The Duchess All Women’s Car Rally

The much-awaited The Duchess All Women’s Car Rally has been postponed to August 3, 2008. Keep checking this space for more details.

This is the 7th year in succession that The Duchess Rally is being conducted and they have an interesting theme this year, Save Green Earth!

You can download the registration form here.

For any queries please contact Sujata at 98412 88631. Incase you require testimonials from our past participants, please contact Preeti – 98414 27925, Khushali – 98840 27011, Dr.Prithika Chary – 98400 38752, Ranjana – 98410 83538.

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Snapshots of previous year’s Duchess Club Car Rally can be checked out at the online media partners of The Duchess Club, Find Near You

Bajaj XCD Sprint - A Preview

The Bajaj XCD Sprint was introduced during the 9th auto expo and expected to be launched later this year. If rumors are to be believed, the bike will be launched around August-September, 2008. The XCD that was released a year back was a replacement to the 100cc segment and now Bajaj is back to give us a super upgrade. The market for 125cc bikes is a mean place to be - stiff competition prevails and customers would be looking for perfection.

Design:
Bajaj doesn’t seam to have a problem in any segment. It’s as if they read the customers’ minds. They did it once with the Pulsar and now they are at it again - sharp styling that oozes out quality and durability. The bikes sports a front scoop and a brilliantly sculpted front headlamp that has taken cues from Yamaha (fz-1) and Kawasaki (z1000) naked bikes.

Engine & Transmission:
Engine is the heart of a vehicle, and Bajaj has sorted this out completely with loads of techie bits that would revolutionize the segment. Expect close to 13bhp from this 125cc, thanks to its 4 valves per cylinder and Dts-Si bits. And just to keep a tap on your wallet and rising fuel prices Bajaj has also decided to drop in a 80+Kmpl mileage into the equation.

Hopefully Bajaj will kick in a 5speed gearbox to keep up pace with the completion, which will make the Sprint a capable bike fit for both touring and city riding.

Ride & Handling:
Nitrox based gas shocks, larger wheelbase and Bajaj engineering can only mean one thing - the ride and handling is up the with the best. Also with disk brakes as standard and large MRF zappers for road grip, I wont doubt the capabilities of this bike.

Price & Competition:
The prices haven’t been officially announced by Bajaj but considering the fact that Bajaj bikes are value for money, I would say it would be priced around Rs52000-53000. Which is very reasonable for the kind of technology and equipment Bajaj is providing with this bike.

Other bikes you might want to look at are the Gladiator twins, Glamour Fi, Flame or maybe even a larger capacity bike such as the Discover 135.

Our Take:
Keep an eye out for this bike. It’s worth a wait and will be good value for money.

Bajaj Lite - yet another small car!

Bajaj-Renault-Nissan have come into an agreement to produce a low cost car for the masses. The car is expected to be priced a bit more than the much hyped Tata Nano and is expected to hit roads by 2010. The car was introduced a day before the official launch of the Tata Nano during the 9th Auto Expo. The car will be sold in other markets under the Renault/Nissan tag depending upon the prominence in the respective markets.

Design:
For a small low-cost-car the Lite looks pretty good. But considering the strong competition its facing, the car must surpass standards in all ways to live up to its name. Frankly the design is not very appealing. Now there are two ways to look at this
(a) The car was forced to be launched in a hurry and was designed overnight.
(b) Bajaj wanted to incorporate even Nissan and Renault styling cues to its creation which has ended up a bit alien.
Still, Bajaj has hinted that it won’t be compromising on quality, which is a good sign.

Engine & Gearbox:
According to the partnership with Nissan-Renault, the engine components will be researched and developed by Nissan and Renault, which will then be integrated into the car by Bajaj. Judging by the experience of both car makers, we could expect a good refined engine which would give a good 25kmpl or more powered by a 600-1000cc engine.

Ride & Handling:
For a low cost car, we cannot expect brilliance in handling and suspension characteristics. But all the three companies involved in this project are pretty much the best in the class. So we can expect a decent outing.

Price & competition:
The manufacturers are aiming at a US$2500 price tag which would be even more affordable by the time production begins. The car though suffers from stiff competition from the TATA Nano and upcoming Ford and Volkswagen low-cost-cars.

Our Take:
Once the car releases, gone will be the days of a family of four adjusting on a motorcycle.

Buy a car and get free fuel!

Hyundai Motor India is cashing on the topic that is rocking the world - hike in fuel prices. HMI is offering fuel voucher worth Rs. 2700 with every Santro or i10 bought between june 20 to june 30th. Company sources claim Rs. 2700 is the money that a car owner will have to pay extra for six months due to increase in fuel prices, given the fuel efficiency of a Santro or an i10. Calculations are based on assumptions of a daily travel of 50 km.

Days are not far off when we will get free car with 1 litre of fuel! No Mr. Tata, this is not a dig on you.

