Car Of The Week - Rolls Royce Phantom

Spirits are supernatural beings, the existence of which remains debatable and is rather unknown. Well, in the car world spirits definitely exist! The spirits in the car world we are referring to are Rolls Royce cars. All Rolls Royce cars are named after a spirit or supernatural object. Rolls Royce cars are the gold standard for automotive luxury and a benchmark in themselves, in a league of their own. Rolls Royce cars are a perfect fit for the crème de la crème of the society - royalty, heads of state, VVIPs, billionaires. The Rolls Royce flagship – Phantom has for many generations been the best and most luxurious car in the world, we are going to tell you more about ‘the best car in the world’.

The Rolls Royce Phantom has been around for a long time and is currently in its eighth generation. The Rolls Royce Phantom was introduced in 1925 (popularly known as the Phantom I) as a replacement for the Rolls Royce Silver Ghost. Rolls Royce, the world’s premier manufacturer of ultra-luxury cars allows for a lot of customization and personalization to their cars. Hence, giving the Rolls Royce customer the freedom to customize and personalize a majority of the car elements to their individual tastes and preferences. Ever since the early days of the brand, only the engine and chassis were manufactured by Rolls Royce while the remaining of the car body was manufactured by individual coachbuilders basis the individual tastes and preferences of customers. As time has progressed, Rolls Royce manufacturers some body components in-house yet offering a lot of personalization by the customer. The 1925 Phantom was powered by a 7.7 L six-cylinder petrol engine producing 50 bhp of max power output.

The Rolls Royce Phantom III was introduced in 1936 and was the last pre-war Rolls Royce. The Phantom III was more fluidic and aerodynamic in design than its predecessors. The car was powered by a massive V12 petrol engine made using an aluminum alloy. This was the first time Rolls Royce had used a V12 engine, the next would be in 1998. The Phantom III was the last car company founder Henry Royce had worked on. After the war Rolls Royce marked their return to production with the introduction of the Rolls Royce Phantom IV – the most exclusive Rolls Royce ever made. The Phantom IV was the first car manufactured by Rolls Royce after the war, a decade since the Phantom III. The new Phantom was a masterclass of beauty and luxury, and if you wanted to get your hands on one you would have to be part of a very elite list. Only 18 units of the Phantom IV were produced exclusively for royalty and heads of state.  The car was powered by 5.7 L and 6.5 L straight-eight engines mated to manual and automatic gearboxes.

BMW group bought BMW in 1990 and the Rolls Royce Phantom VII became the first Rolls Royce flagship to be developed under BMW. The Phantom VII was introduced in 2003 and manufactured at the Goodwood plant. The new Phantom had a modern styling and came with various body type configurations – 4-door saloon, 2-door coupe, and a drophead coupe. The Phantom VII was powered 6.75 L V12 engine producing 454 bhp and mated to a 6-speed ZF gearbox. The Rolls Royce brand is a true testament of bespoke luxury and attention to detail. A majority of the car is still made by hand by trained craftsmen ensuring the use of the highest quality of materials. Rolls Royce customers are allowed to choose from over 44,000 different color options and any specific leather. The overall list of features and customizations on offer is massive! It takes about 3-4 months on average for Rolls Royce to manufacture each Phantom.  

The current Rolls Royce Phantom is now in its eighth-generation and was introduced in 2017. The current-gen Phantom is built on an entirely new, all-aluminum platform called the ‘Architecture of Luxury’. This platform is shared with the Cullinan SUV as well. The latest-gen Phantom is a great blend of tradition and tech. The current Phantom features a transparent glass compartment within the dashboard of the car known as ‘The Gallery’. Owners can customize and display decorative artwork inside the gallery, hence making each Phantom unique. This is just one example of Rolls Royce taking luxury and engineering to another level and cementing their place at the very pinnacle of car luxury. The Phantom has exceptional noise and cabin insulation with extensive usage of padding and noise reduction materials. The car gets an electronically controlled air-suspension and comes with the biggest air springs out there. This ensures passengers get the best drive comfort money can buy. The latest Phantom is powered by a 6.75 L twin-turbocharged V12 producing 563 bhp of max power and 900 nm of max torque mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox.

The founders of Rolls Royce – Charles Rolls and Henry Royce started the company in 1904 with a clear intention to make the ‘best car in the world’. The Rolls Royce Phantom with 8 generations and close to a century since introduction has more than lived up to that intention. The Rolls Royce Phantom remains at the top of not only the car world but also the world of luxury.

Mira Erda - 'The Speed Queen of India'

India has produced some very good race drivers like – Narain Karthikeyan, Karun Chandhok, Gaurav Gill, Armaan Ebrahim, and Aditya Patel all of whom have gone on to represent India at the international level and perform well. Out of these drivers, only Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok have participated in F1. India’s next-gen drivers like – Mira Erda, Arjun Maini, Kush Maini, Jehan Daruvala, Akhil Rabindra, Sohil Shah have very good potential and are well on their way towards a lot of success in their careers.

Mira discovered her love for racing at the age of 9 when she first tried her hand on a go-kart at her father’s go-kart track in Baroda. Mira’s father Kirit Erda, recognized Mira’s potential and motivated her to take up competitive racing. Mira’s first tryst with competitive racing came in 2010 when she participated in the JK Tyre National Rotax Max Championship…with only 25 days of training! Later that year Mira participated in her first international race – the Plus Yamaha SL International Challenge in Malaysia.

