Moto.it has caught on camera the MV Agusta Rivale 800 testing outside the MV Agusta Varese factory. The MV Agusta will take on the likes of the Ducati Hypermotard. The Rivale will use the 125bhp three-cylinder motor from the MV Agusta Brutale 800
Motorcycle News also mentiond that the main design work was done between British designer Adrian Morton and Castiglioni. The pair is said to have worked side-by-side on this bike.
Via WCF
After having lost his place in the Caterham F1 Team this year to Giedo Van Der Garde, Kovalainen has been again been drafted by the team, as a reserve driver.
Caterham F1 Team is set to introduce a package of major updates to its cars which the team hopes will push them past their nearest rival Marussia and hopes to use Heikki’s six years of F1 experience to obtain objective feedback.
Speaking to AutoSport about his opportunity, Kovalainen said: “It’s obviously great news that I’ll be on track in Bahrain and Spain and I’m really looking forward to getting back to work and helping the team as much as I can. I’m physically ready to get back into the car and I know my experience can help give the team new ideas and options for directions to take on setup and strategy. I’m looking forward to getting back to work.”
Team boss Cyril Abiteboul said Kovalainen’s six years of experience in F1 would enable him to give the team objective feedback on the different configurations they will be running in Free Practice at Bahrain. Kovalainen is also in a position to discern the changes between the tyres from 2013 and 2012.
“Having invested in Heikki for our first three years of competition it would be a waste not to leverage the valuable expertise he brings’ he added. “As F1 is a team sport, he will also provide support to Charles Pic and Giedo van der Garde, who are both doing a good job in their first months with the team.”
MINI has commenced assembly of the Countryman in two diesel and one petrol variant in BMW’s Chennai plant. The diesel variants include the MINI Cooper D Countryman and the MINI Cooper D Countryman High priced at Rs. 25.6 Lakhs and Rs. 28.9 Lakhs (ex-showroom) respectively. The petrol variant is the MINI ONE Countryman which will be priced at a mouth watering Rs. 23.5 Lakhs thanks to it being assembled locally.
This model will be powered by MINI’s 1.6L diesel which makes around 112 hp (82 kW) and 270 Nm of torque. This diesel mill was developed with PSA Peugeot Citroën and the engine is also found on the Peugeot 207. 270Nm of torque is pretty close to what the Cooper S is capable of! The diesel has a claimed 0-60 mph time of 10.9 seconds and a top speed of 185 kph.
European journalists have reported that the diesel mill has no turbo lag to speak of but isn’t as urgent as the petrol mills. Do keep an eye on our website for the full review when we test this for ourselves.
This is again a variant exclusive to India which comes with additional accessories on the exterior as well as the interior. This model will also be powered by MINI’s 1.6L diesel.
The MINI ONE is a slightly more affordable variant of the MINI Cooper with the same 1.6L petrol engine but downtuned to make 98 hp (72 kW) and 153 Nm of torque with a 0-60 mph time of 11.2 s
The other variants of the MINI Countryman will continue to be imported as CBUs. The MINI Cooper S Countryman is priced at Rs. 34.2 Lakhs while the MINI Cooper S Countryman High is priced at Rs. 37.5 Lakhs.
This is the first time a MINI will roll off an assembly outside of Europe. MINI has established five exclusive outlets across Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore. The BMW Plant in Chennai produces the BMW 3 Series, the BMW 5 Series, the BMW X1 and the BMW X3. In 2013, the BMW Plant Chennai will also produce the BMW 7 Series and the BMW 1 Series.
Price List ( ex-showroom in Rs.)
MINI
MINI Cooper : 26,60,000
MINI Cooper S : 29,90,000
MINI Convertible
MINI Cooper Convertible : 32,50,000
MINI Countryman
MINI ONE Countryman* : 23,50,000
MINI Cooper D Countryman* : 25,60,000
MINI Cooper D Countryman High* : 28,90,000
MINI Cooper S Countryman : 34,20,000
MINI Cooper S Countryman High : 37,50,000
Mercedes-Benz is on an offensive this year. In addition to the usual channels of marketing, Mercedes-Benz goes a step further with its StarDrive experience. The StarDrive experience is something Mercedes Benz calls ‘experiential marketing’. This allows potential customers to engage with the brand in ways previously not possible until you actually owned a Mercedes Benz.
