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    Fine Engines in Awful Cars : Window Shop with Car and Driver

    Terrific engines can’t save terrible cars. And yet, there are times when truly good powerplants find their way into utterly awful things on four wheels. This week’s episode of Window Shopping—Car and Driver’s answer to Match Game—goes deep into the world of solid power production units dumped into garbage vehicles. It’s a challenge derived from a suggestion from a Window Shopping viewer. This week’s cast of cast-offs and castaways includes the intrepid KC Colwell, the insouciant Jonathan Ramsey, the percolating Joey Capparella, and Road & Track all-star John Pearley Huffman. Your host is the Tony Quiroga. (That’s Key Roh Gah.) Any way you say it, he’s his generation’s Gene Rayburn.Join us for what is among the most entertaining Zoom calls on YouTube. Our parents like it, and so will you.

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    2022 Jeep Wrangler Willys Gets Xtreme Recon Package with 35-Inch Tires, Factory Lift

    Jeep announced that its new Xtreme Recon package will be offered on the 2022 Wrangler Willys. The off-road package had previously been available only on Rubicon models, which start at least $3000 higher than the Willys.So equipped, the Wrangler will be a stronger competitor to the Ford Bronco with its much-hyped Sasquatch package.Production of the 2022 Wrangler Willys with the Xtreme Recon package starts at the end of the year, but prospective buyers can order it starting next month.Burly 35-inch tires and a 1.5-inch suspension lift are the highlights of the Jeep Wrangler’s Xtreme Recon package, which became available on the top-spec Rubicon and Rubicon 392 models earlier this year. For 2022, that option becomes available on the more affordably priced Jeep Wrangler Willys, giving the Wrangler another variant to battle against the Ford Bronco with its Sasquatch package, which also includes 35s direct from the factory.

    In Jeep’s Xtreme Recon package, BFGoodrich K02 all-terrain rubber is mounted on 17-by-8.0-inch beadlock-capable wheels. Other elements of the package include a 4.56:1 rear axle, upgraded brakes, and a reinforced swing gate (to handle the weight of the rear-mounted spare). With it, the Wrangler claims best-in-class approach angle (47.4 degrees), departure angle (40.4 degrees), ground clearance (12.9 inches), and water-fording capability (33.6 inches).

    Stellantis

    The 2022 Wrangler Willys starts at $40,930, which is some $3000 less than a Rubicon. The 2021 Ford Bronco base model with the $4995 Sasquatch package added costs $37,380. The Xtreme Recon package costs $3995 and is available to order beginning in October, with production of 2022 Wrangler Willys models so equipped set to start in December.
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    Three Wheeler Sales Aug 2021 – Bajaj, Piaggio, YC Electric, Mahindra Reva

