automan september 2010

8/8/2019 Automan September 2010

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F1: Thrills and spills in spain and hUnGarY

all-new Jeep Grand CherOKee is Brand’s GaMe ChanGe

JaGUar XFr: enTrY leVel reViTalised

No 109 September 2010 Oman’s Best Automotive Resource OMR 0.500 AED 5.00 QR 5

BMw M3: BadGe CeleBraTes 25 Years


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editor-in-chiefMamma Al ta

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All al Auma magaz a

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ay m wu w s maag-

m AL roYA PreSS & PUBLiShinG

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inG

uring August one event took place that set a landmark in the evolution of the car

n ustry. T e company e in Geey in C ina too over t e reins o management at

Vo vo Cars. In t e case o t e Swe is car ran it is a muc -awaite i e ine, especia y

hen you see the history of the brand and the particular circumstances that saw parent

ar company For nee to se it. So now t at Gee y owns Vo vo Cars, w y s ou it

ake any difference to us?

e use to oo at C inese manu acturers on a t ree-tier sca e - t e ig est eve s

ere manufacturing foreign brands for foreign car manufacturers in China, with

ro ucts t at met a most t e stan ar s o t e parent ran . T e secon were a it

ower own t e sca e. T ey oug t out esigns, manu acturing p ants an tec no ogy

rom foreign providers to make local brands and models. At the bottom of the scale

ere t e manu acturers w o c ose to o er t e est orm o attery y just rep icating

oreign car models with indigenous know-how. While this characterisation was true for

long time, it seems to be evolving, largely due to the nature of the market and the

usiness environment aroun it. T e new ea ers o t e pac are now oo ing outwar s

n order to leapfrog years of the development process.

t wi e interesting to see ow t e situation pans out over t e next coup e o years.

ther Chinese car makers are bound to follow in Geely’s footsteps.n t e ot er an t is mont as roug t a out a uge increase in t e num er o

isible accidents on the roads. Just the other day there was a multi-car pile-up on the

lip road near our ofce. It was the sort of scene you normally see on the highway,

ere spee an ac o concentration ring a out t ese outcomes. It was a it

nnerving to think that this entire event was the result of unfettered speed on a small

lip road. Thankfully there was no fatality.

ash driving is denitely the cause. The other day a crazy driver was on our tail on

e Qurum eig ts roa trying to overta e on t e 3 oot wi e ye ow ane a joining

he divider. When we let him pass, he then overtook the Prado ahead from the slow

ane and almost clipped the front. All this at a 100-plus km/h. We can only hope that

atever t e reason or t is ma ness, it was wort ris ing is i e an t e i e o

veryone else on the road.

A month of ups and downs



{news}

4

all-New 2011 iNfiNiti QX arrives iN omaN

W ile global fuel prices, environmental

oncerns, an economic recession as

affected the luxury SUV craze in the West,which at one point of time accounted for bare-

y one-t ir as many ve ic e sa es as in 2005,

but in the Middle East it is still considered as

a status sym o wit a purpose – e it towing

or hauling large families. Suhail Bahwan Auto-

mobiles (SBA), the sole importers

o In niti cars in Oman, aunc e

the much awaited second gener-

ation QX SUV, w ic a so serves

as the new agship model.

irst revea e at t is years New

Yor Auto S ow, t e 2011 QX56

has been totally redesigned fromt e p at orm up an is ui t in

Japan. While many competitors

ave opte or uni o y construc-

tion or car- ase crossovers to

replace their large SUVs, Inniti

staye ait u y to its o y-on-

frame construction philosophy

to maintain t e truc - i e auing

capacity.

echanically, it shares most of

its un erpinnings wit t e new

Nissan Patrol and hence its chassis is stiffer

an quieter t an t e o set-up. It a so sup-

ports a quieter, smoot er an muc more e -

cient 5.6-litre V8 with variable valve technol

ogy, w ic at 400 p now o ers 25 per cent

ore power than before. Interestingly, thisengine is not t e same V8 use in t e Nissan

truc s ut it is c ose y re ate to t e 420 p

engine found in the new M56 saloon that has

een speci ca y tune to e iver pea torque

at lower revs through its seven-speed auto-

atic transmission with adaptive shift control.

T e car s manua s i t mo e eatures own-

s i t rev-matc ing simi ar to t e G37 sport

aloon and also offers tow mode. Electronic

contro o t e 4WD system no onger o ers a

ocked-in 2WD mode, instead, there’s an auto-atic mo e t at e au ts to 100 per cent rear

drive and redirects torque only when slip is de-

tected. A 4WD Hi selection activates the front

axe continuous y or s ippery con itions w i e

4WD Lo locks in for true off-road performance.

T e In niti QX wi e o ere

n two specication grades in

the Middle East markets and

it u -time 4WD as stan-

ard. The QX comes in either

Exce ence or ig er speci-

cation “Luxury” grade with

ach grade having the optioneit er seven seats wit

nd row captain’s chairs), or

ig t-seat ormat wit a sec-

nd row bench seat.

eanwhile, new state-of-

t e-art In niti s owroom is

oming up shortly in Qurum

n is using t e g o a In niti

etail Environment Design

nitiative’ (IREDI) concept.

T e am ience in t e s ow-

oom promises to match the distinct styling

t at eac In niti mo e as now ecome a

ous for.

Gaydon, UK-based Aston Martin, which

uwait- ase Investment Dar owns 50

per cent of, has opened its rst ofcial deal-

ership in Oman. The appointment of Al Mu-

anna A Has ar as o cia retai ers o t e

British sportscar brand in the Sultanate marks

t e sevent ea ers ip in t e GCC. T e new

Aston Martin Oman s owroom is ocate in

Al-Sarooj district of Muscat. ”The new dealer-

s ip in Oman is a strong stop towar s our ur-

ther expansion in the Middle East. Naturally,

we are e ig te to e represente in Oman

and look forward to a successful partnership

with Al Muhannad Al Hashar,” said Dr Ulrich

Bez, CEO o Aston Martin.

“The Middle East remains a vitally impor-

tant mar et or Aston Martin, ere amongst

the regional community there is huge enthusi-

asm for sports cars, motor racing and English

astoN martiN’s seveNth regioNal dealership is iN omaN

Attendng the rbbon-cttng ceremony as the charman of the Board of Al Mhannad Al

Hashar, Shakh Al Mhannad bn Saeed Al Hashar and other company exectes

eritage all of which are areas where Aston

artin exces, sai Mar Kenwort y, w o as

een appointe Aston Martin s regiona auto-

motive general manager. The new outlet will

o er t e u range inc u ing t e Rapi e an

imite pro uction One-77.



{news}

5

suzuki kizashi top choice for europcar

bridgestoNe New retread facility iN omaN

e , even e ore it as o cia y it t e

etails showrooms in the region, al-

ost, t e entire import consignment o t e

rst batch of Suzuki’s all-new 2011 Kizashias been acquired by Europcar, one of Ajit

imji Group o Companies in Oman. We

grabbed almost the entire launch consign-

ent o Suzu i Kizas i, sai An y Prat ey,

general manager of Europcar. ”We found the

A a time w en ig running expenses

re prompting eet truck operators to

nd ways to reduce costs, there’s some

oo news or truc operators in Oman.ridgestone Middle East & Africa FZE of

ia y inaugurate its t Ban ag retrea

facility in the Middle East, in Mabella last

onth. The new Bandage retreading facility

ouses state-o -t e-art equipment, w ic

will be used by Towell Auto staff to provide

ost e ective soutions to its customers.

Trained specialists in retreading will assure

ustomers global quality of the service. The

ew Ban ag aci ity wi use co curing re-

treading technology supplied by Bridgestone

an ag Tyre So utions, t e US unit t at t e

ompany acquired in 2006. Retreaded tyres

ost 20 to 30 per cent less than new ones and

t e tyre carcass can e retrea e 2-3 times

epending on its physical condition. Thanks

to superior retrea ing process, every time a

truck uses a retreaded tyre, approximately 15

allons of oil is saved. This cutting edge facil-

ty is t e o cia Bri gestone outet in Oman

that will provide reliable and safe retread ser-

vice to t e eet operators o Oman.

“With this move we are anticipating the ex-

ansion of our existing list of customers, by

moving c oser to our customer ase. Keeping

in line with the principles of Bridgestone, our

specia ize service sta can now reac out

with better efciency and skills,” said S Kas-

turirangan, CEO o Towe Auto Centre. T e

retrea usiness wi a so a ress some o t e

current environmental issues, particularly, the

isposa o worn out tyres. Apart rom e ping

to reduce total cost of tyres, retreading also

ma es a major environmenta contri ution

in terms o t e more e ective uti ization o

natural resources which in turn helps ensure

a ea t y environment or current an uture

generations,” said Shoichi Sakuma, President

o Bri gestone Mi e East & A rica FZE.

Ramada ers: tradtall a gdtme t b Amerca brads

GMC

Moosa Abdul Rahman Hassan & Co, the ex-

c usive istri utor o GMC ve ices across t e

Sultanate of Oman, has announced a promotion on the GMC Terrain SUV during the Holy

ont o Rama an. Avai a e at a Moosa

showrooms across Oman, GMC’s Terrain wil

e o ere wit a compre ensive a ter-sa es

warranty/service package at no extra cost

The attractive package includes 40,000 km

service over two years, ve year un imite m

warranty, complimentary registration, 3M sun

contro m on a mo e s an 500-itres o

etrol besides gifts.

Chrsler, Ddge ad Jeep

Zubair Automotive Group and Shanfari Au-tomotive Company across t e Su tanate ave

jointly announced special Ramadan pricin

o owing t e recent creation o D o ar Au

tomotive – a joint venture initiative etween

Zubair Automotive Group and Shanfari Auto-

otive Company.

Besides streamlining retail pricing and afte

saes, t e specia gi t pac ages ave een

ormu ate to meet t e i erent require

ents of customers and will include at no

cost to customers services suc as insurance

egistration, servicing and E-Max gift vouch

ers. Finance is a so eing o ere at extreme y

competitive rates w ic are a so attractive othese brands. Interest rates begin as lows as

3.99 per cent.

“At this special time of year we are com

itte to cee rating Rama an toget er wit

our customers an are o ering t em t e es

deals in the Sultanate during the holy month,”

sai C ris E war s, genera manager o

Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge in Oman.

T ese a e va ue pac ages are eing o

ere across a t e t ree ran s on new ve

icles purchased until the September 30.

Andy Pratley of Eropcar th Anl Seth of Moosa Abdl Rahman Hassan & Co. LLC, drng

the key handoer ceremony

izas i to e astoun ing y attractive, wit its

old and futuristic design and a styling that is

ear y cut out rom t e rest in its c ass. Eu-

opcar will offer the model with 2.4-litre VVTngine and CVT transmission.

eanw i e, t e Kizas i wi e o ere to re-

ail customers in two variants designated as

Deuxe an Premium. T e top en premi-

m comes with features such electric sunroof,

ruise control system, leather upholstery, 18in

port a oy w ee s, 10-way power seats wit

emory, parking sensors, fog Lamps, Rock-

or Fosgate Au io System wit a itiona

ub-woofer, auto leveling HID headlamps

it was ers among ot er eatures . Suzu i

s cee rating its centenary wor wi e an in

man, the cars are available from Moosa Ab-u Ra man Hassan & Co LLC, t e exc usive

istributors.



{Regional news}

6

Jaguar’s all-New XJ hits meNa showrooms

Jaguar Middle East and North Africa has an-nounced the arrival of the all-new XJ. The

company’s much anticipated four door ag-

ship is now on sale throughout the region.

Building on the success of the new XK and XF

models globally and in the Middle East, the

introduction of the All-New XJ is a landmark

for the revitalised Jaguar brand. Ian Callum,

Jaguar Design Director said: “The All-New XJ

is a thoroughly modern interpretation of the

quintessential Jaguar. It is the most emphatic

statement yet of Jaguar’s new design direc-

tion.”

The model will be offered in four specica-tion levels – Luxury, Premium Luxury, Portfolio

and Supersport, thus allowing the customer

to tailor the car to suit their tastes of choice

in colours, veneers and trim options. Powered

by the 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V8 and

5.0-litre supercharged V8, the engines offer

470hp and 510hp respectively.

New features for the range include air sus-

pension, continuously variable damping, ac-

tive differential control and quick- ratio power

steering deliver the blend of responsive, dy-

namic handling and rened, supple ride ex-pected from a Jaguar.

Robin Colgan, managing director of Jag-

uar Land Rover Middle East and North Africa

said: “We are very excited about our All-New

agship which sets benchmarks in terms of

design, performance and engineering. Jaguar

customers in this region look for luxury, indi-

viduality and performance and we’re certain

the agship All-New XJ, which is truly beauti-

ful and exhilarating to drive, will enjoy success

here, just like the XK and XF.”

The CTS Coupe is an important model in

the refreshed Cadillac line-up that has

taken extra time to reach dealer showrooms

due to some unusual circumstances. First

shown as a concept over three years ago, the

production model was originally expected to

be launched early 2009, but the May 2009 on-

sale date was pushed back during GM’s re-

structuring and eventually set for an August

2010 on-sale date.

The good news is that both the 2011 Ca-

dillac CTS Coupe and CTS-V Coupe are now

available to pre-book at Cadillac showrooms

across the Middle East. The cars will start ar-

riving in showrooms this month. While, the

design of the models remain virtually un-

changed from the concept car, the normal

version is powered by a 3.6-litre V6 engine

that churns out 304hp [net] while the 6.2-litre

V8 engine producing 556hp [net] comes from

the world’s fastest production saloon in the V.

“The Cadillac CTS Coupe is a dramatic design

statement,” said Ed Welburn, vice president –

GM Global Design.

“We did not create it as a result of sifting

through reams of market data, nor is its shape

trimmed to suit the input collected at a con-

sumer clinic – it is emotion on four wheels

and the very essence of what denes Cadillac

today.”

cadillac dealers pre-bookiNg cts aNd cts-v coupe



precedented in Oman’s buoyant retail

utomotive sector, Towe Auto Centre

aunched four models of Mazda cars simultaeously at their Azaiba and Wattayah show

ooms on a sing e ay. T e mo e s inc u e

the multiple award-winning and compact

egment uster, Maz a2, t e tur o c arge

version of the mid-sized crossover CX-7, and

igger CX-9 along with the spacious and

porty Maz a6.

“Today we are proud to announce that we

re pro a y t e on y auto istri utor in t e

ultanate or even the GCC to launch four

ars in one ay. Maz a cars are nown or

t eir riving ynamics, an o er ot a nat-

rally aspirated and supercharged model.T ese power u new cars o er a sporty ee

nd stout engines, all without compromis-

ng t e a i ity to seat com orta y. T ese a

ew Maz a ve ic es are great or t e ami y,

s well as individuals who gain pleasure by

riving t eir automo i es, sai S Kast u-

irangan, CEO, of Towell Auto Centre.

{Regional news}

7

2011 NissaN 370z roadster arrives iN the regioN

Hot on t e ees o Oman or its new pro -

ct introductions, Mazda has now UAEn its sights. With Galadari Automobiles, the

ran s soe istri utors in t e UAE, t e car-

aker launched

t e 2011 Maz a2

ast month in both

atch and saloon

versions.

“Launch of 2011

az a2 in t e UAE

epresents a stra-

tegically important

tep or Maz a,

ignalling theran s entry into

the small car seg-

ent. T e UAE mar et continues to remain a

ore ocus in our regiona expansion strategy.

The economic downturn has further validated

ur commitment to t is mar et, as t e coun-

try along with the Middle East at large, has

merge as one o t e more resi ient regiona

ar ets or automo i e manu acturers as com-

ared with North America and Europe,” said

enji Sato, sa es an mar eting manager o

azda Middle East. Engineered as a ‘PersonalSmart Commuter t e tren y, t e variants

will be offered with a 1.5-litre, four cylinder

ngine mated to

our-spee trans-

ission. With killer

ty e, great ue

conomy an an

ffordable price

tag, t e current

version of the Maz-

a2 was aunc e

n 2007 an as

agged more than0 awar s wor -

wide including ‘Car

o t e Year in many mar ets inc u ing Japan,

ew Zeaan , C i e, Bugaria an Greece. No-

tably, the MAZDA2 was selected as the ‘2008

Wor Car o t e Year WCOTY at t e 2008

ew York International Auto Show and has

esta is e a istinguis e position in t e

su -compact segment.

mazda eNters the uae sub-compact

car market

TowELL on An ovERDRivE wiTH

MAzDA



{Brandwatch}

8

haNdle with caret n qn n cn-

g n sn’ v n n-n . an xn .

T

hese days, a cash rich Chinese company

buying a loss making European set-upwould barely get a detailed headline men-

tion in international business news today, but

when such a move is in the somewhat fragile

automotive sector, then there’s bound to be

some noise. The reason for this is historical.

Most of the marriages or mergers between

motorcar companies in the current decade

have ended up in a messy divorce or total

loss. Cash strapped General Motors’ topped

that list with the unceremoniously dumping

Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Subaru in 2008, followed

by the recent sale of Saab. In 2007, Daimler-

Chrysler ofoaded Chrysler to a venture capi-

talist and Ford sold Jaguar and Land Rover to

Tata Motors.The latest acquisition saga this year of

Volvo from Ford by a edgling Chinese car

maker Geely is being considered as a high-

prole merger in the wake of a credit crisis.

Analysts fear that one problem seems to be

often overlooked in these mergers is that the

rate of failure is more than corporate stability

and protability. But after a lost decade as a

Ford brand, Sweden’s Volvo seems to have en-

tered a new era under the ownership of Chi-

na’s Geely. Geely has reportedly paid close to

$1.8bn for Volvo, which is less than a quarter

of what Ford paid for the Swedish company in

1999. The reason for this optimism is based

on how the new owner plans to move forwardwith this ambitious investment, which comes

at a time when the Chinese domestic market

is beginning to show signs of maturity – in

terms of vehicle quality, design and volumes

among others.

