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“5 left into 4 right, commit over crest”
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Grande Punto 90hp TVS Max4R Disco 150 vs Twister, Passion Pro New BMW X3 Verna Transform road test
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The fastest bike we’ve tested!
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August 2010 Volume 12 Issue 12 Rs 100
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motoringnews L o g o n t o w w w. ov e r d r i v e . i n / n e ws/
All-new BMW X3 set to stir things up in India Audi Q5 competitor set for Indian launch early next year
T Bigger SUV promises equipment, performance and comfort
he wraps are off the 2011 X3 and with it BMW finally has a genuine competitor in the premium entry-level SUV segment. It’s been the one gap in their vast Indian portfolio particularly since the outgoing X3 was just too old and hadn’t received a serious upgrade in a long time. As we noted in various tests, the abilities of the X3 could not hide its age any more. The original X3 came out in 2004,
the mid-life facelift fame to India, and this one is officially the second generation of the car. In this day and age, seven years is a long life cycle. In any case, that’s all in the past. BMW India is likely to launch this car early next year in India once right-hand drive models become available. The Audi Q5, so far, has been unchallenged in the segment and the X3 is expected to take the fight to the Audi with pricing in the Rs 38 lakh to Rs 45 lakh ballpark.
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Swift progress The all-new Swift that looks like a face-lift. Driven. Words Ray Hutton
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he president of Suzuki Motors Europe described the Swift as the model that established Suzuki as a global car company. He meant global in the widest sense. Before the Swift, in many parts of the world, the company was known only for mini-cars, small 4X4s and motorcycles. The car that made the difference was not the original Swift from the 1980s but the model introduced in 2005. Now the time has come for that to be replaced. OVERDRIVE had an early opportunity to drive the third-generation Swift in Austria, ahead of its European market introduction in September. The current Swift has been a success. When it was launched, its European style and wide, sporty stance drew favourable comparisons with BMW’s Mini. It is always difficult to design the replacement for a successful model. Should everything be changed in the hope that a new style will be as well received as its predecessor? Or should the familiar shape and style be retained and subtly fine-tuned? AUG 2010 overdrive
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Spearhead
Nissan’s first India-made volume segment car has arrived Words Shubhabrata Marmar Photography Gaurav S Thombre
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ROAD TEST
917
OD Rating Price Rs 5.29 lakh ex-showroom Delhi
+ Performance + Space + Very nice city car model rear seat - Base - Dealership network
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issan is about to embark on the biggest adventure of its corporate history with the Micra in India. The stakes are so high they stick out into outer space. The reasons are obvious. The Indian hatchback market is growing at a fearsome rate. And yet, analysts stubbornly suggest that the boom itself is yet to arrive. The risk is relatively straight forward too - if the Micra, god forbid, bombs, then Nissan will have lost a strategic gambit in the effort to establish itself in the emerging market that’s currently the focus for everyone from Proton to the mavens at Wolfsburg in Germany. The Micra carries a complex set of responsibilities on its curved shoulders. The most straightforward of which is Nissan’s aim to sell lots of them and turn a profit. But there are more layers behind that. The Micra’s Indian innings will also parallel the steady (and critical) growth of Nissan’s distribution networks in India. The Micra, further, is the first product of the RenaultNissan alliance plant at Chennai. Reliable OE vendors, albeit abroad, can be a safer bet to maintain quality - and by extension public perception of the vehicle. But Nissan doesn’t have that luxury. The price competitive market and the impossible duties levied by the Indian Government means localisation is the lynchpin of cost competitiveness and Nissan has to do this without losing quality. The Micra, duly, was always planned for 100 per cent local content - Nissan couldn’t source the airbag sensor and the body control module, but everything else is being made here. India, perhaps, is the most price sensitive market known to the world. With Maruti Suzuki glowering at all the smaller players from its position of eminence. A place where cost-conscious engineering works. And unfortunately for everyone else in the market, Maruti and Hyundai both know that game inside out. Now consider that Honda and Toyota will both enter the arena - the Etios will come soon and Honda’s oddly but functionally named New Small will follow next year. That’s serious competition, both established and to come. If Nissan is to have any say in the future of the Indian hatch market it needs to do two things. The first is to expand its reach at a fearsome pace while ensuring dealer and service quality. And the other - the Micra has to prove itself as lot more than a competent hatchback. AUG 2010 overdrive
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Life begins at 30!