    Image – SPS CarsBajaj Auto Limited was the only three wheeler maker to cross the 10,000 unit mark in terms of retail sales last month
    As per data released by Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), three wheeler retails increased substantially YoY. Retail sales which stood at 16,923 units in August 2020 increased to 30,410 units in the past month. This increase in sales indicates improvements in market conditions following months of slower sales.
    Top 3 Three Wheeler Brands Aug 2021
    Bajaj Auto Limited once again commanded this list. It was also the only three wheeler maker to record retail sales above the 10,000 unit mark. Sales in August 2021 stood at 11,006 units, up from 6,444 units sold in August 2020. Market share however dipped from 38.08 percent held in August 2020 to 36.19 percent in the past month.
    Piaggio Vehicle retails stood at 3,841 units in the past month with a market share of 12.63 percent. This was as against retails of 3,701 units and a market share of 21.87 percent held in August 2020. In the past month, Three Wheels United (TWU) Bengaluru-based financier of light electric vehicles, entered into a partnership with Piaggio Vehicles to accelerate adoption of electric Three-wheelers in India. Under this partnership, Three Wheels United will deploy 500 Piaggio Ape’ E City and Ape’ E-Xtra vehicles across India.
    YC Electric, Atul Auto, Mahindra
    At No. 3 was YC Electric with three wheeler retails at 1,187 units, up from 572 units retailed in August 2020. Market share also increased marginally from 3.38 percent to 3.90 percent YoY.
    Three Wheeler Retail Sales Aug 2021 – FADA
    Another three wheeler maker to note increased retails was Atul Auto with retails increasing from 627 units sold in August 2020 to 1,133 units in the past month. It may also be recalled that earlier this year, Atul Auto became the first 3 wheeler automaker to partner CSC Grameen eStore, an e-commerce initiative by CSC eGovernance Services India Ltd thus enabling the company to promote digital ordering and delivery in rural areas.
    Mahindra three wheeler sales also surged from 290 units in August 2020 to 1,111 units in the past month while market share increased substantially from 1.71 percent held in August 2020 to 3.65 percent last month. Mahindra Reva electric sales stood at 616 units, up from 225 units sold in same month last year.
    Saera, TVS, Champion, Thukral
    Saera Electric three wheeler retails increased two fold from 371 units retailed in August 2021 to 606 units in the past month TVS Motors also added to their retail sales which stood at 603 units in the past month over 411 units retailed in August 2020.

    No
    Rickshaw / 3W Sales
    Aug-21
    Aug-20
    %

    1
    Bajaj
    11,006
    6,444
    70.79

    2
    Piaggio
    3,841
    3,701
    3.78

    3
    YC Electric
    1,187
    572
    107.52

    4
    Atul
    1,133
    627
    80.70

    5
    Mahindra
    1,111
    290
    283.10

    6
    Mahindra Reva
    616
    225
    173.78

    7
    Saera Electric
    606
    371
    63.34

    8
    TVS
    603
    411
    46.72

    9
    Champion Polyplast
    567
    146
    288.36

    10
    Dilli Electric
    443
    150
    195.33

    11
    Thukral Electric
    402
    148
    171.62

    12
    Best Way Agencies
    396
    114
    247.37

    13
    Unique International
    382
    121
    215.70

    14
    JS Auto
    344
    121
    184.30

    15
    Vani Electric
    335
    237
    41.35

    16
    Mini Metro
    311
    117
    165.81

    17
    Others + EV
    7,127
    3,128
    127.85


    Total
    30,410
    16,923
    79.70

    Other automakers such as Champion Poly Plast, Dilli Electric, Thukral Electric and Unique International all posted YoY growth in retails along with increase in market shares. Other three wheeler makers reported sales of 7,127 units in August 2021 up from 3,128 units retailed in the same month of the previous year. More

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    2021 TVS Apache 310 BTO First Batch Sold Out – Bookings Closed

