As Aston Martin returns to Le Mans to defend its 2017 victory at the iconic 24-hour race, so the latest car in the exciting new AMR stable has been unveiled. Following hot on the heels of the DB11 AMR, Aston Martin has revealed the limited edition Rapide AMR. This production version of the concept shown at Geneva last year is limited to just 210 cars.

AMR stands for Aston Martin Racing and the brand draws a direct engineering and aesthetic link between the company’s successful race team and its road cars. As such the Rapide AMR is a sports car capable of comfortably transporting a team of race drivers to a circuit on the other side of a continent and then tackling the track when they get there.

Aston Martin President & Chief Executive Officer, Dr Andy Palmer, commented: “AMR takes technology and inspiration from our motorsport programme to amplify the sporting prowess in our road cars which is clear to see in the Rapide AMR, Aston Martin’s most extreme, 4-door sports car. With enhanced performance, sharper dynamics and more powerful design language, Aston Martin has taken Rapide to new and exciting extremes.”

The design of the new 205mph Rapide AMR has changed little from the concept that was shown at the Geneva Motor Show in 2017, with a large and aggressive front grille that is reminiscent of the extreme track-only Vantage AMR Pro. Meanwhile the circular daytime running lights recall the recent Zagato models.

The Rapide AMR’s aerodynamics have been tuned to reduce lift while retaining a neutral balance and the extra aerodynamic bodywork such as the splitter, sills, rear diffuser and boot lid lip spoiler are all carbon fibre. The new bonnet with large ventilation inserts is also made from carbon fibre to minimise weight.

At the heart of the Rapide AMR is a naturally aspirated drivetrain that draws much of its technology and character from the potent Aston Martin Vantage GT12. Larger inlet manifolds with tuned length dual inlet runners enhance the airflow into the 6.0-litre V12 engine and, combined with new engine and gearbox calibration, this results in an increase in power. The legendary V12 now puts out 603PS and 630Nm of torque, while a new quad exhaust ensures a raucous sound befitting of the AMR badge.

To help harness all of this power and to launch from 0-60mph in just 4.2 seconds (0-100kmph in 4.4 seconds), the Rapide AMR has 21-inch wheels – a first for any Aston Martin – paired with ultra-high performance Michelin Super Sport tyres. The large, forged wheels have a multi spoke design that is not only very stiff but also aids brake cooling. To further aid thermal management of the brakes, the Rapide AMR utilises an evolution of the cooling system on the Vanquish S, with modified brake ducts and dust shields.

As standard, the Rapide AMR comes fitted with carbon ceramic brakes. Measuring 400mm at the front with six piston calipers and 360mm at the rear with four piston calipers, this is the first time that a Rapide has been fitted with such stopping power. The carbon ceramic discs are also part of AMR’s ethos to use lightweight components whilst reducing unsprung mass they have a noticeably beneficial effect on the driving experience.

Alongside the new tyres, brakes and aerodynamics, the Rapide’s suspension has also received considerable attention. The new Rapide AMR rides 10mm lower than a Rapide S and although the three stage adaptive dampers remain, they have been thoroughly reengineered to create a car that is more focused, agile and dynamic. Much of this development work has been completed at the newly opened AMR Performance Centre at the Nurburgring.

The Rapide AMR will be available in three different design schemes. The Standard and Silhouette schemes offer four colours – Mariana Blue, Scintilla Silver, Lightning Silver and Onyx Black – with the Standard scheme adding AMR Lime accents to the splitter, sills and rear diffuser. The Silhouette scheme eschews the Lime accents and instead adds a full-length contrasting stripe in China Grey or Clubsport White.

The Signature scheme matches Stirling Green paint with Lime accents and a Lime stripe for the definitive AMR look. This draws the closest visual link to the Aston Martin Racing team and the liveries of its race cars.

