AutoX February 2012

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C70 | VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 4 | FEBRUARY 2012

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BMW K1300S, MERCEDES-BENZ C63 AMG & CLS

+2856 2) '8%$, Finest Selection of Small, Luxury, Classic, Sports Cars and SUVs

FEATURE

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PORSCHE BOXTER S

BETTER WKDQ PERFECT

THE GERMANS KNOW HOW TO TURN A PERFECT CAR INTO A BETTER ONE. TO VALIDATE THIS THEORY, WE PRESENT TO YOU THE 2013 PORSCHE BOXSTER. TEXT PRITHVI RADHAKRISHNA february 2012 | autox.in |

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FEATURE

Would he upgrade? Well, from the expression on his face you could tell that he was very impressed with the Yeti’s capabilities, he didn’t expect it to handle the short test as easily as it did and yes, the luxuries, comfort, refinement and especially the air conditioning was something he could really get used to. But, he did miss some of the simplicities of the Jeep, first the visibility which in the Yeti according to him was terrible, especially off-road, where he found it tough to judge the overhangs of the car and more importantly, he missed the manual 4wd control which gave him that much of an edge when in

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some really treacherous terrain.

Ultimately I asked him the question, would he buy one? And after much deliberation he said he wouldn’t, it wasn’t the matter of paying almost three times the price of a new Jeep but rather, that he would miss the familiar feel and reassurance of his trusted steed.

So while he did see the progress in the Yeti, he didn’t think he wanted to leave the old world and tradition of his Jeep behind, he trusted the Jeeps completely for decades and that is a bond hard to break or reestablish. Besides, everyone in the neighbouring area probably wouldn’t

give the Yeti the same amount of respect they gave the Jeep, after all that was the tradition!

So in the end I guess it boils down to this, for mild-offroading and tackling rough terrain the Yeti is a supremely capable vehicle while fitted with all the creature comforts one would need and while the Jeep offers superior off-road capability, it is at the cost of refinement, dynamics and a thousand other things that a modern fellow like me would not be able to live with. So I suppose, the more traditions change for progress, the more they remain the same for some people.

SKODA YETI vs MAHINDRA MM550

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TE X T

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FEATURE

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BMW K1300S & MERC C63 AMG & CLS

HERE’S AN AGE OLD RIVALRY WITH A TWIST. YES, IT’S MERCEDES VERSUS BMW AGAIN. BUT WE’VE COLLECTED A VERY UNIQUE, AND EQUALLY SPECIAL, TRIO TO SEE WHICH WILL PREVAIL. TEXT & IMAGES ASHISH JHA

would do high speeds too – only, it was as confident as a girl on a beach full of naked men.

Thankfully, BMW kept improving the bike – and it ultimately became the 1300S. The engine increased in capacity to 1,293cc, and an 8bhp increase made the spec sheet even more impressive.

That wasn’t quite necessary though, as the 1200 was plenty fast anyway – but no one’s complaining! The technical changes weren’t just for the heck of it either. The shape of the combustion chamber was altered and cylinder head revised to alter gas flow characteristics.

The new cam profiles and more sophisticated engine management system have made the engine stress-

free, and the vibrations – well, there aren’t any. The key change, though, is that the engine feels a lot more eager than the 1200 – it’s got massive character. The K1300S has such sorted gearing that it feels like the most amazing sports cruiser out there – better even than Honda’s impressive VFR with its dual clutch wizardry. The engine characteristic is such, and the torque delivery so linear, that you can just leave the bike in top gear and cruise all day long without worrying about anything.

And yet, all it takes is a little twist of the throttle to get the scenery flashing past at a rapid pace.

The 1300 is beautifully balanced. I rode it on both open highways and city

roads, and the bike was easily at home in both settings. I hadn’t, however, encountered any twisty bits – that is, until we had an early morning start for photography. And the snaky roads en route to the location really brought out the superbike character of this sports-tourer. The handling is neutral, and though the 1300 is a big bike, it loves to corner hard. It’s an immensely satisfying machine, and that’s got much to do with the tech bits that BMW have thrown in, they say.

Now, I’ve got a technology handicap, and Norman Hossak isn’t my best friend.

But he’s the guy who invented something that the design and engineering guys at Motorrad call the ‘Duolever’ suspension

FEATURE And then, there’s the way this thing goes. 0 to 100 clicks in less than 5 seconds – yes, the K1300S would have it licked well-and-proper (0-100km/h in under 3 seconds after all) but the theatre of the C63 can’t be matched by anything. It’s naughty, it’s playful – switch off the traction control and it leaves a grin on your face that only Joker from the last Batman film can match. It leaves your armpits sweaty, and your lungs gasping for oxygen. The steering, surprisingly for a Mercedes, is extremely direct and even has a meaty feel to it.