In 2011, Mira got her first race wins and podiums. That year she won the Most Improved Driver Award, there has been no looking back ever since. Consistency is the key to success; Mira lives by this mantra and dedicates a lot of her time perfecting her craft be it on the race track or fitness while in the gym. Her consistent performances and undeniable potential paid off when she made her way into the 2014 JK Racing Championship, becoming the youngest female Formula 4 driver. There is no denying that Motorsport is male-dominated. Mira realized this very early in her career as a majority of her competitors across various races were male. She recounts a lot of her competitors wrote her off, but instead of this demoralizing her she took this up as a challenge and was determined to beat them all, thereby fuelling her desire to be the best version of herself and give it her all.

For a race driver, the transition from a go-kart to a race car is not an easy one. Race cars are bigger, heavier, and more powerful. They have different driving dynamics, body control, and braking when compared to go-karts. Mira too found it difficult initially to transition and adapt to a Formula race car. With constant practice, guidance from her mentors like Akbar Ebrahim, Mira successfully mastered the formula-style race car. When asked about her inspiration Mira replies “I want to be the best version of myself!”. Mira may only be 19 years old, but her approach and mentality speaks volumes and showcases her maturity, understanding, focus. Current F1 driver Max Verstappen from Red Bull Racing is someone Mira looks up to. Mira favors Verstappen’s aggressive driving style, risk-taking ability and driving skill. She tries to incorporate the same in her driving, but being an experiential learner, she has understood the importance of maintaining a fine balance between an aggressive driving style and a composed one that is very crucial for success.

The year 2016 was a great one for Mira, she became the Formula 4 rookie champion of the year and was also honored by the FMSCI the governing body for Motorsport in India with the Outstanding Woman in Motorsport Award. In 2017, Mira took part in the Euro JK Series – one of the highest classes of Formula racing in India and became the first Indian woman to do so. An outstanding feat at such a young age! Unfortunately, Mira faced issues with her car and was not able to give her best but, the experience did not deviate from her main aim and focus – to be an F1 driver. From her experience at the Euro JK Series she realized while competing with the best Indian drivers that there was a lot more room for improvement. She set out to improve her driving, technical skills, and better understand her car. Mira believes in constant improvement and is an avid learner. Throughout her career, Akbar Ebrahim, often regarded as the ‘Father of Indian Motorsport’ along with Sanjay Sharma – Head of JK Tyres Motorsport has been mentors for Mira. Their guidance, motivation, and support has always been well received, appreciated by Mira; hence making her the driver she is today.

In 2019, Mira made it to the top 50 who qualifiers of the inaugural W Series by the FIA. The W Series is an elite all-women driver championship where 18 of the best women drivers would do battle to be the best. Mira traveled to Austria for the qualifiers and along with fellow Indian racer Sneha Sharma was the only other representative from India. The qualifiers were a real challenge for Mira as she was not used to driving in variable weather conditions like snow and ice, the car to be driven was a production left-hand drive car. Being used to driving on the right-hand side in India, this posed as a challenge to Mira. The added pressure of going up against the best women drivers goes without saying. While the experience at the W Series qualifiers wasn’t exactly what she had hoped for Mira took this in her stride and regrouped herself, committed to being the best at what she loves doing – racing.

Her amazing performances got Mira a seat on in the AD Racing team at the inaugural 2019 X1 Racing League in India. Mira grabbed the opportunity with both her hands and drove very well to help her team to podiums. Her experience at X1 Racing League helped Mira network with and compete against top drivers from all over the world (both male and female).

Mira Erda is an inspiration, not only for women but all aspirants wanting to get into racing. She has achieved so much during her relatively young career, resonates with the potential she posses and the bright career she has in front of her. With an aim of driving in Formula 3 and securing a seat at the W Series finals in the near future, Mira is poised to take the next step in her career. The future for Indian motorsport is bright and the ‘Speed Queen of India’ Mira Erda is one of the leading torchbearers.

Car Of The Week - Williams FW18

Formula One is the holy grail of car racing. In the world of Motorsport, F1 is one of the most prestigious and sought-after championships. In car racing, the skill and driving ability of the driver along with the reliability and performance of the car are essential keys to success. Motorsport has seen many successful cars over the course of its history to the present day. The 1996 F1 championship-winning Williams FW18 is a car for the history books and has etched its name well in the motorsport hall of fame. We are going to tell you more about this awesome car!

The Williams FW18 was an F1 race car used by the Williams Grand Prix Engineering team (currently known as ROKiT Williams Racing) in the 1996 season. The FW18 was driven by former F1 world champions Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve. The 1996 season turned out to be a very successful season for Williams as they won both the constructors championship and Hill, Villeneuve finishing the driver’s championship first and second respectively. The FW18 had an edge over the rest and was the fastest of the lot. Williams Racing is a British F1 racing team based out of Grove in the UK. Williams Racing was founded in 1977 by Sir Frank Williams and Sir Patrick Head. Till date, Williams has won 9 F1 titles and have had some great drivers the likes of – Damon Hill, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Jensen Button, Ayrton Senna, Jacques Villeneuve amongst many others who have driven for them.

Many teams in F1 have partnerships with car manufacturers for engines. Williams has enjoyed a very successful engine partnership with French car giant Renault, having won 5 of their 9 F1 titles with them. 1996 season dominating FW18 was also powered by a Renault engine. An interesting fact – The ‘FW’ in Williams Racing cars stands for Frank Williams the owner of the team and is then followed by a number; all Williams Racing cars follow this tradition. The FW18 was based on the 1995 FW17 car. The FW18 was designed by then Technical Director Sir Patrick Head and Chief Designer Adrian Newey. With changes in F1 rules and regulations requiring more driver protection and a lower seating position for the drivers, the Williams team could further enhance the design and performance of the previous FW17 along with the required rule changes. The lower seating position of the driver gave way for a lower center of gravity and aided in improving the handling of the new FW18.

