Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M Ltd.) has announced that the Bolero SUV has touched a new milestone, having sold 10 lakh units, since inception.

The Bolero has also regained its position in the list of Top 10 Passenger Vehicles of India where it features as the third highest selling SUV in the country. It is significant to note that the Bolero has registered year-on-year growth of 23 per cent, outperforming the industry which has witnessed 17 per cent growth.

Speaking on this achievement, Veejay Ram Nakra, Chief of Sales & Marketing, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said, “This is a proud moment for us as our iconic brand, Bolero crossed the 10 lac units milestone, since launch. In fact the Bolero has regained its position in the top 10 passenger vehicles in India, which is a validation of the confidence consumers, in semi urban and rural India, have reposed on the brand. Further the successful launch of the Bolero Power+ has helped the brand to grow steadily, inspite of several new launches in the UV space. I am sure that the Bolero will continue to be as popular on Indian roads in the years to come”.

The auto industry produced a total 29,075,605 vehicles including Passenger Vehicles, Commercial Vehicles, Three Wheelers, Two Wheelers and Quadricycle in April-March 2018 as against 25,330,967 in April-March 2017, registering a growth of 14.78 per cent over the same period last year.

The domestic sale of Passenger Vehicles grew by 7.89 per cent in this fiscal year over the same period last year. Within the Passenger Vehicles, Passenger Cars, Utility Vehicle and Vans grew by 3.33 per cent, 20.97 per cent and 5.78 per cent respectively in FY 17-18 over the same period last year.

The overall Commercial Vehicles segment grew by 19.94 per cent in April-March 2018 as compared to the same period last year. Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicles (M&HCVs) grew by 12.48 per cent and Light Commercial Vehicles grew by 25.42 per cent in April-March 2018 over the same period last year.

Three Wheelers sales grew by 24.19 per cent in FY 17-18 over the same period last year. Within the Three Wheelers, Passenger Carrier & Goods Carrier sales registered a growth of 28.65 per cent and 7.83 per cent respectively in April-March 2018 over April-March 2017.

Two Wheelers sales registered a growth at 14.80 per cent in April-March 2018 over April-March 2017. Within the Two Wheelers segment, Scooters and Motorcycles grew by 19.90 per cent and 13.69 per cent respectively, while Mopeds declined by (-) 3.48 percent in FY 17-18 over FY 16-17.

In April-March 2018, overall automobile exports increased by 16.12 per cent. Two and Three Wheelers Segments registered a growth of 20.29 per cent and 40.13 per cent respectively, while Passenger Vehicles and Commercial Vehicles declined by (-)1.51 per cent and (-) 10.53 per cent respectively in April-March 2018 over the same period last year.

The next rounds of the 2018 French Rally Championship will see Michelin Motorsport present the sport’s first connected tyres. They will be capable of communicating with drivers and co-drivers thanks to a downloadable smartphone application (iOS and Android) that has been conceived to help competitors improve their performance by optimising the tyre factor.

The wraps will come off this new system just one year after the launch of Michelin Motorsport’s My Rally Engineer application. “Our initial My Rally Engineer app, which was introduced in 2017, is a digital tool designed to allow amateur crews to track and optimise the performance of their tyres,” says Serge Grisin who is in charge of Michelin Motorsport’s Innovations Programme. “Today, we have gone a significant step further since Michelin Motorsport Connect enables competitors to collect data in real time and benefit from two-way dialogue with their tyres by means of a practical and intuitive new application.”

This new solution is the fruit of Michelin Motorsport’s understanding of the needs of those rally drivers and co-drivers who do not benefit from the presence of a Michelin technical advisor on events.

“Connected technology is a reality in today’s tyre industry and we are exploring ways of making these innovations a real asset for our customers,” adds Serge Grisin. “Rally crews clearly need information that can help them optimise tyre performance.”

Making correct tyre choices, carefully adjusting tyre pressures and adopting an efficient driving style not only allows performance to be maximised but it also contributes to making motorsport safer. At the same time, the regulations concerning tyres in rallying are becoming increasingly draconian, so it is vital to exploit their full potential.

