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January 2012 Volume 14 Issue 5 ` 125 www.overdrive.in INDIA’S NO.1 CAR & BIKE MAGAZINE CNBC-TV18 OVERDRIVE AWARDS 2012 RIDDEN KTM DUKE 200 25PS, ` 1.2 lakh, the hooligan you’ll love Back to the top, and how! Now on iPad FIRST DRIVE BMW 3-SERIES FEATURING SLS AMG R8 V10 Spyder SLK RS5 XF S XJ A8 CLS A6 A7 S60 530d Evoque X3 Laura vRS Jetta Rapid City Fiesta Brio Swift Jazz H-D SuperLow R15 GT650R/N Free! 16-page 2012 Auto Expo preview supplement
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Page 1: OVERDRIVE January 2012 Issue Preview

January 2012 Volume 14 Issue 5 ` 125www.overdrive.in

I n d I a ’ s n o . 1 c a r & b I k e m a g a z I n e

cnbc-tv18 OvERDRIvE AWARDS 2012

Ridden KTM dUKe 20025PS, ̀1.2 lakh, the hooligan you’ll love

Back to the top, and how!

Now on

iPad

fiRsT dRive BMW 3-seRies

FEATURINGSLS AMG R8 V10 Spyder SLK

RS5 XF S XJ A8 CLS A6 A7 S60 530d Evoque X3 Laura vRS JettaRapid City Fiesta Brio Swift Jazz

H-D SuperLow R15 GT650R/N

Free!16-page 2012 Auto Expo preview supplement

Page 2: OVERDRIVE January 2012 Issue Preview

COLLECTOR’SSPECIAL EDITION

January 2012 Volume 14 Issue 5 ` 125www.overdrive.in

I n d I a ’ s n o . 1 c a r & b I k e m a g a z I n e

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Lexus headed to IndiaAfter much speculation Japanese luxury car maker is finally ready to tempt india

Toyota has finally confirmed that their premium brand, Lexus, will be coming to India in 2013. The company says it has been watching the

premium car market in India with a keen eye and believes the time is now right for the most popular of the Japanese luxury brands. We believe it’s a bit late in the day since several luxury car makers, especially the Germans against who Lexus competes in international markets, have already entrenched themselves firmly here. Lexus we are sure will not have an easy road ahead of them. They may be late to reach the party but that’s how the Japanese function; research, research and more research! The one thing Toyota is sure of is that the Lexus brand already enjoys enough recognition which should make their work easier.

Globally, Lexus is run as a separate company for all intents and purposes and the sole overlap was in markets like Japan, where the Toyota brand was strong enough to span small cars as well as luxury cars, which is why Lexus cars were badged and sold as Toyotas there until recently. In India, Toyota Kirloskar Motor will handle Lexus but the company is clear that a completely separate distribution channel will be needed for Lexus. The company intends to ensure that these dealers are the best in the business, not just in India but worldwide, rather than just versus the competing Ger-man brands. Similar to what BMW is doing with Mini the dealers will most probably be chosen from among the top performing Toyota dealers nationally who in any case are highly rated in terms of service quality and after sales support

• Lexus to be launched in 2013

• Will strive to attain distinct identity in India

• New distribution channel will be established

• May consider assembly operation in India

motoringnewsLogon to w w w.overdrive . in/news/

news to share? Call us on +91 20 33223341-50 or Fax us on +91 20 33223322

Email us at [email protected]

Page 4: OVERDRIVE January 2012 Issue Preview

motorcyclenewsNews to share?

Call us on +91 20 33223341-50or Fax: +91 20 33223322

Email us at [email protected]

Triumph line up announcedTo showcase seven models at Auto Expo, launch products in 2012

Iconic bike maker Triumph has followed its announcement of coming to India by revealing its motorcycle line-up. Triumph will bring seven bikes from its four

model families - supersports/roadsters, touring/adventure, cruisers and classics.