Sir Patrick Head and Adrian Newey worked tirelessly on the design of the FW18 making it more aerodynamic, hence increasing the speed and performance of the car. Wind tunnels were used extensively. The FW18 was powered by a Renault sourced 3.0 L V10 engine producing 750 bhp of max power output at 14500 rpm mated to a 6-speed paddle-shift gearbox. The FW18 underwent extensive testing in pre-season with Damon Hill driving over 9000 km in the car which would go on to win 75% of all races in the 1996 season. To summarize the success of the Williams team with the FW18 – 12 poles, 11 fastest laps, 12 race victories, 21 podiums, the constructor’s championship, and a 1-2 finish for the drivers of the team. Now that’s an amazing CV for any race car!   

The Williams FW18 legacy was continued by the successful FW19, hence giving Williams Racing 2 very good seasons. Yes, technology has progressed by leaps and bounds in present-day F1 but the Williams FW18 still remains one of the best F1 cars ever. Which car do you think in present-day F1 can give the FW18 a run for its money? Let us know! 

Best Racing Circuits In The UK

Race tracks are the proving grounds for both race cars and drivers. The race circuit is much more than tarmac sections designed along a course to test the skill of drivers and push cars to their peak performance level. Race circuits have a rich history and have been playing a very important role in the development of Motorsport. The UK has been a very integral part of the Motorsport world. Brooklands, the world’s first purpose-built racing circuit was built in 1907 in Surry, England, UK. The UK has a lot of racing circuits, but Silverstone, Brands Hatch, and Donington Park are the ones that stand out from the rest. We are going to tell you more about them and what makes them so popular!

The Silverstone circuit is the UK’s most popular racing circuit and the current home of the British F1 Grand Prix. Often regarded as the ‘Home of British Motor Racing’ the Silverstone circuit was opened in 1948 and held its first race the British Grand Prix in 1950. Similar to a lot of race circuits in the UK Silverstone was an airfield used by the British armed forces during World War 2 and then converted into a race circuit. The Silverstone circuit holds the distinction of being the only British race circuit to host a member of the British Royal Family when King George VI attended the 1950 European Grand Prix. Silverstone is a very fast and technical circuit. The circuit has many straights, overtaking areas with a good mix of sudden turns which all combined make for a very thrilling experience both for the drivers as well as spectators. Silverstone is well situated at the center of a motorsport hub. ‘Motorsport Valley’ as it is more commonly known is within close proximity of the 6 F1 teams based out of the UK. Being a major race circuit Silverstone has led to the overall development of the motorsport industry in the vicinity. Major car manufacturers such as Porsche and Aston Martin have their driving experience and development centers here as well. British F1 driver Lewis Hamilton currently holds the lap record at Silverstone with a time of 1:27.369 recorded at the 2019 British F1 Grand Prix.

Brands Hatch is a race circuit that has a rich history and motorsport heritage. Brands Hatch started off as a grass track style motorcycle racing circuit in 1926. While Silverstone is currently hosting the British Grand Prix, Brands Hatch hosted the same event on 12 occasions from 1964 to 1986. Brands Hatch is a circuit which has its own unique aura. The circuit is covered with forests and greenery, this also happens to be a natural amphitheater. The Brands Hatch circuit is a spectacle to witness both for the drivers and spectators alike. The topography and natural surroundings at Brands Hatch make the circuit a very challenging one for the driver as they have to deal with a lot of dips, bends, and sudden elevation changes. The spectators get a very good overall view of the circuit, making it a very joyous occasion for them. Brands Hatch may not be as active as it used to be in the past, however, it continues to remain one of UK’s best and most loved circuits!

Donington Park is UK’s oldest race circuit still in operation. The first race at Donington Park took place in 1931. Donington Park was originally part of the Donington Hall Estate, after a lot of changes and revisions it was converted into a race circuit. Donington Park held one of the most thrilling F1 races, the 1993 European Grand Prix which was won by one of the best race drivers of all time – Ayrton Senna. The opening lap of 1993 European Grad Prix by Senna is regarded by many as one of the best laps in F1 history! Apart from F1 Donington Park also holds numerous other events such as – British Touring Championship, F3 amongst others.

The UK has been at the forefront of Motorsport from its origins. The UK is home to numerous race circuits and all of them have played a crucial part in maintaining the UK's dominance at the top of global Motorsport. 

Understanding Your Car - Drag Reduction System (DRS)

Motorsport has been at the very forefront of a lot of new technology and innovation for the entire car industry. Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport and automotive performance. F1 is the biggest proving ground for performance-enhancing technology and innovation. An F1 car has a lot of tech, systems, and modifications that allow the driver to reach lightning fast speeds while pushing the cars to their limit. DRS is one such technology that aids the driver in driving faster. Let’s find out more about DRS!

The Drag Reduction System or DRS is a driver-adjustable bodywork which enables the reduction of drag on a car and allows for achieving better top speed and ease of overtaking. When a car is traveling at a very high speed it cuts through the air in front. This displaces the air causing wind resistance or drag. Drag affects the flow of air around the car, and this creates friction thereby not allowing the car to reach the maximum speed possible. Car manufacturers and race engineers design their cars in the most aerodynamic way possible to reduce the effect of drag on the car.