...32, actually in the case of Sirish who marked the big three-two by making his rallying debut Words Sirish Chandran Photography Krishnau Chatterjee, Kishen Nanjappa
“5 left into 4 right commit over crest.” Grab third on exit of the left. Accelerator pinned to the bulkhead. Left foot hovering over the brake, just in case. A fleeting moment of indecision. Should I? Shouldn’t I? From behind the wheel all I see is the top of the crest. The notes say there’s a 4 right over the crest – that’s a second gear corner – but it’s a blind corner and if I get it wrong, or my notes were wrong, I’ll be down the mountain. But this is also where we make time: hug the inside, set the car up to kiss the outside just as we rise to the crest and she’ll fly over the crest completely cutting out the corner, getting a bit out of shape over the grass, joining tarmac and flat-out to the next corner. Nikhil says this is where we make up a s***load of time. Goes without saying, if we pussyfoot we lose a s***load of time. So I stay pinned. Eyeballs wide open in, what I should admit, is raw fear. My god, this is it. Let’s do it. Let’s jump. Let’s get some serious air. Nothing prepares you for the first time you jump a rally car. No amount of driving, track days, testing everything there is to be tested including Ferraris, Lambos, Porsches, even the Veyron, many hours scaring myself silly in the saddles of superbikes, some big shunts – nothing prepares you for the first time you take off over a blind crest. For that split second time seems to stop. Not stop for a Senna-esque out-of-body experience where you’re eerily transported out of the car and are watching the action from the outside. That’s a bit too melodramatic even for me. But you do take a moment. Time seems to slow down. You savour the moment, relish it, there’s a split second of silence, all that angry aural rally-car violence fades into the background, a smile, a strange calm, this is what it’s all about, why all that stress and effort was worth it. And then you land, a soft landing, no scrunching of the bumper, accelerator pinned to the bulkhead, “80 8 right over crest”, and line it up for the next jump. It is the most unbelievable experience. And this is the story of my rallying debut.
February 2010 Something triggers in me. Maybe it’s my wife pointing out that I always tune off during F1 and youtube rally clips instead. Or it’s the big Raid de Himalaya trophy I won years ago that’s been giving me the stare every time I chuck my keys into it. Whatever. I realise the clock is ticking and if I don’t do it now I’ll never be able to. It’s settled then, I’m going rallying. First the car. Rookies usually start off with the carburetted Rally Star Cup Esteems (no matter how hard you drive them, they still look slow) or Gypsys (that are impossible to drive and shake all your teeth out). Neither look very safe to crash in and I wasn’t keen on the (faster) fuel-injected Esteems and (much faster) Baleno – who wants to read about (or even watch) a car that stopped being sold years ago. In any case one of the reasons why I want to rally is so I can talk about it and telling my colleagues abroad I’m rallying an 85-horsepower 1990s Suzuki Swift is actually quite pathetic. No, the only car to do it with is the Mitsubishi AUG 2010 overdrive
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Heavenly heights Up, up and away to lofty Bhutan with the versatile Maruti Swift Words Vijayendra Vikram Photography Gaurav S Thombre
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was refreshed with the brand new 1.2-litre K-Series engine that is lighter, more fuel efficient and cleaner on emissions while still retaining the Swift’s essential (and beloved) fun-to-drive nature. It is this revised Swift that we headed for Bhutan in. The thought of crossing borders and driving into a new country is a thrilling thought, so what if it’s just next door? But I was a bit apprehensive about Bhutan. All I knew was it’s an ancient kingdom that follows Buddhism and forget social drinking, I doubted if I would even get to eat chicken there. But things have changed a lot since the kings started becoming liberal towards the world that existed outside. It remained under self-imposed isolation till the 1960s but now offers a great mix of its ancient culture with modern amenities to tourists. Don’t expect McDonalds, but yes, Bhutan now has DishTV, internet and mobile phones. Oh yes, the country also boasts a decent road network, making it perfect for a road trip. And road trips are always fun in the Maruti Suzuki Swift; setting the mood for some spirited driving. The Swift is responsible for changing the face of the Indian small car and is still the most fun car to drive in its segment. Like we said a few months back, if driving is your religion, the Swift is god. And the performance
