BMW i4, i5 next to join the BMW i family: report

Following last week’s unveiling of the all-new BMW i3 and BMW i8 electric and plug-in vehicles, rumours have started circulating about the next additions to the line-up, said to be the i4 and i5.

The i3 all-electric city car and the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car will hit the market in 2013 as the first vehicles in the new BMW i family.

According to BMW Blog contributor and brand insider, Scott27, the i4 will be a smaller two-seater sports car based on the i3 with a design influenced by the i8.

“i4 would offer a plug-in electric or range-extended electric drivetrain. The idea comes from not everybody will be able to afford the i8 but here is the more accessible offer.”

Scott27 says the i5 will be a much more important vehicle for the brand, however, as it will feature a more practical, family oriented sedan layout.

“i5 is seen as the ultimate test for BMW i and will be a mid-sized four door sedan-esque coupe again using the powertrain from the BMW i8.”

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New Chevrolet launched in Windhoek

Auas Motors, the Opel, Chevrolet and Isuzu dealer in Namibia, this week officially launched the new version of one of its most popular models, the new Chevrolet Orlando and Captiva in Windhoek.
Speaking at the launch, Tim Hendon, Chevrolet brand manager at General Motors South Africa said its company launched a Chevrolet Captiva sport utility vehicle (SUV) with a fresh new look.
He added that the new Captiva ushered in a new era of design when it was first launched in the international market five years ago.
According to Hendon, the new car was designed by a fresh and youthful design team that drew on global inputs and design cues to define this mid-sized SUV for world markets.
“The design includes a number of interior upgrades, improved power trains for better performance and efficiency, refinements to the chassis, a new advanced electronics package and lower interior noise and vibration levels,” he said.
The latest Captiva is immediately identifiable by its new face defined by a dual-port grille with black honeycomb inserts, chrome surrounds and prominent Chevrolet bow-tie insignia set in a body colour grille surround.
The engine choice of the new car is now between a 2.4 litre in-line four-cylinder petrol engine or a 3.0 litre V6 direct injection petrol engine. Both are latest generation engines from Chevrolet.
“A new headlamp treatment sees the lamp clusters sweep forward into the front corners of the vehicle with polycarbonate lenses providing a smooth surface over the functional elements of the lamp cluster. The overall sleek appearance of the Captiva is defined by a swept windscreen and roof line that provide a sleek aero profile. The side view is complimented by a tight tyre-to-body relationship imparting a well-grounded appearance,” said Caroline Thomas, product communications manager of General Motors South Africa.

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Nissan to unveil their new sedan on 3rd August

Nissan India will unveil its new sedan, which is based on the same V-platform as the Micra on the 3rd of August.

Nissan had launched the Micra petrol in mid-2010 and launched the diesel version of the Micra by the end of 2010.

The new sedan is known as Sunny in the Chinese market. This new sedan will come with 1.6-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engine options.

Watch this space for more updates on the new Nissan sedan.

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Hyundai Equus gets 2011 top large premium car honors

Another day, another honor for Hyundai. Competing against the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7-Series and Lexus LS, the perennial leaders, the Hyundai Equus luxury sedan has for the first time earned the top spot on J.D. Power and Associate’s APEAL (Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout) Study for large premium cars.

It marks the first time since the survey’s inception in 1996 that a car other than a Mercedes, BMW or Lexus has claimed the large premium category. The base starting price for the Equus is $58,900.

Hyundai, which began selling cars in the United States in 1986, had its overall biggest jump in the ranking, improving from 28th in 2010 to 15th in 2011.

The study, now in its 16th year, surveys new car buyers after 90 days of ownership, asking them to rate their impression of their vehicle’s design, content, layout, and performance. Vehicles and their brands are scored on a 1,000 point scale.

The Equus totaled more than 900 points, the highest of any individual car.

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Hyundai beefing up rural network for low-cost car

Hyundai Motor India plans to add 300 rural sales outlets within the next two months as it gears up to launch its cheapest car in India by November this year.

Hyundai announced in May that it would launch a small car costing below Rs 3 lakh in November. Hyundai is gearing up to launch the small car, codenamed HA, to directly compete with market leader Maruti Suzuki’s Alto.

The new rural outlets will take its rural sales network to 1,000, apart from the standard 325 dealerships located in cities.

The country’s second largest carmaker will employ a total of about 2,000 sales executives in these rural outlets. Rural areas, according to Hyundai, are the markets that lie outside the top 40 cities.

According to Maruti Suzuki's chief general manager, marketing, Shashank Srivastava, the company has 960 standard dealerships and 3,400 ‘taluka’ outlets through which it sells the Alto, the largest selling car in the country. Maruti plans to raise the number of its taluka outlets to 3,600 by the end of 2011. Maruti gets 33 per cent of its total sales from outside the 40 main cities.

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Tata Motors luxurious Aria rolls in

Tata Motors launched the Tata Aria — the first Indian four-wheel drive crossover — a luxurious creation with the finesse of a sedan and the muscle of an SUV all blended in one car.

The Tata Aria redefines several benchmarks with its design and technologies, offering class leading features that take comfort and safety to a new height, it said, claiming that the all wheel drive 4x4 is equipped with a Torque-on-Demand System which significantly enhances all-terrain capabilities.

The feature is especially apt for Nepal where vehicles have to face harsh terrains and hostile road conditions daily.

It is also among those rare cars in Nepal to offer 36 new features with advanced safety features like the Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), which ensures the car’s stability, and six airbags (including curtain airbags) to ensure safety in emergencies.

The Tata Aria has been launched in three trim levels, all with 4x4 – the Aria Pride at the top end, the Aria Prestige and the Aria Pleasure, each in eight colour options, the company said.

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Audi A8 L W12 quattro Launched

6.3 liter W12 engine with 500 horsepower, 1400 watt Bang & Olufsen stereo with 19 speakers, quattro centre differential, aluminium space frame, a passenger cabin with lots of leather and some wood. That's the new Audi A8 L W12 quattro for you

The A8 has been the top of the line luxury car at Audi for a while now. For those of you who have not seen an A8, it is a quite a long car. Most luxury car makers first make a top of the line luxury sedan and then launch a long wheelbase version with more legroom and kit. Audi has skipped all of that and straight away launched the A8 L.

