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
_______________________________________________________

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.

Tata Nano

Finally!
After a long wait of more than three years, Tata Motors One-Lakh-Rupee Wonder has finally been revealed to the general public and has turned the automobile world upside down! The Tata Nano is today’s latest talk of the town where every Tom, Dick and Ramu wants to know about this car and give his “expert” opinion on it।

Scheduled to be launched in the latter half of 2008, with a promised dealer price of Rs.100,000 (US$2500) for non-AC base variant, this car is all set to become India’s VW Beetle or Ford Model T. Being an admirer of Tata Motors, let me take the opportunity to put forth my “expert” opinion on the Nano (since many of my friends and relatives want to know my thoughts too!).

Let’s get started:

Now that I’d seen a leaked photo of a bare-basic prototype (yes, I had seen it on a website) which was clicked more than one and a half year ago, Tata has done a splendid job in the styling aspect on the final product. The city-friendly tallboy design, the distinctive headlamps, the resemblance to stablemate Indica from the rear makes the car look pretty convincing. Having said that, the car looks a bit ungainly and unstable from some angles due to its high ground clearance and small wheels. Contrary to general expectation, the car doesn’t look like a four-wheeled motorcycle like that of the Habib Sitara from Pakistan, but it is as good (or as bad as) any conventional A-segment small car. Going by Mr. Ratan Tata’s quotes, the Nano is 8% smaller than the Maruti Suzuki 800 (nee Suzuki Alto internationally) from outside and 21% larger from inside. If these figures translate well in real life, then we surely have a winner. It conforms to India’s car safety norms, which is an added bonus.

A 624cc petrol (gasoline) engine [Euro IV emission norms compliant] with an output of 33 bhp sounds good on paper when one compares this with a Maruti 800 which costs twice as much and has a 796cc petrol engine with an output of 45 bhp. However, what I feel is that more than the power produced, the torque produced by the engine will be the most crucial factor in the long run, since that will determine the real-world driveability of the car in stop-go city traffic and overtaking on highways. It would be fair to comment on these aspects only after the car is launched and test-driven. As far as I know, the car would have a CVT transmission (correct me, if I am wrong) and this would make driving easier for city slickers (especially women) and amateurs too. Going by the manufacturer’s future plans, a diesel engine is on the anvil but there are no tentative launch dates declared for the same.

A claimed fuel efficiency of 20 km per litre (50 miles per gallon) seems achievable though the claimed top speed of 105 kmph (66 mph approx.) leaves an element of doubt in my mind, especially if the car is running on full load.

Ultimately, from first impressions, the car feels decent to fulfil the aspirations of an average Indian who is eager to climb the social ladder by owning a car but there are issues of resulting congestion which needs to be tackled. The problem of congestion and pollution should not be such a serious issue as it is projected (and exaggerated) to be. This is so because, an average 100cc motorcycle still costs around Rs.30,000-40,000 (US$ 800–900) and gives a fuel efficiency of more than 60 km per litre and thus, one shouldn’t expect the entire bike buying populace to shift to the Nano overnight and cause a mayhem in the streets. On the same lines, don’t expect the humble Bajaj RE Autorickshaw to be replaced by the Nano, because the running costs of a rickshaw will be much lower than that of a Nano!

My only fears are whether the Nano would be able to sustain high speeds, be durable to handle the daily grind of Indian roads and be (relatively) cheap to maintain. If these issues are solved beforehand, then there is no way to stop Tata Nano from being a global success! Competition is expected from Bajaj’s One-lakh Rupee Car to be developed in association with Renault-Nissan and of course from Suzuki, but at this point the real competition is from Ms. Mamta Banerjee!

Disclaimer: Please take my views with a pinch of salt, errr…. with a bucketful of salt because I am just an automobile enthusiast, nothing more than that!

Signing off,

What makes Tata Indica 1.4 Petrol, India's Ultimate Sleeper Car !

sleeper (n. or adj.) - A sleeper (US English) or Q-car (British English) is a car that has high performance and an unassuming exterior.

I am new to the world of "actual" driving as I turned 18 just a few months ago, my backseat driving skills notwithstanding. My car is a humble 2003 "Tata Indica V2 LSi 16-Bit Microprocessor 75 BHP MPFi Petrol" (well, that's what the badging says).

I've spent almost three months learning about the car (apart from improving my driving skills) and staying behind the wheel of my petrol Indica gave me a lot of pleasant surprises:

The main reason for the surprises:
Most of the Indicas sold are diesels for reasons I don't want to elaborate upon and insult your intelligence. Thus, everybody presumes that my car is a diesel.

Here it goes:

At the time of starting:
People feel that this car will start with a huge groan. But to their surprise, it almost purrs to a start (if you are comparing with the diesel).

At fuel stations:
In most cases, the pump employee blindly presumes that, "here comes another call-centre cabbie, and will definitely fill the cheapest available diesel". So, he will ask me, "Diesel ?". When I say, "Speed Petrol", it is interesting to note the rather confused expression on the poor chap's face. Many times, he'll be hesitant while filling petrol with the fear that I am putting petrol in a diesel car.

At traffic lights:
Here, things get really interesting. Many times, it does happen that an overenthusiastic driver stops just beside my car at a stop signal with an intention of going ahead of the pack just when (or before) the light turns green. Once again, he expects that my car would be a diesel and I would invariably be a cabbie (whose only aim in life is too ooze out max mileage from every single drop of diesel). He feels that he would easily cut lanes and go ahead of me. That's when the time comes to acclerate a bit harder than usual and show him/her who's the boss.

When in motion:
Let me explain this, with an anecdote:I was driving at a steady speed of around 70-80 kmph, when a blue Indica diesel was almost tailgating me and trying to desperately overtake me for no valid reason. So, I opened the throttle a bit more, to show him that my car was NOT a 53 bhp diesel.

What makes my car more special, is that it belongs to the batch of the most powerful (in terms of raw power) stock Indicas ever to roll out of Tata Motors' assembly line. The newer Xetas are probably not that fast compared (correct me, if I am wrong) to the Type-I Indica V2s, as the 1.4L Xetas were slightly detuned for refinement and fuel efficiency and most of the petrol Xetas sold now are 1.2Ls.

Having said that the Indica Diesel Turbo has reduced the gap between petrol and diesel in terms of performance but still, compared to the normally-aspirated Indicas, their number is quite less.

I don't claim that this is the best hatch in the market. But thanks to the presumptions and the prejudices of the aam janta about the Indica, the Tata Indica 1.4 petrol is surely, a nice tool to raise a few eyebrows on the road (without any modifications)! The fact that the Indica lacks "snob value" (sic) and "status" (sic) works in favour of the petrol version !!!

Signing off.

(This topic is also posted here: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street-experiences/31861-what-makes-tata-indica-1-4-petrol-indias-ultimate-sleeper-car.html)