So what does Geely expect to make out

of this deal? First, it will give the ambitious

13-year old Chinese carmaker a rock solid

technical foundation. Arguably, Volvo’s good-

will and equity is unparallel in terms of safety

and sturdiness in cars, key attributes now for

Chinese carmakers who are keen to capitalize

on the current boom by offering products of

<< g qn

v n us$1.8n f>>



{news}

9

global standards. Meanwhile, on the opera-

tional front, Geely Group chairman Li Shufu

has promised continuity for Volvo and the al-

liance will start producing Volvo branded carsfor the domestic market from its newly an-

nounced Shanghai facility. The plant will pro-

duce Volvo’s three-door, four-seat hatchback

C30 and mid-sized ve-door estate car V70

in 2012. The positive outcome is that there

will be cross sharing of talent and resources

between the brands, but Volvo operations

will largely continue independently. There are

no plans to merge it with Geely or dilute the

brand’s strong Nordic identity. However, Geely

management does realize that Volvo is a niche

brand and not a cash cow for its bottomlines,

but what it stands to gain certainly is worth

much more than the investment provided it is

able to handle the delicate relationship.

Geely’s chairman Li Shifu has shown remarkable maturity in the way the deal has

been nalised. The rst step of the alliance has already been made where the C30

hatchback and V70 estate will be produced in the new Shanghai plant in 2012. Volvo

will continue to operate as an independent entity.

Regal Ramada ers

AuDi [oMAn]

Audi is inviting customers across Oman to

visit s owrooms w ere uxury mo e s are e

ng offered at attractive prices and an unbeat-able package which includes Audi’s ve-yea

service pac age, a t ree-year warranty an

24-hour Audi roadside assistance. Models on

o er inc u e t e A4, A5, Q7, Q5 an t e Au

TT. Prices of the models offered by Audi Oman

for the Q5 begins from RO13,950; Q7 from

O19,950; TT, rom RO10,950 an A5 Coupe

from RO19,250. “At Wattayah Motors we be-

ieve t at Rama an is tru y t e time o giving

and we are aiming to reward our customers

wit t e est specia o ers an ea s so t ey

can ee t e spirit o t is specia time wit us,

said James Oliver, general manager of AudOman.

niSSAn/infiniTi [uAE]

Ara ian Automo i es, t e exc usive eae

o Nissan, In niti an Renau t in Du ai an

the Northern Emirates has introduced specia

o ers across its Nissan an In niti pro uc

ange. Customers will receive cash rewards

o up to D 25,000 w en purc asing a new

issan ve ic e uring Rama an. Ara ian Au

tomobiles will also pay the 10 per cent down

ayment or customers w o purc ase a new

Inniti vehicle. All customers will receive free

rst year insurance an a ve-year un imite

i eage warranty wit t eir respective purchases. The Ramadan offer is valid across

a Ara ian Automo i es s owrooms in Du a

and the Northern Emirates. Customers can

contact Ara ian Automobiles on 800 NISSAN

647726 or 800 INFINITI 46346484 o

ore information.

BMw [SyRiA]

ahi Motors, the exclusive importer fo

MW Group in Syria is offering its custom-

ers an interesting pac age on se ecte BMW

odels. The offer includes 25 per cent dis-

count on ve ic e registration on any BMW 7

Series, 50 per cent on t e BMW 316i an 30

er cent on all other BMW models. Customers

w o c oose to nance any new mo e wi e

entitled to two years interest free instalments

on t eir payments. Ba i Motors wi a so e

offering customers purchasing the BMW 316

a complimentary BMW Service Inclusive pack-

age, w ic covers a major servicing on BMW

cars for the rst ve years or 100,000 km

T e BMW Service Incusive pac age o ers t e

nancial security of being able to budget own

ership costs for the contract period.

volo’s nestment n crash testng has pad rch ddends for the former oners and ts

brands. Geely will also benet from Volvo’s expertise in automotive safety



{news}

10

rn n n, x n n n n n

n’ n n n

It’s no secret that last year, the global luxury

segment ren ere a mixe per ormance

when it came to sales gures. Small luxury

cars outper orme t e rest o t e in ustry

in sales, but large luxury vehicles struggled

in comparison to the overall auto market.

An t ats a tren every motorcar manu ac-

turer would want to reverse. While, the usualrepresentation o u tra- uxury ve ic es rom

high-end manufacturers such as Rolls-Royce,

Ferrari and Lamborghini were conspicuously

a sent at t is years opening motor s ow in

Detroit, but most chose to instead exhibit their

most-covete cars in specia customer ocuse

events.

ow, catering to the ultra wealthy is noth-

ing new, ut w at is new in t is rat er ong

spell of recession is that retailers and manu-

acturers are inventing new ways to mar et

more of their products to the super rich.

ne o t e ways t at retai ers are

md

u

si

a

va ue to an expensive ran instea o trying

to pus a ran e wit esser options or ower

ricing. And it seems this latest marketing

antra is wor ing quite we an since

the Middle East is still among the

strongest mar ets or ig en

cars an expensive customization

options, hence it it’s not surpris-ng to see u tra uxury carma ers

such as Bentley, Rolls-Royce offer-

ng more espo e mo e s, especia y or t e

iscerning Mi e East customers wit varying

tastes and needs.

ere s a oo at some o t e u tra uxury

odels that are heading this way this year

an going y t e tren s, t e region can ex-

ect to a more mainstream or exotic names

to the bandwagon soon.

Betle

ritish ultra-luxury automaker Bentley has an-

ounce t at it wi e pro ucing two sepa-

ate special edition Continental models for

t h e Middle-East market only. The

two mo e s inc u e are t e

ontinental Flying Spur Ara-

ia an t e Continenta F y-

ng Spur Speed Arabia. The

lying Spur Arabia getst e stan ar 6.0- itre twin

turbo W12 engine with 552bhp and 650Nm

o torque. T e Fying spur Spee Ara ia gets

that engine tuned upwards to 600bhp and 750

m, shaving a tenth of a second off the 0 to

100 m sprint time 4.8 instea o 4.9secs

and adding 10km/h to the top speed, now

at 322 m . Distinguis ing t e mo e s wi

e a special ‘Arabia’ motif will include a front

udguard badge as well as a tread plate and

as tray i a a ge wit t e espo e Ara-

ia signature. Both models also get their own

et o w ees. T e F ying Spur Ara ia comes

- diamond alloy wheels, whileSpur Speed Arabia features

o e 20in rims in s ining si ver.

er touches include ventilated

eats t at can coo or warm

Author:

For Middle East only!

<< t m e n n

10 n bn >>

assengers, veneere picnic

tables inside the cabin and a

c rome ue cap wit t e B

nsignia of Bentley. Bentley

will limit the two special edi-

tions to a com ine tota o

ust 50 units.

We ave create t ese

lusive new models for our

ic customers in recognition

growing importance o t ese

l customers. Bentley has a

u tra ition o eing a e to

r an persona ise our cars to

yling and driving tastes of our

t ese specia -e ition Bent eys

skills for the Middle East Mar-

Dow ing, regiona irector,

East.



{news}

11

HALf A MiLLion K-SERiES EnGinES

RoLL ouT fRoM MARuTi SuzuKi

aruti Suzu i In ia Limite , t e countrys

eading car manufacturer has announced the

ro uction o a recor a a mi ion units o

he K-series engine in less than 23 monthsThe rst K-series engine was manufactured in

cto er 2008 an t e car company as an in-

talled capacity of 500,000 units annually. To

eet t e growing mar et eman , Maruti Su-

uki recently announced an expansion plan of

itiona 200,000 K-series engines y 2012.

aruti Suzu i pro uces two versions o

he light weight aluminium construction nor-

a y-aspirate engines t at isp ace 998cc

nd 1.2-litre respectively and these engines

ower seven Maruti Suzu i mo e s incu ing

A to-K10, Wagon R, Swi t, Ritz, Esti o, Swi

zire and A star. “Introduction of K-series en-ine in In ia is an examp e o Maruti Suzu i s

ommitment to take the engine technology in

n ia to t e next eve . In a s ort span, t e

ompany as sca e up t e pro uction o K-

eries engine manifold. K-series engines are

nvironment r ien y an ue e cient w i e

elivering performance,” said Shinzo Nakani-

i, MD an CEO o Maruti Suzu i. T e news

ngines o er est-in-cass ue e ciency com-

ined with top performance.

Bespoke at its bestr-r m c -

pn a d. t n

n n n n n

n ’ n n n.

e bespoke two-door Phantom coupé

draws its inspiration from the stunning

an scape o t e Baynuna area in t e western

egion of Abu Dhabi, UAE. With a history that

ates back centuries, the region is renowned

or t e majesty o its san unes, capture

through the interior and exterior styling of thear w ic incorporates s a es o eige an

rown, further complemented by a tan ever-

ex roof.

T e inay an marquetry, inspire y t e

traditional, vibrant colours of an Arabian cam-

arness, were an -cra te at Ro s-Royces

oodwood plant. Swift, agile and powerful

haracteristics of the region’s famous falcon,

a e S a een, are mirrore in Ro s-Royces

river-oriented Phantom Coupé. With a mar-

uise-w ite exterior, eaturing a twin coac

ine in Tudor red and offset by a red and Sea-

hell leather interior, the coupé is designed to

a e a statement.With a view to highlighting the falcon and

so t e art o a conry, a t e e ements ea-

ture a distinctive, falcon motif. From the fal-

on inay in rass, c emica y etc e rom a

sing e piece o stain ess stee , to t e a con

embroidered head-rests, which encompass

11-t rea co ours an oast a staggering

1,011 stitches per head-rest, it is a true rep-

esentation o t e s i an creativity o t e

artisans at Goo woo .

“The Bespoke programme continues to be aconsistent river or our usiness in t e region,

with four of the world’s top 10 selling Bespoke

eaers ase in t e Ara ian Peninsu a, sai

James Cric ton, Ro s-Royce Motor Cars Re-

gional Director for the Middle East. “The rst

a o 2010 saw our est sa es resu t ever

for the Middle East region, having doubled

our sa es in comparison to t e same perio

n 2009. T e Bespo e Programme, w ic as

the highest global uptake in the Middle East, is

a service o ere to Ro s-Royce c ients or in-

dividualization beyond the option list; the cli-

ent may speci y eatures o t e car, in or er to

create one s own, unique mo e . Meanw i e,during the rst half of the year, Abu Dhabi Mo-

tors tre e its sa es o Ro s-Royce ve ic es

n comparison to the same period in 2009, a

growt o over 200 per cent.

<< r-r n n

n xn j>>

fERRARi in iTALiA RECALL

T e year 2010, cou e est escri e as

the year of the recall and even exotic auto-

a ers suc as Ferrari aven t een spare

It seems that a series of inexplicable res

ave affected several new Ferrari 458 Italia

supercars. A ter e ving into t e issue, Fer

ari has found the cause and a solution to

t e pro em. W en t e car is riven to ig

ex aust temperatures in ot am ient tem

eratures, an adhesive used in the whee

arc assem ies ten s to over eat an a ow

the rear wheel housing heat shields to move

aroun . In extreme cases, t e g ue can egin

to smoke and even catch re,” explained a

errari spokesman. The re problem has been

so ate to on y a an u o cars out o t e

1,248 units sold to date and as a goodwil

gesture Ferrari wi rep ace t e ve ices w ic

were lost to re for its owners, and will recal

and repair all existing vehicles.



{news}

12

audi’s regioNal liNe-up fortified with

the r8 v10 spyder

I2007, Au i rst intro uce t e R8. At

the time many observers felt to unlock the true potential of the car, it needed some

ore power rom its t en V8 powerp ant.

Audi happily obliged the critics by shoehorn-

ng a Lam org ini-source 5.2-itre V10 t at

sends 525hp and 530 Nm of torque to all four

wheels, thanks to a sophisticated quattro all-

w ee - rive system. T e on y t ing missing

was an open top version.

irst seen at Fran urt Motor S ow ast Sep-

tember, the latest addition to Audi’s regional

ine-up and will be available in showrooms

across t e Mi e East an Levant t is mont

s the open top R8 Spyder. “The R8 Spyderwi se a se ecte num er o units on y. Its

true value lies in its role as an ambassador of

t e Au i ran , sai Je Mannering, manag-

ng irector o Au i Mi e East. Au i o ers

a classic manual and an R tronic sequential

six-spee transmission as an option. On t e

erformance front, 0-100km/h comes in 4.1

secs an top spee is 313 m .

esi es a ascinating pac age o tec noo-

gies, inc u ing t e Au i Space Frame compris-

ing of aluminium and carbon bre composites,motorsport erive ry sump u rication or

the engine, launch control for maximum ac-

celeration, super fast reacting magnetic ride

tec no ogy, 19in w ee s wit asymmetric

tyres and optional carbon bre-ceramic discs.

T e car sports a c ot so t top in c assic Au i

sty e, w ic eeps t e ve ic es tota weig t

and center of gravity low. The top opens and

c oses wit in 19 secon s, even w i e riving

at speeds up to 50 km/h and the ESP stabiliza

tion system as a Sport mo e an can a so e

comp ete y eactivate .

The R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro rolls on 19-inc w ee s s o up ront wit 235 35 tires

and 295/30 tires in the rear. The four brake

iscs are interna y ventiate an per orate ,

and are gripped by a total of 24 calipers. Op-

tionally available from Audi are large carbon

er-ceramic iscs t at are ig tweig t, ro ust

and long-lived. The ESP stabilization system

as a Sport mo e an can a so e compete y

eactivate .

W s Toyota a victim o an orc estrate

mage scam? In the latest blow to main-

stream me ia ype, t e Nationa Hig way

Trafc Safety Administration has failed to nd

any evidence electronic failures led to cases

o uninten e acce eration in Toyota ve ic es.

According to the Detroit News, NHTSA ofcials

reporte t at uman error was to ame in 35

of the 58 cases under review. The rest of the

incidents were attributed to sticky/trapped ac-

e erator pe a s. Reviewing event ata recor -

rs is one small part of (the NHTSA’s) effort to

et to t e ottom o uninten e acce eration

n Toyota ve ices. At t is eary perio in t e

nvestigation, engineers have not identied

ny new sa ety e ects in Toyotas ot er t an

ticking gas pedals or pedal entrapment,” said

HTSA spo eswoman O ivia A air. As part o

ts goo wi gesture, Toyota reca e approxi-

ately 4.2mn vehicles worldwide to install a

stee rein orcement ar in acce erator mec -

anisms used in the RAV4, Corolla, Avalon,

Camry, Tun ra, an Sequoia. T e company

was eventually ned $16.4 million dollars for

ot disclosing their knowledge of the defect.

espite t is, t e NHTSA is continuing t eir in-

vestigation. The government entity is teaming

p wit NASA to etermine i e ectromagnetic

nterference (aka cosmic rays) could cause

nintended acceleration.

No evideNce of toyota electroNic failures

kia uae lauNches

2011 sportage

at New dubai

showroom

A Majid Motors Co. – the sole distributor of

IA cars in t e UAE – aunc e t e 2011

KIA Sportage SUV at their all-new state-of-

the-art showroom in Deira, Dubai. The new

s owroom a so ou es up as KIA UAE s new

Dubai headquarters was ofcially opened last

mont . Its not o ten a car ea ers ip gets to

launch a brand new car and showroom at the

same time, so we’re very happy with the tim-

ing, sai Mo amma K a er, GM o A Maji

Motors Co.IAs new Deira s owroom is t e secon in

the area and is located right in the hub of the

area’s automobile market. The dealership has

ten s owrooms t roug out t e UAE, a o

which offer sales, after-sales and spare parts

services. Wit t is new s owroom, we oo

forward to increasing KIA’s sales by at least

20 per cent, sai K a er. A Maji Motors

Co wi o er t e Sportage in ot 2.4-itre or

2.0-litre variants and several trim levels.



{news}

13

e 2011 Wranglers went into productionast month and are expected to hit dealer-

ips s ort y. T e up ate mo e s now ea-

ture larger rear windows, a body-colour hard

top on t e Sa ara an severa new co our

hoices such as Detonator Yellow, Deep Cher-

y Red, Sahara Tan, Cosmos Blue and Bright

W ite.

ut the bigger story is inside the car, where

t e interior is vast y improve wit new com-

onents and improved materials. Highlights

nclude a new steering wheel, a redesigned

nstrument pane , a revise center stac , si -

ver trim and soft-touch door armrests. New

options inc u e eate power mirrors, a pow-

er out et, an a me ia centre wit USB B u-

etooth connectivity.

2011 Jeep wraNgler aNd wraNgler

uNlimited upgraded

Brig t Automotive an Genera Motors re-

cently announced that they have agreedto pursue a strategic relationship and that

GM as provi e un ing to t e In iana auto-

aker. This is the rst funding action by the

ew y- orme Genera Motors Ventures, LLC,

and it will help accelerate Bright’s production

of the IDEA, a revolutionary plug-in hybrid

commercia ve ic e.

gm aNd bright

partNership

ford meNa

doNates vehicles

for Noble cause

F r Mi e East as steppe in a voca

tiona re a i itation training programme

for inmates at Al Wathba Department of Cor-

ections an Prisons an A Ma raq Juveni eCentre in Abu Dhabi. The vocational educa-

tion programme, run y G o a So utions Lim

ted, is conducted underthe patronage of H.H

t. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan,

eputy Prime Minister an UAE Minister o In

terior to help rehabilitate juvenile and adult

nmates.

