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    Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 wheelbase in focus – Is this the longest RE?

    Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 spiedThe new 450cc engine on Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 is likely to generate around 30 bhp of power and 40 Nm of torque, mated to a 6-speed gearboxRoyal Enfield Himalayan is a very popular motorcycle which has captivated ADV fans not only in India, but in global markets as well. Current version is based on the 411cc platform. Royal Enfield is readying a 450cc platform to spawn 5 different motorcycles. First of which, will be Himalayan 450.The new spy shots lend a whole new perspective on how long Himalayan 450 will be, thanks to a really long wheelbase. Visually longer than Himalayan 411’s 1,465mm wheelbase. If that is the case, Himalayan 450 will be the longest wheelbase in Royal Enfield’s product portfolio. Also, there is a very good possibility that Himalayan might not come with 21” front wheel as standard.Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 may not get 21″ front wheels as standardRoyal Enfield’s new camouflaging strategies involve cardboard and plastic corrugated sheets as well. Automotive enthusiast Guru Prasad Viswanathan spotted this test mule. The new spy shots lend perspectives, two of which are of stark prominence.One, Himalayan 450 will pack a really long wheelbase. And two, this test mule seems to be equipped with a 17” or 18” front rim. It could be the camera’s angle or uneven terrain, but this wire-spoke front rim doesn’t look like it is 21” in size as outgoing Himalayan 411 and previous test mules.Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 spiedThis might be a conscious choice by Royal Enfield to offer a low seat height for shorter riders. Something similar to KTM 390 Adventure V with suspension components from 390 Duke. Most Himalayan 450 buyers in the future might appreciate this gesture as it aids in handling this motorcycle and flat-footing capability. This version will have reduced ground clearance. Current Himalayan 411 has a 17” rear wheel. New Himalayan 450 could sport an 18” rear wheel like that of an Xpulse 200.Longer wheelbase increases straight-line stabilityOther notable elements include USD front telescopic forks and rear mono shock unit (both non adjustable), a large circular instrument console, a tall windscreen, a stubby exhaust (not very up-swept) and luggage mounts at front and rear, LED headlights, LED tail lights and LED turn indicators.The new 450cc engine will produce around 30 bhp of power and 40 Nm of torque. This new engine gets a liquid-cooling setup and is likely to feature a 6-speed gearbox. The long wheelbase will enhance straight-line stability and cross-wind protection. High ground clearance should ensure acceptable lean angles as well.Launch of the new Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 is expected later this year, at the EICMA 2023. It could be priced in the Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh range. More details will be revealed as the launch date gets closer. More

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    TVS sales breakup April 2023 – Jupiter, Apache, XL, Raider, Ntorq

    New TVS RaiderTVS posted a YoY growth in domestic sales in April 2023 while exports suffered de-growthTVS Motor Company has seen total sales (domestic + exports) improve on a YoY basis in April 2023. Total sales stood at 2,93,304 units in April 2023, up from 2,78,378 units sold in April 2022. The company however, reported a MoM de-growth in total sales which had stood at 3,05,371 units in March 2023.Total domestic sales stood at 2,32,956 units in April 2023, up 29.04 percent from 1,80,533 units sold in April 2022. This was a 52,423 units volume growth. It was TVS Jupiter that once again led the domestic sales list while TVS Star City 125 saw the most exports to global markets in the past month.TVS sales breakup April 2023TVS Sales Breakup April 2023TVS Jupiter scooter topped the domestic sales list with 59,583 units sold in the past month, down 2.25 percent over 60,957 units sold in April 2022. The Jupiter scooter was at No. 2 on the list of top 10 scooter sales last month, second to the Honda Activa. The Jupiter commands a 25.58 percent share in the company lineup.TVS Apache has seen YoY growth to 38,148 units in April 2023, up 419.59 percent when compared to 7,342 units sold in April 2022. Volume growth stood at 30,806 units. It was followed by the TVS XL moped, sales of which dipped 9.94 percent YoY to 34,925 units, from 38,780 units sold in April 2022.TVS sales breakup April 2023TVS Raider has seen the highest YoY growth in April 2023 as sales improved by 828.39 percent from 3,392 units sold in April 2022 to 31,491 units in the past month. In April 2023, the company also introduced a new base variant called the Raider Single Seat variant while the drum variant was discontinued.TVS Ntorq (26,730 units) and Sport (18,472 units) came in next in terms of domestic sales, both posting YoY growth of 5.79 percent and 42.15 percent respectively. Sales of the Radeon dipped 19.39 percent to 9,375 units last month from 11,630 units sold in April 2023 while iQube sales improved by 338.52 percent to 6,227 units in April 2023 from 1,420 units sold in April 2022. TVS Motor models such as the Star City (4,627 units), Pep+ (2,136 units), Zest (918 units) and RR310 (324 units) each saw YoY degrowth in April 2023.TVS Export YoY de-growth in April 2023Total exports of the company dipped by 38.32 percent in April 2023 to 60,348 units. This was down from 97,843 units sold in April 2022 relating to a 37,495 unit volume de-growth. Most models in the company lineup ended up in the red. TVS Star City 125 was the most exported model last month with 23,910 units shipped. This was a YoY de-growth of 36.94 percent from 37,919 units exported in April 2022. Star City exports also fell by 58.64 percent to 11,936 units last month from 28.860 units exported in April 2022.TVS exports breakup April 2023Ntorq sales improved YoY by 176.97 percent to 7,276 units from 2,627 units exported in April 2022. However, Apache exports fell by 55.04 percent to 5,292 units from 11,771 units exported in April 2022. Good demand was seen for the TVS Jupiter in global markets with 3,548 units shipped in the past month, up 5531.75 percent when compared to just 63 units exported in April 2022.Exports of Raider (3,024 units) and Sport (2,754 units) dipped YoY by 66.92 percent and 54.12 percent respectively. Victor (1,440 units) and Wego (1,078 units) posted YoY growth while Radeon (80 units) and RR310 (10 units) saw exports fall on a YoY basis. More

