GC-AUTOMAN-230x300.pdf 1 4/25/12 6:43 PM 129 No 129 May 2012 Oman’s Best Automotive Resource OMR 0.500 AED 5.00 QR 5.00 AUTOM A N M Y 2012 L A MBORGHINI VENT DOR, PEUGEOT 508, TOYOT C MRY SE, UDI 6, M - B SS, NEW YORK MOTO R SHOW , MOTORSPORTS

Nancy Ajram launches new Nissan Micra in Dubai

A technology showcase or benchmark performer?A 2012 TOYOT 2012 PEUGEOT 2012MERCEDES- CAMRY SE ASS 508 SPORTY SIDE OF THE BENZ M-CL FRENCH DESIGN BESTSELLER REFINED INSIDE MASTERPIECE OUT

Visit us online at www.automanweb.com Automan Omn 460x300 E F.indd 1 4/17/12 3:39 PM Automan Omn 460x300 E F.indd 1 4/17/12 3:39 PM A deceptive and fun F1 track test it on: ’s stealth bomber, the Aventator isn’t just about looks or composite technology 32 application.

SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT FIRST DRIVE

Audi Mainstream Chery Automobils is upping product the domestic game with impressive concepts were more talked about at this year’s 22 24 auto show 40 Y o u than the usual JUST list of wild would think that a car Who would have imagined that Ferrari would go all the way and create a model with all the concepts and of the size and demeanour of the AMATTER trappings for the Chinese market? far-off exotics. A6 needed a large engine. What would While flashy you make of its 2.0-litre unit then? We luxury and OF sports models put the small 4-pot through its dominated the filled their stands quite cleverly with older “A” badged siblings and models like the R8 GT Spyder, TT RS, paces RS5, S8 and A4 allroad quattro.The new S6 and S7 were conspicuously missing! Subaru’s concept teaser kept people guessing till the first press day, Author: Raj Warrior Photography: Raj Warrior TIME last minute! it was family vehicles and That China is the most promising pickups that market in the world was evident were the BMW at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show. highlight on Domestic and international day two. players rubbed shoulders with It’s no secret that in the Jeep is also looking at traditional Chinese inspiration each other to get attention with automotive show business in it’s line-up an array of concepts, global in North America, the New Lamborghini’s ultimate super athlete contender in the SAV segment. The Lamborghini Urus York International Auto unveils and adaptations. This is Concept promises to completely redefine dynamics and design in this category. The Urus Show which comes after combines unique design, a fascinating interior and outstanding performance with versatility and the Detroit show in January just the beginning... everyday usability, says Lamborghini. competes head-on for second place with Chicago and Los Angeles. But this year, the focus on the recovery of the American Mercedes-Benz now focuses on small A- and B-Class models for BRIC auto market and it seems markets with some aggressive styling and engineering that automakers have decided to use whichever platform is available, to Porsche has upped its gen II 2013 Cayenne GTS not only Audi presented the RS badged Q3 concept at China its fullest capacities. Such in the powertrain department but also in features a move has ensured that BMW showcased some updated models such as the 2013 Group has officially re-entered China and the Viaggio smaller shows such as X6 coupe- for the first time, but the carmaker’s is a Dodge Dart derived China specific model New York show becomes real focus was on promoting its ‘M’ badge. We know that an important focal point the M6 coupe was unveiled in Geneva, the drop-top version for carmakers to offer first of the big, M-tuned two-door made it debut in New York. glimpses of some new Just like the previous-generation model, the new M6 twins EDITORIAL NOMINEE models or concepts. The share nearly all of their components with the four-door M5. AUDI A6 2.0 TFSI show attracted almost As such, the 2012 BMW M6 convertible boasts the same every player in the business 560-hp, 500-lb-ft twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 as its fixed-roof PREMIUM CAR and Automan takes a siblings. The M6’s powerplant is 10 per cent more powerful look at the important cars and also 30 per cent more efficient than the previous 2012 unveiled at the show. 5.0-litre V-10 and is mated to seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. A little heart of gold 22 23 24 25 46 47 in this issue

News Cover story Motorsports 06 AMG Performance Tour in Abu Dhabi 32 Stealth Bomber 72 Formula 1 race reports from Bahrain/ 08 Regional and local car launches, events 40 Setting frugal standards in a mid-sized Shanghai and automotive news -- Audi A6 74 WRC in Portugal Road Tests 78 MotoGP Brandwatch 52 Turbo rules in the swanky Peugeot 508 14 Jaguar confirms F-Type, Nissan plans 46 Sporting Genius – Toyota Camry SE interview new hatchback 80 Craig Hardie, CEO, Zawawi Trading 16 Rolls-Royce looking at hybid cars Previews 17 Future Mazdas to use Takeri design 70 Hyundai Santa Fe Chicane 72 GTS Gen II 80 Raj gets nostalgic after Thailand visit Spotlight 74 Lamborghini J concept Visit our website for daily updates! 22 Beijing motor show curtain raiser TECH TALK 24 Highlights from the New York motor 70 Understanding show

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NEXT ISSUE SUV & Pick up special!

PREVIEW FIRST DRIVE FIRST DRIVE

hether it was the high cost of the Yen or the Japanese disaster year with the tsunami and T o Wnuclear issue, Toyota were left scrambling last year. create the striking On top of a great However, outside the public gaze the company has been product upgrade, battling on many fronts from a few years – with an almost open top Aventador J, vindictive and ill-informed campaign against its legendary Lamborghini didn’t just remove the reliability and engineering excellence being waged on behalf the Camry now of the ‘consumer’ by the US authorities. Now the brand has roof and windscreen from the donor the opportunity to take a breather, regroup and grow. And all comes with a this has been brought about by the brand’s new strategy that Aventador. Engineers have put in all what 46 is so keenly product and process oriented. 52 they have learnt in advanced composite 74 sporty edition. We The new Camry was the first vehicle to come out of the restructuring of the brand’s focus under the watchful gaze construction in this car so far check out the end of Akio Toyoda. There was no longer a need to get huge production numbers for the sake of volume. The product had product to be right the first time and it was this clear message in the product that won it our Automan Car of the Year in the mid- size car segment in 2011. Now we had the SE variant of the car and this version is the brand’s attempt to put a sporting flavour on the Camry. Essentially the platform and the model remain the same. The current generation of the Camry is called the XV50 platform, which was a major revamp on the previous XV40. Superbly upgraded interiors and some major sheetmetal Peugeot needed EDITORIAL NOMINEE modifications are a signature of the new platform as much as the new feel and performance characteristics. a car like the 508 TOYOTA CAMRY SE The new sheet metal has brought with it striking good looks even on the normal sedan. When you take the sporty for sometime now MID-SIZE CAR 2012 SE variant, you get the car with the sports body kit. This means that the headlights remain the same but almost in the GCC region. every other part of the front fascia now gets an edgy quality to it. It is almost as if the Toyota badge and the number After all, how plate just below it are the centre of a very busy area. The When lower airdam is hogged by large black inserts, with rising many hatchbacks horizontal slats and the area just below the number plate a product can they sell? We test the 508 and rescues assess whether the marque has a marque met its new mark.

Author: Raj Warrior Photography: Raj Warrior Camry gets the

EDITORIAL NOMINEE Sporting edge PEUGEOT 508 Lamborghini MID-SIZE CAR 2012 Author: Raj Warrior Photography: Raj Warrior Aventador J concept

46 47 52 53 74 75 editor-in-chief Mohammad Al Taie

AL ROYA PRESS & PUBLISHING As usual this month offers one of the most concentrated doses of information about PO Box: 343, Postal Code 118 all things automotive. Somehow it seems to be a habit with us - that each succeeding Al Harthy Complex issue brings with it a bigger and better content base. Sultanate of Oman

Email: [email protected] Consider that at one time Oman was considered an automotive backwater when Website: www.automanweb.com compared to the rest of the region, but this month has shown that we are quite abreast

Editorial office: with all things automotive. Over the past few weeks, the regional launches of cars as Tel: +968 24479888 Extn 300, Fax: +968 24479889 diverse as the Mercedes-Benz M-class, the Honda CR-V and the Nissan Micra were held Circulation office: in Dubai to be followed in quick succession with the launch of the car in Oman. The Tel: +968 2456 2360, Fax: +968 2456 2194 pace seems to have picked up substantially as demand from the car buyer precipitates publisher quick action from the sellers. Hatim Al Taie [email protected]

EDITOR & GM Another focus on Oman was demonstrated in the middle of the month by Bentley Raj Warrior [email protected] chosing the Sultanate as the destination for the regional media and customer event for the new in the Continental GT. The car with the smaller yet equally potent

Design powerhouse was showcased to its best on the open roads around Muscat and one can Sawsan Al Muharbi [email protected] only hope that more such events take place around here.

HEAD OF marketing Maged Aziz [email protected] This issue is dominated by the presence of the Aventador. Admittedly a bit late on the calendar, this is still the first test drive carried in the Sultanate and it is perhaps the circulation best chance for most car lovers to find out about the car’s abilities. Our test team were [email protected] definitely impressed by the evolution of Lamborghini’s top of the line car from the brute FINANCE & ADMIN force of the Murcielago. Abraham Daniel [email protected] Sumy Mol [email protected] In addition we still have a good focus on the latest motorshows, with a detailed look at Website & IT New York and its very America specific launches of the new Avalon, 2013 Altima, the Mohammed F Draz [email protected] new Impala and Lincoln’s MKZ.

Printer Of course we also have a clutch of test drives from within the Sultanate, including one Ruwi Modern Printers LLC of the most honest looks you will ever get of the Peugeot 508 and the Audi A6 2.0 TFSI Tel: +968 2479 4167, 2479 8157 Fax: +968 2470 0545 alongwith a buyer based look at the Camry’s SE variant. Whichever way you look at it the issue is brimming with information.

© 2012 All editorial content of Automan in the magazine and As usual, we look forward to your input on all things automotive, especially about the its website is copyrighted and may not be reproduced contents of Automan. Let us know what you would like to see added to these pages in any form without the written consent of the manage- and the cars you would like to see tested. ment of AL ROYA PRESS & PUBLISHING

Automan accepts unsolicited exclusive editorial material, but reserves the right to publish any such material. Once published, the copyright for any such material will vest with AL ROYA PRESS & PUBLISHING

OMAN & REGIONAL news}

AMG has inaugurated its first dedicated dealership in Beijing, China. Situated at the high-end Sanlitun Village shopping mall in northern Beijing, the AMG Performance Center is unique from any of the other 195 AMG dealerships already operating in 18 countries around the world in that it is a stand-alone shop, not a corner of an existing Mercedes-Benz showroom. It encompasses 381 square meters of floor space on two levels, which Daimler chose as the location to unveil the new G63 AMG. breaking news breaking

Mercedes-AMG’s Affalterbach division is a regular visitor at Abu Dhabi’s the techniques of handling in extreme conditions. A one-on-one ML Formula One circuit and once again it made its horse power and torque 63 AMG drag-race and braking showdown pushed drivers to the limit, presence felt at the annual white-knuckle test drive experience. The whilst SLS AMG GT3 ‘taxi rides’ allowed the brave to suit up in full key punters in this year’s edition were the newly launched trio of the E racing kit for mind-warping hot laps with professional AMG drivers. 63 AMG, SLK 55 AMG and ML 63 AMG along with other team members Frank Bernthaler, Director, Sales and Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Cars including the C 63 AMG, C 63 AMG Coupé, CLS 63 AMG, SLS AMG, and Middle East & Levant, said: “Featuring not one, not two, but three SLS AMG GT3. new models for the Middle East, this year’s AMG Performance Tour As an evening-night programme taking place under lights, participants is one of the most immersive test drive events we have held for our had a chance at the wheel whilst being advised by top track experts loyal customers and partners in the region. Now in its fifth year, the and racers to command the full power, poise and pace of AMG in an 2012 inception of the tour race-starts our Year of the AMG strategy by arena of adrenalin fuelled activities. putting our most valued drivers in the driving seats of these incredible Fully demonstrating the tremendous capabilities of the new-born precision machines, that with a roar of the accelerator can transform beasts, a ‘Performance Parcours’ area provided an opportunity to learn comfort and luxury to heart-pounding, thrill-seeking joy in an instant.”

8

REGIONAL NEWS

issan Middle East launched the Micra, their best-selling small The day after the launch we were part of a press group that drove Nhatchback at a high-octane evening at the Armani Hotel in the the car through the streets of Dubai. Quite unlike the usual non-urban Burj Khalifa Dubai. The star of the evening was joined by another star, routes preferred for most test drives, the Micra was taken through Arabic singer and idol Nancy Ajram who is the brand ambassador for some of the usual roads that it would be used on. the car. The small car is typified by a rather intelligent look at utility as well as The made in India Micra is a 1.5-litre hatchback with a choice of comfort in the interiors. It can accommodate five adults inside while still 5-speed or 4-speed and having a rather generous rear storage. The car comes standard with standard features like key free entry and engine stop/start button as features like key-free entry and a stop/start button as made famous on well as power folding mirrors. The car gets two airbags, ABS and a the Altima and electric power steering and higher grades get features choice of ten colours. like auto wipers and auto headlamps as well as folding outside mirror. Nancy Ajram told the assembled press that she owned a silver colour The big news is of course that the car gets the largest engine it ever Micra and went on to extol its virtues in city driving. After that she had in the HR15DE 1.5-litre unit that powers the Sunny and generates regaled the audience with some of her popular songs. 99HP. This is available with a 5-speed manual transmission or 4-speed This is the first time that the Micra is being offered in the Middle automatic. East as part of Nissan’s intention to make the car a global model. The The car’s platform has certainly undergone a transformation in that third generation of the car, it has already been selling a quick pace in it is tight and spacious with very good NVH as well as a firm steering traditional markets like the UK and Europe as well as in new markets feel. The engine feels far better in the Micra than the heavier Sunny like India. This car is produced along with the new Sunny at the Indian and you can use the manual’s third gear to trundle along in traffic. Seat plant near Chennai. support is suitable for the class and could be sportier. Cabin plastics “The Nissan Micra adds new strength to our extensive line-up in the and features are again clearly targeted at a price segment. Middle East,” said Syed Ahmed, General Manager, Marketing, Nissan The rear seat folds flat to increase cargo volume and can also be Middle East. “We now boast one of the richest choices of compact flipped over to maximise the storage area. Interestingly the 60:40 split sedans and hatchbacks in the competitive small car segment. We are can be handled seperately in the first mode to do an either/or with a confident that Micra will strike a powerful chord with the young and rear passenger. trendy youth of the Middle East.” Targeted as it is against the Toyota Yaris, the Sirion and the Mazda 2 Nissan has a new product offensive under way, with a new or hatchback, the Micra does have a good price point to operate from. The upgraded model being launched in the region every six weeks for the question will be how it features against the Thailand sourced Honda whole of this year. Brio as well as with the Korean hatches.

Micra launched by Nancy Ajram

10 The Nissan all-new India built Nissan Micra Micra arrives in makes its entry into the GCC market for the first Oman showrooms time in 2012. In Oman, Suhail Bahwan Automobiles (SBA) unveiled the compact hatchback at its showroom in Qurm last month. Mechanically based on on a shortened Sunny sub-compact platform, the Micra hatchback comes only in 5-door form, with a 99hp 1.5-litre 4-cylinder engine mated to a 4-speed automatic, although a 5-speed manual is also available in the most basic model. The trendy car features standalone design and is offered in eye-catching colours, host user- friendly equipment and safety features like dual airbags. The is being offering in the Middle East markets in five trims and in Oman it its priced at RO4,930 onwards depending on the trim level chosen. The cars are well kitted and the base model gets 14in steel wheels, folding rear bench seat, rear fog lamp, intermittent front and rear wipers, basic CD/MP3 stereo with AUX port, trip computer, manual a/c, power steering with tilt adjustment, alarm and fabric upholstery. There are four further trim levels, progressively adding features such two or four power windows, split-folding rear seat with three headrests, 15-inch alloy wheels, chrome exterior trim, auto headlights, remote locks or smart keyless entry with starter button, auto wipers, front fog lamps, tachometer, height-adjustable driver’s seat with centre armrest, rear window defroster, 12V power outlet, and sunvisors with vanity mirrors. Optional accessories include a chrome grille, body kit, chrome exhaust tip, rear spoiler, mirror-mounted indicators, mud guards and floor mats. Standard safety features include ABS with EBD, brake assist, dual front airbags, and 3-point seatbelts for all five seats. Ahmed Suhail Bahwan, chairman, SBA, said, “In the short period of seven years since inception, Suhail Bahwan Automobiles has carved out a niche for itself in the automobile market in the Sultanate. Driven by customer-centric philosophy, we have been continuously offering new products and value-added services to our customers. The introduction of the new Nissan Micra follows the Sunny which was launched in March is a testimony to this fact.”