A Stunner from Honda

Honda CBF Stunner (pre-release review)

The Honda CBF stunner was introduced in the 9th auto expo in January 08. Its primarily a premium 125cc bike. Also in the Honda stands was another 125cc bike based on the stunner - a track version. Honda introduced these bikes as a concept but due to the overwhelming response, its now a reality. The bike is expected to be launched around July-august ‘08. The bike is expected to be called the CBF125.

Design:
For a 125cc bike this is bike is “simply fabulous” any day. It’s got sharp look of bigger bikes of higher capacity. The big bike feel owes its credit to the cool Karizmaish front faring. The Honda CBF 125 abroad sports a full faring, but to keep the costs reasonable the company has decided to impose a quarter faring. It also sports a cut stepped seat which would be a first in the segment. Foot pegs are placed adequately at the rear for a comfortable but sporty stance.

Engine & Transmission:
The engine is a 125cc single mill giving a power output of 11-12bhp which is up there with the best. Engine is expected to be a typical Honda combining refinement, reliability and smoothness.
The bike sports a 6-speed transmission which some might think is a overkill but a properly tuned 6-speed is a bikers dream and a commuters boon. If properly driven, this bike can give awesome fuel efficiency, power and top speed.

Ride & Handling:
The Handling of this bike is expected to rule over the corners but the bike as it seems might not be as agile as the competition especially in traffic. Honda has again disappointed us by depriving us with mono-shocks.
Price & Competition:
The bike is expected to be priced and positioned a bit higher than the regular 125cc category.

The CBF 125 is expected to go against the new gladiator twins. You can also check out other bikes in the segment such as Discover 135 and Glamour FI.

Info on the Track version of the Stunner(concept):

• The track version sports,
• Lower profile tyres.
• High performance shocks at the rear end.
• Aerodynamic engine crowl.
• Carbon fibre bodywork.
• Under seat exaust.
• ventilated rear disk at the rear and massive brembo twincapilar petal disk at the         front end.
• Cool-looking light-weight alloys.

Our Take:
Go for the CBF 125 if you want a big bike feel with low running costs and loads of fun.

That the CBF has the metal to beat existing bikes which rule the segment or maybe even in higher segment is something we need to wait and watch.

Ford’s small car for India

Ford has planned a small car for the Indian market by 2010. They are also planning to set up a manufacturing unit in India for the same. Will that help the US auto giant to improve their sales charts, with the Tata Nano as a competition?

Hero Honda Karizma Review

Hero Honda Karizma, touted to be the first ’sports’ bike in India has its engine derived from Honda CRF230F (available in other countries) which has been scaled down for Indian use. The Karizma is a favorite amog the street racers due to its rev frendly engine.Indias India’s first performance oriented premium bike’s only downside is that it hasnt been properly upgraded ever since it debut in 2004.

Design:

Body: The Karizma has very debateable looks. Up close it has very avarage finish loks a bit akward to a few. But from a distance no one can miss the sculpted “big bike look” all owed to the brilliant positioned front-faring and thick Rear panels.The vinyls are have been recently upgraded and seem to give the bike sharper looks.Ceratin noises are known to come out of the front-faring after a respectable amount of usage.

Cockpit: The cockpit features a 3-pod console (tachometer, speedo,and digital trip and odo meter) It has a rich yellow and black design which look good during the day and invert during the night thus giving a stunning look every time you see it. Fit and finish around the speedometer console is not upto the mark as lots of gaps are seen.

Engine & Gearbox:

Engine: The engine is a 223cc which is derived From Honda’s Entry level Dirt bike for beginners-the CRF230F. The compression ratio is scaled down for use with fuel available in india.The engine is rev friendly. Has a lot of oomph in higher rpms(above 5000). It increases and drops revs faster than you can say “i love this bike“. The engine is electronically limited to 9200 rpm but redlined at 7000prm for safety reasons. The fuel efficiency, it avarages 32kmpl which is pretty good considering it is premium bike.

Gearbox: The Karizma has a 5 Speed 1-down 4-up shift gearbox, which has a very clunchy feel to it - just the way I like it. The gears slot into place perfectly and false neutrals occur once in a blue moon. On heavy deceleration the beast doesnt seem to be able to down shift gears with ease.But this is one gearbox that begs you to rev hard and change faster.

Ride & handling:

The bike has a brilliantly sorted out suspension system and takes all bumps with ease. Under heavy breaking the front forks never seem to give away. Front end feel is fabulous. The chassis is so well sorted out that with better tyres we could expect knee scraping motoGP syle bends out of this bike. This bikes a boon to all the 6footers in india. On the other hand smaller riders seem to be just as comfortable.

My take: Karizma lives up to the badge of India’s first premium bike.

Women Rally rocks Chennai

The happening Duchess Car rally is becoming more and more HAPPENING and we were witness to the boisterous and enthusiastic crowd from 15-75 year old ladies frenetically going about the jobs to get ready for the rally. There was a carnival atmosphere throughout. The media had done a great job and the participation was very good.I got to know that this was the sixth year and this year’s response was over 100 cars compared to 76 last year. Wow !!Quite a Number.

