Modifications? Be careful, maybe you don't know what you are doing!

Many people have started following this new trend of modifying their cars. Many of the people I know and the people I met at the recent AutoCross 2013 event at the BIC had modified their cars to an extent I never thought was imaginable. I know that Modification is not a very "pocket-friendly" job, but then, its about your passion, right? Anyway, many people think that adding a new accessory to your car is a modification, well, read this and you will have a whole new perspective about this!

MODIFICATION- What the heck is it all about?

BMW with Lamborghini Style Doors, or LSDs

If someone comes to me and says- "hey look, I got new woofers in my car, its finally modified!", I swear to god I am gonna trip and then calmly say congratulations! Not his/her fault, because modification is a very misunderstood concept in India, maybe even more than the concept of politics (What? yeah! :P ).

A modified car from Autopsyche

Modification is the ALTERATION OF AN EXISTING FEATURE OF YOUR CAR, MOSTLY RELATED TO THE TECHNICAL, STRUCTURAL or MECHANICAL (ENGINE) ASPECT OF THE CAR (its in bold, so that you can go on revising it!). I am gonna take the aspects one by one, with a few amazing examples that I have come across over the span of my life till now (that was deep).

Modified Honda Civic

TECHNICAL ASPECTS-

ECU Remapping, outputs before and after!

There is usually a very simple and a popular modification here, you can alter the "Factory Mapping" of the ECU chip of your car, and viola, your car can go from the factory 75 BHP to as much as 95 BHP (for the Maruti Suzuki Swift ZDi). Now ECU Remapping, as it is known, is not very effective in the Petrol cars, but it can do wonders with the modern Diesels! There is also an advantage if you have a diesel (apart from the awesome turbo!), you can get a Tuning Box. This Box acts as a secondary ECU Chip, and when you want, it can take your engine to the limit. Now this is a big relief for those who think that ECU Remap can alter the Vehicle Warranty, Insurance etc, but a big disadvantage is that if you plan to enter a competition where it is not allowed, the box is noticeable. The choice is yours, and I personally feel that you should have the Remap done, and that too buy professionals like Autopsyche and Pete's Modifications! Other than this, nothing comes into the Technical part of the Modification!

STRUCTURAL ASPECTS-

Mazda Rx-8 with a fiberglass rear door

How the hell can one alter the structure of a car? Get out of your little bubble, and prepare to be shocked. There are people who buy old Esteems or Zens, and then the remove pretty much everything like Doors, Boot-lid, Bonnet, even the seats and the carpets and install a Roll-cage. What this does is that it lightens the car, and the roll-cage provides the safety, place to put your harnesses and structural rigidity to the car. But this is the extreme part, and if you think that the car is not just a race car, you can go for the little things like a body kit, custom hoods, maybe change the way your doors open (Lamborghini Style, anyone?), or change the Headlights and Tail lights (Common, too common). This is modification, not adding neon under-lighting or maybe the DRLs. Another modification is a Sunroof. The roof is cut, and you can then open it, and enjoy, well, the sunlight inside your car? I don't know, I just like the idea of getting out of a moving car when the weather is just right! But a big caution here, get it fitted buy a good shop. It may cost a few bucks more, but then you will be sure that the roof won't leak! Alloys are also a very common modification, and a bit effective because they are lighter than the traditional steel rims. Spoilers are a part of the Body kit sometimes, and a very common mistake, putting a rear wing on a front wheel drive car, should be avoided.

MECHANICAL ASPECTS-

Polo GT TSI, Lowered Suspension and ECU Re-Mapped

Have you been thinking that where are the Turbos? the Exhausts? Well they come here, under the Mechanical or the Engine part of the Modifications! This is where you can really make the car go faster because you are changing the factory fitted air filter, or the exhaust, or altering the intake system. This starts from something as simple as "Iridium Spark plugs" that can cost you about Rs. 500-1000 a set, to "K&N Air filter", which are about Rs. 5000-10,000, to "Free-Flow exhausts" (Rs. 15,000 onwards) to adding a "Turbo with intercooler and a radiator" (way above Rs. 1,00,000). This is where you can modify to your heart's extent, or to the extent that your car's engine can take the brute force!

K&N Air Filter

Magnaflow Exhaust

And how can we forget custom suspension setups. When in a race, you want your car to corner flat, because that is how you can set fast times without losing time due to slipping and lack of traction. Bilstein is a popular suspension option, and can cost Rs. 35,000 to 2,00,000). Again, these are really delicate modifications, and should be done by experts like Autopsyche or Pete's!