11 REGIONAL NEWS New CR-V launches in the region Honda takes the product initiative with the new redesigned CR-V, complete with real-time AWD and stylish new looks

he middle of April saw the new Honda powerful scooter. TCR-V being launched in a glittering After the launch Automan joined a select ceremony in Dubai by the regional office. batch of journalists in driving the CR-V The SUV is set to be available throughout out of Dubai till Fujairah where a night’s the region in three different grades – LX, accommodation allowed us to drive the EX and EX with leather. CR-V around the beautiful environs of the Speaking at the launch, Shunichi Uchida emirate. director of Honda Motor Company’s Middle The CR-V itself is a great new adaptation East office stressed the importance of of the platform with a new, more powerful being market oriented announcing the variation of the 2.4-litre DOHC 4-cylinder introduction of the R&D function in the engine, which now produces 20 HP more regional office as well as working to ensure than before at 188HP. This is at an elevated a stable price regime that is not affected 7000rpm. Max torque is 22.4 kgM @ 4400 by foreign exchange fluctuations. “To do rpm. The engine has new features including so the Accord production was transferred -by-wire and intelligent i-VTEC. to the USA and now the CR-V will also This engine is mated to a 5-speed auto be sourced from the USA for the MY12 gearbox connected to what Honda calls a onwards.” Real Time AWD that helps the CR-V better Also present at the occasion was Manabu handle low-grip situations. We have seen Nishimae, who is incharge of operations this before in the CrossTour. As seen there for Europe, CIS countries, the Middle and too, we have the green ECON mode button Near East and Africa. He pointed out that that is used to maximise fuel-efficiency by the CR-V was a truly global product in dialling down power consumption from the Honda’s scheme with production bases in air-conditioning and other controls. 10 different countries and volumes of half The chassis sits on a 2,620mm wheelbase, a million units, with cumulative sales of with wider track, fully independent 5 million till last year. He added, “The all suspension and features like vehicle stability new CR-V was launched in USA on 15th assist and a speed sensitive electric power December, and achieved all time record steering. On the plus side the redesign sales in January and Fenruary. In March sees a lower load height coupled with a too the CR-V sold more than 30,000 units second row of seats that can be folded which is the best ever result in the USA.” flat, although this is achieved by profiling In addition to the CR-V, the company also the squab to be almost featureless. The used the occasion to announce the launch higher grades of the car get a 5” colour of three new motorcycles built around a TFT display that integrates the multi- common mid concept platform, with the information display with audio, bluetooth first of the three being unveiled as the and air-conditioning info. “Integra” scooter. Powered by a 670cc twin In terms of performance the CR-V stays engine, with strong torque characteristics true to its breed as the city runabout that and a dual clutch transmission with manual also features the ability to take the family mode, the Integra is an oddly named yet on a weekend outing to the mountains.

12 Honda’s exclusive distributor Omasco launched the 2012 new CR-V sports utility vehicle in Oman at the Crowne Plaza in Muscat signaling the rejuvenation of the brand in the Sultanate. Besides the new model introduction Omasco is focusing on ramping up its existing infrastructure with investments in showroom upgrades, additional service centres, showrooms and even a dedicated staff training programme. It’s no secret that along with other Japan-based brands, business in 2011 was severely hampered by the aftermath of Tsunami in Japan followed by disastrous flooding of Honda factories in Thailand which resulted in short supplies. “It is fair to say that 2011 was not a good year for Honda, the negative effects passed down to distributors. Over the next 6-12 months there will be a big change (in Honda), we are going to be investing in our own people, on training and recruitment,” said Simon Ellis, head of sales and marketing, Honda Sales. All new for 2012, the fourth-generation Honda CR-V embraces a sophisticated and bold styling direction, offers multiple technology firsts for Honda and increases fuel economy on all models. A dual overhead cam (DOHC), improved all- aluminium i-VTEC 185hp 2.4-litre four-cylinder with 16 valves and a high-volume intake manifold powers the car. All CR-V models are now equipped with an ECON button as part of the Eco Assist™ system which when activated alters the Drive-by-Wire throttle system response curve and it also alters the operation of the cruise control system and the air-conditioning system, allowing for slightly increased variances with the set speed or the set temperature in order to conserve fuel whenever possible. “Long established as the benchmark vehicle in its class in terms of quality, refinement and popularity, the 2012 CR-V is designed to continue to exceed customer expectations for entry-level SUVs. Major enhancements include improved car-like interior comfort, a smoother and quieter ride, and more innovative features,” said Ellis. Imported from US and depending on trim, the car’s price range begins at OMR10,350-OMR12,495.

Exceedingly good NVH levels are coupled with a nicely balanced electric power steering and a responsive 5-speed gearbox that allows you to push the vehicle should you choose. Along with the nice response from the engine, the gearbox allows you to tune in pick-up to suit the drive. It is really difficult to fault the CR-V in its new form. The styling is rakish and instantly appealing and the build quality is still very good. The only issue is the price point at which it now sells between RO 10,500 to 12,400/-. One wonders what the price would have been should the company have chosen to bring it out of Japan! However, knowing the sort of hardcore CR-V customers who will be willing to stay in the model by trading up to the new shape and the way in which all prices are going up, we don’t see this impacting sales of the car.

13 REGIONAL NEWS

Mazda impresses Oman with Refreshed Hyundai Genesis Coupe now in ME the CX-5 Crossover SUV

One of the key highlights of last month’s elaborate Hyundai Motor Middle East has introduced the giving a far sportier look than its previous form. The Towell Auto Show 2012 was the launch and unveil significantly redesigned 2013 Genesis Coupe to the previous model it replaces won accolades all over of the all new 2012 Mazda CX-5 SUV. The Mazda Middle East. The Genesis Coupe made its international the world so we have high hopes for the new version CX-5’s unique SKYACTIV powertrains deliver all the debut when it was unveiled in Detroit at the North here in the Middle East.” qualities that make a vehicle fun to drive and to own: American International Auto Show earlier this year. more torque, better responsiveness and better fuel In keeping with impressive performance upgrades, economy. The latest edition of Sustainable Zoom- the Genesis Coupe now sports more aggressive Zoom, here is a vehicle that does precisely what the coupe styling, complemented by improved interior driver wants and reacts exactly as one would expect. materials and design. In Oman, the CX-5 will be offered with a 158hp Managing Director of Hyundai Middle East, Mr 2.0-litre 16 valve four cylinder engine with new six- Tom Lee said: “The fluidic sculpture design lines speed automatic transmission. The new arrival will be are evident in the new Genesis Coupe as they are offered in both 5 and 7 seat configurations depending integrated into a new front bumper and bonnet, on market in the region. Annurag Chawla, Head of Marketing and Communications, TAC said: “Already a celebrity of GMC sales in the Middle East breaking news sorts, the Mazda CX-5 has been heralded as the first growing in a long line of Mazda motors to incorporate its latest Hyundai Motors has hit a new level in customer SKYACTIV technology - a futuristic technology that GMC confirmed its popularity among Middle East service for the car industry, with the introduction of its gives higher fuel efficiency without compromising automotive consumers by recording 44 percent sales comprehensive Premium Assurance Programme for its on performance. The CX-5 is not only a major stride growth in the first quarter of 2012. GMC sold 10,790 luxury cars throughout the Middle East region. Simon forward for Mazda but also a compelling reason for vehicles in the Middle East, which represented the Lee, from Hyundai’s ME office officially inaugurated the die-hard SUV haters to reconsider whether fun and brands’ highest first quarter sales period in the region premium lounge at Hyundai’s Wattayah showroom. function can co-exist in one vehicle.” since 2008 due to growing demand for its popular line-up of crossovers, SUVs and pickups. Sales were driven in first quarter by the recently launched GMC Terrain crossover, which achieved its highest ever sales month in March since its introduction in early 2011. The Yukon and Yukon XL full-size SUVs also recorded strong sales growth, up 38 percent and 25 percent respectively. The Acadia crossover registered a 22 per cent sales gain, while the Sierra full-size pickup achieved a 67 per cent year-over-year sales increase.

Successful regional launch MINI rocks Al Ain Bridgestone’s tyre safety of V8 GT campaign comes to Muscat in Oman

200 MINI aficionados were treated to a jam-packed Bentley is on an overdrive worldwide with sales During the first week of April, Bridgestone’s tyre programme of fun and MINI adventure at an exclusive booming and Oman in the Middle East has a special safety campaign came to Muscat with a display gathering at the Jebel Hafeet Hotel, courtesy of Abu place for the British luxury performance marque. The located at Muscat City Centre at Seeb. Part of Dhabi Motors. Abu Dhabi Motors is enjoys ongoing second generation 2011 Continental GT had its global the brand’s regional initiative to communicate the success with the MINI brand and has recorded 39 per importance of tyres and the role that they play in cent increase in sales during the first three months the safety of the vehicle as well as the importance of this year. of regular maintenance and checks, the campaign The day included test drives, competitions, face was started last year and began its second round painting and a MINI accessories exhibition. Of course, from Doha this year. The regional office sees this the event wouldn’t be complete without a live music as part of their CSR initiatives and makes sure that performance to create the perfect MINI atmosphere, people know the importance of selecting the right with the hotel band taking to the stage. With over quality of tyre. ten MINIs on display the event also served as a “Too many people are still unaware of the impact platform to showcase the latest additions to the MINI that vehicle’ tyres can have on their safety while family: the MINI Roadster and MINI Coupé – as well they’re at the wheel” said Mr. Takumi Kakara, as other models from the diverse range such as the Marketing Director of Bridgestone Middle East & MINI Countryman, MINI Cooper S and MINI Cabrio. Africa. “At Bridgestone we care about drivers and The tour made its way down from Jebel Hafeet and it is part of our commitment to promote awareness around the city of Al Ain, visiting spots like Green launch in Oman and last month the regional launch on tyre safety among all motorists. People visiting Mubazzarah, Bawadi Mall and Hilton Road. of the 500hp 4.0-litre biturbo Continental GT variant the Tyre Safety and Eco Station will have the took place. Said Chris Buxton, Bentley’s regional opportunity to learn and practice how to properly director: “We are delighted to be in Oman once again check tyre air pressure, tread wear, and detect for the launch of the V8 versions of the CGT and GTC. any signs of damage on tyres. We invite people to Both models are now important for the line-up and pass by, they’ll find out how easy it is to keep their also for customers looking at performance without families and friends safe when they drive, and also compromise. And the arrival of the new V8 Continental save moneyby reducing fuel consumption”. models fulfils Bentley’s environmental commitment to The stand had a special demonstration corner produce a new powertrain that delivers a 40 per cent where Bridgestone staff taught visitors simple improvement in fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions.” steps to enhance safety while driving on roads; Buxton expects the sales split between the V8 and drivers could practice how to check the proper tyre V12 range of the Continentals will be 50:50 in the air pressure and tread wear to avoid the dangers of region. driving with underinflated/ overinflated and worn- out/damaged tyres.

14 INTRODUCING

Youthful spirit, electric new age style, design and efficiency that encourages your preferences and redefines your space on the road. Youth Unlimited

New Chrome Grille Superior Audio System Class Leading Fuel Efficient VVTi Engine 15" Alloy Wheels with Integrated USB/AUX Airbags: Driver & Passenger LED Lamps Rear Sensors Anti Lock Brake System(ABS) Rear Bumper Spoiler Premium Decal + Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) Lip-type Rear Spoiler Muffler Cutter & Brake Assist (BA)

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Jaguar confirms F-Type coupe officially

Automan’s take

We are pretty sure that Jaguar certainly won’t limit its planning to just a convertible. If you get the engineering of a convertible right, it’s relatively easy to do a coupe.

Shortly after Jaguar announced that the production F-Type will be coming to market in mid-2013, in New York, Adrian Hallmark, Jaguar Global Brand Director share some of the finer points of the new sub-XK . The F-Type is more or less the production version of the C-X16 concept that debuted at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, but instead of sticking to the concept’s coupe body style, the production F-Type will launch as a two-seat roadster. “C-X16 was a vision car with the intent to show off a new design language, and it’s easier to completely realize the full capacity of a new styling direction on a coupe body style rather than on a roadster,” Hallmark said. Meanwhile, Jaguar’s director of design, Ian Callum, added that there were no plans to offer a folding hardtop version of the F-Type roadster – it will use a standard soft top. A folding hardtop “would ruin the shape of the car,” Callum said. The F-Type will use a new powertrain family, possibly previewed start where the XKR-S finishes, even with less power.” In other words, the by the supercharged 3.0-litre V6 and electric motor combination F-Type will be more of a focused sports car rather than a luxury GT. The found under the hood of the C-X16 concept. Hallmark stated that F-Type will be priced below the XK but above competitors like the Porsche in terms of driver involvement and performance, the F-Type “will Boxster/Cayman, BMW Z4 and Mercedes-Benz SLK.

Hyperion in UAE for sale?

Remember Roland Hall – a high-profile Rolls-Royce collector who got Jason Castriota of Pininfarina to design a one-off car exotic -- the Hyperion? Produced by the special projects division of Pininfarina, the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe-based Hyperion incorporated specific requests for the car’s appearance and utility - including two compartments for small items such as hunting rifles, located in front of the windscreen. The car was on display at last year’s Dubai Motor Show and was rumored to be up for sale off and on since then. But recently the car was spotted in showroom in Abu Dhabi where it is for sale at an undisclosed price. Previous reports put its MSRP at around US$6mn.

Automan’s take

Named for a Titan in Greek mythology, the Pininfarina-etched Hyperion from 2008 was designed to evoke memories of cars from the 1930s with its long majestic bonnet, short rear overhang and low rooflines. The design changes needed to create the Hyperion included the removal of the rear seats and a shift in driving position, which is now 400mm further back in the Hyperion than in the stock Drophead. The bespoke one- off vehicle was actually up for sale on luxury goods website Jameslist.

16 A century for Range Rover Evoque Audi E-tron to get “synthetic” engine noises When it comes to awards, the Range Rover Evoque seems to be the hottest name in this list. The car, which won Automan’s award recently has now been crowned World Design Car of the Year 2012. The announcement was made at the 2012 New York International Auto Show. The Evoque’s awards tally has now crossed more than 100 global accolades. The award is testament to the Evoque’s groundbreaking and unique design and recognises the fact that the dynamic new Range Rover has created a new segment of the market to world-wide acclaim. Gerry McGovern, Land Rover Design Director said: “We are honoured that the Range Rover Evoque has been named 2012 World Design Car of the Year. This prestigious accolade recognises the overwhelmingly positive response that we have received to the Evoque’s bold and dramatic design. It is a car that truly resonates on an emotional The R8 e-tron, Audi’s electric-powered, two- level.” The Evoque was shortlisted from an original 46 nominations and beat off stiff competition from the two seater zero-emissions supercar is scheduled to other finalists – the Citroen DS5 and the Volkswagen Up! be launched later this year and the company has announced the car will feature “synthetic” engine noises. This has been done as a safety measure so Automan’s take that pedestrians can hear the nearly silent electric vehicle, the model will have a carefully crafted A panel of five highly ‘engine noise’ that promises to be “well-rounded respected world design and harmonious.” The system will measure the experts decided on the electric motor’s rotational speed to determine shortlist, which was then which noises to produce. The sound is then played voted on by each of the through a loudspeaker that is attached to the R8’s 66 World Car Jurors. undercarriage. The jurors are all highly While creating the sound was rather complex, Dr. respected, top-level Ralf Kunkel said “Because we here at Audi are all automotive journalists and automotive experts, we have a great advantage come from 25 separate over sound specialists elsewhere. We know our countries. vehicles inside and out, not to mention how they operate and behave.”

Nissan confirms UK-production for all-new hatchback in 2014

Nissan and UK Prime Minister David Cameron have announced an all-new midsized model will breaking news be produced in Sunderland Plant, UK in 2014. This follows the announcement at that Sunderland will also produce a mainstream B-segment compact car based on the Nissan’s Chief Creative Officer Shiro Nakamura INVITATION concept from next year. Production capacity for the new model will be around 80,000 has revealed some new details about a possibility units triggering the need for Sunderland Plant to implement an additional shift. This will see both of a new sports car in the future line-up. At the production lines operating ‘around the clock’ for the first time in the plant’s 26-year history, a New York Motor Show, Nakamura said: “I much move which will take manufacturing capacity beyond 550,000 units. prefer smaller sports car[s].” He declined to Automan’s take comment on the possibility of a 200SX revival, but hinted “If there is a market, we will do it.” Nissan already produces more vehicles in As for the 370Z, Nakamura said the company Europe than any other Asian manufacturer and hasn’t decided if the next-generation model will the model announced will bring world-class have a smaller or larger displacement engine. quality and leading technology to the heart of Regardless, the car is expected to be significantly the European C-segment. lighter than today’s model and will squarely aim at Toyota’s FT-86 and Subaru BRZ.

Porsche Engineering takes over proving ground in Italy

This month, Porsche Engineering Group will be taking over vehicle handling circuit ideally complements our facilities responsibility for the Nardò Technical Center automotive in Weissach. With the systematic development of the proving ground in Apulia in southern Italy from Prototipo company in Nardò as part of Strategy 2018, Porsche is SpA. With more than 80 years experience in engineering proving to be a reliable employer and business partner in services, the hundred per cent subsidiary of Porsche AG Apulia as well,” said Matthias Müller, President and CEO of will be further optimising the test facilities and making Porsche AG. “With its rich array of facilities, from dynamic them available to its clients for testing and trials purposes. surfaces to acoustic and off-road sections coupled with the Covering an area of more than 700 hectares, the test numerous workshops, our clients can continue to make ground in the Province of Lecce comprises a 6.2 kilometre extensive use of Nardò for their vehicle trials in the future long handling circuit, a 12.5 kilometre long oval circuit as well,” said Malte Radmann, CEO of Porsche Engineering. and facilities for simulating different road surfaces and Thanks to the mild climate, the Nardò proving ground can changeable weather conditions. be used throughout the year in three shifts around the “The Nardò proving ground with its high-speed and clock, seven days a week.

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Hyundai Veracruz to Rolls-Royce may opt for the plug-in hybrid route

end production in Q4 Automan’s take

Hyundai Motor America CEO John In response to strict mileage and emissions regulations, auto Krafcik has confirmed that the all-new manufacturers from all around the world have started to seven passenger 2013 Santa Fe will equip their cars with smaller engines without sacrificing on replace the bigger Veracruz model. performance.If a Rolls Royce plug-in hybrid is given the green “The Veracruz is going away as it light for production, it won’t hit showrooms until the end of this ends production around November. decade at the very earliest. No technical details were given, but Hyundai debuted the new Santa Fe it would surely borrow bits and pieces of its drivetrain from the at the New York International Auto BMW parts bin. Show in both five-passenger and seven-passenger configurations. The new design of the Santa Fe moves it into Hyundai’s stylized fluidic design theme, something that has been very successful with the compact Elantra and midsize Sonata. Automan’s take

The seven-passenger Veracruz was a new nameplate for Hyundai when it rolled out in 2007. It was quite popular in the Middle East but a slow seller in the US. Hyundai has found an innovative way around that problem with the Santa Fe which it considers as a golden nameplate. We agree, as it will also be more As custodians of the brand, Rolls-Royce motor car range of 200km and a top speed of 160km/h, Rolls efficient producing a five- and seven-passenger Santa Fe than owners are a unique lot when it comes to protecting Royce customers who drove this variant considered two different vehicles. From the the interests of the iconic British marque. The idea these statistics to be unacceptable, and the idea of B- forward, there will only of moving out and following the current trends in a Rolls EV has since been dropped. be minor differences between the the motoring business – downsizing, electrification But, the BMW-owned luxury carmaker isn’t two Santa Fe models. are so far no-go areas. “Customers tell us, do completely giving up on building more efficient not mess with the 12-cylinder engine,” Rolls CEO cars and thinks that it can still do a thing or Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes said at the recent New York two without sacrificing the 6.75-litre V12. “I can auto show. Rolls-Royce has invested huge sums in imagine something that combines electric and developing alternative propulsion systems and has combustion engines, like a plug-in hybrid,” said even tried its hand in promoting greener solutions Mueller-Oetvoes. “We do not yet have any plans with the all-electric Phantom 102EX which met with in our hands, but it is something we are currently lukewarm response. While the electric roller had a looking into.”

