SUVs, or sports utility vehicles, are going to cost more. You might have heard the finance minister's Budget speech hiking the excise duty on SUVs from 27% to 30%. As per the finance ministry classification, SUVs are defined as vehicles that have an engine capacity of over 1500cc, are over four metres in length and have a ground clearance of 170 mm. Vehicles meeting all three conditions are classified as SUVs and will have to pay an additional excise duty.

SUVs as a category have performed well in the last one year. As per SIAM (Society of Indian Automotive Manufacturers) data, car sales fell 1.8% during April 2012 to January 2013 to about 1.56 million units; while sales of SUVs surged 57% to 451,935. Given this buoyant demand for SUVs, all companies affected by the excise duty hike plan to pass it on to the consumer immediately. Tata Motors has announced an increased in prices of its Sumo, Safari and Aria models by Rs 20,000 to Rs 35,000.

Experts feel other manufacturers are likely to follow suit. However, there is a slight anomaly. "Due to the finance ministry's classification, some SUVs have escaped the excise hike. Buyers should take advantage of this," says Roshun Povaiah of cartoq.com, an automotive portal. Yes, that is true. And here is the scoop: Maruti Ertiga (Diesel) and Renault Duster (Diesel) will be spared the hike. Besides this, due to poor car sales during 2012-2013, manufacturers are doing their bid to push sales of sedans and hatchbacks.

For example, Tata Motors has announced a discount of Rs 50,000 on Manza (diesel). Tata Motors has introduced the 'Club Class Buyback Assurance', under which its customers can get 60% of the purchase price after three years. Many other sedan makers are offering discounts anywhere between Rs 30,000 and Rs 1 lakh.

Sure, a measly price hike of 2-3% is unlikely to affect SUV sales since most of them command a waiting period ranging from one month to six months. "Many Indians purely buy an SUV for the purpose of status. Driving a large car gives them power on the road, for which there is no substitute," says Roshun Povaiah of cartoq.com. However, if that is not your sole purpose of buying a car, you could look at sedans. Experts are of the view that it may make sense to opt for a sedan if it is your first car.

As bizarre as one might think it is, a veterinary surgeon made travelling on wheels comfortable. The man was John Boyd Dunlop who invented the first practical pneumatic or inflatable tyre. He was born on 14 February 1840 at a farm in North Aryshire and practiced as a veterinary surgeon first in Edinburgh, Scotland, and then in Belfast, Ireland.

The invention of the pneumatic tyre was more or less by chance. His small son was prescribed cycling as a cure for his cold, but he was finding it difficult to cycle on the cobbled streets of Belfast owing to the solid rubber tyres of the tricycle. To help his son out, in 1887 Dunlop started thinking of ideas to make his ride comfortable. He felt by fitting inflated tubes inside the tyres it would make his ride smooth and for that he cut up an old garden hose, made it into a tube and pumped it with air - and thus he came up with the first practical pneumatic or inflatable tyre.

In 1888 he patented his design based on an inflated tyre and in the following year Dunlop Tyres began production of pneumatic tyres at a factory in Dublin. To promote his pneumatic tyres he asked Willi Fume to race on his bicycle equipped with pneumatic tyres and it was a successful strategy as he was able to win all the four cycling events at the Queens College Sports in Belfast and later in Liverpool. After its introduction in 1888, Dunlop's pneumatic tyres became standard equipment for most bicycles.

However in 1890 his patent was challenged by another Scot, Robert William Thomson, who had patented a pneumatic tyre in 1846 in France and the following year in the USA. However, Thompson's approach to production of tyres was completely different and expensive, and Dunlop was able to continue to manufacture tyres of his own design. His development of pneumatic tyres came at a crucial time since the first automobile was also produced by Karl Benz in the very same year. In 1891 Dunlop Tyres began production from its vast factory known as Fort Dunlop at Erdington near Birmingham. In 1896, Dunlop transferred control of the patent and the company to William Harvey Du Cros in exchange for 1500 shares for $3000 in the new company which still bore his name.

After retiring from his tyre business, Dunlop moved to Dublin, where he started manufacturing bicycle frames and he breathed his last on 23 October 1921 at the age of 81. In 1999, Dunlop Rubber became a subsidiary of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. Dunlop was inducted posthumously into the US Inventors Hall of Fame in 2006.

