Runny Cost

You know, many a times, people buy cars without taking into consideration the future costs that will have to be met. These costs, knows as the running costs are pretty much ignored from the elements that go into making a decision on what car to buy. A friend of mine did the same thing. Now, he is finding it so hard to maintain the car that he is ready to sell it off. And because it is not in good condition, he will have to let go of it for cheaper then the market price of the second hand car. Such a shame I tell you!

But now look at the new Ritz from the house of Maruti Suzuki. There are two main reasons why I am really looking forward to get one. ONE: Servicing a Maruti is never a problem. These guys have servicing centers everywhere... City, Town, Village, Highways, maybe even in the middle of a lake (It’s supposed to be a joke, but you never know!). TWO: Owing to superior technology, these running costs are significantly reduced. Here’s how...

Higher Grade Engine Oil: Improves first changeover time from 1,000 Km to 10,000 Km

Increased Spark Plug Life: Spark Plug change over time has been changed from current 20,000 Km to 40,000 Km

Silent Timing Chain: Longer life in comparison to conventional Belt Design

Valve Clearance Adjustment: Due to Tappet Design, Valve clearance re-adjustment frequency has been reduced

What a beauty eh?

Standard of living

Which standard are you in? Haven't you been asked that question as a kid at least a gazillion times? And depending on your answer, your intellectual ability was automatically associated to the grade you were in. Well, that was a long time ago because the entire idea of standardization has transformed over the past few years and especially in India. There was a time when Indian made, distributed and certified products were not of international quality. They didn't really imply anything to the potential customer. But now, Indian standards are as good as their western counterparts.From the internationally recognized ISO, to its makeover as BIS, to automobile certification using the Bharat stage 4 compliance, or the BS4, India is getting stringent about its produce.Talking about the bs4, its emission standards are on par with the Euro IV compliance. With the new Bharat Stage IV, emission of sulphur and benzene from vehicles can be further minimised.Maruti, India’s largest car manufacturer, has already upgraded itself to the new compliance and shall test it on its forthcoming release by the name of 'Ritz'. The car is already making news with its K12M engine, revolutionary features and now happens to be BSIV complaint as well.Looks like we are about to witness a birth of the highest standards.

Show me the money!

There are a few things that money can buy, while the rest can be completely ignored (lol). Well, that’s my personal philosophy and one that I’ve been trying to inculcate in my best friend, Anahita, for a while now. You see, my best friend has recently graduated from her diploma course and her father, who happens to be a wealthy iron-export merchant, has given her a gift to die for. A handsome and extremely attractive cheque worth Rs.5 lakh.

Quite obviously, she was very excited and agog about her cache, me a little more than her, and wants to spends some time deliberating on what she plans to do with the money. So she came over, and we talked, rather bitched, and watched movies and spoke about our boyfriends and our favourite actors and finally got down to what she home for.

We have managed to come up with a list of things that will prove to be beneficial for her in the long run.

a) A Swarovski diamond necklace. But she rarely wears off shoulders or gowns. She’s more the sporty yet casual type.
b) Further education at one of the leading universities in London. But she hates cold weather. So that’s out.
c) Book property in the suburbs so that she and her boyfriend can live happily ever after. But her father already has a grand house in town under her name. Useless
d) A total fashion makeover from dentistry, hair styling/rebonding, to skin touch-ups and the works. But honestly, I love the way she looks and would never want her to change.
e) A small compact car, probably the ‘Ritz’ so that she can come over and meet me whenever she wants to or take long drives without having to worry about too much else. Hmmm, sounds interesting!

Guys, we are seriously confused. The last option seems like the most feasible one. But we need some help in deciding and picking the right choice. Any takers?

Engine Engine No.9

What is it about an engine that makes men go crazy? Is it the raw power that they exhibit? Or the sheer sound they produce that makes every testosterone level reach its peak?

I've seen men act like animals in front of them. They growl, bend on their knees , holler and scream and watch in absolute awe at every perceptible angle that the beauty has to offer. I wouldn't be far fetched from saying that, on good days, they can even be a serious competition to women. Just because they are so damn popular.

Aircraft's use them, the the military does, you see them in the cars, our household appliances as well. It's a whole battalion of them that have invaded the planet while producing heat, water, gas and a lot of power along the way.