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    Cadillac Escalade IQ Confirmed as the EV Version of the Deluxe SUV

    Cadillac’s biggest SUV—and biggest moneymaker—is getting the electric treatment, and the company has now confirmed what it will be called. The Escalade IQ will be the first EV version of the luxury brand’s grandest SUV.Along with confirming the name, which had been rumored since GM trademarked the name Escalade IQ and Escalade IQL back in 2021, Cadillac released a teaser image that shows a close-up of the electric model’s badge.CadillacOther than that, we’re still waiting on more details about it, including an official reveal date. The rendering at the top of this story at least provides an idea of what the Escalade EV might look like.Earlier this year, Cadillac Vice President Rory Harvey confirmed that three new electric models will debut in 2023, and it’s expected the Escalade IQ will be one of them. That also suggests it will be a 2024 model, since a Cadillac spokesperson previously confirmed to Car and Driver that all three new EVs would arrive for the same model year.Despite the current lack of information, there’s no doubt the 2024 Cadillac Escalade IQ will use GM’s Ultium battery technology. If it’s anything like the GMC Hummer EV SUV, the Caddy could have a roughly 177-kWh battery capacity and three electric motors making 830 horsepower or more. Of course, it will also almost surely weigh over four tons.Cadillac is expected to reveal the Escalade IQ sometime later this year. Stay tuned.More Cadillac EV ReadingThis content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Senior EditorEric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si. More

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    2023 Honda CBR250RR patented – India launch planned?

