STUDY MATERIALS: March 2011

Lamborghini launches the Aventador LP700-4

Lamborghini finally launched the Aventador LP700-4 - the supercar to replace the Murcielago - at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. And what a really super car it is...

Probably one of the most awaited car of year, if not the decade, has been Lamborghini’s new V12 engined flagship – the car which was to replace the much loved big bad bull, the Murcielago. After countless spy pics of the camouflaged body, later pics of the all-new engine and recently a photo feature of the new full carbon fibre monocoque chassis, the Sant’Agata based supercar maker has finally let fans feast their eyes on the real Aventador at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show.

Though taking a look at this new king of bulls might lead one to believe that it’s just a colourful version of the Reventon, Lamborghini’s super-exclusive variant of the Murcielago, the truth is far from it. The Aventador has been designed completely fresh from the ground, and doesn’t share more than a couple of nuts and bolts with the outgoing Murcielago. The Aventador’s high-tech carbon fibre monocoque chassis is hidden under a sharp design that shares the silhouette with the Murcielago, along with some design elements from the Gallardo and the edges of the Reventon. But even with all the shared design language, overall the car manages to look quite fresh and is very much what a new Lamborghini from the year 2011 should be like. The cutting edge chassis, which with its carbon fibre monocoque and aluminium front and rear sub frames provides excellent torsional rigidity and weighs in at just 229kg, allowing for some serious weight saving overall. The Aventador weighs just 1575kg – a full 90kg less than the Murcielago LP640-4.

Connecting the chassis to the wheels is an equally advanced suspension – a double wishbone-with-pushrod system using horizontal dampers. Drawing on F1 systems, it keeps the wheels perfectly aligned regardless of where the terrain might shunt them through the arc of suspension travel. The system allows the company to give the springs a bit of ride softness without compromising the handling precision. The Aventador also retains the marque's signature front-end hydraulic lift, giving the car 40 mm of extra lift on the nose to deal with speed bumps and driveway lips.

New Hyundai Verna

Coming in : March 2011 Expected price : Rs 7-9 lakh

The Verna has been around for a while, but has not brought the sort of sales for Hyundai as its i10-i20 hatch-pack has in India. Launched in Russia earlier in 2010, the hot new version of the Korean compact sedan will try and get its maker a share in this segment too, with its modern and aggressive looks and expected frugal drive. The Koreans should make it big with this one again.

New BMW X3

Coming in : November 2011 Expected price : Rs40-45 lakh

BMW's mid-sized SUV has undergone a radical change in its skin and its manners, and the all new X3 is expected to hit Indian streets late in 2011. Chunkier looks and great on-road manners will make this stand apart from the crowd.

Honda Brio

Coming in: June 2011, Expected price: Rs 4-5 lakh

The next global small car for emerging markets from Honda, the Brio is an exercise in efficiency, design and value. Based on the recently shown prototypes in Thailand, the Brio is expected to offer Honda’s smart approach of maximizing cabin space, albeit in its smallest package outside Japan yet. The hatch will feature a frugal and revvy 1.2-litre VTEC engine, and is expected to fight against the now prolific hatch-pack in India.

All-new Ford Fiesta on its way

After the Figo, Ford India is ready to bring in the all-new three-box version of the European fiesta in 2011 to straddle the C-segment

They said they would bring eight new global cars to India by 2015, and from the looks of it Ford India is on its way to living up to the promise. The company has let us know that the all-new Fiesta sedan will be introduced this year, and we expect it to be quite a segment shaker.

While the new Fiesta has been garnering rave reviews around Europe in its hatchback form – and has already clocked sales figures of over ten lakh units around the 100 markets in which it is sold. News of a made-for-Asia three-box version of the car surfaced at the Shanghai Motor Show last year. It doesn’t look like the car will lose any of its sporty edge – boot notwithstanding. Michael Boneham, president and managing director, Ford India confirmed the fact - “We are delighted the new Fiesta is coming to India. It will provide Indian customers a premium sedan that reflects their personality in terms of style, technology and performance, and will add a new level of diversity and dynamism to our showrooms", he said.

