Salutations …

A relapse of my previous cold was not what I expected and frankly I am getting irritated.. add to that the recent fuel hike… response being – Buy a compact car, more fuel efficiency, easy on the mind, no tension… I have got to say.. That’s not entirely true

Consider this… driving style does matter more than your engine specs.. you could drive your 4L 400 odd BHP car achieving a better mileage than a 1.5L 4 cylinder car(the former being a BMW).. So all the hassle about more fuel efficiency should consider the way you drive as well… you drive cautiously and be called a miser.. well those folks don’t pay for your petrol and if you look like a snail.. so what?? Meanwhile Ferrari decided to show off the Maranello factory assembly lines to the public, a visual treat mind you for the public… for us Indians we will have to wait.. and the Maserati Quattroporte has undergone a facelift and expect a 2009 release of this gem of a car and if things weren’t getting ludicrous enough, Versace has decided to team up with Lamborghini for a limited edition two seater LP640.. it’s a part of the “personalization program” they say… and what’s more.. The US Grand Prix wont be on the calendar for F1 fans in 2009… For those who do remember that bizarre race where all Michelin teams did retire due to tyre concern just before the start of the race.. a day of shame was the tag given.. but Ferrari never had a problem taking that 1-2 victory there..

My friend Harish took a liking to the new Fiesta 1.6S which I had discussed before and is eager to get his hands on one of them this weekend.. I hope my relapse is a short lived one… cause I really want to try it out but with wife’s hold on me during sicktime… That looks like a grim reality…

More to follow… do check in when possible…

Well Formula One is again a two horse race.. don’t call me a whinny chap.. Ferrari McLaren Ferrari McLaren .. oh come on already we need a break here… Bernie are you hearing this?? BMW is giving both of them a run for their money but that feeling still remains… the two big-guns are going at it and the end of the year might not be a surprise..

I got a look(on the net… not really on the roads..) at the new Mercedes F700 concept with a shape which was bizarre to say the least but considering that it will run on gasoline, giving out very little emission and an automatic gearbox… with the same comfort feel you would expect of the Mercedes .. but boy did was it an ugly looking car(my thoughts ….) Now take a look at the new 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4.. Don’t look at the price(trust me don’t I almost lost interest seeing it).. Now that is beauty on wheels .. a bit of the Reventon look and looks which will make any normal car lover go berserk… Well if you drove this car, I am sure you are getting get some serious style points from the womenfolk across the city(let it come here first dear reader, before you jump the bandwagon) 0-62 mph in 3.7 seconds and 0-124 mph in 11.8 seconds.. this kind of acceleration is attributed to a new “thrust” mode launch control alongwith the e-gear semiautomatic transmission(means buttons, left brake pedal and keep your eyes on the road.. cause you will fly!!!) A young boys fetish to drive one of these modern day feasts with no one oblige .. now that I am married the wife is the latest thorn in the desire to do so….(tsk tsk)

Well the Fiesta review will continue the next time and this unusual break comes due to my keen interest in the latest Euro 08 with Germany the last blue blood team left in a battle of the minnows… leaving me bleary eyed (someone create a time portal like in the sci-fi films) and with the weight of the office on my shoulders(help its heavy…help) readers do come back as I continue my observations and provide more insight into the Fiesta 1.6S

And on the last note, this interesting story from F1… 1991, Silverstone… title race fought out between Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna.. Mansell goes on to win from pole with Senna finishing fourth.. After running out of fuel Senna is stranded on the track and well a long walk back to the pit garage(in the British weather… yipes!) However, Mansell stops and offers him a ride to the pit garage on the back of the car!!! And Senna obliges(wonder whether Alonso would do that for Hamilton now…. Shame if the spirit of the sport is lost and the past serves as a reminder of the sportsmanship motorsports held and hope the present generation is listening…)

Way back in the 1970s, Ford was facing some stiff competition from companies like Fiat and Renault in the so called small car section…. Then in 1975, was born the very first Fiesta(apparently the product project “Bobcat” ….. sounds like a 007 story plot)and the Mark One was the first Fiesta(1976) to ever be launche…… Fast forward to 2008 and we have the sixth generation staring at us, the lineage to speak of… and the new baby out of the Ford India stable(Ford India established in 1995)… the Ford Fiesta 1.6S… sportier, better looks and the inclusion of 15” alloys a nice change(but the exposed wheel nuts…..the design takes hits a small glitch for me there..)

There is so much to talk about the Sports variant…. This car marks the end of the 1.4L Fiesta petrol variant (1.4L Duratorq still available)… Now, a 1.6L 101PS Duratec(aka petrol version) engine powering the car(a little step down from the European versions..) The facelift was the first thing I wanted to check out… considering the old plain boring look… the lower grille is trapezoidal in shape with the addition of the twin jewel (dealers words…) effect headlamps with a black surround… Its new styling, evidence of the European or kinetic design being incorporated.. however marginal changes only(kind of sad… more restyling was possible…) The new additions being the spoiler, a chrome tip exhaust… throw in some cool vinyls and your Fiesta can appeal to the common man…..(some racing vinyls to show off maybe..) and the colour during the launch being Aquarius Blue(wow… nice choice Ford India)

The Fiesta 1.6S comes with a sporty body kit and the tail lights remaining unchanged… the upper and lower front grille with a new look honeycomb structure (buzzz…..) All in all a better looking Fiesta with 175/65R 15 tubeless tyres(obviously 4 in number) but that does not speak for the drive the Fiesta series offers… arguably one of the best handling in the market and one which I would drive all day if I had nothing better to do(till I got dragged out… with the wife bellowing at me…. callous towards life I am according to her…) Next time, a look into the engine as well as the suspension of the Fiesta(responsible for me wanting to break out of home and drive the Fiesta all day..) and a further more technical discussion about the new kid on the block… the Fiesta 1.6S

Ciao till then and don’t forget to view this space with that morning/afternoon/evening beverage/soft drink/milk in your hand..