Land Rover in technical collaboration with transmission technology leader ZF has developed the world's first nine-speed automatic gearbox. The 9HP ZF automatic transmission has been designed for front transverse applications such as front wheel drive and all-wheel drive cars.

The idea behind developing a nine-speed gearbox was to improve fuel efficiency throughout the powerband of an engine. The ZF 9HP in essence is a torque converter gearbox with a tall ratio for the ninth gear that allows the engine to maintain low revs while cruising, thereby reducing fuel consumption and emissions. More gears also mean smaller step ratios for improved acceleration in the lower gears. The 9HP ZF autobox is also said to have improved shift quality and refinement.

While higher gears in the 9HP autobox have tall ratios the lowest ratio of the gearbox is far lower than that of the existing six-speed gearbox. This will help better low speed response of the engine during off-roading, towing and scaling steep gradients at high altitudes.

ZF states that the new nine-speed gearbox is capable of extremely fast gear changes that are 'below the threshold of perception'. The gearbox is even capable of skipping gears while downshifting during rapid deceleration with the 'skip-shift' function. The gearbox also incorporates a multi-stage damper system for smoother pulling away and improved refinement.

While refinement and efficiency have been critical in development of the new nine-speed gearbox, the ZF 9HP automatic gearbox features an innovative adaptive shifting system that has the capability of matching the driver's mood within seconds to sharpen gear changes during brisk acceleration and then settle to a more economical mode when the driver takes to more relaxed driving.

The Fast-Off mode of the gearbox measures the rate of throttle release and anticipates the driver's acceleration habits for more power, then holds the gear if necessary. If the driver requests a downshift when the vehicle is travelling too fast, the transmission will remember the request and make the shift when the speed drops to an appropriate level.

The new 9HP gearbox may have three gears more than the six-speed unit but weighs 7.5 kg less and is only 6 mm longer. This has been possible because of a new hydraulic vane-type pump, two patented dog clutches and a cleverly nested gear set.

The new 9HP ZF automatic gearbox is slated to replace the six-speed ZF autobox as it offers more in all the three dynamics of performance, refinement and efficiency.

For the longest time, I have always stated that India is jeep country and we are a nation that has a rather healthy diet for big 4x4 machines. What they are called is immaterial since companies now don't stick to the SUV moniker any longer, but you get the point I am trying to make. If I don't sound convincing enough, look at Audi who is advertising the fact that India is the land of quattro, or Mahindra, who insists on leaving the road with their vehicles, or for that matter, Tata Motors who has a strong portfolio in the 4x4 category as well and not to forget the latest entrant, Force Motors, who are looking at making a name for themselves in this category. Even the upcoming Ford EcoSport is bent upon capitalizing on our craze for SUVs.

Yeah, the list is longer than that, but the fact remains that India is SUV country and while we just can't seem to get enough of them, I really wonder why no manufacturer is considering the logical brand extension of introducing pick up trucks in the market alongside their SUV portfolio.

Thailand is just around the corner, and they are a nation that has taken to the pick-up truck like a fish takes to water. The Indian mentality doesn't seem that different and while Mahindra and Tata have tried with the Getaway and Xenon respectively, we just haven't seen that level of commitment. Surprising, because at the Auto Expo there were more people drooling over the Xenon than the new Safari

I also understand that government regulation has a big role to play in the non establishment of this industry, but the only reason I continue to blame the manufacturers is because they aren't lobbying hard enough to establish this new segment in India in the first place. Considering our love for big, go-anywhere machines, some of the rather trendy looking pick up trucks could possibly comprise an entire new segment in the Indian automobile market. After all, who wouldn't want to own a Toyota Hilux, Mitsubishi Triton, Ford Ranger, Chevrolet Silverado, Volkswagen Amarok or an Isuzu D-Max?

These machines not only look good, but in many ways are more practical than just a big SUV. You get a five-seater, SUV-like drive and enough loading space to actually do something with. It's the perfect combination for catering to a country that has both urban and rural demand.