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e live in an age of package tours. From Toronto to Timbuktu, there is a package tour to take care of everything. Be it airport transits, sightseeing, Indian meals or even a massage, they fit everything into the schedule. But then I think it’s so unjust to trap the traveller in us within the boundaries of schedule. And this is why road trips rock for me. I can still spend a few moments more at a waterfall or read a book by the beach and still drive to my next destination at my own will. On a road trip, you fix your own route, make your own rules, dream up your own schedule and, no matter what anybody says, can take any car to just about anywhere. After tracing our own paths in Goa and Rajasthan in the last few months, we decided to go international, setting sights on Bhutan this time and in one of our favourite cars of all time, the Swift. Now the Swift has consistently drawn praise from everybody at OVERDRIVE. When it was launched in 2005 it won OVERDRIVE’s Car of the Year and also the Indian Car of the Year and despite the entry of competition she still remains one of India’s best-selling and most loved cars. Three months back the Swift
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Truth or dare? OVERDRIVE get a taste of south India, Dakshin Dare style Words Vijayendra Vikram Photography Halley Prabhakar
Participants lined up to enter Mysore in a convoy. Covering three states, five cities and 1500km, Dakshin Dare is the longest rally in South India
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ou’ve played truth or dare, I bet. I myself have turned the bottle around a million times, revealed secrets and even run naked on a beach (there’s another secret). I associate dares with fun, and no, not with Mountain Dew commercials. That’s why Halley and I signed up for the Maruti Suzuki Dakshin Dare rally. The name conjured up images of a gruelling drive through lush green terrain. For us the bonus was a break from office chores and of course, some fun on the road. But there were a lot of other reasons too. The itinerary sounded interesting; five days to drive down to Cochin from Bangalore
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with the route passing through Mysore, Coorg, Ooty, Coimbatore and Munnar. I had never been to these parts but knew it gets lush green and very scenic during the monsoons. Being a rally we knew we wouldn’t be taking the regular highways and the TSD format open for all cars meant we wouldn’t be doing serious off-roading. I had a fair bit of experience in TSDs as I had participated in the Desert Storm 2006 and finished second in the Raid De Himalaya 2007, which still stands tall as my claim to fame. Halley, the budding INRC navigator from OVERDRIVE, who wanted his first taste of a rally is well versed in Tamil, Kannada and has a bit of Malayalam too,
which could help us navigate better than the tulip charts. Let’s not forget the lip-smacking South Indian cuisine, Kerala parota, beef curry, pazham pori (the Kerala version of banana fritters) and Mysore pak. We landed in Bangalore with next to no preparations, armed only with two iPhones for stopwatch and calculators. We got a Maruti SX4 with 63,000km on the odo to drive. Will it last, was our first thought but the car felt sound on the drive to the ceremonial flag-off in Bangalore. The main event started the next morning as we headed towards our first destination, Mysore. Everything was fine till the time sheet arrived along with the tulip book. Normally, a TSD rally has about 8
The tea gardens of Munnar are an open invitation for a hot cuppa
Yes, this tree nearly crashed down on us