The interior of each Rapide AMR reflects the design scheme chosen for the exterior, with either AMR Lime or Galena Silver welting and stitching. There is a full-length carbon fibre centre console and the seats are trimmed in Alcantara – both firsts for a Rapide. Also available for the first time as an option is a One-77 style steering wheel. Every car has discrete AMR logos stitched into the seats in Galena Silver and each car will come with a limited-edition AMR inspection plaque as well as AMR branding on the carbon sill plaques. In addition to the three design schemes, customers will also be able make use of Q by Aston Martin to further personalise their car.

The much-awaited petrol variant of the all-new BMW X3 has been launched in India today. Locally-produced at BMW Group Plant Chennai, the all-new BMW X3 xDrive30i has further diversified the engine portfolio of the BMW X3 and can now be ordered in the Luxury Line design scheme.

Vikram Pawah, President, BMW Group India said, “The BMW X range is a pioneer in the Sports Activity Vehicle segment. The BMW X3 has been extremely successful as it combines supreme SAV characteristics with comfort and everyday suitability. With the launch of the all-new BMW X3 xDrive30i, now our customers can also experience unadulterated driving pleasure in a refined petrol engine option. With cutting-edge BMW TwinPower Turbo technology is at its core, this engine spells power and performance. The xDrive technology in the BMW X3 ensures unhindered progress, not only when travelling along rutted gravel or sand tracks, over churned-up ground or in deep mud, but also on city roads with high speed bumps.”

The ex-showroom prices for the all-new BMW X3 xDrive30i is as follows –

BMW X3 xDrive30i Luxury Line : Rs 56,90,000

Any McLaren 675LT is a very special car that already stands out from the crowd, although if a customer desires something even more dramatic – and even more exclusive – McLaren Special Operations (MSO) is on hand to ensure that bespoke requirements are met, no matter how complex.

Challenged to produce a road-going homage to the McLaren F1 GTRs that performed so strongly in endurance racing in the 1990s, winning the 1996 BPR Global Endurance Series and the GT1 Class at the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1997, MSO has created a McLaren 675LT that combines a famous racing livery with personalised and bespoke features to the customer’s brief. The project, which was undertaken with agreement from Gulf Oil International Ltd that its famous racing livery colours could be used, occupied more than 1,000 hours of MSO time. The paintwork – including airbrushing – accounted for 800 hours of that total.

“Creating a car like this unique McLaren 675LT, crafted to individual customer specification, is exactly the type of demanding commission that MSO Bespoke was formed to embrace,” explained Ansar Ali, Managing Director, McLaren Special Operations. “Transforming the existing car from its original single colour paintwork to a tribute to the McLaren F1 GTR ‘Longtail’ in Gulf Racing livery was incredibly demanding in its own right, but was only part of the brief; we also replaced numerous standard 675LT components with MSO parts and further personalised the car to clearly identify it with its owner, a service that an increasing number of MSO customers request.”

The light blue, black and red hues of the exterior paint – and of course the trademark orange centre stripe – are an unmistakeable recreation of the Gulf Racing colours that adorn the 1997 McLaren F1 GTR ‘Longtail’ race car, one of the cars that inspired McLaren to produce the 675LT. The 20-spoke wheels, finished in Dayglo Orange, continue the theme. The same orange colour is used for sill badges that bear the customer’s initials. The car is fitted with louvered front wings, roof scoop upgrade and carbon fibre airbrake from the MSO range of options for the McLaren 675LT, all featuring body colour paint.

The interior of the car was designed and executed to complement both the exterior theme and the personalisation. MSO Bespoke racing seats finished in Carbon Black Alcantara feature orange and blue contrast stitching, with the initials of the owner again featuring, this time embroidered in blue on the headrest. The seat belts are from the MSO Defined range and are orange in colour.

The handling and powertrain bezels on the Active Dynamics Panel are finished in Gulf Blue, while the vent bezel surrounds and surround to the stop/start button are in Gulf Orange.