Pick up trucks could cater to the urban market as the perfect adventure vehicle. I even see potential in motorsport for these machines. On the other hand, the rural market could get a workhorse and a family vehicle, essentially the best of both worlds in a single machine. Considering the way the market is going currently, a new segment could really help boost overall numbers for numerous manufacturers, especially if they can look at pricing the pick up in the region of Rupees 9-14 lakh, depending on make and variant.

The state of Nevada in the US recently granted Audi the license to operate autonomous vehicles on public roads. Most of us who have in fact driven one of them Audis are left feeling a bit ambivalent about this particular automotive milestone.

Needless to say Audis are and have always been fantastic cars to drive, but in all fairness it's mostly our C-suite executives who can actually afford to drive around in them. Sadly, their Audis spend most of the day tip toeing in traffic jams, and that extra bit of horsepower they paid a handsome price for isn't really paying high dividends.

So, Audi off late has been busy re-engineering its driver assist technologies for more severe congested city traffic conditions and at a recent Electronics Show in Vegas, two working prototypes offered enthusiasts a peek at what could very well be the future of autonomous urban mobility.

One vehicle prototype presented its ability to self-steer at speeds between 0 and 60 km/h, and also accelerate and brake autonomously. Using a piloted system to monitor the car's speed and even vehicles around it, it can operate independently in a temporary lane even in the absence of lane markings.

Based on German car maker's already successful adaptive cruise control technology with Stop andamp; Go, the more advanced system now offers lateral guidance. A combination of radar and ultrasonic sensors and wide-angle camera monitors now work more effectively to minimize the driver's involvement with the vehicle when traversing congested roads. To be on the safe side, if at any point the vehicle reaches the limits of the traffic assist function, for instance if the traffic jam disperses, the driver is prompted to resume control.

For those struggling to manoeuvre their stylish sedans or burly Audi marked SUVs into a cramped parking lot or home garage, parking aids implemented in the newer system now enable the driver to get out of the car in front of the garage and better negotiate the vehicle into a tight parking spot, or simply instruct it to autonomously park itself via the remote key fob or a smart phone.

Audi Smartphone apps of the future may even connect to a car park's central computer and guide the vehicle to the nearest available parking space. Clearly, Tomorrow Never Dies

Automobile component and technology giant Bosch has been inventing some fairly high-tech safety features for cars over the years. Safety features such as adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and predictive emergency braking system make daily commutes safer for thousands of motorists.

Their latest traffic jam assist system that is under development seeks to make the car drive by itself at speeds of up to 48 km/h. The new system will let vehicles change lanes on their own through the use of cameras and sensors. Bosch is working on rear-mounted sensors on vehicles to detect other vehicles approaching from the rear.

The company's long-range radar sensor can detect objects that are up to 250 metres away, which is more than enough to help the vehicle execute a safe move. Also, Bosch's 3D camera can calculate the distance of an object from the vehicle and the direction of travel of a moving body.

Bosch is also working on a new navigation system to alert drivers about local traffic situations and speed limits. This could also come in use for the traffic jam assist function wherein the vehicle will be able to take the quickest route to its destination on real-time basis.

"The traffic jam assistant helps drivers arrive more relaxed at their destination, even in dense traffic," said Gerhard Steiger, president of the Bosch Chassis Systems Control division.

The two major challenges faced in developing the system at the moment includes automated driving under dense city traffic with multiple vehicles and the second being the absolute reliability of the system.

"Fully autonomous driving will come about one step at a time," says Steiger.

The first generation of the traffic jam assist system is expected to go into series production in 2014. Bosch states that the system will evolve to operate at even higher speeds and more complex driving situations before being able to make driving fully autonomous.

Judging by the performance of the industry based upon the first three quarters of FY2012, there is enough evidence pointing towards a downturn. The cumulative production data shows a growth of only 2.16 per cent over the same period last year. Possibly the only reason that can be attributed for a positive growth despite the adverse conditions in the market is the frequency of product launches. If manufacturers were to slow down on that front, there is a very high chance that the industry would eventually plummet to post a negative growth rate.

