The riders trained by Honda’s Ten 10 Racing academy have scored double podiums in both supersport and pro-stock 165cc categories

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The 2017 Indian National Motorcycle Championship’s first round was conducted at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore under the governance of Federation of Motor Sports Club of India (FMSCI) this weekend. The races were held in different categories depending upon the engine capacity of the motorcycle, the organizing body and the type of modifications made on the motorcycle. It was split into two major classes – National Championship and Honda One Make Championship.  

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The National Championship was divided in two segments – the supersport 165cc class and pro-stock 165cc class. Two races were conducted in both the segments. Supersports is a segment where the bikes are heavily modified and many world-class performance components are used to make them quicker, faster, lightweight and light-footed. Pro-stock bikes, on the other hand, are slightly tamer on the track as there are some restrictions towards the modification of these bikes and only locally sourced performance parts can be used compared to the supersports bikes.

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In the supersport category, race 1 finished with the 1st and 2nd position riders separated by milliseconds. Rajiv S secured first position with a total lap time of 07:53:41, with Mathan Kumar trailing at 07:53:94. Both the Honda riders continued their successful reign in race 2 with Rajiv and Mathana securing first and second position respectively. In the pro-stock category, race 1 concluded with Mithun Kumar and B Aravind securing 1st and 2nd positions, clocking lap times of 20:07:186 and 20:09:278 respectively. Race 2 was again dominated by Mithun securing 1st position with a total lap time of 08:17:120, and Soorya P M securing second position with total lap time of 08:19:870.

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The Honda One Make series was divided into CBR250R open championship, CBR 150R novice championship and Honda all-ladies race. Rajiv S, who also participated in this race along with the above mentioned national races, secured 1st position in race 1 and race 2 while the second position was secured by Amit Richard Topno and Abhishek V in race 1 and race 2 respectively. The CBR 150R race saw the most number of participants racing on the track. With 40 competitors racing, pole position was secured by Satya Narayana in race 1 and race 2. The second position was secured by Syed Nawas and Amala Jerald in race 1 and race 2 respectively.

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An all-girls race was also conducted by Honda in which 8 woman riders competed with the race-pepped CBR 150R motorcycles. Rehana Reya was the quickest rider on the track and completed the race in 1st position while Shruthi N came in second. It was a good sight to see the girls competing on the track and Honda does have a big hand in nurturing their talent.  

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Congratulating the winners, Mr Prabhu Nagaraj, Vice President, Customer Service - Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, said, “What an epic start to the 10th year of Honda’s motorsports in India! Backed by the phenomenal performance of our young riders, Honda is leading the tally at the start of 2017 season. My heartiest congratulations to Rajiv, Mathana, Mithun and Aravind for their podium wins. 2017 season will witness intense racing action. The international learning’s of Honda riders gained through Asia Road Racing Championship is giving them an edge. We at Honda are confident of more such stellar performances throughout this racing season."

Courtesy : Zigwheels

All-electric Honda NSX under considerationThe next-gen NSX could use four electric motors that would be able to potentially carry from 0-100kph in 2.5secs.Honda is looking at bringing technology from its 1,014hp Pikes Peak race car, 4-Motor Acura EV Concept, to production in the form of a fully battery-powered next-generation NSX.The revelation that a potential all-electric NSX is under consideration was made by Sekino Yosuke, Honda's head of research and development, during a demonstration of the Acura EV concept. Given the acceleration figures of that car and the NSX’s famed handling prowess, the electric drivetrain would have the potential to give the NSX hypercar-beating levels of performance. Although, the competition car’s top speed is a relatively low 249kph and a production car would likely weigh more.

“The technology used on the Pikes Peak car could be interesting,” said Yosuke. “It's not just a competition car; I would like to make such a car in production, and there are some studies around that. We want our electric cars to be joyful to drive, and it is clear that this proposal, with around 1,014hp, is both joyful and uses technology that could one day reach production. We are evaluating what is possible now.”This means that the next-generation NSX could potentially use four electric motors to generate acceleration that would be able to carry from 0-100kph in 2.5secs and 0-200kph in 6.2secs, making it more potent than a Porsche 918 Spyder.The 4-Motor Acura EV Concept, which weighs 1.5 tonne, finished third overall in last year’s Pikes Peak Hill Climb event in Colorado, USA. It has a modified version of the SH-AWD powertrain in the production Honda NSX. With an electric motor powering each wheel, the concept is claimed to be the “world’s first supercar with four-wheel independent torque allocation”.

As such, each wheel can accelerate or decelerate at any time, offering maximum grip and the potential for handling-improving torque vectoring.Although it's only required to run at full speed for around 32km at Pikes Peak, insiders say that it carries sufficient battery capacity to drive for 322km if driven at modest speeds. A production car is likely to require a broader range of talents, and the main barriers to a road car matching the competition car’s performance are said to be the weight (for safety), additional battery systems and the need for more cooling.However, the current NSX has only been on sale in international markets since last year, with Type R and convertible variants still in the pipeline. As such, an all-new NSX is unlikely to be launched before 2023, when battery technology is expected to have progressed significantly.