    TVS Apache 310 BTO2021 TVS Apache RR 310 gets refreshed with new body colours, ride modes, colour TFT screen and Michelin ROAD5 tyres
    TVS Motor India launched the 2021 Apache RR 310 last month. It was introduced on an online ‘Built to Order’ platform which allows customers to design their bikes from two performance kits of Dynamic and Race. This was limited to about 150 units each. Today, TVS has revealed that all orders for the batch are fully booked and bookings for Apache 310 BTO are now closed.
    Priced at a base pfice Rs 2,59,990, the new TVS Apache RR 310 comes in with several updates over its earlier counterpart. It receives a new instrument cluster, revised exhausts with a racier note with more cornering clearance and fully adjustable suspension. Standard features such as a TFT instrument cluster gets updated with a digital document storage system, a day trip meter and over speed indicator.
    TVS ‘Built To Order’ (BTO)
    Apache RR 310 is being presented with optional kits of Dynamic and Race as a part of the TVS Built to Order platform. Dynamic kit consists of adjustable suspension at the front and rear. This includes upside down fork and monoshock which can be adjusted for pre-load and damping. It also receives a final drive chain with anti-rust brass finish. Dynamic kit also consists of race oriented handlebars and raised foot-pegs both of which are road legal.
    2021 Apache RR 310 Race Kit offers a sportier stance with raised handle bars. These clip on handle bars are pointed 8 degrees downwards and 5 degrees inward relating to a more forward leaning position of the rider while the high windscreen offers better wind protection.
    TVS Apache 310 BTO
    The price of these kits for the TVS Apache RR 310 is priced at RRs 12,000 for the Dynamic Kit and at Rs 5,000 for the Race Kit. Both are on offer on the new RR 310 on the company’s online platform while the kits can also be used on older bikes.
    However, the race muffler which is offered as standard on the 2021 model will only be available for BS6 compliant models. Race Replica graphics are priced at Rs 4,500 while red alloy wheels are at Rs 1,500. Bookings for the Apache 310 BTO will re-open for next batch, from 1st Oct 2021.
    TVS Apache 310 BTO – Engine Specs
    2021 TVS Apache RR 310 gets its power via a BS6 compliant 313cc engine offering 34 hp peak power at 9,700 rpm and 27.3 Nm torque at 7,700 rpm mated to a 6 speed gearbox with slipper and assist clutch. Suspension is via inverted telescopic forks in front and gas-assisted shock absorber at the rear.
    Braking is via a 300mm disc in front and 240mm disc at the rear along with dual-channel ABS. TVS Apache RR310 commands a top speed of 160 km/h and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.17 seconds. It is also the only bike in its segment to offer four ride modes of Urban, Track, City and Rain. The City and Rain mode sees power and torque figures down to 25.4 hp and 25 Nm respectively. TVS Apache RR 310 rivals KTM RC 390 and Kawasaki Ninja 300. More

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    Hero MotoCorp Electric Scooters Launch Next Year – Chetak, Ather Rival

    Hero MotoCorp has partnered with Taiwan’s GogoroHero MotoCorp is yet to decide on a new brand name for its dedicated EV vertical since it cannot use the ‘Hero’ brand
    Hero MotoCorp will be venturing into the electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing space by launching its first battery-powered two-wheeler in March 2022. This development has been confirmed by CFO of the brand, Niranjan Gupta in an interaction with PTI. It has also come to light that this electric scooter has been developed independently by Hero.
    Last month, chairman and CEO of Hero MotoCorp, Dr. Pawan Munjal, teased a pre-production prototype of the upcoming electric scooter during the company’s 10th anniversary celebration live stream recently. While no details of this scooter were revealed during the event, it gave us a rough idea of what to expect from the upcoming e-scooter.
    On the other hand, Hero is also planning to launch its second electric scooter by the second half of next year. This two-wheeler will be developed in association with Taiwan-based EV manufacturer Gogoro. The two brands announced a partnership earlier this year which involved the use of battery swapping technology in upcoming electric two-wheelers.
    Design of e-scooter
    Coming back to the indigenously developed two-wheeler, it is an all-new electric scooter wearing a distinct design. For starters, the scooter appears to stand on 12-inch front and 10-inch rear black alloy wheels which look sporty. In all probability, it will be powered by a mid-ship mounted electric motor since the rear wheel did not feature a hub-mounted motor.
    Hero MotoCorp FIrst electric scooter
    Unlike the Gogoro electric scooters patented in India a few months ago, the e-scooter from Hero MotoCorp misses out on double-sided swingarms. Black embellishments on the handlebar, side and rear fenders and floorboard give the scooter a dual-tone colour theme that looks very sporty. Other notable styling highlights include a short flyscreen, a long split seat and curvy bodywork. The pillion seat is detachable which is intended for use in last-mile services.
    Separate brand name for EV lineup
    More details on the upcoming electric scooter will hopefully be revealed ahead of its launch in the next few months. However, the company has a lot to figure out before launching its first battery-powered model.
    As previously revealed, the company cannot use the brand ‘Hero’ for its EV lineup since this right has been held by Hero Electric, a separate EV manufacturing entity. Hero MotoCorp is yet to decide on a brand name for its dedicated electric vehicle (EV) vertical.
    Gogoro Electric Scooter name patented in India
    Upon its launch, the upcoming e-scooter from Hero will compete against a raft of other electric scooters such as Ather 450X, Ola S1, Bajaj Chetak, Simple One and TVS iQube. The company CFO also revealed that the recent shortage of semiconductor chips has had no effect on production of two-wheelers. The bikemaker is gearing up to stock its inventories for the festive season. More

