Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India will start offering a deluxe version of its CB Unicorn Dazzler which will come in dual tone colours with differently coloured strips on the tank and tank extensions. The mechanicals remain untouched and price goes up by a thousand rupees for the deluxe version over the standard version.
Skoda has taken a leaf out of Tata’s book. Just like Tata did with the Aria, Skoda has started offering a cheaper version of the Yeti by a 4×2 version, but has also done what Tata has not done, which is to detune the engine, which will put out about 110 PS of power as against the 140 PS in the 4×4 version. It also loses one cog in the gearbox and will be a 5 speed affair as against the 6 speed version that features in the 4×4 version. However, the good thing is that it is lighter than the 4×4 by 98 kg and also has prices starting at Rs. 13.2 lakhs as opposed to the 4×4 whose prices start at Rs. 15.5 lakh. The Yeti is an extremely capable softroader, and can easily perform some hard core off road duties but its compact size and high pricing have made it a slow seller. One assumes that this launch of the 4×2 version has something to do with the aggressively priced and very competent XUV 500 from Mahindra.
At Riot Engine, it’s as much about ‘People’ as the automobiles themselves. When we featured the Rimac Concept_One in our ‘Design’ section, we were stumped by the 23 year old who got a team together and built the stunning Concept_One. The ‘About us’ section on the Rimac website had us hooked. The story of Mate Rimac is incredible for the simple reason that as inspiring as it is, it can also be the life story of any auto enthusiast who takes the first step beyond the boundaries of being just a spectator.
Riot Engine brings you an exclusive interview with the man himself, Mate Rimac, CEO, Rimac Automobili,all the way from Croatia.
Riot Engine: Let’s start at the beginning. Can you tell our readers about your BMW E30?
Mate Rimac: I went to a technical school in Croatia where we had to make a “Matura exercise” before graduating. Usually students make simple electronics like amplifiers. I was totally into electronics so I used the opportunity to build something unique. My invention was elected to participate in a local invention exhibition where I won the first prize. After the local exhibition I participated on the national level where I also won the first place – this opened the door to the world’s biggest international exhibitions. I participated in South Korea, Switzerland, Germany, Malaysia, Czech Republic, Romania etc. On all those exhibitions I usually won gold or silver medals for my inventions which also caught the attention of European car manufacturers and suppliers. I patented my inventions and negotiated with these companies about selling off the rights to use them – quite successful. (I cannot talk about details since I have signed non disclosure agreements)
Besides electronics, I have a big passion for cars and bikes. I owned an old BMW E30 (MY 1884) which I used for drift and circuit races. At one of these races, the gas engine blew up. Then I decided to try building an EV. The goal from the beginning was to create a very powerful car. At first I started on my own. I read a lot about other people’s projects who have already converted cars to EVs, and even some who are using EVs for racing. Then I have ordered parts and started to build the car. After one year or so the car was able to drive but I was not satisfied with the result. It was heavy, not very powerful and the range was very limited. I started to collect a team of experts to develop our own components since I believed that the electric propulsion can give much more compared to what was available on the market (at least for individuals – big companies have access to better technologies).
The old BMW has gone through five development phases. Every time we changed almost everything. The power electronics, motors and battery-packs have been replaced each time with more compact, lighter and more powerful developments. The car got faster, lighter and more reliable each time.
Riot Engine: When your BMW E30 blew its engine, what made you decide to go the electric way instead of getting another combustion engine?
Mate Rimac: I had the idea to make an electric car for a longer time. The blew-up engine was just the trigger to actually start doing it.
In which year did you start off with the development of the e-M3?
2008.
Did the same team that work on the e-M3 and the Concept_One?
I started alone in my garage. New members joined the team (and the company) year after year. Everyone who worked on the e-M3 works also on the Concept_One. We are a small company which is more like a family so everyone works on every project.
Have you worked on any previous projects with Adriano Mudri? How did the collaboration with Mudri as the Lead Designer for the Concept_One come about?
