Taxi Service in Ernakulam

1994 McLaren F1 LM-Spec Fetches $19.8 Million at Auction ension was thick in the air as the  1994 McLaren F1  rolled onto the auction block in Monterey on Friday. Bidders and spectators alike wondered if the car would fetch the $21 million to $23 million that auction house RM Sotheby's estimated for the rare three-seater supercar. In the end, the hammer fell at $19.8 million including commission, which is still enough to set a new world record for most valuable  McLaren  F1 sold at auction. The McLaren F1 in question is one of just 64 road-going versions of the model made (the remainder of the 106 produced were prototypes or race cars) and also one of just two to be converted to Le Mans (LM) spec by   McLaren Special Operations . The car retained its fully trimmed interior despite the performance increases and is also fitted with the Extra High Downforce kit, uprated air conditioning, race-spec suspension, 18-inch GTR wheels, two extra radiators, and a transmission cooler, amon

Isuzu D-Max V-Cross 1.9 diesel-automatic launched, priced at Rs 19.99 lakh Isuzu has launched the  D-Max V-Cross  with a diesel-automatic combination in India. The new configuration comes with a 1.9-litre diesel engine linked to a 6-speed automatic gearbox, in 'Prestige' grade. It is priced at 19.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The Isuzu V-Cross Z-Prestige's new 1.9 litre diesel engine develops 150 PS of maximum power and 350 Nm of peak torque. Its maximum power is 16 PS higher than that of the old, 2.5-litre diesel unit. At present, the new 1.9-litre diesel engine is BS-IV complaint but it will understandably be updated to the higher, BS-VI standards before the 1 April 2020 deadline. In addition to the more powerful engine and an automatic transmission, the Z-Prestige variant flaunts a bigger safety kit which includes six airbags and a brake override system (BOS). In terms of interiors, it gets a dual-tone brown-black interior with perforated leather upholstery,

We covered over 10,000 destinations last weekend, says Ola Major cab aggregator  Ola  Tuesday said the popularity of  Ola Outstation surged last weekend with outstation cabs covering over 10,000  destinations  across the country and over 1.1 crore kms. Besides providing mobility solutions within the cities,  Ola offers taxi service called  Ola Outstation to the customers enabling them to travel to the  destination  of their choice. Recently,  Ola  analysed the travel habit of people using  Ola  Outstation and came up with some interesting report. "Data tracked during the long Independence Day weekend from  Delhi ,  Bengaluru and  Mumbai , shows over 50 per cent of outstation travel was to hill stations and  heritage sites , with  places  of pilgrimage coming in third at about 20 per cent,  Ola  said in a statement. The cab aggregator said 60 per cent of users from  Bengaluru , 74 per cent from  Delhi  and 66 per cent from  Mumbai  booked  Ola  Outstation for their spont

Take The Finest Ingredients & Season With SCHROTH Accessories can make or break an outfit, just like how the final finishing touches can make or break your car build. The devil is very much in the detail and a slip at the last hurdle can either make you look like a hero, or a total zero. When it comes to safety equipment, this statement could not be more true. Scrimping in the safety department has never been a smart idea, especially if you have gone all-out elsewhere on the car. It should come as no surprise that I am a total fan of  SCHROTH Racing . I’ve used their harnesses in my personal cars for almost 10 years, and as an appreciator of all things technical and built upon heritage, it doesn’t get much better than the SCHROTH brand. After all, they’ve been producing safety products for top-level motorsport for almost a century. To put the cherry on top, SCHROTH pops up in some incredible archive images from the greatest periods of motorsport in the best cars going. T

Car registration fee hike put on hold The government has decided to review the proposed increase in registration fee of petrol and diesel vehicles amid heavy lobbying from the auto sector that is facing its worst slowdown in nearly two decades.  A draft notification by the ministry of road transport and highways issued last month proposed to increase the registration charges for new internal combustion engine (ICE) cars to Rs 5,000 from Rs 600 at present. Renewal of registration of ICE cars is proposed at Rs 15,000.  http://www.shalomcabs.in/