Speaking about the selection, Ash-ish Joshi, managing director, Triumph Motorcycles India said, “We deliberated over the range of bikes to bring into India and decided to bring in these models to showcase the Triumph range. We have bikes which can cater to different needs

– from the 675cc Super Sport and the Daytona 675 to the 2300cc Rocket III.” The Triumph models that are coming to India are the retro-cool Bonneville, the famous Speed Triple, its little brother the Street Triple, the Tiger 800XC adventure tourer, the Daytona 675 supersport bike and the two cruisers, the Triumph Storm and the bonkers Rocket III. The entire range will be displayed at the 2012 Auto Expo.

Ashish added, “The Indian market offers good potential and as a company, we are confident that each of our seven models within its individual category will

JAN 2012 ovErdrivE 47

Log oN To w w w.ovErdrivE . iN/NEws

• Triumphsettoshowfull rangeat2012AutoExpo

• Rangeofseven motorcyclesfinalised forIndia

• Assemblyoperation alsoonthecards

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doppelganger Words Ashok George Photography Bertrand D’Souza

We find out if there is more to the rapid than what meets the eye

Everybody knows Will Ferrel – you know, the guy who played all those roles that had you reaching for the tissue box be-cause you laughed so hard you

cried. Most people also know Chad Smith – Red Hot Chili Peppers’ hell raising, double bass-ing, snare breaking, bad ass drummer. While both are very different people, they have one similarity. They both look exactly alike! Just like the Skoda Rapid and the VW Vento. There is a difference however- just like Chad Smith, the Rapid has the bigger nose of the two.

Styling and deSignThe Rapid borrows styling from a lot of cars within the family. When I say borrows, I don’t mean it takes inspiration from, I mean it actually borrows from. Being the sedan version of the Fabia, it was only natural that the front end came from the Fabia. But then, the Fabia connection terminates with the front end and the steering wheel. View the

car from the side and you immediately run back to the front. Not because it’s so horrible, but because you’re not sure whether, in the 1/100th of a second you took to blink your eye, somebody moved that Rapid and put in front of you a Vento. That’s how similar the cars are. And in the exact same way VW pulled off the ‘Polo sedan’ Skoda too has pulled off the ‘Fabia sedan’ rather seamlessly. The only eyesores are those kinks on the bootlid next to the number plate which do not go with the horizontal lines everywhere else on the car. It seems to be an addition that was made to differentiate itself from the Ven-to’s otherwise identical boot.

Insides too are identical to the Vento, and if it weren’t for the different colour scheme and the steering wheel, dials and gear knob being borrowed from the Fabia, there would be no differentiating both cars. Being a Skoda, interior quality is top notch. All the plastics are smooth to touch with no serrated edges or undulations with fabrics that are some of the best in the segment. In

deriving the Rapid from the Vento, Skoda faces the same issues that VW did. For example, the lack of leather on the wheel and the absence of steering mounted audio controls, two of our favourite grouses, have made an appearance again. Speaking of the audio system, connectivity is far better than the Vento but not as good as the competition. While everybody else considers a USB connector as a standard factory fitment, Skoda adamantly sticks to the SD card reader concept. Thankfully there is an AUX input that makes the cabin a happier place to sit in.

You may remember that the Vento’s fab-ric had a curious habit of staining too quickly. While the texture of the Rapid’s fabrics is very different from the Vento, how hard they will be to keep clean remains to be seen. These are the only problems in an otherwise well put together interior. All the variants get a steering column that is adjust-able for rake and reach, making it very easy to find a suitable driving position.

t e StSkoda rapid

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Words Shubhabrata Marmar Photography Gaurav S Thombre

Orange juicy!The KTM Duke 200 is going to start a fire. Get ready to burn

overDrive JAN 201264

KTM is a relatively small mo-torcycle outfit that is based out of Mattighofen in Aus-tria and despite their small size and specialised, usually

off-road, motorcycles, they have quite the reputation. In the real world as well as figura-tive terms, they are an orange blur screaming up on the competition, taking them around the outside, leaving them floundering in it’s wake. And now that seems to be the overall strategy for the brand in India.

When Bajaj became part owners, the an-nouncement was of two platforms that would be developed in India. This would span the 125-250cc range, the bikes it would give birth to would be made at Bajaj’s Cha-kan plant and would be exported from there to KTM’s new south-east Asian markets, to its traditional European markets, perhaps the US and to India. Seems mild enough, right?

