IIT Bombay Racing - Pioneering India's Electric College Racing Circuit

Nestled in the heart of Mumbai is Powai, a buzzing neighborhood of high-rise buildings, corporate hubs and the prestigious IIT Bombay. IIT Bombay is a name synonymous with a lot of people not only in India but globally too. This prestigious institute has been at the forefront of engineering, science in India and is the most esteemed destination for any aspiring student who wants to venture into the world of engineering. IIT Bombay is a place reserved for the best of the best! It’s not surprising that their college racing team IIT Bombay Racing is India’s best electric Formula Student team, read on as we tell you more about them!

   

   IIT Bombay Racing was founded in 2007 by a group of like-minded engineering students who shared a few things in common – passion for cars, motorsport and wanting to apply theoretical studies into practice by designing, developing, building and competitively racing a car! IIT Bombay Racing made its debut in the world of Formula Student at Formula Student Michigan in 2008, and there has been no looking back since. IIT Bombay Racing originally started off as a combustion team participating in various domestic and international race competitions. The year 2012 was a turning point for Team IIT Bombay and marked an important landmark as they switched from combustion racing to electric racing. IIT Bombay Racing was the first college racing team from India to go electric, hence pioneering the field and sparking an electric revolution in the college motorsport domain of India. Electric mobility has seen an increase in awareness, adaption and a steady rise in demand globally ever since the beginning of the previous decade. The need and demand for an alternative to fossil fuels to power our cars across the globe has never been higher…with an aim to ‘Revolutionize Electric Mobility In India Focusing On Sustainable Technologies and Innovation’ Team IIT Bombay Racing is playing a very crucial part in India’s electric revolution by inspiring, preparing young engineers to enter the EV field. 

    The team comprises of 70 members who come from various streams of engineering, sciences at IIT Bombay. The team members are divided into 3 divisions – Electrical (Powertrain, Low Voltage Safety, Electronic Differential, Data Acquisition), Mechanical (Chassis, Aerodynamics, System Integration, Vehicle Dynamics, Powertrain) and Organizational (Marketing, Media, Operations, Events, Web and Creatives). Being a student of IIT Bombay is not easy…the studies, examinations, competition is as demanding as it gets! The fast-paced, high energy and highly dynamic nature of a race team is a very demanding environment to perform in too. The team members of IIT Bombay Racing make the art of balancing studies and being a part of India’s best electric racing team at the same time look very easy. Only bonafide students of IIT Bombay can be a part of the IIT Bombay Racing team. Recruitments for new members begin from the end of the 1^st year (freshers). A series of tests and multiple interviews later a new member is inducted into the team and assigned a department to work under basis the test results. Team IIT Bombay has a very good and efficient way of mentoring, training new inductees into the team. Team leaders and seniors play a very crucial role in training, guiding their juniors who will one day lead the team, this creates a very good bond among team members and in return leads to better productivity and success.

    IIT Bombay Racing participates in Formula Student competitions across the world. Formula Student is a student engineering competition held annually across various countries in the world, this competition challenges participating college teams to design, build, test and race a formula-style race car. Formula Student has played a very important part in getting the best out of students and a very good proving ground for the best of engineering talent to compete against each other. Being India’s first college racing team to venture into electric racing, Team IIT Bombay is also the most successful electric racing team from our country to participate in Formula Student events globally. IIT Bombay Racing primarily participates at Formula Student UK competition which is held at the world-renowned Silverstone Circuit in the UK. Formula Student UK sees participation from over 120+ universities and colleges from across the globe every year. Having produced 7 electric race cars over the past 7 years, Team IIT Bombay has seen a lot of success in Formula Student. 

