Felipe Massa Drives Bond Villain’s JAGUAR C-X75 In Mexico

Ahead of the Formula 1 race this weekend at Mexico, Formula 1 Williams Driver Felipe Massa drove the Jaguar’s C-X75 supercar which is featured in the new Bond adventure, SPECTRE. This activity celebrates the Americas movie premiere, taking place in Mexico City on 2nd November, and the Formula One Gran Premio de Mexico. 

Williams Martini Racing driver Felipe Massa, said: "It was a thrill to take the wheel of a real stunt car used in a Bond movie.  Jaguar partnered with Williams Advanced Engineering on the production of these stunning supercars, so it was great to experience some of what my colleagues have developed outside of F1.  It was so much fun, and very exciting to be driving the Jaguar on a SPECTRE filming location here in Mexico City."

SPECTRE is the 24th James Bond film, from Albert R. Broccoli’s EON Productions, Metro-Goldwyn Mayer Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment, sees the Jaguar C-X75 driven by latest Bond nemesis Hinx. Driven by actor and former WWE champion Dave Bautista, who plays Hinx in the movie, the C-X75 supercar, named the most advanced Jaguar ever created, was provided by Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) in collaboration with development partner Williams Advanced Engineering. The two Williams Martini Racing FW37s will also be seen carring the 007 SPECTRE logos at this weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix to promote the release of the film.

Do check out the video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59tzOQqGIl4&feature=youtu.be

Picture Gallery: Bajaj Avenger Cruise 220, Street 220 & Street 150

Bajaj unveils three new models of Avengers in India

Bajaj Auto unleashed the new range of Avenger bikes at an event in Mumbai. This includes, the Avenger 220 Cruise, 220 Street and 150 Street. Bajaj has launched these models at the right time, with the main festival Diwali round the corner. 

Mr. Eric Vas, President - Motorcycles Business, Bajaj Auto Ltd launches the new range of Avengers 

The new Avenger 220 Cruise has the classic cruiser looks and is designed for easy city riding. It comes with a liberal dose of chrome highlights thanks to a new radiator, redesigned side grabs, stylized silencer and an all new handlebar. The Avenger 220 Cruise comes with comfortable padded backrest and an optional wind-shield for easy cruising on highways.

Mr. Eric Vas, President - Motorcycles Business, Bajaj Auto Ltd launches the new range of Avengers 

The Avenger 220 Street has a matte black and brushed silver finish and comes in midnight blue. Combined with the muscular alloy wheels, the Avenger Street looks sporty. The Avenger Street has a lower and flatter handle bar for better manoeuvrability in city riding. The new Avengers come with a brand new insignia, new graphics and styling cues, improved rear suspension, bright white light headlamps, clear lens indicators and low slung seats with thicker dual density foam for superior riding comfort. 

The Avenger 220's come with Bajaj’s 220 cc DTSi engine, 19 PS power with torque of 17.5 Nm. The bikes come with an oil cooler to help this hi-performance engine maintain engine oil temperature. The Avenger 150 Street’s engine is a 150 cc DTSi, which has been completely revised for this bike: it delivers 14.5 PS of power and a torque of 12.5 Nm which is enhanced at low rpms.

Commenting on the launch Mr. Eric Vas, President – Motorcycles Business, Bajaj Auto Ltd, said "The genuine cruiser segment has steadily grown over the years with  the Avenger as the torch bearer. We expect that by bringing in an additional style variant such as the Street, and by offering the popular 150 cc capacity, we will significantly  expand the cruiser segment. With the new Avenger models joining the immensely successful Pulsar range, Bajaj Auto shall strengthen our offerings to discerning customers in the Indian market, and reinforce Bajaj Auto’s leadership in the premium motorcycle segment."

The Avenger range will be manufactured at the motorcycle plant at Chakan near Pune. The Adventure Cruise 220 and the Street 220 both will be priced at Rs 84,000 and Street 150 at Rs. 75,000 (all Ex-Showroom Delhi). Well, we love the pricing Bajaj is offering especially for the Cruise 220 and the Street 220. Let us know your views too. 

Aditya Patel positive ahead of Shanghai Showdown

Indian rising star and GT specialist, Aditya Patel, heads to Shanghai for the final Round of the Audi R8 LMS Cup this weekend. The Chennai driver is one among the six drivers who stands a Chance of clinching the championship title this weekend.

Aditya Patel, who is backed by Audi India, JK Tyres and Jubilant Motorworks, had a good run at the halfway mark of the series and was leading the championship table. 
Unfortunately the second half of the season has been marred by unfortunate incidents which saw Patel come away with only 12 points, after scoring an impressive eighty points in the first half. 