The first bike, the Duke 125 proved to be a hit in Europe but is way too expensive to launch in India and we are more or less confi-dent that the second motorcycle from that platform the Duke 200 will be the smallest KTM to go on sale in the country. Meanwhile, KTM boss Stefan Pierer also revealed at a Eu-ropean press conference that a Duke 350 was in the works for an end-2012 or 2013 launch.

KTM has been working hard to flesh out and perfect their street bike range, which is a new adventure for them in relative terms. The radical RC8 for instance, was well liked but suffered niggling issues in its first model year and has since been honed, but is only now set to make an appearance on the World Superbikes stage in a cameo role.

But already KTM street bikes are potent. The RC8’s appeal is far outdone by the Super Duke, a typically edgy looking naked motor-cycle with KTM’s big twin cylinder engine, an upright riding position and a huge reputa-tion for being practical as well as a far-out hooligan in the right hands. And since it came out, it’s been joined by the SM version which is a supermotarded Duke that again, gained a tremendous reception. And it even

comes in a ludicrous looking T version with bags for touring.

And it’s in to this line of highly regarded motorcycles that the locally developed and manufactured Duke 200 has to stand and take its place. Can it?

The initial presentations at the press launch were incredibly chest-thumpy even for Bajaj, a manufacturer who has never been shy of extolling its products and poking fun at the competition when the opportunity presents itself. In the space of three slides, the Duke made the CBR look soft and slow, the R15 overpriced, outgunned and glacial, and the rest of market was deigned unworthy of even mentioning. Is it really that good?

It certainly looks it. There’s no fat in the visual drama of the Duke. Every possible curve has been straightened. Every circle is of the smallest possible radius. Every edge where two jagged planes might meet is honed to the sharpness of a ceramic knife. It’s every inch an uncompromising looking motorcycle and I have long been a fan of honest, no-fat motorcycles and in that sense it had me at first glance. My word, it looks pure. Pure evil and pure anger by turns. It’s been a while since I’ve seen such an aggres-sive design glinting in the sun and that’s a welcome, change of pace.

The spec is equally sharp. The 199.50cc engine boasts a DOHC setup with four valves, the cams operate the valves via DLC (diamond like carbon) coated finger follow-ers, a coating that first came to fore as the black upside down fork stanchions in the GSX-R1000 a few years ago. The coating is super hard for longevity and is slippery to reduce friction losses. The engine features a single centrally placed spark plug and given its out of scale 25PS peak power at 10,000rpm, it’s liquid cooled. Given its typically dirt-bikey history, the KTM makes 19Nm - that’s a lot - at 8,000rpm, but the curve is flat so it promises intense acceleration from the off. Channeling the power to the 150-section rear MRF tubeless radial tyre is a close-ratio six-speed gearbox. And let me tell you, just the

R i deKTM DuKe 200

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Dr i v e

Freshening up Words Halley Prabhakar Photography Gaurav S Thombre

The Toyota Fortuner gets a noticeable facelift, the long awaited automatic gearbox and a cheaper rear-wheel drive variant

Most automobile manufac-turers today have begun to give a similar family face across all models in its lineup. Toyota’s siblings

until recently looked different from each other but now even the Japanese manufacturer has decided to give their models the family treat-ment. That brings us to the SUV you’re seeing here, the new Fortuner that will soon be seen on Indian roads. When you look at it, the first noticeable change is the new front end. The new face looks fresh as it now gets sleeker looking headlamps with projector lights (now self levelling), headlamp washers, a new trapezoidal design three-tier front grille that’s now seen in most Toyotas across the

world and a sharper front bumper that also houses redesigned front fog lamps. The bon-net too has more prominent lines while the air scoop has grown slightly bigger. This new design gives the Fortuner a more car like look and is less butch when compared to the present model (which may not be a good thing for an SUV). The front now re-sembles the bigger Landcruiser.

