VR Tech Times

Think Ducati engines and desmo valves are the immediate connect. For the uninitiated, this is a different valve control system where instead of conventional valve springs, the valvetrain is controlled via two cams and two actuators that individually open and close a valve. This system has big benefits in creating high rpm power, but the downside is the dreaded "desmo" service.  Mid-level Ducati motors will drop the desmo valves Desmo valves will remain only on the highest performance engines Work on this shift is already in progress  What is a Desmo service, and why is it feared?  The desmo service is essentially a big service where valve clearances are inspected and things like timing belts, air filters and spark plugs are changed. This service needs to be done between 24,000km and 30,000km depending on the bike and it can cost a serious amount of money. Ducati is aware of the desmo service’s infamous reputation and is working towards moving away from this sys...

The Board of Hero MotoCorp has appointed Niranjan Gupta as the new chief executive officer of the company, effective from May 1, 2023. He has been elevated from his current position as chief financial officer (CFO), Head – Strategy and M&A. Dr Pawan Munjal will continue as executive chairman and whole-time director on the Board. The company will announce a new CFO in due course. Gupta has over 25 years of rich leadership experience in finance, mergers and acquisition, supply chain and strategy roles across business sectors, including Consumer Goods, Metals & Mining and Automobiles. He also serves as a director on the Board of Ather Energy , HMC MM Auto Private Limited, and HMCL Colombia. Prior to Hero MotoCorp, Niranjan spent three years at Vedanta Limited and 20 years at Unilever across global roles. Niranjan Gupta said, "I am delighted to be appointed as the chief executive officer of Hero MotoCorp , the global market leader in motorcycles and scooters. With more ...

I want to buy an SUV as my first vehicle and I have shortlisted the Mahindra Scorpio N and XUV700. I am unable to decide between the two, although my heart is set on the Scorpio N. My budget is around Rs 18 lakh and I am also eagerly waiting for the 5-door Thar for long time. My only concern is: will the 5-door Thar be better and would its interiors and technology be on par with the Scorpio N or XUV700? Ashwin Kumar, Chennai Autocar India says: We are not sure what your usage is, but if it's not for hardcore off-roading, the XUV700 is far better than the Scorpio N and even the upcoming Thar 5-door. The XUV700 is Mahindra’s flagship model and has the best infotainment system, the best engine and the best quality of all Mahindra cars. Being a monocoque construction, it feels the most car-like to drive, and is the most comfortable and spacious too. The Scorpio N and Thar both have a ladder chassis, which give them great off-road capability, but compromise their dynamics on normal ...

California-based electric carmaker Fisker's  Ocean  SUV has achieved 707km on the official WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure) test in its range-topping Extreme specification. That 707 kilometres will be the highest range offered by any electric SUV when it goes on sale later this year, putting the Ocean far ahead of its rival electric SUVs such as the Tesla Model X   (565km range) and the  Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV   (587km range).    Fisker Ocean EV SUV gets a 17.1inch touchscreen  Available in three trim options   Battery specifications not revealed  Fisker Ocean trims and power Three trim levels will be available for the Fisker Ocean, which rivals the  Audi Q4 E-tron . Sport brings a 271hp motor on the front axle for a 0-96.5kph time of 6.6sec, while Ultra gets a motor on each axle, boosting output to 533hp and cutting the sprint time to 3.9sec. Extreme brings 542hp and a 3.6sec 0-96.5kph time...

In this week's episode of  The Game Informer Show , the crew discusses our favorite games from PAX East 2023, relaxing reverse-city-builder Terra Nil, and why Crime Boss: Rockay City earned our lowest review score in years. It's a great episode featuring plenty of shenanigans and hijinks from Alex, Marcus, and Wesley. Please leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoy the episode! Follow us on social media:  Alex Van Aken ( @itsVanAken ), Marcus Stewart ( @MarcusStewart7 ), Wesley LeBlanc ( @LeBlancWes ) The Game Informer Show  is a weekly gaming podcast covering the latest video game news, industry topics, exclusive reveals, and reviews. Join host  Alex Van Aken  every Thursday for a chat about your favorite games – past and present – with  Game Informer  staff, developers, and special guests from around the industry. Listen on  Apple Podcasts ,  Spotify , or your favorite podcast app. Matt Storm,  the fr...

