About Sameer Contractor
Sameer ContractorConnect with this authorWith an unquenchable thirst for everything automotive, Sameer has always been the go to auto guy that his friends needed. So, it isnt exactly surprising that he chooses to do what he does. A Batman fanatic, Sameers wants to go roof-scaping on the Tumbler, while the Bat motorcycle is certainly on the cards and he plans to build one himself. An avid foodie, he has a road trip in order that will be taking him across the world in search for the best roads and the best cuisines. While his stress buster involves taking aimless motorcycle rides, do not get offended by his sarcasm.
Articles of Sameer Contractor
Exclusive: More Powerful Yamaha FZ V3.0 Set To Arrive In 2020
The 2019 Yamaha FZ V3.0 ABS was launched last week and the motorcycle gets a host of upgrades for the new generation version. The changes are cosmetic yet substantial and bring a refreshed look to the 150 cc offering. However, a lot of Yamaha enthusiasts including us were disappointed with the engine not receiving any major upgrades. The FZ is already one of the lesser powered options in its segment and a power update was expected with version 3.0. While it's been a no show this year, Yamaha is indeed working on a more powerful version of the FZ that will be hitting the showrooms sometime next year.
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Hero MotoCorp Sets Up New R&D Centre In Germany
World's largest manufacturer of two-wheelers, Hero MotoCorp has set up its new research and development (R&D) centre - Hero Tech Center Germany GmbH. The new facility is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hero MotoCorp and is located in Stephanskirchen near Munich. The new German R&D centre will be working on collaboration with Hero's Centre of Innovation and Technology (CIT) located in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The Hero Tech Center Germany will be under the direct supervision of Dr. Markus Braunsperger, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Hero MotoCorp and will be the epicentre for the company's motorsport activities.
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Kia Motors India Starts Trial Production Of New Compact SUV At Anantapur Plant
Kia signed an MoU with the Andhra Pradesh government back in April 2017 for the new manufacturing facility that is spread across 213 hectares in Penukonda. The plant has seen in an investment of $1.1 billion (around Rs. 7050 crore) as part of the first phase of investment, out of the total $2 billion announced for the Indian market.
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Ashima Duggal & Amrita Shergill Lead In All-Women Divas On Wheels Rally
The Divas on Wheels Rally has witnessed the participation of over 100 women in over 30 teams, who will cover a total distance of 750 km over two days.
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Sherco TVS 's Aravind KP Conquers Dakar Rally 2019; Oriol Mena Finishes In Top 10
Sherco TVS Factory Team's Aravind KP has become the only Indian rider to complete the 2019 Dakar Rally. The 10 day long rally finally came to its conclusion earlier today with the riders traversing 5000 km of treacherous terrains, sand dunes, rocks and fesh-fesh in Peru, South America. Aravind is not just the only Indian rider to complete the rally this year, but the only second ever to do so after CS Santosh. The latter, who was competing with Hero MotoSports Team Rally crashed out of Dakar in Stage 5.
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2019 BMW R 1250 GS & R 1250 GS Adventure Launched In India
BMW Motorrad India has launched the 2019 R 1250 GS range in the country. The 2019 BMW R 1250 GS is available in four variants with the standard version priced at Rs. 16.85 lakh, while the top-of-the-line BMW R 1250 GS Adventuro Pro is priced at Rs. 21.95 lakh (ex-showroom). All the motorcycles come to India via the CBU route and bookings for the motorcycles are open at BMW Motorrad dealerships across the country starting today for a token amount of Rs. 5 lakh. One of the biggest changes on the new R 1250 GS range is the bigger displacement engine, along with a host of new electronics that the bike has to offer.
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BMW Motorrad Achieves 8th All-Time Sales High Globally In 2018
BMW Motorrad registered a growth of 0.9 per cent in premium two-wheeler sales globally with 165,566 vehicles sold at the end of December 2018, as opposed to 164,153 units delivered to customers the previous year. The manufacturer registered significant growth in several key markets across the world including India, while established markets like Europe and USA continued to be the growth drivers for the company's motorcycle business. Helping the company build volumes were the made-in-India BMW G 310 R and G 310 GS motorcycles as one of the top five selling models. The manufacturer now is aiming to achieve a sales target of 200,000 units in the year 2020.
