Google’s Self-Driving Cars Complete 300K Miles Without Accident

Google’s self-driving car project is probably one of the most audacious experiments the company has embarked upon. Today, Google announced another milestone for this project: its fleet of about a dozen autonomous cars has now driven 300,000 miles without a single accident under computer control. While this is obviously very positive news for the project, Google warns that “there’s still a long road ahead.” The cars still need to learn how to handle snow-covered roads, for example, and how to interpret temporary construction signs and other situations that could throw its systems for a loop.

It’s not clear how many of these 300,000 miles were driven on Google’s secret racecourse, by the way.

According to today’s update, Google also plans to soon let some of the team’s members drive the cars solo for their daily commutes. Currently, the cars are always driven by at least two people, but the team apparently feels that the project has reached a point where it’s safe to just have one person operate the cars.


Google also announced that it has added the Lexus RX450h hybrid car to its self-driving car family.

“One day we hope this capability will enable people to be more productive in their cars,” said Chris Urmson, Google’s engineering lead for this project, “For now, our team members will remain in the driver’s seats and will take back control if needed.” There have, of course been some accidents that involved Google’s self-driving cars in the past. All of these, however, happened while humans were in control of the cars.

Yamaha updating their FZ serie

We shared this news of Yamaha updating their FZ series with mild updates and an introduction of a new orange color to the FZ-S, now the company is refreshing its big brother Fazer as we had predicted, however, there are no new colors introduced. Moreover, we had reported FZ’s updates on 25th April whereas the combined (FZ + Fazer) official information reached us a couple of days back only. Check out what the New Fazer 2012 has to offer after the jump.

New Yamaha Fazer 2012 version comes with the following changes:

• Changed Grab Rail: The new grab bar looks more useable and hopefully the grip would have improved. According to Yamaha, this grab rail will also act as some kind of a support to the pillion rider.
• Longer and Wider Pillion seat: This is one of the most important changes in the new 2012 FZ series and we hope it has ample amount of space for the pillion.
• Large & Wide rear fender: The rear fender has also been lengthened and widened, which do take away a few points on the look factor, but promises to prevent mud splashing through those huge rear tyres.
• New Chain Protector: Yamaha also provides new chain protector on their new Fazer. Basically the lower part which was naked has been covered by a stylish cover as well which is definitely a good step towards safety of people wearing loose clothing.

Price: 2012 Fazer will bear a price tag of Rs 76,380 ex showroom Delhi

Torque:

What is with this torque figure of new FZ series of bikes? On the official website, these new variants are claimed to be producing 13.6Nm of peak torque in place of the 14Nm of the earlier variants. Is this a step to increase mileage of these FZ series of bikes? It remains to be seen if this has any significant adverse effect on the performance of these bikes.

Colors: New 2012 Fazer would be available in 4 colors: Competition White, Black Cyber Green, Lava Red, Midnight Black

Yamaha would soon be launching a comprehensive campaign to promote these new 2012 bikes. We would be able to see John Abraham, company’s brand ambassador taking the center stage obviously along with the new bikes on the various promotional activities planned by the company on the web, TV, print etc.

Renault Scala launched in India

Mumbai: Renault India has launched their fifth car in India, the Scala. Both the petrol and diesel come with two trims each.
The base petrol (RXE) is priced at Rs 6.99 lakh while the top-end RXL retails at Rs 7.85 lakh whereas the diesel RXL and RXZ trims have been priced at Rs 8.69 lakh and Rs 9.57 lakh ex- Delhi.
The Scala will compete with the Nissan Sunny, Skoda Rapid, Volkswagen Vento, Hyundai Verna and Honda City.
Like the way the hatchback Pulse is derived from the Nissan Micra, the Scala is a rebadged Sunny.
The front fascia is where the major transformation has taken place with Renault badge resting on the gaping mouth which incorporates the front grille and air dam give the car a more aggressive stance as compared to its Japanese sibling.
From the side, the car is exactly the same as the Sunny except for the new alloys. The rear has minor changes incorporated into it, like the chrome strip connecting the tail lamps and the blacked out area in the fender.
The interiors are the same like the Sunny exception being the availability of leather seats on the diesel RXZ trim.
Both the100PS petrol and 86PS diesel engines have been carried over from the Sunny. Renault will also be offering an automatic gearbox later on for the petrol variant.