The blue oval car company donated a eet

of eight vehicles including two Ford Expedi

tions, two For Exp orers, one Mustang, a

Crown Victoria, a Lincoln LS and one Wind-

star. T ey are now eing use y inmates to

ut the theories learned in the motor vehicle

studies programme to the test through practi

ca emonstrations o t eir tec nica a i ities.

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) have announced

t e esta is ment o a new tec nica an

training centre in Dubai Investment Park, of-

fering access to Jebel Ali Port and the new Al

a toum Internationa Airport. T e new aci -

ty, dubbed as ‘The Academy’, was ofcially

pene ast mont y Bo Joyce, group en-

ineering director of JLR and it will serve as

regional training hub for JLR MENA ‘s entire

eaers ip networ in 19 mar ets across t eiddle East and North Africa region, as well

s Pa istan. Besi es training, t e centre wi

ouble up as the regional testing facility, al-

owing the brands to hot weather test new

n uture ve ic es, accor ing to Ro in Co-

an, managing director for the Middle East

n Nort A rica region.

The upcoming Range Rover Evoque, the all-

ew compact SUV will be among the rst ve

ic es to ene t rom t e in rastructure w ere

t will undergo vigorous testing for global

n regiona mar ets. T e Aca emy wi e

eaded by John Winchester, manager, engi-

eering operations with support from Jaguar

n Lan Rover HQ in t e UK as we as t e

egional Jaguar Land Rover MENA ofce.

Jlr academy iN uae

B noit Turi e is t e new mar eting irector

for the French brand’s operations in the

u . Turi e rings over 10 years o experi-

nce working with Renault in Europe, across

e pro uct mar eting, events communica-

ions, public relations and advertising elds.

is new position with Renault GCC will see

im ta e responsi i ity or eve oping aneploying Renault’s global marketing policy

roug out t e region, an e ping to ui

he brand’s image across the Middle East.

rior to his new position, Turibe was based in

ou ogne, France an was in c arge at centra

arketing for the worldwide advertising strat-

gy o t e Renau t an Dacia Bran s.

New md for for

reNault gulf

McLaren Automotive has conrmed the

names o its new retai partners or Ku-

ait an Qatar w o wi join a g o a networ

f 35 partners that will sell and service the

ompanys rst car, t e MP4-12C.

Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive will repre-

sent Kuwait w i e Dana Motors ta es t e Qa-

ar territory. For Sau i Ara ia an t e UAE,

Al Ghassan Motors and Al Habtoor Motors

espective y ave een con rme as retai

artners, while in Lebanon the company will

artner wit Saa & Tra . Now, t e on y an-

ouncement pending is that of the Bahraini

ealer which is soon expected after the for-

a ities are comp ete y ot parties.

mclareN me dealers



{news}

14

more productioN details of porsche

918 spyder surface

volkswageN lauNches

iNsuraNce services

laNd rover evoQue to

use ford eNgiNes?

o swagen Mi e East as aunc e an

nsurance programme called VolkswagenInsurance Services Program for the region.

Wit t is aci i ty on oar , ran e Vo -

swagen insurance solutions will be available

t roug just one provi er, t us e iminating

the typically complicated multiple insurance

rovider relationships that customers cur-

ent y en ure. T ese services can e o taine

from ofcial Volkswagen retail showrooms

an pro ucts inc u e Vo swagen Exten e

Warranty, Volkswagen Motor Insurance, Volk-

swagen Roadside Assistance and Volkswagen

GAP Insurance.

now t ere s een very itt e in ormation

a out Lan Rover Evoques powertrain.

ut the latest news is that the carmaker is

ecret y testing For s 2.0- itre EcoBoost en-

ine which recently debuted on the 2011

or E ge an wi soon power t e 2011 For

xplorer as a denite possibility. Despite the

lose mechanical ties with the LR2, the Eco-

oost engine is we suite or t e Evoque ast produces 237hp in the new Explorer.

Jaguar celebrates 75th aNNiversary with oNe-of-a-kiNd XJ

J guar s new imite -pro uction coupe was

oined by the one-off XJ75 Platinum con

cept created to honour of the brand’s 75th

anniversary at t e amous Pe e Beac Con-

cours d’Elegance last month. The striking car

eature pearescent w ite paint t at provi e

a star contrast to t e ig saoon s ac e -out

grille, D-pillar, and custom 22in wheels. Inside,

qui te ac eat er seats contraste t e ia-

mond-stitch suede inserts. The same material

a so a orne t e ea iner an a itiona g itz

came courtesy of the Bremont Watch Com-

pany, which was responsible for the bespoke

c oc insta e in t e XJ75s conso e. T e spe-

cial edition is powered by 470-horsepower su-

perc arge 5.0-itre V8 an Jaguar say i t at

oesn t provi e enoug entertainment, t en

the bespoke 1,200-watt, 20-speaker Bowers &

Wi ins au io system s ou o t e jo .

From a private Pebble Beach customer

event, it seems that when the recentlygreen lighted Porsche 918 Spyder will come to

market with a bigger engine than the 493hp

3.4-litre V8 racing engine shown earlier. Both

the displacement and the horsepower could

get bumped up, which would combine with

three 40-kW electric motors for more than the

reported 708 hp, according to a TeamSpeed.

com forum member The member attended

a private Porsche event for the car in Pebble

Beach where it was reportedly announced that

the show car, still under construction, had a

fully-functioning all-electric mode with regen-

erative brakes and plug-in charging. However,once the engine is bolstered up, the produc-

tion model will only be sold with a PDK trans-

mission. Although currently all carbon bre,

the consumer model will have improved crash

safety thanks to aluminum at the front end.It rides on 22in wheels, though that could

change once orders are taken. Meanwhile, it

is uncertain if tailpipes will stay on the side, or

if they will move to the rear. The car will be

sold with both hard and soft tops, the poster

says, but no RS version is being planned. Side

mirrors could be replaced with cameras, relay-

ing a video image to a built-in display at the

instrument cluster. Also inside, the driver will

control the infotainment system via a touch

screen. According to the TeamSpeed post, the

Porsche 918 Spyder is currently being tested

in the form of several mules wearing the Box-ster/Cayman body. The car is expected to be

priced at about €500,000 with production lim-

ited to 1,200 units.



{news}

15

gemballa relauNched mercedes sls

amg gt3 price

aNNouNced

Mercedes has announced the SLS AMG

GT3 wi e price rom €334,000. De

signed for GT3 racing, the car features a new

ront ascia, a venti ate onnet, a car on

re front splitter, a rear diffuser, and a huge

wing. Other goodies include a carbon-bre

ein orce sa ety ce , a stee ra ing system

a six-speed sequential racing transmission

wit steering w ee s i t pa es , an an in

tegrated multi-disc locking differential. Powe

s provided by a 6.3-litre V8 engine, which is

virtua y i entica to t e one in t e stan ar

SLS AMG. It allows the car to accelerate from0-96 m in 3.7secs an it a top spee in

excess of 300km/h. While owners won’t take

e ivery unti Fe ruary 2011, Merce es wi

enter an SLS AMG GT3 in t e VLN race on

the Nürburgring Nordschleife this month. Ac

cor ing to t e ea o Merce es-Benz Mo

torsports, Norbert Haug, "The Mercedes SLS

AMG GT3 mar s t e eginning o a new era

n Merce es-Benz customer motorsport. T is

s an exciting and spectacular sports car for

e icate private teams an taente private

drivers." He added, "I am very pleased tha

t e eman or t is new an unique competi

tion car is so great - t ere are many moreenquiries for orders than can initially be dealt

wit .

hoNda civic type r hatchback europe

sales discoNtiNued

Against the backdrop of what looks to be

an old, German BMW M3 ad proclaiming

T e Tiger is oose, BMW is preparing to re-

ease a special edition of the high performance

-Series or t e C inese mar et. T e BMW

3 Tiger celebrates the 25th anniversary of

he car, in this, the Chinese Year of the Tiger.

T e car is painte in Fire Orange Meta ic, a

olour only seen on the M3 GTS. It rides on

9in ac e out 359M w ee s, w ic matc

imi ar accents aroun t e car. T e air in-

ake, chrome tailpipes, kidney grilles, rear

poi er an roo are a so in ac . Insi e, t e

river will nd Novilla black leather stitched

it orange t rea . T e orange coour is a so

se on t e tiger ogo seen on t e oor si s

nfortunately no ofcial photos have been

e ease yet, so stay tune .

bmw m3 tiger

editioN for chiNa

One of the weirdest motoring stories circu-

lating in 2010 has nally been resolved,

at least partly. Back in May, we thought it was

the end of Porsche specialist tuner Gemballawhen Uwe Gemballa, its founder went missing

in February and his wife led bankruptcy on

the company. But the latest is that the tuner

brand will live minus Uwe Gemballa now that

two entrepreneurs-cum-investors Andreas

Swartz and Steffen Korbach have bought the

rights to the Gemballa brand. Swartz, the CEO

of the new Gemballa has ambitious plans to

push Gemballa towards more of a true after-

market manufacturer for Porsche and some

Ferrari models. Interestingly, Gemballa North

America is also selling the rst production

McLaren F1. Schwarz has ofcially unveiled

details about the relaunched Gemballa. While

the company wears a familiar name, it is actu-

ally a new entity called Gemballa GmbH.

“With a totally new company and an invest-ment of millions, we are now looking towards

a secure future,” said Schwarz. “As well as

the rights to the name, we’ve also purchased

some assets and are starting off with 22 em-

ployees. We plan to continue the Gemballa

design line following the old models. We’re

already working on various concepts for the

Porsche Panamera and the new Porsche Cay-

enne among others,” added Schwarz. It may

be recalled that at the 2009 Dubai Motor

Show, Uwe Gemballa was close to signing up

with Galadari Group as its UAE partner. Sadly,

Uwe Gemballa is still reported as missing.

ue Gemballa



{news}

16

top headliNes that grabbed our atteNtioN last moNth

Lad Rer Eqe r-dr takes

t nürbrgrg

AutomAn’ s tAke: According to Land Rover, the

Evoque is the smallest, lightest and most ef-

cient vehicle the company has ever produced.

The original concept shown was coupe-like

three door, and it was just a matter of time

when the extra doors were to be added. While

the formal reveal of the production model is

set to take place at the Paris Motor Show in

October, we expect to get more information

about powertrains and trims. We are expect-

ing several engines ranging from 2.4-litre in-

line four to possibly a 3.2-litre V6 with or with-out turbocharging.

GM trs rehab cs t Erpeaperats

AutomAn’ s tAke: While General Motors’ North

American operations are making prots and

domestic sales are increasing, the same isn’t

quite true in Europe. GM of Europe is continu-

ing to bleed and struggling with high operat-

ing costs and reducing market shares. Opel’s

image has suffered during GM’s downturn and

the Detroit automaker also tried to sell off its

European division before reversing its plansand deciding to keep it. Perhaps, GM doesn’t

want to lose its European engineering base.

GM of Europe is primarily focused on its Ger-

man Opel unit and its Chevrolet brand – which

mostly sells rebadged GM Daewoo products

imported from Korea.

Hda deelpg e mdel rRssa

AutomAn’ s tAke: It’s not just high end brands

catering to specic markets or segments.

While Hyundai is currently riding on a high, it

has announced that it will begin production of

a new budget model, specically for the Rus-

sian market. And going by the speed Hyundai

is working, the Elantra-based new model will

compete with Volkswagen’s Polo saloon and

should be ready by January. As the model is

being designed specically for the Russian

market, the car will be equipped with a 1.4- or

1.6-litre engine, rugged suspension and a ride

height tailored for Russian driving conditions.

GM, Cha’s SAiC t c-deelp e-

ge, dal-cltch trasmss

AutomAn’ s tAke: It seems that this will be a

marriage of convenience. General Motors and

its Chinese partner, Shanghai Automotive In-

dustry Corporation (SAIC), have agreed to be-

gin working on a series of small displacement

gasoline engines and advanced transmissions

aimed at global markets. The Chinese will

benet from technology transfer, while GM will

take advantage of low production costs.

Prsche reeals ‘Paamera Pers-

alsat Prgramme’

AutomAn’ s tAke: Not unexpected, if one goes

by the current trend of bespoke options of-

fered by luxury carmakers. Porsche thinks that

some stock Panamera Turbo customers would

want to perk up their car with aftermarket tun-

ers, so why not do the same in-house? Hence,

the Panamera Personalization Programme.

This means Porsche will now offer a series of

add-ons to the already impressive and expen-

sive Panamera model line-up.

The most noteworthy add-on will be the pow-

erkit, which helps to boost horsepower from a

pedestrian 500 to a more prolic 540, besidesboosting torque. And with the Sport Chrono

Package, that gure jumps to a staggering

590 lb-ft of torque. Two new turbochargers,

with titanium aluminium turbines along with

unique engine management tuning are em-

ployed to do the trick. Besides performance

upgrades, Porsche will also offer wheels, body

and trim kits.

Lad Rer t sht sme prdctt ida ad Cha

AutomAn’ s tAke: Jaguar Land Rover has re-

cently seen a big increase in global sales of

both its Jaguar and Range Rover models. Now

it’s time to take the next logical business step.

In a recent media outing, the luxury car com-

pany said it was likely to begin building Land

Rovers in China and India, but ‘did not rule

out’ building Jaguars there too. Both China

and India are emerging as strong markets for

the brands. The decision has been made by

the company’s Indian owners Tata Motors,

which has put two leading German motor in-

dustry executives in charge of running one of the UK’s traditional automotive ‘crown jewels’.

The Land Rover assembly in India will com-

mence next year, according to Tata Motors’

CEO Carl-Peter Forster.

Earlier, Tata Motors launched Land Rover and

Jaguar models in India in June last year, using

the import route against assembly operations.

The company’s decision to assemble the Free-

lander 2 signals its bullishness on the potential

of the brands in India.

100,000th Scrcc rlls t

AutomAn’ s tAke: Since its market launch in

1974, this compact sports coupé has been the

most successful Volkswagen in its segment:

795,650 vehicles were sold up to 1992.

Volkswagen’s 100,000th unit of the third

generation Scirocco rolled off the assembly

line at the Autoeuropa plant in Portugal last

month. The model, a Scirocco R 2.0 TSI, was

equipped with Rising Blue Metallic paint, a Ti-

tan Black interior, GPS navigation, Park Pilot

(reverse parking sensors), and a sunroof. It is

powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine,

with 261bhp and 350 Nm of torque, that al-

lows the front-wheel drive model to acceleratefrom 0-100 km/h in 6.5sec (6.4sec with the

DSG transmission).

Inniti launches IPL edition of Gcpe

AutomAn’ s tAke: Following the registration of

the Inniti Performance Line (IPL) trademark,

Inniti is on the fasttrack with its new sub-

brand that promises to offer sportier, factory-

tuned vehicles.

Now, IPL means serious business and the new

set-up has wasted no time in getting its rst

car ready. As expected, it will be the G coupe,

but Inniti promises that eventually IPL will

spread to a number of cars in the lineup. Like-

ly IPL candidates are the M and G saloons,

and maybe even the FX. We can now expect

some of the fruits of the Daimler AG and Re-

nault-Nissan April deal signed in April alliance

that ofcially announced collaborative efforts

on future products and product exchanges in-

cluding engines.



{cover story}

18

The new face of Jeep,grander Than

ever before



{cover story}

19

in n n n , J

n n gn c n sn fn. an

n n



{cover story}

20

Wen you oo at t e mess t at t e

Chrysler Corporation has been

t roug over t e years, you amost

egin to wonder how it has survived for so

ong. It almost seems a lifetime ago that Lee

acocca ma e is name or posterity y ta ing

oney from the US government and rescu-

ng t e company rom t e rin . Fast orwar

couple of decades and the same scenario

was repeated, this time largely because the

conomy s i te so a y ownwar s t at t e

way in w ic t e US car in ustry i usiness

o longer made sense.

It is just t at time t roug t e government

ai came wit con itions inc u ing getting a

uyer. So, in short order the pentastar com-

any went rom eing owne y Daim er, to

eing run as an ‘investment’ by nanciers to

getting into its atest marriage to t e FIAT

group.

owever, one thing that needs to be re-

em ere is t at t e company as t ree

unique ran s in its C rys er, Jeep an Do ge

adges. Distinct to the buyer, that is, though

in many respects t e company is a most gui ty

of badge engineering. Look at cars like the

300 and the Charger, the difference is almost

overcome y t e sameness, t oug ept apart

y a thin veneer of trim and specication vari

ance.

n the lead up to the new Grand Cherokee,

the Jeep brand has in its wisdom been guilty

o a ew ot er aux pas. Can we orgive t e



{cover story}

21

ran or cars i e t e Compass? It may ave

ade sense in any other brand, including the

a i er over at Do ge, ut as a Jeep it i not

o anyt ing to project t e ran .

On the other end of the scale was the move

to a ressing t e seven seat segment in top

nd SUVs with the Commander. Admirable as

t e intention may ave een, t e car itse i

ot o its jo against competition an over

the years has been seen to be just that little

it outsi e t e ran s appea .

T e ar core o Jeep mo e s are sti ove

y the brand’s lovers and buyers. From the

Wrang er, to t e Li erty C ero ee uo to t e

Gran C ero ee, t e Jeep ran ma es no

excuses and no compromises and provides

strong pro uct- riven appea .

So is the Jeep brand to be limited to the

sum tota o t e t ree mo e s? In t ese ays

of slimmer, leaner product portfolios it makes

sense. However if that has to make business

sense too, eac o mo e s as to e a e to

a e on competition rom a ost o new com-

etitors. In that connection, the invite from

e ran to join a group o internationa

otoring media for a drive in San Fransisco

ame as no surprise, though one aspect made

s won er - ow i FIAT manage to ena e

he roll-out of a complete model change in so

ort a time?