Motorcycles have undoubtedly become considerably more expensive over the past few years, but that doesn’t seem to have deterred too many buyers. Leisure motorcycling is more popular than ever in India, and manufacturers are indulging customers by rolling out more options every day. With purchasing power also steadily going up, the Rs 2 lakh to 3 lakh space is one that’s gaining popularity, and here are the best bikes you can get yourself at this price point. KTM 390 Duke Rs 2.96 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) Yes, it has received only minor updates since the current generation arrived in 2017. But if performance is your poison, the KTM 390 Duke still remains the most exciting steed you can get for under Rs 3 lakh. Whether it’s outright firepower from the 373cc engine, the taut chassis package or class-leading features like a bi-directional quickshifter, the 390 Duke continues to lead the way when it comes to sporty nakeds. And if a fully-faired sportbike is more your flavour, then its...

Suzuki has been testing its Burgman electric scooter in India for quite some time now and spy images of the same have surfaced multiple times. Now, however, the Hamamatsu-based brand has revealed the e-Burgman overseas in its entirety and disclosed most of its specifications as well. Battery pack can be swapped at Honda Mobile Power Pack e: stations Similar peak power as TVS iQube S, Bajaj Chetak Suzuki e-Burgman electric scooter: details The major news here is that Suzuki’s e-Burgman will divert from earlier patent drawings in terms of how its battery pack is installed. The documents that had surfaced earlier showed a fixed battery pack, but the production-spec e-Burgman features a swappable battery pack instead. While the capacity of the swappable lithium-ion battery is still under wraps, Suzuki claims the e-Burgman has a range of "44km when ridden at a steady 60kph on a flat surface." While this figure seems quite low, considering our average speeds are much lower,...

Midsize sedans have had a bit of a renaissance lately, with changes that run deeper than your average facelift or new model generation. Apart from the usual battering from SUVs big and small, there’s also the case of the higher executive sedan segment having just gone extinct. The newest wave of midsize sedans, then, has had to step up in size, spec, power, tech, premium feel and, yes, price too. In fact, Hyundai calls its all-new Verna a ‘mid large sedan’, a classification it also confers on its rivals, the City, Slavia and Virtus, based not only on their larger size, but their larger price tags too. The Ciaz is conspicuously absent from the list for that reason. 2023 Hyundai Verna exterior design For its new-generation Verna, Hyundai has really wiped the slate clean and started over. It leads the way for future Hyundais, being built on a new platform with a radical new design. Overseas, in fact, the larger Elantra and Sonata have just been given facelifts to align with this new lo...

from Autocar India https://ift.tt/2q6bBRv

We first reported to you about Maserati ’s plans to launch the MC20 supercar in India in July 2021, and now, nearly two years since then, we finally have its price. The Maserati MC20 has been priced at Rs 3.69 crore (ex-showroom, India), and that’s before you start ticking the options boxes. The MC20 is the first all-new launch from Maserati in India in several years, and rivals the likes of the Porsche 911 Turbo S , Lamborghini Huracan and Ferrari 296 GTB . MC20 is powered by 630hp, 3.0-litre V6 engine Has a claimed 0-100kph sprint time of 2.9 seconds First Maserati in over 20 years with in-house-developed engine The MC20 was originally slated to arrive in India much earlier in 2022 . However, after much delay, it will finally start reaching customers with the first unit slated to be delivered in May 2023, our dealer sources have confirmed.   Maserati MC20 engine and performance Essentially a spiritual successor to the MC12 supercar from 2004, the mid-engined MC20 is ...

BMW recently released the first official teaser of the upcoming all-electric i5, and now it has followed up with images of the sedan undergoing "the ultimate endurance test". The hardcore testing programme was conducted on ice, snow and rough roads in northern Sweden. BMW i5 expected to have over 550km range in top-spec trim Will be available in both rear- and four-wheel drive versions Regular 5 Series to come with hybrid petrol, diesel and PHEV powertrains The highly anticipated EV version of the next-generation BMW 5 Series rivals the Mercedes-Benz EQE . A debut date still hasn't been confirmed for the i5 sedan – nor its ICE counterpart or the i5 Touring estate, which was also recently confirmed. But with this test programme dispatched and a 2023 launch confirmed, it's expected to be only a matter of months before the wraps come off. BMW i5: exterior design In terms of design, the new, eighth-generation 5 Series brings a sharper front-end design and a mor...