(Orignal artical in http://ibnlive.in.com/news )

Volkswagen India to launch high-end variants of Polo and Vento at lower prices

Volkswagen AG's (VOW.XE) India unit Tuesday said it will introduce refreshed variants of its Polo hatchback and the Vento sedan later this month, in an effort to push up sales during the country's upcoming festival season.Demand for cars in India has been severely impacted by expensive loans and high fuel prices, as well as a slowing economy.

But sales will rise during the festive season -- including Diwali, the festival of lights, on Nov. 14 -- which most people in India consider a good and lucky time to make purchases.

Local car sales during the April-July period this year grew at a slow pace of 5.6% to 634,298 autos.
But the main industry body, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, has forecast that brisk festival business will help sales for the current financial year through March 2013 grow between 9% and 11%.
Arvind Saxena, managing director of Volkswagen Group Sales India, said that sales of the brand's cars in August dipped to 4,410 autos from 6,091 a year earlier as demand remained weak.

Aaditya Charekar, head of product marketing at Volkswagen said the new variants of the gasoline-powered Polo will be priced between 489,000 rupees ($8,795) and 584,400 rupees at showrooms in New Delhi.
The new gasoline-powered Vento will be priced at 729,000 rupees to 874,805 rupees. The top new variants of the Polo will be up to 40,000 rupees cheaper than the existing models, while the Vento will cost about 20,000 rupees less.

Volkswagen has a factory at Chakan in the western state of Maharashtra, which can produce up to 130,000 cars a year. It makes the Polo hatchback, the Vento, Jetta and Passat sedans at Chakan and imports the Beetle and Phaeton cars and the Touareg sport-utility vehicle.

Hyundai Launches the neo Fluidic Elantra

The Petrol Elantra is available in 3 variants:

S M/T- Rs. 12,51,000/-,

SX M/T- Rs. 13,74,000/-,

SX A/T- Rs. 14,74,000/-

Diesel Elantra has 4 variants:

Base- Rs. 12,91,000/-,

S M/T- Rs. 13,64,000/-,

SX M/T- Rs. 14, 85,000/-,

SX A/T- Rs. 15,85,000/-

New Delhi, August 13, 2012: Hyundai Motor India Ltd, country’s largest passenger car exporter and second largest manufacturer today announced the launch of the neo Fluidic Elantra in India. The neo Fluidic Elantra boasts of futuristic design, luxurious interiors, advanced High-end features and cutting-edge technology.

Speaking at the launch, Mr. B S Seo, Managing Director & CEO, HMIL said, “The Elantra has received an overwhelming response worldwide. We are confident that it will raise the bar and set a new benchmark in the executive car segment in India. With contemporary styling, design and all the advanced features the neo Fluidic Elantra will give an immense driving pleasure and comfort to the customers in India.”

“The launch of the neo Fluidic Elantra in the executive segment makes Hyundai a full line-up manufacturer,” he added.

The Elantra is a globally successful sedan and has received much international recognition. It has been awarded the “2012 North American Car of the Year” at the Detroit Auto Show.

DYNAMIC AND FUTURISTIC DESIGN:

“Fluidic Sculpture” is Hyundai’s new design philosophy which embodies a flowing and dynamic form execution. This Philosophy embraces the harmony of human co-existence and the wisdom of sustainable growth from nature’s endless evolution to create a vision of progressive and passionate design. Embracing “Fluidic Sculpture” design principles, Elantra artfully combines the interplay of wind with rigid surfaces to create the impression of continuous motion.


FEATURES:

The 5^th generation neo Fluidic Elantra comes with various segment unique features like Front ventilated seats, Rear parking camera, Advanced safety features like Vehicle Stability Management (VSM), Silica tyre and Solar glass.

Additionally the neo Fluidic Elantra also sports a number of high tech features like smart key with push button start, 10-way adjustable power driver seat with lumbar support, Dual zone FATC, Auto Cruise control, Automatic Headlight control, 16” Alloy wheels and so on.

To ensure enhanced Comfort and Convenience, the neo Fluidic Elantra offers features like electrically adjustable, foldable and heated outside mirrors with turn indicators, Rear AC vents, Cooled glove box, Eco driving indicators, 2 DIN MP3 audio with USB, Aux-in and iPod cable for unlimited music access together with combination of Audio and Bluetooth control on Steering. The Audio control on the rear armrest is a delight for the rear passenger.