The road to Munnar is breathtakingly scenic with hairpins galore. A strict no-no for people with motion sickness
different average speed limits to be followed during the day. This one had over forty! This was going to be complicated. Having done it before, I let Halley take the wheel and leave the navigation to me. While Halley was tackling Bangalore traffic, I was going berserk with calculations and keeping a track of our average speed with the time and distance. It may be a simple formula but not when you are keeping track of everything and listening to Halley’s nostalgic stories about his childhood shopping sprees at the places we passed. Soon, my head had strange double-digit numbers revolving like tweeties. As expected, we were taking the backroads that
almost doubled the usual distance between the two cities and moving at speeds close to 30kmph in a 100PS car, being overtaken by almost everything on the road. A little before lunch time, we were asked to halt and proceed in a convoy to Mysore as a mishap had blocked our planned route. The first leg was cancelled and I threw all the numbers to the backseat. Our hearts were pounding as we went to check our position in the night. I was expecting a top three finish, so my heart backflipped - tenth? Where did we go wrong? We decided to take it easy the next day. Stick to the route and keep calculating. It was a beautiful day. We ventured out first to
the coffee country of Coorg. Our simple route went for a toss when we got confused by a turn on the tulip chart and a time checkpoint in the opposite direction. We checked in and the marshal asked us to continue without even telling us where we were on the map. I lost all sense of direction and in our restless sprint to find where we were, we added extra distance to our tripmeter. Thankfully, we were not the only ones stuck here. Finally we were back on track after a lot of brainstorming. Now we were headed to Ooty, negotiating 34 hairpins, getting stuck behind trucks and buses and still had an average speed of 45kmph - that’s very, very fast - to keep up AUG 2010 overdrive
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Small world On the Lucknow-Kanpur leg of the Nano Superdrive Words K shitij Sharma Photography Debarpita Mohapatra
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unde ke kebab was all I could think of when I was told I would be going to the Lucknow-Kanpur leg of the Tata Nano Superdrive. I love food and one look at me and you’ll understand why. My mouth is still watering just by writing the name of the famous kebabs. But I think I should set the kebabs aside for now and get on with the drive. The Nano Superdrive was organised to celebrate the inauguration of Tata’s Sanand manufacturing plant. The drive was divided into three routes namely: Saffron, White and Green and the drive was to cover 15,000km across India in 26 days.
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The idea seemed to stir up the nation. We were supposed to join the drive from Sanand but that was until a cyclone hit Gujarat. So it was shifted to Lucknow-Kanpur. The connecting flight was delayed and I was at the Delhi airport for four hours, I could see my kebabs vanishing into nothing. But being of the optimistic kind, I calculated that, if the flight took off on time (fat chance) I just might be able to satisfy my taste buds. But the flight was delayed. I was received at the Lucknow airport by a humble but very agitated man who couldn’t get over the fact that he’d been waiting for me longer than he’d ever waited for his wife. But I was too busy cursing the airlines for depriving me of ke-
babs to pay any attention. Even though I was being treated like a VIP, I decided to show up on time at Goldrush Motors. The drive was flagged off by an IAS officer with a Nano which had a red light on the roof. It was ten in the morning but the heat was blazing and I thought Delhi was hot. Dreading the afternoon and the bad roads and the busy traffic and the inconsiderate truckers we set off towards Kanpur. The convoy consisted of three Nanos, two Sumo Grandes and one Manza in which I was travelling. It was uneventful except for some overloaded cars and overspeeding trucks. The Manza struggled to keep up with the Nanos as the driver kept overshooting the convoy.