Put simply, it’s as if someone has attached a part of a very expensive living room to the back of the all new A8. And it’s quite a nice living room too. The Valonea leather in the passenger cabin is tanned with plant extracts to make it especially soft. The dashboard is finished in piano wood. Audi offers an optional wood and leather centre console that stretches from the dashboard to the centre of the backrest of the rear seats. The head restraints and gear selector lever are adorned in buckskin leather for its hard wearing quality. If you go for this option instead of a backrest between the two rear seats you can have a refrigerator with a cabinet mounted on top to keep a set of glasses. The centre console at the back comes with separate controls for rear air conditioning.

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Electric car sales appear to slow despite government grants

15 electric vehicle grants issued in last three months, fewer than half number issued in quarter before Sales of electric cars have all but stalled, despite government grants to encourage an electric revolution to cut emissions from burning petrol and diesel.

Figures from the Department for Transport show that only 215 electric vehicle grants were issued in the last three months, fewer than half the 465 issued in the previous quarter.

The figures were obtained by the research charity the RAC Foundation, which said the latest sales take the total number of battery-powered cars in the UK to just over 2,500, out of a fleet of more than 28m vehicles – a long way short of the 1.7m electric vehicles set as a target for the end of the decade by the government's Committee on Climate Change.

Andrew Fulbrook of market research firm IHS Automotive said that despite generous government grants of £5,000 for each electric car and van, the cost of new electric vehicles was still too high at £20,000-25,000, the choice too narrow, and the spread of charging points too slow to overcome "range anxiety" by drivers worried they will run out of battery power before they get home.

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Maersk Line orders world’s biggest ships

Denmark’s Maersk Line, operator of the world’s largest container ship fleet, on Monday took a big gamble on future market growth when it signed a $1.9bn order for 10 ships that will be the largest vessels afloat.

The triple-E ships are to be built by South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding and will each have a capacity of 18,000 20-foot-equivalent units, the standard measure of container capacity.

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The vessels take the title for the world’s biggest container ships from Maersk Line’s own E-class ships, which each carry 15,500 TEUs.

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Ben Bostrom Set for MotoGP Debut

Ben Bostrom is living the dream this weekend aboard the LCR Honda RC212V in the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, but it's a sleepless dream that's kept him up at night.

The 37-year-old MotoGP rookie took most of the questions in the pre-race press conference for the 10th round of the MotoGP World Championship at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Last year's AMA Superbike race winner thanked LCR, Michael Jordan Motorsports, and American Suzuki, then spoke of what he expected of his double duty weekend.

"Yeah, it's definitely going to be a big weekend," he said on a stage he shared with World Champions Casey Stoner, Dani Pedrosa, Jorge Lorenzo, and Nicky Hayden. "Just walking up those stairs is pretty special. It's an honor to sit with these guys. And actually, even have a little name tag right here. I took a photo myself to try to believe that.

"It's really an honor. Very lucky with LCR Honda. I've got to thank them with MJ, I mean Michael Jordan Motorsports. The collaboration between the two and even American Suzuki for allowing the opportunity. I want to go out there and twist the thing. It's so exciting to get a new toy to ride."

Bostrom added that it was "a dream come true. Honestly, I watch these guys because I TiVo every race and I'm becoming more and more a fan as I get older¸ which is strange. I didn't love motorcycles as much several years ago. Every day, maybe because you see the end coming more, I'm an uberfan. What can I say? So I'm there like glued to it."

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Introducing Mercedes Benz W25 Inspired Concept Car

Nowadays design and technology are moving ahead at high speeds, thus the designers and engineers have to keep up with the alert rhythm. One such project that seems to define the tempo itself is the Touch Effect by Marco Sweston of the Munich University of Applied Sciences. The whole car was penciled as a continuation of the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows W25.

The vehicle thereby designed for this sport has a light-weight main body with a stiff carbon frame that imparts it ruggedness, giving it an overall stability. The other core muscles for the motor-sport vehicle have been made from flexible synthetics that can be deformed using voltage differences. These have been covered partially using acrylic glass surfaces on the exterior thereby giving a visual feel of merging parts into one volume.

However, the hull has been kept a bit unveiled as to convey the impression of being light-weight. In addition to the designing part, the vehicle has features like automatic ground clearance adjustment as well as a four-wheel steering. Marko Swenson visualizes

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I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike

Somewhere near the beginning of life's scrapbook is this picture: a child detaching from the stabilizing grip of a grown-up and sailing forth alone as momentum and balance finally click and lock into the irrevocable knowledge of how to ride a bike.

It kept happening Wednesday at the Agri-Plex in Allentown, as child after child participating in a weeklong biking camp mastered gravity and conquered inertia and left training wheels behind for good.

What made it unique is that the cyclists were all special-needs children whose chances of ever riding a two-wheeled bike looked pretty dim as late as last week.

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Britons may soon fly cars!

London, July 18 (IANS) A flying car which usually finds its mention in children books or animated cartoon movies, may soon become a reality in Britain.



Aviation experts are saying a flying car could be in regular use in Britain within five years after a model was formally approved by US authorities, Daily Mail reported Monday.


The $250,000 Terrafugia Transition is a two-seater aircraft, which has a top speed of 115 mph, a range of 500 miles on a tank of fuel and requires just 20 hours training to fly.

The car, at the touch of a button, takes just 15 seconds for its wings to fold up automatically and the power to be re-routed from the propeller to the rear wheels.

It can then be driven at up to 65 mph and will comfortably fit in a standard size garage.

'It's like a little Transformer,' said Terrafugia founder Carl Dietrich, referring to the children's toys that were turned into a blockbuster movie franchise.

Although aimed primarily at buyers in the US where there are plenty of airstrips and 600 'fly-in' communities - Boeing 707 owner John Travolta being the best-known fan - more than 20 Britons have already declared an interest in the carbon-fibre vehicle.