The new Ford Fiesta will be built at Ford's manufacturing plant in Chennai and consumers can look forward to a hi-end sedan that will provide sporty design, great ride, dynamic performance and array of smart technologies, Ford India has mentioned. With the newly learnt lessons in pricing with Figo, we wouldn’t be surprised if the company follows up the act and goes for aggressive pricing with the new Fiesta too.

The car will not replace the existing Fiesta, however, which has drawn acclaim as one of India’s finest driver’s machines, and has been garnering good numbers for the company. "The new Fiesta will augment the current range of Fiesta vehicles in India, which remain an integral part of our product line-up,” Boneham confirmed.

Watch out for a blazing first drive of the all-new Fiesta sedan right here on ZigWheels.com, coming your way real soon!

Lamborghini Gallardo gets a Tricolore

150 years of Italian unification. Obviously, a reason to rejoice. And what do the Italians do to celebrate it? Something that they are best at, making cars! Ferrari named their Formula1 car F150 or no... was it F150th Italia... or maybe 150-degree Italia... How could Lamborghini fall behind?

The 'gallant' looking Lamborghini Gallardo Tricolore

The ‘gallant’ Gallardo made it into the hearts of auto-maniacs right from the time of its inception and has been a major source of revenue to the company. In fact the Gallardo even beats Lamborghini’s flagship car Murciélago when it comes to sales. Recent stats say that the Gallardo has more than 10,000 proud owners as compared to Murciélago’s 4000, but there are more people waiting to buy Gallardos especially after the pace at which they are launching new variants.

The launch of the Bicolore in February and the Aventador LP700-4 in the 2011 Geneva Motor Show was just not enough for Lamborghini. They decided to bring out the Tricolore simply to honor the historic occasion of 150 years of Italian unification. The good news is Lamborghini is not going to change the name of this baby to cause endless confusion among all sports car psychos. The Tricolore will come in white with stripes of the colour of the Italian flag running through the top of the car and the cabin.

Lamborghini Gallardo Bicolore

This raging bull will snort power from its 5.2l V10 engine offering a pull of 550, 560 or 570 horses. Unlike the Bicolore, its less colourful sister, she can put the power down through all four wheels as well as just the rear ones.

Rolls-Royce: Boosting Growth In India

India is the second fastest growing Asian market for Rolls-Royce, and as the company gears up to further capitalize on the buying potential of Indians, Vikram Gour takes a look at Rolls-Royce's Indian agenda with some quirks thrown in!

Rolls-Royce and India have a history that go hand in hand. Going back to the days of the Maharajas, in all their opulence, the one car that each of them sought was a bespoke Rolls-Royce. Each Maharaja had their car crafted as per individual specifications and some of the most exorbitant cars in the world were Maharaja owned Rolls-Royce coaches. From being done up in fine textiles to fitments of jewels in the interior cabin, Rolls-Royce was able to hand craft each car to suit its master’s tastes, style and match their perfection. That was then.

As the modern history of India unraveled, the story of Rolls-Royce and India found its way into books and in the hands of a few collectors who managed to procure some of these esteemed beauties on wheels. When the company made its way back to Indian shores a couple of years ago, it was time to rekindle an old flame and usher in a new era of Rolls-Royce on Indian soil. Luckily nothing much has changed!

Today's buyer isn't a Maharaja, but the new elite of India, however the tastes remain the same. According to Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos, just about every Rolls-Royce car sold in India has been heavily customized. In fact in 2010, where the company recorded a sale of 80 cars in India (a 600 per cent growth over 2009), the bespoke program actually ran out of materials for the market due to the heavy demand! The company claims that they could have sold at least 10 more cars had their bespoke program at Goodwood been properly stocked for the demand.

In 2011, Rolls-Royce is looking at selling over 100 units in India. In India, the company is looking at adding two new dealerships, namely, one in the Punjab area and the other down south either in Hyderabad or Chennai. As far as the bespoke program at Goodwood is considered, Rolls-Royce has put a lot of pressure on the department and has also increased capacity in order to capitalize on the growing bespoke vehicle demand from India.

Just like the Maharajas of an era bygone, the customers today are highly demanding. They are well aware of materials and want their cars to portray their persona. The choice of wood, textile, embroideries and leather are major choice factors. Further to this is the customization for lavish accessories that include bar cabinets and fridges on board the vehicle. With India's growing wealth crowd, Rolls-Royce insists on being on board to cater to the highest of demands.