To promote the use of electric two-wheelers as last-mile delivery vehicles, food delivery company and restaurant aggregator Zomato has inked a deal with Gogoro. This partnership will see the Taiwan-based company supply Zomato with its e-scooters as delivery vehicles.  Gogoro has homologated two e-scooters in India Zomato to have all-electric delivery fleet by 2030 Gogoro-Zomato partnership in India: details Zomato has set a target for itself to have 100 percent EV-based deliveries by 2023 and its partnership with Gogoro will be a crucial first step in moving toward it. To further help Zomato’s delivery agents, Kotak Mahindra Prime Limited will provide loans on very amenable terms to the delivery agents for the aforementioned Gogoro e-scooters. “Electric two-wheelers powered by affordable, reliable, and accessible battery swapping solutions can positively impact delivery partner pay-outs, apart from reducing air pollution," Mohit Sardana, COO, Food Delivery at Zomato. ...

While its newly unveiled EV roadmap is grabbing headlines right now, Honda also has big plans for its petrol-powered two-wheelers in India. The biggest non-EV announcement made by Honda today is that it will be establishing a new scooter manufacturing line at its Vithalpur factory in Gujarat. New scooter assembly line at Vithalpur, Gujarat factory Exports will grow to 20 models across 58 countries All models OBD-2 compliant and E20 compatible by September 2023 This scooter-only plant is the Japanese giant’s most recently established factory (of four) in the country, having been set up in 2015. Once at full capacity, this new assembly line will boost annual capacity by 6 lakh units. This will help Honda fulfil its goal of growing its export business from India. The company currently exports 18 models to 38 countries and hopes to grow these numbers to 20 models across 58 countries. Interestingly, its most exported model is one that it discontinued in India a few years ago – th...

Honda is one of the biggest names in the petrol-powered Indian two-wheeler market, but is (relatively) in its infancy in the burgeoning EV space. To increase its presence in the electric two-wheeler market, Honda is gearing up to launch two new electric vehicles in FY24. Separate Factory ‘E’ dedicated exclusively to EVs being set up Platform ‘E’ will serve as the base for a host of future electric models Battery and motor for EVs to be made in India  Upcoming Honda EVs details  Honda’s new EVs will be new products built from the ground up and based on a dedicated platform, codenamed Platform ‘E’. This new platform will underpin different models with varying battery architecture and installation. FY24 (April 2023-March 2024) is when the first Honda EV is slated to launch and it will be a ‘mid-range’ electric offering with a fixed battery. While the wording leaves the doors open for speculation, one of the more likely possibilities is that it could be one of the more...

Kia  has now announced specifications, range and other details of the EV9, days after revealing the exterior details of the full-size born-EV SUV. The EV9 was showcased in India   earlier this year at Auto Expo 2023 as a concept. Apart from revealing the specifications and range, Kia has also taken the wraps off the EV9 GT-Line variant that has slightly sportier looks than its standard counterpart. Kia EV9 SUV is almost as long as the standard Range Rover Performance oriented EV9 variant reveal in future Kia EV9 dimensions, powertrain options The Kia EV9 SUV measures 5,010mm in length and has a wheelbase of 3,100mm, which makes it almost as long as the standard-length Range Rover. The EV9, however, has a longer wheelbase than the British SUV, thanks to its E-GMP skateboard electric platform. The entry-level version will come with a 76.1kWh battery will be offered select global markets. There will be a 99.8kWh, 800V battery netting a range of up to 541 kilometres betwe...

Maruti Suzuki has two important SUV launches lined up for its Nexa outlets in the coming months –the much-awaited Jimny and the Fronx. The Jimny has gathered more than 23,500 bookings since January, and to draw more prospective buyers, Maruti Suzuki has begun dealer displays of the SUV at select Nexa outlets.  Maruti Jimny launch by May this year Being shown in 9 Indian cities Fronx price announcement in April 2023 Maruti Jimny customer showcase ends on April 7 The Jimny, which made its debut at Auto Expo 2023, will go on sale in May. We've got our hands on a display schedule which confirms that the SUV will be showcased in nine Indian cities till April 7, 2023. The Jimny will then make way for the launch of the Maruti Suzuki Fronx coupe SUV, which is expected to happen around the second week of April, according to our dealer sources.  The Jimny dealer showcase is currently ongoing in cities like Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Mohali, Ludhiana, Raipur, Bhub...

