Tag: car

Is your car safe – even at home ?

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The blog author was the sole witness to a despicable crime this evening. The victim, in the below right photo was a long standing member of the Karupu Kaakka Kudumbam Gang (K3G).  His short devious dark life of crime was brutally ended by a rival gang member of  Nandri-illa Nais Nexus (NNNs)  – shown in an earlier file photo (left) from our archives.  

The victim was talking a leisurely post dinner walk in the garden when he was murdered in hot blood(it is still summer here remember!)  by the accused who was granted his nightly parole (from his chains for his nightly business) just a few minutes earlier. If you look closely the dead K3G is seen in the background on a high perch aiming at a poor defenseless automobile while his murderer relaxes on the foreground.

A black raven
Image via Wikipedia – RIP

Dog - Victim in background sulking.
Murder Accused relaxing - Primary Victim in background and another victim in background sulking under sheets.

Though one key gang member has been put to rest tonight the attacks  still continue and will continue on without end.  

I mention attacks on poor helpless Automobiles in their own homes.  
On a daily basis cars in India have to deal with attacks not just on the road while on the move but also at home when at rest from the following attackers: 
Kids – Cycle handle bars, bats,chalk, pens, stones, sticks etc find cars surfaces very irresistible and feel the need to produce artworks on shiny cars. Car grilles/number plates also are a good alternative to putting up stumps for playing cricket. Headlamps/tail lamps are the bails – you knock one of them out – you get a wicket !
Family Members – borrow the car and returning it all scratched up – without ever leaving the parking lot/compound !
Pets/Stray Animals/Reptiles/Rodents/Insects –  Cars are made of material found to be very comforting to these. They feel they have to be in constant touch with them, bite/pee/sit/shit on them, scratch them, get into them to prepare to meet their maker, give your reminders to ensure you to re-do the wiring system/buy new car covers/do periodic repaints/interior cleaning), clog up A/C vents to make sure you have to clean the whole system. I once have given a lift to a Frog on my Swift. It rode on my car’s A-pillar and kept peering in through the glass at me for around 2 km. It hopped off finally when a bus passed me and scared it ! (True Story – I swear)
Dog Vs Car Vs Rat
NNN Vs RR - 2008
Dog Vs Car Cover
NNN Vs RR - 2009
The photos to the left are the scars from gang fights between the Rebellious Ratberts and the NNNs in 2008. The car cover that was in the way of the fighting, suffered extensive injuries – but was given first aid and lived for a year with multiple hospital visits requiring stitches.
The other photo is from January 2009 when a repeat fight broke out between the RRRs and the NNNs. This time however the car cover had received grevious injuries and no amount of needle+thread first aid and DTR(duct tape repair) could save it.
Trees  – Coconut trees are the most dangerous – they can aim coconuts at cars even up to 20 feet away from them. Any tree that has falling fruit/twigs/branches has to have sign boards next to them warning about them and their violence against cars. Laws of nature/ gravity/ biology/ chemistry and physics are bent by trees to fling fruit/nuts/ branches/ birds at cars). If they cannot throw something then they will make sure they drip a decent sized amount of  tree sap on car parts that will be very obviously visible such as the center of the bonnet etc. (ensuring a repaint/polish is required).
Movable Objects – Gates, doors and anything that can swing, will and shall swing out and strike the closest car. Wind is not a requirement for this phenomenon. A mild sneeze will suffice. Actually a thought of sneezing will be enough.
Immovable Objects – Cars are fatally attracted towards immovable objects such as walls, pillars, posts etc at speeds so slow(tending towards zero) that just expensive paint scraping and body denting occurs. I theorize that Buildings have evolved from Trees especially coconut trees – since they also exhibit similar aim and strength of throws. The only difference is that buildings throw  pieces of concrete, bricks, tiles etc at poor unsuspecting automobiles. If they cannot throw items similar to what I mentioned they usually drip A/C water or other similar corrosive liquid on the car. Then they act like  they are just some building that can do no harm ! Balconies are the evolutionary equivalent of tree branches and are used by humans instead of birds as shooting ranges from which to practise their aim – at cars of course.
Neighbors– These people can be jealous, stupid, egotistical, insane, funny and mean all at the same time and go all out to make sure your vehicle has at least one scratch more than their 30 year old rust and rabies ridden excuses for automobiles. These are the ones that feed stray dogs/crows/beggars on your car bonnet/roof and also teach poor illiterate children to read and write on your car ! The sad part is your car is probably the cheapest vehicle money can buy – but still they could be jealous.
House Help:  People who look like they have brains in all other situations will always choose to remove them before they work near your car. Excuses such as “I didn’t know paint thinner would remove the entire coating of paint – I just thought I would remove the tree sap” become very common. Any equipment they use for cleaning the yard will invariably fly towards the car and gently remove a small layer of paint. Just a small amount enough to be visible.
Other cars/vehicles: They get amorous when they see a curvaceous beauty like a red Suzuki Swift and feel they need to get close to her and cuddle up and nuzzle against her with disastrous results. Common excuses mentioned by the drivers are things like – I forgot to put the handbrake on – we should be aware of the real reason.
Rust: Those staying near the coastline must experience new cars rusting withing weeks of purchase. No solution for them other than to keep buying new cars or to hold off on that replacement purchase till an all plastic car comes about. Invest in rust proof paint company futures. Those of you who refuse to drive your cars from time to time deserve to get a nice rust full car. At-least start it once in a while !
PS:   One of my earlier posts was 10 Reasons to leave your car at home . Even though it makes sense in some scenarios to leave your car at home, it is never advisable to leave your car at home without supervision for extended periods of time. Do check on your vehicle from time to time as it is constantly under attack.
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What features do you think all manufacturers should copy ?