Checking tyre pressures before and after special stages is key to understanding how rally tyres function. It is not always an easy task to carry out, though, especially when it entails parking up on a narrow road. Also, with the clock ticking down to a stage start, it can generate additional stress. With Michelin Motorsport Connect, drivers and co-drivers can permanently monitor tyre pressures, while at the same time benefiting from tyre-related information and being able to log data during rallies. Analysing this data makes it easier to identify the adjustments that need to be made ahead of subsequent competitive sections.

“Thanks to Michelin Motorsport Connect, all rally competitors have access to in-car data,” concludes Serge Grisin.

Michelin Motorsport Connect combines re-usable sensors located in specific housings glued inside Michelin rally tyres, an in-car receiver and a smartphone application (iOS or Android). Available from approved Michelin Motorsport distributors at process starting from €400, it will initially be released in France in the coming months before being introduced elsewhere in Europe and the rest of the world.

TVS Motor Company has launched the new 2018 TVS Apache RTR 160 4V for the West Bengal market. The new TVS Apache RTR 160 4V is born of the six-time Indian National Motorcycle Championship (INMRC) winning motorcycle – (Group B RTR 165) and gets the 4-valve, oil-cooled engine that offers impressive performance.

Arun Siddharth, Vice President (Marketing), Premium Two-Wheelers, International Business & TVS Racing said, “Over the last 10 years, the TVS Apache RTR series has always embodied pure racing performance. The new TVS Apache RTR 160 4V is a compelling offering for racing enthusiasts, being the most powerful motorcycle in the segment. We are confident that the new TVS Apache RTR 160 4V will create customer delight with Racing performance; Dynamics and looks.”

The TVS Apache RTR 160 4V is available in both Carburetor and EFI variants, with the latter christened as TVS Apache RTR 160 Fi 4V.  The motorcycle gets a 159.7 cc, single-cylinder, 4-stroke, 4-valve, oil-cooled engine that churns out, 16.8 PS @8000 rpm (EFI) and 14.8 Nm @ 6500 rpm(EFI)16.5 PS @8000 rpm (Carb) and 14.8 Nm @ 6500 rpm (Carb)
The engine is mated to a 5-speed super-slick gear box that offers a precise and dynamic riding experience.

Staying true to its racing pedigree, the TVS Apache RTR 160 4V has a powerful 160cc engine, enabling it to achieve a top speed of 114 kmph (EFI), 113 kmph (Carb) and can sprint from 0-60 kmph in 4.8 seconds(EFI) and 4.73 seconds (Carb).

TVS Apache RTR 160 4V comes with the TVS Motor Company patented Double-cradle Split Synchro Stiff Frame Design, which gives high-speed stability and impressive handling on/off- track. The mono-shock suspension contributes to the sharp handling and agility through the corners.  Placing importance on safety, the TVS Apache RTR 160 Fi 4V comes with both rear and front disc brakes while the Carburetor motorcycle is available in Disc and Drum variants.

With a fully-digital speedometer, the design of the new TVS Apache RTR 160 4V offers sleek styling along with the race-spec aspects of the INMRC race machine – RTR 165.  The forward biased stance with tight proportions is complemented by the aggressive headlamp, chiseled body and a sleek, sharp tail.  The motorcycle boasts of a compact race design with chequered flag decals on the tank, a fitting homage to its winning streak on the race track.

The TVS Apache RTR 160 4V series is available in three colour options – Racing Red, Metallic Blue and Knight Black.

Prices across variants (ex-showroom West Bengal):

Carburetor (Drum) – Rs 83990

Carburetor (Disc) – Rs 86990

EFI (Disc) – Rs 93990

Repsol Honda Team rider Dani Pedrosa underwent surgery to his right wrist yesterday at the Hospital Universitari Dexeus in Barcelona, Spain, to treat the injury suffered in a crash during Sunday’s race at the Argentina Grand Prix.

A 3D CT scan confirmed that Dani had suffered an intra-articular fracture of the right distal radius. The fracture reduction and internal fixation with a titanium screw were carried out by Dr. Xavier Mir and his team from the Catalan Institute of Traumatology and Sports Medicine (ICATME) at the Dexeus Hospital.

The result of the operation was satisfactory, and Dani will undergo an evaluation of his progress in 48 hours. If the results are positive, he will be able to begin his rehabilitation on Saturday. His participation in the Austin GP will be decided consequently. The Repsol Honda Team will release information on Pedrosa’s progress as it becomes available.