   At the Formula Student UK 2019 competition stood overall 4^th amongst all-electric racing teams, 3^rd amongst all-electric teams in the sprint event. The car responsible for this electrifying performance is the EVoK. The EVoK weighs 241 kgs has a top speed of 163 km/hr and can do a 0-100 km/hr time in a lightning-quick 3.1 seconds! Some other salient features of the car are a first of its kind in India 3D printed titanium uprights, battery box made from carbon fiber and Kevlar using a resin infusion which ensures minimal weight while matching standard requirements. IIT Bombay Racing has won the Formula Student award 5 times in a row…this award is given to only 8 out of 120+ teams participating at Formula Student UK. Being a college racing team, the members of IIT Bombay Racing is responsible for raising funds through sponsorship in order to receive the funds required to participate in various competitions. Industry leaders such as NRB Bearings – India’s best manufacturer of bearings has been the title sponsor for the team since 2010 and has been playing a very critical role in the team’s development.

  

  The success story of IIT Bombay Racing is a testament to the determination, passion and tireless effort of Indian students for whom the sky is the limit. India has at its disposal a large youth population with an unlimited potential all set to take on the word and eager to contribute towards making our country proud. Indian college racing teams such as IIT Bombay Racing are the flagbearers, leaders of the Indian youth brigade making a mark on the global scale and at the same time inspiring countless others! AutoGuru India is proud to be associated with IIT Bombay Racing and we are poised to inform you of everything you would want to know about them! 

Tata Motors Finally Launches The Highly Anticipated Nexon EV SUV

Electric is the way forward, the future of mobility across the globe. Quite a few global markets have already adapted and taken well to EVs with all stakeholders keenly involved in making EVs a mainstay in their respective markets. Early EVs were very expensive in comparison to their fossil fuel counterparts making them a niche product only the rich could afford. With the improvement of battery technology, better and more efficient production systems and more car manufacturers offering EV models electric vehicles have never been more affordable. Tata Motors has launched its much-awaited Nexon EV compact SUV. The Nexon EV is a very exciting and important car for Tata Motors as it is the first EV in India which will be targeted towards the masses and will be the flag bearer for all upcoming EVs from the house of Tata Motors.

  The Nexon EV is essentially the electric variant of Tata’s popular Nexon sub-compact SUV. The sub-compact SUV segment is one of the most popular and highly competitive market segments in the country. A large proportion of car buyers in this segment are the youth and urban commuters. The Nexon EV is not the first electric car to come from Tata, the previously launched Tata Tigor EV was the first EV product offering from Tata Motors. While the Tigor EV was intended for a different target audience, it is the Nexon EV that holds a lot of promise. Offering an electric variant of the Nexon is a smart move by Tata Motors as the brand has decided to leverage it's most popular tried and tested product in the Indian market. On the outside, the Nexon EV looks exactly like its regular Nexon sibling. The inside sees some nice blue additions in the cabin giving the car a smart and sophisticated look. The Nexon EV comes loaded with all the tech, features you could ask for – automatic headlamps, automatic climate control, electronically adjustable sunroof, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, etc. Tata Motors have also introduced a connectivity suite called ZConnect which comes with over 35 features. Tata’s Ziptron electric technology makes its debut in the Nexon EV. The car is powered by a 30.2 kWh lithium-ion battery pack which powers a motor at the front axle, making a healthy 129 bhp of max power output and a good 245 nm of torque. The battery is mounted below the floor of the car i.e. under the passengers giving good stability and composure while driving. The Nexon EV can do 0-100 km/hr in a claimed 9.9 seconds, which is quite a respectable time for a car of this size! The Nexon EV has a range of 312 km on a single charge. With regards to charging, the Nexon EV gets 2 options – a standard 15A AC charger that can charge the car in 8-9 hours and a compatible DC fast charger which can give charge up the battery to 80% capacity in just one hour. Tata is offering an 8 year/1,60,000 km warranty on the electric motor and battery along with a standard 3 year/1,25,000 km warranty on the rest of the car. Tata will provide a network of 300 DC charging stations across India and a free home charger will be provided to buyers.