I was there at the show a bit early to know more about it as I thought it would be the appropriate time to discuss with the Duchess club committee members (Nina Reddy, Sujata Mundhra, Rathi Neelakantan, Anuradha Sachdev & Anu Aggarwal) but was astounded by sheer number of participants who showed up so early with so much energy and enthusiasm.
I assumed that the rally would be more like a tamasha and not very professional but how wrong I was…. The organizers informed me that the rally would be based on speed, time and distance covered. The participants would also be grouped into various categories like Duchess, Experts, Regulars & Novices, should follow a route map, use their driving skills, reflexes and also need to answer questions on what was located at a specific distance from the start. Well, this was quite interesting and sure needed a coordinated effort from the 4 member team, particularly the questions part as it looked a brain teaser. Maybe spotting those places could be found more easily at our portal www.findnearyou.com

As the clock ticked towards the start time of 9.30 a.m., the numbers increased leaps and bounds. Flashy cars with women dressed in catchy attire to suit the occasion filled the space ( traffic jammed inside Hotel Savera !!!).

Their creativity came to the fore with the teams named India forward world follows , Pink panthers, Modern Madisaar Maamis, WOW (Women on Wheels), Mums on the run, The Ho

We at www.findnearyou.com congratulate these great ladies of the Duchess Club and the MMSC team for having pulled off a Great Show, wish them all the very best and look forward to be actively associated with their activities in future.

Zeal overtakes Heat at the Lanson Toyota Car Rally

The Morning of August 26, 2007. The Lanson Toyota showroom at Koyembedu wore a festive look .The Ubiquitous Lansoners were busy making the final touches for the Fun Event `The Lanson Toyota Car Rally`.

This was the fourth Rally being conducted by the Madras Sterling Ladies Circle No. 63 for a noble cause “ Educate to Enlighten”. The event managers were the Madras Motor Sports Club  and the rally was based on the usual Time Speed and Distance format. The distance of around 70 kms had to be completed in roughly 3 hrs and the Destination was the newly constructed Lanson Toyota Showroom in Pallikaranai

The registration desk saw full crowds from 8.30 a.m. onwards. Enthusiastic rallyists from 7-75 (What a range) turned up in large numbers to Log in. As the clock ticked the tyros were seen running helter skelter to complete the formalities whereas the regulars were busy giving final touches to their game plan. The teams were split into Four Categories viz. The Innova, The Corolla, All Ladies and The General Category.

At sharp 9.30 a.m. the first Car, a Toyota Corolla, was flagged off with lots of cheer from all present. Then on followed a trail of snazzy cars of all makes, shapes and sizes. Zeal engulfed the unusual heat and participants were seen helping one another while in the queue with advices on how to go ahead with the rally. Some were glued to the `Rally Navigator leaflet` to get a few more tips. Teams named FTV (Future Tooth Visionaries – was a team of dentists), Go Green etc. stole the limelight.

What was just about 50 cars registered till the previous day evening swelled to more than 80 that morning indicating the eagerness of the people of Chennai to be a part of these kind of events.

At about 11.00 a.m. the last car was flagged off and that was the time for the organisers to rest a bit. Enervated physically, their minds seemed still fresh with the joy of having started off this event successfully.

Destination: The Lanson Toyota Showroom in Pallikaranai — Cars started trickling in from around 12.40 p.m. and the last car was at around 3.00 p.m.. Curiosity was writ large on the faces of many while waiting for the results, reminiscent of the day in school when my12 th Std. results were announced. Barring a few complaints about missing controls due to heavy traffic, for most first timers, it was a happy moment of having finished a RALLY

Mahindra My World City Car Rally

The Mahindra My World City Car Rally coordinated by Media Mix was held recently with the time, distance and speed formula from YMCA, Nandanam to the Mahindra World city,Maraimalainagar .This was open to all Companies situated inside the Mahindra World City and to the general public.Over and above the cars registered earlier, the morning of the rally saw a lot of spot registrations. All participants were given Mahindra World City T shirts along with a packet of cookies and bottles of Mineral water.

The first car was flagged off by Mr.Subrata of Mahindra City and Mrs. Nalini Radhakrishnan  of Media Mix at 9.30am as scheduled and this initiated the fun and excitement which continued to escalate to admirable heights throughout the flag off thanks to Mr. Radhakrishnan’s lively compeering of the proceedings. The subsequent cars were flagged off with plenty of fanfare by others including Mr Rajendra Joshi of Mahindra World Cityand Mr Swaminathan of Connexions.

It was around 1 pm by the time all the cars reached the final destination where a lip-smacking, sumptuous lunch awaited all the Rally Champions. The Canopy provided the perfect setting to relax and unwind . The MC, Mr Nabarun Ghosh came up with some impromptu games and was a source of good cheer.

The prizes were given away by Mr Rajendra Joshi, Mr Subrata and Ms Lavanya, all from Mahindra City. The Mahindra My World City Car Rally was a resounding success where every single participant had an excellent time and went back with memorable gifts and wonderful memories!

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