Paceman renamed Countryman Coupe in production guise

What’s in a name? It’s pretty obvious that automakers’ definition of the word ‘coupe’ these days is a far cry from the traditional meaning. (We do live in the world of the “four-door coupe,” after all.) That said, Car and Driver magazine has reported that MINI will call the company’s two-door Paceman Concept the Countryman Coupe once it hits production. While it’s true that both the Paceman Concept and most coupes have two doors, the vehicle is more of a CUV/hatchback/crossover and both vehicles wear the same nose front fascia, grille, headlights, mudguards and bonnet. The three-door Countryman will go on sale in 2013 as a 2014 model, and rumour has it that the production model will debut at the Paris Motor Show later this year. A few patent drawings have already made their way to the web, indicating the final version will be remarkably similar to the concept we’ve already seen.

18 Kia powers ahead Willie G. to retire from Harley-Davidson this month Automan’s take

Like the new Europe-only Cee’d hatch, which Famed Senior Vice President and Chief Styling made it global debut at Geneva motor show, the Officer Wille G. has announced his retirement from jointly developed Cerato will be more spacious Harley-Davidson effective April 30, 2012, after 49 and refined than the model it replaces, but the years with the company. He is 78 years of age, biggest surprise will be inside. and one of 13 executives who purchased the brand from AMF in 1981. According to Harley-Davidson, Wille G., grandson of company founder William A. Davidson, is leaving 19-year company veteran Ray Drea in charge of the styling department. Drea and Davidson are said to have collaborated on many milestone models. In other words, we wouldn’t expect sweeping changes to H-D’s overall design philosophy in Willie’s absence, for better or for worse. Willie G. will remain onboard as an ambassador at motorcycle No fewer than four redesigned models including next-generation Grand Carnival, Rondo rallies and events, and Soul models are xpected to hit the markets next year and it’s the redesigned Cerato and he’ll lead small car that is responsible for this next wave of new Kia models. special design Fresh from adding four-door saloon and three-door hatchback versions of the sleek new projects as Chief five-door Rio hatch, Kia Middle East’s next major model release will be the facelifted Styling Officer Sorento crossover, which will arrive in Q3 or Q4 riding on the new monocoque platform Emeritus. that will also underpin the forthcoming Santa Fe from sister brand Hyundai.

Mazda Takeri design to influence future new models also Automan’s take The Mazda Takeri concept will “strongly influence” the 2014 Mazda6 that will be previewed at the Paris Motor Show later this year. The next Mazda6 will also follow the recently introduced Mazda CX-5 in the company’s line-up of SkyActiv vehicles. In spite of being branded as the 2014 model year, the 6 will actually go on sale during Q1 of 2013 and will feature the SkyActiv 2.0-litre engine that shifts through a six-speed auto or six-speed manual. Mazda We will also be looking to see says it is gunning to post class-leading fuel economy figures. if the new design language spawns a coupe, since the Takeri concept could make an equally beautiful two- door car. However, that isn’t expected to happen for at least a year after the sedan is introduced. But recent events at Mazda have made such long-distance predictions exceedingly difficult and it will be a shame for it not to happen.

India’s Mahindra inaugurates research complex

The Indian passenger and utility vehicle maker, Mahindra which will be home to about 1,500 engineers initially with And that is not all. Mahindra also claims that the engineers has launched its world class facility called the “Mahindra the number expected to grow to about 3000. Mahindra at the Mahindra Research Valley can pursue projects Research Valley” in Chennai. The world class R&D facility has spent close to US$13mn to setup the Mahindra in areas of embedded systems, infotronics, artificial was inaugurated by His Excellency, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Research Valley and will be having facilities like Engine intelligence, mechatronics and advanced telematics also. Honourable Former President of India. The Mahindra Development Center (EDC), NVH facilities, a Fatigue Test The new Engine Development Centre (EDC) will be used Research Valley will be home to one of the most modern Lab, alternative fuels, passenger safety and polymer to address various issues involved in the development of automobile and tractor R&D facilities in India and is technologies. Apart from these areas, R&D activities engines and also increased focus on designing, modifying, perhaps one of its kind to house research activities of related to advanced propulsion systems – hydrogen, fuel developing, calibrating and evaluating existing and new passengers and tractors under one roof. The Mahindra cells, bio-diesels and hybrids will also be carried out at the engines for various performance, reliability, durability, Research Valley facility is spread over 125 acres of area Mahindra Research Valley. legislative and customer requirements.

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China’s rapid growth has declined steadily since 2010 as a slump in global demand battered its exporters and Beijing tightened lending and investment curbs to cool an China still hot overheated economy and surging inflation. But for car makers, it still represents a lot of moolah and a significant percentage of the global success is attributed to China. Global giants GM and Volkswagen continue to lead China’s market with key joint ventures and market for car massive presences in major metropolitan areas. Other global automakers, like Honda and BMW are investing big and finding solid growth in the country. Automan has makers compiled some interesting facts.

Audi is maintaining growth course 450 units but that wasn’t enough for the cars seems insatiable, and Thanks to some 346,100 vehicles delivered US to retain its long-standing position as is keen to meet the demand. It is reportedly – an increase of 10.8 per cent – this past Bentley’s largest market, as 578 units sales working on producing three current and quarter was the best in company history. in China in the same period shadowed the US future sedans in China. Just five This strong start to the year was due in years ago, in 2007, Cadillac had no sales in part to March figures: around 143,500 units Automan’s take China. Last year, the brand sold some 30,000 delivered and a 14.1 percent rise in sales. vehicles in the Chinese market, despite Audi had never sold so many vehicles in a punishing tariffs that the government places single month. Growth from January through on imported cars.Cadillac will announce March was fueled in particular by customers An uncontrolled slump could these intentions at the Beijing Auto Show in the USA and China, where Audi achieved have global repercussions, and it is expected ultimately that Cadillac record sales, as well. The company likewise hurting demand for oil, industrial will build its ATS sport sedan, midsize registered growth in Eastern Europe and in components and consumer CTS sedan, and executive XTS sedan in its domestic German market. “We kicked off goods at a time when US and China. Presently, only one Cadillac model 2012 very successfully and expect growth to European growth are weak. is currently built in China, the STS-based continue in the months to come,” says Peter While sales performance of most SLS executive sedan. It’s built by Shanghai Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of carmakers are upward, Ford’s General Motors, which is a long-standing Management for Marketing and Sales at future performance shouldn’t joint venture between General Motors and AUDI AG. “Our new A3 will be rolled out from be undermined as its current SAIC Motor Corp. Cadillac sales hit 30,000 the second half of this year, and we have line-up has proved to be solidly last year in China, which is a 72.8per cent just introduced the new-generation A6L in competitive in other markets, increase from the year before. Moving China.” The luxury sedan’s long-wheelbase and we think it’s a matter of production of Chinese-spec ATS, CTS, and version leads its segment in China. time when Ford catches up with XTS sedans to that market could greatly Audi just completed the best quarter ever the rest. increase Cadillac’s market share in China in China – the company achieved growth of 40.5 per cent by selling 25,941 more new Ford Audi models to Chinese customers than in the While GM and VW in particular have spent first quarter of 2011. Of the 31,505 vehicles the last decade-plus building their brands delivered in March (+37 percent), the largest in China, but for most of that time Ford was share was achieved by the locally produced largely focused elsewhere. Ford supremo A4L, A6L and Q5 models. 4,674 more people Alan Mulally has worked hard to make up purchased the Audi SUV (+139.9 per cent), success. However, there’s cautious optimism for lost time in the past few years, investing compared to March 2011. Moreover, China as Christophe Georges, Bentley’s chief big in a major joint venture and building an remains the most important market for the operating officer expects China’s crown to elaborate production complex in Chongqing. , accounting for over 40 per cent of be temporary. “The Chinese and US markets But while the company has promised 15 new global sales of this luxury sedan. are both strong. I don’t see (China’s lead) as vehicles for China by 2015, current sales a permanent situation.” have been hit-or-miss. After solid results last Bentley year, Ford China’s sales were down 14 per Sales of Bentley cars in the US grew by General Motors cent in the first quarter versus the year-ago 40per cent in the first quarter, reaching The Chinese market’s appetite for luxury period.

20 Toyota to adopt new design and product strategy

In an effort to reduce costs and speed up development, Toyota has announced plans to create a new global Automan’s take architecture. In a major reforms policy, Toyota wants to cut the number of executives tied to the design review process to streamline decision making. The company says that with too many people involved, vehicles have been built by “eliminating negatives” instead of focusing on their strengths. Added cooperation between the automaker’s planning and design units may foster more innovative styling and better aerodynamics. More After months of labour turmoil at importantly, the platforms will be shared worldwide to reduce costs. There will also be more parts sharing which Toyota’s Altona plant – ranging will reduce development time and increase profitability. The new global architecture will be launched with three from industrial action over a new front-wheel-drive platforms that should underpin nearly half of Toyota’s annual production. According to CEO work agreement and management Akio Toyoda, the revamped system will allow the company to design multiple models at the same time to reduce decision to lay off almost 10 per cent costs. The Toyota New Global Architecture will first be applied to front-wheel drive models. of the workforce earlier this year after 2012 production forecasts were slashed from about 120,000 units to 95,000 [mainly due to a drop in exports to the Middle East], there’s a ray of hope -- the new AUS$300mn four-cylinder engine plant is now nearing completion at Altona and is seen as one of the keys to future manufacturing by Toyota in Australia. Meanwhile, management and labour unions need to sort out their differences for long-term survival.

Zeta platform still relevant despite ’s global shift post-VF model

GM’s Australian-arm Holden’s Zeta large- car architecture hasn’t completely been abandoned and it is still in General Motors’ Automan’s take global platform strategy. The catch is that The only spin-off from Holden’s $1 billion its long-term future depends on maintaining development of the Zeta platform has been sustainable volumes of Commodore-based the reborn Camaro, which uses a exports from Australia. modified Commodore architecture known as Zeta’s place within GM’s rapid rationalisation Zeta II. Export markets such as Middle East of vehicles worldwide has been defended by are expected to play a bigger role in future the recovering auto giant’s North America despite the fact that Zeta was not a high- president – and former GM Holden chief volume global platform like Delta II, Epsilon – Mark Reuss, who was adamant it was a II and Super Epsilon II, which underpin GM’s small, mid-size and latest large car models global platform despite its limited application. a long future. Reuss, who has championed respectively. Once touted as spawning a Reuss was promoted to run the reorganised the Commodore’s return to the North global range of Commodore-based rear-drive parent company’s North American operations American market as a Chevrolet Camaro V8 sedans, the conventional wisdom is that at the end of 2009, claimed he could not performance car thinks the Zeta platform has the Zeta platform was sidelined during GM’s predict if the Commodore’s Zeta platform had been underutilized. descent into Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2009. Chevrolet-badged Caprices are exported in limited quantities to the Middle East and GM Holden will continue manufacturing in Australia until at least 2022 after securing $275mn in government US, while a trickle of Caprice-based funding and committing to a billion-dollar program based on two all-new next-generation global vehicle Park Avenues are sent in CKD form to China. architectures. Thrashed out over the past three months with the federal and South Australian and Victorian state governments, the deal secures the operations of Holden’s manufacturing plant at Elizabeth in for Interestingly, the Alpha architecture is tipped the next 10 years. However, the future of Holden’s Victorian-based engineering and design divisions – currently to be the base of the next, sixth-generation with more than 1000 employees – is less certain with the switch to globalised GM platforms. Camaro, further indicating that Zeta will be Holden chairman and managing director Mike Devereux recently confirmed to media that the locally developed left out in the cold. The Alpha platform is a Zeta large- will not continue beyond the VF Commodore launched next year and that the company’s Detroit development of the cutdown Zeta engineers and designers would be increasingly involved in international programs. For Commodore, the chassis designed by Holden for the mid-size announcement of an all-new global platform could herald a shift to a smaller vehicle than the current large Torana TT36 concept shown in 2004. rear-drive range based on Zeta, which also underpins the Holden , long-wheelbase Caprice sedan and high- performance iterations from . While details are scarce, Devereux would confirm only that the “two new Australian-made cars will be world-class” and “will be underpinned by global architectures from within General Motors and bring new fuel-saving, connectivity and safety technologies to Holden’s portfolio”.

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Flood nightmare in Thailand ends for Honda

Round-the-clock efforts by an army incoming water, in a similar way to the of Honda engineers and factory tsunami damage seen in Japan after last workers at the company’s flood- year’s earthquakes. devastated Thai factory has ensured As part of major damage control, Honda that production will be back on track flew in an army of Japanese engineers by June, which is months earlier than and production equipment suppliers who predicted. The first fresh Thai-made with the help of local factory workers CR-Vs and Civics are scheduled to had the factory up and running in just arrive in markets late this from the Automan’s take three months. Meanwhile, some of the Honda Automobile Thailand factory production equipment in the refurbished Despite the devastation to the Honda plant at Ayutthaya, outside Bangkok, which factory was diverted from new factories and its suppliers in Thailand, Honda had never was swamped by up to 2.5 metres of seriously considered shutting the factory and in Indonesia and Japan to the mud-caked water for 45 days in last year’s Thai rebuilding elsewhere, because the cost and Thai plant. floods. delay would have been prohibitive. The two Honda Automobile Thailand Shipments of Jazz, City and Accord production lines have resumed at 30 per will follow in June, although all Thai- cent capacity to ensure everything is in made cars initially will come only in into the factory in October it badly ruined 80 full working order again, but within three the three most popular colours – white, black per cent of the equipment, including high-tech weeks the plant should be back running at full and silver – to help speed production. Since production robots. Earlier, it was estimated that capacity of 1000 vehicles a day. The six-month October last year, the regularization of shipments Honda’s key south-east Asian car-making hub production shutdown since October had cost will mark the end of a product draught for the would be out of action for up to 12 months. Honda an estimated 200,000 vehicles. It now local importer and dealers, many of whom lost Asian Honda president and CEO Hiroshi had a backlog of about 60,000 orders, which 80 per cent of their sales volume overnight . Kobayashi said the plant had not just been should be cleared in two to three months, When flood waters overwhelmed and poured swamped, but damaged by the pressure of the depending on the model.

What’s in a name?

Mercedes is in the midst of a major product expansion and media from Europe are reporting that the company will also revamp their naming nomenclature in view of the expanding line-up. According to Automobile Magazine, Mercedes will contunue with C, E and S-Class names for the mainstream sedans. We can also expect the SL, SLK, and SLS AMG to keep their current nomenclature. In the future, coupes and convertibles are slated to begin with the CL prefix. This means the company’s entry-level four-door coupe - which will be previewed by the Concept Style Coupe - will adopt the CLA name because it is a ‘coupe’ that is based on the A-Class. Likewise, the CLC name will be used on the next-generation C-Class coupe and convertible. Additionally, the E-Class coupe and convertible should adopt the CLE nomenclature. While the next-generation CL would logically become the CLS, it will reportedly be called the SLC Automan’s take to ensure the current CLS doesn’t have to be renamed. On the crossover side, the models A bit confusing and what’s not clear is whether are expected to adopt names derived from the G-Class. This gets a little tricky since there the ‘baby SLS’ could revive the SLR nameplate are so many models that aren’t based off car platforms but the A-Class crossover could be eventually. called the GLA while the GLK becomes the GLC.

3:1 is liability:asset ratio of Saab

Automan’s take Saab’s trustees announced that the automaker’s $89mn is owed to employees, reports the Every bidder that has placed an offer to purchase Saab wants to restart remaining assets, including its assembly plant, are Associated Press. For its part, GM says vehicle production at the bankrupt Swedish company’s assembly plant worth only about a third of what it owes to creditors. that it won’t have to write off Saab’s debt in Trollhattan. Indian manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra is the only Only some preferential creditors will receive what they because it set aside $100mn last year. Saab’s company that has publically confirmed its bid for Saab, while reports are owed when Saab begins to sell off its roughly trustees said that employees won’t receive claim an alliance from China and Japan put forward plans to produce $532mn in assets. Saab owes about $1.9bn, according any payments unless they worked for Saab electric cars at the disused plant in Sweden. The administrators hope to to the automaker’s balance sheet. Automobile Powertrains, while the country make a decision on the brand’s future before June. The biggest debt – around $388mn – is owed to of Sweden will receive some payments for Sweden, which pumped some money into Saab securities in shares. before the automaker closed its doors late last year. Bids submitted among potential bidders was “high,” although the only Another $107mn is owed to former Saab owner Parties interested in acquiring Saab’s assets as known bidders include India’s Mahindra, a Japanese- General Motors (not including an additional $388mn in a whole – presumably also including the brand’s Chinese consortium and Youngman, the Chinese Lotus preferential shares, which would only have been paid intellectual property rights – were allowed to submit importer that GM blocked from taking a stake in Saab back if Saab’s assets exceeded its debt), while around bids in Sweden. According to TTELA.se, activity late last year.