   Prices for the Nexon EV start at Rs.13.99 lakh onwards. While this is a significantly high price gap between the Nexon EV and its conventional sibling, the Nexon EV still remains the most affordable all-electric SUV in India. The car is an exciting prospect, but what is more interesting to see is how the market receives it! We will have to eagerly wait and watch for that…

Hyundai Launches The Aura Compact Sedan For India

The Xcent was Hyundai’s first foray into the compact sedan (sub-4m) segment of India. The Hyundai Xcent tasted good success and was quite popular with both private car owners and cab aggregators alike. In true Hyundai fashion, the Xcent was value for money car having a good balance of features, practicality, and convenience all bundled at a great price! Hyundai India has launched the next-gen avatar of the Xcent – the Aura compact sedan.

   Over the past year Hyundai has been transitioning to a new design language. This switch to the new design language started off with the Santro, evolved in the Grand i10 NIOS and has continued in the all-new Hyundai Aura. The front end of the Aura resembles that of the Grand i10 NIOS, and it looks quite smart on the Aura. The cascading grille, which is also a Hyundai signature, flanked by projector headlamps gives the car a sophisticated look. Hyundai has paid good attention to detail styling, detail with smartly integrated twin boomerang-shaped DRLs. The Hyundai Aura has grown when compared to the Xcent, the new car is now taller, longer and wider than before. Overall the Aura is designed to be aerodynamic. The roofline merges well into the rear of the car giving a nice coupe-like impression. On the inside, the Aura gets a refreshed interior that looks identical to the one on the Grand i10 NIOS. The light color scheme on the Aura gives the car a spacious and roomy feel. The car gets a 5.3-inch digital instrument cluster and sports an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system that comes equipped with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The Arkamys sound system will ensure you get a great music experience! The Aura does not get the Hyundai’s Blue Link connected system; however, it gets Hyundai’s iBlue remote smartphone application. The Hyundai Aura is powered by 2 petrol engines and one diesel. The petrol engines on offer are – 1.2 L naturally aspirated engine producing 82 bhp of max power output mated to both manual and AMT gearboxes, while the 1.0 L turbo petrol engine making a healthy 99 bhp of max power output mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The diesel engine powering the Aura is a 1.2 L diesel engine producing 74 bhp of max power output, this engine is mated to both a manual as well as an AMT gearbox. All engines are compliant with BS6 norms.

   With the arrival of the Aura Hyundai leans towards a slightly premium customer in the compact sedan segment of India. The Aura is a good option for the first-time car buyer and the urban commuter to consider. With a good overall package and great value for money prospect, the Hyundai Aura is one to watch out for!

Meet Pravega Racing - One Of India's Best Formula Student Teams

India has at its disposal a very large, capable talent pool of young engineers who are currently pursuing their studies in one of India’s many eminent engineering colleges…while at the same time chasing their passion. Many students in engineering colleges across the world take part in race competitions which challenge aspiring engineers to test their theoretical knowledge and put it to practical use by designing, building, testing and finally racing a formula car! The Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) based out of Vellore in Tamil Nadu, India is the home of Pravega Racing. Pravega Racing is one of India’s best college racing teams participating in various Formula Student competitions in India as well as abroad. Let us look at the journey of Pravega Racing and how they came to be one of India’s best college racing teams.

  

     

     Pravega Racing was founded in 2009 a group of VIT students, who wanted to leverage what they had learned in theory and practically apply it. Being a part of a car racing team is every young engineer’s dream…the team members of Pravega Racing are living that dream every day. The word ‘Pravega’ means accelerate in Sanskrit, an apt name for a race team! Pravega Racing is made up of a 42-member strong team, with all team members being bonafide students of VIT, Vellore. The team members come from various departments of engineering at VIT primarily – automobile, mechanical, electrical, etc. The team at Pravega Racing is divided into 8 different departments - Aerodynamics, Design, Composites, Data Acquisition, Vehicle Dynamics, Powertrain, Drivetrain, Brakes, Electrical and Management. Just like any other team sport, motorsport is not a one-man show it is a team effort. The core foundation of any successful motorsport team is unity, coordination, internal communication and time management. The members of Pravega Racing must balance both their studies as well as duties tasked with at Pravega, especially working after college hours late into the night and even on weekends, holidays. Pravega Racing takes part in the prestigious Formula Student events happening across the globe. Formula Student is a student engineering competition held annually across various countries in the world, this competition challenges participating college teams to design, build, test and race a formula-style race car.

