Drop-dead gorgeous - The Jaguar F-Type

Perhaps no other car looks as stunning, as bold, as sensual and as beautiful as this car.

This has the heart of a tourer but the impulse and sharpness of a racecar.

This can ferry your kids to school, make its way to the grand ball and will still never disappoint you on the track.

This is what your ideal supercar should be.

This is the Jaguar F-Type.

Stunning from every angle

In today’s crowd of flashy concept V10s, inspired by fighter jets and spaceships, designed and managed by supercomputers, this work of art sets itself apart. It just can’t be overstated, this car is just amazing to behold. 

That end to end friendly grin

The front end takes us back to a time when looking mean and angry was not the norm. It just looks very inviting and understated. It is quite a capable machine, but doesn’t need to flaunt it. [leaving that to it’s bigger brother, the SVR]. The two air vents on each side  of the central grill just make it that much more likeable.

Beauty in motion

The side profile is very clean, just sporting that small air vent ahead of the front door. The stance is perfect and that taut rear end makes it even sportier. With curves like these, many on the road will surely find it hard to keep focus. Those sweeping tail lights finally lead us to the gorgeous rear where everything is again kept clean and simple, yet classy.

Pure car porn

With this car, there is no need to talk about the engine, the handling, the traction, the gearbox etc. This car simply bowls you over with its beauty and nothing else. The fact that it has outstanding mechanical capabilities is just a huge cherry on an already amazingly delicious cake.

Like all good things in life, the F Type looks stunning in red

Jaguar just can’t be thanked enough for this. By not succumbing to the madness of lap times and downforce and other jargon, they have produced something that rises above all this and focusses on the basic emotion of what it means to be a supercar.

The Suzuki Jimny is finally here!

So as most of you know, the 2nd generation Suzuki Jimny (sold in India as the Gypsy) was and is one of the most popular and capable 4x4s around here. It is the no-nonsense type of vehicle that gets things done without having to impress you with its iMap+, ActivSync etc that most cars today seem to focus entirely on. Basically, it was a great and reliable car.

                             

                                         The Jimny 2nd Gen: Nope that's not edited in anyway

For some strange reason though Suzuki skipped the 3rd Gen Jimny for the Indian market, but hey the 4th Gen is mostly here so that should set things right. 

                                The 4th Gen Jimny: Its still got Grandpa's black glasses

Anyway, moving to it's looks. Suzuki has done a damn decent job of retaining that retro front look. It doesn't look flashy or superficial in anyway. The dual-tone color scheme on the front however looks fresh. Like the 2nd gen, it gives you that sense of reassurance that this little brat has your back. It is hence one of the few 4x4s out there for whom looking mean and aggressive is not a full time job. 

                                                 Clean and solid shoulder lines

The side profile of the car is clean, devoid of any extravagant panel work. It's clean and purposeful.The door is relatively large enabling easier ingress to the front and the rear seats. The cladding on the wheel arches enhances the visual appeal of that huge wheel arch gap. The stance is short, which means handling is tighter and the ground clearance makes it clear what it's preferred area of operation is. This being a Suzuki, it will be as comfortable in the urban jungle as it will be in the Amazon. 

                            

                                                The Jimny feeling right at home

                                            That taut rear adds character

The rear again is in sync with the clean design followed throughout.The tail lights, like the previous versions is set inside the rear bumper.

The departure angle at amazing 49 degrees has improved over the previous versions.

For me this is one of the most exciting upcoming cars. It's practical, reliable and doesn't cost you your kidney. This is the kind of car you'd want on your next adventure. 
Deepest gratitude to Suzuki for giving us something other than the regular dread in this segment

Hey fellow petrolheads !

To say "It's been a while" would at this point be a massive understatement.

But in my defense, this period was basically about getting some things out of the way, you know how it is.

Hopefully, under the new scheme of things, posts on a few popular cars every week, some new, some older, plus some India specific cars.

Let's see how this goes.

GranTurismo - Maserati Reborn

Nothing could be worse than being owned by the same company as your
arch rival. For the Maserati however, this has been a boon in disguise.
Fiat has given this great brand a lease of new life.
Under Fiat Maserati have released the Quattraporte, GranTurismo and
GranCabrio, all of which have been successful.

The huge front concave intake grill bearing the Maserati logo is one of
the very best I have seen in sportscars lately.

Beauty is something you don't associate with sportscars these days.
You wouldn't say Panamera is beautiful, or even a California for that matter ,but
this , it changes everything. It's competition may give a million bhp
and planet turning torque, but any given day it's the GranTurismo for me.

Those appealing headlamps, those 3 airvents behind the front wheel
symbolize what this car is all about, Italian style. Sweeping roofline,
 plush interiors, and a body design to die for.