Self Explanatory, a brilliant piece of work from Autopsyche! 

So I hope that all your Modification related queries are solved. If not, you can leave comments below, and I will surely try to solve them! And enjoy the pics! :D

Modified Renault Duster from Pete's

Modified Honda Civic by Autopsyche

When one of your favorite car gets better!

Ok, so there are conflicts in my own mind to decide which my favorite car is! I adore the Mercedes SLS AMG, which along with the Range Rover Evoque, is my dream car. But they are not my favorite, there is an obvious difference. My favorite cars right now are, hand over heart, BMW 320d SportLine, Mercedes A180 Sport and the Maruti Suzuki Swift. I can call them all my favorites because I have driven them all. And I have a special place for the BMW 520d too!

The DRLs, yay!

Now the news is that the Japanese are making the existing awesome car even better. They introduced this new Swift DJE at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show. Now "DJE" stands for Dual Jet Engine, and that is awesome because that is Formula 1 technology we are talking about. This uses jet engine sort of stuff instead of a turbocharger (this technology is interesting, I will explain this tech in a post soon) which increases not only the fuel economy, but also makes the car powerful! And as a result of this, the car gives about 26 kmpl. Now when I drive my Swift, I get about 25-26 kmpl, but there is a difference. I have a Diesel, this is Petrol! So 26 kmpl in a petrol car, from a 1.2 liter K-series Suzuki engine, it is astonishing.

And I thought you can't make it better, bleh!

Now the engine is the actual party piece, and along with the Regenerative Braking Technology and Idling Start/Stop System, the car is as advanced as you can get, but there are a few other features that are added too!

If that badge comes in India, expect people to stare at it!

The car gets Paddle Shifters, Daytime Running LEDs, a Push button Start/Stop button (i20, Micra, Pulse already have it) and a feature that I want in my life, A color changing instrument console! The color of the unit changes as per the throttle inputs, so you know that when it is red, you are driving like a mad guy.

The changes between the normal one and the DJE!

Expecting that these features actually do come in India, expect the Engine option to follow the other cool features. We already expect these cosmetic changes along the Push button Start/Stop button to come to India next year, and the engine, well, maybe later! I know that my love with the Swift will surely break once I drive the Polo GT TSI, but until then, the New Swift, come fast please, I love you! :D

That instrument panel, please take my money right now!

That is not the car that might come to India, but please give us a 90HP Sport version, with those headlamps and grills, PLEASE?

Mercedes STARDRIVE Experience, Buddh International Circuit!

Have you ever thought of something that is more awesome than the most awesome thing you have ever done? Well I never did, but Mercedes (a company that makes just cars that are superb, but I find hard to like apart from the new A-class and the SLS AMG) made me experience that.

Now I have driven a lot of cars, manual, automatic, fast, slow, everything. But never did I experience all that in one day. It all started when I read this advertisement in HT CITY about the event, and my first step was to go online and register. I had my e-mail already registered, which was weird, but when I checked the mail, I saw a confirmation for the event. One point to Mercedes! :D

The paddock club, filled with enthusiastic people!

Now came the day, 9th November, time slot- 12-2pm. I left home at about 9:30, because I was just excited. I had a word with Mr. Roshun at Cartoq, who was equally enthusiastic about the event and even sent the Video Editor, Mr. Angad to cover the event. All awesome things happening, and my friend, Rehan (the Nokia 808 PureView genius) was there to shoot the still too!

When we reached the Mecca of speed in India, The Buddh International Circuit, we could easily see that the event is no small deal here. We entered, registered, and we could hear tires squealing like a young chick on a roller-coaster. What that was, scariest driving s*** on earth. Anyhow, a series of events were involved.

THE BRIEFING-

The Paddock Club, just $5500 for the race weekend

When we went inside the PADDOCK CLUB (intentionally capitalized, it's a bloody $5500 ticket for the F1 weekend) and were offered juices and mojitos and stuff, but the thing that caught my eye was the beautiful girls handing people gadgets that made you look like Cyclops out of X-Men, literally. The "goggles" were for viewing a 8 minute video demonstrating the automotive brilliance of Mercedes. After the video, and stuffing ourselves with what can be described as the best food I have tasted in a long time, our next session awaited.

THE SLALOM-

Not a point where you braked!