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Positive in Fluence

IN times of economic woe and tightening of the purse strings, new car buyers are looking at value for money to sell their wares.

With Renault's history of making affordable family cars and the news they are extending and doubling their scrappage scheme, there's never been a better time to get behind the wheel of a new Renault.

And the new Renault Fluence not only provides value for money, it is one of the most spacious in its class.

The new sleek design fills the void left by the new Megane not including a saloon in the line-up.

I have to admit, I was never a huge fan of the old Megane saloon - there's no doubting it was a good car but it didn't do anything for me in the looks department.

The new Fluence definitely has kerb appeal. Renault designers have taken the challenge head on and have come up with one of the most attractive cars in the sector.

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Ford launches the all new Fiesta.

The All-New Fiesta is available in four premium trims, across eight variants – Style, Trend, Titanium and Titanium Plus, with both petrol and diesel powertrain options in manual transmission. The 1.5 L Ti-VCT Style is priced at Rs. 823,500 (ex-showroom, Delhi) and the 1.5 L Duratorq TDCi Titanium Plus at Rs. 10,42,200 (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Ford India on Thursday launched its global sedan, the all-new Fiesta. The globally evolved product brings to its segment a host of new features. The company also introduced its first-ever 1.5-litre powertrains — 1.5 L Ti-VCT and 1.5 L Duratorq TDCi engines — that will drive the premium sedan. Both powertrains will be manufactured at the company's engine plant at Maraimalai Nagar near Chennai in Tamil Nadu.

The all-new Fiesta is available in four premium trims, across eight variants — Style, Trend, Titanium and Titanium Plus with petrol and diesel powertrain options in manual transmission. The 1.5 L Ti-VCT Style is priced at Rs.8.31 lakh (ex-showroom, Navi Mumbai) and the top of the line 1.5 L Duratorq TDCi Titanium Plus at Rs.10.51 lakh (ex-showroom, Navi Mumbai). The car will be available in seven colours — diamond white, moondust silver, sea grey, chill, panther black, squeeze and kinetic blue. Ford India is offering anti-lock brake system, electronic brakeforce distribution, airbags and steering wheel audio controls as standard features among others, across all the eight variants in both options.

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Mahindra to sell 120,000 SsangYong cars globally this year

Automobile major Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd is aiming to sell 120,000 South Korean SsangYong cars globally this year, the company said on Wednesday.

"We are aiming to sell 120,000 SsangYong cars globally this year. About 55 percent of this will be sold outside (South) Korea and the remaining will be sold in (South) Korea. Last year 82,000 cars were sold," Mahindra and Mahindra president, automotive and farm equipment sectors, Pawan Goenka told reporters here.

Mahindra and Mahindra acquired the South Korean automobile manufacturer SsangYong Motor in February.

Goenka said the company will launch five new cars in India.

"We will launch five new cars in the country this year. Two cars of SsangYong - Rexton and Korando C, one SUV (sport utility vehicle) and one electric car will be launched," he said.

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BMW 330i is ready to be showcased

Anamit Sen spent a whole day evaluating a BMW 330i in and around Delhi and the NCR. I'm starting this review with a bit of news. Auto Bild magazine in Germany has just reported that the 2012 version of BMW's 3 Series, which will be the 6th generation of the 3 Series, is ready to be showcased at the Frankfurt Motor Show later this year. The reports say that this new BMW, classified internally as the F30 and going up against the Mercedes C Class, Audi's A4 and Volvo's S60, has borrowed quite a bit in terms of design from the 5 Series. It will break new ground in terms of safety and will have new four-cylinder turbocharged engines. The reports also says that though BMW may not be vorsprung durch technik (borrowing from Audi) or advanced/ahead through technology any more because competitors also have the equivalent of the advantages of Efficient Dynamics, the boffins DO have access to the parts and accessory shelf of the 5 Series. Which means it is quite possible that the F30 may offer features like night vision assistance, heads up display or HUD, lane changing assistance as well as automatic parking.

So how is that bit of news relevant to this driving impression? Well, if you have not noticed yet the car featured here is the BMW 330i Edition Sport, internally classified as the E90. OK, let me explain the internal classification over the years, which starts way back in 1966 when the 1600-2002 series came in as a family saloon. It was sporty too with an 80bhp engine that could reach 96kph in 13 seconds. The 2002 Turbo was part of the 02 Series, with a 170bhp engine and BMW churned these out till 1976. The internal E classification kicked off with the E21 ,the first generation of 3 Series cars, production of which ran from 1976 to 1982. These cars still used small engines, with capacities of 1.6 and 1.8 litres. BMW introduced their first six-cylinder engine in the 3 Series at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1977, the 323i which had 143bhp on tap.

The E30 that followed in 1983 was the second-generation 3 Series. These cars were bigger than the previous generation cars, had more power, but were lighter, the perfect recipe for performance. The 325i topped the range and had a straight-six engine developing 170bhp out of 2.5litres, good for 135mph or 216kph which would be adequate even today. The E30 was especially notable because it was the base for the first M car, known simply as the BMW M3 E30, launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1985. This particular car was VERY successful in race trim, winning several touring car championships. The M badge had arrived.

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2010 Yamaha YZF-R6 Graves Project Bike 2

If you’ve analyzed our recent 2011 Supersport Shootout IX Street and/or 2011 Supersport Shootout IX Track motorcycle comparisons you’d have learned that Yamaha’s YZF-R6 is one of the more racetrack-oriented sportbikes on the market. Therefore if you want to have a go at road racing, it makes sense to do it at the controls of an R6. In this episode of our project bike saga we race with Willow Springs Motorcycle Club (WSMC) to see if all of the performance upgrades we purchased in the 2010 Yamaha YZF-R6 Modified Comparison, 2010 Yamaha YZF-R6 Modified Comparison Part II and 2010 Yamaha YZF-R6 Graves Project Bike 1 features were really worth it.