DRS was first introduced in F1 in 2011. DRS is an innovation that allows for better overtaking and makes the sport more exciting. The rear wing of the F1 car has an adjustable section – the flap which can be deployed by the driver under conditions where DRS is allowed. When DRS is enabled by the driver the adjustable flap of the rear wing lifts to create an opening for the flowing air to pass by easily. Hence, allowing the car to attain a higher speed and easier overtaking maneuvers. The DRS is activated by the driver by pressing a button on the steering wheel, this sends an electric command to an actuator which lifts the rear wing. Each F1 race track around the world has designated DRS zones, only when a car is in a DRS zone can the driver deploy DRS. The driver is notified when DRS can be enabled. DRS can only be used under the following conditions and rules – 

• The following car is within one second of the car to be overtaken. 
• The following car is in the overtaking zone or DRS zone as designated by the FIA before the race. 
• DRS can only be used after the first 2 laps of a race start, restart or a safety car deployment. The defending driver can only use DRS when he is one within one second of the car in front. DRS may not be deployed if the racing conditions are deemed dangerous by the race director.

The DRS system is deactivated when the driver presses the DRS button or automatically when brakes are applied. DRS is also used in the F2, F3 Championship and the GP3 Series. Technologies and innovations such as DRS are aplenty in the world of Motorsport, hence playing their part in making Motorsport one of the most exciting and fun sports to watch, follow in the world! 

Car Of The Week - Volkswagen ID R

EVs are really good at performance. Electric cars are quicker as they have much better acceleration off the line when compared to their combustion counterparts. Many car manufacturers already have electric car line ups for the masses. On the performance side of things, there are a lot of extremely capable hybrid supercars (work on a combination of combustion and electric) that are pushing the boundaries of car performance to another level. How far are we from seeing all-electric race cars? Soon! There are quite a few car manufacturers working on creating amazing all-electric race cars. The Volkswagen ID R is an all-electric race car that has been making quite a noise off late. We are going to tell you more about the first all-electric race car from German giant VW.

The Volkswagen (VW) ID R is an all-electric prototype race car that is part of the ID family of electric cars from VW. Like the other cars from the VW ID series, the VW ID R race car is also a prototype and not the fully ready production version yet. The car has been designed along with VW’s R division (R division is responsible for all VW race cars) with a clear intention of dominating and winning races globally. VW was a force to be reckoned with on the global motorsport circuit with multiple race victories to their name up until the infamous VW emission scandal. This led to VW pulling out of motorsport events like – World Rally Championship (WRC), Dakar Rally, 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The VW ID R made its global debut in March 2018, this not only announced the debut of VW’s first all-electric race car but also the company’s intention of returning to the global motorsport arena. The car made its competitive debut in June 2018 at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, Colorado. Located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA the Pikes Peak hill climb is one of the most challenging races in the world. Also known as ‘The Race to the Clouds’ Pikes Peak is a 20 km stretch to the summit of Pikes Peak. The race is world-renowned for a series of over 156 turns, elevation changes, and very steep gradients. The Pikes Peak race is one of the most challenging around and pushes any car and driver who pursues it to their very limit. VW Motorsport roped in French racer Romain Dumas to drive the VW ID R. The car gave an excellent performance at the Pikes Peak race by clocking in a time of 7:57:148. This made the ID R the first car to complete the climb in under 8 minutes! Up next was the legendary Nürburgring in Germany. In 2019, with Romain Dumas at the driver's seat the VW ID R set a new record of 6:05:336 for electric vehicles. The was cornering at 3.49 G and hit a top speed of 273 km/hr. Later in 2019, the car also took part in the prestigious annual Goodwood Festival Of Speed Hill Climb in the UK. The VW ID R and Dumas again carried on their very successful partnership as the car set a new lap record of 39.90 seconds!

The record-setting machine is powered by 2 electric motors situated at each of the car axles (front and rear) producing 680 bhp of max power output and 649 nm of torque. The VW ID R weighs in under 1100 kg and can do a 0-100 km/hr time in 2.25 seconds…that’s quick, super quick!

The VW ID R is a first in a series of electric race cars, as confirmed by VW. If this is only the begging then bring it on! The future is electric…VW and we certainly believe so!   

UK - The World Leader In Motorsport Engineering

The United Kingdom is recognized throughout the world as being the leading country in terms of motorsport engineering, with the likes of leading German F1 Team Mercedes having two bases in the UK; F1 Team and also AMG Powertrains. Leading Italian F1 Teams Alfa Romeo and Ferrari are also based in the UK, as well as French F1 team Renault. 

Competitive racing in the UK can be traced back to the 19^th Century, with the first competitive event taking place in 1867, over an 8-mile distance, and was between two steam-powered carriages converted from steam locomotives; what is clear from this first event is that right from the early days of motorsport, engineering ingenuity played a key role.

Over the next 25 – 30 years there are various records of events run between two points by automobile owners, with the first London to Brighton run taking place in 1896; and although these early events were more reliability-based, the aim was to arrive at the destination first.

As these early events were between two points it was difficult to schedule things like Pit Stops so invariably competitors would have a ‘riding mechanic’ who was responsible for fixing the car if broke down, changing wheels, hand pumping oil and fuel – early cars did not have fuel and oil pumps.