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The latest Auto Car India has an article on features that manufacturers provide which are not useful in India. Reading that lead me thinking about good features that manufacturers should copy and introduce on all vehicles (since they are anyway copying from each other). This list is primarily from vehicles under 15 lakhs (mostly can be found on vehicles less than 8 lakhs in price).


Interiors/Comfort/Convenience

  • Flat dashboard with non reflective surface and anti skid surface allowing small items to be placed there without sliding around
  • A/C vents that can be fully closed
  • Coin holders with soft inside lining that doesn’t rattle
  • Sunglasses holder
  • Cell phone holder on central console/dashboard
  • Glove box big enough to hold more than just a few papers with soft lining to prevent rattling
  • Cooled Glove box
  • Central console/dashboard space big enough to hold Cd’s
  • Front passenger under seat storage. Has to be reasonably sized – otherwise don’t bother. If it is lockable even better.
  • Storage space for 1 litre bottles in door pockets.
  • Netting in boot for luggage/straps
  • Clutch foot rest
  • Clutch lock that requires clutch to be pressed before cranking engine
  • Follow home lighting and theatre style dimming of cabin lights.
  • Lighted ignition key slot on the dashboard and easy to see rather than on the steering column (I know the photo does not have it on the dashboard).
  • Keys that have remote lock/unlock built in.
  • Valet keys that do not open the boot or lockable glove box. You can give these to the valet without worry of your valuables.
  • 60:40 split rear seats with adjustable tilt
  • Double/flat folding rear seats for storage
  • Fully flat reclining front seats – dangerous since they do not secure the passenger in case of an accident or sudden stop, but good for pulling over to the side of the road and catching some Zs.
  • Adjustable seat belt height
  • Height adjustable headrests front and rear
  • Steering mounted audio controls that can work with all stereos !
  • Power windows and remote central locking 
  • Lighted power window and other switches  
  • Auto up/down power windows
  • Power windows that close automatically when the vehicle is locked
  • Anti -pinch power windows
  • Stain proof fabric for seats.
  • Height adjust for driver seat
  • Pedal reach adjust – helpful for short drivers
  • Arm rest for drivers seat and for rear passengers. Armrests with storage space are useful to stow small items.
  • Access to boot through rear seat armrest/console
  • Rear seat/Boot hooks for shopping bags
  • Power adapter in luggage bay/ in reach of rear passenger
  • Middle row tray tables for SUVs/MUVs
  • Sliding middle row seats that move back for more legroom in SUVs & MUVs.
  • Flat folding 3rd row seats for SUVs/MUVs
  • Anti glare rear view mirrors

Exterior

  • Blind spot convex mirrors.
  • Parking sensors front and rear. I wish there were side sensors too 🙂  (rear camera optional).
  • Roof Rails: Contrary to what ACI says I think Roof Rails for luggage are needed more for hatchbacks than for sedans or SUVS since they have minimal boot space. Well integrated good looking roof rails like the ones on the Chevy Spark but with additional rails to make it functional would make hatchbacks a really practical option for people on a budget not wanting to spend an extra lakh or so for boot space that is used a few times a year.
  • Under body rust proofing & cavity rust proofing from manufacturer included in warranty. Why nag us with it later for every service
  • Well integrated rubber “rubbing” strips around. Body color or close to it would be best.
  • Grab type exterior door handles
    Tilt steering wheel 
  • Lighted engine bay and luggage areas
  • Rear defogger and wash and wipe
  • Outside rear view mirrors on the driver and passenger side should be made mandatory

