Carbon fibre chassis technology has been present in racing motorcycles and special limited edition production bikes. But until now carbon fibre chassis has been a niche technology owing to its higher production cost and is among the first features to be equipped in limited edition machines. BMW Motorrad though plans to change this scenario soon. The German brand is the pioneer in the automotive industry when it comes to this miracle material. It is the only manufacturer that has cracked the code of mass production of carbon fibre structure for the BMW i8 and i3 cars. 

The German manufacturer wants to expand this knowhow of carbon fibre mass production into the world of two-wheels. According to reports BMW Motorrad is developing new carbon fibre chassis to replace aluminium and steel frames in its range of motorcycles. Patents have leaked for the next generation frame designs along with the manufacturing procedure. The benefit of carbon fibre is its lightweight nature. Weight is the biggest enemy for any performance machine and engineers strive their level best to shed as much kilograms from a motorcycle. Carbon fibre is used extensively in the world of racing for the fact that it is almost 40 per cent lighter than its metal equivalent. BMW Motorrad is working on a carbon fibre beam frame which would be employed in its performance range of machines.

Expect the carbon fibre frame to make its presence felt on the next generation BMWS 1000RR and the BMW S1000. The Bavarian manufacturer will be using the “pultrusion” to produce the beam frame section. The second frame will be the carbon fibre trellis frame which is a bit more tedious to manufacture as in conventional trellis frame the tubes are welded together while in carbon fibre construction it would joined with cast junction blocks. The trellis carbon fibre frame would be used on the mainstream range of BMW Motorrad motorcycles. Mass production of carbon fibre frames would be a giant leap in the world of production motorcycles and we sincerely hope BMW Motorrad is able to pull of this technology advancement. 

Courtesy :  Zigwheels.

Finally, Honda is ready to join the compact SUV bandwagon with this: the BR-V. Unveiled at the ongoing Indonesia International Auto Show, the BR-V is the fourth product that Honda has created on the same platform that also forms the basis for the Brio, Amaze and Mobilio. Which is why its likeness to Honda's newest MPV comes as no surprise.

It will be positioned as a rival to the Renault Duster-Nissan Terrano and the Hyundai Creta, but it actually looks a lot like a Mobilio wearing thick-soled boots. The face and the rear section look different, yes, but from the side, it is a plastic-clad Mobilio that appears to be like an SUV. That belief is strengthened when you read what Honda has to say about what the BR-V really is: "This new generation crossover utility vehicle features the combination of an SUV appearance and handling and great utility and the spacious cabin of an MPV". So, potential Renault Lodgy Stepway buyers may just be tempted to do some cross-shopping.

Anyway, the BR-V's heightened stance means there's more ground clearance on offer, and since it is a Mobilio in SUV clothing, it also has seven seats, which will make it the only offering in its class to have three rows of seating. We do not have official interior images yet, but we can tell you the dash design will be noticeably different from the insides of the Mobilio. Honda claims the BR-V's interior space is "class-leading", and also tells us that the car will come with air-conditioning for rear-seat passengers as well.

For the Indonesian market, Honda will sell the BR-V with the 1.5-litre i-VTEC (found in the City) which develops 117 horses and 145Nm of torque. When it comes to India, the BR-V will be sold with the 1.5 petrol, as well as the 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel (99bhp, 200Nm). Sending power to the front wheels is a six-speed manual, and a CVT gearbox is on offer, too. However, for India we think Honda will stick to the existing 5-speeder.

Safety-wise, the BR-V is equipped with dual front airbags, ABS and Vehicle Stability Assist. To compete with a car like the Creta, which is packed to the gills with features, Honda will have to bless the BR-V with sufficient kit. Like it did with the Mobilio, expect a posher 'RS' version to join the ranks some time in the future.

In Indonesia, the BR-V will be priced between Rs 11-12.5 lakh, so you know this one's aiming for the big guns. Expect Honda to first showcase the car at the Delhi Auto Expo in February, and follow it up with a launch in the months that follow.

Courtesy : BBC TopGear.

This is the new Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupe. It has two doors, driven wheels at the rear, lots of noise, and a bi-turbo V8 with the option of 470bhp or 503bhp. The latter is the correct option.

The new C63 follows in the footsteps of the regular C-Class Coupe revealed earlier this week, and of course, the C63 Saloon, with which it shares much of its DNA.

So you’ll spot those familiar flared wheel arches, accommodating a 64mm wider track up front and 66mm wider track at the back, and housing wider tyres. Which, of course, are likely to get torched, thanks to the engine from the AMG GT installed under that power-domed bonnet.

Like the C63 Saloon, the Coupe gets the AMG GT supercar’s bi-turbo, 4.0-litre V8 with dynamic engine mounts, in either base 470bhp form - 0-100kph in 4 seconds – or C63 ‘S’. That ‘S’ gets 503bhp and a 0–100kph time of 3.9 seconds. By any metric, that’s seriously quick.

Both versions are quicker than their equivalent C63 saloons by a tenth, and – perhaps more crucially – faster than the BMW M4. Both versions are also capped at 250kph, though you can select the AMG Driver’s Package to liberate up to 290kph.