The advent of organized circuit racing removed the need for a riding mechanic, as the mechanics could now be based in one location (in the Pits) as the cars would come to circulate the track and come past the same point time after time. In turn, this meant that the cars did not need space for a ‘Riding Mechanic’ meaning the cockpit size could be reduced and led to the advent of the ‘Single Seater’ race car.

In the early days of motor-racing, the procedures were based on horse racing traditions, partly in an attempt to attract a ready-made audience to this new and curious sport. Cars assembled in the ‘paddock’, were ‘shod’ with tyres, weighed by the ‘Clerk of the Scales’ for handicapping, and drivers were even instructed to identify themselves by wearing colored silks in the manner of jockeys.

The Brooklands Circuit was the first purpose-built race circuit in the world and claims to be the first venue to run an organized motor race in 1907. At this stage, motor racing was still a novelty and there were no established rules to follow.

In 1907 the average speed of cars was 65mph; but this was to be short-lived as engineering innovations started to push the development of technology and ultimately increase the speed of cars. By 1913 cars were lapping the circuit at over 100 mph. The advent of World War I in 1914, saw all racing stop at the circuit.

The circuit reopened in1920 and continued to organize race meetings until 1939, including the Junior Car Club’s famous 200 Miles Race, which first began in 1921. It also saw the return of pre-war driver, Malcolm Campbell, who returned to the motorsport scene from Army service as a Captain. There was also a rapid increase in speeds due to experimenting and innovation in car design, and one of these was the introduction of aero-engine cars. A great exponent of this was Count Louis Zborowski, a race driver and automotive engineer who introduced a series of monstrous cars in the early/mid-1920’S, including the legendary Chitty Bang Bangs with aero engines ranging in size from 18,000cc to 23,000cc. These cars took the average speeds above the 140mph, with John Cobb setting the all-time lap record for Brooklands recorded at 143mph.

In August 1926 the RAC organized the first-ever British Grand Prix, constructing sand chicanes along with the Finishing Straight. A second British Grand Prix was held at Brooklands in 1927.

The popularity of Brooklands grew throughout the 1930s, but the last event was held on 7th August 1939 with the outbreak of World War II, when the circuit was requisitioned by the Government and devoted to the production of aircraft. The circuit was never to reopen as there was significant damage caused by both bombing and modifications made to support aircraft production.

In 1931, another purpose-built race circuit was opened; Donington Park was opened. The first few years were mainly club level events. In 1935 the circuit hosted its first Grand Prix which attracted three continental entries; Giuseppe Farina and Gino Revere in Maserati’s and Raymond Sommer in an Alfa Romeo. Home-entered cars included the ERA of Prince 'Bira' of Siam, and the also the Alfa Romeo of the eventual winner - Richard Shuttleworth.

In 1934, the legendary Silver Arrows; Mercedes and Auto Unions from Germany were unveiled to the world, and they instantly dominated the world of motor racing. The levels of innovation, engineering innovation and attention to detail was immense, with the cars producing over 500bhp (the Auto Union has also had a mid-mounted engine). It also saw a big change in the approach to motorsport; up to this point racing had been undertaken by wealthy individuals with small teams of amateur mechanics. The Silver Arrows teams turned up with the cars being transported in official Team Transporters and they were supported by large teams of mechanics and engineers; and this was the start of changes in the sport that was going to take it away from the amateur/gentleman level into the more structured and organized teams that we see today.

The Silver Arrows dominated motor racing between 1934 – 1939 and this period saw what is arguably the most reflective, and interesting period in motor racing history, that was to lead the way for a more innovative, structured and organized approach to motorsport with a more scientific approach to building race cars. The dominance of the Silver Arrows was only broken by the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939.

After World War II, Britain had many automobile manufacturers and each of these had Research and Development (R&D) departments whose engineers regularly relied on their motorsport departments to test new ideas on track at weekends before applying these developments to cars. As these many firms began to expand and merge, and the UK found it had a superb resource of R&D based engineers who loved competition and motorsport.

Also, airfields that had been developed for WWII and were no longer in use, were ideal for converting into race circuits; Silverstone, Thruxton, and Snetterton. 1950 saw the start of the F1 Drivers Championship as we know it today. And in 1958 the first award that recognizes the manufacturers is introduced – the International Cup for Constructors; and this became the Formula One Constructors Championship in 1980.

The early ’50s saw Grand Prix cars maintaining the same conventional/traditional layout front engine and rear-wheel drive; somewhat surprising considering the Auto Union had adopted a rear-engine layout back in 1934. It was not until 1957 when John Cooper launched his rear engine F1 car and it starting winning, that the benefits of rear-engine cars was fully realized. By 1960 all Grand Prix cars had rear engines, and that is the layout that they still use today.

Car Of The Week - Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Mercedes Benz is a brand that needs no introduction. Mercedes is one of the most popular and successful luxury car brands in the world. The German car giant is world-renowned for manufacturing luxury sedans, saloons, and SUVs. When you buy a luxury car you can be assured of the best luxury, reliability, engineering prowess and overall satisfaction. The Mercedes G-Class or G-Wagon SUV is one of the most iconic products to come from the house of Mercedes. We are going to tell you more about the Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV and what makes it so popular.