Now with extraordinary visual impact courtesy of MSO, this 675LT has the appearance to truly match its dramatic performance; with a twin-turbocharged McLaren V8 engine producing up to 675PS (666bhp) and 700Nm (516lb ft) of torque, the 675LT can accelerate to 100kmph (62mph) from standstill in just 2.9 seconds and has a maximum speed of 330kmph (205mph).

From L to R: Charles Frump, Managing Director, Volvo Car India; Nikunj Sanwaria, Dealer Principal, SPL Volvo; and Jyoti Malhotra, Director-Sales & Marketing, Volvo Car India

The Swedish luxury car company Volvo Car India has opened a new facility in Kolkata today. The dealership is a 3S facility with showroom in Rajarhat – The new auto-hub of the east and the workshop nearby. The Kolkata facility was inaugurated by Charles Frump – Managing Director, Volvo Car India. Adding a showroom every month for the next six months will not only support Volvo Car India’s ambition to take the overall dealership count to 28 but also double its segment share from 5 per cent presently to 10 per cent by 2020.

SPL Volvo, Kolkata is built on an 8100 square feet showroom with a dedicated service centre in 20,000 sqaure feet plot. This fully operational state-of-the-art facility will cater to the increasing demand of the high-end luxury cars in West Bengal and its catchment.

Inaugurating the dealership in the city Charles Frump – Managing Director, Volvo Car India said, “Kolkata is the gateway to the east and home to a lot of affluent families. It is a high growth potential hub that caters not only to the metropolis, but also to nearby markets. Having strong partners is the right step in achieving our mid-term goal of doubling our segment share by 2020. I am confident that our partners SPL Volvo will help us in achieving our sales and service objectives in the market.”

Nikunj Sanwaria – Dealer Principal, SPL Volvo said, “We are delighted to associate with Volvo Car India and have already generated a lot of interest in the market by getting good enquiry for Volvo cars. Customer Service is the core differentiator for us and we will strive to provide unmatched service for our customers. The entire range of Volvo cars will be retailed and serviced from our new facility.”

(L-R) Mark Wells, Head-Global Product Strategy & Industrial Design; Rudratej (Rudy) Singh, President Royal Enfield India and Shaji Koshy – Head India Business, Royal Enfield India at the launch of Classic 500 Pegasus

Royal Enfield has launched the limited edition Classic 500 Pegasus motorcycle in India. The ‘Pegasus’ is inspired by the legendary RE/WD 125 Flying Flea motorcycle that was manufactured at Royal Enfield’s facility in UK during the World War 2. Conceived as a tribute to the Flying Flea and Royal Enfield’s military heritage, the Classic 500 Pegasus is a chance to own a piece of motorcycle history with only 1000 units available globally. In India, 250 motorcycles, in wartime colour of Service Brown, will go on sale at a price of Rs. 2,49,217 (on-road Mumbai) on July 10, 2018.

Each of these 250 limited edition commemorative models will be available along with a set of bespoke military-style canvas panniers bearing the Pegasus logo, one helmet and a t-shirt from the Pegasus collection. Launching the limited edition Classic 500 Pegasus motorcycles, Rudratej (Rudy) Singh – President Royal Enfield said: “The association with the Pegasus Parachute Regiment is another reminder of how Royal Enfield history is deeply steeped in motorcycling pedigree. I am confident that the Classic Pegasus edition will, like many of our other armed forces inspired variants, become a collectors’ piece. We have been making army tough and versatile machines – ‘Made Like a Gun’ – since 1901, and we will continue to share some of these ‘hidden gems’ and stories through our motorcycles”.