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India's Most Popular Cars From 2009 Take The #10YearChallenge
The world is taking the 10 year challenge, posting pictures from a decade ago. While everyone is on a nostalgic trip revisiting memories from a decade ago, we too decided to revisit the cars that were popular in 2009. The auto industry was extremely different then with so many brands yet to make their way to India, while the the massive boom of diesel cars was yet to happen. It were simpler times, some would say. However, the Indian auto industry has not only progressed over the years but also brought a massive change in our safety standards, emission standards and general road safety culture, for the better. So, in our version of the #10YearChallenge, we take a look at the most popular cars of 2009 and how much they've changed in the past decade.
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Dakar Rally 2019: TVS' Michael Metge Wins Stage 9; Oriol Mena Finishes 9th
The penultimate stage at Dakar was marred with terrible weather as visibility dropped to as low as five metres, which meant riders were cautiously before hitting the top speed. Tackling some challenging weather conditions, Sherco TVS Factory Team Rally rider Michael Metge pushed beyond the challenges and won Stage 9 with his spectacular performance. Michael managed to beat the riders from Yamaha, KTM and even Honda to take his the stage win and now sits 22nd in the overall standings as he aims to complete the rally in a dominant spot. Stage 9 saw the riders complete the loop section in Pisco over a run of 313 km in the special section. The penultimate stage also witnessed another mass start in the waves of 10 riders each, which made the day even more enthralling.
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Dakar Rally 2019: Oriol Mena Breaks Into Top 10 In Stage 8; Aravind KP Climbs To 39th Overall
The 2019 Dakar Rally is heading towards the final stages and the Indian teams have certainly put their best foot forward over the past days. Stage 8 saw competitors battle a day of fog, dust and dunes as they made their way from San Juan de Marcona to Pisco. Hero MotoSports Team Rally's Oriol Mena finished the day with an impressive 12th position, and broke into an into the top 10 in overall standings. Mena has been flawless through the stages and despite facing a setback in Stage 5 after a crash, the rider has had a brilliant run to make up for lost time.
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2019 Skoda Superb Corporate Edition Launched In India; Priced At Rs. 23.99 Lakh
koda Auto has kick-started the new year with a bang with the launch of the Superb Corporate Edition in India. The Skoda Superb Corporate Edition is priced at Rs. 23.99 lakh (ex-showroom) and is exclusively for Skoda customers, according to the company. The Corporate Edition caters to the demand of a modern design, high degree of functionality and generous proportions, while being priced attractively. Skoda calls the special edition model a value for money proposition.
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India's First All-Electric Cab Services 'Blu-Smart' Launched In Delhi-NCR
India's first all-electric cab services 'Blu-Smart' has been launched in Delhi-NCR. Gensol Mobility, part of the Gensol group, is the company behind Blu-Smart and has inducted only electric vehicles are part of its fleet for the national capital region. The service aims to provide a smart urban electric mobility option for consumers, according to the company. The new service comes as air pollution has been on alarming levels in Delhi, while the central government has been promoting electric vehicles for its employees and personnel. The company will be using Mahindra e-Verito cars as its electric cabs in Delhi-NCR and has partnered with Mahindra & Mahindra.
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Dakar Rally 2019: TVS' Lorenzo Santolino Crashes Out Of Dakar In Stage 6; Oriol Mena Comeback To Fin
Following the Hero MotoSport's CS Santosh crashing out of Stage 5, the Indian contingent has received its next casualty with Sherco TVS rider Lorenzo Santolino crashing out of the 2019 Dakar Rally in Stage 6. The rookie rider had a brilliant run so far in the rally finishing as high as third at the end of Stage 5 and 11th overall. However, the young Spaniard crashed in the first part of Stage 6, 33 km into the special and was airlifted to Lima for better medical support. The rider has suffered cranial trauma but fortunately has no broken bones. Santolino's RTR 450 was airlifted to the finish line.