    2023 Honda CBR250RR patentedHonda CBR250RR will take on the likes of Yamaha R3 and Kawasaki Ninja 300 once launched in IndiaHonda Motorcycle and Scooter India has announced plans to launch larger capacity motorcycles, especially in the above 150cc segment. Later this year, a new 350cc cruiser is planned for launch, based on the CB350 platform. Honda has also patented the CL250 / CL300 scrambler in India.Apart from that, they could also be launching the CBR250RR. Yes. The same has now been patented in India. Motorcyclists upgrading from a single-cylinder offering are increasing by the day and a multi-cylinder offering in the quarter-liter segment makes a lot of sense in India. Motorcycles coming close are Kawasaki Ninja 300 (displacement-wise) and Royal Enfield 650cc offerings (price-wise).2023 Honda CBR250RR Patented in IndiaIf you think CBR250RR has a lot of ‘R’ in its name, it is still one less R than Honda’s flagship CBR1000RR-R Fireblade. In Honda’s books, more R is probably more performance or something of that sort. Speaking of CBR1000RR-R Fireblade that’s where CBR250RR draws most of its design inspirations.There is a sharp fairing that screams a lot of aggression. LED DRLs accompany twin headlights that make CBR250RR’s face. These LED DRLs look like snarly eyebrows for its eye-like LED headlights. The handsome fairing covers almost all of the engine bay. An aerodynamic windscreen and fairing-mounted ORVMs. India is likely to get turn indicators separate from their LED DRLs as seen in the patent.2023 Honda CBR250RR patentedCBR250RR badging above and large Honda badging below lends a sporty flair. The gold Showa SFF-BP USD front forks grab a lot of attention. Clip-on handlebars offer a committed riding posture and a lot of front-end feel. Other notable elements include a steep subframe with split and stepped seats, a dual-barrel exhaust and a fully digital Blue-backlit instrument cluster.This is not a TFT panel, something which KTM RC 390 offers. It shows various basic functionalities and readouts of the motorcycle. Componentry includes rear mono-shock, single petal disc at both ends, dual-channel ABS, three riding modes (Comfort, Sport, Sport+), 110/70-17 front and 140/70-17 rear tyres wrapped to 17” alloys and 14.5L fuel tank. All this combined, Honda CBR250RR weighs 168 kg.Parallel-twin motor, unlike CB300RA 249cc, parallel twin, liquid-cooled engine powers Honda CBR250RR. Honda will offer two states of tune. Base Standard variant will generate 38.2 bhp of power and 23.3 Nm of torque, while the SP variant makes 42 bhp of power and 25 Nm of torque. A 6-speed transmission, a slip and assist clutch along with a quick shifter are notable elements.With Yamaha getting ready to launch R3 in India later this year, timing seems to be right for Honda to finally launch the CBR250RR. If launched, expect Honda CBR250RR to be priced around Rs 3.5 lakh. More

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    Ather, Tork electric 2Ws price hike incoming – Buy now to save up to Rs 40k

    Ather Electric ScooterCurrently, electric 2W vehicles sell around 65,000+ units a month – Price hikes could affect sales numbers negativelyRising fuel prices has been one of the primary drivers of 2W EV revolution India. That said, multiple other factors contributed in this regard as well. One of the biggest factors is the Indian Government’s FAME II subsidy.Established in 2019, this FAME II subsidy scheme has lessened the financial burden on EV buyers. But things did not go as planned and there are going to be consequences. Come June 1st, 2023, there will be revisions in this subsidy scheme which will affect the prices considerably. Let’s take a look.Electric Scooters To Cost More From June 1stCurrently, eligible EVs attract a subsidy of Rs. 15,000 per kWh, with a threshold of 40% of the ex-sh price on incentives. This benefitted prospective EV buyers greatly and attracted a lot of interest.With the recent revision in the FAME II subsidy scheme from June 1st, 2023, these incentives will be reduced. Subsidy price is reduced to Rs. 10,000 per kWh battery, instead of Rs. 15,000 before. And the threshold for incentives is reduced to 15% of ex-sh price, instead of 40% before the amendment.Ather electric scooter price hike incomingAther 450x, Tork Kratos to cost moreAther Energy has announced that customers who book an electric scooter now, will be eligible for the existing subsidy rates. This means that they will be able to save up to Rs 32,500. Ather has also said that this offer is valid only for limited period and limited stockTork too has made a similar announcement. Buyers of Tork Kratos electric motorcycle before 1st June 2023 will be eligible for saving up to Rs 40,000. Interested buyers need to reserve Kratos and Kratos R for Rs. 2,999 before May 31st, 2023. Below is the announcement made by Tork;“Act quickly to secure the electrifying ride with Kratos R before the upcoming price hike of ?40,000/-. Ensure you don’t miss out on this amazing chance to own the Tork Kratos R with the lowest down payment of ?18,000/-. Hurry up! as this offer is only valid for a limited number of bikes and until May 30th, 2023. For further information, please contact us at ? 1800 3130 231. Seize the moment and reserve your spot for the thrilling Kratos R @ Just ?2,999/-.”Other electric scooter and electric motorcycle makers are also expected to make similar announcements. Will the new amendment in the FAME II subsidy scheme result in reduced sales of electric two wheelers? Or will prospective buyers continue to shift to EV realm regardless of price hike? Only time will tell. More

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    1977 Dodge B100 Tradesman Restomod Rocks Our Music Festival Dreams

