18 evo India March 2015 issuu

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MAR 2015

` 125

AUDI TT 2.0TFSI QUATTRO

Test location: Mallorca, Spain

Sharper, sleeker and more edgy it’s the new TT - and it has already lost its roof!

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What is it that they say about the rain in Spain staying only in the plains? We’re in Mallorca, the sunny isles where the likes of Easy Jet and Ryan Air spit out planeloads of Brits desperate for clear skies and a tan. It’s also a haven for cyclists, the roads snaking up the

mountainside, on the right the cliffs kissing the ocean delivering a view so spectacular your breath is violently taken away. It’s one of the best driving roads in the world, and I’d be hard pressed to recommend a better place to drive a car like the new Audi TT, particularly with the top down.

Except the temperatures are nudging

zero and the wipers are fighting… of all things… snow!

Good thing the roof goes up even at 50kmph. Even better, we’re driving the quattro. Our day actually started off in the 310bhp TT RS, but half an hour later we found ourselves at the lunch stop, where somebody faster with a fork and knife swiped the keys

T his month p26 Vw Jetta facelift

Safe, solid a bit more equipment. The Jetta gets a mild update in an aim to keep things fresh

p28 Hyundai 4s Verna

The Verna facelift is more mature, and has an improved suspension setup to make for a better highway car.

p34 Audi R8 LMX

Another last, we look at whether Audi’s R8 LMX limited edition deserves to be the most expensive car from Ingolstadt.

p124 Ducati Scrambler Ducati will begin its Indian innings with the retromodern Scarmbler, to launch in May 2015.

T HE T EST T EA M The definition of cool differs for every individual. We ask the evo test team about the coolest car / bike they’ve had their hands on.

SIRISH CHANDRAN

Editor “G55 AMG. Ridiculously old school but unbelievably charming and full of character. Want!”

ROHAN PAWAR

Publisher “The GL 63 AMG. Imposing in its presence.

Nuts in its power delivery. Absolutely senseless, but it defines cool for me,”

OUSEPH CHACKo

Assistant editor “The orange Thar. It’s in your face, it’s anti-social and makes me laugh every time I get behind the wheel.”

tushar burman

Managing editor - Online “The Kawasaki ZX-14R. Brutal performance, easy to ride, made me look like an idiot and feel like a king.”

ABHAY VERMA

Asst managing editor “Ducati Hypermotard 1100SP. A crazy V-twin motor, brilliant chassis and light weight. One of my all-time favourites.”

There’s no better place than Mallorca to drive a car like the new Audi TT, particularly with the top down

Byram Godrej

Technical editor “Ariel Atom. Do I really need to say more?

Besides being the coolest, it’s also one of the fastest vehicles I’ve experienced.”

ANIRUDDHA RANGNEKAR

Consulting editor “Abarth 500; it may not have the best gearbox in the world or be the fastest, but it sure as hell is one cool car.”

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Audi R8 LMX Test location: Bedfordshire, UK

Does this last-of-the-line limited edition deserve its status as the most expensive car Ingolstadt has ever assembled?

Photography: Aston Parrott

Y

You don’t need to be an R8 geek to be seduced by the runout limited-edition LMX, but if you do happen to be a fan of Audi’s original supercar, its myriad details and distinguishing features make it something rather special.

Based on the R8 V10 Plus, a total of just 99 LMXs will be built. The chances of encountering one in the wild are slim to say the least, but you’re unlikely to confuse it with a common or garden model. Externally there’s plenty to catch your eye, not least the beautiful metallic Ara Blue paintwork (matte-finish Daytona Grey and Mythos Black are also available) and a large fixed wing that sits proudly on the tail. Like the front splitter, canards, mirrors, side blades and rear diffuser, it is

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beautifully made from matte-finish carbonfibre. Luscious red anodised brake calipers look fantastic peeping from behind the satin grey spokes of the 19in alloy wheels, the design of which is also LMX-specific, and the headlights boast Audi’s advanced Laserlight technology, first seen in its all-conquering R18 e-tron racer.