Before the 1970s the 4X4 off-road SUV market was dominated by 3 cars. If you were looking to buy a reliable, rugged and super capable 4X4 SUV which had could take you anywhere then your options were – Land Rover Defender, Toyota Land Cruiser and the American Jeep. Early into the 1970s, Mercedes decided to change this. The Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi a significant shareholder in Mercedes at the time suggested manufacturing a 4-wheel SUV which like the American Jeep, Land Rover Defender which was capable of both civilian and military duties. In 1973, Mercedes came up with the first mock-up of the car…the mock-up was made with wood instead of clay! This was because wood was a better material better suited to the boxy design of the car. Looking at the design it was clear that the G-Class was intended to be a 4X4 SUV that was capable of both civilian and military capabilities. The Mercedes G-Class was jointly developed by Daimler-Benz in Germany and Steyr-Daimler-Puch in Austria. Production of the new car started off in February 1979 in Graz, Austria. The cars were hand-built and had 3 different body types – convertible, 2-door and 4-door. The first-generation G-Class was powered by a 2.3 L petrol 4-cylinder engine producing 90 bhp of max power and a 2.4 L diesel 4-cylinder engine producing 71 bhp of max power. Soon after its launch the Mercedes G-Class soon gained popularity and was on the path the success. During Pope John Paul II's visit to Germany in 1980, Mercedes built him the ‘Popemobile’ based on the Mercedes Benz G-Class.

Initially, Mercedes did not export the G-Class to The USA, over fears the car would not fit the perception of the Mercedes-Benz brand name with American customers. In 1981, G-Wagon saw its first facelift and the upgrades included an automatic gearbox, air conditioning, additional fuel tank, hard top for cabriolet amongst others. Like the Porsche 911, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class is one of those cars that has not changed its design ever since it first entered production. Hence, making it instantly stand out. The tall, boxy and overall rugged design of the Mercedes G-Class is very well known across the world making it an iconic SUV with an evergreen design. The first G-Class SUVs began making their way to the American shores in 1993 by way of direct imports. The cars quickly began making a name for themselves and sold well. The robust box frame chassis allow for great departure and approach angles, the great ground clearance ensures the G-Class can dominate any obstacle no matter where. The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is amongst the most reliable and bulletproof cars ever made with many of them functioning even after 20 years of active service. A true hallmark of Mercedes-Benz.

The 2001 Mercedes-Benz G-Class was the first of the G family to come equipped with modern systems like ESP, Brake Assist, Traction Control and was introduced in the USA as well. The car came powered with a 2.7 L turbo-diesel engine and a 3.0 L V6 diesel engine. The Mercedes G-Class celebrated its 25^th anniversary in 2004, they dropped a bombshell…the Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG powered by a V8 engine producing a mighty 476 bhp of max power output. This made the already super capable off-road SUV, a mountain climbing rocket with a 0-100 km/hr time of 5.5 seconds!

The current generation G-Class after close to 40 years since its introduction remains the same and true to its DNA. Yes, it is a luxury SUV which is super capable, but the beauty of it is the fact that the intent and design of the car has still not changed one bit. The car comes powered with a choice of 2 petrol and 2 diesel engines; the petrol includes an AMG variant. The base petrol engine is powered by a V8 twin-turbo engine producing 416 bhp of max power while the AMG variant produces 577 bhp of max power. The diesel engines are V6 turbos producing 282 bhp and 376 bhp of max power output.

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is one of the best SUVs in the world. The ‘Three-Pointed Star’ has firmly made its mark not only the sedans and saloons segment but with the G-Class, they have also made their mark on the SUV segment. The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is perfectly suited for the car hall of fame. It is a true icon in every right. 

E-sports Racing Is Here To Revolutionize Motorsport

Motorsport is one of the most exciting and thrilling sports globally. Be it F1, NASCAR, GT Series, etc. motorsport has a huge fan following throughout the world. Motorsport is one of the most expensive sports and requires very high investment towards training and participation. The high financial investment required is a very big barrier for entry into the world of racing. In recent years, E-sports has been gaining a lot of popularity and amassing millions of followers around the world. E-sports racing is gaining a lot of popularity with more and more motorsport stakeholders taking a keen interest in the sport. Is E-sports racing the next revolution in the world of Motorsport? We find out…

E-sports racing is a type of e-sports game that revolves around car racing. E-sports racing is not like the regular racing games played on gaming consoles. Yes, it uses a gaming console but the car in the game is driven using a driving simulator. Games such as F1, Forza Motorsport, Project Cars 2 are some of the popular games played in e-sports racing. While E-sports games such as DOTA, PUBG, League of Legends, etc. are amongst the most popular ones, it is the racing games that are making a big impact especially in the world of motorsport. As we mentioned earlier motorsport is a very niche sport and not a sport which is easily accessible to all. E-sports racing solves this problem by making motorsport more accessible to all. The set-up for an e-sports racing game is – a screen, game console (for e.g. PlayStation or XBOX), driving pedals, steering wheel, and a race seat. This set up gives the driver, participant a near-real life virtual experience of driving a race car. The driving simulator gives the driver complete control over the car – the direction of the car can be controlled via the steering wheel; the braking and acceleration of the car can be controlled via the pedals. For those of you who haven’t yet tried your hand on a driving, simulator…you would be thinking is it the same as driving a car in real life? Well, it is not. The steering wheel and pedals on the driving simulator are designed to give the driver forced feedback while playing the game. While playing the game one has to put in a good effort to gain control of the car. This gives the driver a good experience of what it feels like while driving a race car.

Motorsport is a sport where there is a high risk of injury. E-sports racing combats this by giving drivers a safe and secure environment to participate. While driving on a simulator the driver can give it their best shot while being assured of an injury-free experience. One of the biggest differences between driving a car on the track against driving a car on a simulator is the physical challenges a driver has to cope with. While driving a race car the driver’s body is exposed to high G-forces, extreme heat, and dehydration. This factor is not faced by the e-racer as the car is being driven virtually. For many people, while growing up the opportunity to experience driving a race car is something dreams are made of. E-sports racing makes motorsport accessible to everyone. Yes, drivers may not be driving a real race car…but they are getting the next best thing to it!