Jeep prides itself as the maker of the di-

ect descendant of the ubiquitous WWII Jeep

n as t e ran t at ma e t e category o



{cover story}

22

the SUV with the creation of the Grand Chero-

kee almost 20 years ago. As such, the Grand

C ero ee as een a centra ync pin or t ebrand and is seen as critical to its future de-

ve opment.

The new Jeep Grand Cherokee, thankfully,

does not try deviate from its hardcore nature.

W i e increasing y t e appea o monocoque

construction has drawn other SUVs away

rom o y on rame construction, t e Gran

Cherokee retains its architecture. So what has

changed?

Design makes a differenceesigners too t e tra itiona esign cues

from the Jeep brand’s nearly 70-year heritage

– the seven-slot grille, short front and rear

over angs, trapezoi a w ee arc es – an

moved them on to create an all-new exterior

esign. On t e insi e, esigners use upgra -

ed materials and increased cargo and comfort

space.

Jeep is synonymous wit t e SUV, sai

Mark Allen, Head of Jeep Design. “Our goal

was to ta e t at signi cant Jeep esign is-

tory and move it forward, while listening to

our customers’ input on what they love about

t e Jeep Gran C ero ee. T e en resu t is

roof that Jeep has retained and solidied its

ightful spot as the leader, with a vehicle that

oes not sacri ce o -roa capa i ity or preium amenities.”

T e a -new Jeep Gran C ero ee is ig-

ger by only 2 inches in length and 3 inches

n width. Despite this, customers will get

11-percent more room in t e cargo area an

ncreased rear-seat knee clearance and leg

oom o 981.1mm. Knee c earance in t e new

odel is now 109.7mm.

rom the side, Jeep Grand Cherokee fea-

tures an at etic, muscu ar pro e. B ac ap

liqués on B-pillars give the bright day-light

opening DLO an aero ynamic, mo ern

appearance and a sleek prole. Available

c rome oor an es a to t e pro e an

compement t e u -c rome DLO surroun

on all models.

imite an Over an mo e s eature stan-

dard 18- and 20-inch wheels, respectively.

Tai amps wrap rom t e rear quarter pane

to t e ac o t e ve ic e an create a so i

form, which achieves more of an upscale ap-

earance. T e treatment comp ements t e

front-end design and resonates with the rest

o t e exterior.

T e resty e car is a ea turner. It isn t

ust the front fascia, the rear has an almost

uropean c aracter a out it. An once you get

nto t e interior you note t at t ere ave eena host of other changes in there as well.

it an nis eve s ave gone t roug a

quantum jump ahead as has the quality and

ee o t e materia use in t e interior. T e

company s CEO Mi e Mannering a resse

s on the topic of the new standards in use

at t e company s manu acturing ines. He a -

itted that even such basic quality assurance

too s i e re erence gauges a not een use

egularly before the new FIAT processes were

ntroduced. It is heartening to see that senior

anagement is not ony so can i a out t e

roblems that existed, they are also equipped

wit t e so utions.

T e Gran C ero ee a so sees t e intro-

duction of new technologies in various de-

artments. No onger oes t e provision o a

igh-tech sound system make up for the gap

n consumer esire in t e segment. Un er t e

ody, the car sees the introduction of ride-

eight control with its Quadra-Lift air suspen-

ion t at partners wit a w o e new approac

to the suspension itself with fully independent

ront an rear suspensions. T is c ange as

rought about a level of smoothness on on-



{cover story}

23

oa appications w i e t e provision o t euadra-Lift air suspension compensates rath-

r we wit o -roa a i ity an sti ness. A -

itionally the lift provides a high ground clear-

nce of almost 270mm.

T e secon new app ication o tec noogy

n the new Grand Cherokee is in the Selec-

Terrain mo u e t at a s Terrain seection to

the Jeep range for the rst time. We had seen

this in various forms in Land Rover, German

n ate y ot er Japanese SUVs, ut t is is t e

rst we have seen it independently applied in

SUV rom t e US.

Selec-TerrainIn a ition to t e Qua ra-Li t air suspen-

ion, the all-new Selec-Terrain traction control

ystem ets customers c oose t e o -roa

etting for the optimum experience on all ter-

ains. This feature electronically coordinates

p to 12 i erent powertrain, ra ing an

uspension systems, including throttle control,

transmission s i t, trans er case, Traction Con-

tro an E ectronic Sta i ity Contro ESC .

The Selec-Terrain’s control dial allows the

river to c oose rom ve riving con itions

in or er to ac ieve t e est riving experienceon all terrains:

an Mu : Traction Contro an Qua ra-Li t

operate with sensitive response to wheel spin,

and torque is tuned for optimal performance

port: Provi es en ance on-roa un-to-

drive” capability

Auto: Automatica y a apts to any on- or

off-road situation

now: Vehicle traction adjusts for ultimate

er ormance over snow-covere roa s

ock: Quadra-Lift suspension raises to a

aximum eig t o 269.5mm 10.6 in. , an

the transfer case, differentials and throttle co-

ordinate to provide low-speed control

e ec-Terrain, coup e wit t e a -new

Quadra-Lift air suspension, offers drivers

an a justa e suspension span t at e ivers

world-class capability. Selec-Terrain is standard

with Quadra-Trac II and Quadra-Drive II.

Anot er new app ication o tec noogy is

the provision of the new 3.6-litre PentaStar V6

engine. It as a unc o speci cations t at

ade us suspect that it was part of a family of

engines t at ave een wi e y intro uce in

t e Genera Motors ine-up an C rys er o

ia s present at t e aunc rive went to quiteome lengths to speak with their engineering

epartment an c ari y t at it was not t e case

According to them the PentaStar engines were

comp ete y in- ouse eve opment.

T e uniqueness a out t e PentaStar among

the current line-up of Jeep engines is that it

rings DOHC an VVT on a ig -pressure

ast block with a 60-degree V layout. This en

ine as a power output o 286 p an pro

vides a torque of 347Nm and is mated with

the W5A580 5-speed automatic transmission

w ic inc u es a aptive eectronic contro o

lectronic Range Select (ERS) driver-interac

tive manua contro an an e ectronica y mo

ate torque converter c utc . In t e case

f the larger engined car, the engine is the

trie an teste 5.7- itre V8 MDS unit mate

with another 5-speed auto unit in the 545RFE

u ti-spee automatic transmission. T e ve

pee transmission inc u es t ree p anetary

ear sets, one over-running clutch with ERS

river interactive contro an an e ectronica y

ontrolled torque converter clutch. The V8

enerates 352 p o power an a uge torque

f 520Nm.

<< N n n - n

n n n n >>



24



{ }

25

The Grand Cherokee is available with one

of two four-wheel drive systems in the region

ot o w ic we ave seen e ore in t e Jeep

rand. The Quadra-Trac II and the Quadra

rive II. Qua ra-Trac II s two-spee trans e

case uses input from a variety of sensors inorder to determine tyre slip at the earliest

ossi e moment an ta e corrective action

The system uses Throttle Anticipate to sense

quic movement in t e t rott e rom a stop

and maximizes traction before slippage oc

curs. W en tyre s ippage is etecte , as muc

as 100 percent o avai a e torque is instant y

outed to the axle with the most traction.

ua ra-Drive II, wit a rear Eectronic

imited-slip Differential (ELSD), delivers in

ustry- ea ing tractive capa i ity. T e system

nstant y etects tyre s ip an smoot y is

tributes engine torque to tyres with tractionIn some cases, t e ve ic e wi anticipate ow

traction and adjust in order to proactively limit

or e iminate s ip.

T e entire pac age serves to move t e

Grand Cherokee way ahead on the SUV mar-

et wit out in anyway c anging its appea to

the SUV-buyer. Local offcials say that it wil

o er t e w o e pac age at a price point t a

egs it square y against t e current Pra o an

as such it denitely can make a difference to

t e num ers so ere. A com ination o Eu

opean styling, good engineering and a whole

ew generation o qua ity an t an nis

a e t e car etter t an some competitors.e got the opportunity to drive the ca

a ong a ong scenic route a ong t e Paci c

coast and a short and rather interesting jaunt

over a roug wi erness trai wit a scary rop

own t e i si e t at seeme to e se ecte

for its ability to highlight the down-hill assist

We a to eave t e car in ow secon gea

and just take our feet off the controls to come

own t e i u y un er contro . Not ing new

o course, just t at its t e rst time weve

seen it on the Jeep. We rather think that wil

e ig ig t or t e oca sa esmen to s ow o

down the Bowsher hills.

oes t e car ave t e w erewit a to com

ete? – one rather imagines it does. With fea

tures like a great sound system, dual pane

g ass roo an t e a i ity to stow a u -size

spare in the rear compartment (under the

oor , p us a arge an uxurious ca in an

the quality to keep it distinct from others, the

Grand Cherokee is the right product at the right

time. For C rys er Corporation, t e rejuvena

tion of the company and brand seems like i

wi e pro uct- riven just i e un er Iacocca

An t is time one opes t at it asts.

<< f wn, l/

c gn c,

J n n x n n

>>



{Road Test}

26

a a5 n x

n n n. i nnn x nn 2- n-n v6 n n

. an - n .

an n n .

P la y i n g c o o l



{Road Test}

27

Oe of its greatest strengths is that Aud

akes cars that are relatively modest

n t eir sty ing, ut exu e qua ity an

erformance. And it is this trait that has en-

a e t is ran to increase its sa es y eaps

and bounds. A key element of the markedpturn in demand has been the extraordi

ari y rapi evo ution o t e Au i mo e range

over the past few years. Audi sold a total of

1,003,469 cars in 2008 an t us ac ieve its

13th consecutive record year.

T e mi -size A5 open top was create as

an exercise to wi en t e ine-up. Au i e ieves

that open-top cars are bought with the heart

an t ey are suppose to express t e person

ality of their drivers: their independence, their

n ivi ua ity, t eir joie e vivre. Since esign

s a particu ar important actor in t is emo

tional decision, Audi has ensured that it hasgot it rig t in one go.

irst, the car is pleasantly proportioned

an it s pro e ec oes t at it isn t just a cu

an paste jo . Measuring 4,630mm ong an

1,850mm wide, but only 1,380mm tall, the

2+2 is a e to guarantee sportiest proportions

n its class. The bonnet is a kind of one-size-

ts-a oo s stretc e ecause un erneat

Au i o ers a wi e range o petro an iese

engines ranging from in-line four cylinders

to V6s, ut oo s goo on t e ong 2,750mm

wheelbase. Sheetmetal is characterized by

s arp crease ines an muscu ar sweep o

t e s ou er t at rings in its istinctive si-ouette. Then there’s a broad track of nearly

1,600mm an t e arge 17in w ees t at con

tribute in its stance.

eanw i e, t e ront en as gaine great

er expressiveness an reso ve. T e sing e

frame family radiator grille serves as its key

e ning e ement. T e arge pseu o air in ets

int at the potential of the bigger engines

an t e s arp y cut us t ea ig ts em

asise a mature appearance o t e car. T e

ear is characteristic of the A5 family and is

signe o wit strip LED ig ts, ua ex aus

tailpipes, a diffuser and the integrated rear

og ig t ec os Au i s connection wit wor

of motor sport, Le Mans in particular.

The best thing in this car is that Audi has

gone its own in epen ent way in t e ongoing

attle in the German open top luxury-sports

ea m wit t e A5 ca rio et. So w at as Au

done that makes a world of difference? We

think it’s the folding soft top. How many new

converti es can actua y oast o using w a

s becoming quite rare these days?

i e most cars in t is c ass ave gra u



<< vn’ q 2.0- j

n n, a5 n n

>>

{Road Test}

28

ated from soft to hard metal-based tops,

but Audi being Audi, has resisted that notion

rom t e very eginning an create t e ot-

test new A5 family addition for 2010. Once

again, Au i must e commen e or saving an

en angere species, y w ic we mean t e

quintessential ragtop.

espite an e ement o conservativeness,

one would still question the virtues of using

c ot over meta . Is it t e rig t t ing to o

w ere t e tren is suggesting somet ing e se,

one might reasonably ask or is the 1997 Mer-

ce es-Benz SLK230 responsi e or t is e -

uge of folding hard top convertibles that are

coupe- i e quiet wit t e top up, sun-in- ace

with the top stowed, and offer a protective

covering that will likely endure well beyond

the life of traditional fabric? Well, let’s face it;

these are hard facts that can’t be ignored.

As a ways, t ere s a ipsi e too. Ta e or in

stance the engineering complexities in design-

ng mec anisms t at go wit o ing ar tops

add considerable weight at a time where ab

eduction is a priority. But, this is where the

A5s so t top roo scores a u s-eye. It is muc

ighter than the conventional hard tops and it

stows in 16secs an rises in 19secs. T e so t

top comprises three layers, a top covering,

cushioning pad and headliner. In the optional

acoustic top, it re uces win noise a most to

the level of a saloon and is offered in several

co ours.

espite the advantage of being able to con-

trol excess mass, the car with the in-line four

ngine still weighs a healthy 1,615kg and this

oes up epen ing on t e engine an type

rive 2WD or Quattro . T is car resi es in

the good company of competing hardtop con-

verti es suc as t e BMW 3, In niti G37, an

Volvo C70.

Anot er great a vantage is t at t e so t top

ives t e A5 more oot space t an anyt ing

lse in its class, top up or top down, plus helps

e ease more space or rear occupancy, w ic

s actually habitable by adults.

T e ca in o t e A5 ca rio et is a very p eas-

nt p ace to e in. T e esign e ements o ow

Audi’s recent offerings, so it modest, well-built

wit qua ity materias an trims, ut we were

isappointed with some of the functional attri-

utes, w ic is quite un i e Au i. Our test car



{Road Test}

29

Driving

was kitted with deep red leather contrasting

icely with the black exterior and the overall

om orta e an cossete ee ing is at par wit

MW or Lexus.

Our test car was tte wit a orce e

.0-litre four-cylinder engine. It may be smalln displacement at 1,984cc, but is actually

uite a ig -tec engine as com ines FSI i-

ect fuel injection with turbocharging with a

va ve i t system w ic manages t e varia e

pening of the exhaust valves, reducing ush

ng osses in t e com ustion c am er an en-

uring an optima ow o ex aust gas to t e

turbocharger. The engine delivers 180hp and

20 Nm, wit most o t e torque avaia e e-

tween 1,500 and 3,900 rpm range.

T e car is a ront-w ee rive an uses

u titronic transmission system, w ic is es-

entially Audi’s version of continuous variable

ransmission or CVT. It o ers a sport mo e

n a manua mo e wit seven simu ate gear

atios. This model also has Audi’s drive select

o tware w ic in uences t e engines t rott e

esponse, shift points of the transmission ase as t e oost o t e servotronic steering.

ne great a vantage wit CVT transmissions

s that they combine smooth operation, high

ciency an ue -saving gear ratios. Here

he claimed average fuel efciency is 7.4 l/100

m. However, t e ip si e is t at or a purist,

he actual feeling of gears changing even in

anual mode is articial. It’s a compromise

ne as to ive wit , un ortunate y.

etting the over all engine is also the sus-

ension esign. T e ront w ee s are mounte

n a ve-link axle while the rear uses self-

tracking trapezoidal links. Interestingly, the

ear suspension is i entica in t e ront-w ee

rive an quattro versions. T e car ri es on

17in alloy wheels shod with 225/50 tyres

Quattro Gm H a so o ers 18-, 19- an even

20-in wheels for the A5. As expecte , t e open top gets its s are o

structural reinforcement through out its sheet

etal. In the front section, diagonal struts run

rom t e si e si s to t e auxiiary rame o

the suspension mounts. In the rear section

simi ar components are integrate eneat

the oor of the trunk. The hydroformed tubes

that reinforce the A-pillars from the inside and

various t ic nesses o meta ave een use

oll-over protection is also provided between

t e ca in an t e oot.

Since the car uses an array of powertrains, a

key element in the design has been to move

the engine farther toward the rewall to im-

prove front-to-rear weight distribution. This

works well and we were pleasantly surprised

to nd that the 2WD doesn’t feel too differ-

ent than the Quattro version which have axle

weight bias of 52.9 per cent front and 47.1 per

cent rear. Actually, it is better than a rear-drive

Mustang GT coupe!

The hydraulic rack-and-pinion steering withits 16:1 ratio is sporty and direct, providing

a precise and nely differentiated connection

with the road. With the top closed, the four-

seater has a drag coefcient of 0.31, so the

car is quiet on the move with minimum wind

turbulence disturbance top down.

If anything, the A5 is almost too willing to turn

in, as we discovered when the car was abruptly

reversed course during the lane-change test.

This is partly attributable to steering that’s

both quick, at 2.6-turns lock-to-lock, and

largely devoid of feel, particularly on-centre.

But on the great graph of handling attributes,

we usually prefer neutral balance over under-

steer, and this convertible’s responses raise its

fun-to-drive level near the top of the heap in

its competitive set. Our only disappointment

was with the braking. There’s never a hint of fade, and pedal feel is good, but 177 feet from

110km/h is long by current standards.

What impresses is its dual nature of usability

that its rivals can’t compete with. In most situ-

ations the car is comfortable to be in, however,

the ride is a bit rm over poor surfaces. The

steering is light for the weight of the car and

is extra sensitive. I noted that while changing

direction, it responds sharply, while the rm

suspension resists roll and clings on well to

asphalt. At times I felt that the steering was

slightly hesitant when I wanted to quickly cor-

rect straight-line stabil ity.

We think that this car would be a bit more fun

to drive if it had a bit more power. Although

the engine—Volkswagen’s 2.0-litre pot may

lag behind in terms of sheer acceleration, but

that doesn’t dampen the enthusiasm as there’senough thrust to slingshot the car to 100km/h

in sub seven secs, but no one would call that

blazing these days. Transmission is smooth in

general and a bit leisurely, one can’t do much

about it but activate the software options for a

bit of liveliness, especially in manual mode.