There’s plenty to ogle inside, too, with acres of black nappa leather with contrasting Sepang Blue diamond stitching. Matte-finish carbon adorns the centre console, handbrake lever, door grabs and the R8’s trademark hoop that arcs around the dashboard, while luxurious black Alcantara swathes the headlining. All R8s feel special, but the LMX goes the extra mile without looking ‘pimped’.

Being an R8 there’s dynamic

substance to go with the style. Foremost amongst the enhancements is the uprated 5.2-litre V10, which develops 562bhp, up 20bhp from the V10 Plus, while torque remains unchanged at 540Nm. The top speed is pegged at just shy of 320kmph, thanks to the extra downforce from that rear wing offsetting any potential gain from the additional horsepower. Available only with the excellent seven-speed S tronic double-clutch paddleshift gearbox, the LMX can yelp to 100kmph in just 3.4sec – just a few tenths shy of a Ferrari 458 Speciale.

The power gains are modest, but the change in character is perceptible. The naturally aspirated V10 has always been an absolute powerhouse, but in LMX tune there’s greater sharpness and ferocity to its

delivery. The S tronic transmission certainly helps intensify the LMX’s performance compared to the six-speed manual V10 Plus, not least because it crams seven gears into the same performance envelope.

Like all paddleshift gearboxes it fosters a busier, more aggressive driving style – you tend to bat up and down the gears just for the hell of it – but it still has that deliciously smooth, refined feel that separates the R8 from the more frantic Ferrari and the more ruthless style of the McLaren 650S. The LMX runs on fixed-rate passive dampers, just like the V10 Plus, so it doesn’t quite have the low-speed pliancy of the switchable magnetic dampers found on the regular V10. Audi doesn’t claim to have played with the damper

Audi R8 LMX Right: Each of the 99 LMX examples built will be a wonderfully exploitable machine. Below: Carbonfibre canards for better aero

The power gains are modest, but the change in character is perceptible

settings compared to the Plus, but the LMX definitely feels a little lighter and more nimble. The steering retains the same wonderful weight, consistency and calmness, but direction changes in this car feel that bit more immediate and the balance of the car seems inherently more neutral, without ever feeling edgy. On cold, damp winter roads the R8 LMX is a wonderful car to exploit, the lower levels of grip making it easier to access its playful side.

One frustration about the S tronic transmission is that it tends to go a

bit manic if you engage Sport mode while it’s in auto. It’s constantly on code red so far as downshifts are concerned, so seemingly whenever you ease off the throttle and attempt to settle at a cruise in a higher gear, it wants to bang down into the optimum overtaking gear.

As Sport also opens the throats of the exhaust system for maximum aural amusement, other road users think you’re readying for a race restart after a safety car period.

Subtle it isn’t. Better to enjoy Sport’s enhanced soundtrack by shifting yourself, then.

slight delay between switching to main beam and the lasers firing, but when they do you get two daggers of clean white light punching ahead of the LED’s generous arc and extending visibility to some 600m.

At `2.97 crore, the LMX is around `87 lakh more than the V10 Plus.

That’s a lot of money. Certainly enough to have R8 sceptics spluttering in protest, but this lastof-the-line limited edition is a fitting finale, for it shows the R8 absolutely at the top of its game. L Richard Meaden (@DickieMeaden)

And those laser lights? It might sound like a gimmick, but Audi has been something of a pioneer when it comes to lighting technology, both in race and road cars. In the LMX the combination of full LED lighting with the added boost of lasers (when on full beam, above 60kmph) produces a remarkable spread and intensity of light. You can either manually engage and disengage the main beam or prime the system to engage and disengage automatically. In auto mode a camera mounted ahead of the rear-view mirror scans the road ahead for oncoming cars. There’s a