Unlike other car manufacturers, Rolls-Royce isn't about volumes but exclusivity. India has proved to be an important market for the company over the years and with sales expected to soar over the next few years. Indian customers have proved to be very demanding and the company has taken this very seriously in shaping their own future. With new markets to tap within India, Rolls-Royce is bullish about the scope available and will be following the market trends in India very carefully.

Goodyear Launches Assurance Fuel Max in India

New technology provides 4% more fuel efficiency and 15% longer mileage than conventional tyres

Goodyear Asia Pac Head, Mr. Pierre Cohade with Assurance Fuel Max tyre

One of the many ways to reduce the fuel consumption of your vehicle is to decrease some of the friction on your tyres when driving. Rolling resistance or rolling friction is the resistance that occurs when a tyre rolls on a flat surface. The greater the resistance, the greater the energy required to keep the tyre rolling. Up to 20 per cent of a car’s fuel consumption accounts for this, and therefore a decrease in tyre rolling friction leads to a reduction in your overall fuel consumption.

Taking this into account, Goodyear India has now launched its latest tyre from its award-winning Assurance line, the Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max with Fuel Saving technology that provides 4% more fuel efficiency and 15% longer mileage than conventional tyre technology. Reinforced with the same DuPont™ Kevlar® overlay, a material that is five times stronger than steel the Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max Tyres shares the same strength and durability as its predecessors.

Designed for family cars in the mid and premium markets, this new range of tyres has been made for consumers who are looking to invest in value for money tyres offering maximum fuel efficiency and outer protection.

“In the current environment where the rising fuel costs are a huge concern, Fuel Max technology is designed to improve fuel consumption without compromising on mileage or performance,” said Rajeev Anand, Chairman & Managing Director, Goodyear India Limited.

Assurance Fuel Max also offers critical safety features such as a strong grip, puncture resistance, blow out resistance, shorter braking distance and anti-skid, making it the perfect choice for everyday city driving as well as the long distance weekend road trips.

Moving forward towards commitment for safer and environment friendly driving, Goodyear collaborated with NGO Grow-Tress to plant more than 3,000 trees coinciding with the launch of Assurance Fuel Max in India. These were planted on behalf of retailers and media participating in the activity and also end users endorsing Assurance Fuel Max tyres.

Budget 2011: Car companies split over import duty

Foreign Luxury car makers such as Audi, Mercedes and BMW, batting for lower tariffs

The proposed India-EU trade agreement has divided car makers with Pawan Goenka, the president of industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), opposing any move to cut duty on imported cars while several members, including foreign luxury car makers such as Audi, Mercedes and BMW, batting for lower tariffs.

SIAM has struck a protectionist note, opposing any move to remove car imports from the negative list, that will see a gradual lowering of duty from the current level of 60%, which finally bulges to around 110% after the addition of counter-vailing duty (CVD), VAT and other local levies.

The industry lobby has made a strong pitch to the commerce department against the lowering of duty (something sought by the EU), saying it could see a flight of manufacturing investments from India and will negatively affect the domestic players and hurt employment.

"We are not being protectionist. Every country should ensure that opening up of trade does not hurt its local industry," Goenka told TOI. Goenka said Indian companies did not have the scale to protect them from an onslaught of imported products if they came in cheaply.

But the split within SIAM comes out in the open when you speak to companies such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes. Even Japanese player Honda feels that the stiff import duty should be lowered, at least for green technology vehicles like hybrid cars.

"It is a misconception that the Indian industry will suffer if duty is lowered. While we support the argument that duty should remain high where competitive volume products are there, there is no argument to support talk of maintaining higher duty for the luxury-end," said Debashish Mitra , director, sales and marketing at Mercedes-Benz India.

"There are no competitive products from India in the luxury end, and thus nobody will be hit. In fact, lower duty will help companies like ours to bring in the latest technology products at cheaper prices, something that will spur their demand and push us to gradually manufacture them here," Mitra added.

Michael Perschke, MD of Audi India, also sought lower duty, especially for cars above 2000cc. "This way there is no fear of the domestic industry being cannibalised as about 80-90% of Indian car market is below 2000cc."