The lone Indian in the field, however, feels confident of a good showing in the final race of what has been the closest championship in the history of the cup so far. Alex Yoong, Frankie Cheng, Marchy Lee, Rahel Frey and Thomas Fjordbach are the other drivers fighting for the title in what is expected to be an epic finale.

"It’s been a mixed year. After starting off so well, things didn’t really go as per plan in the second half of the season. But that’s racing. I still have the slimmest chance of fighting for the championship and the goal for this weekend is to win a race and score as many points as I can!", said Aditya on his thoughts of the weekend to come and the season so far. 

Alex and Frankie are tied with 127 points and Aditya has 92 to its credit. It could end up as a close content. Aditya clearly has the potential to turn the circumstances around and pull out a stunner. The while nation's looking forward to it. We wish Aditya good luck..!!!!

General Motors India Launches Chevrolet Trailblazer SUV at Rs. 26,40,000

General Motors India has launched the Chevrolet Trailblazer SUV priced at Rs. 26,40,000 (ex-showroom, New Delhi) for the two-wheel-drive, top-end LTZ version with an automatic transmission. The Trailblazer will initially be available in three exterior colors: Summit White, Black Sapphire and Switchblade Silver.

Arvind Saxena (R), President &  Managing Director and Jack Uppal, Vice President, Marketing & Customer Experience, at the launch of the Chevrolet Trailblazer  SUV at Rs 26.40 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi)

The Chevrolet Trailblazer is equipped with a 200 PS engine that produces 500 Nm of torque. The Trailblazer offers unique features, including first-in-segment projector headlamps, ceiling-mounted rear air-conditioning controls with four vents for the second- and third-row seats, a six-speed automatic transmission, a 7-inch touchscreen, the Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system and Siri Eyes Free for Apple users.

In terms of Safety features, it includes dual air bags, electronic stability control (ESC), anti-lock brakes (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), cornering brake control (CBC), hill start assist (HSA), hill descent control (HDC), traction control system (TCS), panic brake assist (PBA) and hydraulic brake assist (HBA).

The Chevrolet Trailblazer measures 4,878 mm in length, 2132 mm in width and 1,851 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,845 mm. Interior details include second-row 60/40 split seats with single latch forward gravity tumble, fold-flat capability, and six-degree seat-back reclining with integrated folding armrests incorporated with cup holders. Third-row 50/50 split seats with center console storage provide fold-flat capability and flat floor storage from the front row rearward when all seats are folded to provide extreme load capability.

The vehicle also has 32 storage compartments located throughout the interior, including a covered center bin for the concealment of valuable items and a large dual glove box.The New Chevrolet Trailblazer introduces the Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system in India. It features a 7-inch color touch-screen with a premium six-speaker system along with Bluetooth hands-free calling functions and music streaming apart from the Aux-in and USB functions.Once connected, options such as Audio, Pictures and Movies, Telephone, Smartphone Link and Settings are projected onto the Trailblazer's touch-screen. The infotainment system also comes with Siri Eyes Free for Apple users, allowing users to play music, receive messages, read and write important messages, and make calls from their phone book. 

Powering the Trailblazer is the proven second-generation Duramax four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine. The 2.8L variant provides 200 PS (147kW) at 3,600 rpm and 500 Nm of torque at 2,000 rpm. The 2.8L variant is matched with a six-speed automatic transmission. The rear-wheel-drive Trailblazer provides fuel economy of 11.45 kilometers per litre as per CMVR Rule 115. To extend the life of the engine and variable-geometry turbocharger, the 2.8L variant has added water cooling to its turbocharger and turbine housing, reducing operational heat – especially at high speeds.

Picture Gallery: Audi R8 V10 Plus Coupe

Last weekend, I had the privilege to drive the Jaguar F-type R Coupe. And guess what? This week I got to drive the beast, Audi R8 V10 Plus in Mumbai. This model was earlier unveiled at the Geneva motor show 2015. The exterior of the Audi R8 V10 plus Coupé is very sporty. The characteristic side blades, low front spoiler and the rear diffuser are made of carbon.

The twin-seater car has a displacement of 5204cc. The V10 petrol engine with direct fuel injection churns out a maximum power of 542 BHP @ 8,700 rpm. The torque curve of the V10 power unit reaches a maximum value of a full 540 Nm. It reaches 100 km in less than a record 4 seconds and can reach maximum speed of 314km. 

The 'Sport' button in the R8 V10 Plus does the trick for you. Accelerate it and the V10 engine goes full out and maximum. All you need is a highway or better still, a race circuit. The car gets a very good grip on the road with its fat tyres. The cost of the R8 V10 Plus is Rs. 2.32 crores (ex-showroom Mumbai) and yes, I would definitely love to own one. Here are a few pictures I would like to share.