In terms of domestic sales, the industry recorded a growth of 4.57 per cent over the same period last year. While the Passenger vehicle segment posted a growth rate of 8.37 per cent during the same period, at face value, that sounds decent, however the segment-wise performance illustrates a clearer picture of the present condition of the passenger vehicle industry. Overall sales of cars in the domestic market have declined by -0.33 per cent, Utility Vehicles grew by 59.10 per cent and Vans grew by 3.71 per cent in the first three quarters of FY 2012 as compared to the same period last year. No doubt, we are also witnessing a change in buyer behaviour and that can be attributed to the figures as seen above.

With more takers for MPV/MUV/SUVs and manufacturers rushing to offer more products in this category, the era of the small car might be slowing down, however the practical UV segment has the potential to keep the auto industry sales figures in high gear. A case in point is the fact that Mahindra has overtaken Tata Motors to the number three spot in terms of sales despite the fact that the former doesn't have a single small car in their portfolio. Practicality seems to be the flavour of the season and will most probably continue as the industry carries over into 2013.

The two wheeler industry has managed to register a growth of only 4.09 per cent in the first three quarters of FY 2012. The driver of growth for the segment interestingly happens to be the scooter segment which posted a growth of 18.44 per cent. Just a few years ago, this very segment was written off and numerous players moved to motorcycles, however so far in FY 2012 motorcycles haven't been faring to well with just a 0.77 per cent growth rate.

Even the moped industry did marginally better than motorcycles and posted a 1.80 per cent growth The main cause of the slowdown amongst two wheeler buyers can be attributed to the steep rise in ownership cost thanks to the severe hikes in petrol pricing. Never the less, the outlook for 2013 is better as the market is showing signs of stabilizing and there are a slew of new launches planned which should provide the impetus to boost growth across all two wheeler segments.

There is no doubting the fact that the outlook of the industry, based on the performance in FY2012 so far has shown signs for everyone to sit up and be rather concerned, however it is important to understand that a lot of this turmoil is the result of numerous factors including stalled investments due to governance issues, lackluster interest amongst businesses which has been further fueled by the depreciation of the Rupee against the Dollar. Secondly, the Government has been slow to react and the decisions haven't truly been in line with what the industry required to boost growth. While governance remains a concern, the good news however is that the industry isn't just sitting idle.

Opportunity exists, even in dire times, and that seems to be the mantra right now. Across the two and four wheeler segments we can expect to see over 70 product launches and this number might go higher if we include the introduction of new variants as well. Secondly, the debate on fuel prices seems to be attended to at the moment and finally, despite the domestic scenario, India is expected to post an economic growth between 5-6 per cent in 2012-13. It's lower than before but looking at the global market, which is expected to report only a 3-3.3 per cent growth for the same period, India still stands on a reasonably strong economy which just needs the right impetus for major industries like the auto sector to prosper.

A lot depends on immediate governance decisions, however from an industry perspective, there is no better way than kick-starting the sales charts than by offering new launches. It is a bit of a long shot, however should the market gather momentum through these new launches, 2013 just might end on a positive note despite what the trade pundits state.

Engineers from Japan's Fukuoka Institute of technology have developed a patent pending system called 'Safe Driving Promotion System' that seeks to prevent driver error with a rather unusual and, perhaps, gruesome tactic.

Upon detecting a potential collision, the system warns the driver about the kind of accident that could occur, expected damage to self and the vehicle along with an audible warning, "You would die if you crashed right now".

The system uses a host of sensors to detect objects on a vehicle's path, wheel slippage, etc. An app has also been designed to work on the vehicle's onboard computer to record the driver's reaction times. The engineers use these systems to compile data such as the vehicle's speed, the distance to the vehicle in front, etc, to determine the probability of a collision when the driver is speeding.

The idea of preventing human error and accidents is a good one, but the fact that the system seeks to capture the driver's attention via graphic warnings may just cause the driver to panic and end up in an accident anyway.

The 'Safe Driving Promotion System' has potential and can be put to good use for preventing accidents by increasing driver awareness but in its current state of tune it appears to be a bit crude.

Automobile technology development heavyweights Continental have recognised the potential for growth in the Indian market, and have taken steps towards achieving that growth by stepping up their activities. Along with expansion plans for its current facilities in Manesar, Continental is also concentrating on its Research and Development activities in India, with its Chassis and Safety division leading the way.