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Free rein Fun and frolic at the Slush Fest
Words Halley Prabhakar Photography Pablo Chaterji, Halley Prabhakar
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was weary after a long working Saturday. Some well deserved shuteye and a late Sunday brunch was all that was on my mind. As I dozed off, I was awakened by the buzz on my phone. Bleary-eyed, I read the message from Sirish: pick up the BMW X5 in Pune and drive to Mumbai for the Business Standard Motoring annual Slush Fest. There goes my late Sunday brunch, I groaned. I reset my alarm for early Sunday morning. For the record, the BSM Slush Fest was in its 12th edition and now I was going to be part of the four-wheel drive showdown. So there I was, behind the wheel of the X5 early Sunday morning, At Navi Mumbai I caught up with the enthusiastic BSM lot where Bijoy briefed us about the event, and soon after we headed to the venue. In addition to the PET (Performance Evaluation Test), this edition of the fest also included a new 5km trail specially picked to gauge the off-road capabilities of SUVs. The last two slush fests turned out too dry without any rains. This time we were lucky as the monsoons were very much in evidence and there was slush all around in keeping with the name of the fest. Apart from the Bavarian BMW X5, the line-up featured a range of SUVs and soft-roaders, including the tried and tested Mahindra MM550 and Maruti Suzuki Gypsy King, Land Rover Freelander 2 and the Japanese trio of the Mitsubishi Pajero, Nissan X-Trail and Toyota Land Cruiser LC200. AUG 2010 overdrive
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Fear factor
Breaking the ice with the manic 191PS Suzuki GSX-R1000 K10 Words Vijayendra Vikram Photography Gaurav S Thombre
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ureka! I now know. What butterflies in the stomach feel like. It happened at the 2km straight testing track at VRDE, Ahmednagar. Letting the butterflies loose was the 191PS Suzuki GSX-R1000 K10 (Gixxer nomenclature for 2010 bike), the most manic superbike in the world. I didn’t feel it while riding either the Yamaha R1 and Honda Fireblade but the Gixxer has scared the living daylights out of me. Quelling the quivers, I set out on a sighting lap. I tuck my helmeted head in, hold the throttle at 6000rpm, slip the clutch a bit (to prevent a wheelie) and then whack the throttle open. Pandemonium! I’m in the blur zone before shifting to second. Keep the throttle pinned and shift right at the redline. The Gixxer is in its monster zone and in no mood to calm down. Thankfully this guided missile has super brakes. The fear of running out of tarmac takes over and a firm tap on the front brakes reduces the speed to 100kmph. This feels like standstill after the last few maddening seconds. I get off the bike at the end of the straight and read the VBOX stats: 3.8 seconds to 100kmph and 240kmph top speed. Hallelujah! I am not shaking any more and the butterflies are in slumber. Have I conquered my fear or has the GSX-R1000 become more civilised? I have an hour on this strip to find out.
Styling All said, the best-looking Gixxer will always be the GSX-R1000 K5. It had an evil, menacing stare that sent chills down millions of spines. I can never get enough of that triangular titanium end can. Then Suzuki lost the plot with the next (K7). The teardrop headlamp, fat fairing and two bulky exhausts were just not Gixxer. And that’s why I love the K9. It gets very close to the K5’s bad boy appeal. The edgy look is back on the headlamp, which has spikes on either side. The RAM air intakes with slits complete the mean look. The fairing is quite edgy and so is the tail. Which is an evolution of the trademark Gixxer rear with turn signals flanking the small LED tail lamps. The trumpet exhausts are really attention grabbers. The twin titanium end cans look bulky in pictures but not in the flesh. Park it next to a Fireblade or an R1, and it’s the instant show stealer. But then to me, it isn’t a Gixxer unless it sports the signature metallic blue and white colour scheme, which sadly we don’t get here. All supersports bikes are an ergonomic nightmare and this one is no exception. The Gixxer will tire you after a ride and the weight on the wrist gets a bit too much to handle after a while. I found the seat quite accommodating and it is easy to move around on, on a long straight or while settling into a corner. Handlebars are within easy reach but the seat proved a bit high for me with my height. It doesn’t matter while on the move as
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ROAD TEST
918
OD Rating Price Rs 12.75 lakh ex-showroom Delhi
+ Styling + Performance + Handling perch too small - Pillion efficiency & range - Fuel expensive - Most litre-class bike
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TVS M ax4 R
One for the load TVS invents completely new segment in motorcycle market Words Shubhabrata Marmar Photography Gaurav S Thombre