Upcoming 300-400 cc motorcycles in India Thanks to the growing popularity of the existing 300-400 cc KTM and Royal Enfield models in India, companies are seeing a lot of potential in this segment now. Here are five upcoming new entry-level performance motorcycles with engines in the displacement range of 300-400 cc: Yes, the KTM 390 Adventure has been a long time coming. Based on the KTM Duke 390, it is expected to be unveiled at EICMA 2019. The bike  will be launched in India first . The KTM 390 Adventure will be suspended over upside-down fork up front sourced from WP and a monoshock in the rear. The former will be spruced up with extra travel. The KTM 390 Adventure will have a 19-inch front wheel and a 17-inch rear wheel. Tyres will be on and off-road biased. Besides that, expect top-level spec features in the KTM 390 Adventure. This will include LED headlamp, coloured TFT display and optional Bluetooth connectivity as seen in the Duke 390. Other features like ride-by-wir

BS-VI TVS Apache RTR 160 4V spotted ahead of imminent launch The revised front-end of the BS-VI Apache RTR 160 4V features bigger pilot lamps, along with a LED headlight setup. The redesigned headlight mask (in a dual-tone finish) adds a refreshed look to the front fascia of the Apache RTR 160 4V. Another set of clear spy images from CarToq reveal the rest of the design, which is identical to the current (BS-IV) version. Thus, you can see a muscular fuel tank with an asymmetrically mounted filler cap, a single-piece step-up seat, a boxy exhaust design, an engine cowl and a split-style pillion grab rail. The saddle appears to feature a dual-tone finish for a premium look. The cockpit retains the digital instrument console along with switchgear, bar-end weights, grips and levers from the current model. Apart from the regular ride-related information, the feature-rich display includes a gear position indicator and a lap timer. A single-piece handlebar will continue to perform the

Scoop: Honda Breeze (Honda CR-V twin) exterior leaked The Chinese market is one of the core markets for the automakers considering 25% of the world's new cars are sold in China. In order to make the best out of it, companies often sell the same cars with two different names and styling in order to grow the volumes and maximize profits. In the latest, Honda has created a twin model of the CR-V, called 'Breeze'. Honda has been selling  a number of twin models in China  under two joint ventures, namely GAC-Honda and Dongfeng-Honda. While the original Honda CR-V is sold by Dongfeng Honda, the Honda Breeze will be sold by Guangzhou Honda. The Honda Breeze has more stylish front and rear fascias, but its interior is likely to be almost identical. At the front, it incorporates the latest iteration of the brand's design language, apparently with inspiration from the tenth-gen Honda Accord. With a large chrome bar on the front grille that mates with the “jewel eye” hi

Hyundai rolls out first unit of Grand i10 Nios from Chennai plant Following the Venue and Kona Electric, Hyundai is about to come up with its third all-new model for 2019 in the form of Grand i10 Nios, on 20 August 2019. The company has already started rolling out the car out of its Chennai plant. Hyundai has already commenced the  pre-bookings of the Grand i10 Nios  from 7th of this month for a token amount of INR 11,000. When launched, it will be slotted between the Grand i10 and the Elite i20. The Hyundai Grand i10 Nios measures 3,805 mm in length, 1,680 mm in width and 1,520 mm in height. It is 40 mm longer and 20 mm wider in comparison to the outgoing model but the same in terms of height. Its wheelbase measures 2,450 mm, which is 25 mm longer. The 2019 Hyundai Grand i10 is available in 10 variants, including four engine-gearbox combinations. There are two BS-VI engine options. The first one is a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol unit delivering 81 BH

US EPA reveals Ducati Scrambler 1100 Pro and Scrambler 1100 Pro Sport variant names After the  Multistrada 1260 Grand Tour and the Scrambler Icon Dark , the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has revealed names of two more upcoming Ducati models - Ducati Scrambler 1100 Pro and Scrambler 1100 Pro Sport. The details are very limited right now, but we assume that the new motorcycles will carry off-road biased styling and hardware. The  existing Scrambler 1100 range  comprises three variants – 1100, 1100 Special and 1100 Sport. Between the three models, only one packs a rugged persona with wire-spoke wheels – 1100 Special. The upcoming Scrambler 1100 Pro and Scrambler 1100 Pro Sport may have more off-road focused genes with a tall-set front fender, a headlight grille and a longer travel suspension setup. The Scrambler 1100 Pro Sport could benefit from more premium feature list comprising Ohlins-sourced suspension setup (likely with the electronically adjustable Ducati S