    

      Over the years Formula Student has played a crucial part in developing, nurturing and promoting young engineers towards a smooth transition into the world of motorsport. The ambassadors of Formula Student are motorsport stalwarts the likes of – David Brabham, Paddy Lowe, and many others. The competition is held under 2 event types – static and dynamic. Static events include – engineering design, cost and sustainability analysis, business presentation, technical inspection. The dynamic events of Formula Student are – Skid Pad (figure of 8), 1km Autocross/Sprint, 22km Endurance, 75m Acceleration and Fuel Economy. To participate in Formula Student competitions teams, must first ace a registration test the results of which will decide eligibility to the competition. Pravega Racing primarily participates in Formula Student Germany (FSG) held at the Hockenheim circuit in Germany every year. FSG is the most challenging, coveted competition in the world of Formula Student. With participation from over 100 universities around the globe, FSG provides fierce competition as well as a great learning curve for participating teams and students. Pravega Racing gave its best performance at FSAE Australasia 2018 - being the highest-ranked FS team from India and 14th overall. At FSG 2019, Pravega Racing became the highest scoring Indian team in the Engineering Design Event in the history of FSG. The team scored its first podium in Formula Student by winning the "D-BASF Best Use of 3D Printing" award at FSG 2019. Pravega participated in Formula Bharat, the national Formula Student competition in 2017 and emerged the champions!

   Great things often have humble beginnings, the same holds true for Pravega Racing. From having space constraints and difficulties holding meetings, designing and manufacturing their car to being a full-fledged racing team with the support of sponsors, partners...the past decade has been a great one for Pravega Racing as they have cemented their place at the top of Formula Student in India. The lighter your car the faster it will drive! Weight saving and the use of composite material to manufacture a race car are paramount for success in any race competition. The CFRP (Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymers) rims manufactured in-house by Pravega Racing ensure reduced weight which converts into a better performing car. Pravega Racing has been at the forefront of 3D printing usage and its application, having won awards for powertrain components, steering components, and brake calipers.

    Pravega Racing is a great example of what young Indian minds can achieve and a great testament to the promise of a limitless future that awaits young India. Pravega Racing is a matter of pride not only for VIT, Vellore but also for the entire nation. We at AutoGuru India are proud to be associated with Pravega Racing and strive to bring you everything you would want to know about them, watch this space for more!

    

Meet The DBX : Aston Martin's First SUV

German supercar manufacturer Porsche shocked the world when it launched the Cayenne SUV way back in 2003. The Cayenne was a mid-sized luxury SUV that also delivered on the supercar-like performance, experience one would get when driving a conventional supercar. The Cayenne started the trend and pioneered the luxury performance SUV segment. Iconic British car manufacturer Aston Martin is the latest car brand to join the luxury performance SUV segment with the Aston Martin DBX. James Bond can now finally drive an Aston Martin SUV!