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2019 Maruti Suzuki Wagon R Bookings Open Ahead Of Launch
The new generation Maruti Suzuki Wagon R is scheduled for launch on January 23, 2019, and ahead of its debut, the automaker has commenced accepting bookings for the all-new model. The third generation Wagon R is now available for bookings at any of the Maruti dealerships pan India for a token amount of Rs. 11,000, while customers can also book the model online on the company's website. The all-new Wagon R is not only based on a completely new platform but also packs in more features and more comfort over its predecessor. The new model is larger in proportions too over the outgoing version.
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2019 Volkswagen Ameo Cup & Touring Car Series Driver Registrations Open
Volkswagen Motorsport India has announced the start of registrations for Drivers Selection for the tenth edition of the touring car series and third edition of the Ameo Cup Series. The one-make championships are intended to select regular individuals with a skill behind the wheel and transform them into race car drivers. The driver selection round will be held at the Indi Karting Track in Kharadi, Pune, where the drivers will be selected based on their performance in the karting sessions. Drivers will have showcase consistency in performance, understanding of racing lines, lap times, driving attitude and versatility as part of the selection process. For those looking to register, the last date is February 3, 2019.
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Formula E: Jerome d'Ambrosio Wins Marrakesh e-Prix; Mahindra Racing's First Victory Of The Season
After securing a podium finish in the first race of the 2018-19 Formula E championship, Mahindra Racing took its first win of the season with the Marrakesh e-Prix. Mahindra's Jerome d'Ambrosio brought the win home after the BMWs of Antonio Felix da Costa and Alexander Sims crashed out in the final stages. The win puts d'Ambrosio at the top of the driver standings with 40 points, followed by Antonio Felix in second place with 28 points.
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Dakar Rally 2019: CS Santosh Exits Dakar After Nasty Crash In Stage 5; TVS' Lorenzo Santolino Finish
Stage 5 of the 2019 Dakar Rally has turned out to be one of the toughest yet with multiple crashes in the second leg of the marathon run. In a big disappointment, Hero MotoSports rider CS Santosh had a nasty crash in Stage 5 and has exited from the Dakar Rally.
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Dakar Rally 2019: Hero's Oriol Mena Finishes 12th In Stage 3, CS Santosh Drops To 64th While TVS' A
2019 Dakar Rally turned out to be its most challenging yet with the riders facing several challenges in the dunes of Peru. The third stage saw the riders travel from Marcona to Arequipa over a total distance of 799 km, of which 342 km was the special section. The route took a lot of teams by surprise with what it had to offer with 75 per cent of the stage was sand and was a mix of dunes, rocks, mountains and fesh-fesh along with morning fog, which ensured navigation issues for participants across all categories. Hero MotoSports' Oriol Mena was the star of Stage 3 finishing a very impressive 8th at the end of the stage, and 12th overall His teammates though weren't as lucky with both Joaquim Rodrigues and CS Santosh losing rank significantly.
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Steelbird SBA-1 HF Helmet Launched With Handsfree Music And Calls Connectivity; Priced At Rs. 2589
Helmet maker Steelbird Hi-tech has launched the SBA-1 HF helmet in India that brings handsfree music and calls capability to the safety gear. The Steelbird SBA-1 HF is priced at Rs. 2589, which makes it one of the more affordable choices in the market for helmets that offer in-built handsfree connectivity. Steelbird says the helmet is a result of two years of research and development and is battery less, while providing high quality sound and powerful performance. The helmet can be connected to your smartphone via an auxiliary cable, which makes it compatible with all devices.
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Honda City ZX MT Petrol Variant Launched In India; Priced At Rs. 12.75 Lakh
Honda Cars India has introduced the new ZX MT petrol grade on the City sedan in the country. The new Honda City ZX MT is priced at Rs. 12.75 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) and comes with two new colour options - Radiant Red Metallic and Lunar Silver Metallic, along with rear parking sensors as standard. The new City ZX trim is being offered only in the petrol manual variant, and the company says it has been launched in response to the high demand that the petrol variant manual transmission has.
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