WSMC holds races exclusively at Southern California’s Willow Springs International Raceway on either the 2.5-mile Big Track or 1.3-mile Streets road courses. Races are held monthly (with the exception of December) so there’s always an opportunity to compete, and if you’ve never raced, WSMC offers a new racers’ school (see sidebar). Considering SoCal’s relatively temperate climate as compared to other parts of the U.S. one would assume that weather conditions would be consistent year round. However since Willow is situated in the high desert, that can’t be further from the truth. Surprisingly, there is only a few weeks of comfortable days during spring and fall seasons—in-between the inferno-like 100-plus degree summers and, at times, freezing cold and wet winters. Considering the season finale is held in late-November, we experienced the latter.

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Buy a new car, get a European vacation

If you buy a new car in the future, you can pay less for the car and get a discounted European vacation at the same time by taking delivery of the car in Europe. Automakers with European delivery programs offer their cars at a 7 percent discount off the manufacturer's suggested retail price, or MSRP, on average, with discounts higher on certain car models.

The European vacation packages are coordinated through a travel agent at discounted rates, with some programs including perks such as free airfare and hotel stay. Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Volvo currently offer the European delivery programs. Here's how the programs work.

Once you decide which new car you want to buy, visit your local dealer to have him or her order the car to your exact specifications for pickup in Europe. Pricing is arranged directly through the automaker at a discounted rate, so there is no negotiation at the dealer. Automakers can offer their cars at discounted rates because they aren't required to charge any destination fees or incentives paid out to a dealer to make the sale. Generally, it takes a minimum of two months to build the car to exact specifications. If you want to take your European vacation sooner than that, you may need to choose from a smaller selection of new cars already scheduled to be built.

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Signs Volkswagen-Suzuki global alliance in trouble

A verbal battle has broken out between top officials of Suzuki Motor Corporation and Volkswagen AG, hinting the alliance between the global carmakers is in trouble.

In any case, technology sharing between the two hasn’t happened 18 months since the alliance was announced.

Fractures surfaced when the German carmaker accused its Japanese partner of non-cooperation in an interview with a German magazine.

Now, Osamu Suzuki, the helmsman of the Japanese car major, said in a blog post that none of Volkswagen’s technologies are interesting enough to be adopted and that for the time being, Suzuki is in no hurry to collaborate in critical markets such as India.

“Does Suzuki face an immediate difficulty? The answer is ‘Not at all.’ We learnt about Volkswagen’s technologies, but we did not find any one of them interesting enough to adopt immediately … We are producing more than 200,000 units of our diesel engine, which is attracting a lot of attention in India. Thus, for the time being, particularly in critical markets like the minicar market and India, we are not in a hurry to collaborate with Volkswagen,” Suzuki said last week.

Automobile industry experts agree nothing much has worked out for the two companies in India. There was a proposal for rebadging of some Maruti Suzuki cars (specifically the A-Star, which is already selling in Europe as Nissan Pixo and the WagonR) till the beginning of this year, but this also is no longer on the cards.

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New Release From BMW: Art Car Collection Virtual Video Tour

The legendary BMW Art Car Collection can now be seen for the first time within a virtual video tour on the Internet. BMW Group’s international cultural commitment celebrate the 40th anniversary and this BMW Art Car Collection virtual video tour was launched just in time to coincide with it.

In premiere, an extensive virtual overview of the origin, history and development of the collection is available on the Internet. A film has been devoted to every car of the 17 “works of art on wheels”, in addition to extensive photographic material. Each of these cars was designed by an internationally well-known artist.

Many historic racing footage and artists’ statements as well as renowned representatives from art and culture are to be seen. A total of 17 artists from 9 countries and all 5 continents have contributed to the collection, artists such as Alexander Calder, Frank Stella, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, A.R. Penck, Jenny Holzer, David Hockney or Olafur Eliasson.

Jeff Koons created the latest vehicle of the collection last year, when BMW celebrated the 35th anniversary of the Art Car series.

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VW set to extend small car portfolio in India with UP!

Volkswagen, Europe’s largest passenger carmaker, is working out a pricing strategy to bring Volkswagen UP! car to India to cash in on the growing small car market in the world’s fastest growing automobile market after China.

The Polo and Vento brands of the German auto major have been a runaway success registering a huge volume in the Indian market. In order to further boost its volumes, the company will position Volkswagen UP! car below Polo in India.

John Chacko, president and MD, Volkswagen group India, declined to talk about the company’s plans to bring Volkswagen UP! car to India. When contacted, Holger Nestler, executive director, technical and member of the board, Volkswagen India, too did not share details.

But the company, with the success of its Polo and Vento brands in diesel and petrol versions, is upbeat that Volkswagen UP! car will give a choice to customers and will be an engine of growth. The Polo brand carries a price tag of Rs 4.57 lakh to Rs 6.4 lakh. In January-June 2011, the company sold 39,355 units clocking a growth of 453 per cent compared to 7,109 cars sold in the corresponding period last year. The Polo and Vento brands contribute 95 per cent of the sales.

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Victory of Chevrolet Volt - The GM Electric car

With the price of gas increasing, the trend to adopt the electric vehicles has been growing. It is not only the increasing fuel prices, but also the love for the green planet is inclining the Americans more and more towards the electric cars.

People who have already been driving the Chevrolet Volt, the GM electric car has been making big savings over their gas-running counter parts running on the roads. The recent slowdown in economy has shifted people's thoughts towards the more and more economic vehicles.

People who own the Volt usually charge it overnight using the home charging kits. By morning the fully fueled vehicle is ready to soar on the roads. With home charging stations readily available in the market, the charging of these vehicles at home has become very easy.

The average charges for a person who drives moderate distances is around $30 a month. Wow, can someone really have their fuel expenditure reduced to that much in a month. Yeah, the Chevrolet Volt is the answer. A number of satisfied customers are witnessing the fact. These people were usually shelling around $600 on average per month on the gas.

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Sound of the Honda 1000cc MotoGP

Through the distorted sound of the mobile's microphone the video gives the first insight into the sound of the new 1000cc Honda as Kousuke Akiyoshi completes shake-down tests of the prototype machine around the Sugo circuit.