<< b n -- n n n ,

a5 q n , n n

nn n n n . b

’ n , ’

n gn n- >>

{Road Test}

30



<< on n a

nn n n, x q n

n. an n n

n . a n n n n

n xn n a

n >>

{Road Test}

31

verdict

Aside from the minor power-to-weight reser-

vation issue and the pseudo feel of the CVT,

the A5 cabrio is an attractive piece of work. It

is a traditional convertible that holds its own

in a world of folding hardtops. But there’s one

big question: price. At $ 52,270 which is the

base price for the front wheel drive model, is

the A5 comparable well against folding-hard-

top competitors such as the BMW or Volvo?



3232

Catching the cat by the tail

t n s-

r n. t Xfr n on n rj w

, n .



33333

{ }

I’ve spent too many years in the business

o car journa ism to get excite a out t e

rospect of driving a new car. After all, it

snt every ay t at you get a car t at ma es a

ark on your mind and remains embedded inyour psyche for ages afterwards. Usually, the

rive consists o trying to n t at wee itt e

nnovation or irritation that makes the car dif-

erent in any way rom t e um rum majority

f models. However, I can still admit to being

ntereste in some cars an some ran s an

Jaguar is one o t em. T e Britis ran is

ne that really brings meaning to the word

marque. It as to its cre it some o t e most

eautiful and most iconic cars in the history of

t e automo i e. An can you ame t e ran

for trying to nd a commercial Raison d’être

y making the X-type?So w en t e o s at t e oca Jaguar is-

tributor invited us to take the XFR out for as

ong as we nee e it, t e o eart i eat

itt e aster an t ere was e nitey an a

d spring to one’s step as we made our way

own to Azai a.

T e XFR is a we come a ition to t e ine-

p at the Jaguar showroom. The range does

eem ep ete a itt e as we see on y t e XF

nd the XK/XKR combination. It was just aew wee s ago t at t e new XJ too an e up.

ntil the new model range eshes itself out,

he XFR lls a vital slot at the 30,000-plus Rial

mani s ot. More important y it rings serious

uscle and specication to the category of

er ormance uxury se ans, rom w ic it as

een taking a holiday for sometime. The in-

eresting bit is that it is this very segment that

ets a t e excitement in t e region. Domi-

ated by the M5 and the E63 the segment

a es t e t eme o tuxe o-c a musc e very

eriously indeed. At the heart of the equation

s the existence of a rear-wheel drive luxurye an t at as a arge enoug engine- ay to

ccommodate a V8 engine at the very least.

T e XFR ts t e i to a T. In terms o

isual styling, the attempt to imbue a bit of

nderstatement in its differentiation from the

ain XF is a mira e. A touc o c rome on

ood intakes, the twin exhausts on both sides

and impressive 20” wheels add on to the little

touc es aroun t e ower air am an t e R

adge. It really helps that the XF is such agoo - oo ing car to start o wit an t e R

touches sort of bring out the real nature of the

east underneath.

To a to t at is t e w oe song an ance

that surrounds the owner’s connect with the

car. T e river s am iance is spot on, t ere is

ot a thing that I found out of place and not a

single thing that I would want extra. Key in the

oc et entry, accompanie y a arge engine

stop-start button (with a pulsating back light

te ing you ow esperate it is to e presse !

to the gear knob rising out of the centre con-

sole, all the way to the way in which the air-con itioning vents open out as t e car comes

to life. Even the instrument binnacle joins in

wit its own movements as you ee t e e ine

ature of the car as it wakes, stretches and

s owy comes to i e.



343434

{First drive}

t is w en t e car awa ens t at you rea ise

the difference between the other V8 powered

variants o t e XF an t e XFR. T e super-

charged direct-injection AJ-V8 Gen III engine

is claimed to be the most advanced the com-

pany as use . In its norma y aspirate mo e

the engine generates a respectable 385PS of

power an 515Nm o torque. To most o us

that would have been manna already. In the

XFR, the engine has a twin-vortex supercharg-

er t at oosts its output a t e way t roug to510PS and 625Nm of torque.

T e 5.0- itre V8 petro engines are ui t

around a stiff, aluminium block with cast-in

iron liners and cross-bolted main bearing caps

to re uce noise, vi ration an ars ness. For

the rst time at Jaguar the blocks are high-

pressure ie-cast, provi ing a superior nis

and greater dimensional accuracy. The en-

gines use aluminium heads, with four valves

per cy in er an strong, sp eroi a -grap ite

cast-iron crankshafts and forged steel con-

necting ro s. T e cy in er ea s or t e rst

time are specied with a secondary (recycled)

aluminium alloy, reducing the environmental

impact o manu acturing t e new engine.

verall engine length has been reduced by

24mm y reocation o t e oi pump wit in t e

engine architecture. This length reduction im-

proves engine ay pac aging in support o en-

ance sa ety ce per ormance w i e ensuring

overall engine weight is virtually unchanged. A

new type o varia e cams a t timing system

(VCT) introduces another technology. The four

VCT units are activate y t e positive an

egative torques generate y opening an

closing the intake and exhaust valves, instead

o y oi pressure resu ting in a sma er engine

oil pump. The supercharger itself is a twin-

vortex Roots type w ic uses a more intense

e ix pattern an twin intercoo ers to improve

erformance by 16%.

A ong wit an improve air-inta e t e pac -

aging of the engine is done in such a way as

to accommo ate t e superc arger wit in t e

V of the engine. All this translates into a level of grunt that

e ts t e R tag. T e engine note is ne y

tuned to reect the muscle available and the

six-spee auto transmission wor s eauti u y

to prope t e rear w ee s. An t at s w ere

this cat’s power meets the turf with such dra-

a. T ats w ere two new tec no ogies come

nto play - Adaptive Dynamics and Active Dif-

erentia Contro , w ic are ot incorporate

as stan ar .

Jaguar tells us, “Active Differential Control

ADC wit traction-on y unctiona ity an

andling functionality is an electronically con-

tro e a ternative to t e tra itiona , w o y

echanical differential, offering more subtle

control strategies. ADC can vary its locking

torque an t ere ore t e proportion o torque

to each driven rear wheel) depending on sur-

ace con itions an power app ie . Its contro

strategies optimise traction at each wheel,

mproving acceleration on low-grip surfaces

w i e a so en ancing cornering a i ity. ADC

as no adverse effect on either renement

or sta i ity – w ere t e tra itiona , mec ani-

al differential can compromise stability under

ar app ications o power, eman ing more

orrective input rom t e river. W ereas a

echanical differential is a permanently active

art o t e rivetrain, t e XFRs ADC system is

witched off when not required, so does not

reate un esira e un ersteer an creates no

ssues wit NVH at ower spee s.

And as for Adaptive Dynamics, it is a highly

op isticate active amping system t at auto-

atically adjusts suspension damper settingsto suit ot roa con itions an t e way in

w ic t e car is eing riven. It rep aces Jag-

ar’s previous gen CATS system and the result

A aptive Dynamics in conjunction wit t e

10PS engine and ADC has to be experienced

to e e ieve . T e car, in one wor , is wic -

. You ont ave to isa e anyt ing at t e

ashboard. Find a clear corner, turn the wheel

nto it a it an oor t e acce erator. T e tai

f this cat twitches like it is on re and then

ett es in ever so nice y. T e ramp up to spee

s equa y impressive. T e 100 mar comes in

little over 4.7 secs, so every sprint feels like

ta e-o run. An t e ee in o power is so

ramatic that the car begins to shrink in size. I

wou say t at in every respect t e XFR trea s

n XKR territory in terms o its per ormance

nvelope.The XFR adds the high performance

ge to t e XF t at ma es t e car ive true to

ts ‘Jaguar’ badge. In my opinion, it is the car I

wou uy i I a t e money. As t ings stan ,

am appy I got to p ay wit t is particu ar

feline. And as it disappears from my sight the

rin t at remains is sti a mine.



<< t xq n n

J’ n n n - -

nnn . t r n . >>

35535

{First drive}



{special feature}

36

an jn n a, sn bmw’

n n 25 m3

Where performancemeets precision



{special feature}

37

W

ith four generations of cars and a

quarter century worth of continuous

progress in performance machines,

BMW’s ‘M’ division has more than one reasonto be proud of. By any measure, 25 years is a

long time to sustain the desirability of a dedi-

cated performance nameplate, but the M3

badge has inculcated a very strong loyalty as

it rewarded owners with cars with it dual road

and track credentials. The ‘M’ division also

pioneered several new technologies on the

way, one of the key fundamentals pillars of its

strength in a ercely competitive specialized

section of the market. Although the idea was

based on the series production 3 Series mod-

els, the M3 dened an entirely new market

for BMW and helped it to ourish in a thrivingrace-ready production vehicle market. Since

its debut, M3 badged cars are heralded in en-

thusiast circles, in large part due to its unique

geometry and award winning engines.

And in July this year, it BMW celebrated the

25th anniversary of the M3 cars. The specialist

division assembled an array of pristine exam-

ples of all four generation cars at the famous

Ascari resort racing circuit in Spain. And as a

bonus, announced a special, limited-edition2011 M3 GTS to mark the occasion. But for

me, besides the one-off opportunity to taste

the M3 GTS, the more compelling motivation

was the chance to taste all four generations

in one go that eventually proved to be more

than just a good reason for this pilgrimage to

Ascari.

Ascari racing resort is not just a fancy es-

tablishment featuring a track. Actually, it is a

private facility, owned by car enthusiast Klaas

Zwart and unlike other commercial circuits

Ascari doesn’t have grandstands or public car

parks. But it does offer 5.4km of exquisitelyexecuted race track, featuring 26 corners in-

uenced by some of the best circuits in the

world. And what a place it turned out to be us

to experience the M3 clan, from the earliest

E30 through to the E90/92/93s plus experi-

encing the burnt orange coloured soon-to-ar-

rive M3 GTS [eds note: read rst drive report

next month].

The M3 chapter started with a simple ques-

tion in mid-80s: “We need a sporty engine fothe 3 Series good enough to compete with the

Group A racing Porsches.” Although M division

had successfully ran high performance six-cyl

inder engines in the 5 Series, they specically

chose to work on the four-cylinder engine o

the series production model but reworked on it

extensively so it could meet the high demands

of the racers. With modications to the car,

the rst M3 weighed in at just 1,200kg and

offered weight-to-power ratio of only 6.15kg

for every single horsepower. This was an

extremely impressive gure even by today’s

standards. Over the years, the M division hasnely honed its success with the application of

cutting-edge motorsport derived technology

– especially in the key departments of pow

ertrain, chassis, suspension and lightweight

construction.



{special feature}

38

<< a 1985 fn m s, e30-

m3 n >>

e rst M3 was created to pave the way

or BMWs entry into Group A touring car

racing at the time. At least 5,000 units had

to e ui t or roa use, an t e resut is a

c un y, muscu ar oo ing two- oor wit a

bold rear wing, lower sills and extended wheel

arc es.

This car has a special space in my heart

ecause I appene to own a non-M series

version and I am pretty sure that few people

probably remember that the rst generation

M3 actua y starte i e as an en ance -per-

formance spin-off of the E30 in 1986. I take

note o t e C-pi ar o t is car w ic appeare

slightly wider than that of the series model

an a a atter taper in or er not to interrupt

the airow over the edge of the roof and at

t e same time irect it more e ective y onto

the rear spoiler.

The E30’s powertrain packaging success-

u y ro e severa myt s. At t e time most

analysts and pundits believed that anyone

w o wante to e in t e A Team nee e

a turbocharged engine under the bonnet” in

the numbers crunching game. At the time it

was virtua y unt in a e o non- orce e car

to achieve over 200hp, have a top speed in

excess o 230 m an e capa e o sprint-

ng from a zero to 100 km/h inside 6.7secs!

As t ey say, BMW success u y ro e t e ar-

chaic mindset by technology application which

nc u e increasing isp acement o t e t en

four-cylinder engine from 2.0- to 2.3-litres

an t e intro uction o our va ves per cy in-

er. T e ormu a wor e on roa an on trac

and eventually the E30 became the most suc-

cess u touring car to wear t e M3 a ge in

otorsport history.

At Ascari, t e se ection or us inc u e a

rig t re 1986 E30 M3, comp ete wit rac

ng seats and suede-trimmed steering wheel.

T roug Ascaris curves an corners, t e rst

E30



{special feature}

39

3 track model felt much friskier than its

25-year-old vintage suggests. It has the edge

an attac o a race car, wit razor-s arp

steering and incisive throttle response. And it

sti gat ers spee wit an a acrity t ats as-

tounding.owever, the street version of the car felt

a it un erpowere at times even wit its

2.3-litre power four-cylinder engine and ve-

speed manual gearbox combo. Although, the

16-va ve engine set new per ormance stan

ar s or a pro uction unit at t e time, spin

ing all the way to 6,750rpm, and pumping

out a muscu ar 240 p o maximum power

together with thumping 240Nm of torque. De-spite t e apparent s uggis ness initia y, t e

car was pretty goo or t e c aime time an

ace.

Beginning with the rst E36 M3s delivered,

BMW racers began pressuring BMW for a

race-ready version with which to compete

against Porsche 911s in sports-car racing. The

company promptly responded and obliged itsclientele with a 2.3-litre engine capable of de-

livering up to 300 hp at 8,200 rpm in the rac-

ing version. This put it on a par with the BMW

M635CSi. BMW didn’t line up on the starting

grid with its own team but supported a number

of famous racing outts like Schnitzer, Linder,

Zackspeed and Bigazzi. Drivers like Markus

Oestreich, Christian Danner, Roberto Ravagliaand Wilfried Vogt took the wheel, and Anette

Meeuvissen and Mercedes Stermitz formed a

ladies’ team.

<< t n 80 n x

n n n. in 6.0 n,

n- m3 q 6.2 n n

0 100 /. t é 250 />>

E36



{special feature}

40

Scond on the test agenda were a pair of 36 M3s in s oc ing co ours! However, un-

der perfect blue skies, the interplay between

light and shade on the bodyline gave us a

c earer un erstan ing o ow sty ing egan to

mature in the form of new curves, creaseline

an ow it e ective y ispense wit t e oxy

elements of its predecessor. The car’s engine

cylinders were bumped up by two and so was

t e isp acement rom 2.3- to 3.0- itre an

the four valves per cylinder conguration was

carrie orwar once again. A so a apte to

the engine was a new variable valve timing

system on the intake camshaft, called VANOS.

T e engine was nown as t e S50.The original E36 M3 went into production

in 1993 as a coupe mo e an its straig t-6

engine produced 286hp. In 1996, the power

was upgraded to 321hp from the S50 engine

mate to a six-spee gear ox. Stopping pow-

er was increased with the grafting of the M5’sarger ra es. T e new SMG sequentia rac-

ng-like gearbox was also offered as an option.

T ese mo e s are nown as t e Euro mo e s

to i erentiate t em rom t e mo e s so in

the US which were quite different.

At Ascari, we a two cars --- resp en ent

n yellow and purple respectively, at our dis-

osa . T e an ing c aracteristic o t e car

was a it surprising as it ac e t e ar core,

ace-inspired personality of the E30. But, what

ac e in persona ity was ma e-up avis y y

the sophisticated and advanced technology

ac age t at we t in over a contri ute

quite a ot in improving its roa an trac cre-dentials.

W at was imme iate y noticea e t at t e

car was certainly much easier to pilot at speed

t an t e o er car. T e suspension was more

comp iant an t e steering more orgiving,

the ride smoother and denitely more rened.espite its age, it e t i e a t oroug re

and one with a fair turn of speed, thanks to

a ecent urst o power rom t e norma y

aspirate straig t-six engine t at was consi -

ered one of the world’s best at the time. It

o ere 286 p o max power an 320Nm o

torque effortlessly. In 1995 BMW offered, a ZF

HP18 5-spee automatic transmission on t e

3 as optiona equipment an two years ater

MW released their Sequential Manual Gear-

ox option as c anging gears i e a motor i e

eemed appealing to many. We spent most of

t e time wit t e manua gear ox version an

the mark II M3 felt substantially quicker andwas able to complete the 0-100km/h dash in

ix secon s at, w i e top spee was e ectron

cally limited to 250km/h.

Roberto Ravaglia in a BMW M3: rst and

last wrld Trg Car Champ

The rst race for the 1987 World Touring

Car Championship started in Monza on 22

March 1987 – and ended with a sensation.

All the M3 cars were excluded from the plac-

ings. The vehicles were checked under chaotic

conditions and disqualied because of sheet-

metal thicknesses that were allegedly con-

trary to the regulations. BMW appealed but

the sports tribunal decided that the appeal

had been lodged too late. There was no lon-

ger any talk of infringements of the rules. All

the brouhaha naturally didn’t have any effect

on the result of the championship. At the end

of the season, Roberto Ravaglia was standing

on the podium as the rst World Touring Car

Champion. But that was only the pinnacle of

the success list.

Wilfried Vogt took the title of European

Champion. Altfried Heger came in second –

both driving a BMW M3. Eric van de Poele won

the prestigious German Touring Car Champi-

onship. Moreover, the most sporty 3 Series car

was also winning competitions off the race

track. An M3 crossed the nishing line in rst

place in the Corsica Rally and secured a vic-

tory for BMW after a gap of 14 years in a race

for the World Rally Championship.



{special feature}

41

<< in 1997, m gh n n

m3 qn n x>>

e E46 arrived just in time for the new

i ennium. T ere are many reasons w ythis model remains one of the nest to bear

t e M3 a ge as it turne out to e anot er

watershed model year for the M division as

the cars started becoming more technology

ocuse . In act, it was t e intro uction o sev-

ral advanced technologies that hallmarked

t e per ormance quotient o t e E46 M3s. I

articularly enjoyed the gunmetal grey 2001

3 coupé with SMG paddle-shift gearbox on

trac an aroun t e country roa s.