I have meet Adriano when I was searching for a designer for the Concept_One. He is, just like me, a perfectionist so it was not always easy to satisfy his quality standards in the production, especially with our tight schedule and budget. But on the other hand, I am now glad that the car looks perfect even in the smallest detail.
I was setting the design goals, our engineering set the packaging (so the space which is used for mechanic and electric components). Adriano had to work within those parameters. As everyone knows, there are always some conflicts between the design and engineering part of the team but we have managed to find solutions and finish the car while satisfying both the look and technical part.
Can you tell us about the all wheel torque vectoring in the Concept_One? Does it mean each wheel can rotate at different rotational speeds independent of the other?
Traditional cars need to rotate the wheels at different speeds because of the different diameters while going through a corner. That is the reason why cars have differentials.
The Torque Vectoring System takes care of the speed differences (so it is a “virtual differential”). At the same time, it controls the torque of each wheel separately. The Torque Vectoring opens new possibilities in terms of controlling the vehicle dynamics. You can have a completely different handling by pressing a button. You can choose between understeer, oversteer or neutral handling.
When the Concept_One goes into production, will it continue to have the same name?
Probably not. We will release the final name next year.
Why have you fixed a limit of only 88 units this year?
People who buy such a car expect exclusivity. We are guaranteeing them the exclusivity by limiting the production.
The number 88 is chosen because the car has a power of 1088 hp.
We understand some of the big names in the automotive industry have come together to design a ‘Universal Charging System‘ for electric vehicles. Do you see Concept_One adopting such a system in the future?
We are using EU-standardized Level 2 and Level 3 charging plugs. We are also working on the implementation of the Chademo DC fast charging protocol.
We know you must have spent quite some time brainstorming about the choice of materials for various components of the Concept_One. Aluminium and Carbon fibre seem to be in abundance. Can you give us an insight into how tough that was?
I wanted to build the best car possible. If you want to build the best car, you have to use the best technology and materials.
Some of the most exotic automotive brands have finally arrived in India. When do you think we can see a Rimac on the roads in India?
I am not sure about the homologation standards in India. If the European homologation is valid in India, we will offer the car on that market also as soon as production starts.
The name Rimac is no longer just about you, the individual. Rimac is now a global brand. How does that feel?
I’m very proud. That’s everything I worked for, that’s my dream come true.
Riot Engine wishes you the very best for the Concept_One. Thank you for your time!
Thank you for the interview.
For sometime now there has been talk about all new Pulsars hitting the market in December. Most of that talk has come from Rajiv Bajaj himself. Thus far Bajaj has kept the test mules carefully out of sight of people looking for scoop pictures. But they seem to have been caught firmly on camera by an unknown gent. In fact, this gent has been so kind as to create new blogspot called www.newbajajpulsar2012.blogspot.com and posted some pictures of the test mules. Now what is most obvious is that design cues of the motorcycle are all well hidden under foam leather/rexine shrouds on all the vital body panels. The exposed engine seems to have something written in KTM orange. The rest of the bike is not clearly visible especially the frame, of which only the rear is clearly seen. The bike features a monoshock arrangement at the back and disc brakes on the front (the discs are quite large indicating good horse power perhaps?) and drums at the rear. Thanks to this kind gent who has so unselfishly put all these pictures up.
Without an iota of doubt the Porsche 911 is the most iconic car since the invention of the automobile. Originally designed in 1963 and reaching the showrooms in 1964, the 911 has seen many generations with new technological innovations but retaining the unmistakable 911 shape. The car has an aura and mystique that no other automobile can claim to have. And Porsche have become masters at keeping the original lines intact while imbuing the 911 with new technologies. The current generation 911 is the 991 internally in Porsche and this made its debut recently. Now the new generation 911 has moved towards the inexorable next step which is the convertible or cabriolet (that sounds so much more sophisticated). The new 911 cabriolet has drop top that is an innovative composite of fabric and plastic. The launch is now in the international markets. The car will come to India when Porsche starts making the right hand drive models.