You would want to take this car on long drives on endless twisty roads.It's
not just a sportscar, it's a Grand tourer.
It's nothing less than a piece of art gliding across the tarmac, and with
a Ferrari V8 it onlly gets better. The engine is the heart of this beauty.
At 440 bhp and around 320 torques, it never feels overpowered,
uncontrollable, or insane, it feels perfect.

One can't encapsulate it's beauty in words, simply put you just can't
chose any other car unless you are ,well,  blind or have
lost all sense of style. If only I had enough space in my room, I would
put this beauty on the wall, its that beautiful. If this doesn't convince
people that car designers are artists, nothing else ever will.

Audi R8 - Not a squashed Golf anymore

The last time Audi tried to make a sportscar, the TT for those who forgot,
turned out to be a big mess.It simply didn't have the looks.
It looked like a squashed Golf GTI, so half the battle was lost there itself.
But  Audi decided to finally give us , not only a way better looking car,
but a better performing car as well.
It gave us the R8.

In the world of Lamborghinis and AMG Blacks this car doesn't score huge
points on styling but nonetheless it sure is an eyecatcher.
All the power sits between the two rear wheels and curvaceous lines
running over the back end symbolize that.

The car has a small wheelbase,due to the positioning of the engine
at the rear.This simply means better handling on tighter bends.
This I think is a major plus point for this car, because cars in this segment
tend to give importance to power over handling and comfort.
The Audi however is a sublime balance of power, handling and style.
Nothing over the top .
The swooping roof and the over all streamlines are completely in sync.
Airvents at the front as well as the back dont look garish inspite of their
size because Audi has managed to beautifully integrate them into the
design scheme.

The rear tail light cluster seems to bear resemblence to it's Italian cousin,
the Lamborghini Gallardo, only more curvier.Front and rear light cum
airvent arrangement are part of a similar theme.Not many cars can boast
of that.And the on the Audi it looks particularly beautiful.

The R8 like all Audis is not exceptionally striking,nor is it loud and in
your face. It is sublime, sophisticated, and seeing one is sure a pleasing
experience.
Audi then have achieved what they set out for. A true sportscar.

SL 65 AMG Black - "Insane"taenous Lunacy

Mercedes makes brilliant executive cars, it also makes fantastic
SUV's, but most of all it makes the almost devilish monster of a supercar
called the SL 65 AMG Black Series.

This overpowered street legal car is designed to make almost every other
car on the road run for cover. If you even spot it in your rear view, its only
a matter of  a few milliseconds before you see its tails.

Mercedes have adopted a very aggresive philosophy with this car.
The huge front grille spanning the width of the car has the beautiful
3 pointed star at its center.The headlamps reminds of huge monsters
that gobble up weaker fellow  animals.
The mammoth air vents can swallow a bull whole without a problem.
The front styling seriously scares the hell out of all the cars and some
humans as well.

Huge pumping wheel flares  enhance the already arrogant and aggresive
style theme.
With the AMG badge the SL65 has got a lower ground clearance, stiffer
suspension , bigger wheels and ofcourse the insane 661bhp monster
 under the hood.
The sweeping lines across the body seem to trace the path air follows
around the car when a mad driver takes it to full revs.
Airvents behind the front wheel are more than just noticeable, they are
demeaning.

The rear sports the 4 exhaust pipes that roar when the driver puts his
foot down.As any driver will tell, nothing beats that.
The car all in all has a certain air about itself, which is more than justified
because it simply destroys the other cars on the road in terms of styling
and performance.

BMW 1M- The enthusiasts' car

Most people will agree that BMW M3 is the only car that has a racing
background and fits into day to day city driving with ease.
But for most enthusiasts that car was a tad bit expensive, so BMW has
decided to reward their loyalty with the 1M.
The styling is not groundbreaking or strikingly new, but it is not
ugly either.





The front end has seen no change from the 1 series family face apart
from the purposeful airvents.The headlamps are kinda cute and not mean
or striking as in an M3 and thus give the car a different feel.

It is wider than the regular 1 series sedan mostly because it has to house
that huge powerplant beneath its hood.Flowing hood lines are pretty
similar to those seen in the BMW line up.
Those flaring wheel arches are purposeful because under them are the
wide tyres that are required with this kind of a car.

Looking from the side its hard to spot the difference between the M3
and 1M.Both of then sport the same stance.The 1M is slightly smaller
than its bigger brother but by no means is it any lesser.
What you also spot is the M badging done just behind the front wheel,
and the crease that follows sweeps the length of the car beautifully.

Coming to the rear end you see that typical "pinched" tail that is again
common to almost all bimmers.Tail lights are in sync with the whole
design of the car and contribute to the pleasing rear end.The vents on the
sides of the rear bumper look great and add to that feeling of flow.
But the delight is obviously the 4 exhaust pipes that don its rear.

Overall, this little hot performer from BMW is a well designed car
 incorporating all the dynamics  that make it  worthy of the M badge.