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    Royal Enfield Classic Based Zeus Bobber From Neev Motorcycles

    Royal Enfield Classic Modified Into A Bobber
    Royal Enfield 500cc motorcycles including Classic, Bullet and Thunderbird were discontinued after BS6 emission norms kicked in
    Royal Enfield motorcycles are among the most custom-friendly bikes in the aftermarket industry. A robust frame makes it possible for designers to modify them in a whole new configuration. This is further aided by simple, no-nonsense retro designs of the base models.
    Delhi-based aftermarket workshop Neev Motorcycles has created many such customised Royal Enfield bikes which look unique in composition yet retain classic Royal Enfield characteristics underneath. Another such motorcycle has been designed and conceptualised by Neev which reminds us of good old choppers of Western markets.
    Royal Enfield Classic Bobber Zeus – Design Upgrades
    The donor model used in this case is a Classic 500 which has been converted into a bobber. The bike on the outset looks outrageous and something out of this world and hence has been aptly named after the Greek God ‘Zeus’. Getting into details, the motorcycle has been equipped with a unique fuel tank design that fortifies it with complex curves in order to add a glimpse of novelty to its style.
    As evident, the bike features minimal body panels which gives it a clean look. It wears a beautiful dual-tone custom paint job with glossy black and matte silver. The exhaust has been designed and crafted out of stainless steel which looks premium and ravishing.
    Royal Enfield Classic Modified Into A Bobber
    Other custom-built parts include a finely crafted handlebar, toolbox, and fenders that look aesthetically pleasing. All the components mentioned above have been built by hand.
    Both front and rear fenders have been chopped short while front forks have been covered by aluminium bars. At rear, folks at Neev have incorporated a longer swingarm which is attached to the presumably stock twin shock absorbers.
    Other hand-built accessories include a carburetor cover, wheel covers and a new leather seat. Components such as the headlight, taillight, turn indicators, rearview mirrors and a single pod instrument console are high-end aftermarket accessories.
    Royal Enfield Classic Modified Into A Bobber
    Mechanical Specs
    There are not many details regarding the bike’s engine but therefore it is assumed that the stock powertrain is in place. This 499cc single-cylinder air-cooled, fuel-injected motor kicked out 27 bhp at 5250 rpm and a peak torque 41.3 Nm at 4000 rpm. The engine is linked to a 5-speed gearbox. Suspension setup consists of telescopic front forks and twin gas-charged shock absorbers at the rear.
    Braking duties are carried out by a 280 mm disc at front and a 240 mm disc or drum at rear. The motorcycle rolls on stock 18-inch wire-spoke wheels shod with chubbier tyres. With an increase in diameter and a new swingarm, wheelbase of the stock Classic 500 has been extended slightly. More

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    Tesla Autopilot Will Now Detect Emergency Lights, but Only at Night

