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  • 175 Shares189 Views

    in Bike

    2021 KTM RC 125 / 200 New Gen Motorcycle Spied – Revised Front Look

    Image – Varun Painter
    After getting spied for the first time on the road last week, the new KTM RC has been spied again
    India launch of the new 2021 KTM RC 200 and RC 125 is slated for later this year. Test mules in pre-production format have been spied on test since early September in Europe. Now, the test mules have started getting spotted on Indian roads. The latest spy shot of the new gen KTM RC test mule was shared by Varun Painter.
    The 2021 KTM RC range is expected to receive several updates to justify this price hike. For starters, it will do away with the twin pod headlamp cluster and get new fairing with halogen lighting in its stead.
    The updated RC motorcycles will also receive DRLs and integrated indicators. Revised fairing will also be a part of the update while design changes to the rear will include an LED unit.
    More Comfortable Ride Position?
    The rider of the new KTM RC range of motorcycles is likely to be assured of a more comfortable ride. The upcoming model is expected to get a well cushioned seat, handlebars fitted closer to the rider for more comfort and foot pegs thus positioned for a more upright stance so as to enable better touring. The bike will also get a larger windscreen for better aerodynamics and to offer better wind protection to the rider.
    2021 KTM RC 200
    The new KTM RC 200 / 125 will also sport new body graphics in a black and orange colour scheme and a revised instrument cluster (could be same as the one seen on new gen 390 Duke and 390 ADV). It will come with smartphone connectivity via Bluetooth.
    BS6 Engine Specs
    The current KTM RC200 is powered by a 199.5cc, single cylinder, liquid cooled engine delivering about 25 hp power at 10,000 rpm and 19.2 Nm torque at 8,000 rpm. This is the same engine which will power the 2021 KTM RC200, with minor tuning. The engine will come mated to a 6 speed sequential gearbox, with slipper clutch as standard.
    Considering these updates, the 2021 KTM RC200 could be priced higher than the current model by about Rs.10-20k. Once launched, KTM will also bring in updated versions of the RC 125, RC 250 and RC 390 as well.
    New KTM Duke RCs planned for the year ahead also include the RC 390 which would get updated parts and reworked styling along with new LED headlights and TFT display. These updates will position the RC390 as a more premium offering than it is today.
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  • 188 Shares199 Views

    in Electric Cars

    MG ZS Electric Car Donated To IIT Delhi – Will Help Students Research Autonomous Tech

    MG ZS Electric Car Donated To IIT DelhiThe alliance will help to further the research being conducted in the field of electric and autonomous vehicles
    MG Motor India has formed an alliance with IIT Delhi – Centre for Automotive Research and Tribology (CART). This partnership is being forged for extensive research in the field of electric and autonomous vehicles.
    The focus of IIT Delhi will be in furthering the MG Motor endeavor on Connected – Autonomous –Shared – Electric (CASE) through research in deployment of electric and autonomous vehicles through urban India.
    In keeping with the new research subject, MG Motor has also donated a ZS EV to IIT Delhi and the research will also include Connected Mobility in terms of Route Planning and Navigation, Obstacle Detection, Seamless and Natural Human Interaction and AI for Inferring and Decision-making.
    Child Car Safety Seat Project
    This is not the first such study conducted by IIT Delhi for MG Motor. Earlier the automaker had worked with IIT Delhi to boost in-car child safety seat project via geofencing. The study also extended to innovation challenge Hackathons in partnership with IIT Delhi for a safer and greener most of travel.
    MG ZS Electric Car Donated To IIT Delhi
    It may be recalled that the MG ZS EV is the first internet electric SUV while the Gloster is the first autonomous Level 1 premium SUV. Both these cars make ideal case studies in developing the future of autonomous vehicles, especially so in an institute that is ranked among the top in terms of technology in the world.
    CART offers high end research into areas such as battery operated electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles along with storage and alternate energy sources and autonomous and connected vehicles.
    MG ZS EV and Gloster
    With electric vehicles becoming popular in our markers, the MG ZS EV competes with the Tata Nexon EV and Hyundai Kona EV. More recently, at the Green Car Award by ICOTY, the Tata Nexon, Hyundai Kona and ZS EV were in the top 3 spots, scoring 106 points, 99 points and 93 points respectively.
    MG ZS Electric Car Donated To IIT Delhi
    The MG Gloster and ZS EV have also been contributing heavily to company sales. In Feb 21, MG Motor India recorded their highest production, booking and sales with 4,329 units sold relating to a 214 percent YoY growth. The company attributed this growth to the ZS EV and Gloster.
    MG Motor India is now working on extending their charging infrastructure and localization of powertrains. MG Motor recently clocked its 50,000th unit production milestone with the Hector and plans to produce 1 lakh units annually by 2022 from its Halol plant. Current production stands at 80,000 units with the Hector 6 and 7 seater, Gloster and EV while the company also plans a fourth car – Model K in the third quarter of this year. More