You know what the fronts are doing all the time, and that entices you to bury your right foot even deeper. The rear slides out, and your instinctive reaction is counter-steer. What you have then is a trail of white smoke in your rear-view mirror, and the beaming expression of a child. And that’s what a car of this caliber should do – bring out the child in you.

The C63 does more than that in fact – it becomes a child along with you.

And, in stark contrast to that is the third machine we have here – the CLS. It’s a rich old fart, reading an autobiography in his modern apartment. Don’t get me wrong, the CLS may just be – I repeat, may just be – the most sensible car in the segment. Or maybe not – what with its shamelessly awkward clothing? The original CLS proved that luxo-barges could be style masters too. Then Porsche proved that they can’t, and Audi, in turn, proved once again that they can – with the A7. And this segment is catching on so well that BMW will soon be out with its style icon too, the 6 Series Gran Coupe.

The CLS, though, spoils the case for itself with the way it looks because it’s just not cohesive. The front end is all brash and loud – to the extent of looking much like the SLS from some angles, which is a good thing – but the rear end looks like the designers stuck a whale’s face for the car’s gluteus maximus.

But, if you forgive its looks, the CLS does come across as a remarkable car.

It’s no slouch either – the 350, with its 305 horsepower and 370Nm shifts rapidly –

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BMW K1300S & MERC C63 AMG & CLS

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FEATURE

AMEN. WE GO BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE 24 HOURS OF DUBAI TO EXPERIENCE THE SWEAT AND BLOOD THAT GOES INTO IGNITING THE PASSION OF A SELECT FEW WHO DREAM OF SUCCEEDING IN THE TOUGHEST FORM OF MOTORSPORT – ENDURANCE RACING. TEXT JARED SOLOMON IMAGES KAPIL VASHIST & JARED SOLOMON

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24H OF DUBAI

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work relentlessly and tirelessly, without grumbling as they tweak the cars to perfection at any time of the day, or night.

After the practice session, the qualification rounds began and, in the GT Class, it was UAE based AUH Motorsport/FF Corse team on pole position in a Ferrari 458 Italia, followed

by Italian AF Corse team with the same car. Third position in the top class went to JRM Nissan with their Nissan GT-R GT3. After the qualifying session, the organizers threw a welcome party for

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the teams and drivers complete with belly dancers and a BBQ. This was the final chance for everyone to unwind and relax before the gruesome 24-hour race finally began.

The next day was race day, and it begins early as the technicians and pit crews once again are the first to report into the paddock for their regular routine of tyre checks, engine checks, and electrical checks. My admiration for the mechanics and technicians has certainly been elevated, as I got a first-hand view

of how tedious their tasks can be and how important it is for them to remain sharp and focused for more than 24 hours of non-stop action. The grid line-up began and everyone, including spectators and the families of team members, are allowed onto the starting grid to get an up-close-and-personal view of the cars – as well as have a quick chat with the teams before the race gets underway. It’s almost like a carnival of speed, as you walk by powerful cars, which, combined, would add up to more

24H OF DUBAI

than 25,000 horses – not to mention plenty of sexy grid girls that set your heart pumping at 1000bpm.

Soon enough, the starting grid is cleared out as the drivers begin to take their seats and get ready for the start of the race. At 1400 hours, the cars started their engines and completed a formation lap after which the race was flagged off and 73 screaming engines raced past the starting line – the longest 24-hour duration of their lives had just begun. The team paddocks are racing

with excitement in their own specialized way, and the crowd cheers for their teams – all for the love of motorsport.

The 24-hour race is perhaps one of the most demanding forms of motorsport.

Teams require their cars to be in top condition, and capable enough to last 24 hours of hard driving and high revving, which can take a huge toll on cars’ engines. The pit crews need to be attentive at every moment, and drivers need to be healthy and physically fit. It is highly demanding on the machines as

well as the team members.

After 2 hours, 46 laps had been completed by the leader, Dutchman Peter Cox of Reiter Engineering in his Lamborghini Gallardo, who was followed close by Irishmen Matt Griffin of AF Corse SRL in his Ferrari 458 Italia.

The action never stops, and the race leaders are continuously changing. 4 hours into the race and 120 laps later, it was German driver Claudia Hurtgen of Saudi Falcons 1 who was in first place in her BMW Z4 GT3, and she was

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FEATURE

THE DAKAR - MUCH LOVED, OFTEN HATED AND THE MOST GRUELLING TEST OF MAN, AND MACHINE. IT’S NOT A RALLY RACE, IT’S AN EPISODE IN LIFE THAT BUILDS CHARACTER. TEXT PRITHVI RADHAKRISHNA

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DAKAR RALLY 2012

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