Specification Engine

Transmission

Power

Torque

Weight

0-100kmph

Top speed

Price

V10, 5204cc

7-speed S tronic

562bhp @ 8000rpm

540Nm @ 6500rpm

1595kg

3.4sec (claimed)

320kmph (claimed)

`2.97 crore (ex-showroom)

evo rating

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+ More of everything that makes the R8 great; rarity sure to make it a collector’s item - Significant price increase; S tronic transmission not perfect in Sport mode

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Maruti 800/Alto Generations

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In the beginning

by S i r i s h c h a n d r a n | P H O T O G RA P H Y by g au r av s t h o m b r e & v i k r a n t dat e

It’s 31 years since the little Maruti 800 first squealed its way into the heart of every Indian motorist. We blow out the candles by bringing together all generations of the 800 for 16 pages of squealing

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I was in third grade and remember the day starting off with unusual excitement. Dad was home, on holiday, which was always special but I knew something was up, especially when he told me to wait in school to be picked up. I love surprises – still do! – and didn’t ask why, which was a good thing, because dad driving up our school’s leafy driveway in that bright red 800 remains one of the fondest memories from my childhood.

Our Maruti! MAF 3211. I’ll never forget that license plate. Or that car. My grand-dad had booked the 800 as soon as it was launched, but by the time our number came up, there was an all-new 800 to be had.

Imagine the joy. The excitement. We had the most modern car on the road. I repeat: the most modern car! Those were the days when retro-fitting bucket seats on your Padmini made it a sports car. When garages would do a floor-shifter conversion on your Amby. But here was a car – already radical (factory-fit floor shifter and bucket seats – hot damn!)

– that was completely revised within just three years of its launch. Little did we know that Maruti Udyog would continue with it, unchanged, for the next decade but, oh boy, we had a new 800. Life was very good.

Fast forward to today, and I’m behind the wheel of Shabbirbhai’s pristine SS80, the original 800, in that original shade of light blue.

A car which – would you believe – I’ve never driven! And the first thing I do is thank god grandpa had to wait three years for delivery.

It’s tiny!

Really, freaking, tiny.

The SS80 must have felt light years ahead.

Monocoque chassis!

Front-wheel drive!

It’s ages since I drove an 800 of any vintage but the SS80 is like a matchbox. Which, incidentally, is what haters used to call it back ThrillOfDriving.com |

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BMW i8 v AUDI R8 v PORSCHE 911

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T he doors of

perception

b y Da n P ro s s e r P H OTO G RAP H Y b y D e a n s m i t h

BMW’s i8 looks like a sports coupe, but with all its innovative hybrid tech, does it really drive like one? We pit it against the Porsche 911 Carrera S Powerkit and Audi R8 V8 to find out

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star bright The Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Merc C-Class make a tasty threesome

Words by S i r i s h C h a n d r a n | P h o t o g r a p h y by G au r av S T h o m b r e

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Audi A4 35TDI v BMW 320d v Mercedes-Benz C220 CDI

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Response Feature

HORSE POWER We take the GL 63 AMG to the one state that has the roads to make us go Ah My God Words by O u s e p h C h ac ko P h o t o g r a p h y by G au r av S T h o m b r e

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Mercedes-Benz GL 63 AMG

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The Europeans have been making cool cars since the last Great War

of cool War is an awful invention. The cost on life and land is immeasurable over the course of history, but we must begrudgingly accept that it has also moved mankind forward, as twisted as this sounds. Case in point are these three lovelies you see here. Born of the need for austerity in war and the following peace time, the Mini Cooper, Fiat 500 and VW Beetle are icons of our time, even with their troubled provenance. Perhaps it is this very history that made

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them the popular vehicles they were and continue to be. Over the years they’ve gone from pragmatic ideas to symbols of counterculture before finally becoming the hipster lifestyle accessories they are today.

So here we are: it’s 2015, and auto enthusiasts have much less to whine about. If you’ve got the dosh, you can buy several impractical-for-India but very, very cool cars without having to deal with your local importer.