Every engine is a enemy of another. And the more recent they are, the more effective they can be. The K12M being the latest in the long legendary line of automobile engines. It's technologically superior, with an all aluminum construction that makes it lighter in weight and extremely fuel efficient. From hearsay, the Ritz which happens to launch in May is all geared up with this hot baby. I expect to see a lot of monkey behavior from then men on our streets then :)

Redefine!

Have you ever wondered where the components of a car get their imaginative names from? Well, the ‘bonnet’ was actually material worn as headdress, or in common terms, a cap. The ‘dickey’ was the rear seat for servants in a carriage and ‘chassis’ comes from the French language translating to ‘a frame’.

While these words might sound really nice to use, I’m all about bringing in the new. To redefine my life and change the way things are said and done. It starts with the hot new Ritz that’s gonna come into my hands real soon. No longer is life going to be the same. I’m going to set a few things straight. The bonnet is all set to become to my ‘baby’. The dickey is going to be my ‘darling’. The gear box my ‘love handle’. My steering wheel is going to be called the ‘Hotstepper’ as I shall be dancing with her a lot. And then there will my brakes that shall be christened as the ‘Big Daddy’, considering his ability to put a halt on my much wanted enthusiasm.

All in all, everything is going to transform itself. And it’s going to begin as soon as ‘The Ritzer’ gets into my hand. Yeah! I’ve changed her name too.

Going Global

All this talk of globalization makes me happy. It means the world is getting smaller. Border lines are being wiped out. Cities are getting connected. The world is coming to India and India is taking off to the world.

Speaking of the Indian phenomenon, in the recent past we have achieved quite a bit in terms of our exports/ in-house facilities reaching international shores. The BPO industry, the music industry, even our movies and people are constantly moving abroad.

But the one area that I feel deserves a noteworthy mention is our automobile industry. In the past few decades, we have seen a quantum leap in terms of quality and quantity of produced machinery. Gone are the days when only cars from Germany and Japan were considered as the best in class. Today, India has put its wheels into motion and have set high standards in this very competitive space. From the merger of Tata and the prestigious Ford company, to witnessing the arrivals of brands like Porsche and Audi, the Indian automotive industry is turning a new leaf over. One Indian company that has been ruling the roost though is Maruti. From completing 25 years of driving the nation last year to consistently producing efficient and state-of-the-art cars, Maruti has gone from strength to strength and put India on the global map. They are now set to launch their sixth global car next month by the name of Ritz. It is another feather in the illustrious cap of the company and one that is definitely worth watching out for. World, get ready, here we come!

Welcome to India!

Europe is such a fascinating place. This is my second visit here. However, the first time doesn't count because I was merely a toddler with the memory of a goldfish. But now that I have a certain sense of consciousness and an ability to relate to my surroundings, I shall put this trip into my diary.

I'd promised myself another chance to visit Europe in an attempt to soak myself into everything that's foreign. Foreign land, foreign food, foreign customs, foreign women. So here I was in Lester. A place with great weather and roads to its credit.

The first thing that struck me though was the number of Indians out here. I am not sure how many were around the last time I was here but they certainly seem to have stayed back. You go shopping and will find an Indian selling you wares in the mall. You go to a restaurant and there's an Indian attending your table, irrespective of what food the hotel is serving you. They are practically everywhere. In your pool, on the streets. Punjabi's, gujju's, the southies and the rest of India, all gathered under the big banner of our mother nation.

I do remember one thing which wasn't typically Indian though. Parked outside the Lester Football stadium was a bright new compact car with a revolutionary exterior design. It was called the 'Splash'. Boomerang tail lights fitted stylishly on a tall body that had a refreshingly sporty look. The more I kept my eyes on it, the more appealing it looked. A total knockout. A car that gave my trip to Europe a silver lining.

I'm back in India now. And I've heard of some pretty interesting information. The car that I'd seen back in Lester is now going to be launched in India. In India its going to be launched as Ritz – even cooler name. It makes me come to the realization that we, as Indians, will never let anything stay international. Welcome Splash!

I love Ritz

I am going to cut the crap and get straight to the point. I like the way the Ritz performs. I used it for a month when I was in Europe. My girlfriend, loves the way it looks. I know i am going to love it in India as well when you think about the traffic situation. Just two formalities left. One, Test drive it with Natasha (My girlfriend) and two, sign the paper! :)