   The Aston Martin DBX is the first SUV from the house of Aston Martin. Aston Martin is a name world-renowned for manufacturing luxury sports cars and grand tourers. Beautiful design and outstanding performance are the hallmarks of any Aston Martin car. One of the best car designers in the world - their cars have a great blend of traditional, contemporary design. With the DBX, Aston Martin has ventured into unchartered territory…however, they have yet managed to create a masterpiece of automobile design! See the DBX for the first time and you are awestruck with its beauty, it has an understated charm of luxury which is a common design philosophy all Aston Martin cars share. The signature Aston Martin grille is a better fit on the DBX SUV, as it gives the car a good identity, commanding road presence. The headlights on the DBX are a classic Aston Martin touch. While designing the DBX Aston Martin emphasized the car being beautiful rather than performance-oriented…the design of the Aston Martin DBX speaks for itself in this regard. The beautifully designed rear spoiler on the DBX is the cherry on the icing! The DBX is slightly over 5 m long this makes it fit well between the smaller Porsche Cayenne and larger Bentley Bentayga. The DBX has a lower ride height when compared to competitors, however, with a long wheelbase the car is spacious on the inside allowing for passengers for a comfortable and luxurious experience. Moving inside the cabin is plush and built with the highest level of luxury materials. One of the best sights to see is the seating for passengers at the rear…well done Aston! Aston Martin has been going through a difficult patch over the past year or so. Dwindling sales, loosing close to 3 quarters of its valuation after being listed on the stock exchange and trying to keep up with the competition have times difficult for the iconic British carmaker. Aston Martin has pinned a lot of hope and expectation on the DBX SUV as the brand looks to pull itself out of the difficult phase it has been enduring. Aston Martin has set a target of selling 4000 DBX units in a year. The Aston Martin DBX sports an electronic all-wheel-drive system that can distribute up to 50% torque to the front wheels. The air suspension on the DBX can raise the ride height to 45 mm or decrease by 50 mm. There are 6 driving modes to choose from (4 on-road, 2 off-road) Powering the car is an AMG-sourced 4.0 L V8 engine churning out 550 bhp of max power and 700 nm of max torque; making the car capable of hitting 0-100 in around 4.3 seconds and a top speed of 290 km/hr. With great driving dynamics and strikingly fast speed…the Aston Martin DBX will be a thrill to drive!

    The Aston Martin DBX is a very important car for the brand and marks a milestone in the company’s rich history as it transitions to building a new type of car – the SUV. Yes, Aston Martin arrived late to the luxury, performance SUV segment, but they have absolutely hit the sweet spot! Like all Aston Martin cars, the DBX is a great balance of beautiful design, luxury, and performance. All set to reach the Indian shores in 2020 the Aston Martin DBX is a car with an exciting future!  

The X1 Racing League Is Here To Revive Indian Motorsport

Motorsport has historically been a very exciting, fascinating experience for fans and spectators across the world. Just like any other sport, motorsport too has an emotional connect with its fans. A strong grassroots foundation is the stepping stone for sporting success in any country.  Competitions such as F1, WRC, NASCAR etc. are the pinnacle of global motorsport and have played a very important role in making the foundation of motorsport strong, while also setting young aspiring drivers a benchmark to achieve. The main body for motorsport in India – the FMSCI has built a good structure for motorsport in the country, however motorsport yet does not get the recognition it is worthy of deserving. The Indian motorsport industry needs a revival.

    Indian racers Aditya Patel and Armaan Ebrahim have a solution for this revival – The X1 Racing League. With over 15 years of experience in motorsport and having participated in races across the globe Aditya and Armaan are confident that the X1 Racing League will revolutionize motorsport in India and make it accessible to all. The Indian population has taken very well to the league format for sport in the country. The IPL (Cricket) set the trend and other leagues followed suit soon – ISL (Football), Pro Kabaddi League (Kabaddi) etc. These leagues have seen huge success and popularity within a short period, more importantly reviving the sport at the same time. The X1 Racing League is the world’s first franchise-based motorsport racing league. The X1 Racing League has 3 pillars – The X1 Racing League, X1 Racing e-sports, X1 Speed Summit. To uplift the sport set up of a country, it is very important to uplift its stakeholders as well. Indian racers - Narain Karthikeyan, Karun Chandhok, Gaurav Gill have achieved great success on the international scale. Motorsport is one of the most expensive sports in the world, this is often one of the biggest barriers to entry for any athlete; especially in India. With the advent of the X1 Racing League Indian talent will be exposed to a homegrown race championship and have an opportunity to race against international race stars. The X1 Racing League aims to not only uplift India’s driver talent pool, but also the country’s engineering and technology capabilities. X1 has decided to go the e-sports way, with the X1 Racing e-sport – i.e. the e-sports arm of the X1 Racing League. E-sports is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world and is quickly garnering a lot of attention, fans in India – games such as Counter Strike, DOTA, FIFA are amongst the most popular. X1 Racing e-sports is a driving simulator-based racing car game. Operated a PlayStation 4 console that is connected to a driving simulator set up – steering wheel, pedals, driving seat. The participants get to play the Project CARS 2 game, but instead of controlling a car via a PS4 controller…the participants must drive it! X1 has given participants a virtual experience of driving a race car; hence making motorsport accessible to all. X1 Racing e-sports is designed as competition across 6 cities – Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Delhi. Top 3 racers from these cities will be selected basis a competition format and will battle it out to be the best e-sports racer in the country. The winner of the e-sports championship will be given a chance to be trained and groomed under Aditya & Armaan to become a professional race driver. The venues for the X1 Racing League are Buddh International Circuit, Noida (30^th November to 1^st December 2019) and Madras Motor Race Track, Chennai (7^th to 8^th December 2019). 6 franchises that will be taking part in the League. Each franchise will have 2 cars and 5 drivers who will be eligible to participate; the drivers are a good mix of Indian and International racers – Gaurav Gill, Narain Karthikeyan, Alex Yoong, Pippa Mann, Mikkel Jensen etc. amongst others. The competition format is quite innovative and unique in comparison to races globally, including a Le Mans style race start where drivers must sprint to their cars! Ravi Krishnan, a pioneer in the field of Indian sport, media is the chairman of the league and will be guiding the young founders towards building a wonderful sports property. The man behind Premier Futsal - Abhinandan Balasubramanian is the Chief Business Officer for X1 and will be looking at replicating the success of Premier Futsal. X1 has locked in some great partners the likes of – JK Tyres, OnePlus, Sony PlayStation etc. The races will be broadcasted on the Sony Network.