The stars at the Star Drive are the ML-Class and the GL-Class and the flagship sedans, C-Class and E-Class. Mercedes Benz demonstrates the capabilities of these vehicle in critical road situations in a simulated, safe and controlled environment. Participants are introduced to the Pro-Engineering Package, Airmatic Package, 4ETS, Downhill Speed Regulation (DSR) etc. during the driving program. Participants will also be able to soak up the B-Class, the SLK-Class and the E-Class Cabriolet which will be on display.
The StarDrive experience is conducted in association with Daimler Financial Services and Mobil 1. More than 8000 participants are expected to experience StarDrive this year in various cities including Ahmedabad, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Calicut, Pune, Mumbai and more.
Speaking at the inauguration of this initiative, Manas Dewan, General Manager, Corporate Communications, Mercedes-Benz India commented, “The StarDrive Experience which is in its fourth year is Mercedes-Benz India’s one of most successful and avant-garde marketing engagement. The overwhelming popularity of StarDrive Experience over the years is a testimony to the fact that Mercedes-Benz customers are fascinated by the brand experience of the Three Pointed Star. 2013 is the year of offensive by Mercedes-Benz and fascinating brand experience to customers is a key element in that offensive. We started the year on a very positive note and through various benchmarking engagements like StarDrive Experience, we expect to keep the momentum going throughout the year.”
Raymond Wong, CEO – ExxonMobil Lubricants Private Limited, India, the sponsor partner for this event, said: “We have always felt privileged for holding on to a strong association with Mercedes Benz. Through Mercedes-Benz StarDrive Experience, we are aiming to deliver the participants a unique driving experience through various tough simulations to showcase the power, agility, unparalleled safety features and engineering technology of these cars. ExxonMobil provides Mercedes-Benz with Mobil 1 lubricant technology, expertise and support to develop next-generation lubricants for car engines and gearboxes. The world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand, Mobil 1, features anti-wear technology that provides performance beyond conventional motor oils and exceptional protection against engine wear, under normal or even some of the most extreme conditions. Mobil 1 flows quickly in extreme temperatures to protect critical engine parts and is designed to maximize engine performance and help extend engine life.”
Mr. Sidhartha Nair, Managing Director, Daimler Financial Services India, commented, “Mercedes-Benz StarDrive Experience is a memorable customer experience which showcases the technological prowess of Mercedes-Benz cars & proves its leadership in high-end automotive technologies. StarDrive provides the opportunity for customers to experience the DNA of Mercedes Benz cars – sporty, safety, innovative technology, comfort and performance. Mercedes-Benz Financial is pleased to be associated with this initiative.”
A C 63 AMG ( have you heard this baby growl?) an E 63 AMG and the creme de la creme of the Mercedes-Benz stable, the SLS AMG. Participants of the Advanced Driving Programme are trained under the guidance of expert drivers and instructors from AMG Driving Academy, Germany to handle these saloons with monstrous power around the Buddh International Circuit.
The package has been priced at Rs 1,00,000.
Eberhard Kern, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India commented, “We at Mercedes-Benz believe that ‘Racing is a state of mind’ and we are passionate about our legacy in motorsports. As one of the main pillars of Mercedes-Benz Performance Drive, our AMG Driving Academy has been a stepping stone to fulfill the long cherished dream of racing and taking it up as a profession with the help of a systematic module. It is a proud moment for all of us in announcing the introduction of the Advanced level of this highly successful programme.”