As the motto ‘Made Like a Gun Since 1901’ suggests, Royal Enfield has a long and proud history of building tough, versatile machines. Royal Enfield produced munitions, artillery equipment and motorcycles during both World Wars and supplies the Indian armed forces with motorcycles to the present day. But by far its most storied wartime creation was the airborne troops’ ‘Flying Flea’, a compact but hugely capable two-stroke 125cc motorcycle used by airborne forces. The Flying Flea was the only proper motorcycle to be dropped by parachute with paratroopers. Often used by commanders to carry vital messages, the Flying Flea’s strength and go-anywhere handling made it almost unstoppable, even over the harshest terrain. Confronted with a fence, stream, bomb crater or ditch, the rider could simply dismount and lift the 56 kilo bike over the obstacle. Simple, tough and resilient, the Flying Flea (or WD/RE to use its official title) was deployed extensively during World War 2 as a front line combat machine.

An invaluable asset to the elite soldiers of the newly-formed Parachute Regiment, it was dropped from aircraft in a protective steel cradle or carried in assault gliders towed by aeroplanes. On the ground, it was used for reconnaissance, communications and transporting soldiers into battle. Inspired by that military heritage, the new Classic 500 Pegasus collector’s edition motorcycle is destined to become a sought-after modern classic. To celebrate the Flying Flea and share its extraordinary untold story, Royal Enfield officially teamed up with Britain’s Ministry of Defence and Parachute Regiment to create the Classic Pegasus.

Mark Wells, Royal Enfield’s Head of Global Product Strategy and Industrial Design explains: “It was really important to work closely with the Ministry of Defence, so we approached the Parachute Regiment about 18 months ago and the collaboration has been great. These new Classic 500 Pegasus motorcycles encapsulate a lot of the history and legacy of Royal Enfield. This is something only Royal Enfield could have done. Many brands have military motorcycles in their past but only Royal Enfield has the Flying Flea. We wanted to authentically recreate the inspiration, so we have paid great attention to details. We have even recreated the yellow stripe on the engine cover which, on the Flying Flea was originally used to denote the motorcycle’s centre of gravity, when it was loaded on the aircraft”.

Just 1000 of these special edition will be available across the world out of which only 250 will be available in India. Each of the Classic Pegasus motorcycles wears a maroon and blue Pegasus emblem – the official Parachute Regiment insignia – on the fuel tank along with an individual stencilled serial number. The famous Royal Enfield ‘Made Like a Gun’ decal on the battery box is another reminder of the machine’s military heritage and is used after a long time on the motorcycle. Keeping alive its authenticity, the Pegasus motorcycles’ markings are based on a genuine World War 2 Flying Flea used by the 250th (Airborne) Light Company, now in Royal Enfield’s official collection at the company’s UK Technology Centre.

Revealing the price of the new limited edition Classic 500 Pegasus motorcycles Shaji Koshy – Head India Business+, Royal Enfield said: “250 of the Classic Pegasus will be on sale on July 10th exclusively on the Royal Enfield website. Each motorcycle will include canvas panniers, helmet and a Pegasus collection t-shirt. The online registration for interested customers will begin today itself on our website”.

An array of gear, inspired by this decorated motorcycling legacy, are also going to be available. Ranging from shirts, t-shirts, caps, lapel pins, bags and helmets, the limited-production apparels & accessories of this collection are also adorned by the official military insignia & the Pegasus emblem. Each of the limited edition motorcycle comes with a set of military-style canvas panniers bearing the Pegasus logo. Each motorcycle will have authentic markings of military motorcycles, including brown handlebar grips, a leather strap with brass buckles across the air filter, blacked out silencers, rims, kickstart, pedals and headlight bezel to complete the period look. In addition, consumers can also buy a range of Genuine Motorcycle Accessories that are compatible with the motorcycle.

Peter Clissold, VP Marketing, Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd. flagging off the Datsun Experience Zone

Taking forward the brand’s promise of providing progressive mobility and celebrating its fifth global anniversary in India, Datsun flagged off the third leg of ‘Datsun Experience Zone’ from Vertex Nissan in Gurgaon.

After two succcessful seasons in 2017, Datsun Experience Zone is back in 2018 with a more comprehensive coverage and experience. Twelve specially designed canters adorned with eye-catching livery that features 5th anniversary celebrations campaign will travel to 750 different locations including 160 districts and 300+ tehsils within a 50-100 km radius of Nissan/Datsun showrooms across India.