22 Fourth Generation Range Rover Based On D4u Platform Lotus reveals terms of Genii-Proton deal on FB while

The D4u platform based car will be lighter and will There have been plenty of rumours combine the use of high tensile steel and aluminium regarding the fate of Lotus and its in its monocoque architecture. The car will be 25 mm relationship with its longtime parent longer than the current Range Rover and the incoming company, Proton. Speculators are 2013 Range Rover is expected to shed at least 500kg saying that Dany Bahar has been [when compared to the current model, which tips the axed as CEO and that the company is undergoing bankruptcy protection. Automan’s take scale at 2500kgs]. The wheelbase is also changed and the D4u platform will allow engineers to push Also its involvement in Formula One Flexible platform engineering seems to be the formula is also about to close. The PR team at Lotus finds

breaking news breaking the wheels to the extremities of the vehicle, resulting automakers are looking as they move forward with itself is hard at work in clearing these rumours and in significant increase in interior room and better replacement models and new derivatives. While this has released a set of unprecedented details for all. handling on road. arrangement helps reduce development costs, the Having sold most of its stake in its team to Genii The new Range Rover is not only lighter but will also challenge for the engineers is to make the platform Capital, Renault reverted to an engine supplier role lighter and the body with more torsional stiffness for get more fuel efficient engines. Land Rover has kept the year before last, and Group Lotus stepped in as better handling and safety. lower fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions as title sponsor, which is an interesting relationship for their prime target with the new engines. The engines an automaker to have with an F1 team that it does Land Rover has not given the Range Rover any significant on offer will include an updated 4.4-litre V8 diesel, 5.0-litre not own or run itself – and not dissimilar to the update in ten years now and the next generation model is V8 petrol (including a supercharged version) with increase in sponsorship arrangement Infiniti has with Red Bull going to be launched later this year. The current generation power. A V6 petrol will also be offered in the Range Rover. Racing. The deal has Lotus holding branding rights, Range Rover (codenamed L322) is in its third generation. Land Rover is also working on a V6 diesel engine for the merchandising license and title sponsorship with the Now, we have got some world exclusive news about the fourth Range Rover, which will give it stellar economy. A hybrid is team. As part of the arrangement, however, Proton granted Genii a $48mn loan against which Genii generation Range Rover. We all know that the current Range also on the cards for an early 2014 launch. leveraged the team’s entire assets. So in addition to Rover was developed during the BMW Group ownership of Sources also indicate that the design and profile of the fourth the 10 per cent of the team which Proton has the Land Rover during the period 1995 to 2001. The new model generation Range Rover will be carried over. The 2013 Range right to buy at any time, it could take another 10 is being developed under Tata Motors, which believes heavily Rover will be slightly wider and longer with the head and tail per cent if Genii defaulted on the repayment of its in platform sharing for cost reduction. The next generation lights getting influenced from the Evoque. The interiors too loan. But if Genii proves incapable of paying back Range Rover has been codenamed L405 and will be based on will remain more or less the same with slight changes/tweaks Proton altogether, the Malaysian automaker could an all-new platform internally coded as D4u. being made to the dashboard. The design of the exteriors find itself in entire possession of a leading F1 team. Land Rover has developed the D4u platform and it will be has been freezed as we speak, but the interior is yet to be The takeover of Proton by DRB-HICOM comes at a used it in at least six other vehicles. As with the global trend finalized. A long wheel base version of the Range Rover is time when Proton says it is fully committed to its this highly flexibly new platform will help in substantial savings. being worked upon for the Chinese market similar to the five year business plan to create jobs and to expand Toyota has its IMV and Volkswagen is pursuing new models Jaguar XJ is offered in XJL trim in that market. the factory and business. With the takeover process the funding has been restricted it seems that DRB- on the new MQB platform. HICOM is taking time to understand what to do with the business. DRB-HICOM is currently in the middle Next Infiniti G-Cars to use Mercedes Platform of due diligence of Group Lotus.

Automan’s take A future version of Infiniti G IPL could offer as much as Variants expected will include a coupe and a sedan, while While blaming another UK-based 530 , thanks to the warming up platform- powertrain options are likely to offer buyers a hybrid and carmaker for spreading rumours, what sharing relationship between Daimler AG and the Renault- possibly a diesel for Europe. Lotus plans to do with if it no longer Nissan Alliance. Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz brand is now owned Group Lotus is a more important expected to provide the underpinnings for the Euro- issue at hand to tackle. Asian alliance’s next-generation Infiniti G cars. Infiniti will use the next-generation Mercedes-Benz C-Class Swedish Automobile reverts platform. This means that the new Infiniti model will back to Spyker name be slightly larger than the current Infiniti G, and will Back in 2010, the small Dutch be offered with more body and powertrain variations. producer of exotic GTs bought an ailing Saab from General MilestoneLand Rover Discovery reaches Beijing Motors and proceeded to focus all its energies on keeping it afloat. And as if to reflect that shift While, the 1,000,000th Land Rover Discovery rolled out from the carmakers’ Solihull manufacturing plant near in focus, changed its name to Swedish Birmingham in the UK in March, the 1,000,000th milestone vehicle becomes an integral part of the brand’s ‘Journey of Automobile NV – or SWAN for short.

Discovery’ from its birthplace in Birmingham to Beijing in China. The 50-day, 12,800km adventure by three Land Rover Automan’s take Discovery vehicles travelling through more than a dozen countries across Europe and Central Asia, culminating at the Beijing motor show on the dot as planned -- that is 23 April. Now that Saab has gone bankrupt, however, the Dutch holding company has officially changed its name back to Spyker. Just what that means, however, when the cars are built in the UK by CPP and the sportscar business was sold last year to North Street Capital, remains to be seen.

23 spotlight

just amatter of time

That China is the most promising market in the world was evident at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show. Domestic and international players rubbed shoulders with each other to get attention with an array of concepts, global unveils and adaptations. This is just the beginning...

Porsche has upped its gen II 2013 Cayenne GTS not only Audi presented the RS badged Q3 concept at China in the powertrain department but also in features

24 Chery Automobils is upping the domestic game with impressive concepts

Who would have imagined that Ferrari would go all the way and create a model with all the trappings for the Chinese market?

Subaru’s concept teaser kept people guessing till the last minute!

Jeep is also looking at traditional Chinese inspiration in it’s line-up

Lamborghini’s ultimate super athlete contender in the SAV segment. The Lamborghini Urus Concept promises to completely redefine dynamics and design in this category. The Urus combines unique design, a fascinating interior and outstanding performance with versatility and everyday usability, says Lamborghini.

Mercedes-Benz now focuses on small A- and B-Class models for BRIC markets with some aggressive styling and engineering

Chrysler Group has officially re-entered China and the Viaggio is a Dodge Dart derived China specific model

25 spotlight

26 Audi Mainstream product cars were more talked about at this year’s auto show than the usual list of wild concepts and far-off exotics. While flashy luxury and sports models dominated the Audi filled their stands quite cleverly with older “A” badged siblings and models like the R8 GT Spyder, TT RS, first press day, RS5, S8 and A4 allroad quattro.The new S6 and S7 were conspicuously missing! it was family vehicles and pickups that were the BMW highlight on day two.

It’s no secret that in the automotive show business in North America, the New York International Auto Show which comes after the Detroit show in January competes head-on for second place with Chicago and Los Angeles. But this year, the focus on the recovery of the American auto market and it seems that automakers have decided to use whichever platform is available, to its fullest capacities. Such a move has ensured that BMW showcased some updated models such as the 2013 smaller shows such as X6 coupe-crossover for the first time, but the carmaker’s New York show becomes real focus was on promoting its ‘M’ badge. We know that an important focal point the M6 coupe was unveiled in Geneva, the drop-top version for carmakers to offer first of the big, M-tuned two-door made it debut in New York. glimpses of some new Just like the previous-generation model, the new M6 twins models or concepts. The share nearly all of their components with the four-door M5. show attracted almost As such, the 2012 BMW M6 convertible boasts the same every player in the business 560-hp, 500-lb-ft twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 as its fixed-roof and Automan takes a siblings. The M6’s powerplant is 10 per cent more powerful look at the important cars and also 30 per cent more efficient than the previous unveiled at the show. 5.0-litre V-10 and is mated to seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

27 spotlight Bentley

Following their successful launch the Continental GT V8 and, making its public debut, Continental GTC V8 -- Bentley’s two new V8 models offer sensational performance, outstanding efficiency and a soundtrack to thrill any driver. The third model in the line-up, the Mulsanne is a pure example of the Grand Touring Bentley was showcased with Mulliner Driving Specification, complete with sunroof and bottle cooler with hand-blown and hand-cut lead crystal champagne flutes.

Chevrolet

John Cafaro, director of North America passenger car exterior design said during the unveil of the brand’s 2014 Impala: “Our design team was challenged to create a new classic, but that didn’t mean relying on nostalgia. This is very much a contemporary car, with design elements, craftsmanship and attention to detail that complement its advanced technology and performance.” It’s clear that the brand is leaving no stone unturned as continues to reinvigorate its line-up.

28 Dodge

Dodge surprised visitors and Viper aficionados with a trio of concepts and near production vehicles. The 2013 SRT Viper made its official world debut and the introduction of the latest Viper also marks the beginning of a new sub brand, Street and Racing Technology (SRT). SRT evolves from its performance and tuning roots into a standalone brand complete with its own flagship products. The Viper, now in its fifth generation, returns to the market with more power and performance, superior craftsmanship, new technologies and more creature comforts. There are also three models being introduced, two for road use and one for racing. The road cars are the Viper and Viper GTS. SRT is catering to both the traditional core Viper customer and the new customer who wants the same performance in a package with more technology and premium creature comforts. Besides the forthcoming production 184bhp Dodge Dart, there’s a Dodge Dart heading to the Global RallyCross series. This race version gets a high output turbocharged 2.0-litre 4-cylinder engine that pumps out incredible 600 bhp!

Honda & Acura

Honda’s luxury brand is trying to become relevant again in the business with an array of new products. The production ready RLX sport-sedan concept will replace Acura’s slow-selling RL. Meanwhile, the Honda Accord-based Crosstour drops the Accord as a standalone model. A new version of the Crosstour goes on sale this year.

29 spotlight

Fisker

Revealed as a design prototype at a special VIP preview event the night before the 2012 New York Auto Show press day, the Fisker Atlantic design prototype is a luxury four-door sporting sedan with a practical interior. The Atlantic uses the latest second generation EVer (Electric Vehicle with extended range) technology. It will offer all the benefits of electric drive while at the same time eliminating the “range anxiety” experienced with an all-electric powertrain. Like the Karma sedan, the Fisker Atlantic is a plug-in series hybrid vehicle that allows drivers to switch manually or automatically between electric and gasoline driving modes and sustain the charge of its lithium ion batteries on the move.

Infiniti

Infiniti has confirmed that it will launch a new electric sedan in about two years. The LE Concept is based around Nissan Leaf running-gear, and is described as a production-intent design. Its all-electric powertrain consists of a 24 kWh lithium- ion battery which powers a motor rated at 134hp and 240 pound-feet of torque. Drive is sent to the front wheels via a single-speed transmission and charging of the batteries can be done wirelessly via a special induction coil.

Nissan

The most important reveal [after a usual dose of teasers] for the Japanese brand was the 2013 Altima. The current generation Altima, despite receiving relatively few updates since its launch back in 2007, is not only Nissan’s best-selling model but also a top-seller in the affordable mid-size sedan segment. This fifth-generation model introduction will attempt to continue that performance by offering several attributes not normally found in this segment such as advanced multimedia and connectivity features and efficiency enhancing technologies.

30 Land Rover

Land Rover officially marked 25 years of doing business in the US at the show. While still experimenting with designs and concepts [we just broke news of new platforms for 2014 with multiple applications] NY saw another DC100 teaser officially described as the third version of the next-generation Defender. In seven months, Land Rover has presented several creative concepts for this model, but has given no indication of when it’s going into production. Also on show in New York was the Evoque Convertible Concept that debuted at Geneva. On the production model portfolio, Land Rover showed off special editions including the Range Rover Sport Supercharged ‘Red’ and ‘Luxury’ editions.

Lincoln

Ford’s premium brand is finally getting its design DNA fine tuned. Although strikingly modern, the design in the show car, the MKZ retains classic Lincoln design elements including a more refined interpretation of the split-wing grille, first seen on the 1938 Lincoln-Zephyr. Innovation and technology will drive the new MKZ. Replacing the traditional mechanical transmission shift lever is a contemporary five-button interface. The individual buttons of Push Button Shift engage Park, Neutral, Reverse, and forward gears in two modes, Drive and Sport.

Mercedes-Benz

Unveiled only slightly updated models at the show. One of these was the new 2013 GLK Class, which has been improved visually but also comes with a new GLK250 BlueTEC option.

31 spotlight

Hyundai

The Korean brand debuted new versions of its Santa Fe crossover-utility vehicle that will also replace the Veracruz after it goes out of production.

Toyota & Lexus

After a rough year, Toyota bounces back with some aggressiveness. The carmaker unveiled a radically-designed showroom ready Avalon sedan.The new Avalon has been designed from the ground up to be significantly different than the one it replaces, and is the result of a North American-focused design and engineering effort. Sporting a new design language penned by stylists at Toyota’s Calty Design Research facilities in Southern California and Michigan, everything under the skin engineered at the Toyota Technical Centre in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The new Avalon will be built alongside the Camry at the automaker’s plant in Kentucky and Toyota has promised that it will be a drivers’ car with three distinct drive modes: Normal, Eco and Sport.

32 Get

with Oman's only car magazine

www.automanweb.com {{CCOVEROVER ST STORYORY}}

Editorial Nominee

Lamborghini Aventador

Performance car 2012

A quick turn-around and some great product launches later, GM’s signature Chevrolet brand now brings in the eighth- generation Malibu to take the competition to the midsize leaders StealthAuthor : Raj Warrior | Author : Rajforce Warrior

34 Aventador LP700-4 supercar is at least Lamborghini claims that the two generations ahead of anything currentlyAutoman on the market.decides Is at this the a genuine claim or just another PR stunt? F1 Yas Marina track in Abu Dhabi

Editorial Nominee

Chevrolet Malibu

Mid-size car 2012

35 {COVER STORY}

ike previous , the Aventador name was chosen for its symbolic connection to the Lworld of fighting bulls, sharing a name with the legendary Aventador, a trophy-winning bull in the world of Spanish bullfighting. With the all-new 2012 Aventador LP700-4, Lamborghini says that it has rewritten another illustrious chapter for a befitting successor not only for the decade old Murcielago but also its mid-engined V12 models before it which represent the brand’s core heritage. In building this new car, the supercar maker had used all the tricks it has learnt from the race track, in composite materials, in engine design and in lightweight construction, safety and electronics. Never before has any super carmaker dared to incorporate such investments or innovations in a category of car that offers hyper- performance from its normally-aspirated engines and robitised transmissions at a time when most rivals are looking at downsizing displacement or cylinders and using forced feeding to boost power. We look at each department and dissect the car. Read on…

Construction It had to be lightweight, strong and safe in order to meet the performance parameters. The car marginally bigger than the outgoing Murcielago and is 4,780mm long, 2,260mm wide and 1,700 mm high on a wheelbase of 2,700 mm and asymmetric track of 1,720 mm [front] and 1,700 mm [rear]. Lamborghini engineers designed a monocoque using patented technology like RTM (Resin Transfer Molding) in carbon fibre and extensively used aluminium in the chassis. As a result, the body is 150 per cent stiffer than the Murciélago and this is the first production application by Lamborghini in a car.

36 Engineering The focal point definitely is the hyper performance all-new V12 which is mid-mounted. The reason for this it that Lamborghini engineers have taken a fresh look at the Bizzarrini-engineered original which has been around in its basic form since 1963 and modified it substantially. One of the engineering requirements was to allow the engine to rev more freely so that it can deliver its power more evenly across the rev-range. The new aluminium block engine (code named L539) is 40lb lighter and displaces 6.5-litre. It offers 690bhp at 8,250rpm and maximum torque of 509lb ft at 5,500rpm. Compared with the outgoing V12, the bore and stroke is 95 x 76.4mm, meaning that L539 is a short stroke unit compared with the old unit’s long stroke 88 x 89mm. Lamborghini claims a “clean sheet” design and the dry sump configuration is redesigned so the crankshaft has been moved almost three inches upwards in the crankcase so the engine can be mounted lower in the frame to improve weight distribution for better handling. The weight-to-power ratio stands at only 2.25kg per hp and 0-100 km/h acceleration takes just 2.9 seconds and top speed is 350 km/h. The car’s robotised seven-speed manual transmission is made by Italian specialists, Graziano. Also known as the ISR transmission (Independent Shifting Rods) this unit uses integral plumbing in the casing to actuate shifts. Carbon-fibre synchronizers help activate the latest electro-hydraulically controlled Haldex dual clutches almost simultaneously so that one shifting rod is disengaging one gear and the second is engaging another. This arrangement help fastens shift times by up to 50 per cent and Lamborghini claims that in “Corsa” mode, they can be as low as 50 milliseconds. Drive is to all four wheels. Asymmetric Pirellis offer the contacts to ground. All-wheel drive system is now by Haldex IV with electronic torque split. Meanwhile, in the electronics’ department, the all- new architecture is designed to treat the engine and gearbox electronics as one unit and has a capability of handling up to half a billion inputs per second and Lamborghini claims it is faster than the eGear set-ups. The suspension package in this car is F1 inspired. The centre mount pushrod spring and damper concept means that the shocks and spring aren’t connected to the wheel mounts within the upper and lower A-arms, but transversely mounted inboard to the body shell with pushrods and relay levers transmitting lateral forces from the wheel to the shocks and springs. Brakes used are carbon- fiber ceramic ventilated discs with six pot calipers.

Favourite detail The real glass louvre over the engine, and the angular design.