With the fully electric ‘Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo’ concept car, Audi is now turning electric mobility into a tangible experience in a unique way. Originally developed exclusively for virtual races on PlayStation 4, Audi is making the new race car reality in conjunction with Formula E. Starting with the race in Rome on Saturday, April 14, the Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo will be deployed as a race taxi.

“E-Mobility is rapidly gaining importance,” says Peter Mertens, Member of the Board of Management, Technical Development, Audi AG. “That is why in 2017 Audi was the first German manufacturer to enter Formula E with a factory-backed commitment. In our development laboratory motorsport, we are continuously expanding our expertise in e-mobility and gathering valuable experience also in extremely demanding conditions. With the Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo race taxi we are turning electric mobility into a tangible experience for our customers and guests as part of the Formula E races – in the middle of the world’s metropolises.”

The customers and guests of the brand with the four rings will be able to experience Formula E’s city circuits as passengers in the Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo starting at the race in Rome (April 14). Employees at Audi’s pre-production center developed and produced this one-of-a-kind car within the space of just eleven months based on the example of the Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo from the ‘Gran Turismo’ PlayStation game. The million-selling ‘Gran Turismo’ game has long acquired cult status with gamers around the globe. Audi has been working together with Sony and Polyphony Digital – the creators of ‘Gran Turismo’ – for nearly 20 years. Audi designers created the Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo for the ‘Vision Gran Turismo’ competition that was launched on the market on the occasion of the popular game’s 15th anniversary. Numerous automobile manufacturers developed virtual race cars for the contest.

Many of these concept cars were subsequently built as full-scale models as well and presented at trade shows. The Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo, however, is the first concept car of this range to be deployed to real-world race tracks as a fully functional vehicle. “This is what we are particularly proud of,” says Audi’s Chief Designer Marc Lichte. “Although the design of a virtual vehicle allows much greater freedom and the creation of concepts which are only hard to implement in reality, we did not want to put a purely fictitious concept on wheels. Our aim was a fully functional car. The Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo shows that electric mobility at Audi is very emotive. This car incorporates numerous elements of our new design language such as the inverted single frame in the vehicle’s colour that will be typical for our new e-tronmodels.”

Audi has deliberately taken up design elements and the colour of the legendary Audi 90 quattro IMSA GTO with which the company in 1989 thrilled motorsport fans in the North American IMSA-GTO racing series with drivers like Hans-Joachim Stuck, Walter Rohrl, Hurley Haywood and Scott Goodyear. Featuring a combination of systematic lightweight design and quattro drive paired with a powerful five-cylinder turbo engine, the car was far ahead of its time back then.

The Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo has permanent all-wheel drive as well, the fully electric e-tron quattro all-wheel drive with variable power distribution. Three electric motors, each with output of 200 kW, propel the concept car. Two electric motors drive the rear axle and the third one the front axle, using individual components from the future Audi e-tron. System output is 600 kW (815 hp). With a curb weight of 1,450 kilograms the electric race car has a power to weight ratio of 1.78 kilo­grams per horsepower with ideal 50:50 percent weight distribution between the front and the rear axle. The Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo accelerates from 0 to 100 kmph in less than 2.5 seconds.

The futuristic race taxi will be deployed at all European Formula E races and numerous other events in 2018. At the wheel will be former DTM driver Rahel Frey from Switzerland or Le Mans winner Dindo Capello from Italy.

Jaguar Land Rover has a new mission with James Bond – a three-year partnership at the state-of-the-art interactive experience, 007 Elements in Solden, Austria.

Fittingly Jaguar Land Rover, whose cars have featured in Bond films since 1983, is now official partner to 007 Elements located at the top of the 3,050m Gaislachkogl peak.

007 Elements offers visitors a chance to immerse themselves in the world of the iconic secret agent in a new mountain-top location next to the ice Q restaurant used as the Hoffler Klinik in Spectre. Interactive displays featuring Jaguar Land Rover technical content along with the Land Rover Defender and Range Rover Sport SVR used for filming Spectre will form part of the experience.

Visitors will also see the latest Jaguar Land Rover technology, with the artificial intelligence systems and 90kWh lithium-ion battery from an electric Jaguar I-PACE performance SUV used to power a wireframe model of the C-X75 concept car that starred in a spectacular car chase through Rome in Spectre.