Commenting on the launch, Peter Clissold, VP Marketing, Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd. said, “It has been our endeavour to provide progressive mobility to consumers in India. After two successful seasons in 2017, we are excited to kick off the third season where we aim to take the Datsun Experience Zone to 750 locations in the country. It is a testimony to our commitment to reach out to consumers in hinterlands and give them an experience of our brand promise through our products. We are looking forward to welcoming new customers to our family through this three months long promotion”.

Datsun Experince Zone III is going to offer prospective customers the opportunity to take test drives of its flagship car Datsun redi-GO, along with GO and GO+, in addition to having fun with the onboard entertainment and games that come with the canter vans. The canters will be a medium for interactions with customers, with an emcee showcase the redi-GO AMT’s features, introduce Datsun’s latest product portfolio and distribute Datsun brand merchandise. The canters will serve as a platform to engage with customers through gesture-based games that demonstrate the USPs of the showcased Datsun cars, and other fun activities.

Hyundai Motor India Limited has announced the launch of 1.2-litre petrol engine with CVT option in the 2018 Hyundai Elite i20 at the price of Rs 7.04 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The premium high compact segment in the industry is growing year on year from 4.5 per cent sales in 2014 to 13 per cent in 2017. The sales of AT and CVT options in the premium compact segment has grown from 4 per cent in 2015 to 14 per cent in 2018. The premium compact customer survey by Hyundai revealed higher acceptability towards Automatic Transmission, 41 per cent of respondents preferring automatic due to ease and hassle free driving in city and highways.

Y K Koo, Managing Director and CEO, Hyundai Motor India Ltd. said, “ India’s most loved and awarded, Indian Car of the Year 2015 winner ELITE i20 has been a global success ever since its launch. The CVT option with a 1.2 L Petrol engine coupled with Hi-tech & Convenience features offering uncompromised safety will make driving a brilliant experience. The head turner New 2018 ELITE i20 is the most feature loaded and affordable Premium Compact Segment car with a CVT option. Based on our advanced design philosophy, The New 2018 ELITE i20 follows an evolved Premium look, Sporty styling and a strong road presence”

The new CVT engine comes with linear driving force and no shift jerk for smooth and comfortable drive. The 1.2 L Petrol engine with CVT option offers convenient clutch-less drive and no physical gear shifting makes it ideal for city, highways and hilly terrains.

Jaguar Land Rover India today announced the launch of the Ingenium petrol powertrain equipped Model Year 2018 Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque. The Ingenium powertrain delivers a combination of performance, efficiency and refinement while meeting the most stringent global emissions regulations. The 2.0-litre motor on the Model Year 2018 Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque produces 250 PS (184 kW) of peak power and is mated to an 8-speed Automatic Transmission.

The Ingenium petrol powertrain equipped Model Year 2018 Discovery Sport is offered in SE and HSE trim and is priced from Rs 49.20 lakh. On the Range Rover Evoque, the Ingenium petrol powertrain is offered on the SE and HSE Dynamic trim and is priced from Rs 51.06 Lakh.

Rohit Suri, President & Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover India Ltd. (JLRIL), said: “The Ingenium petrol powertrain has been well accepted in the Range Rover Velar and we are now happy to offer our Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque customers the same refined and efficient experience with exceptional performance.”

The 2018 Hyundai Creta has been launched in India at a starting price of Rs 9.44 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) for the base 1.6-litre petrol E variant while the top of the line 1.6-litre diesel SX(O) variant comes in at Rs 15.03 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The new Creta is available in six petrol variants (E, E+, SX, SX dual tone, SX AT, SX (O)), two trims with the 1.4-litre diesel (E+, S) and five variants with the 1.6-litre diesel (S AT, SX, SX dual tone, SX AT, SX(O)).

