Cars & Bikes – 3 |

Aston Martin has finally presented the first fully completed one-77. New British super car presentation was held at the exclusive car show Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Italy. The concept car exterior design was already seen in pictures, but now it was possible to see the car interior. There will be made only 77 Aston Martin One-77, and each car will cost at least 1,8 million dollars. Very soon they will make the first custom-made copy. All the small series production will be completed by the end of the next year. Moreover, as Aston Martin representatives have pointed out, each car will be made in close conjunction with its next owner, and the manufacturer will use its best efforts to be sure that none of 77 unique cars is coming into the so-called profiteers hands.

Like F1 racing car, the One-77 design is based on the ultra-light and highly resistant carbon fiber. At moncok there has been attached the four wheel double lever suspension and it is almost the same as it is on F1 racing car, where the vertical suspension is converted into horizontal.

Taking a look at the plethora of impressive features present in the latest generation BMW M3, seven gear system, V8 engine with six speed manual gear box transmission system, light weight roof, electronic based damper control system, and advanced drive train system are amongst the top ones. The 32-valve, V8 engine of this car generates maximum output up to 420 hp/309 kW. The vehicle provides power either by means of M double clutch gear box or six speed manual gear box. It has been surveyed that BMW M3 can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/ hr in just 4.6 seconds.

The noteworthy exterior features include free form M-oval design halogen, aerodynamic and heated BMW M power side view mirrors, rain sensing windshield wipers, anti theft brake system, and well shining color finishing on the vehicle body attracts its most of the buyers. The car is equipped with 12 speaker sound system for the entertainment of both driver as well as passengers.

The Swift’s 1.3 litre unit pulls out 75bhp and 19.3kgm of torque pulling power for a hatchback. On the move, the Swift lunges forward once past 2000rpm all the way to 4500 rpm after which the power tails off. Below 2000 rpm, throttle response is just about. It is a bit slow to respond at this speed, but the gearing manages to hide that to some extent. Keep it above the 2000 rpm mark and you can have a lot of fun. You can go from 0-100kph in 12.29 seconds, which is the second fastest in this lot. The five speed gearbox has short and precise throws, but slotting into gear takes a bit of effort.

The Getz’s 110bhp CRDi unit makes it the most powerful hatchback in the country. But all this power hasn’t really translated into driveability. The turbocharger takes time to spool up which means throttle responses below 2000rpm aren’t good. This can get frustrating in traffic because the engine is unresponsive at low speeds. But the minute you cross 2000 rpm, there is a sudden surge of power and the Getz leaps forward. Zero to hundred comes up in a quick 11.32 seconds which easily betters any other hatchback. The five speed gearbox is light and easy to use, a good thing while driving in town because you constantly have to shift due to the sluggish low speed response. The Fusion uses the same motor as the Fiesta. The 1.4 litre puts out 68bhp and 16.3kgm of torque. The clever gearing also helps to hide the power deficit.

The Fabia feels like it belongs to a higher class. The beige and black interior looks great and oozes quality. Everything from the buttons to the steering adjusts for both tilt and reach, so finding a comfortable driving position is easy. The gearshift is precise and a joy to use as is the light clutch and this car comes with a dead pedal as standard. The Fabia’s large instrument cluster is the best of the lot, with green, backlit, easy to read dials. There are some gripes such as the bonnet release on the left hand side as well as the column stalks that are configured for left hand drive. And the central console fouls with the drivers knee during cornering. The drivers seat of the Getz is a pleasant place to be in. The splashes of beige on the dash and the seats work well.

The Fusion uses the same motor as the Fiesta. Start it up and there is a distinct and constant diesel and clatter from the otherwise smooth motor. The 1.4 litre puts out 68bhp and 16.3kgm of torque. That may not sound like a lot but this motor is very responsive at low speeds, making it deal for city driving. The clever gearing also helps to hide the power deficit . The five speed gearbox is an absolute joy to use. You almost feel bad about not having to use it too much, thanks to the responsive engine. In town, you just have to tap the accelerator and the Fusion pulls cleanly from as low as 1200rpm. just press the throttle in any gear and you get an instant response. On the highway, however the car runs out of breath pretty quickly and you will have to plan your overtaking moves with great patience and sometimes frustration as well.

