from tester to racer. The realisation that someone as great as Ayrton could be killed in the car that I was about to race, you know it crossed my mind that Formula 1 was a dangerous sport. I just tried to do my best and it led to a full time drive.

SC Your first victory for Williams must have felt very special? dC It did, it was in Estoril in 1995. As soon as I crossed the finish line there was a Scottish flag waving across the podium, my parents were there and that’s when I felt I belonged in Formula 1.

SC You moved to McLaren with Mika Hakkinen and it turned into a cham-pionship winning team. But you only had 13 victories at McLaren. In hind-sight, could you have done something more? Any regrets? dC Yes, I think the beginning of my career I was a right foot braker and it took me some time to develop into

a left foot braker which I think is a much more efficient way to drive. I think that cost me some perform-ance at the beginning of my McLaren career. Mika was a great champion no question about that and I was proud to be able to beat him on occa-sion. You know I sit here with 13 vic-tories but there were times when I moved over and he picked up the victory instead of me.

SC That first race in Australia when you moved over and let Mika win. Do you think that was a turning point? dC Difficult to say about the cham-pionship but it certainly cost me. It changed the perception in the pub-lic eye, it gave Mika points advan-tage. It was tough to do but it was what I was told to do by the team. You know team orders has been a part of Formula 1 from the begin-ning of the history of our sport.

SC Lot of people say you had the race pace but you didn’t have the pace in qualifying. dC Yeah, I always concentrated more on getting a good race car.

It meant that I compromised a bit on my qualifying performance and that made it difficult but the points came on a race day, didn’t come in qualifying but may be I concen-trated too much on race pace.

SC When you moved to Red Bull, the first thing we saw was that you started growing your hair, started to grow a beard. Were you relieved to be free from the shackles of McLaren? dC Yeah, McLaren was very regimen-tal, and we were all clean shaven and well behaved. Red Bull gave me an opportunity to relax and enjoy the racing and I still took it very seriously but I didn’t worry if I didn’t shave. I’d never have turned up unshaven for a McLaren function.

SC Your first victory with Red Bull was at Monaco; must have felt very special? dC Yeah, to be on the podium with Red Bull, with the Superman logo on the car, was a great feeling. Monaco is an incredible track, it’s been my home since 1995, and it’s the ultimate challenge for a driver. So to deliver a podium for them there was a proud time.

SC What was your best race ever? dC May be my second win in Monaco was a great race. Magny Cours 2000 when I passed Michael and gave him a little wave from my car, that was a real fighting drive. The ones where I had Michael and Mika on the podium they’re the ones I’m proud of because you really had to be good guys to win.

SC You had a ringside seat to one of the greatest rivalries, Mika and

‘i’m just acountry boy’

Words Sirish Chandran

Freewheeling with former Williams, McLaren and Red Bull Formula 1 driver David Coulthard


David Coulthard, the Scottish lad who evolved into a Formula 1 star

Michael. Over a single lap who had the ultimate pace? dC I think Mika was quicker on a single lap but Michael was more consistent over a race.

SC As a racing driver, you put Michael above Mika? dC If you can have those two guys in your racing team, you have an incredible racing team. Michael redefined Formula 1. He brought an incredible level of fitness and commitment to the sport.

SC You also had a ringside seat to the new generation, Rosberg, Kubica, Hamilton also; who do you think can take over from Michael Schumacher as the defining driver of the generation? dC I think Hamilton has the oppor-tunity. Alonso has already won two world championships. Vettel is extremely talented. But I think it will be extremely difficult for any one to win seven world champi-onships like Michael because this board is too close.

SC Who do you think is the best among the current crop? dC Alonso is exceptional. I think Vettel is an extremely talented driver who is still maturing, improving. Obviously Hamilton is extremely strong as well.

SC We’ve had two big surprises this year, Brawn’s pace and Force India, all of a sudden podium finish. How do you think they will turn them-selves around?dC I think the regulation change has made it possible for these teams to be closer to the front.

overdrive nov 2009

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