   The X1 Racing League is all set to revive Indian motorsport by making it mainstream and give it the due recognition it deserves. The X1 Racing League is a made in India sports property which has the potential of turning around the landscape of Indian motorsport and something Indians should be proud of. The stage is set, the cars are ready, drivers have their foot on the pedals…India are you ready to play the rush?!

    

    

Maruti Suzuki Launches The S-Presso For The Indian Market

Today Maruti has launched their latest car for the Indian market – the Maruti Suzuki S-Presso. The S-Presso is a ‘micro-SUV’ which is built on Maruti Suzuki’s Heartect platform. Other Maruti cars such as the Wagon-R, Swift, Dzire are also based on the Heartect platform. The dimensions on the S-Presso are quite compact which makes it very well suited in city conditions, parking and maneuvering in tight spaces will be a breeze. The S-Presso has a good ground clearance which enables to take a beating and tackle our Indian road conditions with ease.

     The styling and design of the S-Presso are based on the Maruti Future S Concept car which was showcased at the Auto Expo 2018. At the front, you notice a squared-off front end and high bonnet-line. The halogen headlamps are well integrated with the grille and the Daytime Running Lamps (DRLs) are placed below the headlamps. At the rear, the S-Presso gets a clean and simple tail end with a high rear bumper line. Hauling luggage into the boot might be a slight challenge due to the high access point for the boot. Given the compact dimensions of the car, the luggage space at the rear seems well suited for a weekend picnic. Step inside and you will be welcomed to a refreshing change in cabin layout by Maruti Suzuki. The S-Presso gets an all-black theme for the interior. The center console is the star of the show here. An orange Mini-like circular insert encompasses the touchscreen infotainment system and centrally mounted tachometer, odometer. In the safety department, the S-Presso comes equipped with ABS, driver and co-driver airbags, speed warning alert system, etc. The S-Presso gets a good equipment list – 7.0-inch touchscreen SmartPlay Studio infotainment system, steering mounted controls, etc. Powering the S-Presso is Maruti’s BS-VI compliant K10B 1.0 L petrol engine which makes a good 68 bhp of max power and has a torque output of 90 nm. This engine is a tried and tested one, superbly reliable and as efficient as can be! The engine will be mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox and an AMT.

   The S-Presso will take on the likes of the Renault Kwid, which is due for a facelift just around the corner. Maruti has informed the S-Presso will be sold across Maruti Suzuki Arena network of dealerships. With prices starting at Rs.3.69 lakh onwards, it shall be interesting to see how the Maruti Suzuki S-Presso competes in the market.