From the side, there seems to be no change except for new 12-spoke, 17-inch alloy wheels and body coloured mirrors that now feature turn indicators, the previ-ous model made do with chrome mirror housings. The taillamps have been rede-signed and feature prominent twin circular lamps while the entire unit is of a clear lens

type. The tailgate layout too is new and now houses a chrome garnish with an embossed name tag. The rear bumper has been altered and the reflectors look similar to the Inno-va’s. New colours too will be available; the Fortuner we drove was a new blue that en-hances the freshness.

Step inside and one will notice the same grey-beige interior scheme but with a newer centre console that houses a touch screen DVD stereo (in the top end V variant) that features bluetooth mobile phone connec-tivity. The screen also connects to the re-verse camera. Mock wood inserts are now of a darker grey shade while the centre con-sole surrounds are brushed aluminium. The SUV also boasts a new design instrument

TOYOTA FORTUNER

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Dr i v e

Nip and tuck Words Halley Prabhakar Photography Gaurav S Thombre

Toyota’s bestseller finally gets a makeover

The Innova doesn’t need an in-troduction. It went straight to the top of its class when it was launched six years ago and is still untouchable. In fact this

probably is a record of sorts - despite being on the market, essentially unchanged, it still commands a waiting list! Despite being the staple of taxi fleets all over the country it still is very popular among private buyers. How then do you improve upon an MUV that is nearly close to perfection? The last revision to the Innova was the mild facelift a couple of years ago and now it gets a second facelift.

So what’s new? The most noticeable change is the revised front end. Gone are those tear-drop headlamps and in come sharper and sleeker headlamps that give the face an all-new look, the trapezoidal front grille is similar to other Toyota models and very similar to the new Fortuner while the front bumper is also completely redesigned and accommodates new fog lamps. Viewed head-on the new Innova looks smaller than the older version since the headlamps are more compact and sit low, more like a car. The front-end may be modern but from the side, one will notice that nothing has changed

from the older vehicle except that the mir-rors now have built-in turn indicators for the top-end variants. Other than that it’s the same flat profile that we’re used to seeing for quite a while now. The front may be good to look at but it somehow doesn’t gel with the rest of the vehicle. At the rear, there are very few changes, the taillamps are of a different design and bulge out slightly. The alloy wheels are of a newer de-sign and are standard in the top end vari-ant only but in my opinion the older alloys looked more appealing.

Inside, it’s the same dashboard with min-

2012 TOYOTA iNNOvA

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Page 10: OVERDRIVE January 2012 Issue Preview

The empire strikes back Words Halley Prabhakar

Watch out A4 and C-Class, the new BMW 3 Series is on your tail

overdrive JAN 201296

Dr i v eNeW BMW 3 SerieS

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The empire strikes back

The smooth Spanish roads are twisty and going downhill, I haven’t blinked even once and the car is flowing through the corners with just the right

amount of feedback from the steering, it’s well planted and doesn’t want to let go of the road. With every minute that goes by I find myself drawn into believing that I am in some kind of driver’s utopia. But this is not a dream. I am driving a classic rear-wheel drive car that over the last 35 years has earned a formidable reputa-tion for thrilling drivers around the world, and of being the sportiest sedan in its segment. It is the all-new BMW 3 Series that will arrive in India in June 2012 and making the occasion even more special is the location - Spain’s ma-jestic Catalan mountain range.

The sixth-generation 3 replaces a car (the E90, the fifth generation of the 3 that BMW as-sembles in India at its Chennai facility) we know rather well, and that car will stay on sale in India until the new car comes. We know it handles well, is powerful and the diesel is pocket friendly as well. The 2005 E90 platform isn’t the freshest rose in the bouquet but it still is the enthusiasts’ choice. So how does BMW improve on this?

The changes in the car from the E90 to the new F30 (that is the internal codename) may not seem like a lot on paper but when we head-ed to the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona, Spain to drive it, it turned out to be completely different and a distinct step up from the present car. I first drove the variant most relevant to India, the 320d. Powered by the existing 2.0-litre common-rail engine it produces 184PS of maxi-mum power at 4000rpm and 380Nm of torque between 1750 and 2750rpm. The car’s claimed acceleration figure from standstill to 100kmph is 7.5 seconds while the top speed is an impres-sive 230kmph (both figures are similar to the current 320d).