  • 138 Shares149 Views

    in Bike

    Bajaj Pulsar 180 Blue Colour Launch Soon – Detailed First Look

    2021 Bajaj Pulsar 180 – New Blue Colour
    Bajaj dominates 150-200cc segment and Pulsar 180 is one of its bestsellers

    Known for its powerful performance, Bajaj Pulsar 180 2021 model gets new colour option of Blue. The bike also gets sporty graphics to enhance its overall look and feel. Current model of Pulsar 180 is available in only Black Red colour option. Bajaj has also added new colour to Pulsar 150.
    2021 Bajaj Pulsar 180 new colour and features
    Bajaj has chosen a dark matte blue shade for 2021 Pulsar 180, which enriches its dominating character. For a sportier appeal, the bike gets new dual-tone black and white graphics. These can be seen on the headlamp cowl, engine cowl, fuel tank, side panels and rear tail section. The new graphics looks much better as compared to the graphics on the existing Black Red variant.
    2021 Bajaj Pulsar 180 – New Blue Colour
    Another cosmetic update is glossy sticker on the front mudguard. In line with the overall theme, the bike also gets white colour alloy wheel decals. For a more intense look, the exhaust heat shield has been blacked out. The exhaust heat shield comes in chrome finish on existing Pulsar 180. All these changes have helped enhance the motorcycle’s road presence.
    Features that are same as earlier include the stylish LED tail lamp, semi-digital instrument cluster, sporty split seats, upswept exhaust, split rear grab rails and sleek tail lamps.
    2021 Bajaj Pulsar 180 – New Blue Colour
    2021 Bajaj Pulsar 180 engine
    Powering 2021 Bajaj Pulsar 180 is the same engine as earlier. The 178.6 cc, air cooled, DTS-i Fi unit is capable of generating 17.02 PS of max power @ 8500 rpm and 14.52 Nm of peak torque at 6500 rpm. This is mated to a 5-speed gearbox. As per user reviews, Pulsar 180 has fuel efficiency of around 40-45 kmpl.
    Most other mechanical parts are also the same as earlier. The bike has telescopic front suspension with anti-friction brush and Nitrox rear shock absorber with 5-way adjustability. Pulsar 180 has disc brakes at both ends (280 mm front and 230 mm rear), integrated with single channel ABS.
    2021 Bajaj Pulsar 180 price
    With the updates, 2021 Bajaj Pulsar 180 is expected to become pricier. The current model is available at a starting price of Rs 1.08 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi). 2021 Pulsar 180 will continue to rival the likes of TVS Apache RTR 180, Honda Hornet 2.0 and Hero Xtreme 160R.
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    2021 marks a new innings for Pulsar 180, as it was reintroduced earlier this year in February. As may be recalled, Bajaj had discontinued Pulsar 180 in 2019 and replaced it with 180F. The new model is around 7k cheaper than Pulsar 180F.
    In the future, Bajaj will be expanding the Pulsar range with Pulsar NS250 and RS250. These will share their engine and platform with KTM 250 Duke. More

  • 138 Shares119 Views

    in Bike

    Royal Enfield 650 Cruiser Spied Cruising On Highway By Interceptor Rider

    2021 Royal Enfield Cruiser 650cc
    The familiar 648 cc twin-cylinder air-cooled engine is expected to be retained without any changes to its output figures