The preparation of the bike for the revamped 1000cc regulations has been shown in a previous video released by HRC, with the sound of the bike hidden behind a generic music track. For the first time the raucous sound of the new machine can be heard.

Engine-wise Honda are likely to be sticking with the V4 configuration as the 2012 rules dictate that the engine must have no more than four cylinders. The appearance of the bike from the released pictures show that the successor to the RC212V will be an evolution of the current machine rather than a revolution.

The pictures below show that the 2011 and 2012 bikes are nearly identical in regards to their layout; visible engine components appear to be the same and the only noticeable difference to the bodywork is the smaller air vents on the 1000 and its side panels blend into the airbox cover.

The maximum bore of 81mm is suitable for a V4 engine and the RC212V is probably not far from that now, the new bike will have a longer stroke as the intention is to reduce revs.

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Muscle Cars, No Midlife Crisis Required

For the first time since the Carter administration, three big Detroit brands, Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge, all offer rear-wheel-drive coupes that boast a distinctively American blend of in-your-face styling and big horsepower numbers.

How big? Try a 444-horsepower Ford Mustang Boss 302, which can be ordered with a special "Laguna Seca" package that essentially makes it a street-legal race car. Or consider the forthcoming 2012 Chevy Camaro ZL1 that will deliver 550 horsepower from its supercharged V8. Meanwhile, Chrysler LLC offers a Dodge Challenger model with a 470-horsepower Hemi engine that can run from 0 to 60 miles per hour in under five seconds.

These monster engines are shoehorned into back-to-the-future body styles that telegraph the core target market for the cars: baby boomers who lusted for these cars in their teens and 20s, but settled for Japanese compacts, minivans and sport-utility vehicles. Equally important to Detroit marketers, though, is capturing the imagination of car enthusiasts who don't remember the '60s and '70s—they weren't born yet.

"It's the attitude of the customer," less than demographics, says Mustang brand manager Jim Owens, who has a customized Mustang of his own that packs 650 horsepower under the hood. It is an attitude that says, "Hey, look at me!" he adds.

For Detroit car makers that were struggling to survive just two years ago, the buzz generated by muscle cars provides a much-needed shot in the arm for their brands. The official Mustang Facebook page, for instance, has more than 1.5 million followers—about twice as many as the Ford Motor Co. Facebook page.

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Car sales spike by 12.6% in June

New vehicle car sales have increased by 12.6% in June 2011 in comparison to same period in 2011, the latest figures released by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) signalled on Monday.

In June 44880 new cars were sold, as opposed to the 39874 units sold in June 2010.

New cars sold in the first half of 2011 showed an encouraging spike of 15%, when compared with the first half of 2010.

Although the number may seem encouraging, Naamsa is warning future sales in 2011 will be put under pressure by rising costs.

"We are slightly worried about the inflationary outlook as the rise in the cost of living will bear down on the pace of growth in new sales in the motor industry sector," Norman Lamprecht, executive director at Naamsa told the Mail & Guardian.

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McLaren unveils new non-F1 race car at Goodwood

McLaren has unveiled the latest iteration of its MP4-12C performance car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The British automotive brand, which traditionally focuses on Formula 1 racing, unveiled the MP4-12C GT3 to the public June 30, after showcasing it to prospective team owners over the past couple of months.

The new model, a modified version of the MP4-12C, is being developed for GT3 racing next year - it is the first car McLaren has manufactured for racing outside of Formula 1 since the McLaren F1 GTR, which was produced until 2005.

McLaren's MP4-12C GT3 uses a carbon-fibre chassis like its predecessor, but sports some new features designed to optimize the vehicle's aerodynamics, including a new front splitter, door blade, rear wing, diffusors and louvers in the front fenders.

It is powered by a 3.8-liter V8 twin turbo engine, with a six-speed gearbox controlled using paddles on the steering wheel, which is the same as that used by Lewis Hamilton in the MP4-24 Formula 1 car.

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Car sales continue to slow down in June; bikes grow

Car sales in the domestic market continued to slow down with two of the top three firms, Maruti Suzuki India and Tata Motors, reporting decline in sales during June this year.

The second largest carmaker Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL), however, posted increase in sales along with Volkswagen, Toyota and Mahindra & Mahindra.

Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) reported 3.8 per cent decline in sales in the domestic market to 70,020 units in June from 72,812 units in the same month last year.

During the month, the company suffered a 13-day long strike at its Manesar plant, where it mainly produces Swift , DZiRE and SX4. The firm suffered a production loss of 12,600 units due to the strike.

Tata Motors also reported 20.91 per cent decline its domestic total passenger vehicles sales at 21,993 units in June as against 27,811 units in the same month last year.

On the other hand, HMIL said its domestic sales grew 11.1 per cent to 30,402 units in June this year from 27,366 units in same month last year.

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Transport utility struggles to keep going as losses mount

Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML), facing a cash crunch, is staring at an increase in losses as the recent fuel price hike has pushed cost of running its buses higher. It is already making a loss of around Rs 44 lakh a month. The figure is set to mount three-fold that too, when around 250 of the cash-strapped transport utility’s buses are off the roads every day.

The Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad civic bodies halting financial assistance has made the problem severe for PMPML.

PMPML officials said the recent hike in diesel meant the monthly fuel (diesel and CNG) expenditure will be around Rs 13.3 crore, around Rs 1.3 crore higher, while daily revenue from ticket sale remains static at Rs 1.1 crore. PMPML needs 82,000 litres of diesel a day.

Until May 31, it had been incurring, on an average, a monthly loss of Rs 44 lakh. Its monthly revenue was over Rs 34 crore and expenditure less than Rs 35 crore. “The price hike will increase expenditure. We were incurring a monthly loss of Rs 44 lakh. Now we need to calculate our expenditure,” said PMPML joint MD Satish Kulkarni.

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Honda launches VTR 250 bike in India

A new bike is launched by Honda motors in India its name is Honda VTR 250.It is believed that this bike will be launched in the Indian market by the end of this year or early next year. Honda bikes might have understood the demand of 250cc bikes in Indian market with the launch of their Honda CBR 250R.