37 {COVER STORY}

Aerodynamics The way the car has been designed, is uses aerodynamic elements in an integrated format in the body shell. The underbody is flat and the rear spoiler is driver deployable and controlled. At standstill, the spoiler is flush with the rear of the vehicle and on the move it has two positions - the approach angle of 4 degrees is optimized for high speed and assists directional stability at the very top end of the spectrum. The tilt of 11 degrees, on the other hand, delivers considerably greater downforce at mid-range speeds, helping to optimize handling and stability. The car’s electronic sensors and CPU uses dynamic parameters to calculate for itself the most appropriate tilt angle. The car weighs 1,622kg and axle weight bias front to rear is 43:57 per cent.

A dual cockpit design has become integral to the Chevy

Svelte looks outside Whether it’s bright metallic orange or stealthy matt black, the car’s design and stance is full of drama even when it’s at standstill. Low, squat and wide, there’s no arguing that this is the epitome of rear-engined supercars and its design and profile although is an extension of the Reventon concept, it does have a purpose in mind. A look at the details does reveal cues that marry form with function from several sources including aviation. I note also some late medieval themes in the spikes of Halbard axe in the front air dams and rear wings and the intersections of volumes in the large flap operated intakes. I specially liked the way designers have smartly integrated the industrial-size coolers on the sides with a rising body crease in the body and even the small design touches like the body colour edges to the massive lower air intakes and clever panel cuts complement the overall design. Safety equipment includes A dual cockpit design has become integral to the Chevy six front, thorax, head and knee airbags. Modern cosy interiors Sitting low, inside there’s the usual supercar package of leather- bound supportive, comfortable and electrically adjustable bucket seats. The windscreen rake is very high and you almost feel like sitting inside a hot rod with storage areas and a rather unusual instrument binnacle. The analogue part of the instruments are now replaced by a digital representation of a rev counter and ancillary instruments round the side. The expressively-designed interior also offers hi-tech features ranging from the TFT cockpit display with two types of displays. The central console is pretty wide [somewhat like the ] with busy controls and the stop/start push button.

The robotised transmission is a unique feature among road-going vehicles. In the Aventador LP700-4, even in normal mode it guarantees smooth and fastest shifting time of only 50 milliseconds in Corsa mode. As a driver you get an emotional shift feel, while the lightweight chassis with pushrod suspension delivers absolute handling precision and competition-level performance. However, as you move in sports mode, the shifting can be a bit jerky and noisy. 38 Favourite driving details We’ve driven the Murciélago and for its time it was a good performer, but not without some inherent flaws. When compared with the Aventador, it was a bit raw and a little less disciplined since it didn’t have the dial-in precision of the successor. The Aventador is not just an adrenalin pumping machine, it is a far more disciplined and allows a driver to push to the limits of his ability and more. The car’s AWD technology has moved on, and so has the car moved closer to perfection and encourages the driver to accelerate through tight curves at speeds.

39 {COVER STORY}

Driving impressions During the brief, as expected we were advised not turn off the electronic stability program, so when my turn comes late in the day, I adhere to the safety instructions strictly. Although visibility is predictably poor in the Aventador, especially at the rear, that’s not a real issue when you consider the comfortable riding position in the car and get used to it. Remove the bomb-release red cover and just push the starter button. With a short whine of the starter motor, the naturally-aspirated free-revving V12 screams into life. The Aventador’s exhaust soundtrack is markedly different than the V10 Gallardo -- its whirring complete with a refined baffle blip. Engage gear electronically via push button [similar toAston Martin’s with no gearshifter], release the brakes and we pulled out of the pits at 40km/h [maximum permitted] and gently joined onto the main circuit. One does feel a bit of over-stiffness in low-speed running, which I think is the pay-off for an “uncompromising” chassis which as I discovered later and several laps later has been tuned with ride quality in mind. The new engine certainly delivers more performance and driveability, thanks to a more even power spread. But I am more interested in checking out the three transmission settings that are offered with appropriate adjustments to the torque transfer in the centre differential. I begin the first lap with Strada – here the gear changes are fast and smooth, like any sports car – I’d reckon would be good for day-to-day use and hence opt for the next option -- the Sport. In this mode, the car’s electronics allows you to play, but progressively. At the same time I also noted that in this setting the car is also highly sensitive to tyres and likes to be turned in gently and progressively. The Corsa is the most extreme and with a good reason. This setting is a violent experience in gear shifting – even the best engineers can’t anything about it in these robotized set-ups, so one has to live with it and it’s best suited for track day experience, in my opinion. What I also noted in slow speed corners that the car is quite sensitive to entry speed and dynamic mode, so it is quite possible in the experienced hands to be able to understeer or oversteer depending on how the throttle inputs are played and in what mode the chassis and gear settings were in. Fast exit traction was sensational, and in both Sport and Corsa mode, it’s was reasonable to prompt the car into a bit of oversteer without scaring the driver nanny’s too much. In high speed corners, one does feel the huge lateral grip, and the car changes direction beautifully to the driver input and the feedback is always stable and planted. We’ve tested many cars at Yas Marina and the northern loop is our all-time favourite. Straightline acceleration and speed achieved is as you’d expect with 691bhp on tap, but that excellent traction sort of misleads the driver into thinking it’s not actually that fast. And it is. In fact, you’ll need to take time to adjust to how mind-bendingly quick it is especially when you chance a glance on the speedo. This specific stretch till now my personal best was 252km/h and with the Aventador I broke it by touching 263km/h! Of course, you need immense slowing power from the brakes at this level and this is where the large ventilated brakes come in handy. Not only they are powerful and strong, there was no sign of fading before or after the test car was driven. Although a race track isn’t always the best test of a road car, but the Aventador proved more than up to the task, lapping all day with scores of drivers and just demanding fuel and some tyre replacements.

Automan’s take

Lamborghini’s latest baby answers several questions including the some of the complex ones especially when it comes to debating horsepower or torque, the typical argument being which is better? It’s been a never-ending debate among the critics and builders. Over- the-top thinking like this that made us fall in love with cars in the first place. The Aventador LP 700-4 is a petrolhead’s dreams made real and terms of pure supercar design, it doesn’t get better than this. has more than redefined the very pinnacle of the world super sports cars with a super formula that combines brutal power, outstanding lightweight engineering and jaw-dropping handling performance in a uniquely designed car that delivers an unparalleled driving experience.

40 For Punters looking for a Engine Construction Dimensions Performance stylish mid- 6,498 cc 60° V12 Body / frame carbon fiber panels over Weight: 1,622 kg Top speed: 350 km/h Position: Mid-Longitudinal carbon fiber semi-Monocoque with Weight distribution: F:R 43:57 0 - 100km/h: 2.9 secs Aspiration: Natural aluminium front & rear subframes Wheelbase: 2,700 mm Fuel economy engined V12 Valvetrain: chain-Driven DOHC, 4 Drive: 4WD Front track: 1,720 mm Urban cycle: 27.3 litre/100 km Valves per Cylinder w/VVT fuel feed Wheels Rear track: 1,700 mm Extra urban: 11.3 litre/100 km normally-aspirated Sequential Injection Front tyres: 255/35R19 Pirelli Length: 4,780 mm Emission: 398 g/km Compression 11.8:1 Rear tyres: 335/30R20 Pirelli Height: 1,136 mm Fuel tank capacity: 90 litres Max power: 690.6 bhp @ 8250 rpm Brakes Transmission: ISR Robotized 7-Speed supercar with an Max torque: 690Nm @ 5,500 rpm Front/rear: ventilated carbon-ceramic AMT with double clutch Redline 8,250rpm discs with 6-piston calipers enviable heritage, Specific output: 106.28 bhp per litre Steering: rack & pinion with power assist Suspension there’s nothing Front/rear: double wishbones with Built at inboard dampers Santa’Agata Bolognese, Italy Coachbuilder: Automobili close to the Lamborghini Aventador

41 first drive

You would think that a car of the size and demeanour of the A6 needed a large engine. What would you make of its 2.0-litre unit then? We put the small 4-pot through its paces

Author: Raj Warrior Photography: Raj Warrior

A little heart of gold 42 Editorial Nominee

Audi A6 2.0 TFSI

Premium car 2012

43 first drive

Sharp styling, a plush ride and the unique silhouette would make you think that the A6 had a larger engine

The interiors still have their fair share of upmarket features like rear a/c vents and controls and the Audi MMI with the large slide out monitor. But as you can see the parking graphic is based on the sonic sensors and not on a camera, while the system does not get navigation.

Lighting and the control of light add ambience to the car. Rear seat comfort is This engine has an almost Dr Jekyll and Mr hyde nature to it. It may be a bit good, although shades are manual. short in the cc’s but more than makes up for it with GDI and turbocharging

44 he Audi A6 in its new guise is targeted when the flat torque curve really comes into would guess if you didn’t read the literature. at the segment that the A8 traditionally play. Inside the cabin the paddle shift and quick Tused to look at – highly paid professionals Interesting again is that fact that the front changing +/- on the gearshift remains exactly and rich go-getters who love to drive their own wheel drive automatic variants of the Audi A6 like always. cars. We have tested the A6 before, albeit with are mated with Audi’s ‘multitronic’ CVT unit. Of course, the 2.0-litre is also there for a larger engine and the aluminium enriched a purpose and that is to serve as the entry body has enthralled our test team. Somehow level ‘value’ buy in the A6. So you get remote it is the appeal of the silver metal that makes unlocking but no key free entry and the multi- the Audi A6 seem that much sportier to begin info display limits itself to a non-navigation with. Yes the basic structure still has lots unit. At this price bracket you could get a of steel in it and that is essentially good bit picky about what’s ordered in the car, because it means that the skeleton of but getting an A6 in any form south of the bodywork is stiff and shows great RO 20,000 is in itself good. However, impact resistance. But one of the in general the interiors are skimped on goals that the A6 engineers set out – you get the same attention to detail with was to ensure that the car was as in the costlier variants and the same as light as possible, with aluminium roominess and badging. and composite panels and structures, Most pleasing is that the 2.0-litre TFSI including aluminium doors. is a bit of a wolf in sheep’s clothing and So, the catchphrase could be tread that is largely due to the presence of a lightly in the way the Typ 4G car has been good turbo over 1500 rpm. You never notice constructed. The spaceframe is not aluminium any turbo lag during acceleration, gearshifts but some of the main panels are. Somehow (or should we say ratio selection) is smooth this connects with the fact that Audi would though not like the DSG gearbox does it dare to put a 2.0-litre engine in this new and the whole experience is altogether iteration of the car. satisfying as the car stays just under This is on top of the fact that the the speed limit because you choose to A6 grew quite a bit, with a 76mm keep it there. If you get an open patch increase in the wheelbase to 2,912mm of highway and floor the engine, you and a widening of the body by 18mm would be hard pressed to figure out to 1974mm (excluding mirrors). The the engine – it feels like a 3.0-litre kerb weight is just 1565kgs, which is at least and the CVT is transparent excellent for such a big car. And that is to your senses. However, you must is the signature of the A6, trimmed down remember that the CVT is plugged as an weight in unnecessary areas coupled with a eight-speed because of the choice of the focus on what’s just right for the customer. gear ratios with a low of 2.436 to overdrive The 2.0-litre engine that is used in the A6 in 4th to 8th gear, with a high of 0.381. is a TFSI unit from the combined Audi-VW Again, this generation of the A6 has also stables. We have seen the wonders of TFSI tweaked a lot of its suspension components – before in iterations on the VW Passat and here with many more of them getting the weightloss too the technology shines. At the heart of treatment, thus reducing the unsprung weight the process is the combination of a high- to give better road handling and feel. As with pressure direct injection with an exhaust- other , the basic premise is to deliver driven . This is important a firm, flat ride and don’t let the luxury because wherever the F appears in the moniker fool you, there is very little label it means that the high-pressure washiness about the body’s response. It fuel feed happens at a level where the is almost as if the engineers were living fuel droplets are completely atomised, on the zig-zags of the – the making the mixture as close to perfect body responds so beautifully to the quick as possible. Surprisingly, despite the left-rights on the wheel, steering feel is so use of direct injection in the engine, the direct and balanced and with just the right compression ratio has been kept at only sense of tightening up in the curves. 9.6, which means that in some configurations This is one car you can blindly go and buy the engine will be able to generate much as long as you are happy with the feature pack more power. The 180-odd horsepower already that is offered inside the car and in terms of available on this engine comes through a Interesting b e c a u s e value. For the engine is without doubt so right nicely undersquare cylinder and that has a while the use of CVT’s is becoming more on the platform. At the end of a rather long bore of 82.5mm against a stroke of 92.8mm. mainstream, we never really expected Audi to weekend of testing, we hadn’t managed to The torque is mainly a function of the turbo go that way. But this Cvt is again the stuff make any inroads on the fuel gauge – even kicking in and it is the critical point at around that great Audis are made of – it really doesn’t after pushing the engine to its limits. 1500 rpm that we continuously watch out behave like a CVT at any stage and you never

45 first drive The 2012 Audi A6 2.0 TFSI at a glance What is it about?

Take a top-end and try to fit it into an affordable price bracket, with a small engine (that packs a wallop).

Categorise the car for me

C/D-segment, 5 seater, monocoque 4-door sedan in steel, aluminium and composite made by Audi in Germany.

How big is it?

4915mm long, 1874mm wide, 1455mm high on a wheelbase of 2912mm. Kerb weight is 1565 kgs and 65 litre fuel tank.

Under the hood

A sequential high-pressure direct-injecton Inline four-cylinder spark-ignition engine with exhaust turbocharger and intercooler, DOHC of 2.0-litre capacity generating 180HP between 4000-6000rpm and torque of 320Nm between 1500-3900rpm, mated with an 8-speed CVT multitronic.

Under the body

Five-link front suspension, double upper and lower wishbones, anti-roll bar, steel springs. Electric power assisted rack-and-pinion steering. Self-tracking trapezoidal- link axle with wishbone, anti-roll bar, steel springs in the rear. Electromechanical steering with speed-dependent power assistance.

How does it handle?

Take any Audi A6 and dial it down just a notch. The tracking is superb, completely FWD point and shoot, tight body recoil and firm ride. You really can’t put a foot wrong, especially if you use the paddle shifts or leave the gearlever in S.

Highlights

A6 styling, looks like a richer car, great fuel-efficient engine, roomy interiors, reasonable feature pack.

What competition does it have?

The Jaguar XF 3.0-litre, BMW smaller engined 5-series and the new CC from Volkswagen. But there are almost no apples to apples comparisons here.

And I would buy it for?

An Audi A6 below RO 20,000 for one.

46 The 2012 Audi A6 2.0 TFSI at a glance

47 first drive

On top of a great product upgrade, the Camry now comes with a sporty edition. We check out the end product

Editorial Nominee

Toyota Camry SE

MID-SIZE car 2012

48 hether it was the high cost of the Yen or the Japanese disaster year with the tsunami and Wnuclear issue, Toyota were left scrambling last year. However, outside the public gaze the company has been battling on many fronts from a few years – with an almost vindictive and ill-informed campaign against its legendary reliability and engineering excellence being waged on behalf of the ‘consumer’ by the US authorities. Now the brand has the opportunity to take a breather, regroup and grow. And all this has been brought about by the brand’s new strategy that is so keenly product and process oriented. The new Camry was the first vehicle to come out of the restructuring of the brand’s focus under the watchful gaze of Akio Toyoda. There was no longer a need to get huge production numbers for the sake of volume. The product had to be right the first time and it was this clear message in the product that won it our Automan Car of the Year in the mid- size car segment in 2011. Now we had the SE variant of the car and this version is the brand’s attempt to put a sporting flavour on the Camry. Essentially the platform and the model remain the same. The current generation of the Camry is called the XV50 platform, which was a major revamp on the previous XV40. Superbly upgraded interiors and some major sheetmetal modifications are a signature of the new platform as much as the new steering feel and performance characteristics. The new sheet metal has brought with it striking good looks even on the normal sedan. When you take the sporty SE variant, you get the car with the sports body kit. This means that the headlights remain the same but almost every other part of the front fascia now gets an edgy quality to it. It is almost as if the Toyota badge and the number plate just below it are the centre of a very busy area. The lower airdam is hogged by large black inserts, with rising horizontal slats and the area just below the number plate

Camry gets the Sporting edge

Author: Raj Warrior Photography: Raj Warrior

49 first drive

The XV50 Camry platform retains shades of what the car used to look like around the C-pillar but largely it is a sharper, more dynamic profile

The SE gets really plush interiors with a hand-stitched feel to the dashboard and a nicely stacked centre console. Of course the rear has also been given a nice legroom and shoulder room

Sharp styling touches including Engineers have managed to extract just a little bit more power and torque out bodykit, dedicated alloy wheels and of the engine using a remapped ECU headlamps are nice

50 The 2012 Camry SE at a glance

Under the hood Categorise the car for me Available with Toyota’s 2AR-FE I4 direct C-segment, 5 seater, injection engine with monocoque 4-door 179hp and 232Nm sedan and made by and the 6-speed ECT-i Toyota at its facility in automatic gearbox, What is it about? Altona, Australia. with paddle shift Bringing a sporty changers. How big is it? look and feel to the Camry and a younger 4805mm long, 1820mm customer to model. wide, 1470mm high on a wheelbase of 2775mm. Kerb weight is 1470 kgs and 70 litre fuel tank.

Under the body And I would buy it for? Highlights What competition does it have? Front and rear Good sporty looks, tyres of 215 / 55 Striking bodykit and the new Camry Head on with the R17. Independent How does it handle? styling, very upmarket platform, excellent Altima at some levels, MacPherson strut interiors, good steering NVH characteristics, feel, nice 6” colour but really back to suspension with Just a little bit sportier exceptionally display and streaming setting the benchmark. stabilizer bar at the and rides a bit former good handling and bluetooth. Its worth the This is the Camry’s front and Independent than the normal Camry. performance from a extra money over its battle to lose. dual link with stabilizer Engine response Toyota sedan and all normal grades. bar at the rear. Electric seems peppier though the reliability and resale power assisted rack- you couldn’t actually values. and-pinion steering find the 10 extra HP unless you hit the redline. The gearbox is a beauty.