The powerplant offered this time was

3.2- itre in ine-six, ut it was essentia y

ll-new as it produced 330hp at a scream-

ng 8,000 rpm redline. With this package,

-96km/h times dropped to a scant 4.8sec,

espite yet anot er trip e- gure weig t in-rease and the top-speed was an electroni-

a y imite 250 m , t e astest yet. Despite

ts unpopularity with a section of drivers, the

MG gearbox was retained and a convertible

version once again returne to t e ine-up, a -

hough no E46 M3 was ever offered with more

an two oors.

At Ascari, at each corner and open stretch,

was constant y remin e ow invo ving t is

ar was. My greatest regret was ow t e a -

ocated laps were over in a ash and I can’t

orget t e way t e us y grow o t e 3.2- itre

traight-six engine rose to a high pitched wail

en you eep t e t rott e ammere to t e

oor. An t en, you a so a t e s ort t row

six-spee gear ox to pay wit an t eres on yone word that can describe the way the raw

ower s ings ots you rom corner to corner: a

it of a hooligan but awesome over all!

urprising y, even a eca e ater a ter its

ntro uction, t e E46 M3 never e t out ate

as we thumped the car on the track lap after

ap. It sti is as res , exciting an ig y re

warding just as it was when it made its rst

appearance. However, t ere are some simi ari

ties wit t e E30 w ic were expecte in t is

genre and the key highlights, it being more

t an a touc o racing car in t e precision e

artment, the tautness and the sheer power

e ivery o t is car.

Although the M3 Coupé was elegant and

eautiful, some customers still had enhanced

spirations. Meanw i e, t e motor sport su -

idiary company of BMW had been renamed

Gm H an it a anticipate t is eman

y laying plans for a convertible. In 1994, the

ew open-top M3 ase on t e our-seater 3

Series Convertible was launched.

E46



{special feature}

42

It s no secret t at t e crimson co oure cur-

ent-generation M3 coupé with a prominent

powerdome on the bonnet took the over all

onours. W en it was rst con rme ac in

2007, initially there was some skepticism about

t e i ea o s oe orning a V8 into its engine

bay instead of continuing with a lightweight

six cylinder. Just as the previous M3 genera-

tions wit out ai intro uce a compete y

new engine, the fourth generation M3 did the

same: t e S65 engine was intro uce . T is

naturally aspirated, high revving V8 was based

on the S85B50 5-litre V10 displaced 4.4-litre

a so powere t e E60 E61 M5 an t e E63

E64 M6 to date. Delivering 414bhp at 8,300

rpm, wit pea torque o 400Nm coming at

3,900 rpm, the package represented a power

increase of 22 per cent over the E46 M3. Be-

si es t at, mass re uction was ac ieve y

knocking off 15kg from the engine making it

ess t an t e outgoing six cy in er or a tota

weight of 202kg. Six-speed manual transmis-

sion was offered as standard and in April 2008,

MW o ere ou e-c utc gear ox, ca e M-

KG (Doppel-Kupplungs-Getriebe) or M-DCT

Dou e C utc Transmission as an option.

T e new M3 was aso avai a e as a 4- oor

saloon which was based on the E90 3-Series.

ut un i e t e regu ar mo e s, t is car s are

the coupe’s front end, including headlights.

owever, it i n t get t e two- oor s car on-

re top. T e E93 ar top converti e version

joined the line-up shortly after the E92’s launch.

ut as the E92 3-Series Coupé opened the M3

chapter as its starting point, critics were soon

nanimous in agreeing t at t e pac age ma e

t e car t e most a vance o t e M3 c an to

date. The car had almost everything a spir-

te river cou wis or. It was tte wit t e

optional “competition pack” which includes a

ower, sti er suspension, wi er rear tyres an

s ig t y rewor e contro e ectronics.

While clutch and gears are precise, it’s as

easy to rive out rom t e car par as in a reg-

lar 320. A bit surprising though was the fact

t at s i t pattern aroun 4,000rpm oesnt re-

y give you ig emotions on t e engine soun

ote. There’s no doubt in my mind that the

ngine is a ast, t e ig revving pitc is just

o fascinating to drive, you get lots of torque

own the rev range and a truly explosion over

t e top. T is engine is tic s in a manner t at

the entire car seems to be lled with energy,

wit out giving you a isconnecte ee over

t e power at critica ig revs, i e a race car.

owever, I had some reservations with the

utc , especia y w en operating near t e mi

ev range. I noted that when the clutch was

us e at say 9,000rpm, t e engine seeme

to drop power feedback, which meant I felt

omentarily disconnected from the 400hp

rom t e car an espite t at energy eing

ept in every part of the chassis, the clutch

eems to e more concerne a out t e

mooth and relax feel of the driver’s foot! The

hassis responds quite well and predictably to

t e tap even a ter t e DSC is turne o . W at

s nice is the fact the car doesn’t pretend to be

monster wit e ectronics switc e o .

verdctThe progression from a four-cylinder to

eight-cylinder in the M3s by itself is a cred-

ible effort and so is the upping of the power

quotient from 200hp in the E30 to whopping

414bhp in the E90s, besides other efcien-

cies. The M3 chapters have successfully writ-ten many illustrious chapters for the badge

E90/92/93



43



{preview}

44

t g n inn’ nn m e

nnn n g37. an .



{preview}

45



{preview}

46

<< t n inn n

n >>



{preview}

47



{ }

49

ench automaker Renault is in a revital

zing mode and while it consciously in

creases its non-tra itiona mar et oot

rint, it also has taken help from its various

o a pro uction sources an su ran s as a

ey tool in widening the product portfolio.The C-segment for the brand in the region

i now as een represente y t e Tur ey

uilt Megane II which also serves as a key

o e or t e ran s t ree est-se ing mar

ets: Turkey, Russia and Romania. The direc

epacement o t is car cou ave een a

ew generation o t e Megane i e in Europ

here different variants are sold], but Re

au t eci e as part o t eir usiness strat

gy to create an all-new model ground-up on

ime teste engineering speci ca y or t ese

merging mar ets inc u ing Mi e East.

enault designed the Fluence with the spei c aim o stan ing out as t e most attractive

ar of its class, although the outgoing Megane

i everyt ing reasona y we , ut wasn

onsi ere outrig t ta ente as t e est car

n this class. With the Fluence, Renault want

o ri ge t at gap an ence a c ean s ee

esign and comprehensive consumer-focused

peci cation ist.

T e F uence is igger t an t e oote

version of the Megane and dimensionally i

,620mm ong, 1,809mm wi e, 1,479mm ig

n a wheelbase of 2,702mm and uses Nissan’

rie an teste B-p at orm w ic is use y

o e s suc as B ue ir an Sy p y in Asiat boasts of more passenger space than any

ajor riva , incu ing 1,480mm o e ow room

t the front and 1,475mm at the rear beside

avernous oot space. T e incoming car a so

ac s severa opu ent upgra e touc es suc

s the lower window and boot trims, foglamp

urroun s an oor an es are nis e in

hrome, while the B-pillar uprights are glos

ac a ong wit o y co our si e protective

ou ings.

Two petrol engines will be available, the

ma er one eing a 1.6-itre 110 p wit man

al and automatic transmission and the bigge

.0- itre wit 140 p paire to eit er manua

ransmission or CVT. On the safety front the

ar will benet from an array of active and

assive it. Inc u e even in t e entry-eve

odels features such ABS with electroni

ra e orce istri ution, emergency ra ing

ssist, with automatic activation of the hazard

arning lights, ESC (electronic stability con

ro wit CSV un ersteer contro , river an

assenger airbags, two lateral thorax airbag

n two curtain air ags wi e stan ar .

<< t fn n n en-

n >>



{ }

51

I

t’s that time of the motoring calendar

year when carmakers are eager to show

off their latest creations. The rst avail-

able ofcial platform the last quarter is Paris,which is still weeks away and the bofns at

Mercedes-Benz couldn’t resist the temptation

of releasing some images and details of its

worst kept secret – the upcoming second gen-

eration 2012 CLS-Class.

Question is why was M-B in such a hurry?

After all, M-B is credited as the creator of a new

vehicle category in 2003, where it successfully

combined the elegance and expressiveness of

a coupé with the comfort and functionality of

a saloon using a series production model as its

mechanical base. The E-Class based CLS was

a super success with over 170,000 units soldworldwide. For a couple of years before the

competition caught up with this unique style

icon, the rst generation CLS was the only

four-door coupé in its class.

Now that competition is getting ercer in

the segment, Mercedes-Benz wants to main-

tain a status quo with the all-new replacement

and strongly believes that it is a whole genera-

tion ahead of the competition. Perhaps this is

an understatement? Maybe, Audi could pro-

vide an answer. Though the proportions are

the same and prole similar to the outgoing

car, the incoming car sports has a completely

new look. It’s more aggressive line and surface

treatment indicate the future design language

of Mercedes-Benz and what immediately

strikes the eye is the innovative front design,which is reminiscent of the Mercedes-Benz

SLS AMG. Among

world rsts

a r e

the

f u l l

L E D

headlamps and

the side prole is rounded

off with extra generous wide

wrap-around tail lights also with

LEDs.

The interior design follows the

philosophy of timeless tradition

and combines elegance with innova-

tive details and the focus is handcrafts-

manship, surface treatments and attention

to detail. Around four animal hides are used

in each CLS. CLS customers will be able to

choose from several trim and nishes as bespoke options when the car goes on sale.

Base engineering and powertrains details

haven’t been released, but we can ex

pect the usual suspects, an entry

level 3.5-litre V6 with 301hp

and a 4.7-litre twin-turbo V8

with 429hp on tap. We can

also see Mercedes-Benz’s

4Matic all-wheel drive

system on the top end

model.

Cou it e t e rapi progress an rise o

Audi making Mercedes-Benz a bit nervous? In

unic ast mont , Rupert Sta er, c airman

f the Board of Management ofcially unveiled

the new A7 Sportback. The ve-door, fastback

oupe is Au i s response into t e sport coupe

egment with four doors, a segment pioneered

y Merce es wit t e CLS in 2003. Au i a so

escribes its car as a combination of elegant

oupe, sport saloon and practical wagon. The

A7 wi eature a ig tweig t o y ma e wit

luminum components and high-tech steels,

w ic wi a ow o r it to e powere so e y y

set of V6 engines - at least at rst. Audi will

urely V8 power to the mix later.

i t e unvei o t is car ma e riva Mer-

edes-Benz nervous so much so that it hast

y re ease some etai s o its secon gen-

ration CLS Class weeks before it ofcial Paris

nveil?

audi’s aNswer to m-b cls: 2011 a7 sportback, Now iN the opeN

Rpert Stadler, charman of the Board of Management AuDi AG at the world Premere of the

ne Ad A7 Sportback n Mnch



{Road Test}

52

a n n, us- m

c’ - n n n n n

n Jn n. cn

n n? an .



{Road Test

53

Sometimes it is better to come late, es-

ecia y in t e car usiness w ere erce

competition in some segments can ruin

your c ances, i you are unprepare or any

ventuality. The task becomes even more dif-cult if a country specic model has to com

ete wit an array o ig y success u g o a

odels. And this is where the Malibu nds

tse .

ut the foundation of the Malibu is rock

o i . A t oug t e car is ui t in Nort Amer-

ca, it uses GMs ig y popu ar Epsi on ront

heel drive architecture which was originally

eve ope y Ope or GM as a universa mi -

ize front-wheel drive platform. As it happens,

e Epsi on is GM s ig est vo ume wor wi e

at orm an t e ene ts o t is p at orm, we

iscover as we move on.ompare to t e previous e ition o t e

alibu, the current generation of the Malibu

nitia y e ute wit a ront ace esign ea-

uring a wi e gri e sp it orizonta y y a prom

nent chrome bar that ran the entire width of

e car, w ic it seems was inten e to ma e

t resemble Chevrolet’s trucks. However, in

006, as part o a major esign review, t e

ront en was up ate wit more convention-

l styling which meant that the chrome bar

as remove , an t e gri e ecame sma er,

earing a striking resemblance to the grille

n t e previous generation Ma i u. T e rear

n o t e car sports a s ort oot an initia ye thought the twin round taillamps were a

it oversize an out o p aces, ut on c oser

nspection, they seem to pay homage to the

orvette.

T e overa esign o t e Ma i u can e

escribed as being stylish with a Saville Row

ersona ity ue to its strong stance. T e car s

roportions are elegant, and exterior stylists

ave given it c ean an pure ines. A irect

ene t o using t e Europe esigne p at

orm is that the wheels have been pushed to

e corners, t ere y ensuring a onger w ee

ases than the segment’s two major rival –

Toyota Camry an Hon a Accor . T e Ma i u

s a so ower t an t ese two an gets a onger

reenhouse and a shorter boot. Over all, the

a i u is onger t an t e Toyota, ut s ort-

r than the Honda. In the length, width and

eig t epartments, t e Ma i u is war e y

new Korean competitor – t e Kia Ca enza.

owever, in overall length the Cadenza and

a i u are a most i entica .

nsi e t e Ma i u, is a ca in w ic as ta -

n every advantage the platform could offer

n its t e space management in t e car t at

e ig ts. T e tester was top spec LTZ, w ic

ad two-tone leather in shades of brown andac wit t e t eme continuing a aroun

he car. Seats come with contrast pipe stitch-

ng an t ey are cus y an com orta e. T e

n y nigge , w ic seeme a it o in t e

ackage was the oversized steering wheel.

T e ea iner materia oo e as i i t mig t

ave been swiped from an ultra luxury car

uc as t e May ac . W i e, t e interiors at-

ention to etai per ect y comp ements cars

xterior and there’s a nice balance of ergo-

omic esign an usage o premium qua ity

eel materials including the leather effect on

e instrument pane. We i e t e integrate ,

owing instrument pane eatures a C evro

et-signature dual-cockpit design, somewhat

emin ing us o t e 60s Corvette sty ing wit

rominent gauges backlit in blue, and metal-

ic or woo grain accents. W i e t e ca in is

ice y esigne , it is attractive an ui t wit

ight tolerances. However, there are some

ar p astics t at etract rom an ot erwise

rst-rate interior.

W i e t ere s p enty o ront-seat room, at

rst g ance, space at t e rear appears a it

estricted if you take into account the seg-

ents enc mar stan ar s. Less noticea e

re some thoughtful features such as ambientig ting, a eature usua y associate wit ex-

ensive uxury cars.

And the element of practicality hasn’t been

orgotten at a . T e car as great storage

ith thoughtful features that maximize utility,

ncu ing a eep centre conso e wit a s i -

ng cover t at opens to accommo ate arger

tems. Also standard is an auxiliary in-dash

torage compartment on t e instrument pane

or sunglasses, CDs and other items. An avail-

e rear power centre provi es a ouse o -

tyle AC power outlet and rear seats fold

0:40 to allow for more cargo space.

ne o t e eatures, we t in is ig y ap-

ropriate for our markets and that is remote

tarting. T is eatures ets t e river start t e

ar by pressing a button on the key fob, allow-

ng the car to warm up and the same feature

an e use wit air-con itioning on swe ter-

ng summer afternoons to cool the cabin be-

ore a rive.

T e Ma i u LTZ, w ic is top spec in t e



{Road Test}

54

<< cnn n, n m

n n n n – t c n

hn a n , n - n>>

Driving impressions

We spent considerable time with this car and

clocked over 600km during the test period. Al-

though, the car is a comfortable place to be in,

the raked A- and wide C-pillars do affect the

eld vision a bit, but the side mirrors take care

of any anxiety relating to blind spot manage-

ment. The car was a bit of a shocker becauseit was unlike driving a V6-powered GM product

with such terric engine isolation. The Chevy

surprised as with its excellent sound dead-

ening qualities and even when the car was

pushed near to full throttle, it was extremely

quiet. The buck doesn’t just stop there, either.

Cross wind roar, tyre and road noise -- all have

been ltered to superbly low levels. This ele-

ment itself in part lends to the rise in quality

appeal.

The engine is pretty responsive to the tap of

the foot and surging power from can prove

a bit too much for some of the fast corners.

One has to remember this is not a sports sa-loon and hence occasionally requires a check

through the left pedal, which links to four disc

brakes and an on-board computer with anti-

lock action as well as GM’s high-tech Stabili-

Trak.

While, steering is rm and precise due to

speed-sensing variable assistance, it does re-

mind us of pricier touring saloons of Europeanorigin as its weight builds predictably, but

sadly it doesn’t offer much real road feel, and

for our preferences, we still think the steer-

ing wheel is a bit too large in diameter and a

smaller one would denitely add to a sportier

feel.

As expected, the driveline exhibits some

torque-steer at full throttle, but, overall, the

braking action and performance is on par

with anything else in this class of vehicles and

trustworthy in panic situations. The engine

purrs merrily and the six-speed automatic is

quick to shift, up and down, smoothly. The en-

gine, which GM says has nine different soundattenuators in the air intake system, sounds

powerful and smooth.

The ride-and-handling trade-off is suited to the

audience. Pushed to its limits, the suspension

proved difcult to disrupt, although there was

too much dive under hard braking. In general,

the car goes down the road like a large car

and is able to strike a nice balance betweenwell-controlled handling and an even ride.

Of course, like any other car, the Chevy isn’t

without fault. The brake pedal appeared to be

mushier and we observed that fuel economy

average of 16.3mpg was not exactly what we

were expecting. We think this is due to the

car’s portly 1,660kg curb weight. The rear

seat suffered from comfort and surprisingly

there’s no headrest for the middle passenger

who also has to bear with the least shoulder

room. The greater niggle we noted when shift-

ing into manual mode was that the transmis-

sion doesn’t automatically always drop down

to a lower gear.