Skoda Auto to launch new logo & design language

Unveiling of its revamped brand and new concept car will take place at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show starting next month

Skoda Auto has announced the unveiling of its new corporate design and logo at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show . Alongside the company will also unveil a new concept car highlighting the brand's new design language for all new cars post 2012. The development comes in line with the fact that the brand experienced its best-ever sales figures in 2010 globally and is now aiming at increasing its sales to two-folds by 2018.

The new logo will be used globally on all models from 2012 and changes to the traditional winged arrow logo include a new spectrum of colours, claimed to look more distinct and precise by the company. The new corporate design will get absorbed by the dealers as well and will eventually lead to the design and layout of showrooms also being redesigned. The new concept car is expected to be a major departure from the present design language of Skoda and all new models designed hereon will reflect the new design language.

'Fabia Monte Carlo'

As the company is celebrating 110 years of motorsports involvement in 2011, it will launch a special-edition Fabia variant named the 'Fabia Monte Carlo'. The car will feature a sport-oriented chassis, a different look courtesy black accessories and a different interior.

Jaguar Land Rover and Dassault Systemes form Strategic Partnership

Jaguar Land Rover to deploy Version 6 (V6) of Dassault Systemes platform

Dassault Système, a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions has entered into a strategic partnership with British SUV major Jaguar and Land Rover, and the two will work together to jointly develop industry-leading product creation solutions.

The agreement was signed by Dassault Systèmes President and CEO Bernard Charlès and Jaguar Land Rover CEO Dr. Ralf Speth, who commented, “"We look to this association to bring significant technical and commercial benefits to Jaguar Land Rover. Dassault Systèmes will provide the processes and tools we need to more efficiently develop and create vehicles that exceed our customers' expectations in every respect and deliver the highest standards of quality."

For starters Jaguar Land Rover will deploy Dassault Systèmes’ V6 solutions for Product Lifecycle Management, a process which drives and controls all vehicle creation processes in order to increase operational efficiency and reduce complexity through enhanced innovation and accelerated development capabilities.

In addition to supplying existing system programmes, development engineers from Dassault Systèmes and Jaguar Land Rover will work together on new processes and solutions that will provide the combination of simplification and specialization required to create new generations of premium vehicles.

A pioneer in the 3D software market since 1981, Dassault Systèmes was chosen by Jaguar Land Rover as its preferred partner following an 18 month evaluation period that included a full analysis of the PMTI (Process, Method, Tools, Information) environment at Jaguar Land Rover. This partnership will see advanced digital 3D simulation and development tools transform Jaguar Land Rover’s future Product Development processes.

Lamborghini unveils rolling chassis of the Aventador

Lamborghini's replacement for the Murcielago, the Aventador, has just been revealed... sort of. We take a detailed look at what lies underneath the skin of this new raging bull's.

Now there has been much hype about the upcoming supercar from the house of Lamborghini – and it is quite justified. First of all, it will be replacing the extremely potent and the much loved Murcielago – a car that put ‘super’ in supercar. But if you though those were rather large shoes to fill, consider this –this is the first all-new Lamborghini since the Gallardo which was launched in 2003. And if that wasn’t enough, it not only is the first all-new V12 engined Lamborghini since 2001, it’s powered by the first all-new V12 engine Lamborghini has made since the Miura’s 3.9-litre V12 from 1966.

With so much riding on the Aventator, it better be a rather special car. But going by everything that the Sant’Agata Bolognese based supercar maker has shown about it, it certainly seems that it will be. First to arrive were the ubiquitous spy shots, then Lamborghini made the official pictures and specs of the mighty new 6.5-litre 700-horsepower engine along with its super-fast, yet super-light, ISR transmission available for all to see. And just in the final few days before the Aventador is officially unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show on the 1st of March, glimpses of the car’s unique rolling chassis was made public.