Hyundai has always led the way when it comes to ensuring safety and security in its vehicles. The neo Fluidic Elantra is packed with an array of Hi-end safety features like VSM (Vehicle Stability Management), ESP (Electronic Stability Program), ABS (Anti-lock Braking System),     6 Airbags, HAC (Hill-Start Assist Control), Speed sensing auto door lock and impact sensing auto door unlock to ensure complete safety of the occupants. To assist safe and easy parking, the Elantra also offers Rear Parking Camera with display on Electro Chromic Mirror (ECM) along with the parking sensors.

ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION:

The neo Fluidic Elantra will be available with two engine options – 1.8 L Petrol Dual VTVT delivering149.5PS@6500rpm of maximum power and 18.1Kgm@4700rpm of peak torque and the 1.6 L Diesel VGT CRDi delivering 128PS@4000rpm of maximum power and 26.5Kgm@1900-2750rpm of peak torque.

Both the Petrol and Diesel versions offer the segment unique choice of 6-speed Manual Transmission and 6-speed Automatic Transmission. The super-efficient 1.6 L Diesel engine offers a mileage of 22.7 KMPL (ARAI figure) while the 1.8 L Petrol version clocks 16.3 Kmpl (ARAI figure), making the neo Fluidic Elantra the most fuel-efficient car in the segment in both petrol and diesel.

The Elantra will be available with India’s best Warranty with a Period of 4 years/100,000Kms with Road Side Assistance. The Elantra goes on sale immediately and will be available with choice of 7 variants in a range of 6 exciting colours.

Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance 2012 was held Sunday, August 19th at the Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California. More than 200 automotive treasures lined the 18th hole of the famed Pebble Beach Golf Links for the 62nd annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, with a total of 28 classes including feature and special classes. Early morning fog and anxious entrants quickly gave way to sunshine and enormous crowds jostling about the wonderful selection of cars and motorcycles.

The Saoutchik Coachwork, Cars of the Maharajas and Mercer featured classes enjoyed premier show field placement set against the Pacific Ocean. And if the scenery wasn’t enough, the astounding paint and interesting bodywork of the Saoutchiks and Maharajas ensured the crowds would gather. Nonetheless, the crowds were also wowed by the other honored classes, including the cars of AC and Shelby Cobra, Sport Customs Hot Rods, Fiat and German Motorcycles.

Best of Show at the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance was awarded to the 1928 Mercedes-Benz 680S Saoutchik Torpedo owned by Paul and Judy Andrews. The winning car, powered by a 6.8-liter supercharged engine, is one of seven Torpedo bodies designed by Jacques Saoutchik for the Mercedes-Benz 680S chassis. It was originally shown at the 1928 New York Auto Show. Other nominees for Best of Show included the 1935 Duesenberg J Gurney-Nutting Speedster entered by the William Lyon Family, the 1931 Duesenberg J Derham Tourster owned by Joseph and Margie Cassini III and David and Adele Cohen’s 1933 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Figoni Coupe.

Shriji’s 1924 Rolls-Royce wins trophy at Pebble Beach

At the recently concluded 62nd annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance event, Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar of Udaipur’s Rolls-Royce GLK 21 won the Lucius Beebe trophy. It is the only Indian entry to have a won a trophy at the prestigious event where only rare and exquisite cars are invited.

On this occasion, a 194-page coffee table book dedicated to the history and restoration of the Rolls-Royce GLK 21 was released by the House of Mewar. It also outlines the family’s association with Rolls-Royce over seven generations. The car was reported to have been brought by the family and was used by them for a long time. However, there came a time when it was going to be cannibalized for its spare parts and Shriji spotted the car. Having a passion for restoring classic cars, Shriji resurrected it to its former glory, a process which took seven to eight years and involved Rolls-Royce restoration expert 

Suzuki Intruder M1800R

The Suzuki Intruder is a series of cruiser type motorcycles also called as a super bike. The chopper motorcycle is leave’s a unique style statement in the heart of bike lovers. Suzuki Intruder, the sports cruiser has height of 1185mm, width 875mm and the length is 2480mm with fuel tank capacity of 19.5 liters. The Awesome super bike has 1783cc engine and it is looks like a competitor of the big boy Harley Davidson, one of the coolest bike.