{Road Test

55

<< t m’ - n

c n n n c ,

, ltz n n n led-. >>

way power river s seat, six-way power pas-

enger’s seat, heated power mirrors, auto-

imming river s-si e exterior mirror, iPo

dapter, eight-speaker 210-watt stereo sys-tem, remote engine starting, fog lights, clear-

ens LED tai amps an P225 50R18 tyres on

lloy wheels.

T e suspension pac age in t e LTZ sug-

ests a balance between supple rides with the

i ity to ta e on a sporty c aracter w en in

ee . T ere s MacP erson struts in t e ront

uspension an a mu ti- in rear suspension

it ront an rear sta i izer ars. T e sway

ars in the LTZ are bigger because there’s a

eavier V6 in t e engine compartment.

As a family car, safety features are com-re ensive, wit ront, si e an si e-curtain

ir ags, tyre-pressure monitoring, ABS wit

rake assist, and StabiliTrak electronic stabil-

ty contro wit traction contro . In US govern-

ent crash tests, the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu

as score a per ect ve stars in a ronta an

i e cras categories. T e Insurance Institute

or Hig way Sa ety awar e t e Ma i u its

ighest rating of “Good” for its performance in

the frontal-offset and side crash tests.The LTZ

a so gets GMs new DOHC norma y-aspirate

3.6-litre V6 with variable valve timing. It of-ers 252 p at 6,300 rpm an torque is pitc e

to 251 ft-lbs at 3,200 rpm. Powere is routed

to the front wheels via six-speed automatic

transmission wit Tiptronic. T e manua s i t

ng is accomplished via paddle shifters on the

u ti unction steering w ee .

The Chevrolet Malibu is a superb mid-sized

saloon that condently competes with the

Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima

and Ford Fusion. Malibu blends a smooth ride

with responsive handling, a quiet interior, ef-

fective crash performance and noteworthy

build quality. For GM, it is a distinctly different

level of car. However, there are downsides to

the Malibu that keep it from being a true class

leader as a family car.

Verdict



{Also driven}

56

Driven by desire



{Also driven

57

f 2011, n on

, k’ n ,

s, .

Unveiled at the 2008 Paris Motor Show,

Kia’s California-based studio designed

Sou crossover MPV, w ic was mar-

eted globally as model year 2010, has now

ecome an ac now e ge entry eve g o a

ifestyle model. While the global industry hasaken a signicant hit in volumes and market

ares, Kia Motors an Hyun ai are per aps

he only non-premium global players that not

n y ave remaine immune to t e mar et

ressures, but have condently increased

ar et s ares an intro uce an array o

ew mo e s across t e ine-up. Kia can oast

f having the freshest line-up in the business

o ay. In act, Kia poste 26.0 per cent g o a

ales growth in July across general markets,

orea, Nort America, Europe an C ina.

n some overseas mar ets, t e Sou aces

ompetition from models such as the Daihat-u Materia, Nissan Cu e or ScionB, un er-

eath its quirky styling is a heavily modied

io p at orm w ic many in t e usiness

oug t was rat er unusua or ui ing a

ew crossover. But the point they [the crit-

cs ave misse is t e act t at Kia s core

ompetency is not just engineering exibility,

ut a so esign un er t e tuteage o ex-Au

esigner Peter Sc reyer. T e mi y revisite

or 2011 Soul sports the now familiar tiger

ri e an retains its origina pro e wit some

osmetic and aesthetic changes. The changes

aven t a tere or inter ere wit t e groun

earance or s ort ront an rear over angsn the car.

T e Sou isn t as oxy as t e Materia or as

loated as the Nissan Cube [not sold in our

egion an it now oo s un ier wit t e 18in

oys s o wit sporty ow pro e 225 45

yres and glossy garnish below the grille

n some c rome em e is ments. T e car

oes retain its functional advantages when it

omes to au ing our or ve a u t passen-

er in its ta oy ca in an u tra ig eve s

f exibility in managing cargo space remain

na tere . T eres a equate space e in

he rear seats for normal errands, while any-

ing more wi require o ing t e 60:40 sp it

ear seats an t eres a so a usa e storage

ompartment under the rear oor where one

an eep necessities out o view.

While the interior mostly remains un-

ange , t e LED-it moo spea ers ave

een rep ace y conventiona ones. As a

lobal lifestyle car, the fabric-bound interior

as origina y esigne wit espo e acces-

ories in mind [which are not available in

man ue to ega po ice restrictions , ut

here’s still a lot of youthfulness in its design



{Also driven}

58

rope-rivaling build quality and tolerances.

ne o t e major issues many s ort rivers

felt was related to rear view and blind spot

management especia y uring reverse par -

ing has been addressed – there’s a cameranow with the display on the mirror. There’s

sti no provision or sate ite navigation even

as option. In terms of other lifestyle kit the

car comes wit B uetoot I Po connectiv-

ity, Lexus-type electroluminescent Optitron

instrument i umination an a sty is centra

conso e an muti unctiona t ree-spo e steer-

ing wheel.

tan ar sa ety equipment inc u es ront-

wheel discs stability control, front side airbags

an si e curtain air ags. ABS as een is-

continue . However, powertrain pac age con-

tinues with the normally aspirated 1.6-cylinderCVVT engine w ic o ers 123 p an 167Nm

of torque and four-speed automatic transmis-

sion wit Tiptronic unction.

Driving

For a car that weighs close to 1,200kg, the car

could have done with a bit more power and at

least an extra cog or two in the transmission.

The current powertrain package in the Soul isadequate for most day-to-day purposes, but

compared to say a similar displacement MINI,

it lacks that spirited or sporty punch. But what

the auto-transmission lacks in torque deliv-

ery is made up with the engagement of the

manual Tiptronic which allows access to extra

torque for the power boost when required,

which is quite handy and more than adequate

during overtaking. In general the car feels

European in nature and particularly in the

handling department, it has the capability of

rivaling the MINI, thanks to its stiff McPherson

suspension set-up and road holding from thefat low prole tyres combo. The wheels which

are literally pushed out to the far corners in

the car offer a rened go-kart feel. Surprising-

ly, the feedback from hydraulic power steering

seems to have become a bit sharper with the

application of larger wheels. The solid brakes

add to the around-town fun, not because you

use them hard in the city, but because they’resmooth, tight and responsive, with pedal pres-

sure that’s just right and the absence of ABS

is not really felt. In the smaller wheeled ver-

sions, we remember a lot of drivers felt that it

was a bit dull and had a numb on-centre feel

and a nonlinear effort. Around town, we found

the larger wheeled Soul much more rened in

that aspect, decently comfortable. Meanwhile,

the ride quality which used to be choppy on

the highway in the smaller wheeled cars, is

now much settled, predictable and comfort-

able. The Soul is aimed at a young-at-heart,

fashion-conscious demographic and revisedpackaging aims to help customers feel more

aspirational and comfortable in a similar vein

as the MINI



{Also driven

59

Verdict

We think the 2011 Kia Soul is a compelling

entry as a li festyle-cum-soft utility, a segmen

where very few manufacturers have dared to

come in. It offers a pleasant driving characterlots of usable space, good build quality, load

of available features, a reasonable price and

bullet-proof warranty package. The model i

available in one trim only.

<< y s “

” nq n. on p

s’ n, n

n n -n n k

m >>

The black valance has now a glossy ef-

fect and large 18in wheels shod wth low

profle sports tyres not only make the

car look smarter and handle better.



60

sn n n n j n n

f e n n suv n

n 2007. an -

{also driven}



{also driven}

61



{also driven}

62

Driving impressions

During our sojourn behind the wheel,

one does appreciate the sprightly per-

formance provided by the Duratec V6

engine, and the smoothness of the six-

speed automatic transmission in

the rst few kilometres. The Edge

on road is much different in feel than

the Explorer as it benets from its

car-like independent suspension set-up and hence delivers more fun than

expected despite its size and weight.

The car’s basic architecture and taut

suspension set-up contributes to its han-

dling as wallowing tendencies as in typical

body-on-frame set-ups is controlled much

effectively. This means you can also swing

in the car in a fast corner without the fear

of the car going out of line. The higher

centre of gravity somewhat prevents

the Edge from being as nimble as a

sports saloon, but the overall pay off

is decent which includes a comfortable

ride without feeling oaty.

We also noted that the variable valve

timing enriched the engine which pro-

duced a reasonably good range of pow-

er at all speeds and the transmission

shifted smoothly. We would rate the

performance as middle of the pack and

the benet of this arrangement is that it

does deliver notably good fuel economy.

The car’s rack-and-pinion steering pro-

vided good feedback but doesn’t offer much

road feel, so the Edge feels solid and predict-

able in its handling.While the Edge is not de-

signed for off-road use, it has a decent ground

clearance of eight inches and favourable ap-

proach angle of 16.5 degrees, departure angle

of 26.6 degrees), and ramp break-over angle

of 17.2 degrees. These will enable the car to

perform light off-road duties in the hands of a skilled driver despite the absence of typi-

cal driver-assisted 4WD aids. The four-wheel

disc brakes worked well and the assurance of

Ford’s AdvanceTrac electronic stability control,

which is standard on all models, includes the

functions of ABS and traction control to help

the driver maintain control in slippery condi-

tions or in emergency avoidance situations

24/7. In urban commutes, blind spot manage-

ment had been made easy, thanks to a con-

ventional special blind spot rear view instead

of blinking LEDs.In the test car, Ford’s Sync

communications and entertainment system

was a delight to use as it can be controlled

via voice commands or dashboard buttons. It

can recognize Bluetooth-enabled cell phones,

access their phonebooks, and play calls and

read text messages through the speakers. It

also has a USB interface to connect with iPods

and other MP3 players and it will charge an

iPod also. While Sync is nicely integrated, it

doesn’t take too long to learn and master the

voice commands.



{also driven}

63

The best thing about the Ford

Edge package is that as a midsized

crossover sport utility, it offers bet-

ter fuel economy and road man-

ners than a similarly sized truck-

based SUV. We think the Edge will

appeal to punters coming from

SUVs brands who want a rugged

look with and family conveniences.

We also think it will do well with

cross over buyers also, who are

typical saloon car owners who will

discover that they haven’t given up

much in the way of comfort, con-

venience and driving dynamics in

the Edge.

Verdict



{Motorsports - F1}

64

A dominant one-two or the

Scuderia



65

{Motorsports - F1}

Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro rebooted its

c a enge or t e tit e wit a comman -

ing one-two nish in the 67 lap German

ran Prix. A t oug it is sti t ir in t e Con-

tructors’ Championship, it has closed the gapto second placed Red Bull Racing from 84 to

4 points. Fernan o A onso stoo on t e top

tep of the podium for the rst time since the

pening roun in Ba rain, an Fe ipe Massa

nished second, also reprising his position at

the Sakhir circuit. Joining them on the podium

was t e Re Bu o poe man Se astian Vet-

tel. When the red lights went out, Fernando

ge a ongsi e Vette an as t e German

tried to defend his position, Felipe, having

tarte e in im in t ir p ace, manage to

et t e est ine into t e rst corner to go into

the lead, followed by his team-mate and Vet-te . T ey were o owe y Hami ton, We er,

utton, Kubica, Schumacher, Rosberg, with

o ayas i tent .

T e majority o t e e a starte on t e

ofter tyre, so the one planned pit stop came

ar y on, wit Button staying out ongest to

ead for a while. Fernando changed to the

ar tyre on ap 13 an Fe ipe pitte one ap

ater. However, t e run o pit stops i itt e

to change the order, and the two Ferrari men

a a great g t, near y touc ing w en t e

paniar trie to pass t e Brazi ian on ap 21,

ne lap before Button nally pitted to hand

he lead back to Felipe. The two Ferrari men

ra e astest aps, wit t e gap uctuating

round the one second mark, with Vettel al-ays in c ose atten ance.

As has often been the case this season, Fe-

ipe had been very quick on the soft tyres but

as strugging a it on t e ar ones an ,

learly faster, Fernando passed his team-mate

n ap 45. From t en on, t e two Ferrari men

ontrolled the pace, even if Vettel was closing

n Felipe rapidly, setting the fastest race lap

n t e very ast ap.

ebastian comes away from his home race

it a po ium, ut aving een eaten y t e

erraris off the line, he was forced to follow

hem to the chequered ag – despite ghtingar over t e 67 aps.Mar egan ourt ut

as overtaken by Hamilton on lap one and his

cLaren team-mate Button manage to stea

march on him on lap 21 after Webber’s RB6

uffered from a problem with oil and nished

ixt .Se astian sai : We nis e t ir an we

an be proud of that. I’m very pleased to be

n t e po ium – it s very specia or me at my

ome grand prix. It’s great to see the people

ere and to be on that podium. To see every-

ne c eering is very nice an emotiona .

Its very competitive at t e ront an t ats

ow it should be, “said Mark. “I wasn’t in the

g t to ay, so we re oo ing orwar to t e

ext race. But t e rea controversy came in

front of Sebastian after Massa, who had takent e ea at t e rst corner was over-ta en y

ernando Alonso on lap 49, allowing the Span-

ar to ta e t e win. T e su sequent iscus

sion – an muc o t e post-race FIA press

conference - revolved around whether or not

e ipe a given way to Fernan o.

hristian Horner was not impressed by the

Ita ian team s tactics. He sai : It was surpris

ng w at appene wit t e Ferraris, i t oo e

to be a team order with the cars switching

osition. I so, it s a s ame or Formua One

and the fans that they were deprived of a race

etween t e two Ferrari rivers to ay.

e ping maintain t eir ea in ot c am

ionships, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button

came ome in ourt an t p aces. T e res

of the points places down to tenth went to

We er, Ku ica, Ros erg, Sc umac er an

etrov. Now t e circus moves to Hungary o

the next race in just seven days time, where

t e muc improve eve o per ormance o

the F10 means that Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro

wi once again e oping to c a enge or t e

top p aces.



{Motorsports - F1}

66

Being pushed back to third at the start

ay ave a ecte anyone ut Mar

Webber who rose to the challenge and

with the help of good strategy on a safety car

ep oyment went on to snatc t e rst p ace

at the Hungarian GP.

ernan o Aonso pro uce a sensationa

drive to nish second, while Felipe Massa de-

livered a faultless performance on his return

to t e Hungaroring, nis ing w ere e starte

in fourth place. In fact, the thirty points theScu eria ta es into t e summer rea is pro -

ably slightly more than expected, given the

week long dominance of the Red Bulls, who

nis e rst an t ir courtesy o Mar We -

ber and Sebastian Vettel.

T e race was more interesting t an mig t

have been expected at this twisty track, where

overta ing is so i cu t. As everyone in t e

Ferrari garage a ope , starting rom t ir

on the clean side of the track, Fernando got

t e jump on We er at t e start to go sec-

ond behind Vettel, while Felipe stayed fourth.

W en t e Sa ety Car came out on ap 15 or

e ris to e c eare , a most t e entire e pit-

ted at the same time, which caused chaos, as

o ert Ku ica in t e Renau t an A rian Suti

n the Force India collided, while Nico Rosberg

ost a w ee t at ounce t roug t e pits.

We er i not stop an was t us in t e

ead, while the run of pit stops saw Lewis

ami ton in t e McLaren get a ea o Fe ipe,

after Ferrari staged a double pit stop which

went o smoot y. However, t e Eng is man

would later park his car at the side of the track,

so that Felipe moved back to fourth where hestaye to t e ag. We er a opte to stay

out on track at this time and thus led from Vet-

te , A onso, Hami ton an Fe ipe. However, on

the Safety Car’s last lap, while Webber stuck

close on its tail, Vettel left almost half a pit

straig t istance etween im an is team-

ate, evidently trying to help him build up a

ig enoug ea e ore is pit stop. However,

t is was against t e regu ations an t e Ger-

an was given a drive-through penalty, which

romote Fernan o to secon p ace, wit Fe-

ipe around 2.5 seconds behind the Red Bull.

T e pace o t e Re Bu s was suc t at Vette

a soon c ose rig t up on Fernan o so t at,

n a slower car, the Spaniard then had to play

a cat an mouse game wit t e German to

eep him behind him for around half the 70

ap race: it was a ravura per ormance, ea -

ng with the relentless pressure of a faster car

on his gearbox. Webber however was well out

n ront, aving ui t up a ig enoug ea to

ang onto rst place comfortably, after chang

ng tyres. Fi t p ace went to Vita y Petrov in

the Renault. Nico Hulkenberg was sixth for Wil-

iams, the last driver to nish on the same lapas t e ea ers. T e rest o t e points went to

edro De La Rosa, Jenson Button, Kamui Ko-

ayas i an Ru ens Barric e o in tent p ace.

oing into the compulsory summer break,

with a four week gap to the thirteenth round

o t e Wor C ampions ip, t e Be gian Gran

rix, Fernando’s great drive means he is now

ust twenty points o t e ea er in t e Drivers

championship and indeed, no less than ve

rivers are a wit in t ese 20 points, so t e

est o t e year promises to e a ascinating

ght. Felipe has also moved up to sit behind

is team-mate in sixt p ace, w i e Ferrari is

till third in the Constructors’ classication.

Hungary provides a Red Bull

and Ferrari sandwich



67

{Motorsports - F1}

errari will appear before the FIA World

otor Sport Counci WMSC next mont o

owing their controversial one-two result at

Ju y s German Gran Prix.

The Italian team were ned US$100,000 by

the Hockenheim race stewards for breaching

sporting regu ations a ter Fe ipe Massa, w o

ad been leading the event, moved aside to

a ow team mate Fernan o A onso past. T e

stewards also forwarded their report to the

WMSC for further consideration.

T e iscip inary earing wi ta e p ace inaris on Wednesday, September 8.

The Bahrain International Circuit, home o

he Bahrain Grand Prix, plans to return to its

rigina Formu a One trac con guration o

011. It follows the use of an extended layout

or t is year s season-opening race.