At present, there are only two such bikes in Indian market that fall in same segment with Honda VTR 250. These two bikes are Honda CBR 250R and Kawasaki Ninja 250R. Out of these two bikes, demand of Honda CBR 250R is more as Kawasaki Ninja is more expensive. The so called bike FZ 250 and R25 by Yamaha bikes are not going to enter Indian market in near future. This second bike that is being launched by Honda is sure to strength its position and maintain its dominance in the segment of 250cc bikes.

This bike has been priced competitively with Honda CBR 250R. According to the speculations in the market, the ex-showroom price of this bike is supposed to be INR 1,50,000. It is not sure about which colours will be available in this bike in India. However, in international market, this bike is available in Graphite Black, Italian Red and Pearl Sunbeam White colours. As it is a naked bike, it is supposed that it will generate good demand in the market.

Honda VTR 250 is a 90 degree V-twin bike offered by Honda bikes and it has only one major upgrade. Original versions of this bike were sold only in Canada and USA from 1988 to 1990. The model that is being launched here is naked bike whose production started in the year 1997. It was available in Asia-Pacific region only. From the year 2009, it is also available in European nations. In some countries, this bike is also called as the Interceptor

Hyundai's new verna-cular

The initial stupendous response has taken everybody by surprise. Can it continue the dream run?

The premium midsize segment (Rs 6.5-10 lakh) has always been a tricky one for all car manufacturers. City was the first to crack it, though Honda’s flagship model has been facing some speed bumps of late, prompting last month’s decision to cut prices by as much as Rs 66,000.

The previous Hyundai Verna, showcased in India four years ago and positioned as a natural progression from the hugely successful Accent, also didn’t exactly set the midsize car sales charts afire.

Enter the new Verna Fluidic, which was launched in the middle of last month. the latest Verna, which looks nothing like its predecessor, was responsible for shoring up Hyundai’s fortunes in May in a market that saw almost all car majors posting a steep decline in sales.

According to data provided by SIAM, 4,357 Vernas were sold by the end of May, which was a terrific figure in the context of the sub-2000 reported by other midsize car makers. The only other model, which has been a reasonable success, is Volkswagen Vento at 3,000 units a month.

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Suzuki to use Fiat engines for new car from 2013

Fiat engines to equip new Suzuki car made in Hungary * 1.6 litre diesel engine to be manufactured in Italy * New 1.6 MultiJet to replace 2.0 MultiJet on Suzuki platform

Suzuki Motor Corp said on Monday it had agreed to buy 1.6-litre diesel engines from Fiat's powertrain unit to put on a car it will build in Hungary from 2013.

The Japanese automaker has been buying 2.0-litre diesel engines from Fiat Powertrain Technologies since 2006 for the SX4 made in Hungary. Suzuki also produces 1.3-litre diesel engines under licence from Fiat Powertrain Technologies in India.

The 1.6-litre MultiJet II engine will replace, on Suzuki's future SX4 platform, the 2.0-litre Fiat Powertrain engine, the Turin-based carmaker said in a separate statement on Monday.

The engine will be made by Fiat at its Pratola Serra plant near Avellino, southern Italy, and delivered to Suzuki's plant in Hungary.

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Yamaha postpones first 1000cc test

Yamaha will not test the first version of its 2012 MotoGP bike until after the Czech Grand Prix in August.

Rivals Honda and Ducati have already begun running versions of their new 1000cc bikes for next season's regulation change - with Ducati sufficiently far advanced to start racing its 2012 chassis with a 2011-spec 800cc engine from this weekend's Dutch GP.

Yamaha had initially intended to run the 2012 bike at Mugello, scene of next weekend's Italian GP.

But the reigning champion team has now announced it will be mid-August before the new bike hits the track.

"Yamaha Factory Racing has made the decision to re-schedule the planned Mugello 1000cc test for the 2012 bike," said a Yamaha statement.

"To allow for further time for the development of the bike the decision has been made to postpone the test to a later date.

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Tesla's next act: Cheaper electric cars...and a profit?

Tesla Motors can design cool-looking electric cars. Now it has to show the world that it can steer its finances just as well.

CEO Elon Musk said this week that Telsa's iconic Roadster electric sports car will no longer be on sale in the U.S. within a few months, marking a turning point for the company which helped catalyze an industry-wide technology shift to electric propulsion.

The move will cut off Tesla's main revenue source and start a transition to a new product--the Model S electric sedan. Whereas Tesla has still sold fewer than 2,000 Roadsters, the Model S will be made entirely by Tesla at a whole different scale of production in its new factory. That means still-unprofitable Tesla enters a period where it has little room for error as it takes on big changes in how it does business and its underlying product.

"Tesla's real challenge now is on the operational side. They need to switch to an operational model that actually makes them profitable and brings the cash flow to sustain them," said Oliver Hazimeh, the head of the e-Mobility practice at management consulting firm PRTM. "The question is how do they get the scale to make money on this car."

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ACT king of the road for car use

Canberra's position as the nation's car capital reigns supreme, with a federal report showing the territory continues to have the nation's highest use of cars per capita.

The federal Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics data also shows Canberra's public transport system was relatively unpopular, recording with Adelaide the lowest per capita use of public transport.

Worse, Canberra and Adelaide were the only cities that did not record a shift from car use to public transport use.

Canberra has recorded the highest per capita use of cars for decades.

Greens MLA Meredith Hunter challenged Sustainability Minister Simon Corbell over the poor showing yesterday in question time, questioning whether the Government's transport policies had failed commuters.

Mr Corbell said the Government had committed to introducing a rapid public transit corridor.

''The issue of the modal split with public transport in Canberra is an issue that the Government is paying close attention to.

''In relation to the reasons for the modal split that occurs in the city, it is the case that Canberra's always had a higher level of journeys undertaken by private motor vehicles, and that is a consequence of course of the design of the city over many years [and] the provision of a very efficient and extensive road network, which has focused opportunities for travel overwhelmingly on private motor vehicle use.''