At the heart of this chassis is Lamborghini’s all carbon fibre monocoque. The loadbearing structure of the car is engineered as a “single shell” that functions physically as one component, thus taking full advantage of the extreme rigidity of CFRP. Formula 1 race cars have been built using CFRP monocoques for many years – and have proven their crash worthiness time and again. The same applies to road-going sports cars featuring monocoque technology – the carbon fiber occupant cell functions like an extremely safe roll cage. And the best part is, this entire monocoque passenger cell weighs only 147.5 kg! Even combined with the aluminium sub-frames in the front and back for mounting the engine and suspension components, the whole structure still weighs a scant 229.5kg. But the real advantage of the carbon fibre construction is the phenomenal torsional rigidity it offers – an unbelievable 35,000 Newton meters per degree of twist. This guarantees a superb feeling of solidity, and more importantly, extremely exact wheel control with excellent steering precision and sensitive feedback. Sadly though, one real tragedy of the new chassis is the cross member of rear subframe, which blocks the view of the gorgeous new engine.

Lamborghini’s new chassis also features a highly sophisticated, racing derived pushrod suspension system – the first on any series production car. The spring and damper elements of this suspension system are not located on the wheel mounts, but connected inboard to the bodyshell structure. They are transversely positioned - under the windscreen in the front and close to the engine in the rear with pushrods and rockers transmitting the forces from the wheel mounts to the spring and damper elements. This combination of the double wishbone and pushrod arrangement allows for wheel control and damper remain separate from each other – thereby improving handling without too much of a detriment in terms of ride comfort. Let’s not forget the massive brakes at all for corners of the car – massive 400mm carbon ceramic discs with six pot calipers at the front and 380mm at the back with four pot calipers. And for a car that is said to accelerate from zero to 100km/h in 2.9 seconds, such massive anchors are an absolute essential.

The Aventador certainly looking good so far in its technical aspects, and judging by the spy photos, should do well in the aesthetics department as well. In any case, it’s only a couple of days till the official reveal at Geneva – and we’re positively giddy with excitement.

Big-fat Indian wedding cars

We Indians mostly save up to spend lavishly on weddings but what has emerged as a trend lately is that the young couples now wish to keep their wedding simple yet classic and something that's not extraordinarily fancy.

So even if the wedding dress, flowers, venue, catering and decoration is sorted, it is getting the bride to the wedding venue that is the most crucial bit. Err… it's no simple task and this is exactly where this article comes in, especially if you want to make a lasting impression at it!

We at ZigWheels give you a low down of some of the classic yet unpredictable cars your bride can be escorted in. Check these out!

Volkswagen New Beetle

If you are a young couple who are giving a small reception, the new Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet will be an extremely cute and classic car to get your girl escorted to the venue. The new Beetle Cabriolet is the contemporary update of the original Beetle Cabriolet. With exterior design cues from its classic predecessor, the new model's inner values are entirely modern but yes; don’t forget the white lilies, which will perfectly go with the Beetle!

Mercedes-Benz SLK 200

If you as a couple have a sporty side and love doing adventurous things, the Mercedes-Benz SLK 200 is the car that your bride would love to come in. With its F1-inspired lines and broad, muscular stance, the SLK-Class takes roadster design to a higher level and gives your love a peerless memory that would last a lifetime for her.

Mitsuoka Nouera

Having described the above, we move on to somebody who is too choosy and picky. So if you are one of those couples, the Mitsuoka Nouera will be the most elegant and sought-after choice to go with. This four-door saloon model will give you the perfect English look.

Mini Cooper Cabriolet

So, you are somebody who holds traditional values, but is modern at the same time. Well, this Mini Cooper Cabriolet is just that; a contemporary mixture of old-school beauty and modern fun.

Limousine

If you don’t want to go wrong on your D-day, the Limousine is the safest choice to go with. It is a perfect car that denotes all of the above: it is elegant, classic and yet traditional.

Lastly, before you go with any of these, you have to decide the style and age of your wedding car that will suit your wedding ceremony and the dressing style too.

Budget 2011: Car prices to remain unchanged

As of now small cars with an engine displacement of upto 1200cc petrol or 1500cc diesel are charged 10% excise duty, and the higher powered vehicles are charged 22%

It’s right time to buy a new car as the prices will remain unchanged with the Budget keeping the excise duty on automobiles intact. "With interest rates and raw material prices going up, the government decided to retain the current levels of excise duty," said Umesh Karne, analyst at Bric Securities .

