Tag: Automotivekeeda

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Mercedes Benz 230SL and Feroz Khan’s love for cars

By: Javed Ali Khan

Pictures: Faisal Khan & Screenshots from movie Dharmatma

Recently we came across a red Mercedes Benz 230SL which we saw in Mumbai city. This made us to dig deep and see if by any chance the beauty on wheels had any link with Indian film industry. The car was based on the Mercedes-Benz W111, a chassis code given to a range of Mercedes’ vehicles produced between 1959 and 1971 which included 4 door sedans (1959-1968) and 2 door coupés and cabriolets (1961 to 1971).

Our research resulted in some good outcomes not only about the make of the car but also the link it had with the Bollywood. Let’s talk about the Bollywood connection first. There is no denying of the fact that among all the actors we have seen in the Indian film industry, it was always Feroz Khan who used cars as a ‘Character’ in his movies. Instead of cars/bikes just being a part of movies for the sake of it, Feroz Khan used vehicles in his movies as a living character. Yes, there were actors like Rajesh Khanna, Dilip Kumar and few more who used cars as part of the movies integral story line but it was Feroz Khan who took the risk of bringing in expensive cars and then destroying them or using them for chase scenes in his movies.

The red beauty, a 230SL from Mercedes Benz, whose production started in June 1963 and lasted till 1967 had an option of either 4 speed manual transmission or a very responsive fluid couple 4 speed automatic transmission which was linked to a 2308cc, M127 inline 6 engine with a power of 148 horses and 196 NM torque. The 230SL with Mumbai registration was used by Feroz Khan in the super hit movie Dharmatma. The car was in Golden Champagne colour then and was used in one of the chase scenes for which a helicopter was also used.

Feroz Khan is also known for the very famous scene of 1980 movie Qurbani where a 50 paisa bet is placed by him on whether he can drive a Mercedes Benz 220 or not and ends up in destroying a brand-new Mercedes Benz. There were many chases sequence in the movie which involved car and motorcycles being crashed and this resulted in making it one of the most expensive movies, budgets wise, of the year 1980.

We hope you loved reading our article and the pictures we clicked. Please comment to let us know what you think and  share our article as it would encourage us to come out with more articles like these. We are on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube.

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BMW support for flood-affected customers in Kerala

By Admin

Picture: BMW India

Kerala recently faced one of the worst floods in its history. Keeping in mind the issues to be faced by car owners, BMW India has decided to extend special service support for flood-affected customers in the State. A special task force has been deployed at various service points to assist the customers in best possible manner and bring vehicles back on roads. Spare parts availability is being prioritized and arrangements are being made to satisfy the demand arising out of flood affected vehicles.

 

BMW has increased the team size of technicians and service advisors for faster repairs and deliveries of affected vehicles. They have also come up with complimentary Road Side Assistance for towing of vehicles. The customers are being provided ‘On-site insurance support’ and surveyors for swift and fast insurance claims. Chairman of BMW Group India, Mr. Vikram Pawah, said, “Continuous heavy rainfall in Kerala region and flooding of low lying areas across the state is a cause of great concern. We stand with our customers in meeting any challenges they might have to face due to inclement weather conditions. BMW India has taken special measures to ensure that its customers receive prompt response to their service and insurance requirements.”

 

The support with regards to insurance claims involves daily visits of surveyors – Both, BMW partnered and Non-BMW collaborated insurance companies – for fast assessment and processing of insurance claims. Also, BMW India has requested that customers should not attempt to re-start the engine of a stalled vehicle as it may damage the engine. The owners of the vehicles getting affected by the flood can call BMW Roadside Assistance at 18001032211 for assistance.

 

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BMW Motorrad Launches G310R & G310GS in India

By Admin

Pictures: BMW Motorrad

BMW Motorrad has added two new motorcycles in its portfolio in India. With the launch of G 310R and G 310GS company has made owning a BMW easier and people friendly.  These two #beautyonwheels cater to two different breed of motorcycle enthusiasts. For the ones who prefer riding around city and on tarmac would prefer G 310R which is a dynamic all-round roadster which is quite sporty in nature. For those of you who prefer off-road and adventure will definitely will get bold by the looks of G 310GS. With these motorcycles BMW Motorrad has entered sub-500 cc segment where Royal Enfield’s Classic 350 is doing great business. It is worth sharing that Bajaj Dominar is slowly and steadily picking up the pace. Although, both motorcycles have been developed in Munich, Germany by BMW Motorrad but they will be produced in Hosur, India by cooperation partner TVS Motor Company.

Mr. Dimitris Raptis, Head of Region Asia, China, Pacific, South Africa, BMW Motorrad said, “the all-new BMW G 310 R and the all-new BMW G 310 GS have opened up another important chapter in BMW Motorrad’s history and will lay a strong foundation for future growth.”

 

Mr. Vikram Pawah, President, BMW Group India said, “Both the offerings are set to redefine their segment as they are ideal for young people, novices, returning riders and many other motorcyclists.”

BMW Motorrad has used an attractive line for marketing i.e. Make Life A Ride (#MakeLifeARide) which quite clearly reflects the approach and character of the two products they have launched. Both motorcycles share the same 313 cc 4 valves & two overhead camshafts water-cooled single cylinder 4-stroke engine with power equal to 34 horses and a maximum torque of 28Nm for that initial push. The engine is capable of achieving, as per BMW Motorrad, 0-50 Km/hr in 2.5 seconds and reach up-to 143km/hr

 

Both, G 310 R and G 310 GS boast of 2-channel Anti-lock Braking System, torsionally stiff, highly robust tubular steel frame, upside-down fork at the front while at the rear there is an aluminium swinging arm in conjunction with a spring strut and 6-speed gearbox. BMW Motorrad is providing Standard warranty for three years and unlimited kilometres, with an option to extend warranty to fourth and fifth year.

The way both motorcycles have been priced by BMW Motorrad, it is to be seen how customers will react. G 310R is INR 2.99 lakh and G 310GS is INR 3.49 ex-showroom, available on attractive finance schemes through BMW Financial Services India with all-inclusive monthly instalments starting at INR 6,999 and INR 7,999 respectively.

 

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Ducati SuperSport Crash

By Admin

An all new Ducati SuperSport, out for a test drive in Kerala, met with an accident. Pictures taken just after the crash clearly shows the damage to the motorcycle.

The front section including the headlight was completely damaged. The damage was due to direct impact with a small a road side cement pillar adjoining the kerbstone. The bike must have been at a high speed when it met with the accident. There was no clarity whether the rider was injured or not.

Ducati Supersport is available in two versions – SuperSport & SuperSport S and the price starts at ₹12.04 lakh (ex-showroom) for SuperSport and ₹13.34 lakh (ex-showroom) for SuperSport S. The basic difference between the two is due to additional features like ‘Ducati Quick Shift Up/Down, Passenger Seat Cover, 48 mm Öhlins fork with TiN Coated Inner Tubes and a Single-Shock with integrated gas tank, both fully adjustable’ which are available in SuperSportS variant.

The engine specification of both bikes remains same i.e. 937 CC displacement which generates 110HP and 93NM torque, weights almost what an Royal Enfield weights – 183 Kg (dry weight), Bosch ABS with Ducati Traction Control and different riding modes.

What ever be the reason of the crash, SuperSport has always been a dream for any Bike crazy fan. We hope the company will recover major cost of repair through insurance. As we always say and emphasise on, we again request you all to BeSafe, DriveSafe and RideSafe.