The car now offers four standard driving modes. The switch on the centre console allows me to choose between eco pro, comfort, sport and sport plus modes. I naturally selected sport plus mode first for the track, followed by the new eco pro mode later on the street. The sport plus mode sharpens the car’s throttle response, quickens the steering and gearbox, stiffens the suspension for sporty responses and let’s the ESP allow a bit of tail wagging before cutting in. The 8-speed automatic gearbox is new, replac-ing the previous six-speeder, and will be stan-dard on all variants of the 3 Series sold in India. Hydraulic assisted steering is regarded de riguer for feel and fans will miss it - the new 3 uses elec-tronic power steering. It feels lighter than be-fore, but is perfectly weighted and communica-

tive, transforming the car into a proper sports sedan in sport mode. On the track, the 3 proves as involving as I had hoped but more on that later.

First the old 3’s Achilles heel - the unneces-sarily heavy steering. The new electronic power steering is significantly lighter (a massive boon while parking and in city traffic) while simulta-neously offering better precision and feedback than before. It literally is finger-twirlingly light. It also saves fuel in comparison to the hydraulic assist system because it consumes no power when the steering is held steady. The engine’s power delivery itself is very similar to the cur-rent 320d - this is a good thing - but the paddle shifters are now optional. My car was equipped with them, and I paddled furiously through the lap, enjoying every minute of it.

Then I hopped into to the 328i petrol which now trades in its straight-six (in the 330i that didn’t do well in India) for a 2.0-litre turbo-charged inline four and - in the Sport variant - rides 10mm lower. This engine is good for an astonishing (considering the 2.0-litre displace-ment) 245PS of power between 5000 and 6500rpm and delivers a peak torque of 350Nm between 1250 and 4800rpm. Not only is this 9 per cent more torque then before, it means the car is nearly always at its torque or power peak. And if you think inline fours cannot deliver straight-six smoothness, BMW reassured us that the new engine was just as smooth and powerful plus more efficient. On the circuit, the petrol motor was dramatic. The punchy turbo-petrol comes together beautifully when floored and it gives the 3 a nice sharp sporty edge. The 328i can hit 100kmph in just 5.9 seconds, a full second quicker than the old one, and that’s a very fast time. Part of the reason is the BMW twin-scroll turbo (it is not a twin-turbo despite the Twin Power monicker) which demonstrates a near complete lack of turbo lag and the gen-eral throttle response is wonderful. The other petrol is the 320i which uses the same 2.0-litre engine but in non-turbocharged 184PS and 270Nm tune and that is an engine that will power entry-level variants in India.

The new 3 runs on an all-new platform in-corporating a lot of the 5 Series’ architecture, aluminium and steel body panels and alumini-um suspension parts including double wish-bones at the front (like the 5-Series) and multi-link Z-axle at the rear with (optional) variable dampers. Overall weight has gone down by 45kg even though the new 3 is 93mm longer with a 50mm longer wheelbase and wider front and rear tracks.

The increase in wheelbase allows for a wider rear door opening and the larger glass area

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Chill PillThe new ML gets a very cool makeover

Words Bertrand D’souza

DR I V EMerCedes ML350Cdi 4MaTiC

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Hochgurgl sounds more like a throat rinse but the small ski resort north of Innsbruck isn’t a place you’d rinse out of your

system easily. Perched on my balcony at the Top Hotel overlooking the amazing land-scape I can’t help but admire how Europe-ans make every effort to improve their life and lifestyle. The thought sprang up when I caught sight of dozens of snow machines littered across the slopes blowing snow onto the ground so that the skiing season in these parts couldcontinue unaffected by the late onset of winter.

The thought lingers the following morn-ing as I step inside the new Mercedes ML350CDI, an SUV in which several efforts have been made to improve a lifestyle choice. However while the M-Class was an SUV with limited off-road capabilities in its previous generations, things have changed considerably now. The new M-Class offers an enhanced 4WD system and as an option an entirely new on and off road package that has much superior go-anywhere abili-ties than ever before. It explains why a bunch of us journalists have come to this snowy hamlet set amidst some beautiful alpine scenes. The objective of this trip then is to experience the new off-road abilities of the new M-Class on snow and ice.