That extended layout, dubbed the ‘endur-

nce track’ by organisers, was used as part

Ba rains estivities to mar 60 years o t e

ormula One world championship. It length-

ne t e ap rom 5.412 m to 6.299 m wit

n additional complex of nine corners, starting

t Turn Four.

As t e inaugura roun o t e Formua One

orld championship’s 60th anniversary sea-

on, it was important or us to ce e rate t is

omentous occasion by doing something very

nique and different,” said Shaikh Salman Bin

sa A K a i a, t e circuits acting CEO.

irelli took the rst step in their return tot e FIA Formu a One Wor C ampions ip on

Wednesday when Nick Heidfeld completed a

two-day test at the wheel of a Toyota TF109.

ei e , Pire is new y-appointe Formu a

ne test driver, sampled prototype versions of

t e Ita ian company s PZero Formu a One tyre,

which will be used by all teams from 2011 on-

wards under a three-year agreement with the

IA, wor motorsport s governing o y.

The objective of the test, which was held in

arge y ry an sunny con itions at t e Muge -

o circuit in Italy, was to begin the process of

etermining the front and rear tyre prole andonstruction t at wi e use as t e asis o

the new Formula One tyre.

irelli’s Motorsport Director, Paul Hembery,exp aine : T is was t e rst step o our re-

turn to Formula One and we are very satised

with how the tyres performed and the informa-

tion we were a e to co ect. We concentrate

on nalising the prole and the construction

o t e ront an rear tyres, w ic is a process

that we will continue over the next few tests

that we carry out.

Muge o as quite an a rasive sur ace wit

long and medium-high-speed corners as well

as airpins an quic c anges o irection so

it is quite a good proving ground. We are on

target and we come away from this test withots o ata to ana yse, w ic is exact y t e

situation we hoped to be in.”

Ferrari to ace disci-

plinary hearing over

team orders

Bahrain set to revert to original track lay-

out

Pirelli complete successul

frst Formula One tyre test



{Motorsports - wrc}

68

B-Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team’s

S ei K a i A Qassimi secure a

season-best eighth place nish and four

FIA World Rally Championship (WRC)

points at Ra ye Deutsc an , comp et-

ing a remarkable turnaround for the

Emirati star.

The impressive result added to the

fourth place nish for team-mate Jari-

Matti Latva a w o put in a spirite is-

play to maintain a strong points scoringposition.

Al Qassimi began the weekend’s ac-

tion in the worst possible way with an

opening stage spin out, w ic e t im

lingering in 21st place. Yet the 34-year-

o oug t ac va iant y in t e testing

German countryside to clinch his seventh ca-

reer top 10 nis - a resu t w ic sees im

c im to 14t in t e overa Drivers C ampion-

ship.

An wit our ra ies sti in an t is year,

the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA)-

ac e river is rm y on-course to top is

12t p ace stan ing in t e 2009 WRC sea-son, further cementing his status as the Arab

wor s most success u WRC points scorer.

“After we spun on our rst day I never

t oug t we wou en up in eig t position.

We a a ot o time to ma e up, ut we a no

problems for the rest of the event and pushed

w enever we cou . I ope to secure a top

ten position in Rally Japan, then who knows,

t is cou e our est season so ar, sai A

Qassimi, w o is a ectionate y ca e t e King

of Jumps’ after he smashed the ‘Colin’s Crest’

awar or t e iggest eap at Ra y Swe en

2008.After monopolizing the rst two places

in t e opening stage, t e Citroën Tota Wor

Ra y Team C4 WRCs gave t e Frenc team

another double when the ag fell to signal

the end of Rally Germany. Sébastien Loeb and

Daniel Elena racked up their eighth consecu-

tive victory in t e event setting a new recor .

Dani Sor o an Diego Va ejo a a au t- ree

race on their rst outing together and rounded

o t e team s triump . T is event a so saw

the 32nd win by the C4 WRC, equalling the

Xsara WRCs score putting it among t e most

uccessful cars in the history of rallying.

A ter a coup e o very testing ays, t e ast

eg of Rally Germany was much shorter with

5 timed kilometres. The crews were back

mong t e Mose e vine yar s an covere

the Dhrontal and Moselwein stages twice. The

ally nished with the Circus Maximus Super

tage in the streets of Trèves.

Sébastien Loeb and Dani Sordo, comfort-

y insta e in t e rst two p aces in t eir

4 WRCs, left the Trèves service park onirelli P-Zero soft tyres. The Citroën Total

Wor Ra y Team rivers opte or stea i-

ess rather than sheer speed as their only

im was to see t e nis . Its not a ways

bvious, but we wanted to consolidate our

ositions insofar as it was possible,” said

oe in t e mi - eg service a t. On so t

ubber we had more grip on the few damp

ections an we were rea y to cope wit pos-

ible showers.”

With a German top 10 nish in his sights, Al

assimi starte Sun ay s win ing roa tests

with conviction, jumping two places ahead of

ain riva s, Mar Van E i an Ken B oc , a -

ter just 22.58km of competition.Not content

with a slim 3.3 second lead, the Abu Dhabi

tar went on to again recor aster times t an

Van Eldik in all four of the day’s remaining

tages, as tec nica pro ems orce B oc

nto retirement.

ec anica issues a so saw BP-For A u

a i team-mate, Mi o Hirvonen, pu out

f the competition, pushing Al Qassimi into

ig t p ace, w ic e e unti t e c e-

quere ag at t e na Circus Maximus Super

Special Stage in the heart of Trier.

“When we came in for the morning service

I was p ease wit t e way I a riven,

ut knew I couldn’t be complacent. With

ig t p ace in is sig ts, Van E i was

us ing just as ar . It was essentia t at

e kept focused to develop an even bigger

ime gap an eep our roa position, sai

l Qassimi, whose best ever result came at

e 2009 Acropo is Ra y o Greece w en

e secure sixt p ace.

t was a double celebration for ADTA-

ac e teams in Germany t is wee en

s, taking inspiration from their Emirati

entor, t e A u D a i Junior Driver De-

elopment team secured a third consecu-

tive podium nish in the Fiesta SportTrophy

nternationa FSTi .

As some of the more experienced FSTi driv-

ers, inc u ing current ea er Harry Hunt, e

victim to the course and technical difculties,

all three members of ADTA’s

- e

Bader Al Jabri, Majed Al Shamsi and Khalil

A S ai - pro uce t e est tarmac per or-

ances of their careers to y home in second,

t ir an ourt in r ont o a pac e crow

assembled at Trier’s historic town centre.Lead-

ng the Team Abu Dhabi driving trio was Al

S amsi, w o tac e t e airpin en s an

gravel strewn asphalt that typies the German

a y, wit mature consistency t roug out t e

entire event to grab a well earned second

lace nish.“My rst asphalt event of the year

cou n t ave gone any etter. T e resu t gives

e a positive condence boost and has helped

e to eve op my tarmac riving s i s w ic

hope to utilise for the next event in France,”

said Al Shamsi, who won at Rally Portugal ear-

ier t is year.

AL QASSIMI COMPLETES IMPRESSIVETOP 10 GERMAN FIGHT-BACK



69

{Motorsports - wrc}

CITROëN SCORES A dOuBLEPOdIuM – MISSES THE TOP SPOT

Jri-Matti Latva a won Neste Oi Ra y Fin-

and, round eight of the 2010 FIA World

a y C ampions ip. Co- riven y Mii a

Anttila, Latvala took the lead on stage seven

nd drove without error to land his second win

t e season.

The Finn, who breaks Markku Alen’s record

s t e youngest winner o t e ig -spee

grave event, wit stoo ate pressure rom

factory Citroen pilot Sebastien Ogier to secure

an emotiona ome victory.

The Citroën Total World Rally Team crews

improve t eir positions on t e secon ay

of Rally Finland. Sébastien Ogier and Julien

Ingrassia in their rst race for the works team,

nis e in a magni cent secon p ace a ew

seconds in front of Sébastien Loeb and Dan-

el Elena. This double podium has helped the

Citroën Tota Wor Ra y Team to increase its

ead in the FIA Manufacturers’ World Cham-

ions ip.

It s a ream an I can t even imagine it

yet,” said the works Ford Focus pilot. “It’s

somet ing I ve een reaming o since I was

small boy. The fans in Finland are fantastic

nd I’ve won in front of my home spectators.

en we i t e secon ast stage it starte

o go in the right direction and we were a

itt e on t e sa e si e. Its amazing, a ig re ie

nd a fantastic rally. Our team has done really

ar wor an t is victory is or t e team.

A ter a s ort nig t, t e crews e t t e Jyväs-

ylä service park in pouring rain. Around 100

ms rom t ere, t e stages o t e rst o t e

hree loops were also soaking wet. Sébastien

gier was on t e pace straig t away in t e

a y setting t e astest time in Ko on u ma

(SS12). In Väärinmaja, the longest stage of

he event, it was Sébastien Loeb’s turn to stun

he onlookers. By setting the second-best

ime, Ogier too secon p ace rom Petter

o erg an got to wit in 15s o t e ea er,

ari-Matti Latvala! The latter fought back in

e o owing stage, ut t e C4 WRC rivers

ere more than pleased at the end of the rst

ree stages.

etter So erg ost out on a po ium nis

y 4.7s and said he could not have gone any

aster in is privateer Citroen. I trie very

ard but factory teams are factory teams,”

said Solberg. “We have been fast but we’re a

sma ra y team oing t e est we can.

Spaniard Dani Sordo secured fth overall

on is rst run wit t e Citroen Junior Team.

e said: “Fifth is not bad but I am not happy

with my performance. The car was good, not

a ways per ect, ut a ter a very goo test an

the rst stages there was no more from me.

We nee to e etter t e next time.

atvala became the ninth different Finn-

sh driver to win the event and the youngest

ever a ter rea ing Mar u A ens recor set

n 1976.

A en was 25 years an ve mont s o

w en e triump e on ome soi in a Fiat,

while Latvala was 25 years and three months

w en e eat Se astien Ogier into rst p ace

n Jyvaskyla at the weekend.

our-time wor c ampion Ju a Kan unen,

who nished eighth on his one-off return to

the WRC, said: “For sure he can win the world

tit e. T is year is i cu t ut or sure e wi

win it one day.”

Alen, who has won in Finland on six occa-

sions, visite t e ra y an was u o praise

for Latvala. He said: “The important thing is a

Finnis river wins t e 1000 La es Ra y as I

still call it. It will be a very special feeling for

Jari-Matti because when I won in Finland they

were amongst my avourite wins as i you re a

Finn you want to win Rally Finland. He drove

very we an I was rea y impresse .

annu Mikkola, world rally champion in

1983, also attended the event and paid trib

ute to Latva a.

“It was a good ght and I’m very pleased

to see im an For at t e top, sai Mi o a.

“He has clearly grown up because he had a lot

o pressure on im an an e it very we .

W en I was younger I a two reams: one

was to win the rally, the other was to win the

Finnis c ampions ip. T is is a rea sign o

how good Jari-Matti can be.”



{Motorsports - wrc}

70

Rival teams welcome MINI to the WRC fol

Volkswagen ‘more than intereste’ in WRC entry

Bsses of the Ford and Citroen teams haveelcomed MINI’s decision to tackle a se-

ecte programme o wor c ampions ip ra -

lies in 2011 ahead of a full attack from 2012.

itroen team ea O ivier Quesne sai t e

announcement by MINI last month was a rm

indication that the WRC was set for a bright

uture, w i e Ma co m Wi son, is counterpart

at Ford, said the move sent out a “great mes-

sage or t e WRC.

“It’s really good news for WRC rst of all

and now I’m really sure the worst is behind

us ecause we can t in t at ot er manu ac-

turers will come in the future,” said Quesnel.For Citroen to ave MINI, especia y ecause

e wi ave t e DS3, is t e est

ews we can have. We are very

ease .

Wilson added: “It’s great it’s

een con rme ecause its

een on t e car s or so ong. It

ends out a great message for

e WRC t at weve got anot er

portant manufacturer coming

to t e c ampions ip, w ic is

omet ing weve a een oping

would happen. It can only be a benet to theampions ip an I ope MINI coming in as

the desired effect.”

oth Quesnel and Wilson re-

ca e ear y memories o MINI

competing in its heyday in the

1960s wit t e Cooper S mo e .

My memory was as an eig t-

year-old watching it on the RAC

a y in W in atter, sai Wison.

“It was such a small car with

spar s coming o t e sump

guar ut no ot er cars were o-

ng that.” uesne sai : W en I was

young I used to live in Cannes

an I went to see t e Monte

Car o Ra y wit my scooter w en I was 16.

went to see during the night and I see the

INI. It was a goo c oice.

Speaking to World Rally Radio, David Rich-

r s, w ose Pro rive organisation is eve op-

ng t e MINI Countryman WRCs, a e : T e

hampionship has so much to offer. It’s had a

i cu t perio ut now wit a c ear ca en ar

nd future, plus an injection of new manufac

turers, it s on its way ac up. I m pretty sure

INI coming will wake up a lot of people.”

e ea o Vo swagens motorsport ivi-

ion says the manufacturer could be com-

peting in the World Rally Championship as

ear y as 2013 i p ans are given t e green ig t

in the coming months.

VWs motorsport irector Kris Nissen spo e

of the company’s interest in building a World

Rally Car during Rallye Deutschland, where

t e rm aunc e its atest Da ar c a enger,

the Race Touareg 3.Volkswagen also had a

strong presence on t e stages ast wee , wit

former double World Rally Champion Carlos

Sainz opening the roads at the wheel of a bio-

ue e VW Scirocco Zero Car.

ommenting on speculation that Volkswa-

gen was c ose to o owing MINI in announcing

new WRC programme, Nissen sai : We ve

een looking into this for more than a year.

We think it’s very interesting and I have never

a e a secret out o it. T e act is we are

very, very happy to see MINI and now there

wi e t ree manu acturers. We are very ap-

y with the cooperation of Jean Todt and the

IA. In two or three years we will see even

ore interesting ra y or t e spectators an

for the people at the races. That’s something

we i e to ear an we are more t an inter-

sted,” he added.

That interest could lead to the development

a ran new Vo swagen Wor Ra y Car

version of the Polo, Golf or Scirocco.

W en we press t e utton we nee a out

two years an t at means i in t e s ort uture

- I’m talking about the next months - we could

a e a ecision we cou e t ere in 2013

ut i not we can e t ere in 2014, exp aine

issen.

We are rea y very p ease to see t e way

the rally is going and we also need to think

a out t e istory o motorsport. We ave a -

ways a cars on t e trac , especia y F1 cars,

we have Le Mans cars - which is also a historic

ace - an we ave t e ra y. T e ra y as

always been there, in different formats, but

t as a ways een t ere. I rea y t in t at

t e Wor Ra y C ampions ip is one o t e

ost interesting sports in motorsport you can

ave.



{SPECIAL FEATURE ON TYRES}

71

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{Chicane}

Raj Warrior is editor of Automan and has been inthe thick of the Automotive journalism field fromt e past 15 years.

Want to comment or have your say? Email at [email protected] yourself or your message will be trashed an your i oc e

Can you hark back to the time you rst drove a car? Depending on your age

and circumstances, it may be quite a while back, however you are sure to

remember the rst lessons you got on where all the controls lay. In mostcases the actual location of the controls like the headlight switches, turn indicator

stalk and the wiper controls would vary depending on the particular make of car. To

the driver of many years ago, the accepted layout of the dashboard and the controlswas the one they inherited in their rst car. If you switched cars for any reason,

including the most anticipated one of being able to afford a new car, the chances

were that you spent a few days hitting the wrong switches due to the ‘hard wiring’

that your reexes had gone through in the old car.

Nowadays the chance of that happening is a lot less. Governments have stepped

in to make it easier for drivers and less of a danger to the road user by stipulatingstandards that t. Most cars sold in Oman have the light stalk on the left and the

wiper stalk on the right. Of course, every car has the steering wheel on the left!

But there are still some cars that stick out with headlight knobs on the dashboard,combined turn indicator and wiper controls and even cruise control stalks located

where you would expect the turn indicator to be. The other oddity is usually around

the gearshift lever. Manual gearshifts get variants of an H pattern – but the reverse

gear actuation can vary from a push to corner to a sliding boss actuator. In the caseof automatics and tiptronics the story is the same. You have a straight path, J-gate,

mirrored J and to complicate matters the +/- activation can be front-back, back-

front or side to side. Let’s not even get started on the variation of cruise controlswith their xed stalk, revolving stalk, steering wheel mount and the lot.

To the normal driver it hardly matters. Refer to the opening statement. You get

hard-wired to the way your car is presented. To a car journalist, it makes the varietywe drive quite spicy. You discover small things like not having familiarised yourself

with the location of the hazard switch before driving off. Or to the international

traveller who goes from a left-hand drive market to a right-hand drive one andspends a couple of days getting the hard-wired bit undone. That does involve a

few random wiper activations in perfectly dry weather. And by the time you have

unlearnt and re-programmed, it is time to start the reverse process.

Now what is most ironical is that all these variations are present despite the

trend to standardise. Vendors love standardisation, while designers and car lovers

take the opposite stance. Customisation and tuning in all its forms comes from thatdesire to be distinct, even if that means aunting 24-inch alloy wheels, a rebrand

decal and a body colour that would make puce go green with envy. So you be the

judge of whether you are better off with a standardised cabin or one that stands outbecause of the deviant layout.

I am all for variations – from speedometer consoles that would look at home on

a motorcycle to electric parking brakes that can’t make up their minds whetherthey release when pulled up or pushed down or a sound system that stays on till you

switch off and open the door. It’s what make cars unique, packaging interesting and

my job that much more meaningful.

t n, rj w n n n n n

automan september 2010

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