Priced (Ex-showroom Delhi) at Rs.13.25 lacs

World's oldest Ferrari, worth $ 8 million, unveiled

London: The world's oldest Ferrari which won the 1947 Turin Grand Prix has been unveiled for the first time after restoration and is now believed to be worth a whopping $8 million.

The 166 Spyder Corsa built by manufacturer Enzo Ferrari just after the World War II is believed to be world's oldest Ferrari and was restored for $5,00,000 by its owner Jim Glickenhaus from California, the Daily Mail reported.

Capable of speeds of up to 160 kilometres-per-hour, which was enough to win the model the 1947 Turin Grand Prix, this 12-cylinder classic car is a one-of-a-kind.

"I bought the car at auction in 2004 for around $770,000," Glickenhaus, 62, said.

The motor — numbered 002 — was the first sold by Enzo Ferrari in December 1947, after his first build crashed.

In 2006, the owner of a Ferrari marked 001C came forward claiming his vehicle was the world's oldest.

Maruti Suzuki to launch MUVs and SUVs in 2012

Maruti Suzuki has witnessed its market share declined towards south after many auto manufactures kept launching new cars in the entry level segments including different variants and giving the No 1 car company in India a stiff competition. To regain its 50% market share, Maruti Suzuki is planning to launch new models on the MUV and SUV segment.

Maruti Suzuki designed its new vehicle by both India and Japanese engineers and would be launched in 2012. These cars will be displayed at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo and one could witness all these. The MUV from Maruti Suzuki named Ertiga will be priced at Rs 7-8 lakhs range and their compact SUV should be costing around Rs 10 lakh. These cars will be powered from its existing engines which will be will be tuned to meet the car specifications.

“There is a vast chunk of market, almost 18% of the passenger vehicles sold in India where we don’t have any presence. So, as we aim to regain our market share and take it to beyond 50%, we will introduce vehicles in the new segment that are not in our current portfolio,” S Nakanishi, MD, Maruti Suzuki said.

Audi Q3 SUV launched at a starting price of Rs 26.21 lakh

NEW DELHI: German automaker Audi introduced its compact luxury SUV Audi Q3 in India on Wednesday, taking BMW's X1 head on. Mercedes-Benz, the third German luxury player does not have a competing product in this segment that is expected to generate good volumes.

Introducing the soft roader that is targetted at urban customers who desire a vehicle that has a stance of an SUV stance without matching the latter's off-road capabilities, Audi officials said the 2.0 TDI quattro version will be priced Rs 26,21,000, similar to that of its entry-level sedan A4. Though there is tremendous interest in the market, Audi India will be able to take in only 500 bookings due to production constraints at the European plant.

This youngest member of the Audi Q family was unveiled at the Auto Expo in January 2012, and is one of the most awaited vehicles to hit the Indian roads in recent times. Equipped with a powerful and efficient 2.0 TDI quattro engine. The base variant is priced at Rs 26,21,000 and the top variant Rs 31,49,000.

"The launch of the Audi Q3 is in line with our top-down strategy for India. The Q3 is immediately recognizable as the youngest member of the Audi Q family. Now we are starting the next chapter of our success story: As a true luxury SUV, the Audi Q3 leads the way for the Four Rings to enter a new segment in India, with ever increasing customer groups demanding for luxury mobility in a compact form.

Every aspect of the Q3 showcases Audi technology - the body, the drivetrain, the chassis and the assistance and multimedia systems. Many of these elements come directly from the luxury class. At present, only 500 Audi Q3's will be available for initial booking. We are confident that Audi Q3 will repeat the success of Audi Q5 and Audi Q7 and further consolidate our leadership position in the luxury SUV segment", said Michael Perschke, Head, Audi India.

Audi sold 450 cars in May 2012 - a growth of 10 percent over the same period last year (May 2011: 408 cars). The brand with the four rings grew by 37 percent during January to May 2012, delivering 3281 vehicles as compared to 2394 vehicles delivered during the same period last year. Audi India plans to expand its network to 25 dealerships by the end of 2012 from its existing 19 centres.

Factfile:

Engines: 2-litre turbo-petrol, 2-litre diesel

Power/Torque: 211bhp/30kgm,176bhp 38.7kgm

Kerb weight: 1565-1585kg

L/W/H: 4385/1831/1590mm

Expected: Mid-2012

Price: Rs 25-35 lakh