There’s the quintessentially British Mini Cooper D, now owned by BMW, the Italian flair of the Fiat Abarth 595 Competizione, and the instantly recognisable previous-

Cool cars Fiat 595 v Mini Cooper v Beetle

Words by T u s h a r B u r ma n P h o t o g r ap h y by Gau r av S T h o mb r e Test location: Amanora Township, Pune

science gen Beetle, or ‘new’ Beetle thrown in for good measure.

Almost every conversation I’ve had about these cars outside of our immediate coteries of auto journalists has followed a similar theme. “It costs HOW much?”, usually followed by “but there’s no space back there!”. If the conversation lasts a bit longer, it will veer toward “I can get more equipment at a third of the cost.” Those of us who are more value conscious take these cars almost as an insult. As if the fact that these automobiles are so far removed from the practicalities of day to day life in India, means that they should not exist within our shores

at all. To some degree I understand the sentiment; these cars have their origins as small, cheap vehicles for the common man, which were made more exciting by enterprising people in the decades since. Today, they’re statements of wealth and disposable income, perhaps more so than an average luxury sedan. These cars seem to say that the driver has taste, a sense of history and the capacity to indulge in a bit of showboatery. Someone who’s beyond the baggage of gender stereotyping or keeping up. These are all unequivocally cool cars, and here’s why.

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GLAdventure - Part 4

THE LONG WAY

home Words by Yo g e n d r a P r ata p P h o t o g r a p h y by V i k r a n t Dat e

Heading to Pune via Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tibet and Nepal

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T O AD N E D

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CHEVROLET CAMARO Z/28

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Scrambler Icon

Ducati

Ducati Scrambler Icon

Words by A b h ay V e r ma P h o t o g r ap h y by M a n u fac tu r e r

Ducati is set to kick-start its second Indian innings with the modern-retro Scrambler

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There are motorcycles that quite literally take you into the future with their space-age design, ridiculously advanced electronics, wetyour-pants-quick acceleration, ability to get to time-warp speeds and what not. And then are some that do quite the opposite. They take you back in time when motorcycling was about leisure and not blitzing race tracks, about enjoying your time in the saddle and not boasting about mine being bigger than yours. These motorcycles have a timeless appeal, and a cool quality you cannot help but admire. Most Ducatis may belong to the first camp, but the all-new Scrambler is firmly in the second one.

Let’s face it; Ducati is all about speed and beauty, but in the 1970s the Scrambler was its do-it-all motorcycle.

It was a big hit until production ceased in 1975 and the manufacturer decided to focus on sportier machines, leading to the steady influx of achingly beautiful (Italians can’t help but style gorgeously), focused, high performance motorcycles that, while desirable, were intimidating for inexperienced riders. Apart from being eye-wateringly expensive too! In a nutshell, Ducatis weren’t meant for every one. Until now, that is.

Ducati has sprung a surprise with the Scrambler, as the bike is the polar opposite of the aforementioned idea of a Ducati. It revisits the classic, all-purpose motorcycle while looking stunning, just the way a Ducati should.

And it is neither expensive nor intimidating to ride.

Ducati says they had a simple question at the drawing board stage: how would the Scrambler look today had production not ceased in 1975? And the end result is the motorcycle you see here. With the Scrambler, Ducati wants to lure new riders to its exciting world. This motorcycle is like the friend who leads you by the hand to an amusement park, assuring you it is going to be fun.

That makes the Scrambler important for the Indian market in several ways, not to forget that Ducati is kick-starting its second innings here. With the previous importer leaving a bitter taste on most buyers’ palates, the Italian brand now aims to wipe the slate clean, and the Scrambler is among its first launches. Given its positioning as an entry-level Ducati, this isn’t surprising, since the `6-8 lakh price segment is booming.

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Indian Chief Vintage

The

American dream Words by a b h ay v e r m a P h o t o g r a p h y by v i k r a n t dat e

Hitting the Indian highway on the larger-than-life Indian Chief Vintage

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