Maruti Celerio Diesel

Maruti Suzuki is working on its own diesel engine technology is no big secret. The company has formally announced the same and will launch a couple of products in the coming years. It was rumored the new LCV to get the diesel engine first, but Maruti Suzuki has something different in their mind. With the good success of the Celerio, the company is looking for another big victory and will introduce the Celerio diesel in the coming months.

The Celerio diesel will be powered by a 793cc diesel engine with Common Rail technology which develops max power of 50 bhp (50.7 PS) and will be available in four variants: LDi, VDi, VDi with ABS and ZDi.

The introduction of a AMT on the diesel variant will be another segment first, but the company may not launch it anytime soon as it is already not able to meet the existing demand for AMT petrol variant and commands a waiting period of upto 6 months.

The Celerio diesel will compete with the likes of Chevrolet Beat, Ford Figo and Grand i10.

Maruti Suzuki will launch 2-3 new models in the coming with the Ciaz in September and SX4 Cross in 2015. The company is also working on a number of refreshes of existing models.

HYUNDAI iX-25

Hyundai will launch the much-awaited ix25 compact SUV in the Indian car market by mid-2015. It is likely to share its engine configuration with Verna sedan. The vehicle has already put on test on Indian roads and is expected to be priced in the range of Rs. 7.5-10 lakh. It will compete against the likes of Ford EcoSport and Renault Duster.

Hyundai ix25 compact SUV’s top-end variant with projector headlights, LED daytime running lights, alloy wheels, fog lamps and chrome grille has been spotted testing. A sport version of the SUV, christened as ‘ix25 Sport’, will also make its way to the market. The crossover will come in both petrol and diesel fuel options- a 1.4-litre petrol and 1.6-litre diesel.

Expected Price: Rs. 7.5-10 lakh

Expected Launch Date- mid-2015

The Cars of Indian CEOs

Maybach 62

Mukesh Ambani - Chairman, Reliance Industries
RIL Chairman Mukesh Ambani owns a Maybach 62. In his garage, you can also find a Mercedes S class and a black Mercedes SL500.

Lamborghini, Porsche 

 Anil Ambani - Chairman, Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group
Grandiose Anil Ambani drives a shinny yellow Lamborghini. He also owns several Porches and Mercs.

Bentley Continental Flying Spur

 Vijay Mallya - Chairman, U B Group
The king of good times, Dr. Vijay Mallya loves driving a red Bentley Continental Flying Spur. He has a massive collection of other cars as well.

Tata Sedan 

 Ratan Tata - Chairman, Tata Group
Ever humble Ratan Tata loves driving fast cars and flying jets. He drives a Tata Sedan to work.

 BMW 5 Series Sedan

 Kumar Mangalam Birla - Chairman, Aditya Birla Group
Young and vibrant Kumar Mangalam Birla drives a BMW 5 Series Sedan.

 Toyota Corolla

 Azim Premji - Chairman, Wipro
Azim Premji, known for his austere lifestyle, drives a Toyota Corolla.

 Mercedes S-500

Sunil Bharti Mittal - Chairman, Bharti Airtel
Sunil Mittal loves to move in a black Mercedes S-500. He has a huge collection of other costly cars as well.

 Mercedes Viano 3.5

 Subhash Chandra - Chairman, Zee Telefilms
Subhash Chandra of Zee Telefilms is very particular about his cars. He drives a Mercedes Viano 3.5 which has a Dish TV and a plasma television installed.

Mercedes S350s  

 Malvinder Singh - Chairman, Ranbaxy Labs
Ranbaxy Chief Malvinder Singh is the proud owner of two Mercedes S350s.

 Rolls Royce Phantom

 Shiv Nadar - Chairman, HCL Technologies
HCL big boss Shiv Nadar owns a bluish grey Rolls Royce Phantom and a Mercedes 500 SEL.

 S Class Mercedes

 K P Singh - Chairman, DLF Group
Real-estate king KP Singh of DLF Group prefers nothing less than a Mercedes Benz S-Class.

Toyota Camry

 Deepak Pareekh - Chairman, HDFC Bank
HDFC chairman Deepak Parekh isn't very flamboyant about cars and has settled for a Toyota Camry.

Mercedes Kompressor 

 V C Burman - Chairman, Dabur Group
Dabur Head V C Burman loves his royal blue Mercedes Kompressor over any other car. He also has a collection of sports cars.