Engine /Technology 

  • Distance to empty indicator and rpm and speed ranges for maximum mileage. (“Green” driving performance indicators may be too much to ask for but would be good to have.)
  • Tachometers for all trim levels. Teach people to drive for mileage and performance.
  • Automatic time based switch off of roof lamps and headlamps if engine is off unless a specific override like keeping doors open is present.
  • Micro hybrid technology for all cars. Retrofit kits for existing cars if possible
  • Hands free in-car blue tooth kits.
  • Have ABS standardized on all trims. Lowered cost if it is mass produced.
  • Speedometer linked audio systems (automatically reduces volume at lower speeds by a little bit)
  • Speed sensitive steering
  • Radio antenna integrated into rear windshield glass
  • Cruise control for highways. (ACI believe it or not, 0n some of the highways in India we can actually use cruise control.)
  • Central locking which lets you open the doors and hatch/trunk without requiring you to stop the car and give the key to someone, especially for security checks at offices and hotels.
  • Tire pressure monitoring systems
  • Make tubeless tires standard. 

Dear Readers:
Can you identify the cars whose features I have listed ? (At least the ones in the pictures I have used.)  
Any good features you have come across that I have missed ?
 
Source of images: Maruti, Hyundai,  Mahindra, Skoda &  Ford product websites.

Buy these vehicles in White only if …

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TATA Indica-Vista-EV
Image by SOCIALisBETTER via Flickr

If you are a cab/tourist travel /call taxi operator, these are your most favourite vehicles of business:

Call Taxi Favourites:

  • Maruti Suzuki Omni (esp the LPG version)
  • Tata Indica (Indicab version)
  • Hindustan Ambassador

Travels/ Tourist Favourites:

  • Tata Indica (Indica DLS with A/c)
  • Tata Indigo/ Indigo XL
  • Tata Sumo
  • Chevrolet Optra
  • Chevrolet Tavera
  • Ford Ikon 1.8D & Flair
  • Hindustan Ambassador (with A/C)
  • ICML Sonalika Rhino
  • Toyota Qualis
  • Toyota Innova

Possible Future Cabbie Options:  

  • Indica/ Indigo Vista (New lowest end trim just released for the Vista)
  • Hyundai Santro (New Cabbie edition is out)
  • Mahindra Xylo
  • Tata Sumo Grande
  • Maruti D’Zire

**Sad part is even if you buy them in any other color people see them as cabbie vehicles :-).

If you buy the above listed vehicles in white you have to get the following “Must Have” accessories  as well:

  • Annoyingly Loud Horns
  • Blazingly Bright Headlamps and controls to use both horn and light with just a press of the horn to flash the lights non stop and keep honking non stop
  • Terry Towel Seat Covers
  • More Horse Power than Driver IQ ratio
  • Stereo music system with more watts & bass than required
  • Pointless stickers or either the puppy peeping from under the sheet, row of dogs walking, cricket ball breaking window, keychain hanging from keyhole,Ferrari or other exotic car name/logo stickers, NOS, Sports, Racing, Rally etc.

You are eligible to drive a vehicle with the above specifications only if you meet the following must have “Driver Attributes”: 

  • Cro-magnon/Neanderthal intelligence (maximum IQ has to be atleast 20 less than vehicle Horse Power) & features
  • Cat like reflexes – to keep twitching between lanes
  • Bat like vision – to see atleast some things/vehicles on the road
  • Must not be able to hear other road users expletives. Otherwise hearing should be fine.
  • Rhinoceros Spec Skin (to ignore all the curses of all other vehicles). Buffalo spec skin is too thin.
  • Must know how to operate cell phone to keep asking cab company for directions
  • Must know how to navigate vehicle without using brakes but with only horn, lights and accelerator
  • For high end tourist/travels must be fluent in native language and butler style english if foreign customers are to be served. 
  • Be able to sleep and drive. (Work all day/night and sleep whenever a few minutes are free)
  • Be a good runner, to out run mobs on foot after sleep and drive accidents

Any essential points missed out ? Do let me know.

 

PS: The car in the photo up top is an Indica Vista EV. It has not yet been launched – but when it is launched am sure it will be done with an Indicab trim as well.

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Shoot/Refresh these cars or this blogger gets hurt !

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To ” Shoot” List

The following list of vehicles are old designs and haven’t been refreshed recently, are no longer popular and  sales are really down (under 3000 units per year). Don’t wait to let them die a natural death – shoot them in the head with a well placed bullet and put them out of their miserable sales cycles. 

Nissan:

Teana  (58 sold) – A refresh made it look nice but the price hasn’t been in the sweet spot for buyers. Getting into spitting distance of Mercedes/BMW/Audi. People are going in for those.  

X-Trail (100 sold) – Again not a VFM or a great performer. Has to be replaced either by something with good mud crawling capabilities/looks.

 

Maruti:

Versa( 1440 sold) – this is to replace the Omni that is still selling 76K units ? Wouldn’t it make sense to kill the Versa and get an engine update for the Omni to make sure it is still compliant with emission norms.

Grand Vitara(270 sold). Maruti has to realize people do not think too much of large Petrol SUVs from Suzuki. Bring some refreshes to the Gypsy/Jimmy with the DDiS and at a good price. That will conquer the market.

 

Skoda :

Octavia(2910 sold). Giving a 70K discount on this old old model isn’t going to fool anyone. The Laura sold here is sold world over as the Octavia.

 

Toyota:

Camry(514 sold) – this has to have a price revision/ (be assembled in India) like the Accord to fight Honda. Else forget about the Camry sales.

Land Cruiser Prado( 109 sold).  Just import these for the movie stars and do that through illegal means. Don’t bother publishing sales numbers and do cash transactions only :-).

 

Hyundai :

Tuscon( 50 sold) – Hyundai hasn’t done well with SUVs anywhere. India is no different. Latest stunt – SRK to move around on one of these during IPL in SA ? Yuck. 

Sonata(486 sold) – Time for a change in the flagship of Hyundai. The Sonata now looks very dated. The “Transform” hasn’t done much. Azera/Genesis anyone ?

 

Mitsubishi:

Lancer(1570 sold) – Kill this one and bring in the EVO at this price – please. A lot of enthusiasts would gladly donate kidneys for this. (Especially the guy who runs www.virtu.in Madan you reading? )

Honda:

CRV(2245 sold) – Guess the new shape isn’t to every one’s liking. Too futuristic ? 

 

The following are low volume cars but as an enthusiast I think they should still be available in India:

BMW 7 Series(279)

Mercedes Benz S-Class(474)

 

“Die Another Day” List:

The following are models with huge sales % dips YOY. This has to be taken seriously unless the manufacturer wants them to be gradually killed. Most of these haven’t been announced as being chopped. I am suggesting this since these are good cars and have been successful in the past. they could still be given “mouth-to-mouth” of a refresh or value up-gradations and saved to “die another day” :-).

 

Hindustan Motors:

Ambassador – 5610 units ? Has dropped 34% from last year – it is beginning to look like death might be near for old Methuselah. 50+ years is a long run for  model. Next year it may be on my “Let it die peacefully in its sleep” list. No more discounts/refreshes. Let it become the collector car it is destined to be. Only option – come out with a hot-rod type version with an unheard of amount of power, chopped and lowered. Do not let Dilip Chabbria near it though – some disfigured ugly thing like an ambassador hit by an asteroid (Ambierod) might happen.

 

Maruti: 

SX4 –  Down 55% – desperately needs the 1.6L diesel engine

Zen Estilo down 35% but still sold 32K units. Discounts and offers may be in order or a mild refresh.

 

Honda:

Civic – Down 53% needs a refresh/ value package / discounts

 

Mahindra Renault:

Logan – Sales are down 48% and Mahindra Renault sold around 13K Logans. The refreshed Logan is needed immediately else Renault can close its existing plant as well. It isn’t helping to see a flip flop from Renault Nissan almost every alternate day on it introducing new models. A clear strategy is required and the models to be launched have to be announced. Buyers will wait if a good car is just a few months away. For. e.g.  a lot of people are waiting for the Splash, Jazz, Grande Punto.

 

Hyundai:

Getz  – Sales now at 9K and down 44%. The price has to be reduced for the diesel. Then watch the Swifts take cover. Hyundai come on wake up at least now. It is still a popular car and I have personally seen people drool over the Getz and go in for the Santro since they couldn’t afford it. The high end Santro comes fully loaded while the base Getz is a tad sparse.

 

Chevrolet:

U-VA (6097 sold & down 47%) – The biggest crime of GM to keep the pathetic dated looking U-VA still around. The US has already gone through a refresh of it. am listing it here because of a large decline over last year.

Aveo– Needs a refresh and price adjustment as it sold only 4K and is down 25%. The Fiesta which was launched around the same time has had one refresh and several trim level updates already. Plus the Fiesta has a diesel engine which is still popular. Aveo – at least go get yourself a diesel engine.

Optra– Almost got into my euthanize list as it sold 3204 units and is down 47%. Needs to be reduced in price and space made for the Cruze. I hope the Cruze is as good to drive as it looks.

Tavera –  down 35% and sold 13K units. Looks are very dated. Needs to be put out of its misery. Nowadays only cabbies seem to buy it. 

 

Fiat: 

The Palio Stile has shown an increase of 11% over last year but it is still selling a pathetic number – 3679. Am not sure what can be done – other than replace the Palio with something like the Grande Punto at a nice price.

 

Do you agree with this list ? Or am I smoking something really good ? 🙂 Please let me know.  If you like this post do subscribe to my feed through email or a feed reader.

PS: These numbers are taken from the May 2009 Issue of Autocar India.

For more slice and dice take a look at this PDF I put together to keep this post short.

Future Collectible Cars of India

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jayadevs-ss801

I read a recent article on Popular mechanics “Jay Leno Predicts Future Collectible and Classic Cars”.  I had to create a similar one based on cars available in India.  

Long Post Warning: This is another long post ( I do have to learn to write shorter ones soon).

The vehicles  I have listed match one or more of these criteria:

  • Vehicles sold in India to the mass market not imported vehicles
  • Car of the Year awarded  (typically packed with features and are usually popular).
  • Have some “first” attributed to them or some other unique characteristic, unusual engines or features or designs. Highest trim level versions are usual suspects since they have new features ahead of their time. (For e.g the Swift ZXI was the first Indian hatchback with steering mounted audio controls and climate control and airbags.)
  • Special editions / signature editions.
  • The first models  or the last models  of a car/brand.
  • 4x4s, convertibles and coupes and higher engine powered variants. 
  • Shouldn’t cost more than 15 Lakhs (ex showroom) when new.
  • Sold between 1975 till today April 20th 2009. Why 1975 ? Because that’s the year I was born. Simple ? :-).

In the order of Manufacturer/Brand I predict that in the year 2034  (25 years from now) these cars will be considered as collectible antique cars:

Fiat:

  • The 2002 Fiat Palio 1.6 Sport (Car of the year for 2002). The S10 is collectible just for the signature.
  • The Palio Adventure for being a  station wagon with go anywhere looks. Unfortunately was not a 4×4.
  • The 500 just made my list at 14.8 lakhs
  • Upcoming: I predict the Grande Punto to be a collectible just for its looks. Hope it has an engine to match.

Force Motors:

  • The Trax , Judo and the Ghurka all in 4×4 versions.

Ford:

  • The Escort 1.6 and the Orion and Iris special editions – these are rare already you cannot find cars in good condition anymore.
  • The 1999 Ford Ikon 1.6 SXI with ROCAM engine a popular enthusiasts car giving good performance for a reasonable price. 
  • The Fiesta Diesel from 2006 for having the best diesel engine from Ford. BSM Jury Award 2006. Fiesta special editions with weird stripes as well since just a few in number were released. 

General Motors/Chevrolet:

  • The Aveo U-VA. BSM Car of the year 2007. The only reason this can be a collectible is that very few actually sold.
  • The Chevvy Spark(Daewoo Matiz reborn): Best Value award for 2008. Plus it looks really good for an Indian Chevy.
  • Optra SRV:  Sporty hatchback. Very poor sales makes this a collectible.
  • Upcoming: Chevy Beat & Cruze both look good and could become really popular

[…]

Top Car Chase & Race Movies (with free pdf)

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eleanor_mustang
Eleanor the star of Gone in Sixty Seconds

Car themed movies are my favourite type. I have extended it into movies with really good car chase scenes. I have been carrying a list of around 60 movies to add to my existing collection for the past 2 years and adding them slowly one at a time when I find them. These are Hollywood movies in English and range from 1900 till 2009. I still have not built up a non-English collection (just noticed that there seems to be a good number of Japanese and French movies that fit the car theme). This weekend, I delved a bit deeper into the data of movies available and tried grouping them into categories and also sorted them by year. In the process my list of 60 suddenly became 135. I have added this list as a free pdf download. As of now, I own around 30 movies that I call car themed movies. If you have to ask who Eleanor, Bumblebee, Herbie, The Judge and General Lee are you should probably stop here and decide if you want to read the remaining.