A slalom is basically a zig-zag between obstacles. But a slalom in a Mercedes C250 CDI Avantagarde is a different thing all together. It was a contest, clock in a time worthy for a top 10 in a two hour slot, and the prize was awesome. Anyway, we just had to do it, the prize was tempting. So seeing the others do it made me nothing other than nervous. Then I spotted a guy is a racing suit who was going to be driving around too for the event. I went to him, and asked for tips because he turned out to be a Rally driver with experience more than my age. He told me not to use the brake for except on place in the slalom course, and my time could be competitive.

If you crossed the cones, you were simply disqualified

The dropped cones pointed in the direction of the track!

 Making strategies, and standing in cues, hearing tortured tires (because some people think it's cool because it is not their car, it's Douchie) and hearing times like 23 seconds, my nervousness kicked in. My turn, no people in my car but the instructor, I started my reference lap, and stopped in the middle, the seat was too far. My lap started, braking once, and the lap over. I came out, 21 seconds! YES YES YES! Did a small Vettel-like gesture 'coz I just knew the prize was mine. But first, the next event.

Getting to the start after a sighting lap of the course

THE SUV EXPERIENCE-

The car was like a see-saw, and the power went to the wheel with maximum traction

With the maximum traction to the front right and rear left, off went the GL!

 You get in a 90 lac Mercedes GL, last thing that comes to your mind is taking it off-road, right? Not if you are an Indian, but yes if you are me. Off-roading is awesome. Another Rally champion showed us the various off-road features like EDR, 45 degree hill ascent and descent, 30 degree inclination stability due to the low ground clearance, etc. The experience was good, and the car lived up to its promises.

The 45 degree hill descent

The 30 degree slant-stability, the car didn't move an inch

PRE-SAFE SESSION-

Remember the tire squeal? I am going to let the video speak up. Coming soon!

THE PRIZE, E250 CDI ON THE CIRCUIT!

At the end of the 3 lap session, you park where the champions once did, not long ago

Didn't get it? Really? Of course you did. 5 people a time, with another Rally Champion in the lead car (Mercedes C250) instructing us where to turn, the apexes, how wide to turn, how fast to go, where to brake and everything, and telling me (car 3) "good job car 3" three times, once when I passed the place where I spun during the track day, it was just so overwhelming. And the car, I secretly turned on the "S" mode and turned off "ECO", and it was like driving something with fire on its bottom. You pressed the accelerator, and the car went fast (one time, I was warned to maintain the 2 car-length difference from the car ahead). The only let down? The gear box, it changed a bit too late considering the Sport mode, but overall, the handling, the steering and the comfort, awesome.

The second car in the pic, I was in it! :D

To summarize then, amazing day and all thanks to a company that is now one of my favorites, MERCEDES-BENZ! 

F1 races, not this weekend, but its doing rounds!

Formula 1 is a sport that is so fast, if you don't choose your seats wisely, all you will see is a car in front of you, and then not in front of you about 1 second later! Anyhow, at this point of time the news do faster rounds than the car. Rumors rumors rumors!

FIRST- The mighty Hulk moving to Lotus!

Kimi Raikkonen moved to Ferrari, obviously, and Romain Grosjean is doing great with the team, so most probably Nico Hulkenberg, who has impressed in his Sauber in the second half of the season,will get to Lotus F1. But if experts are to be believed, Hulk might go to Force India again, joining his fellow countryman Adrian Sutil as Force India might let go of Paul Di Resta. So Hulk has Lotus F1, Force India, what else? Lets see how the rumors go.

SECOND- Paul Di Resta has an uncertain F1 future!

Well, people say things. But when Di Resta's manager says this, its serious man! The Scot hasn't helped his repo in the last few races, retiring from 4 straight races. He aims points at BIC, but that wont matter a lot, as the F1 experts say that despite "no-millionaire-sponsor-backing" of the 27 year old, his talent and speed will get him a seat next year. well I hope so too!

UPDATE- Paul is considering 2014 season in US INDY CAR racing

THIRD- McLaren are eyeing Fernando Alonso

McLaren have had a rough year, with Button struggling with the Speed of his McLaren, and Sergio Perez not scoring the points expected, they haven't got a single podium till now. So Martin Whitmarsh is focusing on the future. Fernando Alonso for 2014? Well they have Honda Engines from 2015, so its true that they are going to be back in form! But Alonso will come? Specially after his "break-up" with his beloved Ferrari? Time will tell.

UPDATE- McLaren have signed young rookie and 2013 Formula Renault 3.5 champion Kevin Magnussen

F1 is always interesting, the cars, the races, the drivers, everything. Watch this space for confirmations, and more rumors!