Automobile sales, which has been growing at the rate of 30%, will continue to ride high though the sector is still grappling with rising input and fuel costs. Some analysts feel that continuation of duties will give an opportunity for automobile companies to go for increase in prices which were postponed due to the assumption that price hike would lead to reduction in demand.

"This gives an opportunity to car makers to increase prices soon,"said Mahantesh Sabarad, analyst at Fortune Financials .. In April-January, car sales jumped 31% to 15.99 lakh units, while two-wheeler sales rose 27% to 96.71 lakh units

For the 2006-07 budget, government had drastically cut excise on small cars, vehicles under four metres and 1,200 cc petrol and 1,500 cc diesel engines, to 16% from 24% that catapulted massive demand as the huge price difference expanded domestic market to over 2 millions units/year.

Currently small cars which are less than 4 metres in length and have engine displacement of up to 1200cc petrol or 1500cc diesel, are charged 10% excise duty, and the higher powered vehicles at 22%. Cars more than 2000cc have to pay an additional Rs 15,000.

While key automobile stocks were trading lower ahead of the finance minister's budget speech, shares of Tata Motors , Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra & Mahindra and Bajaj Auto went up post Budget announcements. Except for Hero Honda which was down by 0.29%, the other key stocks of Tata Motors, Mahindra, Bajaj Auto, and Maruti Suzuki were up 0.81%, 6.32%,1.61% and 4.51% respectively.

Budget 2011: Electric vehicles get a push

Lucknow, Haridwar, Kanpur, Agra and other tourist and wild life destinations will be promoted as EV cities

A National Mission for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles would enable the electric vehicle (EV) industry clock numbers. At present, EV sales are less than one per cent of the petrol two-wheelers sold in India.

“The category will now grow strategically. After a market research to identify the needs of the consumer, the Centre will formulate policies to promote EVs. Soon we will have 10 cities promoted as model EV cities,” Sohinder Gill, CEO- Hero Electric and director (corporate affairs) of Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV) said. E-bikes expect a 25-50% growth in two years, Gill says.

Electrotherm and Hero Electric are key players in the two-wheeler EV category while Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles Pvt Ltd manufactures e-car.

Lucknow, Haridwar, Kanpur, Agra and other tourist and wild life destinations will be promoted as EV cities. “The town planning will incorporate dedicated tracks for EVs and creating battery charging points while institutions, corporates and local tourist centres would run EVs in and around those pockets,” he said.

Against 9 million petrol two-wheelers sold in 2009-10, e-bikes are just 1 lakh in numbers. While the numbers grew to one lakh in 2008-09, they dropped to 90,000 in 2009-10. The category got a push recently after a Central subsidy of Rs 4,000-5,000 on all two-wheeler EVs and Rs 1 lakh on e-cars. The industry expects to close this fiscal at 1 lakh units against 11.5 million petrol two-wheelers.

Volkswagen acquires Porsche Holding Salzburg

Porsche's automobile trading business will retain its status as an independent organizational unit and will continue operations with its business model unchanged

The close association between Volkswagen and Porsche began as early as the 1930’s when the first Porsche ever made used many components from the iconic Volkswagen Beetle.

However, after Porsche’s failed attempt at taking over Volkswagen in 2009 on account of insufficient stake ownership, Porsche suffered massive debts and drop in its overall car sales. Since, then the two estranged family owned car manufacturers have buried their differences, and now with Volkswagen in control of a majority stake in the Zuffenhausen-based sports car manufacturer, the stage is set for a full-fledged merger of the two German car makers sometime in 2012.

A major step forward in achieving this ultimate goal is Volkswagen’s announcement of its acquisition of the operating business of Porsche Holding Salzburg (PHS) in accordance with previous announcements. The transfer of the automobile trading company took place at a value of €3.3 billion on March 1, 2011.

While the PHS registered office and corporate headquarters will remain in Salzburg, this takeover by Volkswagen represents the completion of its next planned step towards the creation of the integrated automotive group of Volkswagen and Porsche.

Speaking on the official announcement of the acquisition, Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, CEO of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, commented, “The business performance of Porsche Holding Salzburg is outstanding. It is one of the worlds most efficient and profitable automobile trading companies and will therefore significantly strengthen the Volkswagen Group’s sales activities.”