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'Irascible' transport head steps off treadmill

Sitting down, somewhat reluctantly, for his final interview as head of CIE, John Lynch is trying to get the balance right.

When I suggest final interviews allow subjects to fully unburden themselves, Lynch shoots back, "I still want to be able to walk around this town''.

Having worked with 14 ministers across a number of state agencies and companies, Lynch, whose style is best described as irascible, has enemies and friends in equal measure.

But while his direct style is not to everyone's taste, it is impossible to deny his ability to survive at the top in the notoriously shark-infested waters of Irish semi-states, where politics and business don't always mingle easily.

CIE has a huge amount of critics and the economist Colm McCarthy reached the embarassnig conclusion last year that the company had no actual financial value, despite all the generous subsidies it got in recent years.

He argued that the amount of investment the company has receieved should mean it needs less in annual grants, but Lynch responds by saying all public transport companies need to keep their assets maintained, particularly railways and that is expensive.

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DUCAT INTRODUCES DIAVEL SUPERBIKE IN INDIA

Ducati has officially unveiled its breathtaking superbike Diavel in India, thereby stirring up the domestic biking culture. This super-sensational Ducati bike has already been a huge hit across the globe.
Diavel is muscular in appearance and can captivate even the most bloodless soul on the street. Despite being a stubbornly aggressive sportsbike, this particular model from Ducati offers comfortable riding experience miles after miles. Thanks to the company’s proprietary L-twin Testastretta engine, Diavel is capable of generating torque of 127.4 Nm and power of 162 PS.

Moreover, the 4-stroke, 1198.4cc engine powers this superbike enough for that high-speed action on the road you always desired. However, the valve overlap in the powerplant of Diavel has been minimized to 11 degrees from 41 degrees.

Utilizing the full power of the engine is a breeze as this mean machine is retrofitted with a six-speed gearbox. Three riding modes – urban, sport and touring are offered by this sportsbike.

The company announced that, in India, three variants of the bike will be available – ‘Base’ which will cost Rs 17.06 lakh, ‘Carbon’ which will be priced at 22.06 lakh and ‘Carbon Red’ for which you will have to shell out Rs 22.43 lakh.

THE COMPACT SUV-AUDI Q3

After months of speculation Audi revealed their smallest SUV ever at shanghai auto show.The Q3 is the third addition to Audi’s Q series placing itself as a premium rival to the likes of the Ford Kuga and the Nissan Qashqai, and in direct competition with the BMW X1, and the hotly anticipated Range Rover Evoque.



Head on the Audi Q3 is similar in appearance to the rest of the Audi range, with its gaping chrome framed grill and distinctive headlights, the rear seems to take its influence from Audi’s A1 city car.



The premium SUV promises to be as comfortable scaling hills and rough terrains, as it does driving around city streets. The Q3 has extensive interior customisation options, with a number of trim options, interior colours and fabrics to choose from as well as a lengthy extras list.


Initially the Q3 will be available with a choice of four engines which will all combine direct fuel injection with turbo charging backed up by start-stop and energy recuperation systems. There will be a 2.0 litre TFSI petrol engine with either 170PS or 211PS as well as the 2.0-litre TDI engine in either 140PS or 177PS variants. The 140ps 2.0-litre TDI unit will power the front-wheel-drive model only at launch, deliveries of which will start in December, shortly after the rest of the range. All other engines will be linked to the Quattro all-wheel-drive system.

Prices are expected to be starting from around £24,500 with order books opening this month. First deliveries are expected to take place in November

Engine problem 'grounds' A400 transport plane

Airbus' A400M military transport plane will not make any flight demonstrations at the Paris International Air Show next week because of a problem with its engines, Airbus Military said Sunday.

The decision was taken "preventively and given the conditions in which you conduct flight demonstrations", an unnamed spokeswoman told AFP after what was described as a minor incident with the engines.

The long-delayed plane will nevertheless take to the skies at Le Bourget, with one arriving Sunday afternoon from Airbus headquarters in the southern French city of Toulouse that will do a fly-by during Monday's inauguration.

The plane will then remain on the ground for the rest of the biannual aerospace showcase.

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Airbus Military said the problem would not affect flight tests with a view to a first delivery to France in early 2013.

Mahindra Verito Is The Rebranded Logan In India. Price Starts At Rs. 4.82L

Mahindra & Mahindra, the leading auto-maker in India has launched ‘Verito’ which is the re-branded ‘Logan’ in Kerala, India. Although Mahindra has not added lot of pizzas to their car, the Verito will feature Mahindra badge & emblem and new styling elements. The petrol version of Verito, the Verito BSIII will cost Rs. 4.82 lakh and the diesel version Verito BSIII price starts at Rs. 562000. We expect that Mahindra wants to compete with Tata’s Indigo which is available in similar price range.

The name ‘Verito’ has been derived from Latin “Veritas” which means truth. Company claims that Verito will be a dependable car. Under the hood, the car is powered by engine designed by Renault. Mahindra offers the same Logan drive train with option of 1.5 DCi CRDi diesel engine or 1.4 MPFI petrol engine. Verito promises mileage of 21.03 KMPL fuel efficiency (diesel mielage, ARAI). Verito, like Logan is the broadest car in its segment and known for the comfort cabin space it offers.

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Engineers call for investment in infrastructure

Economic recovery in Scotland is at risk because the country's infrastructure is in need of repair and modernisation, a report has suggested.

The Institution of Civil Engineers (Ice) said significant investment was needed for the transport network and energy and water supply systems.

It also called for greater borrowing powers to be given to the Scottish government.

It said this would help create a "high-quality infrastructure".

The organisation's State of the Nation report graded six crucial elements of the country's infrastructure - water, transport, waste, energy, education and skills and managing flood risk.

Under its scale, a Grade 'A' meant "fit for the future", while a grade 'E' meant the infrastructure was "unfit for purpose".