Howdy readers

Though my cold hasn’t gotten any better, it does make me happy to see new cars(from anywhere on the planet as long as it helps SAVE the world) entering the Indian market with CNG options to be provided to them… (Mercedes Benz with the cheapest auto fuel in the world…Woah) and Malaysian carmaker Proton’s move into the Indian markets will ensure there is competition for the Dzire,SX4,Swift or Hyundai’s i10… and lets not forget the Tata Indica and Indigo(Chevrolet Aveo and UV-A other key players)plus with the promise of offering CNG variants…(nice play….)

Now the world’s third largest automaker (sales …) Ford brings out the new Fiesta 1.6S & SXI… the 1.6S has a more sporty look with the 1.6SXI being given the ‘luxury’ tag… Ford India President Michel Bonham pointed out the focus on the European makeover to match the exciting “on-road character” of the Fiesta…The new kid on the block, I hope the Fiesta is a bit more exciting than its predecessor which looked plain and well a bit boring, but a facelift resembling the European models is exactly what the Fiesta needed…. And a hit with the younger generation (those who go for the Fast and the Furious look will surely love having this car to play with…. Drool…rims..neons..spoliers…)

The Caparo T1(at Auto Expo 08) was touted to be the world’s most safest car… even Top Gear’s very own Stigg drove it without much trouble until reports came in that it caught fire in fifth gear…(Chuckle chuckle…) What I would give to be the Stigg…(my left no wait right arm…)Jokes aside, the announcement of the Fiesta 1.6S brings back memories of the ‘Go Fida’ wave which hit India and boy did it makes us take notice…. With the Indigo, Dzire and Logan familiar names in the market, a new change is exactly what I wanted to see and the Fiesta is calling me to gaze at it lovingly almost…(My wives eyebrows are meeting as she peers into my work…not a good sign)

So check this space for the next couple of days as I sneak a view of the newly released Fiesta sports variant and try to extract as much as I can from the dealers at Ford (hope they are nice to a smart-alec like me…)and hope I don’t get shot for suspected espionage… Ciao and don’t catch a cold readers (A son’s pouted face as a sick father can’t play cricket with him… sigh…)

Sedan… a word whose origins are not accurate but its supposed to mean chair (first used in Naples).. Due to the ailment known as COLD (ouch my nose…), I decided to sit back and look at what sedans are in… Brief… and congratulations to Robert Kubica, leading a BMW 1-2 in Canada (Thank God… was F1 getting boring or what)

Sedan is a common body style used by car manufacturers presently with the basic two rows of seats… one for the person who drives… one for the accomplice/friend/(ahem..you know what I means) and the other row for the “backseat” drivers(aka rest of the travel crew)… Currently the four door seems the popular trend. Technically, a three box pattern is the notchback version with the boot being separate from the passenger area.. the roof and boot(trunk..) lid parallel to the ground with a clear rear window angle incorporated .. A fastback follows a two-box pattern with a continuity from the roof to the base of decklid(the cover of the boot doesn’t let u suitcase fly out at high speeds..) Nowadays the word continuity is being put to the test by auto manufacturers with very aerodynamically designed car models appearing in the market(Audi one of the many….) A hatchback takes after the fastback version excluding the trunk lid… means the entire rear of the vehicle lifts up… Chauffeured sedans… (Yes the limousine sedans for the VIP’s to take from place to place)…. Hardtop sedans are now of historic significance considering that they do not have a B pillar(the roof support behind front doors) requiring extra strength for rigidity of underbody… 1980’s saw the removal of weight and strength improvement lending the term pillared hardtops or pillared sedans (four door versions). Since the four door model is the IN THING, a two door model is quite rare to spot(in India, am not sure have seen one till date… if anyone has do let me know..)

Now the current list of sedans available in India is too much to write and plus I don’t want the one reading this to sleep(headache also as… note that..). So let’s just note some recent players.. Suzuki Swift Dzire, Mahindra Renault Logan, Tata Indigo CS (world’s cheapest saloon)… Saloon is a British term for the same but its catching up here in India (both terms are used by various companies)… and ofcourse Honda Accord 2008(tsk tsk I cant buy it, no dough for the biggies…). Ofcourse the Indigo doesn’t offer you the refined ride as the Dzire or the Logan nor does its gearshift make you jump for joy but nevertheless the newer Tata Indigo CS DiCOR is a practical and an improvement over the regular DiCOR… Well I am going now to try the Bugs Bunny line on the doctor(hope I get the right medication after it…..) and yes the new Honda Civic hybrid I cant wait to try out for myself(hope another Toyota Prius does not occur)

Keep viewing this space to know more about sedans… Ciao car lovers.