Dr Ralf Cramer, President of the Chassis andamp; Safety Division at Continental said, "Chassis and Safety has introduced a host of advanced safety systems and components in India, including the first ever Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) for two-wheelers in the country. We are absolutely convinced we have the right products in our portfolio to support two-wheeler ABS for this market. With our Indian operations, we support the growing domestic OEM's as well as the worldwide OEM's with their production locations in India."

Continental cited India's high fatality rate in vehicular accidents as its motivation for the development of safety features; it believes that safety features shouldn't be a premium option but a basic necessity that comes in-built with new vehicles. Working towards achieving this ambition, Continental is developing a new ABS design for four-wheelers. An evolution of its current MK 70 ABS system, the new MK 100 is smaller, lighter and more compact than its predecessor, and Continental claim that a reduction in price is also one of the key factors in the development of the new system. Continental alluded to India's penchant for smaller vehicles as a significant factor for the re-design. The smaller cars leave lesser room for installation, and lower engine outputs and body weights that go with it mean a more compact ABS system can still be as effective.

Continental's Indian wing has also been working on a new airbag design, Powertrains with higher efficiency and lower emissions, and more technologically advanced information management devices in vehicles, among others.

Continental believe that these strides made to augment their presence in the Indian market will result in greater revenues from within the country, and have set a target of attaining double of the company's current revenues by 2016.

At its annual Safety Seminar held this week in Japan, Toyota has revealed a new technology that uses sonar waves to detect obstacles on a vehicles path at parking speeds.

Parking in increasingly tight spaces in urban environs can get tricky and low obstacles are not always visible to a driver. Toyota's new technology called Intelligent Clearance Sonar detects obstacles in a vehicle's path while parking. The system sounds an alarm while reducing engine power and automatically applies the brakes if there is a risk of collision.

Another system called Drive-Start Control is used to detect if a wrong gear has been selected when the driver uses the accelerator pedal (eg, selecting forward gear instead of reverse while parking). The system flashes a warning and reduces engine output to prevent sudden acceleration.

Toyota will be introducing both these safety systems in their future vehicles.

The Japanese car maker has further developed its Pre-Crash safety system that features in a number of Toyota and Lexus models. A collision avoidance system is now integrated to reduce or prevent rear end impacts altogether even at high speeds.

The new system uses millimetre wave radar technology to monitor the risk of a collision with a vehicle ahead. If the system detects an impact it triggers an alarm to the driver to apply the brakes. Once the brake pedal is depressed, the system can increase brake pressure by as much as double that can be achieved by average drivers. This can slow down the vehicle by as much as 60km/h, when the car is travelling at 80km/h and the car ahead is at a distance of 12.5 metres.

If the driver fails to step on the brakes on time the system can provide deceleration between 14km/h and 30km/h when the car is travelling at 50km/h and the car ahead is at a distance of 12.5 metres.

Toyota has opened a new proving ground at its Higashi-Fuji Technical Centre to test and evaluate its Intelligent Transport System technology. The site extends over 3.5 hectares and simulates a city centre road system, complete with traffic signals to provide a realistic testing facility.

Once proving grounds are fully operational, Toyota will accelerate its research and development for increasing fuel efficiency and work on driver support systems.

Occupant safety has reached new heights in the last few years and while we get to know a whole lot about the measures in place as far as passenger cars are concerned, there seems little progress in the commercial vehicle space. But it isn't so and this most recent adaptation of airbags comes as quite the revelation in terms of avoiding fatal injuries to drivers of big rigs and the likes.

Conventional airbag technology may or may not work as efficiently in a large cabin such as that of a truck but a team from IVECO has come up with a novel way of getting round that problem andndash; with the help of an unlikely source. It seems almost ironic that occupant safety on some of the biggest vehicles on our roads is now inspired by safety suits from some of the smallest vehicles out there andndash; motorcycles A few years back, motorcycle safety gear manufacturer Dainese came up with airbag technology for riders and today it is actively being used in the highest forms of motorcycle racing.

Valentino Rossi, Nicky Hayden, Stefan Bradl and many more go racing wearing Dainese suits equipped with the patented D-air system which is essentially a set of airbags that deploy around the suit using high pressure cold gas technology in the event of a crash thereby cushioning the rider's impact.