The Jetta is primarily the Passat in a slightly smaller package. It’s great choice as an upmarket, well built and easy to live with saloon car. Ergonomically, it’s just as good as the bigger Passat, but not as luxurious and not as powerful either. But the Passat costs almost twice the price. Since the Jetta has just been launched, no workshop had enough data to give us an exact quote on its maintenance figure. Though this figure promises to be lower than the Passat’s, it won’t be that much more lower to make a huge impact on our overall savings figures, which is a generous Rs 1.24lakh. If you decide to buy the car on a three year loan term, then you will have to pay around Rs 40,000 EMI for the Jetta, while the Passat will set you back by Rs 67,000 evry month.

Environmental awareness is growing exponentially today and the only way to serve it is to make smaller, lighter and more efficient engines. Competitors in the category included force induced engines like Mitsubishi’s 999cc three cylinder turbo and a supercharged unit from Ford. However, the victor turned out to be Toyota’s three cylinder one litre naturally aspirated petrol making 67PS which powers an array of small cars like the Toyota’s Aygo, Yaris, Echo and Vitz, Citroen’s C1, Peugeot’s 107 and Subaru’s Justy, defending its last year’s class victory successfully. This unit is equipped with Toyota’s iteration of variable valve timing, VVT-i which allows the small engine to deliver useful torque at low and medium engine speeds 93Nm is available at a low 3600 rpm, ensuring optimum performance and fuel efficiency at the same time. Tipping the scales at 67kg it also takes the honour of being the lightest internal combustion engine in the world.

There was a five way show down for the crown of the best performance engine with entrants from Germany, Italy and after a long interval, Japan. Ultimately Porsche with its 3.6 litre twin turbo fire breather housed in the 911 Turbo and the GT2 took the honours. Producing a modest 425PS in the 911 Turbo, the same unit has been turned to within an inch of its life for a tar uprooting 535PS available under the foot of GT2 drivers. Innovations on this engine are plenty, the most noteworthy being the pair of BorgWarner variable geometry turbos, the first successful mass production effort on petrol engines. Although popular in turbo diesels, VGTs are tricky to implement on petrol engines due to higher exhaust gas temperatures often more than 1000c compared to 700-800C in diesel engines which can inflict damage on the variable vanes on the exhaust side of the turbine housing. Usage of extremely high temperatures resistant materials and a water cooling system with an after run pump which reduce temperature of vital components.

Stiff competition prevailed in the best new engine category, which included a couple of twin turbos from Nissan and BMW, a naturally aspirated 585PS Audi V10, the world’s first diesel boxer engine from Subaru, and a new iteration of Volkswagen’s TSI engine. Claimed to be the world’s most powerful four cylinder diesel engine by BMW, the 1995cc unit is improved three dimensionally when compared to its predecessor, which means further increased overall power with lower weight and emissions. The factors which make this motor unique are two unequal sized turbos operating sequentially, the smaller operating at lower engine speeds helping low end torque while the bigger one comes into action when the motor makes a foray into the higher rev range. The combustion chambers have been refined as well, resulting in high compression ratio of 16:1 specific power output of more than 100PS per litre and torque output of 200Nm per litre nothing less than astonishing from an oil burner.

A Mercedes-Benz Actros SLT 4160 8×6/4 heavy duty tractor unit transported the Russian spaceship Buran on a 16 axle lowbed trailer to Speyer, home of the Technik Museum, from the port of Rotterdam. In the natural harbour at Speyer it was not just the Buran that riveted attention of onlookers. There was a throng of fans whose eyes were on the the Actros SLT 4160 8×6/4 toting its exotic cargo. Its drive configuration, approved for a maximum gross combination weight of 500 tons, makes it a very rare in heavy duty haulage arena. The Actros SLT 4160 8×6/4 is one of very few four axle tractor units with three driven and two steered axles. The all wheel drive with the three driven axles and differential locks improve traction considerably compared with the 8×4 variant. The two steered axles improve the tractor’s manoeuvrablity immensely for centimetre precise manoeuvring when driving barges. The Mercedes Benz OM 502 LA V8 16 litre turbocharged BlueTec 5 engine with charge air cooling, delivers 610 PS and maximum torque of 2400Nm between 1080 and 1800 rpm.