Traditionally, for someone to get into the world of motorsport the starting point would be karting and then progression up the ladder all the way to F1. E-sports racing changes the status quo…now for anyone interested in getting into motorsport it is as easy as racing on a driving simulator, you can even set up a driving simulator at your home! E-sports racing helps combat the 2 major barriers for entry into motorsport namely high price and risk of injury. Hence, allowing more and more people to virtually get an experience of motorsport. A strong grassroots foundation is very important to the success of any sport, anywhere. In India and some other countries as well, motorsport has never been given the credit and recognition it is due. This has led to a lack of interest in the sport and a much-needed revival is called for. The accessibility E-sports racing provides is a great way to reintroduce the sport and strengthen its grassroots. E-sports will help talent be discovered at a very young age.

The transition from e-sports racing to real-world racing is definitely possible and this is proven too. Take the case of e-racer Enzo Bonito who practiced on driving simulators and then beat the ex-F1 driver and current Formula E driver, Lucas di Grassi, on a race circuit in a real race car! Over the past few years, F1 teams have started investing a lot of money and have taken to e-sports very keenly. The F1 e-sports championship is the biggest e-racing event in the world. F1 teams have set up their own dedicated e-sports teams and draft in professional e-racers from across the world to compete and become the best F1 e-racing team. The e-racers drafted get a contract with the F1 team and more importantly a potential F1 driver seat. E-sports is globally a $2 billion+ industry and has a lot of money with regard to cash prizes.

E-sports racing has arrived on the world stage and is here to stay. E-sports racing is all set to revolutionize the world of motorsport and revive it across various countries throughout the world. It shall be very exciting to see how e-sports racing will shape the future of motorsport!

Understanding Your Car - Connected Cars

It goes without saying that technology is a very integral part of our lives. Technology has made the lives of humans easy and we depend on it for a multitude of functions we carry out in our day to day lives. The arrival of the internet has not only brought the world closer but has also shown us how important technology has become and the benefits we humans can attain from it. Connected cars are more popular worldwide than they ever were…we are going to tell you how connected cars are changing the way we drive, own cars.

A connected car is one that has its own internet connection and shares the connectivity, data with both internal (for e.g. car computers, infotainment system) and external (for e.g. smartphones, other cars) devices. A connected car shares the same via a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). While connected car technology might be very popular in recent years, the world’s first connected car system was introduced in 1996. American car giant General Motors (GM) in collaboration with Motorola Automotive introduced OnStar the world’s first connected car system. OnStar made its debut in 1996 Cadillac DeVille, Seville, and Eldorado as a connected car system with the primary objective of ensuring passenger safety and getting emergency services to a vehicle during an accident situation. In case of an accident, the OnStar system would call the nearest emergency call centers using cellular telephone calls and nearby network towers. Connected cars over the years have evolved a great deal over the years. While safety and emergency rescue are very important and life-saving features…modern connected car systems also use a whole host of features and services such as car diagnostics, fuel efficiency, remote engine-on/off, etc. to aid the car owner.

Humans have leveraged technology to make driving, owning a car very easy and hassle-free. Connected cars allow for a better human, car interaction with the use of technology. Connected cars use smartphone apps to control various system functions and features. Internet connectivity and access are a must for a connected car system to function. A majority of the connected car systems have inbuilt internet by way of a 4G sim card configured within the car. Connected cars have features which fall under the following categories –

1.  Infotainment: Music, podcasts, internet radio, Bluetooth, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, voice command, etc.
2. Safety: Roadside assistance, emergency response, safety warnings, traffic and accident warnings.
3. Diagnostics: This involves various car diagnostic functions such as – fuel efficiency, car health, system failure alerts (battery, engine, air conditioning, etc.), parking assistance and apps, remote assistance features.
4. Navigation: Maps and GPS Navigation, traffic alerts, weather alerts, geo-fencing, geo-tagging, parking space alerts.

Hyundai, Kia, and MG Motor have been offering connected car systems for their cars in India. Hyundai’s Blue Link and Kia’s UVO Connect are amongst the popular ones in the country. Both these systems are operated by a smartphone app which needs to be downloaded on your phone and linked to the car system. Using the app, a car owner can not only start the car remotely without being seated inside but also start the air conditioning to the desired temperature! Know that’s some great convenience! Functions such as remote locking/unlocking, setting a perimeter warning, anti-theft warning amongst many others can be controlled via the smartphone app. We bet you have been in this situation…you go to a mall, park your car in the huge basement parking lot and forget where you had parked your car in the first place when you return! If you have a car with connected features you have no need to worry…just use the app to make the car honk and flash its lights – Voila! Your car is found!

Connected cars are here to stay and will only further enhance the driving, user experience of the car. AI, Machine Learning and other technology will also play a great role in enhancing, improving this experience in order to make cars safer to drive and easier to communicate with. Hence, closing the gap between humans and their cars by leveraging the power of technology. 

Kia Considering The Telluride SUV For India?

Kia has had quite a successful introduction in India. In July 2019, Kia officially launched its first car for India – the Seltos SUV. Ever since its launch, the Kia Seltos has been topping the sales charts across the country with amazing consistency…Hyundai’s sister brand Kia couldn’t have asked for a better market reception! After the success of the Seltos Kia went on to launch the Carnival MPV, with the Sonet compact-SUV to follow suit soon (expected launch in mid-2020). Kia is now considering the launch of the larger Telluride SUV for the Indian market.

