Tata Nano Launched - Prices, Variants Announced

Tata Nano has been finally launched in a glitzy show organised at the Parsi Gymkhana, Mumbai by Tata Motors Chairman, Mr. Ratan Tata.
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Some quick details:

*623cc, two cylinder 33bhp petrol engine, placed in the rear.

*Confirms to Bharat Stage-III (BS-III) emission norms. BS-IV ready.*Seating capacity of four passengers.

*21% more interior space than the Maruti Suzuki 800.*Choice of three variants.*18 months warranty.

*Gujarat's Sanand plant will be operational in 9 months time.

*Diesel variant to be launched after a year.

*Nano Europa to be launched in Europe in 2011.

*Plans to launch the Nano in the USA.

*Bookings start from 9th April till 25th April.

*Forms will be available at Tata Showrooms, State Bank of India branches, Croma stores.

*Price of each form will be Rs.300/-.

*First lot of one lakh cars will be alloted on lottery basis.

*The lucky customers will get their car from July onwards.

*The unlucky ones will be rolled over in the next draw with the opportunity of having lower interest rates.

*Finance option available with downpayment of as low as Rs.3000 approx.

*A variety of accessories like bodykits, alloywheels, decals etc. will be optional.

*Nano-related merchandise like caps, cellular phones, t-shirts will also be sold.

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Variants

Base Variant: Non-air conditioned no frills variant, black bumpers.

Mid Variant CX: Air conditioner and heater will be provided.

Top-end Variant LX:All features of Mid Variant + front power windows, body coloured bumpers, spoiler, central locking.

Pricing

Ex-factory price at Pantnagar, Uttarakhand will be Rs.1,00,000.

Ex-showroom Delhi prices (BS-III) variants are as below:

Base: Rs. 1,21,360 CX: Rs. 1,51,360 LX: Rs. 1,72, 360

Prices to differ from city to city.

Prices in BS-II complaint cities variants will be slightly lesser.

For more details visit:

http://tatamotorsclub.2ksite.com/tata-nano-launched-pricing,-variants-announced!-t46.html

2009 - The year of launches!

It is heartening to see car manufacturers in India are not stopping their launches in 2009 inspite of the economic slowdown. The launches of Fiat Linea, Hyundai i20, Mahindra Xylo is just the beginning. There will be huge introductions and revamps made by Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Tata, Ford, Hyundai, Maruti Suzuki and almost every other manufacturer one can recall. Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope that petty issues don't play spoilsport. The wait continues....

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Wishing all a very happy new year!

For all those who hate old Fiats...

The good old Fiats in Mumbai, i.e., the Premier Padminis are getting closer to extinction. The same cars which are currently being sold off by disgruntled owners at dirt cheap rates will soon become relics of an altogether different automotive era. Although the rest of the enthusiasts around the world are desperately searching for good Fiats as they are true-blue classics worldwide, it is a shame that they are being mercilessly scrapped in our country.

For those who don't know, the good old Fiat 1100 is an Italian car. The regular Fiats which we see everyday are globally known as the Fiat 1100D. And the so-called dukkar Fiats are known as Fiat 1100 Elegant/ Select/ Super Select.

Popular TV personality Jay Leno owns a pristine 1959 Fiat 1100 (Millecento) too. Mind you, Jay Leno has probably one of the best collection of classic cars and the fact that he has a Fiat too in the list speaks a lot for the car. The car which you can see in the above photo is Jay's car. For more pics visit the link below.

Jay Leno's 1959 Fiat Millecento Photo Gallery

So, for all those who own old Fiats, please don't sell them. They might make you a millionaire in the near future and those who hate these cars, think again!

Tata Motors Club

In today's real online communities, there are many web-forums exclusively dedicated to a particular brand or manufacturer of vehicles. But there are no such forum for Tata cars and trucks. There is one such Tata forum in Italy though, formed by Italian Tata enthusiasts. (Note that I am not talking about communities based in the so-called social networking sites and email account hosting websites). Apart from that, off late, I have not seen Tata being proactive in its own official clubs, the Indica Club for instance.

With a bit of time in my hand, I have formed the Tata Motors Club. It'll be a discussion board for all Tata car/truck owners and fans to share their problems, experiences and so on. Let's see how things work out and time will tell whether this forum becomes a success or not.

Those interested can join in:

http://tatamotorsclub.2ksite.com

For more queries:

tatamotorsclub@gmail.com

Signing off.

The two NKs of Indian Racing - Part II

V R Naren Kumar

A true sportsman who is making waves in the world rally scene

Let me be frank. I really don't know much about Naren Kumar. All I know that he has been winning the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) for many years ago for Team MRF. After a huge dispute with his team over his participation in the last Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) Round held in India, i.e., the India Rally, he shifted loyalties instantly to the rival team, Team JK Tyre, and still managed to continue his winning ways.