Volkswagen is acquiring all automobile operations of PHS such as the wholesale and retail business, Porsche Informatik, Porsche Bank, Porsche Immobilien and Porsche Versicherung as well as PGA Motors headquartered in Paris.

Being Europe’s most successful private automobile trading company, PHS employs some 20,900 people and has a particularly strong presence in Austria, Western Europe and South Eastern Europe as well as China. The company’s unit sales last year included 565,000 new cars, while used vehicles generated sales revenue of €12.78* billion, with profitability higher than the market average.

2010 Best Year Ever for Volkswagen

The global peoples' car maker could never have asked for a better year than 2010, breaking all erstwhile records of profit

Volkswagen enjoyed its share of limelight in the Indian market, with the Vento and the Polo being runaway success stories. This time, the German automaker has done the same globally too. Some of its achievements are as follows:

• Operating profit is up by 1.9 billion Euros, at 7.1 billion Euros.
• Deliveries top the 7 million mark, at 7.2 million vehicles, showing an increase of 13.7%
• Business expansion and implemented capital increase strengthen Group’s financial stability and flexibility in the context of the planned creation of an integrated automotive group with Porsche
• Volkswagen India has achieved a sales growth of 180.7% over the last year, in 2010.

“Fiscal year 2010 was the best year in the history of the Volkswagen Group. Volkswagen already provided impressive proof of its robustness during the crisis and our Group is now following that up by leading the field during the economic recovery as well,” said the Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen, Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn.

Another one of the advantages of Volkswagen is its multi brand strategy. Currently they sell the brands Audi, Skoda and Volkswagen. Even supercars such as Bugatti Veyron and Lamborghini are a part of the international group, Volkswagen AG. Sales revenue and operating profit in the year 2011 is expected to be even higher.

The microbus returns as the VW Bulli!

The famed, ultra-practical design has received a one-over as the Bulli concept, with a high tech all-electric powertrain, and iPad control!

Many years ago, in 1947 to be exact, a Dutch Volkswagen importer by the name of Ben Pon, decided that the raging Beetle deserved to be transformed into something more even practical. His simple drawing which put a bus with short overhangs over a Beetle’s wheelbase went on to become the T1 Transporter, one of the most iconic vehicles of the 60s and 70s, and the ultimate van for love, peace and psychedelic rock bands in the flower power generation.

Rock and roll notwithstanding, the same practical idea holds true today as well, and Volkswagen seems keen on bringing the idea back to life in the form of a new concept it has unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. Called the Bulli concept, the new vehicle brings a dash of modernity to the game with an all electric powertrain, capable of mating with a conventional engine to create a hybrid too. This engine produces 115 PS of power and 260 Nm of torque, with a theoretical driving range is up to 300 km. powered by the electric motor alone, VW claims that the Bulli can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 11.5 seconds.

Inside the Bulli has six seats: three on a front bench seat (which can be split and folded) and three on the rear bench which can be folded flat to maximise loadspace – or turn into a bed in the true spirit of the iconic campervan. Going with the new trend, the concept has been fitted with a removable iPad in the centre console serves as a multifunctional touchscreen. If this isn’t a cool way of bringing back the 60s into the current century, we don’t know what is!

Prius van gets new battery

Japan hybrid will use lithium ion pack

The Prius Plus, which was shown last week at the Geneva auto show, is the three-row version of the Prius V minivan.

OKYO -- The Prius minivan hybrid due later this year will be the first standard hybrid from Toyota Motor Corp. with a lithium ion battery. But the advanced lightweight power pack will appear only in the Japanese version of the car, a person familiar with the plan said last week.
The U.S. version will stick with the heavier nickel-metal hydride batteries used in the current Prius hatchback and Toyota's other gasoline-electric vehicles.
Toyota is using lithium batteries in the Japan-spec Prius minivan to open up more interior room and allow for three rows of seats, as preferred by Japanese customers, the source said.
The Prius V minivan shown at this year's Detroit auto show had only two rows of seats, while the Prius Plus variant shown last week in Geneva has three rows.
Using a bulkier nickel-metal battery requires the battery to consume space in a console between the driver and passenger seats.
"We are doing it only for cabin configuration considerations," the source said.
Toyota spokesman Paul Nolasco said the company couldn't comment on future product plans.
Separately, Japan's Nikkei business daily reported last week that the minivan version of the Prius would go on sale in Japan next month and start at ¥3 million, or about $36,590, when equipped with a lithium ion battery.
A lower-grade version with a nickel-metal hydride battery will also be offered, starting at about $28,660.
Toyota has long said it will reserve lithium batteries for plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles while it continues to use nickel-metal batteries in traditional hybrids.
But an executive told Automotive News last month that the first standard hybrid with a lithium power pack would arrive soon.