Grand Vitara

 Shinzo Nakanishi - Chairman, Maruti Suzuki
Shinzo Nakanishi drives a Grand Vitara, SX4 and Swift.

Toyota Corolla

 O P Bhatt - Chairman, SBI
SBI Chief O P Bhatt has a humble taste for cars as he drives a Toyota Corolla.

 

1955 BMW Isetta

BMW made the Isetta its own. They redesigned the powerplant around a more reliable BMW one-cylinder, four-stroke, 247 cc motorcycle engine making 13 hp. Although the major elements of the Italian design remained intact, BMW re-engineered much of the car, so much so that none of the parts between a BMW Isetta Moto Coupe and an Iso Isetta are interchangeable. The first BMW Isetta appeared in April, 1955.

BMW Isetta 250

While it retained the "Bubble Window" styling, it differed from the Italian model in that its headlamps were fixed separately to the sides of the bodywork and it carried the BMW badge below the windscreen. The car was also redesigned to take a modified version of the 250 cc 4-stroke engine from the BMW R25/3 motorcycle and the front suspension was changed. The single-cylinder generated 12 hp at 5800 rpm. The crankcase and cylinder were made of cast iron, the cylinder head of aluminium. However, the head was rotated by 180 degrees compared with the motorcycle engine. The twin-bearing crankshaft was also different in the Isetta power unit, being larger and featuring reinforced bearings. One of the reasons for this was the heavy Dynastart unit which combined the dynamo and self-starter. The fuel mixture was provided by a Bing sliding throttle side draft motorcycle carburettor. In addition to further changes of detail, the BMW engineers enlarged the sump for installation in the car and cooled the engine by means of a radial fan and shrouded ducting.

The power train from the four-speed gearbox to the two rear wheels was also unusual: fixed to the gearbox output drive was something called a Hardy disc, which was a cardan joint made of rubber. On the other side of it was a cardan shaft, and finally a second Hardy disc, which in turn was located at the entrance to a chain case. A duplex chain running in an oil bath led finally to a rigid shaft, at each end of which were the two rear wheels. Thanks to this elaborate power transfer, the engine-gearbox unit was both free of tension and well soundproofed in its linkage to the rear axle.

In Germany the Isetta could even be driven with a motorcycle licence. The top speed of the Isetta 250 was rated as 85 km/h.

The first BMW Isetta rolled off the line in April of 1955 and in the next eight months, some 10,000 of the "bubblecars" were produced.

BMW Isetta 300

In October 1956 the Isetta Moto Coupe DeLuxe (sliding-window Isetta) was introduced. The bubble windows were replaced by longer, sliding side windows. The engineers had enlarged the single cylinder to a 72 mm bore and 73 mm stroke, which gave a displacement of exactly 298 cc, and at the same time they raised the compression ratio from 6.8 to 7.0:1. In this way the engine now generated 13 hp (10 kW) at 5200 rpm, and the torque rose to 18.4 N·m at 4600 rpm. The maximum speed remained at 85 km/h, yet there was a marked increase in flexibility, chiefly noticeable on gradients.

In addition to the quest for better performance, there was another reason for the change: it was then still possible to drive the 250 cc Isetta with the old Class IV driving licence. Quite a number of Isettas were lovingly maintained by their owners for years and even decades, precisely because they possessed no other licence. On the other hand, from 1956 onwards, first-time drivers had to pass the test for Class III if they wanted to drive a car. True, the Class IV licence continued to be issued, but it was only valid for small motorcycles.

A second, similar reason for fitting the larger engine was the prevailing tax regime. The 250 cc engine did not take full advantage of the tax class, which then went up to 300 cc.

BMW Isetta 600

The BMW 600 was intended as an enlarged Isetta three-wheeler with more power and a more conventional four-wheel configuration.

The front end of the 600 was virtually unchanged from the Isetta, but the 600's wheelbase was stretched to accommodate four seats. A conventional rear axle was added. BMW introduced the semi-trailing arm independent suspension on the 600. This suspension would be used on almost every new model for the next four decades. Because of extra size and weight, the 600 had a more powerful engine than the Isetta. The 600 had the 582 cc twin engine from the R67 motorcycle. Top speed was 64 mph.

In two years only 34,000 600s were produced, partly due to price competition with the entry-level VW Beetle. In the late 1950s consumers wanted cars that looked like cars, and they had lost interest in economy models. Sales of the 600 were, however, aided by the energy crisis of 1956–1957.

In May 1962 BMW ceased production of the Isetta. A total of 161,728 units had been built.