It was quite apparent that he had bigger aims for his career. So, the next step was obviously his full-fledged participation in the APRC. He managed to do really well inspite of not being a part of a proper rally team. He was more or less a privateer during the entire championship. As far as I can remember, Naren had previously made small appearances in the APRC and related events but this time it was special. No wonder his core sponsor and Subaru found faith in him to give him a chance to drive a Subaru Impreza in the prestigious Production World Rally Championship (PWRC) 2008. There were talks about Naren driving a rally-spec Fiat Punto this season but finally it turned out to be Subaru.

His start in the championship so far has been good. Let's hope that he does well in the entire season and soon joins the WRC, the pinnacle of rallying! Life has been full of ups and downs for him: multiple national champion, life and career threatening accidents, loss of crucial backup at important stages in his career and so on. But still, he continues his successful run and is on the verge of rubbing shoulders with the very best in the sport!

Signing off.

Worli Sea Face - My Test Track

Location: South Mumbai (19°01′N 72°49′'E)

Length: 2.2 Kilometres (as per my car's tripmeter)

Road Surface: Concrete/Asphalt

Traffic/Pedestrian Density: Light

No. of Lanes: Dual carriageway - Three Lanes Each (Two Driveable)

No. of Signals: One (Usually Closed)

Official Speed Limit: 50 Kmph

Police Presence: Very Rare

Best Time to Drive: Early Morning (before 6 am), Afternoon, Midnight



This is probably the only road in South Mumbai which is free from commuters during most part of the day, as it is not a major public road (unlike Marine Drive). I find it quite safe to sharpen my driving techniques here. It's almost one year since I started to drive and after clocking more than a couple of thousand kilometeres behind the wheel, I believe that I can still improve. There are many things which are not taught at a local driving school and thus, it is much better to learn the finer points of driving (engine braking, for instance) on a relatively empty road than trying them directly on a major highway and ending up in disastrous consequences.

After making hundreds of trips on this road, let me take the opportunity to explain some finer aspects.

Let's start from the intersection near Maharashtra Rifles Association. I mean the small circle where newbies practise their reversing skills and locals use it as a makeshift cricket pitch. We are now heading towards south and travelling on the side on the road which is away from the sea. The road surface is asphalt and just at the beginning of the seaface, it curves towards left. This section of about 50 metres is very rough and bumpy mainly due to improperly filled potholes.

The road straightens and then again curves towards right. You can gently accelerate. Look out for errant drivers taking sudden U-turns or emerging from driveways without warning. Now you can see a nice straight section where you can accelerate if the conditions are ideal. But look out for signboards on the central divider. There is a notorious speed-breaker which might seem to emerge out of nowhere. In my early days, I have jumped over this speed-bump at insanely high speeds. Jumps like these will give you some thrills but this obviously isn't good for your car.

You go ahead for a few hundred metres and you'll come across the only major junction on this strip. The junction's entry and exit points are not well designed, so there are plenty of blind spots. Slow down, honk and flash your headlamps or else, you'll invite some big trouble. The junction has a traffic signal but owing to sparse traffic, it is rarely functioning and nobody really follows it. So, don't take the signal for granted.

After the intersection, the road level changes suddenly and the road surface is now concrete. Here is a section where you can accelerate without much trouble. The straight section ends near Aarey Milk Dairy where one has to be really careful about stationary cars, BEST buses and slow moving dairy trucks. The turns is quite sharp if you are doing high speeds. So, be VERY careful or your car may understeer and you will be flying off the divider to the other side of the road.

Once, the turn is executed, the seaface comes to an end and the remaining road will lead you towards the Worli flyover. So, take a U-turn. Make sure that your intentions are clear to other motorists before you take a U-turn.
Now you are on the side of the road (carriageway) which is nearer to the seaface. So, continue driving northwards or park your car and enjoy the scenic promenade (which is currently under renovation)!

DISCLAIMER: The reader should try the actions mentioned above at his/her own risk. Note that they might be dangerous and/or illegal too and may not be advisable to those who don't have sufficient driving experience.

I am always open to criticism and suggestions. You can expect another article on the same topic again.

Signing off.

The Two NKs of Indian Racing - Part I

Narain Karthikeyan

A humble soul with exceptional driving abilities who is flying the Indian flag really high in the international motorsports scene.

Narain Kathikeyan is better known for being the first Indian to race in an F1 car. I vividly remember two Indian sportspersons, Narain Karthikeyan and Sania Mirza (Indian tennis player), caught the fancy of the great Indian media at almost the same time. And I strongly believe that Narain was grossly ignored by the media during those days. Those who probably did not even know the full-form of F1 were writing reports and columns about his 'poor' performance. Real F1 fanatics know how difficult it was for a rookie driver like Narain to drive well with the backup of a not-so-good team (Team Jordan).