The Kia Telluride is the largest SUV Kia has made. The Telluride is a 3-row mid-size SUV that can seat up to 8 passengers. The Telluride SUV was launched in 2019 in the USA and is currently the only market in the world where it is being sold. The Kia Telluride shares a lot in common with its Hyundai sibling the Palisade SUV including the platform, engine, transmission, and wheelbase. Kia has a very good track record of getting the design of its cars perfect having produced some amazing looking cars…the same can be said with the Telluride. At the front, the Telluride gets a bold, muscular stance with Kia’s signature tiger-nose grille. This gives the car a great road presence. The well-designed headlamp cluster with circular DRLs gives a great modern look. At the rear, the Telluride gets nicely designed and sharp looking L-shaped LED taillights. Step inside the Telluride and you will be pleased to know that there is ample space at your disposal. The second row of seats come with an option of either 2 individual captain seats or a bench seat. The third row is decently sized as well allowing for comfortable seating. With good a decent boot for luggage storage, the Telluride does not compromise. The Telluride is a car designed for families and fits the bill well with a nice, spacious and practical cabin layout. At the front, the Telluride has a well laid out dashboard with a large 10.25-inch floating touchscreen infotainment system. Kia’s UVO Connect infotainment system does duty on the Telluride which comes loaded to the brim with features and tech.

Powering the Telluride is a 3.8 L V6 petrol engine producing 291 bhp of max power output and is mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox. There is no diesel engine option available at the moment. The car comes in equipped with multiple drive modes (sport, comfort, eco) and also has active-AWD (all-wheel drive) on demand. The Telluride if launched in India would likely have a smaller petrol engine and probably a diesel engine too. However, this is only speculation and will be confirmed once Kia makes it official. The Telluride SUV retails in the USA $31,800 onwards, this is an approximate price of around Rs.25 lakh in India. The Telluride might not be in India yet, but it surely ticks all the boxes to make for a great family SUV in India. 

Car Of The Week - Suzuki Jimny

The SUV has been a very popular car type across the world. SUVs provide great utility, practicality and overall great reliability to car owners. SUVs were originally intended for off-roading and being driven across a variety of challenging terrain. While the SUV has evolved into various roles such as a family car, luxury car, etc. modern SUVs are still very capable and reliable across all sorts of terrain (Snow, Rock, Sand, Mud). Cars like – the Jeep Wrangler, Toyota Land Cruiser and the Land Rover Defender are legendary SUVs and have stood the test of time while dominating the 4X4 SUV domain. The Suzuki Jimny is a very capable yet affordable 4X4 SUV workhorse. Today we are going to tell you more about it.

The story of the Suzuki Jimny begins in 1968. Suzuki had taken over the Hope Motor Company who had made 15 light 4X4 vehicles called the HopeStar ON360. After 2 years of development Suzuki launched its first 4-wheel drive vehicle the LJ10 (Light Jeep 10) in 1970. The LJ10 was the precursor not only for the Jimny but also for all 4X4 cars to come from the house of Suzuki. Suzuki introduced Jimny as a car that was small and capable of going to tight spaces which were rather difficult for large 4X4 SUVs of the time to reach. The small body, rugged design, and lightweight structure allowed the Jimny to achieve exactly this. The year 1977 saw the introduction of the LJ80 which was the first Suzuki 4X4 to come powered with a 4-stroke engine and also came along with a new pick-up truck variant. The small frame, rugged design, light and easy nature of driving and good off-road capability made the Suzuki jeep a popular car amongst off-road starters not only in Japan but global markets as well.

In the 1990s Suzuki realized that there was a need for a small 4X4 SUV which would be capable both on-road and off-road. In 1998 the Suzuki Jimny was introduced, it came with an all-new modern design while having the same jeep DNA. The new car had a rugged stance but with a good modern design to go along with it. The Jimny uses an old school but a reliable ladder on frame body type construction which is designed to keep the passengers sitting inside safe and comfortable at all times. The latest generation Suzuki Jimny was introduced in 2018 and is currently in its fourth generation. The Jimny comes with a nice modern design which also balances the traditional jeep roots of previous generation Jimnys. The overall design gives the car a nice retro look. The Jimny is available in 2 body types – 2-door or 4-door. On the inside, the car can seat 4 passengers in a 2+2 layout. The seats at the back are a squeeze and can also be flipped down to give a fully flat surface allowing for more luggage storage. The Jimny sports a basic all-black design theme and has an infotainment touchscreen at the center of the dashboard. The Jimny comes well equipped with good tech and features on par with the other cars in the segment. The Jimny comes with a 4X4 drive system with both high and low ratios. The added flexibility of changing the car from 4X2 mode to 4X4 mode while driving is great as it allows the driver to adapt to the driving terrain accordingly. The Jimny is powered by a 1.5 L petrol engine making 100 bhp of max power and 130 nm of max torque. This is more than enough to get the Jimny through most of the challenging terrain conditions.

With over 2.85 million units of the Jimny having being sold over the years the car has made a good name for itself amongst both off-road enthusiasts as well as on-road users as a reliable and affordable workhorse. While the Suzuki Jimny is not a car which is as capable as true blooded off-road cars from other car manufacturers, but this also plays to the advantage of the Jimny. It is a car which gives an affordable 4X4 alternative to the masses.