Now I have driven the M-Class to some extremes, roughly seven years ago we had driven it up to Marsimik La, the highest un-paved road in the world along with the Toy-ota Landcruiser Prado. The Prado suffered a breakdown of sorts, its height adjustable suspension packed up on the climb uphill. The Merc carried on like it was a walk in the park on a Sunday. It easily proved to be the better choice, simply because it proved to be more resilient.

Then around three years ago I drove the M-Class to the Rann of Kutch, a dia-metrically opposite landscape to the snowy, cold, low oxygen climes of Ladakh. There in that hot, dusty and barren area it faced off the BMW X5 and the Audi Q7. Even without the on/off road package the standard M-Class proved to be a bit more competent where tarmac did not exist.

Time and again the M-Class has proved

its calibre so improving on what is already an industry benchmark wasn’t a very hard task. It was giving the M-Class a more di-verse range of abilities that proved to be challenging to the engineers from Stuttgart. A challenge that was eventually surmounted by the improved 4MATIC all wheel drive system and the new on/off road package. So is it any good, or more to the point is it more interesting than before?

Honestly it’s as boring as watching water dry off a floor thats just been mopped. Where safety is concerned the system works splendidly. We were driving on an icy road which thanks to the weather gods was receiving a fresh burst of snowfall just as we began driving. The thick fall re-duced visibility and made the road even more treacherous but the system worked to the T. It cut off power the minute it sensed excessive wheel spin, redistributed power where it was needed, braked the wheel that had too much of it and generally kept the M-Class safe and smooth. That was boring, because in the middle of it all I did try tricking the system by shifting transmission modes between manual and automatic, as well as between the sports, economy and comfort driving modes. And this car was on standard winter tyres, not metal studded or decked with snow chains. Yet nothing changed, 4MATIC rules the ML with an iron fist.

That begs the question, whats new in the system, what makes it better than be-fore? The simpler answer is better electron-ics, the more complex one is the enhanced centre differential. The electronics use more advanced algorithms to ensure quick-er networking between the several sensors. This allows the various safety and driving aids to understand the situation, respond and react faster than ever before.

The centre diff on the other hand has been optimised to distribute torque faster to the wheels that need it, improving han-dling characteristics.

The optional on and off road package now offers six driving modes, one automatic mode that will detect the conditions and setup the vehicle accordingly. There are two off-road modes and three on-road modes for winter, sport and towing. The on/off road

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The fastest cars in India, the most expensive cars in India, the most desirable cars in India. 5249PS of total power, Rs 16 crore worth of exotica, all primed and ready for actionPhotography Gaurav S ThombreLap times Gaurav GillLocation BIC, Greater Noida, Uttar PradeshEquipment Racelogic Video VBox

T E STTRACK ATTACK 2012

The 2012 OVERDRIVE track test is an absolute feastfor the petrolhead, not just because it has a collection of the most amazing cars that can be driven on a track but also because it was conducted at the Buddh International Circuit, India’s first and premier F1 grade race track. This is the first time ever that any production car has set foot on the BIC to record lap times, so every

lap clocked here on this day is a record. That said the task ahead of us was enormous, but due to the inclement weather, Delhi is usually swathed in thick fog this time of the year, not all cars could be timed owing to low visibility. It leaves us with the option of coming back here again and enjoying what the fine folk at the Jaypee group have created.

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i n d i A’ s b e s T d R i v e R s ’ C A R sNo holdS BaRREd

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AWARDS

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C N B C - T V 18 OV E R DR I V E AwA R D s 2012

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AWARDS 2012 Photography Gaurav s Thombre

2011 has ended and it’s time for us to sort out the best automobiles

launched this year and recognise achievement in all aspects of the indian

automotive industry. Here, then, 12 years later are the oldest, most

coveted automotive awards in india. And this time, the venue is as

exclusive as the awards themselves. We’re burning rubber at the sparkly

new Buddh international Circuit!