Courtesy : Autocar

Mercedes has started testing the next-generation A-class’ autonomous functions. The car is set to get driverless technology from the S-class, as hinted to our sister publication Autocar UK by Mercedes sales boss Britta Seeger earlier this year, giving it the potential to reach Level 2 autonomy.

The new autonomous technology will enable the future BMW 1-series rival to steer and brake itself up to certain speeds. It'll do this by using systems that are part of the car's lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control technology.

Previous sightings have shown that the car’s design will take influence from the Concept A, with slimmer headlights and wider front grille for a more aggressive appearance, as well as a longer wheelbase and higher roofline to improve practicality.

Sources say the interior will feature plusher materials and Mercedes’ latest infotainment system as well, with top-spec models likely to get a widescreen display integrated more cleanly into the dashboard than in the current A-class. The fit and finish of the interior will also be improved, with strong competition from Audi, with its virtual cockpit dashboard layout.

The 2018 model year A-class will gain a new plug-in petrol-hybrid drivetrain to offer a pure-electric driving range of around 50km. The plug-in model will come as part of Mercedes’ push for a larger, electrified range, which currently only features electric versions of its B-class and Smart models, but will soon gain an SUV, as seen testing earlier this year. An updated line-up of turbocharged four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines will power the range, improving performance and reducing emissions compared to the current car.

At the top end of the line-up, the range-topping AMG A45 version of the new A-class hatchback is expected to produce close to 406hp – 24hp more than today's AMG. The car will rival the likes of the next Audi RS3.

As previewed by the Concept A, the A-class will eventually gain a sedan version that will rival the Audi A3 and BMW 2-series sedans. Alongside standard front-wheel drive, the A-class sedan will be engineered to support Mercedes’ multi-plate clutch 4Matic four-wheel drive system in combination with most engines.

Courtesy : Autocar

Kia has released design sketches previewing its new Stonic crossover ahead of its world debut at the Frankfurt motor show in September. The Nissan Juke rival will be closely related to the new Hyundai Kona, which is also due to be revealed at Frankfurt.

The design sketches reveal the Stonic's chunky, Rio-inspired look and intricate rear light clusters. The front-end design is far removed from that of the Sportage, suggesting a different aesthetic direction for the brand's future models.

Our sister publication Autocar UK had unearthed the 'Stonic' name in trademark filings earlier this year. Kia claims that the car offers a level of customisation options unprecedented on any Kia model before it, on both the interior and exterior.

The Stonic is tipped to share engines with the Rio, given the two cars' shared platforms. This means 1.0-litre three-cylinder, 1.25-litre and 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engines, and a 1.4-litre diesel for higher-end cars will be offered, with specs ranging from entry-level 1 to range-topping 3 and GT-line cars. It won't get four-wheel drive anywhere in its range.

After exploring an entry into India for several years, Kia Motors, the sister brand of Korean carmaker Hyundai, recently announced its foray into the country. Kia will build a manufacturing facility with an annual capacity of 3,00,000 units in Andhra Pradesh starting later this year. It signed a memorandum of understanding with the state government for the construction of the greenfield plant. Read more on that here. 

Courtesy : Autocar

Yamaha has made a grand entry into the fully covered touring cruiser motorcycle segment with the launch of all-new Star Venture in the US market. This touring motorcycle shares its name (Star) with the previous bikes in the lineup. On the other hand, the name Venture is something new for the company.
 
The 2018 Star Venture is designed, as described by the company, to deliver great value. Moreover, the company has also made bold statements about the cruiser saying that the features and the technologies used in the Star Venture will be set to redefine the luxury cruiser tourer segment. It is inspired by a muscular car designing. It is the house of many practical and luxury features that sets it apart from other such touring cruiser motorcycles.

The all new 2018 Yamaha Star Venture luxury touring cruiser has an all new engine under its hood. It has a 1,854 cc fuel injected, air cooled, V-twin engine under the hood. This engine is mated to a 6-speed transmission gearbox along with a wet slippery clutch unit. The large, central mounted fuel tank is big enough to offer up to 220 miles on a single fuel refill at a mileage of 34 miles per gallon.
 
The Yamaha Star Venture gets a host of riders' assists like a Sure-Park, ride-by-wire throttle control, cruise control, adjustable riding mode and traction control. ABS is also offered in this motorcycle. Moreover, the company has also tried to keep the Tourer ahead of its rivals by adding a fancy infotainment system to it. It has a touchscreen infotainment system, voice command, handlebar control and a powerful audio system.
 
The Yamaha Star Venture is available in two different trims. The standard version is retailed at USD 24,999 while the higher Transcontinental is offered at USD 26,999. It is offered in two colour options like Granite Gray and Raspberry Metallic. It primarily rivals against the likes of Indian Motorcycle and the Harley-Davidson.