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2-yr deadline for monorail: CM

Chief minister Jayalalithaa on Tuesday presented Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with a detailed memorandum, complete with requests for grants, assistance and funds that total about Rs 2,45,000 crore. The projects she sought help with range from benefits for the fisheries sector and interlinking of rivers to providing laptops to students and pension to the elderly.

Improving transportation and infrastructure in Chennai city figure quite high on her list as she's sought close to Rs 40,000 crore for various projects, including reviving the mono rail to strengthening drainage and road networks.

Decongesting roads and improving transport systems seem to be high on her agenda as Jayalalithaa's memorandum says she plans to complete the first phase of the mono rail project within two years. She's sought assistance from the Centre under the National Urban Transport Policy to implement the first phase of 111km at a cost of roughly Rs 16,650 crore, which works out to Rs 150 crore per km.

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Research on the road to green car

The European Parliament had an opportunity to see progress made in the European Green Car Initiative (EGCI) on 31 May 2011. Many of the automotive firms involved in EGCI projects exhibited their latest vehicles, while a workshop reported to MEPs of the Science and Technology Options Assessment (STOA) Committee.

The EGCI was launched as part of the European Economic Recovery Plan in 2008 in response to the financial and economic crisis. Its objective is to support R&D in the use of renewable and non-polluting energy in road transport. The main focus is on the electrification of mobility and road transport, although research topics include internal combustion engines, bio-methane use, and freight logistics.

The European Commissioner for Research and Innovation Máire Geoghegan-Quinn visited the exhibition, as did Information Society Commissioner Neelie Kroes, who emphasised the relevance of the Digital Agenda and the EGCI to each other. One of the talking points of the day was the ways in which ICT, through intelligence in cars and in transport systems, can help energy efficiency and make hybrid and electric vehicles more attractive and practical options for consumers.

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BMW- with latest technology and provids a good driving experience

This all new SUV is equipped with full-packed comfort measures topped with its elegant and stylish design.It gives a stunning exterior look that is to easily catch anybody's attention.All the components were meticulously placed from the headlamps to the fog lamps.
Since it is a SUV the interior is more spacious and comfortable and built with many new technologies.
It has a smooth adjustable electronic steering wheel and a control device is mounted on it. It helps the driver to control the audio device and any other controls without acctually reaching the console itself.It consists of a advanced music system which produces a clear sound just makes your riding experience more enjoyable even before.
And to say about the specialty of the of the engine it is designed with 4395 cc,4 valves,BMW twin power turbo v8 pe engine which produces a top power of 407 bhp at 5500~6400 rpm and a maximum torque of 600 Nm at 1750~4500 rpm.
The main interesting feature is that it is equipped with 8 speed automatic gear box transmission that gives u freedom to satisfy your need for speed all around the roads .And this stunning car can be yours at a price of Rs 69, 50,000.

Culture Art and Riverside Museum of Transport and Travel, Glasgow

There is a zone of Glasgow so studded with culture and architecture, so richly fertilised with public investment, while also blessed by nature with the noble breadth of the Clyde, that it ought to be a wonder of the world. This zone, once full of shipyards, now contains the work of two Pritzker prize winners – Norman Foster and Zaha Hadid – and a probable Pritzker-winner-in-waiting, David Chipperfield.

Over the last 12 years, it has acquired a convention centre, two museums and the headquarters of BBC Scotland, a swoopy new bridge and a jaunty observation mast by the not-half-bad architect Richard Horden. But no one standing here could be exhilarated, moved or transformed by what they see. No one would say: "This is a nice place."

It is like an underplanned business estate, a landscape of things set in car parks, no matter what the architectural merit of each thing might be. In the gaps between the monuments and the car parks are inserted expedient slabs of commerce or the perfunctory ingratiation of exploitative blocks of flats. There is no coherence, no positive quality to the sum of the parts or to the combinations of one with another.

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Labor sets new vehicle pollution rules

The Federal Government has had a win of sorts today with across-the-board support for its new vehicle pollution standards aimed at reducing hazardous smog.

Under the standards announced by Transport Minister Anthony Albanese, all new cars, utes and four-wheel drives sold in Australia will need to abide by strict pollution controls.

Car makers will be forced to cut three major pollutants known to produce smog, which can cause health problems such as cardiovascular and respiratory illness.

They will need to make a 50 per cent cut to the emission of hydrocarbons, a 70 per cent cut to oxides of nitrogen and a 90 per cent reduction on particulate matter.

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CHENNAI METRO RAIL(CMRL) A GOOD EFFORT TO REDUCE TRAFFIC

Now a days chennai metropolis has been growing rapidly and the traffic volumes on the roads have also been increasing enormously. Hence the need for a new rail based rapid transport system has been felt and towards this objective the Government of Tamil Nadu have decided to implement the Chennai Metro Rail Project. This project aims at providing the people of Chennai with a fast, reliable, convenient, efficient, modern and economical mode of public transport, which is properly integrated with other forms of public and private transport including buses, sub-urban trains and MRTS.

A Detailed Project Report (DPR) relating to the Chennai Metro Rail Project was prepared and submitted by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC) who have successfully designed and implemented the Delhi Metro Rail Project. The DPR envisages the creation of 2 initial corridors under the proposed phase-1 of the Chennai Metro Rail Project as shown below:

Corridor	Length
Washermenpet to Airport	23.1 kms.
Chennai Central to St.Thomas Mount	22.0 kms.
Total	45.1 kms.

Corridor-1:
Washermenpet – Broadway (Prakasam Road) – Chennai Central Station – Rippon Building – along Cooum River – Government Estate – Tarapore Towers – Spencers – Gemini – Anna Salai – Saidapet – Guindy – Chennai Airport.

Corridor-2:
Chennai Central – along EVR Periyar Salai – Vepery – Kilpauk Medical College – Aminjikarai – Shenoy Nagar – Annanagar East – Anna Nagar 2nd avenue – Tirumangalam – Koyambedu – CMBT – along Inner Ring Road – Vadapalani – Ashok Nagar – SIDCO – Alandur – St. Thomas Mount.

Tentatively, Phase-1 of the project is programmed for completion in the financial year 2014-2015