The prices of the new Hyundai Creta variants have witnessed a 5 to 10 per cent hike over the outgoing model. The 2018 Hyundai Creta is a facelift to its three-year-old predecessor and will retain the same technical specifications.

So, what’s new in the 2018 Hyundai Creta? Refreshed styling on the exterior and interior, as well as added features including a sunroof option and wireless charging for compatible smartphones. The new Creta gets a larger chrome trimmed hexagonal front grille. The front bumper now has new fog lamp housings and a pronounced chin which merges into the front grille. The rear bumpers have also been redesigned while the tail lamps have also received a subtle tweak.

New 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels replace the existing design. The interior is carried over from the previous car with the only change being the addition of the smoother, grey-themed infotainment system from the new Elite i20. The facelifted Creta’s powertrain options remain unchanged with the 1.4 diesel (90PS, 220 Nm), 1.6 diesel (128PS, 260Nm) and 1.6 petrol (123PS, 151Nm) being carried over. These will be mated to the 6-speed manual and automatic transmissions.

The Hyundai Creta has been a strong seller for Hyundai since its launch three years ago and with this update, Hyundai hopes to sustain its momentum in this segment. Its present competition includes the likes of the Jeep Compass, Renault Duster, Nissan Terrano and Maruti Suzuki S-Cross with numerous new entrants expected in the next couple of years.

Audi Formual E drivers Daniel Abt and Lucas di Grassi

Audi electrified Berlin with a fairytale finish at the Formula E home race. Thanks to pole position, a dominant one-two finish and the fastest race lap, Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler is the first team to score maximum points on a race day of the electric racing series.

The beaming and enthusiastically celebrated winner by the Berlin public was called Daniel Abt. The 25-year old German produced a perfect performance at his home race. Despite having to qualify in the unfavored first group, Abt qualified effortlessly for the single timed lap for the fastest five, where he threw down the gauntlet and easily clinched the first three points for the second pole position of his Formula E career. This was followed by a dominant start-finish victory and as crowning glory the point for the fastest race lap.

“That was probably the most important win of my career so far and an incredible day from beginning to end,” said Daniel Abt, after having been presented with the winner’s trophy from Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer. “Maximum points with pole position, victory and the fastest lap and then on top of this a one-two for Audi – my thanks go to everybody who supported us. Today there will be a party like never before!”

The Audi one-two finish in the home race in Berlin was made perfect by Lucas di Grassi. The defending Champion set the fastest lap in qualifying with his Audi e-tron FE04, but then had a short slide that dropped him down to fifth on the grid. After the start, the Brazilian needed only twelve laps to move his way up to second place. Thanks to a faster pit stop, the Brazilian caught up with his team mate and subsequently drove effortlessly home in second place. The third placed Jean-Eric Vergne in Techeetah was already more than twelve seconds behind at the checkered flag.

“First of all congratulations to Daniel who really deserved to win today,” said di Grassi after his fourth consecutive podium result. “Our Audi was super fast today and superior to the competition, so we only actually had to fight between ourselves for the victory. After the pit stop I was right behind Daniel, but I had a problem with my second car that we have to analyze. A dream came true with this one-two for Audi. After the year started so badly for us we are now second in the teams’ championship.”

In the drivers’ championship, both Daniel Abt and Lucas di Grassi improved before the last three races in Zuurich (June 10) and New York (July 14/15) to take fourth and sixth places respectively. Abt is only one point shy of third place in the standings.

“It was a fantastic race for us,” said Head of Audi Motorsport Dieter Gass. “The first one-two for Audi since the Formula E factory program started and the first ever for the team – and all this in the home race! Daniel achieved the maximum possible and Lucas made the day perfect for us. My congratulations go to everybody who has worked so hard for this. It’s very rare that you see such a big advantage in a Formula E race.”

“A one-two for Audi in Berlin is just unbelievable,” said Team Principal Allan McNish. “A clean sweep on home soil, a day just can’t be better than this Saturday in Tempelhof. I’m incredibly proud of the entire team!”