A new exhaust flap developed specifically for the Coupe ensures many noises are made, too, while you can even option a proper performance exhaust for yet more shouting. Merc’s dual-clutch seven-speed gearbox is the only transmission on offer, of course driving the rear wheels.

AMG has tweaked the coupe’s suspension relative to the C63 Saloon, too: there are new steering knuckles, while the contact surfaces of the wheel bearings were pushed 25mm further out. Yeah, exactly.

The coupe also gets new wheel carriers, stiffer elastikinematic tuning, and a higher negative camber. Naturally, you get AMG’s ‘ride control’ in the shape of adaptive dampers.

The base car comes with a mechanical limited-slip diff, while the C63 ‘S’ gets an electronic version.

Looks the part, too, don’t you think? A new front spoiler, aforementioned twin-dome bonnet and flared arches, new side skirts, rear diffuser and spoiler lip all help distinguish the AMG from the regular C Coupe - though there is a distinct whiff of Mustang about its swooping roofline profile - while inside it is as upmarket as you would expect from an AMG Mercedes.

Prices have yet to be announced, but expect a small premium over the base C63 Saloon’s starting price (which will be out on September 3). Now, here’s the big one: this, or the six-cylinder, 425bhp BMW M4? On paper at least, the Merc has it licked, but we know things are different out there in the ‘real’ world of pumped-up, 250kph coupes…

Courtesy :  BBC TopGear.

Renault is French, and so, it is different. The carmaker thinks differently, plans differently and does things differently too. So, while other manufacturers paid lip service to setting up design and styling studios in India, Renault actually set up two. The Mumbai design studio was started in 2008 and the one in Chennai, along with a full-fledged workshop, went online earlier this year.

The Mumbai outfit’s first job was the Logan prototype, which the company produced with help from Indian designer DC. Dilip Chhabria was also quite heavily involved in the making of several other show cars for Renault and he helped with the Twizzy concepts for the Auto Expo as well. Slowly, the design team started working on larger and larger projects, like full-fledged facelifts, updates and special bits for new cars to be launched in India, like the Lodgy’s new grille.

The Kwid, however, presented a huge challenge. This is because the project was both Indian as well as French. Most of the data collection, however, was done from here, on the ground. It had to be. Renault was keen on an immersive experience for its design team. It wanted the design staff to be drowning in the local culture and local tastes, and there was a special emphasis on what Indian customers disliked too. This is how they discovered what Indian customers really meant when they said they wanted more car for their money. And it’s also why Renault understood what Indian car buyers wanted most of all; to skip a whole class and reach up for that car that would only logically come to them three or four years down the road. And how did the team finally decide on the crossover shape for the Kwid? “When you are in India, and your ears are open, it is just obvious,” emphasises Mumbai studio boss Patrick Lecharpy. 

The actual design process happened really quick after the crossover shape was chosen. “The way we work today, the ‘masala’ is moved back and forth between India and France, so we have the best of both, with lots of India, but plenty of Renault too,” says Lecharpy.

Then, a competition was instituted internally, a few designs were chosen with the help of chief Laurens Van Acker, and then a couple of the best were selected for model-making. Serge Cosenza’s design was then selected and the interior work done by young Indian designer Moneet Chitodra, who managed to create an appealing interior within an exceedingly small budget. 

The engineering and cost control people then thrashed out the details and after just three months, Renault got its ‘convergence’ model. There were a few difficult bits, like the bulging hips that needed a bit of back and forth with production and engineering and the tiny tyre profile demanded by engineers to achieve the fuel economy target drove the designers nuts. But Renault eventually managed to hit all its design objectives. The Kwid, despite being a compact, low-cost car, looks like an SUV. It manages to convey a feeling of size and it really does feel robust. As long as Renault sticks to its promised price range of Rs 3-4 lakh, this could be the most significant low-cost car to be launched here in a decade; all primarily achieved through good design, low-cost engineering and great cooperation.

Courtesy : Autocar

The Kinetic Group has signed a partnership to retail MV Agusta motorcycles in India; first launch slated for November 2015.

Indian two-wheeler and engine manufacturer Kinetic has confirmed that it has signed an agreement with Italian sport and superbike brand MV Agusta to sell its motorcycles in India.

In our last report we had said that both parties were interested in signing an agreement to bring the Italian brand to Indian shores. The Kinetic Group will be establishing showrooms for the brand in top cities across the country to retail as well as service the Italian manufacturer’s offerings.

The first offering from MV Augusta is slated to launch sometime in November 2015 with the rest of – or at least part of – the company’s international portfolio to follow in the coming two to three years. In international markets, the MV Agusta portfolio consists of a range of high-performance machines such as the Brutale, Rivale, Turismo Veloce, F3 and the range-topping F4. Some of which could make their way to our shores.

MV Augusta motorcycles will be imported into the country as completely built units (CBUs) or in the form of semi knocked-down (SKD) kits. Kinetic says the prices for the offerings are expected to range from Rs 12 lakh to Rs 33 lakh.

This is not the first collaboration between the two brands, with Kinetic having designed and manufactured a 125cc engine and aluminium frame for MV Agusta’s sister brand Cagiva.

Courtesy : Autocar