Mercedes-Benz Performance Drive is a complete platform that includes various initiatives including the AMG Driving Academy, StarDrive Experience, Track Day Experience, International Driving Experience, Star Off-Road Experience, Young Star Drivers Programme. The Advanced Training programme also acts as a gateway for the Pro Training programme of the AMG Driving Academy.
Yamaha has established a new R&D headquarters in Surajpur, Uttar Pradesh. This is Yamaha’s second Integrated Development Center and fifth overseas R&D quarters.
Not unlike the other R&D centres in Italy, Taiwan, China and Thailand, the headquarters in Surajpur will mostly execute “change drawings” operations, working to make changes to existing design, maintenance and production standards. This will enable Yamaha to optimise the models for the Indian market and provide low cost models to customers.
Speaking on the occasion Mr. Hiroyuki Suzuki, CEO & Managing Director, India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd. said, “We at Yamaha strongly believe in constant innovation. The R&D centre will help us to put channelized effort in conceptualization of new models and parts keeping in mind the changing customer preferences. This will help us not only to develop models and parts for India market but also to develop models and parts for export markets as well”.
Explaining the development further, Mr. Toshikazu Kobayashi, Managing Director, Yamaha Motor Research and Development India Pvt. Ltd. said, “We plan to achieve lowest cost models and parts in the world through INDRA (Innovative and New Development based on Responsible Analysis) activity meant to provide optimized specification thorough investigation in product life cycle. This activity will significantly help us in reducing the cost yet rolling out products that meet all customer aspirations and market standards.”
Audi, along with Marvel Entertainment, LLC, launched a digital Iron Man “Steer The Story” comic book at www.steerthestory.com where fans of the Audi and Iron Man brands get to select the outcome of the story stage by stage as they engage in a voting process.
Now the contest goes on step further where Audi and Marvel want you, the reader to draw the final panel for this crowd sourced comic.Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso and editors Jeanine Schaefer and Bill Rosemann will serve as the contest judges for the final component of the contest.
Audi will equip you with the tools required to complete the final panel in form of two videos to be released this week. These videos give fans step-by-step instructions on how to draw Tony Stark’s Audi R8 and Iron Man’s helmet.
We love the voting process, as well as the opportunity to pen the last panel of the comic. If only the contest wasn’t open only to residents of the United States.
Celebrating the 6000 A6 cars Audi has sold in India, the German company has now launched a special edition Audi A6 with a host of features as standard that were earlier optional.
The Special Edition Audi A6 gets LED headlights, Adaptive Air Suspension with Audi Drive Select, 4-Zone Deluxe Air Conditioning, Rear Side Airbags, Bose Surround Sound System, MMI Touch, Comfort Key, MMI Remote Control and of course, the ability to adjust the front passenger seat from the rear.
Michael Perschke, Head, Audi India said “The front co-driver’s seat adjustment is a feature we took from our successful A6L in China and adopted it specifically for the Indian market.” A worthy addition for what is mostly a chauffeur driven car in India.
The Special Edition A6 is available only with the 2.0L TDI and the 3.0L TDI at an introductory price starting price of Rs. 46.33 Lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi).
“With the introduction of the special edition we would like to thank our loyal customers for making the Audi A6 a huge success. Winner of the ‘World car of the Year’ award, Audi A6 has been a huge success in India, right from the time it was launched. Keeping in line with our top down strategy most key features from our flagship Audi A8 are now available in the Audi A6. The features and equipment which the new Audi A6 has as standard is a segment first- thus the new Audi A6 offers maximum value in its competitive segment. We are confident that the special edition Audi A6 will set new standards in the luxury-class sedan category in India,” said, Mr. Michael Perschke, Head, Audi India.
Riot Engine was at the Honda Amaze press conference held in Chennai. The media fielded the usual questions about future models and instead of dodging them, Jnaneswar Sen, Sr. VP, Honda Cars India explained that Honda was considering a seven seater MPV ( codenamed 2NH) as well as a production version of the Urban SUV Concept showcased at Detroit.
ET reports that Honda has directed its vendor to gear up for annual volumes of 35,000 units.