Festive season brings special offers on Okinawa e-scooters Electric two-wheeler brand Okinawa has announced special festive season discounts and offers on its range of products. The new festive season offer will be available between 12 August and 31 October, during which customers can avail special benefits on purchases across Okinawa dealerships in the country. Okinawa Autotech has assured an INR 1,000 discount on the purchase of any Okinawa electric scooter. Apart from the INR 1,000 discount, twenty lucky winners will stand a chance to win electronic items such as Air conditioner, LED Television, Microwave and Mixer Grinder. One lucky customer will also get an opportunity to win a ‘Foreign Trip’. Names of the winners will be announced in November 2019. The special offers are aimed at boosting sales during the festive season. Speaking about the new limited period discount and prizes, Jeetender Sharma, Founder & Managing Director, Okinawa Autotech Pvt. Ltd., said: With

Infiniti QX55 to Join Lineup as Coupe-Like Crossover Ahead of the 2019 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance,  Infiniti  announced a new addition to its SUV lineup, the QX55. Based on the teaser sketch that Infiniti released, the QX55 appears to be a coupe-like variant of the  recently released QX50 , which means it's got the  BMW X4  and  Mercedes-Benz  GLC Coupe in its sights. "The Infiniti QX55 is a stunning new SUV coupe in the heart of one of the industry's fastest growing segments, globally," said Mike Colleran, deputy chairman of Infiniti, in a statement. The last time Infiniti had a coupe-like crossover was the 2017 model year, the  final year of the QX70 , formerly the Infiniti FX. When it first arrived back in the 2003 model year, the Infiniti FX was a rear-drive-based five-seat luxury crossover underpinned by the FM platform used in vehicles like the  Nissan 370Z ,  Infiniti Q50 , and Q60. The first generation Infiniti FX was available w

BMW M8 Convertible spied in India for the first time The design of the bumpers of the test mule seen here clearly confirm that we are looking at the wild BMW M8 Convertible and not the regular BMW 8 Series Convertible. The BMW M8 Convertible (just like the BMW M8 Coupe) sports a high-revving 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine which delivers ground shattering 441 kW/600 PS of maximum power and 750 Nm of peak torque. This engine comes paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive system. A 0-100 km/h sprint takes just 3.3 seconds, while the top speed is electronically restricted to 250 km/h. An optional M Driver's package allows a higher top speed of 305 km/h. There is even a more powerful model of the M8 Convertible, the 'Competition' model, in which the 4.4L engine develops 625 PS and 750 Nm of torque. It also gets the same standard 8-speed automatic transmission. Thanks to the higher power and other performance components, the 'Co

Classic Legends commences deliveries of dual-channel ABS equipped Jawa Motorcycles Do note that a Jawa dealership from Nagpur had  shared a photograph on its Facebook handle  with the quote,  "Ride safe with all-new Jawa 42 Dual ABS,"  which had led us to believe that the deliveries had started last month. The deliveries of the single-channel variants of the Jawa Classic and Forty-Two had started in March 2019. Previously, Anupam Thareja, Co-Founder, Classic Legends, had confirmed through a reply to a tweet that the deliveries of dual-channel ABS-equipped Jawa bikes would start from the end of June. The dual-channel ABS Jawa Classic and Forty-Two carry a premium of approximately INR 8,000 over the single-channel ABS variants. Check out the ex-showroom Delhi prices below: Model Price (Single-Channel ABS) Price (Dual-Channel ABS) Jawa Classic INR 1,64,000 INR 1,72,942 Jawa Forty-Two INR 1,55,000 INR 1,63,942 The changes are limited to the addition of a rear disc

Tata Nexon with new steering wheel and cruise control spied The test mules seen here could be of the BS-VI Tata Nexon. Apparently, the more eco-friendly Tata Nexon will come with some interior revisions. Firstly, there will be a new steering wheel, the same unit from the upcoming Altroz. In addition, cruise control will make it to the sub-compact SUV, a feature already available in the rivals Ford EcoSport, Mahindra XUV300, Maruti Vitara Brezza and Hyundai Venue. Tata Motors will upgrade both the engines of the Nexon to BS-VI, the 1.2L Revotron petrol unit and the 1.5L Revotorq unit. The BS-IV 1.2L Revotron turbocharged petrol engine produces 110 PS and 170 Nm of torque. The BS-IV 1.5L Revotorq turbocharged diesel engine develops 110 PS and 260 Nm of torque. Both the engines are available with a standard 6-speed manual transmission and an optional 6-speed automated manual transmission. The Nexon has been quite a successful product for Tata Motors. Recently, the company rolled

