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
2020 BMW X5 Diesel Gets A New Base Version; Priced At Rs. 74.90 Lakh
The BMW X5 line-up has been updated with a new base diesel version in India. The BMW X5 xDrive30d SportX has been silently updated on the company website and is priced at Rs. 74.90 lakh. The new offering is about Rs. 8 lakh cheaper than the X5 xDrive30d xLine that is priced at Rs. 82.90 lakh. However, it does replace the X5 Sport trim that was offered at a price of Rs. 72.90 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom India). The new entry-level variant on the X5 diesel justifies its more competitive price by missing out on a few features as well as cosmetic elements and is targeted at those looking to bring the X5 home at a competitive price.
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Ampere Magnus Pro Electric Scooter Launched In India; Priced At Rs. 73,990
Ampere Greaves has launched its all-new electric scooter in the country called the Magnus Pro. The new Ampere Magnus Pro is the company's new flagship offering and takes on the commuter petrol-powered scooter 110 cc scooters. The Magnus Pro gets conventional styling that aims to make it more family-friendly but is loaded on features in a bid to make it a more attractive proposition. The electric scooter goes on sale today in Bengaluru, while the company will expand the availability of the model in other cities within 30 to 60 days. Bookings for the Magnus Pro begin today!
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Mahindra's Online Sales Platform Garners Over 1.6 Lakh Visitors, 15,000 Leads
Mahindra & Mahindra introduced its online retail channel in May this year and the company says the new digital sales platform has had a flying start. Speaking to carandbike in a recent interaction, Rajesh Jejurikar, Executive Director (Auto and Farm Sectors), Mahindra & Mahindra said that the company received over 1.6 lakh visitors on its website, along with 15,000 leads, while the vehicle bookings stands in thousands. The company has not put a specific number of bookings received in the past month.
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Revised MotoGP 2020 Calendar Announced; First Race In July
After a challenging few months, the world is finally going back to normalcy or at least a new normal that follows a number of protocols post the Coronavirus pandemic. This has also seen the world of motorsport go back into action and the latest championship to announce its return is MotoGP. The premier-class motorcycle championship has announced its revised calendar for 2020 that will now take place between July and December. The season this year will comprise 17 races with four races outside of Europe to be officially confirmed by the end of July 2020. Meanwhile, the first 13 races have been confirmed dates, as announced by the FIM (Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme).
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2021 Dakar Rally Dates, Route And New Rules Announced
The Dakar Rally returns in 2021 and the organisers have now announced the dates, route and the new list of rules for the challenging motorsport event. The Dakar Rally heads back to Saudi Arabia for the second year in a row and will continue to be held within the country, as opposed to plans of expanding it to other Middle East countries including Jordan, Egypt and the UAE. The 43rd edition will be held between January 3 to 15, 2021, and registrations for the Dakar will begin on June 15, 2020. Here's everything that's new with the Dakar Rally for next year.
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This Swarovski Crystal Batmobile Is For The Die-Hard Batman Fan
The Batmobile is yet to receive the green light from automakers, so until then it will be the scale models that will have to satiate our need for having one home. But, if you're too bored with the same old die-cast scale models that have been on sale and want something a little more exquisite, then it is the new Swarovski Batmobile that deserves your attention. The crystal Batmobile based on Tim Burton's Batman movie is exactly what you'd expect it to be - expensive - and is priced at $599 (around Rs. 45,000).
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Shell Lubricants & Pitstop Partner For Zero Contact Doorstep Vehicle Servicing
Shell Lubricants and Bengaluru-based start-up Shell Lubricants have announced a partnership to enable zero-contact doorstep servicing of vehicles. The companies have come together to offer vehicle owners a convenient way to service their vehicles without the need to step outside their homes. As the nationwide lockdown eases in several parts of the country, the extensive number of cases have compelled citizens to stay at home and avail for home delivery of services. The initiative will see company rollout 500 operational vans for its doorstep services and will generate employment in about 20 cities across India including Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune and Hyderabad.
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2020 Triumph Street Triple RS To Get A Price Hike In July
Triumph Motorcycle India will be increased prices for the recently launched 2020 Street Triple RS in July this year. Triumph dealerships have confirmed to carandbike that the company plans to increase prices on the new model by up to Rs. 50,000. The 2020 Triumph Street Triple RS was launched in April this year priced at Rs. 11.13 lakh (ex-showroom, India), same as the older model. The price hike was held back by the manufacturer to encourage sales of its motorcycles, given the nationwide lockdown. Customers that complete the purchase of the new Street Triple RS before June 30, 2020, can take advantage of the current prices. Triumph dealers are communicating the hike in prices to potential customers.
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2020 BMW X6 Launched In India; Priced At Rs. 95 Lakh
The third-generation BMW X6 Coupe-SUV has been digitally launched in India priced at Rs. 95 lakh (ex-showroom India). The luxury crossover is offered in two variants - xLine and M Sport, both carrying the same price tag and are powered by a turbocharged petrol engine for now. A diesel engine is likely to join the line-up later in the future. The new X6 comes to India as a Completely Built Unit (CBU) and shares its underpinnings with the new BMW X5 SUV. The X6 though is extremely stylised and continues to sport the distinctive receding roofline that kick-started the coupe-SUV segment in the luxury space.
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Tottenham Hotspur Manager Jose Mourinho Adds An Audi Q8 To His Garage
Jose Mourinho is one of the most famous football coaches in the world and the Tottenham Hotspur manager has now added an Audi Q8 Coupe-SUV to his garage. Audi is also Tottenham Hotspur's official car partner, and Mourinho was recently appointed as the German automaker's brand ambassador in the UK on the same day as the company reopened its sales and service centres across England as the lockdown restrictions were eased in the country. The Audi Q8 may have been handed over to the former Chelsea coach as a result of the association.