Renault may have ceded the rights to the car platform on which the Logan is built to Mahindra (the Logan name is not given to Mahindra and therefore Mahindra calls the erstwhile Logan, Verito) but it still has kept the rights to the platform for launching other products on it. The Duster SUV from Renault is built on the very capable Logan platform and is scheduled for a mid 2012 launch. This much is known since Renault India has itself put this on its website and has left very little to the imagination. The reputed Autocar India.com has now broken news that the Duster will be shown in the Auto Expo in January, 2012 but the car will be launched as per the original schedule. Autocar India.com also says that the Duster will come in 5 different variants with petrol and diesel engines. The diesel engine will come in two different states of tuning and will put out different horsepower figures. The interiors of the Duster will be carefully updated to suite the tastes of the Indian customer. Renault has learnt this much from its failed JV with Mahindra and the Logan debacle.
The Suzuki GW 250 that we have talked about a couple of times now comes with a name. It has been called the Inazuma. It must mean something, probably in Japanese or Spanish but it isn’t a name that rolls of your tongue easily and happily. Aeons ago the GW 250 was touted for a launch during the festival season of this year and that has gone by without any news of the GW250 launch in India. Now that the bike has a name maybe it will be launched during the Auto Expo which is coming in January of 2012. At least, that is the hope that we nurture. The engine of the Inazuma is the same twin cylinder liquid cooled 250cc churning out a modest 26 PS. The Kawasaki Ninja 250 R which is a similar parallel twin engine churns out 33 PS while the Honda CBR 250R which is a single cylinder engine churns out 26 PS. We are not even sure if Suzuki has plans for the Inazuma in India and we do not know what configuration of power, torque and fuel efficiency that Suzuki has in mind if it is decided that the Inazuma will actually be launched.
Inazuma Picture courtesy: Indiancarsbikes.in
GW 250 pic from our archives
The Mini Xylo (name given by the journalist fraternity) code name the U203 has been caught testing with full white camouflage by Indianautosblog.com. It is a truncated version of the Xylo and ducks under the four metre boundary set for cars to qualify for tax concessions and will feature a diesel engine with a capacity of less than 1.5 litres, again to qualify for the concessions. It is believed that the engine will be a three pot version of the 2.2 litre mHawk and not a smaller version of the inexpensive M2DiCR engine that is of 2.5 litre capacity but hardly makes decent power.
Picture courtesy: Indian Autos Blog.com
It is well known that the sales of the Chevrolet Aveo U-VA hatchback and the Aveo Sedan have all but come to an end with both models combined not even accounting for 250 units every month. GM which has found some success originally with the Spark (though its numbers are now not as impressive as they once were) and subsequently the Beat. Endowing the Beat with a diesel engine has meant that GM is able to sell about 5500 units per month of the car consistently. Chevrolet cannot be a one model show and therefore GM has been considering the launch of replacements for the U-VA and the Aveo sedan. While the Sonic twins have replaced the Aveo twins internationally, India may not get them because the cost of the Sonic cars is likely to be on the higher side. GM is keen to get into the inexpensive car space and the Sail developed in China on the Opel Corsa platform (which was sold here) with modifications to make it contemporary, fits the bill perfectly. Zigwheels.com has caught a Sail hatchback with its badges taped and has posted its pictures. The Sail may not be sold with that name in India since the hatchback model of the Opel Corsa was called the Corsa Sail and was a bit of a flop.
Picture Courtesy: Zigwheels.com
The Hindu newspaper has reported today that Force Motors is divesting more of its stake in the Man Force Trucks Private Limited in favour of its joint venture partner MAN AG of Germany. Initially when the JV came into being, Force Motors held 70% of it (in 2005-06) but gave 50% share holding to MAN by 2008 and now it is relinquishing more of its holding to give control of the JV to MAN AG. The reason behind this move and the actual percentage that MAN has been further given is not yet clear. Conjectures are that the capital raised this way will be used by Force Motors to get into passenger vehicle space into which it has debuted with the Force One SUV. Another new product, believed to the Mercedes Viano van, is expected next year with upgrades to the Trax range also being planned for the near future.