CONFIRMED LINE-UP-

Infiniti Red Bull Racing-
Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo

Marussia F1 team-
Jules Bianchi

Scuderia Ferrari-
Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso

McLaren Mercedes-
Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen

Mercedes AMG Petronas-
Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg

Scuderia Toro Rosso-
Jean Eric Vergne and Daniil Kvyat

Williams F1-
Felipe Massa and Valteri Bottas

You hate so much, 'coz Vettel is winning!

Back after a long break, was caught up with so much work, but I kept my eyes on the cars! :D

Anyway, one thing caught a major part of my attention. PEOPLE HATE SEBASTIAN VETTEL. So, I am not a part of his PR group, nor am I saying that I am the head of Seb's Fan Club, but I am proud to say that he is my idol! Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Kimi Raikkonen, Sebastian Vettel.

On a Facebook page, I noted down a few reasons why Vettel is such a hated personality, and I will try to sum it all up. I am not trying to change the opinion of anyone, I hate Brinjals, and no one can change my opinion on that! :P

REASON 1- VETTEL DISOBEYED TEAM ORDERS AT THE MALAYSIAN GP

So reason one to hate the TRIPLE WORLD CHAMPION (four time, just a matter of time) is that he wanted to overtake his teammate Mark Webber, when the team told him not to. So we see Formula 1 because we want to see a fast driver not overtake a slower one? Maybe we should switch to some other sport then. At the time of overtaking, Vettel was clocking fastest lap times and Webber was fresh out of the pits. I don't disrespect Webber, but even after Seb overtook him, he had fresher tires, he could have gone for the overtake again. Also, let me remind you all "oh I know all about F1" people, 2011, British GP, Silverstone. Webber ignored the team orders too. Lets make a Mark Webber Hate club?

REASON 2- VETTEL WINS BECAUSE HE HAS THE FASTEST CAR

Right, so Seb's got the fastest car on the grid, thanks to Adrian Newey! Let me remind you, Seb is in a team that makes Energy drink and is powered by an engine made by Renault, and they have no Supercars out there. On the other hand, Formula 1 is the pinnacle of Automotive technology (apart from the rubbish Pirelli rubber) and if established manufacturers such as Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren can't produce a car as fast as the Red Bull, its their fault. Also, Mark Webber is also in the same car, although he runs different strategies like a different rear wing etc, but we don't see Webber winning races, do we? On the other hand, having the fastest car doesn't always make you a triple world champion. Remember Seb's first win at Monza? 2008, conditions were wet and he was a rookie. He drove a Ferrari powered Toro Rosso to the Pole and then to Victory. What? Not a Red Bull? Well, YES!

REASON 3- HE HAS MADE FORMULA 1 BORING

Last time I read about Formula 1, it wasn't an Entertainment sport. Maybe people have got it wrong. Seb is just doing his job, nothing else. He is a reacing driver, and he has to come first. Ayrton Senna, the greatest F1 driver said that ONLY FIRST POSITION IS A POSITION, REST ARE NOTHING. Also, if you want entertainment in F1, I don't know what channel you watch but Star Sports 2 and ESPN HD show battles for 4th, 7th, 10th, and they are awesome. driver's getting side by side, overtaking brilliance and what not! I hope that is clear too?

REASON 4- SEB'S BEATING ALL THE PREVIOUS FAVORITES

No answer there. He beats Lewis Hamilton, and i respect Hamilton a lot, and I have found new budding admiration for Fernando Alonso's driving style, but I accept the Greatness of the German, because he is beating them all for the past 4 years, and also in 2009, came really close to beating them.

My aim wasn't to criticize anyone. People follow one sportsman, I respect their decision. But hating someone who is driving in a sport that is physically so demanding, Mentally so challenging, I pity you.

I dare all the HATERS, take your car, shell out 4000 bucks and drive at the BIC for an hour. Maintain the Racing line, drive flat-out and then when you get out of your car after an hour, if you say what Seb does, what Hamilton does, Raikkonen, Alonso, Massa etc are doing a simple job, I will agree to what you say!

PEACE OUT!

Its not a spelling error, its Style! Vulcano.

The Vulcano embodies the best in Italian design and engineering. Reaching up to 950 horsepower through an ingenious combination of combustion engine and electric motors, all encased in a beautiful design featuring voluptuous and harmonious shapes, this is the car which brings together the Beauty and the Beast. The Icona Vulcano was designed by Icona Director of Design, Samuel Chuffart. 