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hen a manufacturer invites you to test ride a new motorcycle, you tend to take certain things for granted. Like the roads you’re about to ride for instance - they’re usually twisty like a thriller plot and surfaced like a German road would be. Further, the motorcycles themselves are usually brand new, all systems checked to within an inch of their lives. And with rare exceptions, the locations are scenic, with great weather - places that help you, erm, appreciate the vehicle more. But the TVS Max4R introduction was a shock. We saw the bikes first outside the vegetable market in Indore. A squelchy places that stinks of putrefying vegetable waste, where flies outnumber the considerable human throng by millions and the surrounding are roads either in the state of abject disrepair or in a state of equally jolting repair. Not pleasant. And the bikes, good lord. There were three - the one I picked was lightly loaded with only a 100kg of lauki (aka bottle gourd and ghia) and the other two sported nearly 200kg on onions. It brought tears to my eyes long before the onions had anything to with that. The farmers who so graciously offered us their daily load carriers were rather thrilled with their new hardy steeds, saying it lacked only a fuel gauge - there’s none, not even a low fuel light and an electric starter (and that only because gobhi aka cauliflower is a voluminous load that tends to make the kick starter useless forcing them to bump start the bike on those days). And that they’re unwilling to pay for either of the features. When I took the lauki Max off the stand - well, I couldn’t. Amid giggles the farmers told me to use the old Chetak wheelie-over-center-stand method. Which I duly did and nearly toppled over right there. They caught me - and more giggles ensued while I gathered up some semblance of dignity and wobbled off to see why the farmers were so kicked with the new TVS. I found that fuel tanks are distinctly uncomfortable places to stick your bum - the seats were fully loaded with the veggies. At least laukis are soft against your backside - onions, I imagine would have been infinitely more painful. I also found that the Max was so heavily loaded that it would literally carry on straight in the face of a turned handlebar if the throttle was even slightly open. And that a closed throttle would help, but a clean line around a corner or u-turn was next to impossible. Further, a fully loaded Max is a thing of wonder. The bike itself weighs 118kg dry. Add fluids and me, and you have a motorcycle nearing 200kg. With the onions on board we are looking at a Honda Gold Wing scale monster bearing what should be a woefully inadequate
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Bajaj d iscov e r 1 5 0
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Time to disco? The Discover 150 has crashed the commuter party with its shock pricing. Is it the belle of the ball? Words Charles Pennefather Photography Gaurav S Thombre
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F
or a long time now, the commuter has been relegated to the cheap end of the spectrum of motorcycles. The ones that are a dime a dozen, so many that you don’t notice them any more unless they’re in your way. Sure, they’ve been ‘refreshed’ with newer graphics and they get quieter and cleaner as stricter noise and emission norms come into effect, but other than new shades of paint and redesigned sticker jobs, nothing radical has shaken up the commuter segment – until now. The ordinary commuter consumer might want just a tool to get to and from work, but motorcycles like the Honda CB Twister are helping to change that perception. Even the commuter wants more from his
machine – it’s only human to want more, after all. Bajaj Auto now aims to inject fun into the commute with its 150cc Discover, with its shocking sticker price and fuel economy comparable to 125cc bikes. Does the Discover manage to do that so well as to emerge the best of the lot? We’ve pitted it against the best of the commuters from different displacements to find the answer. Here, then, are the contenders: in the really reliable corner, the Hero Honda Passion Pro, with the might of sheer numbers behind it; in the bright green corner, the one that has turned commuter styling on its head, the Honda CB Twister; and in the nondescript third corner of our triangular, er, ring, the Bajaj Discover 150. AUG 2010 overdrive
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Speed check The Honda 2010 CBR600RR gets brake-by-wire system Words Harriet Ridley