The Mahindra Thar is currently available in two broad trim line-ups – AX(O) and LX – with two petrol and one diesel engine option spread across them. We have now learnt that Mahindra could introduce a new entry-level 4x4 variant that’ll sit below the AX(O) trim and will be available with the 2.2-litre diesel and 2.0-litre petrol engines. New entry-level trim to come on the 4x4 variants Could lose out on a few key features from AX(O) trim Mahindra Thar new entry-level 4x4 variant In January 2023, when Mahindra  introduced the new RWD variants of the Thar, the entry price of the popular off-roader was significantly brought down thanks to lower tax rates that come with the smaller diesel engine and lack of off-road hardware. While that was great news for urban users of the Thar, there was no change in the prices of the 4WD variants. But this upcoming entry-level 4WD variant – likely to be named AX AC – could see the deletion of some features that are cur...

A knee brace is designed to give your knees a higher level of protection than any knee guard can manage. One of the most common forms of injury involved with off-road riding is your knee getting awkwardly twisted or hyperextended. This can happen in the flash of an eye when you simply dab your foot on an uneven surface and the worst-case scenario can result in torn ligaments that often need surgery, physiotherapy and months to heal. I enjoy off-road riding almost as much as I dislike the idea of pain and being immobilised for weeks, so it was time to get a proper pair of knee braces to replace my knee guards. Knee braces are highly technical, highly expensive items and they are often certified as medical-grade equipment. There are scores of high-end solutions out there, each with its own unique design details and special features. These Alpinestars Bionic 7 knee braces are renowned for being some of the slimmest and most low-profile options. Metal inserts limit extension.   ...

By BY NICHOLAS BAKALAR from NYT Science https://ift.tt/xj1bGwf

Navaneeth Kumar, 25, emerged victorious in the KTM RC Cup finale held at the Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT) in Chennai. Amarnath Menon and Allwin Xavier finished second and third, respectively. Nearly 1,000 riders participated in the inaugural KTM RC Cup Navaneeth Kumar wins, Amarnath Menon second, Allwin Xavier third What is the KTM RC Cup? Selection rounds for the inaugural India edition of the KTM RC Cup were held across the country from January to March 2023. KTM’s expert panel visited Mumbai, Vadodara, Delhi, Ranchi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Coimbatore and Chennai to find and train the best KTM owners across the country. Eighty racers, shortlisted based on their lap times, were then mentored by McWilliams and seven-time Indian National Motorcycle Racing Champion Emmanuel Jebaraj. After a series of qualifiers, 20 riders progressed to the finale at the MMRT. Participants raced on company-provided KTM RC 390 GP Edition bikes throughout all stages. The GP Edition is mechanicall...

By BY SIOBHAN ROBERTS from NYT Science https://ift.tt/61oVAps

Hyundai has taken the wraps off an interesting SUV concept named Hyundai Mufasa Adventure. Essentially a rugged iteration of an upcoming Hyundai SUV for China, the production-spec Hyundai Mufasa is likely to see a global debut at the upcoming Shanghai Motor Show 2023 to be held in April 2023. The name “Mufasa” is, of course, inspired by Disney’s 1994 animated classic, The Lion King . Hyundai Mufasa Adventure concept to debut next month in Shanghai Gets rugged looks, more ground clearance India to get Hyundai Ai3 SUV this year Hyundai Mufasa SUV: what exactly is it? The Mufasa SUV is an addition to the already vast Hyundai global SUV line-up. Set to go on sale in China first, followed by other markets, this new SUV will sit above the Creta (iX25 in China) and slightly below the Tucson. It will give the customers more choices, and a slightly more upright-looking design for those who are not attracted by the Tucson’s coupe-like looks. The five-seater Mufasa SUV is 4.4 metres...

Maruti Suzuk i India has announced that its premium Nexa retail sales channel has driven past the 2 million-unit sales mark in India. The milestone comes a little less than eight years after the carmaker kicked off the Nexa initiative on July 23, 2015, followed by the launch of its first Nexa model, the S-Cross, in August 2015. Since then, the carmaker has launched five other models – which constitute two hatchbacks ( Baleno , Ignis ), one sedan ( Ciaz ) and two SUVs ( XL6 , Grand Vitara ). Maruti Suzuki's Nexa strategy Nexa operates separately from the regular Maruti Suzuki Arena channel, which retails nine other models such as the Alto, S-Presso, Celerio, Wagon R, Swift, Dzire, Vitara Brezza, Ertiga and Eeco. This differentiates Nexa as a premium, higher-priced offering with all the bells and whistles, with a heightened focus on customer satisfaction. For Maruti Suzuki, Nexa was a strategic move to diversify its retail offering in terms of value and target a new emerging se...