Those lines, and men die for curves, Bleh!

The Icona Vulcano is a front engine V12 two-door two-seater car; the top speed will be around 350 km/h, and 0-200 km/h will be well under ten seconds. The powertrain of the Icona Vulcano is the work of well-known Claudio Lombardi, former powertrain technical director of Ferrari and mastermind of numerous world champion cars. Claudio Lombardi has engineered two available configurations for the Icona Vulcano. The first is an impressive rear wheel drive V12 associated to an advanced technology gearbox that includes a hybrid system: its electric motor synchronises the single clutch for fast gear change and balances the torque for smooth and optimal acceleration while its additional power increases the total power of the car to 950 HP. 

Those taillights, and those gills near the doors, SEXY!

Based on further development of this advanced technology, the Vulcano will also be available in a four wheel drive alternative: this time a twin turbo V6 engine coupled with two electric motors for front traction will deliver a total power of 870 HP, and in an overall set up made to be a record beating Nürburgring champion. This masterful combination was successfully tested only a few months ago at San Marino with the Lancia 037 (Ex World Champion Rally) transformed by Beppe Volta into a 4WD hybrid. Made by ACTUA together with Italtecnica, the Lancia 037 4WD-H beat its previous record in every way. 

I think after the Alfa Romeo 4C, this is the best plan view of any car!

The wheels of the Vulcano are forged aluminium, 20 x 10” in the front and 21 x 12.5” in the rear. These wheels started life as T6-6061 aerospace grade forged aluminum. To handle this power, Icona has selected Pirelli P Zero ultra high performance tyres. With a 355mm section in the rear and 285mm section in the front, these tyres have been developed using a new high-grip compound with nano-composites and an innovative racing tread. The Icona Vulcano braking system has been supplied by Brembo. The GT-R brakes are the finest high-performance aftermarket braking system ever engineered for production. Lighter and stiffer with excellent heat rejection, the 6 piston calipers are machined entirely from billet. Lightweight carbon ceramic discs of 380mm all round reduce inertia while dissipating heat exceptionally fast.

I, I want that interior in my life. I am in love!

Fancy a Hatchback? A Fancy Hatchback?

Yeah that was some wordplay. If you thought that the Volkswagen Polo GT 1.2 TSI is an expensive Hatch, think again. BMW and Mercedes have thought of beating that and that too by a very long margin. Although if you look the other way round, you are now going to get the 'BRAND' and the awesome 'GERMAN ENGINEERING' for a few less of that hard earned buck of yours.

BMW, who also own Mini, and launched the Cooper in India only last year, have now though of launching its 1-series by September. The car which is available in many parts of the world is known for its handling and awesome drive. The car is a hot hatch, and is available in Rear-Wheel Drive, which as we all know means Doughnuts, Drifts etc. But then, will you do that in your expensive Beemer? Hell yeah, else who will I buy it? And at a price tag of anywhere between 21-24 lakhs, it’s an expensive Hatch, but a cheaper BMW. I would buy it for its Engineering, but in India, many will judge you and say- You just own a Hatch. There you go, sales won’t be that good. But the car will feature Airbags, Leather seats, Cruise Control, ABS and even a banging stereo. So if you are a young rich brat, why look somewhere else?

Might not be a thing of beauty, but it will be Rear-wheel Drive

Well, you might want to look at the Mercedes stable. They have the B-Class in the Indian Market, and now they will launch a Diesel and the Awesome A-Class. A-Class will be launched by 30th May, and trust me, the car is going to be both a Looker and an Awesome Drive. With features and price similar to the 1-Series BMW, its early launch will give the most successful Mercedes launch a boost in the Indian Market. Hell, I can't wait to drive it.

Awesome looks, and add to that an awesome car to drive. Rich brats, Rejoice!

The B-Class I mentioned earlier, Launched at a price tag of 27 lakhs found buyers in the Indian Market and was a contributor in Mercedes regaining the 2nd spot in the Luxury car market. So this Sports Tourer, well, it must be having something.

Looks dicey, but it sure is a luxury Hatch! Sorry, Sports Tourer.

Mind you, the cars mentioned here are no bigger than our standard Toyota Etios that we get to see almost every day. Strange but true!

Anyway, I hope to at least see them on the roads, because I will be going to see them in the Showrooms, and you have my word, they will be awesome to drive. Let’s see if the Indian Market gets a dramatic change, or not!

Thanks to IBN Live, Zigwheels and NetCarShow for the pics.