Ironically, the same media was going ga-ga when Ms. Mirza managed to enter the second round of a championship. I guess you are feeling what the Sania Mirza angle has got to do with all this. Well, motorsports, like all other sports, have been grossly ignored by the Indian media. While Sania Mirza was made a star overnight, everybody conveniently ignored Karthikeyan. Maybe because, the guy is too non-controversial to write any masala and gossip articles on him. I have no grudge against the tennis sensation(?) but the unfair treatment given to NK really irritates me.

Fast forward to 2008 and look who is doing better. Narain has secured 10th position for an ailing Indian team in the A1 GP Championship. (These silly 'journalists' often confuse A1 with F1. So much for journalism). He has done well as a test driver with Team Williams and can soon be seen racing again in F1. He is still in the news for his exploits on the track and NOT for other unnecessary non-sporting issues. And he is the still humble and soft-spoken Narain Karthikeyan we all know.

I guess that says it all.

To be continued ...

Indian Cars in Racing Games!

My intention of starting this blog was to write about various topics apart from automobiles, but it seems like no matter how hard I try ... I end up writing about the same old topic.

I believe that many of us are bored driving exotics and Jap tuners on race tracks and city streets on our PC and/or gaming console. But now, it seems like times are changing for the better.

Trine Game Studios, an Indian company is coming with a new game named Streets of Mumbai featuring Indian cars street racing on Mumbai streets. The overall look and setup of the game is reminiscent of EA Games' Need for Speed Undeground Series. Hopefully, it should be launched within the coming month. (Check out the picture posted in this topic)

Here are some links: (Tip: Right click on the links and click on 'Open Link in New Window')
Trine Game Studios
Streets of Mumbai – Team-BHP.com
Streets of Mumbai (NDTV) – YouTube.com
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For all fans of the Gran Tourismo Series, GT5 may soon have Indian cars like the Suzuki Swift, Mahindra Scorpio, Tata Indica and so on. They are a part of the tentative list of cars which may be developed for the game in the near future. For those who don't know, the Gran Tourismo Series is the most realistic simulation of driving a car.

To get the entire list of cars and some general screenshots follow this link.


Signing off.

The joy of a leaking exhaust system

Back here after a very looooong time!

Neither my pocket nor my "social responsibilities" permit me to install a free flow exhaust in my car. But thanks to some really good luck, my dear little Indica has developed a tiny leak in the exhaust. The result is that a part of the outlet gases follow the normal outlet path whereas some part of the fumes leak from a point before the muffler.

The net effect is pure nirvana. The exhaust note is unique and there is a small but noticeable improvement in performance (or is my mind playing games here?). Compared to stock, the revs are building up dramatically with a distinctive whoosh. This is the closest I can come to a tuned exhaust. Meanwhile, I am enjoying my fifteen days of fame, after which the car will be brought back to normal.

I hope that cops don't catch me for the kind of music my car creates!

Signing off.

Mumbai BEST bus drivers!

Mumbai's signature red coloured "Brihanmumbai Electrical Supply and Transport Undertaking" buses or simply BEST Buses are driven by a unique bunch of people, with an interesting driving style. Usually, they are criticised by most Mumbaikars for being rash, rude, mannerless and so on, I beg to differ. I am a regular BEST commuter (and also a driving licence holder for that matter) and I spend about an hour (if not more) everyday travelling in the ubiquitous red buses.

A typical BEST driver is usually a hardcore Maharashtrian (Marathi Manoos) , short-tempered, communicates in semi-urban Marathi lingo (or in Bambaiya Hindi), loves to shift gears with a loud thump, accelerates his bus madly as if there is no tomorrow, has cornering skills that would put even the best of F1 drivers to shame and doesn't mind hurling abuses at fellow road users. However, there is something really striking about these gentlemen (?) which inspires me a lot.

Let's face it, these fellows are probably doing one of the toughest jobs in the country. Driving in Mumbai's narrow lanes (patli galis to be precise) is no small achievement. Plus, there are irritants like jaywalkers, rash bikers and mindless passengers who get in and out of moving buses without any indication whatsoever. Not to mention, lack of dedicated bus lanes, pathetic road conditions, lack of any physical or creature comforts in buses apart from a power steering and an electric fan in some buses. And should I talk about the rioters on the streets and the water-logged roads during the monsoons too? Plus, no fixed working hours and a salary which isn't proportionate to the amount of hard work they put in.

Inspite of all these hardships, BEST continues to have an almost blemishless accident record. Just ask some Delhiites if you didn't understand the previous sentence. I can understand the plight of these Mumbai heroes in khakis. I salute them. To be honest, I owe a huge chunk of my driving skills (or the lack of it) to these gentlemen. BEST drivers are simply the BEST!

Signing off.

P.S. - For those interested to know more about BEST, click here for its official website.