    Royal Enfield has been busy testing several of its upcoming products including the 650 cc Cruier. The twin-cylinder tourer has been spotted on a highway once again, this time by a Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 rider (Inigo M Sabastian) with a helmet-mounted camera.
    Royal Enfield 650 Cruiser – Styling
    The Royal Enfield Cruiser is the third derivative of the company’s popular 650 cc twin-cylinder platform. The product was previewed by KX bobber design concept at EICMA in 2018. However, the near-production ready test mules that have been doing rounds in public for several months look very different from the concept.
    2021 Royal Enfield Cruiser 650cc
    For starters, the fuel tank is almond shaped, sticking to RE’s conventional design language. The wheelbase is shorter compared to the KX and the seat height is noticeably taller. That said, the upcoming twin-cylinder Royal Enfield does follow textbook cruiser design with low-slung tail, forward-set foot pegs and a relaxed riding posture.
    What we know so far?
    The Royal Enfield 650 Cruiser adopts inverted telescopic front forks, a first for the brand in the modern era. The rear continues with traditional twin shock absorber units. The motorcycle is equipped with alloy wheels, front and rear disc brakes (most likely with standard dual-channel ABS), and twin silencers which are mounted very low. Spirited cornering maneuvers could scratch them.
    2021 Royal Enfield Cruiser 650cc
    The motorcycle is equipped with a single digi-analog instrument console. We expect the final production version to be equipped with another small dial incorporating Tripper Navigation system which works based on smartphone connectivity.
    The familiar 648 cc air-cooled parallel-twin engine is likely to be retained in the same state of tune as the Interceptor and Continental GT. To recap, the motor produces 47 hp and 52 Nm of torque. A 6-speed gearbox is connected to the motor by means of a slipper and assist clutch.
    When is it coming?
    Royal Enfield is gearing up for a massive product onslaught that will first see the retro-classic specialist renew its money making 350 cc portfolio. The recently launched Meteor 350 will be followed up by next generation Classic 350 and a sportier roadster which is reported to be called as Hunter 350. Then comes the 650 Cruiser and another twin-cylinder roadster that appears to be a spiritual successor to the now defunct Classic 500.
    [embedded content]
    The product launch campaign which was delayed by the pandemic crisis is expected to kick start in the coming months and should run into 2022. The new models will play a crucial role not only in domestic growth but also in the company’s aspiration to establish global leadership in the medium displacement motorcycle segment. If you are a Royal Enfield fan, this year is going to be a very exciting one for sure. More

  • 113 Shares99 Views

    in Motor News

    France's New Armored Car Looks, Moves Like a Crab

    France’s Scarabée armored car can lock its front and rear axles to move sideways across a battlefield.
    The vehicle is designed to serve as an air-droppable scout car, collecting battlefield intel.
    Scarabée also features a hybrid electric drive system that reduces its infrared signature.
    France’s Arquus has released new details on its Scarabée light armored vehicle. The car, designed to act as a scout on the battlefield, can get itself out of tight spots by locking its front and rear axles, allowing it to move diagonally like a crab.
    This ability lets the vehicle move forward to an observation position without exposing its flanks or rear, where armor is the lightest. The Scarabée also has a tight turning radius of just 36 feet, according to Defense News.

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    The eight-ton Scarabée carries a crew of one driver and three passengers and features a 4×4 wheel layout. It can climb a 60-degree gradient, cross a 2.9-foot-wide ditch, and ford water obstacles almost three feet deep. The vehicle can be embarked in a C-130J Super Hercules, an A-400M Atlas transport, or a larger military transport aircraft.
    Arquus, originally Renault Trucks Defense, built the Scarabée as the first hybrid electric drive military vehicle in France, NATO, and perhaps even the world. The vehicle is powered by both a V-6 engine providing 300 horsepower and an electric motor with a 70-kilowatt output. While these features provide extra electricity to power sensors and weapons, they also give the Scarabée more low-key capabilities.

    Arquus

    Scarabée is designed to complete its mission using stealth—but not the radar kind. The low-slung vehicle can also run off a built-in electric motor. This reduces the vehicle’s acoustic and infrared signatures, making it quieter and difficult to pick up with imaging infrared sensors.
    While Arquus is marketing the Scarabée unarmed, future buyers will almost certainly load it up with weapons and sensors, like the U.S. Army’s Common Remotely Operated Weapons Station (CROWS) or mast-mounted electro-optical sensors and radar. An image on Arquus’s website seems to depict Scarabée with a 30-millimeter chain gun, such as the M320LF.
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    Traditionally, reconnaissance and scouting teams on the battlefield have been divided into two camps: “fighting reconnaissance,” made up of heavily armed teams capable of probing enemy defenses, and “sneak and peek reconnaissance,” which quietly monitors enemy forces. The Scarabée, with its infrared masking capability and low acoustic signature, is firmly in the “sneak and peek” category.