51 first drive

The Camry SE’s sportiness is also a function of the specially adapted suspension that sits under the body

gets clearly defined. The fog lamps sit in the clad steering wheel with paddle shift controls in extreme cases, but holds the gears so outer edges of this area in their own defined and nicely bolstered seats, you can’t really nicely when coming downhill. You can actually petals. There is symmetry and poetry in the fault the Camry’s message. The dashboard is use 3rd to 5th cogs without ever needing the way the sightlines then draw you upwards to certainly upmarket, with the vertically themed overdrive ratios of the 6th, but in auto mode the headlights and the pronounced hood. The console around a 6.1” touchscreen display that and with the engine’s new propensity to try grille is nicely sporty with the use of a black brings the newer range of features debuted to maximise every drop of fuel used, 6th is honeycomb matrix to offset the body colour by the Prado into the mainstream sedan. You default cruise. around it. The only chrome visible is on the get bluetooth and even streaming bluetooth In all of this you should of course remember logo and a touch around the foglights. While audio or if you choose you can dock your iPod that you aren’t buying a . For that the headlights retain their outer shape, the or USB device. The higher grade in this also we would recommend looking at the 3.5-litre inner design is changed to provide a unique gives a bluetooth voice recognition system power packs on the Aurion and Avalon. The layout for the SE, with projector type low that allows you to use Siri or her cousins to SE is sporty, yet fulfils a need for the normal beams. your benefit. commute without stretching your budget into The profile is also better defined than on But the Camry SE’s sportiness is also a the new price bands where all these cars and the normal car with the lower skirt drawing function of the specially adapted suspension their competition operate. Besides which, face the sight along the length of the car. In case that sits under the body. The has it, you still have rock solid resale values and you eyes stray upwards then they get drawn been lowered and the springs and components years of trouble free operation going for you. by the rising shoulderline that leads off from have been tweaked, strengthened and Choosing the SE is like buying a mod pack that just aft of the front wheel arches and crosses modified to change the Camry XV50’s already is all thought out and strictly road legal. the body into the rear decklid and its lip good drive characteristics into something that spoiler. The specially styled 17” five split spoke keeps the sedan at the head of its class. Of alloy wheels fill the wheel arches and add the course there isn’t much more that the brand chrome offset along the side. could draw out of the 2.5-litre 2AR-FE I4 The strong colour choices available on the engine with its under square cylinders and SE with its almost Lexus paint quality makes direct injection, but they have. A retuned ECU the SE stand out on the road. draws 179hp, 10 over the normal and just a In tune with the sports theme, the interiors little more torque as well. The quick revving get a host of features that keep the car engine brings with it a power band that lets the in sync with its audience. From a key-free car effortlessly accelerate and the insulation entry, engine Start/Stop button to ambient around the engine bay and underbody make illumination with a blue theme in the footwell it quite remote. The six-speed gearbox is and the ultimate must-have of a meaty leather smooth, allows an over-revving of the engine

52 ANNOUNCING! THE EVENT THAT WILL CHANGE HOW YOU VALUECAR YOUR YOUR CAR’S SEAL OF EXCELLENCE! ONLY ONE WINNER IN EACH MORE THAN CATEGORY! 250 MODELS, 40 BRANDS, 15 CATEGORIES

01 Small Car of the Year 02 Mid-size Car of the Year 03 Large Car of the Year 04 Premium Car of the Year 05 Luxury Car of the Year 06 Hot Hatch of the Year 07 Sports Car of the Year 08 Performance Car of the Year 09 Small SUV of the Year 10 Mid-size SUV of the Year 11 Large SUV of the Year 12 Premium SUV of the Year 13 Performance SUV of the Year 14 Best debut Model in Oman 15 Editor’s choice

We are back for a second exciting year of testing and assessing Cars and SUVs in Oman for that elusive characteristic that makes them winners. As always, we only rank vehicles that we actually test drive!

www.automanweb.com first drive

Peugeot needed a car like the 508 for sometime now in the GCC region. After all, how When many hatchbacks a product can they sell? We test the 508 and rescues assess whether the marque has a marque met its new mark.

Author: Raj Warrior Photography: Raj Warrior

Editorial Nominee

Peugeot 508

Mid-size car 2012

54 55 first drive

or a car market like the GCC a large sedan now and if they get their act in place perhaps the the region in mind. Of course in the meantime is a perfect fit. But that is hardly the case in rest of the BRIC countries could be their future the 408 has been launched, initially in China Fsome markets like France, where the station battle ground, but one part of getting their act in and with a very focussed thrust on the BRIC wagon or combi tends to take the bulk of sales of place is putting forward the right product. countries. large floorpan vehicles, while the hatchback rules For Peugeot the 40x, 50x and 60x platform The 508 exhibits the best of the French in smaller footprints. Perhaps it is in the nature have been very central to their sedan and brand’s typical engineering excellence along with of things – but once you have a large floorpan, combi approach. The 608 is the car the French some of their rather laissez-faire attitude towards there is usually a good business case to spin president is transported in, while the 407 was the customer needs. The balance somehow makes off a sedan especially for export markets. For a largest of the Peugeot breed in Oman, selling till the car good enough to join the breed of French company like Peugeot and to a certain degree a few months back as the top of the line sedan cars that we will remember a few decades later, with Citroen too, you could accuse them of being from the brand. However, we were shown the usually with some interesting personal tales and very France/Europe centric and if they get out of 508 at the Dubai Motorshow last year and the some things that we all can laugh about. The that the streets of North Africa were the spill-off announcement was that it would effectively be 508 is set to be among that memorable breed. area. Yes they are selling like hot cakes in China the brand’s flagship here, being designed with The car is built on the PSA group’s platform

The engine may be only a 1.6-litre but it is the same turbocharged unit that powers BMW and MINI cars. However the HUD is unique to the 508 even though you spend time aligning yourself so that you can see it properly

56 The 508 has upmarket interior features like a good large colour console, paddle shifters and nicely formed seats. While our test car came with a normal sunroof, the car is also availble with a panoramic roof in the top spec.

3, which is the basis for cars like the Citroen a difference. without sacrificing on stiffness and handling. The C5 as well. In markets like ours, the 508 is the The 508 sits on a wheelbase of 2817mm, weight of the car is 1430kgs which means it is direct replacement of the 407 and brings in a which is longer than the 407’s but it has shorter spot on the ‘smaller’ 407’s weight. This is due whole new set of technological features that overhangs so ends up with a similar length to the greater use of aluminium and even some set it apart even from other European models. (though slightly longer) at 4792mm, The track magnesium components as well as tailored high The GCC and Levant area is expected to add to has been widened as well so that the car strength steel blanks elsewhere. the sales from new growth areas. The problem presents a more forceful three-quarters view One outcome of the redesign of the ratios is that the company had was that the 407 was a and a rather full bodied profile as well. The use that the rear passenger compartment has been technologically advanced platform for its time, of new manufacturing techniques is apparent given most of the length shaved off the front so the follow up had to be really good to make in the attempt to reduce the weight of the car overhang. In comfort terms, the 508 is now

57 first drive among cars like the Passat and Passat CC, while the rest The 508 gets the EP6CDT 1.6-litre engine which has of the cabin features keep up the image as well. Ranging been co-developed with the BMW group. This variant of from well-formed seats which have electric adjustment, the engine has a twin-scroll blower with fixed geometry memory functions and the possibility of ordering them in and continuously variable timing on the cams. Power leather, to a full colour display on the centre console that output is 156PS while torque is a healthy 240Nm all the offers navigation with infotainment systems as well as way from 1400 rpm to 4000 rpm. We have seen this mastery over the phone connection. Passenger comfort engine before in the 308 as well as the RCZ, though here in general is pretty much up to standards and if you take it seems very capable as a powerhouse for the sedan as the car with the panoramic sunroof you also get a large it comes mated with the new generation of Aisin 6-speed lighted cabin for free. automatic gearbox with paddle shift controls on the In addition to all the other gizmos that the car comes wheels and the ability to hit the standing 100kmph in stocked with, the heads up display (HUD) that sits just 9.5 seconds. Handling is extremely good and the engine north of the steering wheel is a rather interesting if quirky is responsive and matches the weight and acceleration addition. Its sole function is to show the speed in digital characteristics of this sedan. Braking is also good, though readout. Apparently it also shows the next action needed hard braking does bring about a bit of chatter from the from the navigation system. But one wonders whether ABS. it couldn’t have been made simpler like everyone else’s Another plus point of the car over larger engined that uses a polarised strip on the windshield to reflect sedans is the deployment of adaptive lighting that turns characters being generated on the top of the dash. Here with steering wheel input and is speed sensitive as well. a prism and mirror actually have to be raised after you Other than the touches of quirkiness in feature switch on the car and the readout is then in a position selection, the 508, especially with its larger 18” wheels and which requires you to adjust the seat height so that you panoramic roof with or without leather is a good choice can see it clearly. After use the entire assembly descends for a car in the RO 10,000 and thereabouts price segment. rather noisily into the dash. While on quirks, we welcome You can get bigger cars of course for the price and even the privacy curtains that the rear cabin has, on both side bigger engined cars, but what the 508 brings is a whole windows and the rear. But if your passenger leaves the load of European sensibility, very chic French design cues rear curtain up, you have to get down and put it down and an extremely fuel-efficient and responsive engine and manually. Perhaps they should have opted for a more basic gearbox combination that can make you look beyond the HUD or skipped it and given motorised rear curtains. usual into the territory of the Avant-garde. The 2012 Peugeot 508 at a glance What is it about?

Replacing the 407, taking the brand into a higher segment and offering class leading features

Categorise the car for me

C-segment (M2 in internal parlance), 5 seater, monocoque 4-door sedan and made by Peugeot at the PSA facilities in France.

How big is it?

4813mm long (sedan), 1920mm wide with folded mirrors, 1456mm high on a wheelbase of 2817mm. Kerb weight is 1430 kgs and 72 litre fuel tank.

Under the hood

Available in the region only with a 1.6-litre EC6DT engine of 154HP and 240Nm of torque. Comes with 6-speed auto gearbox made by Aisin with manual select. Electro-hydraulic power-assisted rack and pinion steering.

Under the body

Front and rear tyres of 215 / 55 R17 or 235 / 45R18 or 235 / 40R19. All-new MacPherson type front suspension, multi-link rear. ESP, hill-assist.

How does it handle?

Class-leading point and shoot drive, understeers, firm suspension response, low road noise, light tail end and nice flexibility through the rev band. Almost no turbo lag, though you do tend to downshift a gear at times to stay ahead.

Highlights

Superb styling, very chic interiors, good steering feel, interesting multi info display and a nice feel of upmarket elegance, especially with the panoramic sunroof.

What competition does it have?

European C-segment in the Passat/CC and smaller engined C-segment sedans. A bit difficult to compare head-on except against its sister the C5.

And I would buy it for?

Style, good build quality, European origins, safety, handling and reliability. Upmarket interiors. The small but peppy engine and the outstanding quietness.

58 The 2012 Peugeot 508 at a glance

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New M-class heralds year of SUV for Mercedes-Benz Author: Raj Warrior

60 t isn’t that often that you get an invitation to drive an SUV around the track at Dubai’s Iautodrome. And as for Mercedes-Benz, they have never done it before. The problem is not with the brand per se – after all the SUV is better suited to a test drive on an off-road location that isn’t all sand. But the new M-class has engendered that sort of confidence in the brand and its regional Director for Sales & Marketing Frank Bernthaler., who pointed out that in many ways the SUV was now best explored on the track. Of course the third generation of the car is a completely new creature, even though it still carries some touches of the second generation car in its styling. Beefier and more masculine along with strong styling touches that bring it more inline with the newer generation of Mercedes sedans, the M-class

The third-generation M-class was launched in the region last month and is now in Oman. Has Mercedes-Benz done enough to make this a winner in the premium SUV segment? Author: Raj Warrior

61 Special Feature

New 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class joins brand’s Oman’s line-up The Wave’s Al Mouj golf course served as host for Mercedes Benz and Zawawi Trading Company to introduce the extensive redesigned for 2012 M-Class models. The third generation of the Mercedes-Benz M-Class sets new benchmarks in the SUV world with its leading-edge automotive technology. The new M-Class boasts optimum energy efficiency, leading standards of passive safety, outstanding ride comfort combined with superb driving dynamics, as well as a completely revamped interior design offering excellent ergonomics among its key strengths. “When the vehicle was shown at the Dubai Motor Show last year we did a lot of customer research there. Our customers told us that they also wanted a V8 engine, breaking news breaking so this is the benchmark moment for us.We are confident of the success of the new models, which are a different size, more aggressive and will really compete with the segment,” said Craig Hardie, CEO, automotive, at Zawawi Trading Company. Key features of the M-Class range will be an upgraded engine, available in either 306hp for the ML350, or 408hp in the ML500. A top of the line ML63 AMG variant is also available, with the 5.5 litre V8 engine generating 525hp.The ML350 model will be available from RO30,000, while ML500 will sell for RO38,000 in the Sultanate.

is also relevant to the new strategy for the short tell half the story. In the attempt to make the term. Frank says, “The luxury SUV segment is SUV closer to the E-class in looks and on-road a market in which we have been making strong performance, M-B has also made it a far more in-roads to date. Mercedes-Benz SUVs had a potent off-road vehicle than before. record year in 2011 and we plan to make a Major new technologies that have migrated big an even bigger statement in 2012. With to the SUV are adaptive cruise control, lane its strong features, powerful heart, intelligent departure warning and prevention and airmatic technologies and masculine design, the all air suspension along with the first inclusion new M-Class epitomises our new approach and of the new generation of 7G-tronic automatic spearheads Mercedes-Benz ‘Year of the SUV’ gearboxes. sales strategy for the Middle East.” The launch event itself saw the car being The M-class has a lot going for it. The W166 driven by a large gathering of journalists from platform began development in 2006 and it around the region through the streets of Dubai took only 5 years to come to market. It has a and on the highways around it to congregate marginally longer wheelbase at 2,916mm and at the Dubai Autodrome, where groups of is longer, significantly wider and squatter than journos drove the ML 500 and ML 63 AMG the second generation model. But that doesn’t around the track, while others drove both the

62 The ML 350 With the six-cylinder 3.5-litre engine partnered with the 7G-tronic gearbox, the power offered is a healthy 306HP with 370Nm of torque. Electric power steering and standard adaptive damping on the steel spring suspension makes the tighter W166 platform a star performer on the handling slaloms – you can feel the body stay tighter on the predicted line and body roll and recoil is muted. Legroom in the rear has improved, while the driver interface is all new along the lines of current M-B sedans.

The ML 500 The upgraded V8 engine will no doubt be the volume seller in the segment as its 600Nm of torque is immediately apparent on the road. That’s not to say that you don’t appreciate the 408HP of power. The engine has a volume of 4,663cc and the upgraded output is a result of the new focus on EU6 norms as well as the use of direct injection. On top of the standard steel spring suspension the car is available with an option of airmatic air suspension as well.

The ML 63 AMG The big daddy of the lot is powered by AMG’s 5.5-litre V8 with biturbo with 525HP and 700Nm of torque or with the performance package it will be rated at 557HP and 760Nm. As it is the AMG variants will be available only after a few months, so we should see a backlog in orders forming for the SUV. The performance characteristics of the AMG variants are definitely in the zone where they should beat the X5M in head to head comparisons, however that is something that we will have to confirm at a later date.

outgoing model and the new one back matches or beats competition. Engine to back through a handling zone and auto stop-start helps in keeping fuel- two ML500’s went through a drag race. efficiency targets as new standard Of course there was also the obligatory features like ILS, panoramic sunroof parking arrangement whereby M-B and lane departure warning take the demonstrated the new found ability of car to top of its class, Higher grades the M-class to locate an open parking get active lane departure prevention, slot and to manoeuvre itself into the adaptive cruise control with braking and open slot, with the only input required high-speed mode and you can order the from the driver being on the brake. M-class with On&Off road package that The Middle East will get three variants adds underplates, a low-speed transfer of the M-class in the 350, 500 and ML 63 case and the ability to maximise the AMG variants. The focus on the model is airmatic suspension’s travel to increase to present it as an upmarket SUV taking ground clearance. The system gets a the battle straight against the X5. So dial selectable six driving modes. it gets a sports package for the styling The higher grades are also available as standard along with touches like with active anti-roll bars that work to LED strip lighting along the headlight tighten handling characteristics. assembly and on the wrap-around We expect M-class to get a new taillight assembly in addition to the breed of SUV owner into the fleet existing LED DRLs on the lower valance. as there has been a significant price GCC standard gets the Intelligent Light increase with a stated level of 64,000 System. The M-B star is very prominent dollars at entry point in the region. Of on the freshened grille set of against a course the comparison with the older background of horizontal slats backed car is not strictly fair as a lot of new by black louvres. features come as standard along with Building up the platform far better handling and braking. As for Using the term ‘upgrade as standard’ Oman, the FTA with the US will allow M-B are offering an interior that imports without taxation.

63 Grand Prix came back to Bahrain after last year’s cancellation with a scintillating race that brought victory for defending world champions, Sebastian Vettel and the Red Bull Racing team.