Sell Mahindra and Mahindra

Technical analyst Anil Manghnani of Modern Shares & Stock Brokers has recently recommended the investors to sell the stock of Mahindra and Mahindra.
Today, the stock of the company opened at Rs 811.50 on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
The share price has seen a 52-week high of Rs 826.40 and a low of Rs 498.50 on BSE.
Current EPS & P/E ratio stood at 42.04 and 15.73 respectively.
According to Mr. Manghnani, "On Friday, I put out a sell call on Tata Motors and on Maruti because I think they have reached a major levels, so I think as a pack yet, they have rallied. Maybe Bajaj Auto - it did show a lot of strength even on Friday."
He suggested that I would even make a call and say sell Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) at this moment as even that has rallied from sub-600 closer to Rs 700 so that around Rs 690-695 has a sell.
Meanwhile, employees on M&M in Nashik plant went on a one-day strike and the firm faced the output loss of around Rs 30 crore.
However, Mr. Manghnani said, "The top three that have been doing reasonably well, which is Tata Motors and M&M, Maruti has been weak but even that has rallied, those three would be come sells right now."

Icahn explores sale of Federal-Mogul, report says

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Billionaire investor Carl Icahn has hired financial advisers to explore a sale of Federal-Mogul Corp., people familiar with the matter said.
Icahn, who owns a 76 percent stake in Federal-Mogul and is non-executive chairman of the board, is in the early stage of sounding out potential buyers for the U.S. auto parts supplier, seven people said. Lazard Ltd. has been retained to advise on the process, four of the sources said.
The maker of powertrain and safety technology -- along with several well-known aftermarket parts brands -- is expected to draw interest from private equity firms, as well as some auto parts suppliers, these people said, asking not to be identified because the process is private.
Federal-Mogul shares rose 6.4 percent to close at $24.62 on the Nasdaq on Monday, valuing the company at more than $2.4 billion. The stock rose more than 12 percent earlier on Monday to hit its highest level since January 2008.
Icahn declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. A Federal-Mogul spokesman said the company would not comment on rumors or speculation.
$5 billion deal possible
Federal Mogul, which emerged from bankruptcy in December 2007 under the control of Icahn, has long-term debt of about $2.8 billion, meaning a deal value including debt could be about $5 billion, one of the sources said.
A private equity buyer is more likely as rival auto parts manufacturers would not necessarily want all of the diversified parts maker, another source said.
The potential sale of Federal-Mogul is another sign of improved sentiment for auto manufacturers and parts suppliers, which have come through the punishing downturn of the past years with sharply lower costs and higher profit potential.
With annual revenue of more than $6 billion, Federal-Mogul provides parts for passenger, light commercial, heavy-duty and off-highway vehicles, as well as parts for power generation, aerospace, marine, and rail industries. Some of its aftermarket brands include Champion spark plugs, Moog replacement chassis, ANCO wiper blades, and Carter fuel pumps.
Federal-Mogul, which was founded in 1899 and employs nearly 43,000 people, has slashed $460 million from its annual cost base during the latest downturn and is benefiting from expanding sales as the auto industry accelerates a recovery that started last year.
U.S. auto sales, which fell to 10.4 million vehicles in 2009 -- the lowest since the recession in the early 1980s -- are projected to rise to 13 million vehicles this year, according to J.D.Power and Associates.
Reflecting improved investor sentiment for auto industry assets, several vehicle parts makers are also expected to go public this year. Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross has hired Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase & Co to take International Automotive Components Group public, people familiar with the matter told Reuters previously.
Allison Transmission, which makes automatic transmissions for trucks, buses and military vehicles, has also hired banks for a third quarter initial public offering that could raise around $1 billion, sources said previously.