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BUDDH INTERNATIONAL CIRCUITLet’s be clear, not only is the BIC the best Indian racetrack by miles and miles, those of us who have seen a vast number of international racetracks now understand that when the construction at the circuit completes, between the facilities and the track layout, the BIC will easily be one of the best racetracks in the world, if not the best outright. The elevation changes, the challenging and fast corners, the flowing layout that encourages good driving and riding is a breathtaking experience and when that is backed up by the latest in track monitoring and control technology, experi-enced staff who run the track operations and a pro-active mainte-

nance team that keep the track in top shape around the clock, it elevates great experience to the sublime. The BIC is spectacular and we are proud to be the first private organisation to have exclusive access to the circuit after the Formula One weekend. This means we have set the first timed laps on cars and motorcycles at the track, we are also now the first ones to spin out trying to set ever faster laps, and that we are the first - and as of going to press, the only - maga-zine in India to have laid thick, fat darkies all over the circuit during our track test and judging. Every patch of rubber you’d see now on the track has been laid down by us. Notch up one more achievement for OVERDRIVE and three cheers to the BIC and its makers, JPSI.

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F e at u r ebrio meets biryani

the royal tastethe brio heads to Hyderabad to sample some sumptuous biryani from the nizam’s kitchen

Words & Photography ashok George

During my college days, Sam, my friend from Hyderabad, told me about the ‘history of the biryani’. Here’s how it went. The Nizam’s army

would march for days during battle. The con-voy would include arms and ammunition, tents, musicians, dancers, ration for the entire party and a herd of livestock – mainly lambs. As and when the need arose, the lambs would be killed for mutton and the cooks would set about preparing biryani for the troops. But since the army would have to keep moving from place to place and considering the time taken to prepare the biryani, the Nizam’s master chefs made sure that the biryani was cooked in such a way that it would last for several days without going bad. A fine story, but how much of it is true? Well considering the biryani I left out last night was not exactly edible in the morning, I have serious doubts about the authenticity of Sam’s version of history. But what is a fact, is that the word biryani comes from the Farsi word ‘birian’ which means fried before cooking.

Truth be told, I really do not care much for where biryani comes from as long as the end destination is my stomach. For me, as soon as biryani shows up on my table, everything is a blur of rice, lamb and raitha. So when the opportunity presented itself for me to head to Hyderabad to sample what is arguably the best biryani in the country, I jumped at it before anyone else in the office could say B. And keeping me company would be Honda’s new lovebug, the Brio. Now I must say that the Brio is a brilliant car to drive in the city. Especially in old Hyderabad where after dark, the traffic is just plain insane. The light steering makes it effortless to steer through tight traffic. Add the peppy engine to that and traffic light getaways become a piece of cake. Inside too, the car feels much more premium than some of the competition. Every single knob is within reach and all the materials are well finished and nice to touch.

So here we were in Hyderabad, where else, to sample the biryani at the world famous Paradise Persis Gold. Just like the biryani that is served, this restaurant too has a rich his-

tory. It began life as a small canteen and cafe at the Paradise movie theatre in Secundera-bad during the early 1950s. From modest beginnings as a small restaurant serving 100 people, Paradise now has four outlets serving more than 1500 people.

Back to the Biryani. It has many different forms in India. For example, the Malabar biryani from Kerala is less spicy in com-parison to all other biryanis and uses a lot of ghee to give a very rich flavour. Meanwhile, Lucknowi biryani has meat and rice that are cooked separately and then layered. Hydera-badi biryani on the other hand has marinated meat and rice cooked together and is the most popular one across the country. What’s interesting is that there are several kinds of Hyderabadi biryani alone. In fact, the Nizam’s cooks had over 49 kinds of biryani made using everything from fish, rabbit, quail and shrimp. It is this tradition of cooking that Paradise is famous for. The delicate mix of

Seekhs being cooked over coals are one of the signature smells of the old city. Right: The Brio with the historic Golconda fort in the background

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the Brio is a Brilliant car to drive in the city. especially in old hyderaBad where

after dark, the traffic is just plain insane. the light steering makes it effortless to

steer through tight traffic

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