In collaboration with IVECO, Dainese has now incorporated the same technology into key elements of commercial vehicles such as the seats. The thought is simple andndash; the airbags deploy upon collision and form a protective cocoon around the occupant but the advantages are immense.

Since the D-air system was initially designed to be integrated into motorcycle suits, it is extremely light, deploys faster and allows the airbags to assume shapes that minimise bulk yet optimize ergonomics around the body. The system is currently being put to use for heavy vehicles and light vehicles but the possibilities are endless. Imagine every seat in a school bus fitted with the system and you immediately understand how effective the technology can be in the event of a mishap. With such flexibility of use and savings in terms of weight and bulk, we could even see this technology line up the seats in our cars soon.

Twenty-four per cent of all motorcycle accidents occur around corners; 5,000 motorcyclists lost their lives on the roads of Europe in 2009.

An Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) can prevent a quarter of the number of two-wheeler road accidents.

Automobile technology major Bosch has come up with Motorcycle Stability Control (MSC), that is an advancement of the company's Anti-lock braking system with the use of sensors and sophisticated software.

Designed for high performance motorcycles the Bosch MSC system works within fractions of a second to limit wheel slippage under acceleration and deceleration, while cornering or riding in a straight line, allowing riders to enjoy the full potential of their motorcycle without adverse consequences.

The MSC system registers the driving dynamics of a motorcycle using an array of sensors, wheel sensors measure the rotational speed of the individual wheels, while an inertia sensor monitors the motorcycle's lean and pitch angles more than 100 times a second.

Using the difference between the rotational speeds of the front and rear wheels along with specific parameters such as tyre size, shape and sensor location, the ABS unit hooked to the bike's onboard computer calculates the limit of brake force that can be applied on the basis of lean angle.

The result is that the pressure modulator in the hydraulic braking system lowers and increases brake pressure within fractions of a second to provide lock free braking for each wheel.

MSC regulates the maximum engine torque on different road surfaces to avoid wheel slippage over surfaces with inadequate traction. The system works with the company's electronic Combined Brake System (eCBS) and applies the correct amount of brake force to each wheel while cornering to stop the wheels from locking and sending the bike sliding, thereby stabilising the bike. MSC also reduces the motorcycle's tendency to return to an upright position under hard braking during cornering.

eCBS is active at all times and even balances brake force distribution between the two wheels even when a rider uses only one of the two brakes.

The Bosch MSC also features wheelie-mitigation and rear-wheel lift-up mitigation. Wheelie-mitigation controls engine torque to stop the front wheel from lifting off the ground while ensuring maximum acceleration. The rear-wheel lift-up mitigation system ensures the back wheel stays in contact with the road to avoid applying maximum brake force on the front wheel on high friction surfaces.

Bosch's new Motorcycle Stability Control like its ABS system will undoubtedly save many lives and prevent countless accidents. However, these systems cannot defy the laws of physics in case of major rider errors. But it will allow riders to extract more performance out of their bikes more of the time.

Car makers are forever in pursuit of lower emissions and viable alternate fuels. Renault has taken a more grassroots level approach to lowering their dependency on fossil fuels by introducing 40 hectares of photovoltaic panels at six of its production facilities in France.

The photovoltaic panels that cover the size of 60 football fields makes it the largest system of its kind in the automobile industry. The panels are located at six covered, ISO 14001 certified sites that include its Douai, Maubeuge, Flins, Batilly, Sandouville and Cleon facilities in the delivery and shipping centres as well as employee parking areas.

The 40 hectares of photovoltaic panels will develop 59MW of power and produce 52,600 MWh of electricity per year. That is enough to provide electricity to a town of 15,000 people in a year. The end result will be an emissions cut of 200 tonnes for the French car maker annually judging by the basis of energy generating mix in the country.

The photovoltaic panels will also be used to protect new vehicles in parking lots from storm damage as the panels have been designed to withstand impacts and hail damage in particular.

Renault is also expanding its photovoltaic system internationally at Busan in South Korea and Palencia and Valladolid in Spain. Meanwhile feasibility studies for implementing the system in Slovenia, Morocco, Brazil, Colombia, Chile and Romania are underway.