MG receives 28k Hector bookings, delivers 1.5k units in June MG launched its maiden product in India, the Hector, on 27 June this year. Touted as the 'the First Internet SUV' in our market, the Hector is already off to an excellent start. MG Motor India today announced that it has received 28,000 bookings for the Hector and has delivered 1,508 units of the same in the first month Earlier reports  had said that MG had paused bookings at 21,000 units, but now the officially confirmed number is 28,000 units. With the bookings rocketing higher than the expectations, the company has been compelled to stop taking further bookings temporarily, and the Hector is now sold-out for this whole calendar year. This is certainly a bummer for the people still planning on to get their hands on the Hector, who will now have to wait until the company is ready to balance out the supply-demand chain. Commenting on the sales performance, Gaurav Gupta, Chief Commercial Officer, MG Motor In

BS-VI Honda Activa 125 TVC shoot begins as launch nears Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India’s brand ambassador and Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar has posted a photograph revealing that the TVC of the upcoming  Activa 125 BS-VI  is being shot. His wife, Twinkle Khanna, an author, newspaper columnist, a film producer and a former Bollywood actress, will also feature in the commercial. The BS-VI compliant Honda Activa was unveiled in June, while its launch is scheduled to take place towards the end of the second quarter of FY2019-20 (September). This will be the first BS-VI compliant product from the HMSI. The new Honda Activa 125 uses 26 new patent applications. The BS-VI compliant model uses PGM-FI Honda Eco Technology (HET) along with the Honda Enhanced Smart Power (eSP). The power and torque output figures are yet to be announced but we do not expect to see a massive change in the numbers. For reference, the  BS-IV compliant model  that is currently sold in the country draws 8 B

Top 5 concepts from Auto Expo 2016 that never made it to production Even with just 6 months left for the Auto Expo 2020 (7-12 February 2020), excitement levels though seem to be on the lower side this time around. Sinking sales volumes, flawed policy-making and upcoming price hike due to soon to be implemented BS-VI are just the tip of the iceberg which is set to hit the Indian automotive industry. However, the biennial event has all our hopes pinned for a lucky charm. Auto Expo 2016 was the second time the event was held at the new venue in Greater Noida. While almost 4 years have passed since the event took place, we still have several products which allude us. Here is a list of top 5 two-wheeler concepts we are still waiting to evolve into a production model: While the  TVS Akula concept  was the showstopper for the Chennai based brand at Auto Expo 2016, one product which still had us excited about was the  TVS X21 concept . Based on the Apache RTR 200 4V, it flaunts flashy

Ather 450 and 340 get a massive price cut post GST rate reduction Ather Energy has revised the prices of its 450 and 340 electric scooters post the GST rate reduction. The Ather 450 is now available at INR 1,13,715*, while the 340 retails at INR 1,02,460*. Check out the pre- and post-GST rate reduction prices* in the table below: Model Pre-GST Cut Price Post-GST Cut Price Difference Ather 450 (Bangalore) INR 1,22,647 INR 1,13,715 INR 8,932 Ather 340 (Bangalore) INR 1,10,647 INR 1,02,460 INR 8,187 Ather 450 (Chennai) INR 1,31,683 INR 1,22,224 INR 9,459 Ather 340 (Chennai) INR 1,19,091 INR 1,10,608 INR 8,483 The GST Council reduced the GST rate for electric vehicles to 5% as against the previous rate of 12%. With the GST cut, the entry-level Ather electric scooter is available at very close to INR 1 lakh (on-road) mark in Bangalore. The 4% road tax that is levied by the Tamil Nadu government is one of the reasons behind the higher price tags in Chennai. The reduc

Twelfth-gen Toyota Corolla still under consideration for India - Report The twelfth-gen Toyota Corolla Altis was  said to be ruled-out for India in a previous report . However, a new report says that TKM hasn't still given up on it despite the diminishing demand for C-segment sedans in the country. C-segment sedans are facing a lot of heat from C-SUVs in India. While C-segment sedans sell barely a couple hundred units every month, C-SUVs clock sales in four-digit figures easily now. That's the reason why none of the C-segment sedans, including the eleventh-gen Toyota Corolla Altis, is locally manufactured. The volumes just don't make sense for production here, and importing, even as CKD, is driving up prices way too high now. Based on the GA-C platform of the TNGA family, the twelfth-gen Toyota Corolla Altis is a lot more sophisticated product than its predecessor. The latest development comes straight from N Raja, Deputy Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor.