AUTOMOTIVE CRAZE: 2012-08-05

(Pictures from "www.indiaautosblog.com")

Toyota set in motion the motorsport careers of 25 promising young racers at the highly anticipated Etios Motor Racing (EMR) Exhibition Race being held at the Madras Motor Race Track, Chennai on the 4th and 5th of August, 2012.

Apart from a Grand Opening Ceremony, there were a host of exciting activities to engage all age groups including Celebrity Races, Dealer/ Media Races, SUV Zone, Karting Zone, Children’s Learning Zone, ‘Design your EMR Car’, and much more. Toyota also invited two internationally acclaimed guest drivers, Akira Iida- ace Japanese driver and Ben Collins, formerly known as the Stig, to enthrall the spectators with their driving prowess in the EMR cars.

The EMR Exhibition Race is being held close on the heels of the launch of the Company’s new brand campaign called ‘Waku-Doki’, meaning excitement, joy and fun. Putting this into context, Mr. Hiroshi Nakagawa, Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said, “In line with our international theme of Waku-Doki we introduced EMR to connect with the Indian youth through the sheer joy and excitement that it brings. We are very happy that EMR is seen as an ideal grass-roots category for young drivers to learn and make their way up in the motorsport ladder. With EMR we are committed to contributing to Indian motorsports for years to come.”

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Vikram Kirloskar, Vice Chairman, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said, “With EMR, we are happy to carry forward Toyota’s glorious global motorsport heritage. The overwhelming response we got for the EMR driver selection is a proof that today more and more Indian girls and boys are working towards a career in motorsport, and Toyota is looking forward to being a part of their training and growth in the sport.”

Mr. Sandeep Singh, Deputy Managing Director-Marketing, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said, “The Exhibition Race this weekend is one of our many efforts to take the Toyota Brand closer to its customers and motorsport enthusiasts. The EMR Exhibition Race will not only mark the debut of the final EMR driver line-up for 2012-’13 but is also a first-of-kind event for motorsport enthusiasts and their families with a host of activities on and off the race track.

It has been an untiring journey so far, right from the Auto Expo in Delhi early this year, to 14 cities and 24 dealerships across the country to rigorous testing of the EMR cars that will be driven by our top 25 young drivers who have been chosen by a team of experts.”

Also present at the occasion, Mr. Taro Hishida, Director, Toyota Technocraft (TRD), said, “TRD has been conducting one- make races in Japan and other parts of the world for many years now and has also been instrumental in supporting the development of racing cars. We have also successfully completed the design of the recently launched Liva TRD Sportivo and are honored to support the development of the Etios Motor Racing series, here in India. We would like to support TKM continually through EMR racing activity and TRD Sportivo products, hoping many customers in India will feel the excitement of “Wakudoki”.

After the Exhibition Race this weekend, in the offing is the Second Exhibition Race in the first weekend of October, 2012 in Delhi, and a number of interesting events based around EMR before the single-make series begins in the second half of 2013.

Tata Motor Full Throttle concluded the third trail of the 21 planned for this year, in Delhi NCR. The event for the Tata Motors SUV owners was kicked off on 28th July. Over 70 vehicles participated in the event. The participating vehicles included Tata Tata Safari, Tata Xenon XT, Tata Sumo Gold, Tata Sumo Grande and Tata Aria, in both 4x4 and 4x2 configurations.

A track, near Pali Village, Faridabad was specially prepared for this off-roading activity where the drivers were to maneuver challenging routes and deal with rugged terrain. The track was customized keeping in mind the experience and skill-level of participants and was designed such that they could get most of the vehicles. Full throttle has been victorious in reputed rallies like Desert Storm, Dakshin Dare, Raid De Himalaya, Eastern Mountain Safari rally and the Hornbill International Motor rally.

Tata Motors Full Throttle Trail, the extreme off-roading property for Tata Motors SUV owners, concluded successfully at Tivoli Garden Chhatarpur. The trail kicked off on July 28th, and was spread over two days with 70 Tata Motors vehicles participating in the event. The track being prepared specially for this off-roadingactivity, was situated near Pali Village in Faridabad

Participation of vehicles from the Tata Motors stable included the Tata Safari, Tata Xenon XT, Tata Sumo Gold, TataSumo Grande and Tata Aria, in both 4×4 and 4×2 configurations. Customers from in and around NCR attended the trail, maneuvering challenging routes and the rugged terrain. The track had been prepared specially for this activity.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Deepankar Tiwari, Head NCR Operations, Passenger Car Business Unit, TataMotors said, “We are pleased with the fervor and participation of Tata Motors customers from in and around NCR, at this off-roading event. The activity not only demonstrated the capability of Tata Motors vehicles, but also enhanced the experience received by each of our customers, with most of them going off-roading for the very first time. The track was customised with variations, in-line with the experience and skill level of participants, ensuring they made the most out of their vehicles.

With the NCR trail being the third of the 21 trails being planned through the year, each Tata Motors Full Throttle Trail will be customised to exhibit the thrill, ruggedness, toughness and handling of Tata Motors SUV’s, in various off-road conditions. Through these half-day off-roading activities, enthusiast also have the opportunity to familiarise themselves with some serious off-road driving techniques, through a quick getaway, in the proximity of their respective cities.