Jaguar Land Rover vehicles have appeared in nine Bond films since Octopussy in 1983, when Roger Moore made a dramatic escape in a Range Rover Classic driven by Bianca (Tina Hudson).

Mark Cameron, Jaguar Land Rover Experiential Marketing Director, said: “From one British icon to another, Jaguar Land Rover is proud to be part of 007 ELEMENTS, the new James Bond experience. We have collaborated with EON Productions and Cable Car Companies Sölden to showcase our Bond vehicles and latest technologies in this unique installation overlooking the Otztal Alps.”

The industrial township of Haldia witnessed an adrenaline pumping Supercross and Autocross action as the best riders and drivers from across the state locked horns in the battle for supremacy in the Haldia Speed Fest 2018.

Organised by Motor Sports Association of Eastern India (MSAEI) in association with Calcutta Motor Sports Club (CMSC), the Haldia Speed Fest was held on Sunday, April 8, 2018 at Cals Ground, Tetulberia, Haldia. Several hundreds of people had gathered to cheer the competitors and were spellbound to watch the bikes and cars zip, zap and zoom on a pre-designed competition course.

This thrilling events saw participation from 34 riders in the 2 Wheeler Supercross and 23 drivers in the 4 Wheeler Autocross events which was split into multiple categories based on engine specification and vehicle modification.

National champion Suhail Ali lived up to the crowd’s expectation by winning the 2 Wheeler Supercross, while local boy Sk Saddam Ali dominated in the 4 Wheeler Autocross event.

There was a time when Bengal was the cradle of motor sporting action with the Calcutta Motor Sports Club leading the charge. The likes of Kinny Lall, Mike Satow, Dicky Richards and Dr. Rossi have triumphed in innumerable races in Barrackpore and Sholavaram bringing glory to Calcutta and Bengal at large. Over the past decades, the sheen was lost with lack of quality events, and southern and northern India took the mantle of being front runner in organizing motor sport events. But with milestone events like the Haldia Speed Fest, I’m confident that Bengal will soon get to where it belonged – right at the top.

 All photographs by Ranadip Mandal 

In a bid to further strengthen its core team, Volkswagen today announced the appointment of Bishwajeet Samal as Head of Marketing, Volkswagen Passenger Cars in India.

Bishwajeet Samal is currently responsible for Regional Marketing, International Communications at Volkswagen AG, Germany. He joined Volkswagen India in 2008 and returns to the homeland with over a decade of experience within the brand Volkswagen. Samal’s appointment will be effective 1st June 2018.

Commenting on the appointment, Steffen Knapp, Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Volkswagen Group Sales India Pvt. Ltd. said, “At Volkswagen, nurturing in-house talent and offering a diverse platform of enhanced learning is at the core of our brand philosophy. We are confident that Bishwajeet’s extensive experience in Marketing shall contribute to our growth in India.”

Speaking on his appointment, Bishwajeet Samal, Head of Marketing, Volkswagen Passenger Cars said, “I am extremely overwhelmed to have returned to India and working in this dynamic market. I look forward towards further strengthening the brands’ presence in India.”

Samal will be reporting to Steffen Knapp, Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars India.

Gurpratap Boparai takes charge as the Managing Director of Skoda Auto India Private Ltd. (SAIPL). Boparai brings in his extensive experience in the international and Indian automobile industry. In his new role, he will be reporting directly to Skoda Auto CEO Bernhard Maier. Relying on his expertise in managing large manufacturing operations, he will be responsible for Skoda’s development in the domestic market.

“Mr Boparai’s appointment comes at an opportune moment when ŠKODA is set to strengthen its position in the Indian market. He brings with him vast knowledge of the Indian automotive landscape, which will enable the company to implement a comprehensive expansion plan. With him on board, we will continue to vigorously press ahead with the growth of our brand in India,” says Bernhard Maier, CEO Skoda Auto.

Gurpratap Boparai, Managing Director, Skoda Auto India Private Ltd further added, “I am excited about my new role at ŠKODA AUTO India Private Ltd. and look forward to working with the young and dynamic team. I am confident that ŠKODA’s strong engineering tradition, emotional designs, superior technology, attractive model range, renewed after-sales impetus combined with the strategic initiatives to build new models will take ŠKODA India to a strong leadership position in the next years.”