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  • 125 Shares119 Views

    in Motor News

    BMW Reveals New iDrive 8 Infotainment System, Rotary Controller Included

    BMW introduces the latest version of its iDrive infotainment system, called iDrive 8.
    The new interface includes a huge curved display, enhanced voice-recognition software, and diverse interaction options.
    Later this year, iDrive 8 will debut on the new all-electric iX SUV and i4 sedan.
    BMW’s latest infotainment system–called iDrive 8–aims to offer an even better user experience than iDrive 7, with enhanced voice-recognition software, a massive touchscreen, and myriad new features. And, yes, it still has a rotary controller.

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    While iDrive 8 will eventually proliferate throughout the rest of BMW’s portfolio, it will initially debut later this year on the new electric iX SUV and i4 sedan. In these applications, the interface will be sourced through a massive curved display on the dashboard. There, a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument panel seamlessly converges with an enormous 14.9-inch central touchscreen.

    BMW

    More and more automakers are beginning to ditch physical switchgear for touch controls, so it’s notable that BMW’s newest iDrive system will continue to offer its defining feature, a center-console-mounted rotary controller. Although iDrive 8 has about half as many buttons and switches as its predecessor, users can pick their preference between physical controls, touch inputs, and voice commands.
    BMW puts a stronger emphasis on dialogue-based interaction and natural voice recognition with iDrive 8. The system’s artificial intelligence–called BMW Intelligent Assistant–can effectively visualize itself on the displays and even distinguish which passenger is talking to it.
    The AI, which can be given a name of the user’s choosing (we like Clarence, for example), can also handle an assortment of vehicle functions, including the HVAC system. So, if we say, “My feet are cold,” it can increase the temperature in the footwell. Thanks, Clarence!

    BMW

    Other noteworthy additions to iDrive 8 include increased personalization options through the new BMW ID and My Modes. The former feature allows users to create a profile and save various vehicle settings, essentially replacing the current BMW ConnectedDrive. Eventually, through the magic of over-the-air updates, the company says BMW ID will have the capability to be transferred between different vehicles.
    My Modes is a similarly new feature of iDrive 8 that’s set to replace Driving Experience Control on future BMW models. The initial version that’s available on the iX and i4 allows up to 10 customizable and preset settings that not only apply to the color of the interior ambient lighting and the design of the dashboard displays, among other things, but also drive-mode characteristics such as steering feel and throttle response.
    Every iDrive 8 system also features popular content such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, and it’s compatible with 5G mobile technology. BMW says additional third-party apps for communication and music streaming are now integrated within the system, too.
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  • 125 Shares159 Views

    in Motor News

    825-HP Shelby Mustang Super Snake Highlights 'Bundle of Snakes' Lineup

    Shelby has long provided a seemingly endless supply of high-performance and special-edition Mustangs, and 2021 is no exception.
    Four new Mustang-based cars are out for 2021, in a limited run of 98 each to commemorate the late Carroll Shelby’s 98th birthday and collectively marketed as a “bundle of snakes.”
    At the top of the line is the 825-hp Shelby Super Snake, which also comes in a sleek Speedster version.

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    2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 at Lightning Lap 20

    Shelby American, founded by the late great Carroll Shelby, has long been providing Ford Mustang and F-150 truck owners with special editions and performance packages for their vehicles. To commemorate the 98th anniversary of Carroll Shelby’s birth, a just-announced set of Mustang-based Shelbys will have a limited run of 98 units. They include the Shelby GT, Shelby GT500SE, and the Shelby Super Snake and Super Snake Speedster.

    Shelby

    The most exciting of the new batch of Shelbys is the 825-hp Super Snake ($133,785) and its Speedster variant (at a $4995 upcharge), featuring a hard tonneau cover where the top stows that runs up to the back of both headrests. The Super Snake will come with a 5.0-liter Coyote V-8 with a sizable Whipple supercharger nestled in its valley. It will also receive upgraded half-shafts, a Shelby-exclusive extreme cooling package and Borla exhaust, a short-throw shifter and one-piece driveshaft on manual models, and transmission cooling on automatic models.

    Shelby

    It also gets the Ford Performance track handling pack, 20-inch forged aluminum wheels, and Shelby-specific Brembo brakes with a proprietary Shelby cooling system. Shelby claims that the Super Snake will accelerate to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. At $133,785 for the manual-equipped Snake, you’ll either hope you speak Parseltongue or really want to fork over the big bucks if you want one in your driveway.