The current decade (2000’s) seems to have the maximum number of car themed movies  and movies with car chases occupying key parts of the storyline.The next closest decade was the 70’s. We are indeed in car-crazy times :-). The 80’s and 90’s didnt seem to be that into cars, did they ?

The movies can be grouped into racing movies(including all forms of racing like NASCAR,Champ car, Drag strip, street racing, illegal racing), chase movies (car chases and crashes), Bio-pics(about famous racing legends), Horror , Drama (deeper story around car theme) and also finally about driving( typically high speed driving, stunts, long distance, getaways). Chases in movies comprise close to 35% of movies on my list and Race themed movies comprise 46% of the list. Interestingly the percentage of movies having critically acclaimed chase scenes in the 70s was around 18% and race themed movies at 76%.In the last 9 years the ratio is 57% chase scenes and 28% on race themed. The ratio has turned 180 degrees around in 30 years !

The earliest car themed movie I could find was the 1913 movie –Speed Kings, based on automobile racing. If there is anything earlier than that please let me know. There was a movie called Speed in 1935 that was also based on auto racing which was pretty popular then.

All time popular cars and movies they appeared in:

  • The Bond movie Goldfinger (1964) was the first movie the Ford Mustang appeared in (it was launched in 1964 as well). Also this was the first movie the Bond car was set as the Aston Martin DB5. The same car now owned by Spielberg appears in 2002 movie Catch Me If You Can.
  • The Herbie Series is probably the most loved series with the VW Beetle Show up in 5 movies from 1968 till 2005.
  • The DeLorean in the Back to the Future series shows up in 3 movies from 19855 to 1990.
  • The Mustang Fastback “Eleanor” shows up in two movies of the same name Gone in Sixty Seconds from 1974 & 2000. The second GISS movie seems to be the first of many car themed movies that were released after 2000.
  • Ford Mustang:  Bullit(1986),Gone in 60 Seconds(1974),Gone in 60 Seconds(2000),Fast & Furious Tokyo Drift(2006), I Am Legend( 2007), Death Race (2008)
  • Mini Cooper: Italian Job(1969),Italian Job(2001) & Bourne Identity(2002).
  • Ford Gran Torino: Charlies Angels : Fullthrottle (2004) , Starsky & Hutch (2004) and Clint Eastwood movie Gran Torino (2009), Fast and Furious (2009) has a 1972 Gran Torino Sport.
  • Pontiac GTO:  Two Lane Blacktop(1971),Bullit(1986), XXX(2002). The Last Ride(2004) a TV movie featured the GTO “Judge” and also had the latest iteration of the Pontiac GTO.
  • Chevrolet Corvette: 1970 Corvetter in Death Race 2000(1973), 1973 Stingray in Corvette Summer (1978)
  • Chevrolet Camaro:  Transformers (2007) had the 1977 and 2009 Camaros, 2 Fast 2 Furious(2003) had a 1969 Camaro, 2009 Fast and Furious has a 1973 Camaro.
  • Dodge Charger: Dirty Mary Crazy Larry(1974),The Fast and the Furious (2001),Dukes of Hazzard(2005) – “The General Lee”
  •  Dodge Challenger: Vanishing Point(1971), 2 Fast 2 Furious(2003)
  • Scary Cars: Modified 1971 Lincoln Continental in The Car(1977), 1958 Plymouth Fury in Christine(1983) , 1954 Buick Roadmaster in From a Buick 8(Upcoming movie for 2009). 
  • Upcoming Car Themed movies for 2009 and beyond are:
    • From a Buick 8 ( Horror movie based on a scarily good Stephen King book expected in 2009)
    • Transformers II: Revenge of the Fallen (The transformers sequel expected around June 2009)
    • Cars II (The sequel to Pixar Cars expected in 2012)
    • The Limit( A movie on Grand Prix racing with Toby Maguire expected in 2012)

    (Do check up on www.carsplusmovies.com for more updates. Its a great site with tonnes of car movie related links. I got the above list from there.)

    Download: You can download my list of movies as a free PDF file download. Do take a look and let me know if you come across any good car themed movie I may have missed from the list. Also do pass on the pdf to your friends who may be interested.