    Sometimes you walk past a classic van on the street and immediately buy it. Well, you sometimes do that if you founded Legacy Classic Trucks, anyway.That’s what happened with this 1977 Dodge B100 Tradesman, which has been restored and updated so it is now “exclusively made for partying.”A rebuilt 5.2-liter Chrysler 318 V-8 engine helps make the van road-trip worthy, while a large lithium battery can power the TV/VHS player and AC units for days. Today’s popular music festivals don’t shy away from a 1970s vibe when it comes to tunes and clothes. If you want your wheels to feel right at home in that sort of environment, Legacy Classic Trucks might have you covered.Legacy, a longtime vehicle restorer, often modifies old Dodge Power Wagons and Jeep Scramblers and works on national park buses. For this much hipper restomod endeavor, Legacy started with two things: a 1977 Dodge B100 Tradesman donor van and the idea that Coachella can be a verb.The van came to Legacy Classic Trucks’ founder Winslow Bent when he happened upon it on his wedding day. The van was parked on a street in Chicago. Given the collection of old VHS tapes and an outlaw country music cassette in the tape deck, Bent purchased the van “on the spot,” Legacy said, with dreams of restoring it in time for him to drive it the 930 miles from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where his shop is located, to California for the music festival.A Van Made for Partying”There are few things cooler than a super clean, well-restored van,” Bent said in a statement. “Our new Legacy Tradesman van restoration is exclusively made for partying.”That attitude explains the mix of new and old technology inside the van. The exterior has the same classic paint scheme but added a pair of moonlight windows in the back. Inside classic touches include a vintage TV/VHS player, disco ball, lava lamp, and orange shag carpet. From the modern era, there’s a lithium battery with enough energy capacity to power the TV, a beer cooler, an 18-speaker sound system, and a pair of air conditioning units for up to two days on a single charge, the company claims.Motive power for the B100 comes from a rebuilt 5.2-liter Chrysler 318 V-8 engine that produces up to 450 pound-feet of torque. Bent and his team also replaced the brakes and suspension.With this year’s Coachella festival and Legacy’s Tradesman restoration both complete, Legacy has now added Tradesman vans to its list of old things that can be made fresh again. Legacy’s Tradesman commissions start at $45,000.For more dope vans from the 1970s, check out this list or head on over to Bring a Trailer, which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos, to search for your own donor model. Or maybe you’ll find a ready-to-go option, like the custom 1973 Dodge Tradesman B100 that sold this past week for $24,000.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Old and NewContributing EditorSebastian Blanco has been writing about electric vehicles, hybrids, and hydrogen cars since 2006. His articles and car reviews have appeared in the New York Times, Automotive News, Reuters, SAE, Autoblog, InsideEVs, Trucks.com, Car Talk, and other outlets. His first green-car media event was the launch of the Tesla Roadster, and since then he has been tracking the shift away from gasoline-powered vehicles and discovering the new technology’s importance not just for the auto industry, but for the world as a whole. Throw in the recent shift to autonomous vehicles, and there are more interesting changes happening now than most people can wrap their heads around. You can find him on Twitter or, on good days, behind the wheel of a new EV.  More

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    Hero Splendor Modified Sports Edition Looks Dope – Render