    Shelby

    In more reasonable territory is the 480-hp Shelby GT, starting at $62,310 (when equipped with the six-speed manual transmission) but still not exactly what we’d call cheap at nearly $25,000 more than a base, manual-equipped Mustang GT. It does sport some nice additions over the production GT, including Shelby-embroidered Katzkin leather seats, custom 20-inch wheels, a unique hood scoop, and a Borla exhaust that Shelby says is responsible for the bump in horsepower to 480. If all that still isn’t enough, buyers can opt for a 700-plus-hp Ford Performance supercharger kit to spice things up.
    Also new for 2021 is the GT500SE, short for Signature Edition, which offers a heady 800-plus horsepower and is priced at $104,900, a handsome upcharge of $29,995 over the GT500. That gets you upgraded leather seats featuring Carroll Shelby’s signature and a placard with the vehicle’s run number on the dashboard and engine cover. However, this package isn’t really about looks—the GT500 already comes from the factory well adorned. To make that big horsepower number, the SE receives a smaller supercharger pulley that will allow for more boost; to handle the extra stresses of that power and the heat that comes with it, there are beefier half-shafts, a high-flow intercooler and high-flow heat exchanger for the supercharger, a recalibrated suspension with new springs and anti-roll bars, lightweight forged aluminum wheels, and a new carbon-fiber hood that reduces weight by 30 pounds.
    The Super Snake is being sold at select Ford dealers starting in April, while the other cars come directly from Shelby American.
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  • 163 Shares169 Views

    in Motor News

    Politicians Mad USPS Won't Have More EVs in Its New Postal Truck Fleet

    While the contract that was recently awarded to Oshkosh Defense came at the end of a five-year search, it still might not be the end of the road.
    Two Democrats from Ohio and one from California want to investigate how Oshkosh was chosen and why only 10 percent of the new mail trucks might be electric.
    The USPS said it would like to increase that 10 percent number, but it needs more money from Congress to make that happen.
    The five-year search for a new, electric U.S. Postal Service van might not be completely over just yet. While the USPS made a decision last month to award a $482 million contract to Oshkosh Defense for the Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV), questions about the way the company was selected as well as about how the new vehicles will fit into the federal government’s push for all-electric vehicles in its fleet leave a few questions unanswered.

    So Much for Looking Cool While Delivering the Mail

    USPS Chooses Oshkosh to Replace Grumman LLVs

    The two items are connected, but let’s start with the Oshkosh question. The $482 million is just the next crucial step towards designing a NGDV in what could end up being a $6 billion contract over 10 years as Oshkosh delivers somewhere between 50,000 and 165,000 vehicles. That’s a fair amount of money, but Postmaster General Louis DeJoy recently told Congress that the USPS might only ask for 10 percent of the NGDVs to be all-electric models. The remaining NGDVs would be gas-powered, like the majority of today’s postal vehicles, but the new models would have low-emission powertrains.
    The 10 percent number EV was enough for two Congressional representatives from Ohio, Marcy Kaptur and Tim Ryan, and Jared Huffman from California (all Democrats) to put forward a resolution that calls on Congress to investigate how the Oshkosh contract was awarded. In part, it “urges the United States Postal Service to freeze the recently awarded contract to purchase 165,000 new vehicles until an expedited review is conducted to determine there was no inappropriate political influence” and to ensure the contract is in line with the Paris Climate Accord and President Biden’s climate-crisis executive order.

    USPS

    The resolution notes that the USPS currently uses a civilian fleet of more than 200,000 delivery vehicles and that almost 140,000 of them are the classic Grumman Long Life Vehicles (LLVs) that were put into service between 1987 and 1994. People might like the look of these LLVs, but the resolution makes clear they are “aging, fuel inefficient, and carbon emitting.” They were designed to last just 24 years and all are over their limit by now, causing some to catch fire along with other mechanical issues. Since they all need to be replaced, making just 10 percent of the NGDVs electric is not in line with President Biden’s push to electrify the federal vehicle fleet, the representatives said. Workhorse, an electric vehicle startup that was also in the running for the USPS contract, is located in Ohio and could benefit if there’s a shift to more EVs.
    The USPS said that it would like to procure more EV delivery trucks, but that it needs more money from Congress to make that happen.
    “The challenge remains the Postal Service’s billions in annual operating losses, which is why we welcome and are interested in any support from Congress that advances the goal of a Postal Service vehicle fleet with zero emissions, and the necessary infrastructure required to operate it,” the USPS told Trucks.com. “With the right level of support, the majority of the Postal Service’s fleet can be electric by the end of the decade.”
    Whatever their powertrains, Oshkosh’s first NGDVs could start delivering mail in 2023.
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