     

     

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Most Popular Vehicle Colors – 2000 to 2008

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DuPont  releases data on vehicle color popularity for major markets across the world and in 2008 have included India data separately. I hope it will be tracked going forward as well.  Here is the DuPont report for 2008. Lots of interesting data point there including variants on core color types, finishing, textures etc. While mentioning the textures something very interesting is Chrome finish paint. An example is seen here.

They have been tracking such data for US, Europe and Japan for close to ten years now. Though they haven’t given it in one single chart – Zimbly Cars spent the time to collate it from data made public by DuPont.  Here is the trend for the past 8 years. 

1-colorspost-global

**2001 – I wasn’t able to find data for this year on the net – if anyone has it or knows someone in DuPont please let me know.

The most popular colors over the past 8 years for cars are White, Silver, Black and Blue. These have been fairly consistent and have not lost their charm over time.

0-colorspost-mostpopular

Red has been a consistent color with no changes in popularity since 2004. Grey has been steadily increasing in popularity since 2004 and may be a serious contender to Black.

Black though considered a timeless color went through a small dip in popularity between 2002 and 2005 but has been increasing in popularity since 2005.

[…]

When upgrading your existing car

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The options available to a buyer have increased many-fold from early days where India had only the Fiat & Ambassador to choose from.This post attempts to help a buyer who already has owned a vehicle for some time and is looking to upgrade/change the vehicle. The way society/your peer group works you are expected to go on a path of A segment to B segment to C to D each  time you look for a new vehicle. This approach is fine for someone with money and not very clear requirements and just wanting to ape the peer group.

 This post is not for them but for someone who has a budget limiting them and for with a lot of unclear requirements. This is for someone having to squeeze out the last bit of value from their hard earned money.

Most usually you are changing your vehicle because you need more space. Be clear if you want interior space or luggage space or space for more passengers. 

If you just need interiors that are roomy you can choose from a large tall-boy or B+ segment hatch which is still cheaper than most sedans. (  Hyundai Getz,  Hyundai I10,  Maruti Suzuki Wagon-R,  Maruti Suzuki Swift ).

　2nd generation Suzuki Swift(2004 - 2007)
Image via Wikipedia

If you need luggage space then a vehicle with a proper boot is required while if you need to ferry many people a mini-van /SUV is required.

Longer drives with luggage and mainly adult passengers may need a sedan or  SUV / MUV while 2 adults and 2 children a hatchback may still be fine.

Frequent Long trips/road trips for multiple days warrant a look at SUV / MUV/minivans. (  Mahindra Bolero , Mahindra Scorpio, Mahindra Xylo , Tata Sumo, Tata Sumo Grande , Tata Safari, Toyota Innova, Chevrolet Tavera )

2006 Toyota Innova
Image by Shanghai Daddy via Flickr

 

 Is there a vehicle that appeals to you in the list meeting all or most of your requirements? If there is you are lucky – just take a test drive to make sure.

If you had issues/missed features in your prior vehicle try looking for options that overcome those limits. For e.g. you didn’t have power windows & central locking on your first car and got tired of rolling up the windows and checking the doors were locked each time – you should look at a car with all of these.

Choose a color that you yearned for while you were driving your previous vehicle and for better exterior finishes. Maybe try a switch from a metallic color to non metallic color or vice versa. Or try a bright/bold color after a dull one. (I have made such a switch from driving boring silver cars one after the other to bright red and bright blue –

Tata Sumo
Image via Wikipedia

makes finding your car in a large parking lot very easy).

Look for better quality/ looking/feeling interiors. Nowadays beige or two tone interiors are available instead of the usual dull grey. If your car will need to withstand a lot of rough use you may be better off with grey interiors since beige ones look dirty with rough use.

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Waiting for the Tata Nano

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Why should you buy the Tata Nano ?

The Tata Nano fits the budget for a small first/additional car. Taxes and insurance will not add much to the overall price of the car.

It is a definite improvement in safety and convenience over a two wheeler

nano1

It is the best size for crowded city streets and for peak traffic.

It gives good mileage (supposedly around 20 km/l)

It will be easy to park due to its size.

It will be easy to maintain due to the wide reach of Tata dealerships.

It will have reasonable maintenance costs since the input parts itself are capped within the 1 lakh mark.

The cost of parts for the Nano will come down drastically after around 2-3 years with mass volumes appearing. (I am very curious to know what kind of warranty would be provided by Tata for the Nano. An extended warranty, if provided, would have me signing up for it even on day one. I have the benefit of the extended warranty on our current cars and have seen the benefits. I’ve also seen the amount of money one can burn if you don’t have the extended warranty.)