Vettel wins at troubled Bahrain Grand Prix tarting on pole position, Vettel fired his Red Bull Kimi Räikkönen, which started the race in seventh to-wheel with Alonso and Hamilton. Elsewhere Scleanly from the line without being troubled by and eleventh place respectively. On lap 6 Grosjean there was a three-way battle between the Williams the McLaren of Lewis Hamilton beside him. Starting passed Hamilton in front of the Main Grandstand of Pastor Maldonado, the Sauber of Sergio Perez on the ‘dirty’ side of the grid, neither Hamilton nor for second place, while on the same lap Räikkönen, and the Force India of Paul di Resta, the latter team-mate Jenson Button could do anything about the 2007 world champion, passed Felipe Massa’s diving past both his rivals before going on the Vettel, with Button suffering a dreadful start to slip Ferrari, Button’s McLaren and Alonso’s Ferrari in attack against Massa’s Ferrari. from fourth to sixth. quick succession. Vettel now found both Lotuses together behind The Ferrari of three-time Bahrain winner By lap 8 several of the top drivers were finding him, with Räikkönen passing his team mate at Fernando Alonso was one of the fastest off the that their tyres were burnt out, with Massa and the start of lap 24 and setting about reeling the line, vaulting from eighth to fifth. Behind him the Button first in, followed by Hamilton, Mark Webber German’s lead in with a swashbuckling charge. concertina effect of cornering in a big group in in the second Red Bull and Fernando Alonso. With his tyres far fresher and the bit between the early laps caught out the 1Malaysia-entered McLaren’s race fortunes were decided in the pits his teeth, Räikkönen closed in over the next dozen Caterham of Heikki Kovalainen, whose strong with successive delays for both drivers at each laps and drew alongside Vettel at the start of lap qualifying performance was blunted in the midfield stop costing them track position and places – and 36. However the German chopped off that attack melee by a punctured rear tyre. Button suffering first a rear tyre deflation and then neatly and defended firmly to hold the Finn back, With Vettel on dominant form, pulling away from a cracked exhaust in the closing stages. forcing the team to rely on its pit stop skill to stand Hamilton at more than a second per lap, the men on Last weekend’s winner in China, Nico Rosberg, a chance of passing. the move were the Lotuses of Romain Grosjean and was in robust form in his Mercedes, going wheel- The Red Bull and the Lotus pitted together on

64 Motor sports

Susie Wolff joins Williams as development driver

Williams have signed Susie Wolff (nee Stoddart) as a development driver. As well as sampling the team’s FW34, Wolff will attend several 2012 Grands Prix while also contesting her seventh season of DTM. “Susie is a talented, successful and highly professional racing Lap 40, but slick pit work from the 2011 champions ensured that Vettel retained driver who competes in one of the world’s most fiercely-contested his lead. Meanwhile Räikkönen found his final set of tyres less racy than their racing series,” explained team principal Frank Williams. “Susie will predecessors, effectively ending the bout and handing Vettel the cushion he join Williams as a development driver, in which capacity she will needed to seal the victory. assist us with the development of our simulator and other technical Grosjean completed Lotus’ celebrations with the final podium position, while challenges. behind him Mark Webber took fourth place for the fourth time this season, Rosberg “Susie will also undertake some aerodynamic testing of the FW34 took firfth ahead of di Resta, Alonso, Hamilton, Massa and a fine performance and a full track test in the coming months. Susie will also attend a from Michael Schumacher, who started 22nd in his Mercedes and charged up to number of races with us. I should add that, as Susie is married to complete the top 10. Toto Wolff, a Director of Williams, her appointment was carefully “I think it was an incredible race, extremely tough,” said a delighted Vettel. “ I considered and then approved by the Board, with Toto recusing can only say a big thank you to the team. They did an incredible job. The amount himself from the process.” of work they had to do which we have given them because we were weren’t Born in Scotland, Wolff began karting as a young girl before moving happy with the car… We got it right this weekend, I was very happy in qualifying into single-seaters in 2011 with a drive in the Formula Renault series. and the race to be fair.” Twice nominated for the prestigious Young Driver of the Year Award, Kimi Räikkönen was pleased with the strongest performance so far in his return she also enjoyed a spell in the British Formula Three championship to the sport, after two years competing in the World Rally Championship. “I think before joining Germany’s DTM touring car series in 2006. we gave ourselves a chance but I’m disappointed I didn’t manage to win it,” he said. “I made a small mistake at the beginning, lost one place to Ferrari, and I had to get that place back. In the end we were not fast enough to win. I got one Alonso to headline Ferrari’s chance to get past Sebastian but I chose the wrong side. That was the only chance really.” ‘home’ test at Mugello Vettel now goes to the top of the 2012 FIA World Championship standings, four points clear of Lewis Hamilton and five ahead of his team-mate Mark Webber. Ferrari have confirmed that Fernando Alonso will conduct the bulk Red Bull sits nine points ahead of McLaren in the constructors’ championship – of their programme at next week’s three-day multi-team test at but with four winners from four races, the Bahrain Grand Prix proved how open Mugello, the Tuscan circuit owned by the Italian team. Alonso will the title race will be. drive on Tuesday and Thursday, with team mate Felipe Massa at the “It has been a fabulous weekend at the Bahrain International Circuit, and a real wheel on Wednesday. treat for the 28,000 fans who came to see Formula 1™ return to the Kingdom of The Mugello session, which takes place on May 01-03, is the fourth Bahrain,” said BIC Chief Executive, Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa. and final test of the 2012 season, ignoring the traditional, three-day “All of us congratulate Sebastian on his first Bahrain Grand Prix victory and young driver test later in the year. It will also mark the first time a– and also to Lotus for giving him such a run for his money. For our staff, our since 2007 that multiple F1 teams have tested simultaneously at the marshals and the organizers of the Bahrain Motor Federation, the wait was worth 5.245 kilometre track. the result and we all thank them for organizing such a fabulous weekend that does credit to us all.”

65 Rosberg gets Maiden Victory at Shanghai

he Shanghai race was a turning points of position became increasingly contested. Button Tsorts both for young Rosberg and Team shot ahead of Vettel in the 52nd lap to be Mercedes. For the team it was their first win followed by his partner Hamilton a couple of since 1955, when the legendary Juan Manual laps later. Vettel was wearing down his medium Fangio won the Italian Grand Prix for them. For compounds by staying on the tyres for too long Rosberg, it was about time that the team got and this allowed even Webber to overtake him its act in place, handling issues including that of on the same lap. excessive tyre wear. In one of the most exciting races, the later part Both the silver arrows were top of the grid, of the race saw a lot of competition between a but Michael Schumacher’s comeback doesn’t clutch of cars for the second place. At one stage seem to be happening as a flawed wheel change driven by Perez. it was difficult to keep track of the cars that during a pit-stop ended up in his retiring from Schumacher retired on the 12th lap while were either slugging it out on the track or using the race. The team were fined for the incident. Mark Webber changed from his soft tyres to race strategy and slipping into pits for a quick Rosberg lead Schumacher out of the start but mediums allowing him to set up a few fastest tyre change. Raikkonnen had the second spot a slow starting Kobayashi lost the advantage lap segments. Race strategy was playing an for a brief period for Lotus but was tailed by for Sauber and allowed Button and Raikkonen increasingly important part and it was only the Red Bulls, McLarens, Force India and Ferrari through into 3rd and 4th followed by the other Rosberg’s momentum and cleaned up set up of cars. Finally it was tyre wear on the Lotus that McLaren of Hamilton and the other Sauber his car that saw him stay in the lead as second allowed Vettel and Button to shoot ahead, with

66 Motor sports

FIA rejects Lotus protest over Mercedes wing

Mercedes are free to continue using their innovative ‘double DRS’ rear wing after stewards in Shanghai rejected a protest from rival team Lotus on Thursday evening regarding its legality. Mercedes’ rear wing has holes in its endplates which are exposed when the DRS is activated. Airflow entering the holes is channelled through the chassis to the front wing, where it is released to stall the wing, cutting downforce and boosting top speed in much the same way as the DRS itself does for the rear wing. Lotus had alleged that Mercedes’ car, which had already cleared scrutineering in China as it did in Australia and Malaysia, contravened Article 3.15 of the technical regulations, which outlaws driver-operated aerodynamic devices. However, the stewards unanimously dismissed the protest, ruling that Mercedes’ design is not activated by the driver, but as a consequence of the permitted DRS movement. They conceded that it does appear to alter the aerodynamic characteristics of the car by reducing drag, but declared this to be consistent with the intent of the regulations. Lotus are not expected to appeal the decision, thus clearing the way for any team to push ahead with implementing their own version of the Mercedes design.

Lotus considering ‘double DRS’ options

In a race that was dominated by Lotus are looking into the potential benefits of developing their own version of Mercedes’ strategy, Nico Rosberg won his first F1 ‘double DRS’ system, after their protest against the solution in China failed, effectively rubber- GP at the right time for Mercedes stamping it and similar designs as legal. However, Lotus insist it will not be a question of simply aping Mercedes’ system, which uses airflow channelled from the DRS rear wing to stall the front wing, but rather of exploring all the possibilities opened up by the stewards’ ruling. “We are at the point of making estimates of how big the gain might be and assessing the difficulty in actually realising that gain,” Lotus their team mates slogging it out behind them technical director James Allison told the team’s website. in reverse order. Button then overtook Vettel to “It’s anyone’s guess how powerful any existing system is, but that’s not the issue; it’s how powerful we think we can make make it an alternating sequence and to set up any system which we can develop now we know how the the final run in. rules can be interpreted. There are systems like Mercedes Lotus didn’t have it all bad as Grosjean picked has, but the interpretation allows other permutations too. up some valuable points at sixth, followed in So it could be an interesting time for developments in this by Senna, Pastor Maldonado and Alonso and area.” Kobayashi who had screwed up the start so Mercedes’ clever design reaped significant rewards in badly managing to salvage the single point at China, helping Nico Rosberg to his maiden Formula One 10th. pole position and victory. Like Lotus, most teams - if they At this stage the world championship weren’t already - will inevitably now be investigating similar rankings were Hamilton 45, Button 43, Alonso systems. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean they will 37 and constructors rankings were still good for adopt them. McLaren at 88, Red Bull 64 and Ferrari 37.

67 Hirvonen takes Rally Portugal then gets excluded

Mikko Hirvonen took victory at Rally de Portugal with a flawless drive that saw him consistently ahead of the pack. Perhaps it could be laid at the door of

Sebastien Loeb who crashed out on the Thursday, allowing Hirvonen to take the lead on Friday and to maintain it to give him his 15th WRC title.

But this elation was not to last long as post race technical checks of the Citroen DS3 driven by Hirvonen and co-driver Lehtinen lead to their exclusion. This handed victory to Mads Ostberg and Jonas late Andersson who were second in their Adapta Ford Fiesta d r a m a s RS and also elevated the other Ford teams of Evgeny to secure the next Novikov and Denis Giraudet to second and Factory team’s steps on the podium. Ostberg’s Petter Solberg and Chris Patterson to third place. engine dropped onto three cylinders on A report prepared by the FIA Technical Delegate issued Sunday morning, while Novikov’s Fiesta suffered a to the event stewards stated the car’s clutch was “not throttle problem on stage 20. o n in conformity with the Homologation Form A5733.” As a Lorenzo takes victory with Repsols on two and three Fortunately, both cars were repaired to enable their the result the event stewards took the decision to exclude car respective drivers to finish, with Novikov securing his homologation No. 2 from the event classification. The report also stated maiden podium and co-driver Denis Giraudet landing documentation. This letter “the turbo (turbine wheel) fitted to car No. 2 appears not his first top-three since he navigated Thomas Radstrom confirms that it was never our intention to be in conformity”. However, a stewards’ decision on this to third place on the Safari Rally in 2002. Giraudet, 56, to cheat. At the same time, this situation forces matter has been delayed pending the outcome of further becomes the oldest co-driver to finish on the podium in us to look again at our procedures, since these parts examination and reports. the WRC. were not picked up during our own checks. On the Solberg slid into a ditch and retired from the lead during “I was waiting for this moment for a long time so I am second point identified by the scrutineers, the sole Friday’s second leg of this four-day event. After restarting very happy with this result,” said the 21-year-old Novikov. supplier of turbocompressors approved by the FIA for all with a 10 minute time penalty, the 37-year-old Norwegian After having been notified of the decision to exclude the manufacturers, has confirmed to us the plastic expansion won four consecutive speed tests on day three and two no.2 DS3 WRC from the Rally de Portugal, the Citroën of the wheel turbine. Additional analysis will undoubtedly more on the final day as he charged up the order. The Total World Rally Team had, within the one-hour deadline confirm that this was due to wear on the part. We accept result means Solberg retains third in the drivers’ standings stipulated by the regulations, stated its intention to appeal this harsh penalty but are determined to learn the lessons with nine rounds remaining. against the decision at the FIA’s International Court of and ensure that we will be even better in future. We Team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila finished Appeal. The team then had a further 48 hours to either still lead both World Championships, but the gaps have 14th in their Fiesta RS WRC after an incident-packed confirm its intention to appeal or decide against doing so. been reduced. We now go into the upcoming rallies more weekend. The 26-year-old missed out on drivers’ points, As further analysis of the matter and discussions with determined than ever to get back to winning ways.” but claimed two bonus points after finishing second in the experts did not uncover any new technical elements that Mikko Hirvonen: “Obviously, I am very disappointed final live TV Power Stage. might have been used to alter the harsh penalty handed but I am not annoyed. These things happen. You have to Heavy rain and fog turned the rally into one of attrition. out by the Stewards, Citroën decided not to pursue what accept them when they do, learn the necessary lessons Friday’s special stages in the hills near the Algarve base would have been a long and costly procedure. and go again. Citroën has done a lot for me in the last few of Faro were transformed into a muddy mess, and simply Yves Matton, Citroën Racing Team Principal: “We had months so I stand united with the team at this difficult staying on the road became a priority. Conditions were stated our intention to appeal in order to give us time to time. We win together, and we lose together! This incident so bad that organisers cancelled half the day’s scheduled analyse the matter in more detail. As regards the clutch, our just makes me even more determined. I can’t wait to start competition. supplier has sent us a letter of apology acknowledging the the next rally and go racing again.” Ostberg and third-placed Evgeny Novikov both overcame existence of a batch of parts which were different from those

68 Motor sports -F1

Lorenzo takes victory with Repsols onBridgestone two and to introduce three new signaling that specification front tyre this could be another runaway win for the Australian. orenzo took the lead from the start and Lorenzo and Pedrosa stuck behind him as he looked to Bridgestone will introduce a new specification front tyre for the held off rival Casey Stoner for the first few laps L establish a gap. MotoGP™ World Championship, giving the 21 riders taking before conceding the lead and tucking into second. The final third of the contest saw the reigning World part in this year’s competition access to the very latest in tyre The Mallorcan then played the waiting game, never Champion drop his pace and his rivals catch up with five technology. letting Stoner more than two seconds ahead. With laps to go. Both Repsol riders were trying to preserve This new front tyre is the latest evolution of the 2012 specification MotoGP™ front tyre, and features a revised seven laps to go he started to close the distance as their tyres, but Pedrosa made the first move to get construction that further enhances rider feel and warm- Stoner’s pace dropped off, holding off a determined past Lorenzo and attempt to catch his teammate. up performance and was developed following analysis of Dani Pedrosa on his tail to take the lead. Lorenzo Just a few corners later, Lorenzo returned the performance data and rider feedback acquired in pre-season crossed the line 0.852 seconds ahead of Pedrosa, favour and was this time able to overtake Stoner taking the lead in the 2012 Championship standings testing. as well. Pedrosa forced his way past the man with Due to the overwhelmingly positive appraisal this new front with 25 points. the number 1 plate as well on the penultimate lap, After months of preparation and three days of tyre received when tested by riders, Bridgestone, after but it was just too late for him to reach Lorenzo. He consultation with Dorna, the FIM and IRTA, has agreed to hard work at the Losail International Circuit, the first finished the race eight tenths of a second down on replace the current front tyre with the new 2012 specification MotoGP race of the year finally got underway at 10pm the winner. front tyre from the Silverstone round while also making a local time. The Repsol Honda Team were amongst Lorenzo said of his day, “What an amazing race! limited number of the new front tyre available for the Jerez, the favourites for the win, with Casey Stoner second I put everything I have, all my energy into the Estoril, Le Mans and Catalunya rounds. on the grid and Dani Pedrosa capable of making a track, this victory is because I never gave up, kept Starting from Jerez, riders will be allocated two of the new great start from the right of the third row. Both had pushing and trying. Casey was very strong at the specification front tyres to increase their total allocation for the caught up with Yamaha riders Jorge Lorenzo and Ben beginning and opened a gap. Fortunately for us he race weekend to 11 front tyres. The new specification tyre will Spies at the first corner. struggled at the end and dropped his pace where only be made available in the harder compound option, as the The Hondas took the inside line, before Lorenzo moved I could keep mine so I managed to pass him. I am greater durability this option provides makes it better suited for in front on turn two. Pedrosa and Stoner followed him very grateful to Yamaha because they have made race use. At Silverstone, when the new specification front tyre through, and it was the latter who pushed in front of his a big step this winter on the YZR-M1.” becomes the standard, the front tyre allocation will return to teammate before the end of lap one. He did the same on nine tyres. the straight one lap later to Lorenzo, taking the lead and

69 Tech Talk

oday’s car customer can be forgiven for UNDERSTANDING thinking that petrol engines and fuel Tinjection are a natural partnership. To know more about what they mean for each other, you really need to know the fuel injector FuEL INJECTION After last month’s quick look at and and the process of forced feed of air to the engine, we also need to look at another major part of the process that makes the engine more than a complicated pile of metal. The two most common forms of internal combustion engines are fuelled by petrol and diesel. The basic differences between these two products of the distillation and cracking of petroleum is that petrol at a later stage in the process and is lighter than diesel, which in many ways resembles heavy or furnace oils. All internal combustion engines require that the fuel is mixed with air and the mix is then ignited in the chamber to release energy. In the case of the , the fuel-air mix needs a spark to fire the explosion, while diesel engines self-ignite the process under the high pressures that the compression stroke subjects the mixture to. But that is not half the story. Petrol engines need to draw in the air and somehow mix the fuel in with air. Common sense will tell you that air (a gas) and petrol (a liquid) need to be mixed in some manner that allows the fuel to be evenly dispersed in the air. That’s where the carburettor made its entry into internal combustion engines more than a decade ago. The carburettor’s function was to serve as the point through which the air passed and picked up a stream of fine fuel particles fed into the air by a venturi tube. The principle under which this functions was spelt out by an by the suction generated by the cylinders as they descend after the Italian scientist named Giovanni Battista Venturi. All that is exhaust stroke. This is called natural aspiration and we have seen in the needed for this to function is a steady flow of air powered last article that forced feed is supplanting natural aspiration as engine performance becomes more demanding. The same applies to the way in which the fuel is added into the air. Fuel injection, by its nature, is the forced feed of fuel. You need that in the rigourous high pressure operations of a diesel engine and by 1920 practically all diesel engines were fuel injected. In petrol engines, the fuel injector came in a bit later. Swedish engineer Jonas Hesselman used it in his engine in 1925, but the Hesselman engine was essentially a hybrid – using spark ignition to ignite diesel or fuel oil under lower pressures. The first real use of fuel-injectors was in aviation engines leading into and during orld War II with the B-29 Superfortress even getting direct injection. The earliest use of fuel injection in cars was famously by Alfa Romeo in their 6C 2500 for the 1940 Mille Miglia. Famously because this was also the advent of electronic fuel injection. Mainstream fuel injection was pioneered by Bosch and for many years remained mechanical in nature. While American car racing began to use fuel injection, it never really took off commercially because it was difficult to tune the injectors for low-speed and everyday use. The first commercially available electronic fuel injection system was introduced by Bendix. The advantage of electronic systems is that the fuel injection can