    Michael Simari/Car and Driver

    Tesla Autopilot in Model 3 and Model Y vehicles will now detect emergency lights at night in most circumstances, and will slow vehicle down.NHTSA recently launched a probe into a number of Tesla model crashes into parked emergency vehicles.Tesla warns that Autopilot may still not detect emergency lights in all circumstances.A few weeks after NHTSA launched an investigation into Tesla crashes into emergency vehicles, the automaker says that its Autopilot driver assist system can now detect emergency lights and slow down the vehicle. But only at night.The updated functionality was rolled out quite unexpectedly and was not announced by the automaker, but rather spotted by Twitter user Analytic.eth in the revised vehicle manuals.
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    “If Model3/ModelY detects lights from an emergency vehicle when using Autosteer at night on a high speed road, the driving speed is automatically reduced and the touchscreen displays a message informing you of the slowdown,” a recently updated version of the driver’s manual now states. “You will also hear a chime and see a reminder to keep your hands on the steering wheel. When the light detections pass by or cease to appear, Autopilot resumes your cruising speed. Alternatively, you may tap the accelerator to resume your cruising speed.”

    It’s worth noting that this functionality was added only after NHTSA launched an investigation into Tesla crashes into police and fire vehicles, suggesting that it may have been planned for some time, and that it’s also confined to the nighttime. Of course, not all Tesla crashes into emergency vehicles occurred at night, and Tesla does not elaborate just how dark it has to be outside for this functionality to kick in. This could be a bit of an issue since the majority of highway crashes or even traffic stops don’t happen at night—they happen during daytime, morning, and evening hours. But also, emergency light usage at night is far easier to spot by a human driver in the first place, from up to several miles away. So this is an improvement, but not one that can be taken advantage of during the hours when most emergency vehicle responses or traffic stops occur on highways. Tesla does note that the Model 3 and Model Y might still not detect other vehicles’ emergency lights in absolutely all situations, reiterating that Tesla drivers should keep their eyes on the road.Tesla also did not elaborate if the emergency lights had to flicker, or operate in a strobing mode, in order for Autopilot to detect them at night. For instance, emergency light bars (which are mostly LED at the moment) could simply be illuminated in a continuous mode, thus indistinguishable from taillights of other cars. So it could be the case that an emergency vehicle could be parked on the side of the road with the light bar on in a continuous mode, but might not be detected as such by Autopilot’s sensors. The number of modes that current LED lightbars use is actually pretty extensive.The nighttime limitation could be intentional, as in the daytime there could be too many light flickering effects with the sun reflecting off various surfaces to produce too many false positives.This is unlikely to be the last time we hear about semi-autonomous systems and emergency vehicles, as all developers of such systems are working on ways to address vehicle responses to different types of lights, from traffic lights to turn signals on cars via different methods, including V2V communication.

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    2022 Ram 1500 TRX Now Comes in Exclusive Bright Orange

    For the Ram 1500 TRX’s second model year, Ram is adding a limited Ignition Edition that finished the 702-hp off-road pickup in a bright orange with unique bedside graphics. It’s reserved for 875 trucks, and it includes the highly equipped level 2 equipment package and orange trim in the interior. The 2022 1500 TRX Ignition Edition will be on sale at the end of the year starting at $93,280. The Ram 1500 TRX is entering its second model year with a new Ignition Edition package that gives the 702-hp off-road pickup a blazing new orange paint job and other citrus-colored accents.

    Ram

    These Ram 1500 TRX trucks come equipped with the TRX’s level 2 equipment package, a $7,920 option that includes things such as a leather and suede flat-bottom steering wheel, cooled front- and second-row seats, and other niceties. The Ignition Edition trucks are finished in Ignition orange with unique bedside graphics and equipped with 18-inch machine face black wheels. Their interior features Copperhead orange stitching, copper carbon-fiber accents, an orange center console badge, and orange Ram logos on the floor mats. The TRX in the driver’s screen is also finished in Ignition orange.

    A Hellcat supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 powers the 1500 TRX, and it produces 702 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque. In Car and Driver testing, the TRX reached 60 mph in 3.7 seconds on its way to a 12.3-second quarter mile at 110 mph, making it the quickest pickup truck we’ve ever tested. The 2022 1500 TRX Ignition Edition is limited to just 875 trucks, and Ram says they’ll be on sale starting at the end of the year. Pricing starts at $93,280, which is nearly $20,000 more than the TRX’s base price.
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