If there is an option with an auto transmission it may be the best option for a driver not comfortable with driving in the city or novice in driving

Most cars depreciate almost the second you sign the papers paying your advance amount for booking it. In this case the Nano due to its high demand will not depreciate as much as other cars and as soon as the others. As it is most used car dealers are worried about being able to sell used cars at prices between INR 80,000 to 2,00,000 as most people when given that kind of budget may take a serious look at the Nano instead of a used car.

You will be able to buy a new car for around 1.25 -1.5 lakhs and still be able to spend even up to 30,000 rupees in accessorizing the cars. I am waiting to see a pimped out Nano with oversized alloy wheels and low profile tyres blasting out tunes painted in garish colors and with all possible spoilers and extra fittings in chrome added to it!

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How to select your first car ?

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You have never owned a car in your life and are now at a point where you are considering the purchase of your first car. This is a big step for most people in India an aspiration that probably is a close second to owning a house. Most times people first buy a car and then go on to owning a house.

You need to/want to buy your first car for one of the following top 10 reasons:

  1. You are beginning your work life and there is pressure from family to avoid buying/riding a two wheeler
  2. You were taking public transport but for some health reasons cannot continue using it or the routes have changed
  3. Your Company has cut back on pick-up/drop
  4. Your home/workplace has changed and it is too far for a two wheeler and public transport is not feasible
  5. You are getting married
  6. You are expecting a baby
  7. It  has become affordable for you
  8. You will be Getting/Got a promotion
  9. You are now getting a vehicle purchase/lease/maintenance allowance with tax benefits
  10. You have aged/ailing parents/in-laws who will be staying with you and cannot take them around by other means of transport

You have your reasons for purchasing a vehicle. What should you buy is determined mainly by your finances and by your requirements. If you are not clear on your requirements this post will help you clarify your requirements. This post will not pick the vehicle for you as that is something you will have to do based on your specific situation.

If you have little or no prior car driving experience (days in driving school don’t count) and live in a crowded city and with a limited budget you are better off going in for a good used car to learn your driving in. If you are particular about reliability go for a certified used car. If your budget allows it you should go in for a new car but here again I would suggest a compact hatchback to start. Upgrade whenever you are comfortable with driving and do so in a time frame that you don’t lose money on the sale.

If you have sufficient driving experience and your budget permits you should go in for the vehicle that best matches your requirements.

What  you should consider while making the decision:

·         What is your budget for purchase and what is your annual budget for maintenance & insurance?

·         Do you need to take a loan? If so how much money do you need to keep ready from your side and how much will the loan cover?

·         Do you mind buying a used car or do you prefer a new one? (Check: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/buying-car/17751-article-buying-new-car-vs-used-car.html)

·         Will you drive or have a driver? (If you plan to keep a driver you would be looking for good front passenger side comfort and rear seat comfort and space, rugged build and good mileage while if you would be driving it yourself driving comfort would be of first importance)

·         Do you have any special requirements or needs (very tall or short driver or a physical disability requiring a hand controlled vehicle)? (Some manufacturers build custom hand controlled vehicles with automatic gear shifters that allow people with disabilities to drive a car easily.

·         How many passengers would you need to carry frequently? For example if you may be the primary driver during the week but on weekends you would like to ferry along the entire family of 5/6/7 people on outings. If you have a small number you may be able to do with a hatchback or a entry level compact sedan but if you have a large family you may need to look at SUVs/MUVs.

·         How much and where will you be driving? (If you will be driving a lot then it may make sense to look for a vehicle that runs on diesel or is a petrol car allowing the use of petrol and LPG or CNG or a petrol electric hybrid. If your travel is limited then a petrol would do just as well since the vehicle would be cheaper and wouldn’t warrant the higher initial purchase price)

·         Do you have space to park the vehicle of your choice easily and safely? (you may need to choose a smaller vehicle if your parking spot doesn’t allow a large vehicle)

·         How important is looks, colors, features, safety, performance, ease of driving, space, payload, mileage, maintenance cost, ASS (After Sales Service) to you?

·         Do you have a preferred brand you want to buy? If you like a certain brand you may have a more positive view of vehicles of that brand – it also makes sense to test drive vehicles from their competitors as well for you may be pleasantly surprised.

·         What features are must haves for you and what are nice to have?

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