70 be varied to match the demands of the engine, demand situations and leaner mixes in order to The latest allowing richer mixes for cold starts or peak save fuel. generation of mainstream car NDERSTANDING are mostly opting U for smaller engines paired with a FuEL INJECTION turbocharger or . What’s the difference between the two? And why should you consider A view of a typical fuel injector with the cutout shown below. On the switching to a facing page are the schematics for the electronic fuel injection and mechanical boosted engine? fuel injection

Types of Fuel Injection While EFI is now accepted as a standard in most cars, especially due to the carburettor being phased out by car manufacturers due to regulations and performance demands, there are so many variations that it is necessary to understand each type too. Single Point Injection Essentially SPI substitutes the Carburettor directly by using the same point of injection into the throttle body and hence is commonly referred to as Throttle Body injection or EGI. Multi Point Injection As the name suggests, MPI injects the fuel into the airstream just upstream of each cylinder’s intake valve. This allows for precise metering for each cylinder. Most modern engines use sequential MPFI or MPI, which means that the fuel is injected at the exact time that it required before the intake valve opens or during the intake phase. Direct Injection When fuel is injected directly into the cylinder the process is called direct injection. Most diesel engines are direct injection. Nowadays more petrol engines are becoming direct injection and are dubbed GDI or the equivalent. Direct injection has some inherent advantages over indirect injection which delivers the fuel into the mix outside the intake valve. Due to better dispersion and evenness of the mixture in the larger volume of the cylinder, the cylinder operates at a cooler temperature, which allows the engine to offer higher compression ratios and better performance. Also, by its nature, it is possible to control the exact time at which the fuel is introduced in the expansion and compression strokes to better fuel efficiency and avoid wastage. The use of piezoelectronic injectors allows for a high degree of control due to their speed, allowing multiple injection instances in every cycle. So the next time you come across the term being used ever so lightly in product catalogues, remember what it means – precise fuel delivery in your engine in such a way as to maximise fuel efficiency, power or both.

71 PREVIEW

When it arrives, the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe will have its role clearly defined with a bit more of a responsibilty. First, as a five-seater it has to maintain its own position in the segment and its longer wheelbase variant with two extra seats will enter the slot that will be available after the Veracruz product lifecycle ends

yundai Motors staged the world that Hyundai is practicing these days, interpretation of the Fluidic Sculpture premiere of the all-new Santa Fe the carmaker is retaining the name, design language which has modernised the Hat the 2012 New York International Santa Fe, continuing the heritage of the appearance of the Hyundai range in recent Auto Show. In its latest form, the popular car manufacturer’s well-established SUV years. D-segment SUV is re-styled inside and model as it enters its third generation. The In line with the full Hyundai product out, fitted with enhanced features and Hyundai Santa Fe has achieved worldwide range, the latest Hyundai Santa Fe features new technology, and powered by re-tuned cumulative sales of almost 2.56mn units the hexagonal-shaped grille, finished on engines with improved efficiency. since its year 2000 debut. Santa Fe in sophisticated dark chrome. Unlike the new naming nomenclature It is the first model to have its own Large, tear-drop headlights above the

72 bumper are matched in shape by fog lights inline-4 tuned to make 264hp. The base Hyundai has retained the car’s SUV below. The deep, two-tone underbody engine is expected to make an EPA rating of heritage, but has also improved its on-road offers generous ground clearance and the 33 miles per gallon Highway, which would abilities. A front subframe, which supports silver underbody panel visible at the front make the Santa Fe the most fuel efficient the engine, transmission and suspension, is smoothes the vehicle’s aerodynamics and of any crossover or SUV equipped with an mounted using specially designed bushes provides reassuring under-floor protection. automatic transmission. to minimise unwanted noise and vibrations Two versions will be produced. While The bigger Santa Fe gets a 3.3-litre V6 reaching the cabin, while allowing the the five-seater will carry on with the that makes 290hp, the same power plant steering to provide excellent feedback to outgoing model’s wheelbase, the LWB will used in the all-new Azera. EPA Highway fuel the driver in all conditions. be nearly four inches longer. The seating economy for the larger engine is expected In terms of passive safety, the New configuration in the Santa Fe carries over to be 31 mpg. The only transmission Generation Santa Fe is built using a from the previous model, with two rows option with all three engines is a 6-speed lightweight, high-tensile steel and aluminium and room for five. The longer wheel base automatic. Front-wheel drive is standard, structure which provides excellent bodyshell model gets a third row and can seat up to and all-wheel drive with torque vectoring rigidity and strength, protecting occupants seven. is optional. While the designs of the 2013 in the event of a collision. Dimensions aren’t the only differences Hyundai Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport New Generation Santa Fe is fitted with between the two models. The Santa Fe are similar, there are subtle differences. seven airbags as standard, including driver, Sport is powered exclusively by four-cylinder The larger Santa Fe gets a different grille passenger, side, curtain and driver’s knee engines, including a 2.4-litre that makes an design, side window shape, side character units, providing exceptional levels of safety estimated 190hp and 2.0-litre turbocharged lines and dual exhaust tips. to buyers across the range.

73 PREVIEW The GTS builds on the Cayenne model’s reputation as the most sporting SUV, offering a more powerful 420 hp engine, increased dynamic power development and a tauter chassis with 24mm lower ride height and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) as standard.

74 s an uncompromising extension model comes with an eight-speed Tiptronic new available colours: Peridot Metallic and of the GTS concept, introduced S automatic transmission and engine Carmine Red. Ainto the SUV model line with the stop-start system. While the drive ratios Inside eight-way adjustable front sports predecessor model, the Porsche says remain unchanged, the gear changes are seats with Alcantara accents are now the 2013 Cayenne GTS doesn’t merely shorter, crisper and harder. All-wheel drive exclusive to the GTS model and for the occupy the gap between the Cayenne S is still standard. Porsche has equipped the first time in the Cayenne, Porsche’s Sport and Cayenne Turbo anymore. It sees it as model with the Porsche Active Suspension Chrono package is now available. Porsche a model with its own distinctive character Management System also. has also tweaked the engine intake sound quintessentially developed for emotional With engineering enhancements, into the cabin. sportiness. especially in the powertrain departments, Porsche is confident that the 2013 China represents the fastest growing it gives the 2013 Cayenne GTS more Cayenne GTS will do well in China. The export market for Porsche and is the sporting character. The car will now sprint sports car manufacturer sold more than second largest after the USA and ahead from a standing start to 100km/h in 5.7sec 24,000 vehicles in China last year, an of the domestic German market. And thus and is quite capable of posting a top speed increase of 65 per cent compared with it comes as no surprise that 2013 Porsche of 260km/h. To aid handling and dynamics, 2010 and a new record for the company. Cayenne GTS, successor of the outgoing the vehicle has been lowered by 24mm Bernhard Maier, Member of the Executive GTS was unveiled in Beijing last month. and received a lower final drive ratio. Board Sales and Marketing of Porsche AG, The incoming car is mechanically based From the exterior, there are some design said: “Porsche is therefore the market on the Cayenne S as it shares its naturally- cues such as high-gloss black trim, sporty leader for sports cars in China. From the aspirated V8 engine. However, the peak side sills, wider wheel arches and the bonnet establishment of our subsidiary in 2008 up output has been bumped up by 20hp to and front face of the Cayenne Turbo. Other to today, we have sold 8,831 sports cars 420hp. The other big change is that unlike details include 20in RS Spyder wheels with of the 911, Boxster and Cayman models the previous Cayenne GTS, which came a unique offset, a sports exhaust system in China. Last year we attained a segment with a manual transmission, the new with matte black twin tailpipes, and two share of 46 per cent.”

75 PREVIEW

To create the one-off striking open top Aventador J, Lamborghini didn’t just remove the roof and windscreen from the donor Aventador. Engineers have put in all what they have learnt in advanced composite construction in this car so far

Lamborghini Aventador J concept

76 77 PREVIEW

t Geneva earlier this year, Automobili classes. The Lamborghini Aventador J is perfectly to every shape. In the Aventador Lamborghini presented what it a radically open automobile - exterior and J, the complete cockpit and parts of the Areferred as the most uncompromising interior meld into each other. The designers seats are clad in this material and shimmer open super sports car of its entire history. and engineers in Sant’Agata Bolognese in matt carbon fibre black. It’s conceivable Technically based on the Aventador, have not only dispensed entirely with the that in future there will be many potential Automobili Lamborghini is carrying on its roof, but also with the front windshield. applications for this freshly patented and glorious brand tradition. The 1970 Jota, This requires that drivers of the Aventador extremely fine-looking material, even very for instance, was the stuff of legends J must have the right equipment for driving high-end clothing. - a with improved at top speeds higher than 300 Km/h. The car uses the same 12-cylinder performance and virtually redesigned The specialists at Lamborghini have 700hp engine from the Aventador and its in every detail. It remained a one-off; developed an even more amazing version of robotized gearbox. Till now, this creation although some owners subsequently had carbon fibre material for the Aventador J. In will remain as an absolute one-off: a one- their Miuras modified to look like the Jota. its first automotive application, this carbon of-a-kind piece of art. We expect the best The letter J isn’t a reference to Jota but fibre fabric called “Carbonskin” is made of part of this car for its occupants should be is actually derived from the sporting rules woven carbon fibres soaked with a very engine’s accompanying exhaust note which of the FIA world motorsport organization. special epoxy resin that stabilizes the fibre will be even more audible and sound even Its “Appendix J” defines the technical structure and keeps the material soft. Like more exhilarating on the move. specification of race cars in the various a hi-tech fabric, the carbon fibre mats fit

78

Face to face

Becoming a benchmark for the brand

How has ZTC’s automotive division been doing from the investment the government is making. the brand new M-class, the new G-class coming, the during 2011 and into 2012? In our commercial vehicles business as well as our new GL coming and the face-lifted GLK. So it will be About 18 months ago, which was a couple of months passenger car business we are seeing that and a very active year for Mercedes-Benz and Zawawi after I arrived, we began planning on how to expand feeling that. We believe we are maintaining if not Trading too. business and how to make Zawawi Mercedes-Benz growing our market share on the back of some one of the benchmarks for the brand in the region. large deals we have managed to secure but more At the same time there is a huge thrust on As far as an organisation and operation and even importantly our retail business, which is the core AMG this year with a dedicated showroom from our process and our procedures we certainly business for Mercedes-Benz, which was not upto opening in China. Will something along those had room to improve and in our after sales area regional standards has seen improvements. So we lines happen here in Oman? we still do and in our sales area too. One of the are able to sell more cars to the normal customer We are forecasting a 100% increase in AMG product first things we did in discussion and agreement instead of the traditional government and contract sales in Oman this year. To achieve that we are with owners was to have the owners agreeing to business we have had in the past, which is for us bringing vehicles into the showroom that we would support and invest in the brand to enable us to be normally bring only on order. Now we are bringing the benchmark for Mercedes-Benz in the region as in vehicles on stock, we will put them on display and an operations, for ourselves and obviously for our the Oman customer is respecting that with the cars customers. going as soon as we bring them in. We are getting We are building at the moment a brand new Craig Hardie, CEO confident in the AMG product, it is an excellent commercial vehicle facility in Haima, which will of Zawawi Trading’s product but we weren’t sure how the market would service the centre of the country with a lot of our take to it and we are happy that there seems to be a commercial vehicle customers including the MOD and automotive division market and as we get confidence we’ll keep bringing PDO and so forth. We are also about to build a new speaks to Automan more and more products in. The new G-wagen facility for the passenger car business in Sohar to on the company’s coming in as the G63 and G65, we have solid support that region of the country and our customers volumes in those cars and have managed to secure in that region and we have the Salalah and Muscat performance during units for Oman and we have a long list of customers facilities. This will give us the premium brand in 2011 and into 2012. waiting to get their hands on these. Oman and the largest network for our customers of both passenger car and commercial vehicles. We have also had a couple of really big milestones happening for us – we have passed globa;l dealer standards for passenger cars a year ago and now we very very exciting and we would like to see this have also passed it in our after-sales as well. We are continue. one of only 5 dealers out of 17 in the Middle East and Levant region globally recognised as an after-sales With Daimler launching market specific brands organisation as far as process, procedures, personnel like BharatBenz in India and Auman in China mix and so forth. We now are at world standard in in commercial vehicles, do you see some our after-sales division and we needed to do that as of these coming to our market in order to we have a lot of customers over time who have a address a price sensitive segment? perception of our business and we are well and truly As you said BharatBenz starts production early next on the way to changing that. We must ask people to year and in the Indian market this is a very important come and try us to see how it has changed. move for Daimler. Obviously I am not part of Daimler so won’t comment other than to say that we are in You did mention your competition – both BMW discussions with them on how this could possibly and Audi have been making inroads into what come to the Middle East and how it could come to was traditionally Mercedes-Benz territory. Oman in some form. Whether it is BharatBenz on Are there any initiatives in place to grab back some other form, how it could come. I can share marketshare? with you that we have just completed signing with I would disagree with your comment. Certainly we Daimler trucks North America. That means we can haven’t lost any marketshare to Audi and I think offer in Oman the Freightliner and Western Star they are attacking the BMW brand more than us products. These have over 36% of the NAFTA market and with BMW if you compare our marketshare it is and are huge truck brands and we are very that they one of the strongest in the Middle East. I would say will do very well in the market here. They are a very that as Mercedes-Benz Oman we are strong in our solid product powered by Mercedes-Benz engines or marketshare and we are one of the best performers engines and the pricing of the product in the region. will be very competitive due to the Free Trade agreement that Oman has with the United States. Of course one of the talking points is your stellar 50% plus growth over the first quarter On Mercedes-Benz Year of the SUV, is Zawawi of last year in YoY terms. Would you put it all Automotive doing anything special? down to the Arab spring of last year or is there We are hoping to have an SUV event in Oman in real growth in the market? partnership with the regional office by the end of I certainly think there is real growth in the market. the year. We will have to see what happens between I think the market is strong, you are seeing results now and then. At the moment we obviously have

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Wearing Red and Yellow

Going to any country for the first time brings with it a fair share of surprises and broken misconceptions. As a child, our imminent return to India after spending a few years in England had me mouth my worries to my father, “what about all the snakes and elephants we’ll run into...?” Looking back I am sure he must have found it extremely funny, but then that is the stuff that most misconceptions are born of – the first snake I saw in the wild was here in Muscat a few decades later.

A recent visit to Thailand was almost the same – apparently every second person you speak to here in Oman thinks that Thailand is equal parts affordable speciality medical care and equally affordable Thai massage parlours, with every connotation between enervating and ecstasy in between. Add that to your little book of misconceptions to avoid.

To an Indian the association between the two countries pushes the realms of incredulity. Right from the glass and steel expanse of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, to the road network and even the countryside, you can see India mirrored in the landscape. The only catch is that it is the India that could have been, clean, green, friendly and clearly focussed on economic progress. Despite all the political turmoil that the Thais have been through, development is keeping pace and you only have to look at the global dimensions of its locally focussed automotive sector to understand the magic.

We were in the country to drive the latest generation of pick-up trucks. Pick-up trucks dominate the local auto space, with between 50 to 55% marketshare and this manufacturing base has been used by many major brands to produce pick-up trucks for the global market. To name a few – Toyota, Isuzu, Ford, Mazda, Mitsubishi and Nissan. But we weren’t visiting factories here – we were driving through the greenery of the golden triangle bordering Burma and Laos and as you can expect, the countryside is very different from any city. There were the obligatory visits to elephant camps as well as idyllic locations for rest stops along the rivers. The floods that had hit Thailand months ago were by now a fast fading bad memory and the roads and infrastructure seem to have survived.

Driving in convoy is never considered fun by auto journalists and here we were in a convoy that averaged around 15 trucks. I repeatedly found myself in a truck that was diesel-powered and with a manual gearbox. And of course they were all right-hand drive to suit Thailand’s roads. So between staying in convoy, minding your position on the road and remembering to shift to compensate for the turbo-diesel engine, I was rather glad to have the convoy escorts. Traffic cops on a rather odd combination of Honda cop bikes – with a 400 Bros and three CBs, a 400, 750 and 1300 between them, were shepherding us through the city and countryside. Now I understand how VIPs around the world feel about being able to run red lights, have lesser mortals pull over to the side to let them through and to take turns where none are allowed. It is the magic of having these helmeted Judge Dredds scooting ahead of the convoy and treating you as if you were somehow a higher being than the other road users.

In all of this the normal Thai we passed didn’t look the least bit fazed. They must be used to the convoys of their politicians rushing through roads filled with pick-ups and step through bikes. Oddly enough, the one form of transport we expected on the road was hardly visible in the countryside – the Tuk-tuk. Let’s put that down to another misconception that needs to be cleared. In the meantime, I am practising the age-old Indian joining of hands in a ‘namaste’ welcome that somehow seems altogether different when the Thais do it and planning another visit to the country to see what other ideas can be changed.

Raj Warrior is editor of Automan and has been in the thick of the Automotive journalism field from the past 15 years. Want to comment or have your say? Email at [email protected]. Identify yourself or your message will be trashed and your id blocked

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