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Coronavirus Lockdown: Rolls-Royce Resumes Vehicle Handover To Customers At Goodwood Plant In UK
Luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce has announced that the company is welcoming customers once again at the Goodwood-based Global Centre of Luxury Manufacturing Excellence in the UK to take delivery of their cars in person. The tradition was temporarily halted earlier this year following the Coronavirus pandemic and has now resumed as the plant restarted operations last month as lockdown restrictions were eased by the government. The resumption of the customer handovers at the facility also brings in a much-needed element of normality for the automaker, the company said in a statement. The first car to be delivered since the resumption of operations was the Rolls-Royce Wraith.
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Bajaj Pulsar 220F BS6 Gets A Price Hike
Most two-wheeler makers are hiking prices across their respective BS6 range and Bajaj Auto too has increased prices on several models across its range. The company has silently increased prices on the BS6 compliant version of the Pulsar 220F that was introduced earlier this year. The Bajaj Pulsar 220F BS6 is a price hike of Rs. 2,503, and now retails at Rs. 1.20 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The BS6 version of the popular 220F was introduced in April this year and had already received a price increase of Rs. 8960 over the BS4 model. The latest price increase pushes the overall hike to Rs. 11,463 over the older version.
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Bike-Taxi Service Rapido Resumes Operations In 100 Cities Across India
Bike-taxi service Rapido has announced it has resumed operations in about 100 cities across the country. Rapido resumed its services on June 3, 2020, and has said that it will closely monitor the adherence of all hygiene guidelines issued by the authorities under Unlock 1.0. The two-wheeler taxi service brings back an affordable and convenient last-mile connectivity option for several customers, while also assuring work once again for its driver-partners.
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Hero Pleasure Plus 110 BS6 Gets Its First Price Hike
The Hero Pleasure+ 110 received BS6 compliance earlier this year and updated model has received its first price hike to the tune of Rs. 800. The BS6 Hero Pleasure+ 110 now starts at Rs. 55,600 for the sheet metal version, while the range-topping model with alloy wheels is priced at Rs. 57,600 (all prices, ex-showroom Delhi). Mechanically, the scooter remains unchanged and continues with the same price hike. The increase in prices was expected after nearly three months since the implementation of the BS6 emission norms and has been followed by other two-wheeler makers as well.
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Formula E: Pascal Wehrlein Announces Departure From Mahindra Racing
Formula E driver Pascal Wehrlein has announced his departure from Mahindra Racing, a day after finishing as a runner-up in the Race At Home virtual racing challenge. The announcement though comes midway in the 2019-20 Formula E season with the races temporarily suspended due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Wehrlein's exit from the team will be with immediate effect, and it is understood that the driver will not race for the team in the remainder of the campaign, should the races resume once again. While the German-Mauritian did not announce his future plans, speculations suggest that the 25-year-old driver is making his way to the Porsche outfit next year in Formula E.
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Volkswagen India Resumes Operations At Dealerships; Rolls Out Special Service Offers
After a nearly two-month wait amidst the nationwide lockdown, Volkswagen India has resumed operations at its dealerships and service centres across the country. Over 90 per cent of the company's sales and service facilities across the network are now operational with limited manpower, as per government regulations. The personnel have been trained to follow the social distancing guidelines, contactless transactions among other precautions, and have been provided with personal protective gear, the company said in a statement. As part of the resumption of operations, the automaker is offering a number of free services and offers for its customers.
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Actor Amitabh Bachchan Likely To Lend His Voice For Google Maps
One of the most recognisable voices in the world, superstar Amitabh Bachchan's baritone has been the voice of many ads, social campaigns and voice overs for decades now, and it could soon help you navigate to your preferred destination. According to a recent report, tech giant Google has approached the iconic Indian actor to lend his voice for Google Maps in India. The report further states that the two are currently in talks for the same and the actor is yet to sign on the dotted line.
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eBikeGo Introduces Cost-Effective Electric Bicycles For Delivery Executives
Electric mobility start-up eBikeGo has announced the launch of its eBikeGo Environ electric bicycles. The electric bicycle is offered on a subscription-based model, which per day prices starting at Rs. 80. The new electric bicycles are aimed at delivery executives that have access to a low-investment mobility option and do not need to spend too much on purchasing a two-wheeler to make deliveries. At present, eBikeGo's services are being availed by several delivery firms including Zomato, Big Basket, Delhivery, Rebel Foods, Swiggy, Goodbox among others, according to a statement by the company.
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BS6 Compliant Vehicles To Now Carry Green Stickers On Licence Plates: MoRTH
All new BS6 vehicles sold in India will now carry a green coloured strip at the top in the third registration plate, according to the latest notification by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). The government has mandated the use of this one-centimetre sticker on the new BS6 compliant motor vehicles and the order will come into effect from October 1, 2020. The was issued recently by the ministry amending the Motor Vehicles (High-Security Registration Plates) order, 2018. Previously, the government had announced that all motor vehicles sold after April 1, 2019, will be fitted with tamper-proof, high-security registration plates (HSRP).
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Ather Energy Completes 2 Years Of Operations; Announces Exchange Program For Petrol Scooters
Bengaluru-based electric mobility start-up Ather Energy recently completed two years of operations in India. Founded in 2013, the company kick-started its operations in 2018 with the launch of the Ather 450 electric scooter and has since expanded operations to Chennai, while also introducing the new flagship offering - Ather 450X - earlier this year. The company also offered six over-the-air (OTA) updates to the 450 since its launch with the model covering about 11 million kilometres across the fleet. Now, announcing its next step forward, Ather has said that will continue its network expansion to eight new cities this year, while also announcing a new vehicle exchange program for petrol scooter owners who would like to upgrade to an electric scooter.
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