    2023 Hero Splendor Sports Edition – render by Kobeyo CustomsSplendor Sports Edition render by Kobeyo Customs is based on a Splendor+ with a 97.2cc engine generating 7.95 bhp and 8.05 Nm, mated to a 4-speed gearboxHero MotoCorp is renowned for its budget commuters. They are the undisputed champion and their biggest sales generator is Splendor. Hero never forayed into the sporty neo-retro Cafe Racer genre, except it did. But not in a way you would have liked, though. Because Hero based its cafe racer on Splendor Pro and named it Splendor Pro Classic.It didn’t sell as much as Hero would have liked. Kobeyo Customs has come up with their version of Hero Cafe Racer named Splendor Sports Edition based on Splendor+. We think this is what Splendor Pro Classic should have been from day one. Let’s take a look.Splendor Sports Edition RenderFor starters, Kobeyo Customs seem to be big fan of Triumph Motorcycles. That’s where most of the parts are cut and pasted on this Splendor Sports Edition render. Sticking with the end result, we should say that it looks very appealing, certainly for a Splendor+ on which it is based. New mono-tone colours without Hero’s infamous stickers would look even nicer.Kobeyo Customs has used Triumph Street Triple’s front USD telescopic forks, front and rear alloy wheels, stubby exhaust system along with handlebar. With them, Splendor Sports Edition render has a dual disc setup at the front, a boomerang-shaped aluminium swingarm, and fatter tyres. Splendor’s 100cc engine would definitely struggle to just pull these fat tyres.2023 Hero Splendor Sports Edition – render by Kobeyo CustomsBut as a concept rendered, it looks stunning. Kobeyo has lifted seats, rear subframe and tail right off a Triumph Scrambler and pasted it on their Splendor Sports Edition render. The split seats don’t have a step. Front headlight cowl is slightly elongated and lends a faux windscreen effect.Kobeyo re-touched some of the components like the fuel tank and some other body panels. All these combined, it looks like Splendor+ went through a breakup and hit the gym probably three times a day. This lends a perspective of a cafe racer from Hero MotoCorp based on its 160cc or even its new 210cc platform.Why did Hero’s first Cafe Racer fail?To Hero’s credit, the company didn’t just slap a rear seat cowl on Splendor Pro and call it a day. Instead, Hero gave it a round headlight, single-seat with backrest, round ORVMs, minimal body panels, a new subframe and a new tail. Instead of being the style statement for Splendor buyers, Splendor Pro Classic was an absolute disaster.For people in the market for a budget commuter, it lacked Splendor’s practicality. For people looking for an enthusiast cafe racer, Splendor Pro Classic was just a glorified 100cc Splendor. Hero discontinued it in 2017. Back when it was on sale, Splendor Pro Classic packed a 97cc engine generating 8.1 bhp of power and 8.07 Nm of torque, mated to a 4-speed gearbox.Disclaimer – Design renders presented in this blog are solely for illustrative purposes and have not been commissioned, approved, or endorsed by the manufacturer. Designs presented here may not reflect the final product or the manufacturer’s intentions. The renders are provided as conceptual designs or artistic interpretations only, and their accuracy or feasibility cannot be guaranteed.Source More

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    2004 Honda Rune Motorcycle/Work of Art Is Our Bring a Trailer Auction Pick

    • Created at a staggering loss, the Rune was Honda flexing its creative muscle.• Using the Valkyrie as its base, the Rune had a radical design and numerous custom chrome elements.• This example has approximately 6000 miles.Car and DriverHonda isn’t known for flights of fancy, but the motorcycle you see here is one instance where Honda went completely berserk. A single-minded pursuit of design above all else meant that the big H lost an eye-watering amount on the NRX1800 Rune. The development cost was rumored to be $225 million, and yet the production run was extremely limited.This low-mileage 2004 Rune, resplendent in burgundy paint, is up for auction on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of the Hearst Autos Group. It’s rolling sculpture, a concept bike brought to life, yet it’s also as tractable and easy to ride as any Honda product.Bring a TrailerIn 2000, Honda showed off a trio of concept bikes at the Cycle World show in Long Beach, California. One concept, the T2, got all the attention. Attending Honda employees were bowled over by the adoring crowds, but there was a rather large catch. T2 didn’t actually run, it was merely a design experiment.Bring a TrailerYet Honda decided to build a production version anyway. To illustrate just how difficult a task the engineers were given, the silencers are cast using a lost-wax method. The concept’s beautiful radiator slits were only theoretically capable of handling the cooling duties for a 20-30 hp engine, but the production Rune’s 1832cc flat-six makes 118 hp, so Honda had to use ultra-conductive alloy to make the radiator shed enough heat.Bring a TrailerFactoring in profitability and performance, building the Rune was an impossibility. So, Honda simply threw those considerations away. As a halo bike, a production Rune would elevate both the related Gold Wing and Valkyrie motorcycles. It’s estimated that each Rune cost Honda in the neighborhood of $150,000 to build. When new each bike sold for $25,000.This 2004 model represents an opportunity to own a truly cost-no-object machine, one with a wonderfully eye-catching design. With all that chrome and ultra-low ride height, the Rune looks like the hero vehicle from an action movie. It’s like a cross between Akira and Duke Nukem.Bring a TrailerAnd, because it’s a Honda, it’s also very rideable, with a torque-rich powerband sufficiently grunty to pull away from a stop in top gear. The clutch is light, the trick trailing front suspension makes for a surprisingly small turning circle, and the low seat height makes it comfortable in traffic.The Rune is madness to look at, but marvelous to experience—as the top bidder will discover. The auction runs through May 22.Car and driverCar and driver Lettermark logoContributing EditorBrendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. More