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he words ‘Combined Braking System’ and ‘ABS’ hardly conjure sexy images of racetracks and extreme riding. So what was Honda thinking when it added these road safety enhancers to its latest sportsbikes? I took the 2010 CBR600RR all the way to Spain’s GP circuit Jerez to find out. Of course, I was also keen to gauge whether it was still right up there with the best supersport 600s. After all, the CBR still has those underseat exhausts that are now looking rather dated compared to the Yamaha R6’s underbelly exhaust system and stumpy side end can. The underbelly system makes better sense as it places all the weight down low in the chassis for improved agility, hence the MotoGP bikes have it that way. Furthermore, the CBR gets none of the R6’s racetrack technology including slipper clutch and fly-by-wire throttle. And given that it belongs to the uncompromising and dedicated 600 supersport class, surely Honda should be looking at fitting these to its CBR600RR instead of Combined-ABS of all things? Conventional Combined-ABS systems have been fitted to road bikes for years. But superbikes are built for riding so hard on a racetrack that braking forces lift the rear wheel, which means any amount of rear brake pressure locks the wheel. This makes conventional ABS systems obsolete on a racetrack, and the reason track riders use the front brake only. AUG 2010 overdrive
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Big splash
Mud-splattered mayhem at the Sportscraft Monsoon Scooter Rally Words K shitij Sharma
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ife is funny. When there are too many obstacles in the way, the chances are that what you want will come through. I can say this owing to past experiences and my most recent one. Held on June 12-13 at Navi Mumbai, the Sportscraft Monsoon Scooter Rally came at the worst time, bang in the middle of OD issue closing. Piyush and I were assigned but we were totally unprepared except for the scooters provided by Mahindra. We had no insurance, rally licences nor off-road tyres and had just 48
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hours to acquire these with the issue closing chores hanging like a sword over our heads. But things somehow fell into place including finding a set of off-road tyres at rip-off prices in pouring rain in the dead of the night. We collected our bikes, the Duro and the Rodeo from Mahindra 2Wheelers, Mumbai, got the off-road tyres on, one each and headed to scrutiny. Our high spirits and excitement were dampened when we were informed that the rally was called off thanks to a policeman who couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that this event was in its 21st
year running. The abuses abated when we were told that the event would go ahead no matter what. We arrived at the Godrej ground, the new venue in Navi Mumbai on the morning of June 13 which turned out to be the sweatiest day of the year. The rally venue was an autocross track and a square rally stage. There were six rounds in total, three on the track and three on the stage, in a rally format. Each participant would be flagged off individually with a gap of a minute and the cumulative times would be calculated to
motorsport F1 NEWS MOTOGP WRC INDIAN
Blast-off The INRC 2010 season blasts off with the Rally of Maharashtra Words Abhay Verma Photography Kishen Nanjappa
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t was the end of day 1 at the Rally of Maharashtra in Nashik, the first rally of the 2010 INRC. Six stages through the day, Team MRF’s Gaurav Gill (co-driver Musa Sherif) was leading by a minute and half in a Group N+ Cedia over closest competitor and arch rival Vikram Mathias (co-driver PVS Murthy) of Red Rooster Racing. In the Service Park, I could see Gaurav beaming in the MRF tent. I asked him about his day, and his smile grew wider. “I've been posting the fastest times throughout the day. I lead by a minute and half and it feels great .” Meanwhile, the Red Rooster Racing camp
was not as cheerful, since six-time national champion Naren Kumar (co-driver Ram Kumar) was not making the comeback he would have wished for. Naren told me, “On stage 1 itself my intercom failed. By stage 3 my brakes were fading, which slowed me down further.” But the silver lining for RRR was Vikram Mathias (co-driver PVS Murthy) who was running second, closely followed by team mate Amittrajit Ghosh (co-driver Ashwin Naik). Adding charm this time was the new class – Group N 2000cc with nearly as many entries as the Group N+. The other new class, Group N+ 1400cc did not see any entries. Earlier in the day, 2009 RSC class cham-
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toyota fo rtun er fleet introduct i o n
High roller The Toyota Fortuner is not allowed to camp in our stable Total Mileage 29,612km Date acquired July ’10 THIS MONTH: MilEage 6112km Fuel NA eFFICIENCY NA
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t’s been a long time coming but finally the OVERDRIVE stable has a full blown off-road vehicle. Not some pseudo urban cowboy, made for mommy, kind of crossover. Say hello to the Toyota Fortuner and as far as off-road SUVs go, there’s barely anything better we could have asked for. It’s the completeness of the Fortuner package that makes it out-
standing, not just the fact that it can and does go absolutely anywhere you point your compass to. I got the keys to the Fortuner in the middle of July and barely a week into its stint in our long-term fleet, I got the opportunity to take it into my favourite playground, the far north. I was keenly looking forward to participating in the Mughal Road Rally which
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