BMW stepped into the luxury limousine segment in 1977 with its first generation E23 7 Series sedan. Back then its biggest rival was the Mercedes-Benz S-Class that had been around for a long while. BMW had been making the 5 Series executive luxury sedan for five years before launching the 7 Series and it would take ground breaking technology if it really wanted to shake the king of the segment. The 7 Series since its launch has been neck and neck with the S-Class, while adding a new dimension to the segment, of all round dynamic performance.

1. E23 BMW 7 Series (1977-1986)

The first generation E23 7 Series featured advanced chassis technology, speed-sensitive power steering, electrically adjustable ORVMs, the world's first electronic speedometer and something called Check Control that consisted of an electronic data unit which would tell the driver about engine oil level, brake oil level, coolant level, windscreen washer level, the status of the tail lights and even the thickness of the brake pads. In 1980 BMW introduced the world's first onboard computer in the 7 Series.

Launched in 1977, BMW offered the 7 Series in two variants, the 728 with 172PS of power and the 733i with 199PS of power. BMW's expectations with the 7 Series sedan were nowhere near that of market demand. Surging demand left the Dingolfing plant struggling to keep up. By the end of 1977 BMW had sold 20,000 units of the 7 Series.

In 1979 BMW gave the 7 Series a slew of engines to cover a wide range of power outputs and keep sales on an upward graph. The carburetted engines were replaced by economical and advanced injection units.

The 728i succeeded the 728 and the 733i was usurped by the 732i whose engine electronics were unique to the industry. BMW also introduced a more powerful 3.5-litre 735i that generated 221PS of power. In 1980, BMW introduced the range topping six-cylinder turbocharged and intercooled 745i that made 255PS of power.

When the production run for the first generation BMW 7 Series ended in 1986, a total of 2,85,029 units of the luxury limousine were sold.

2. E32 BMW 7 Series (1986 andndash; 1994)

The second BMW 7 Series featured technical and aesthetic enhancements over its predecessor.

With a broad kidney grille, harmonious lines and L-shaped tail lights, the new 7 Series marked a design hallmark that BMWs of the future would follow. And for the first time, BMW introduced a long wheelbase version of the 7 Series.

Under the modern exterior, BMW had implemented innovative chassis control systems for sporty handling. The most significant technological enhancements included the ASC traction control system with electronic accelerator and drag torque control.

Powertrain options for the second generation BMW 7 Series included six-cylinder engines in the BMW 730i and BMW 735i developing 186PS and 213PS of power respectively.

Then in 1987, the second generation BMW 7 Series became the first car to be powered by Germany's first post-war 12-cylinder engine. The unit was an all- aluminium 5-litre V12 with separate injection, ignition and catalytic converter systems for its two banks of cylinders. But the most astonishing part about the engine was that despite developing 304PS of power and 450Nm of torque it could run on standard petrol.

In 1992, BMW introduced two V8 engines for the 7 Series in the new BMW 730i and the BMW 740i to close the gap between the six cylinder engines and the range topping V12.

BMW later introduced the Adaptive Transmission Management (ATM) on the 745i.

In its eight-year lifespan the second generation BMW 7 Series has sold around 3,11,000 units across the globe.

]]> 0 Abhishek Chaliha http://www.zigwheels.com/news-features/auto-insight/bmw-7-series-lineage/14697/ 2012-11-05 20:59:39 Rahul Basu http://www.zigwheels.com/news-features/auto-insight/volvo-cuts-electric-car-recharging-time-to-15-hours/14665/

Volvo is testing a new fast-charger for electric cars that operates six times faster than todays on-board devices

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Electric cars aren't just promising alternate fuel prototypes anymore, but very functional and environment friendly vehicles operating in real world conditions today. As more and more nations open their eyes and minds to the possibility of such vehicles paving the way to the future of our sustainable mobility needs, news of Volvo's exemplary new fast-charging unit will most certainly put to rest what is better known as 'range anxiety' especially where electric cars are concerned.

The new 22 kW fast-charger developed by the Swedish car maker is the world's first charger that operated on a three-phase supply, and yet is small enough to be fitted in an electric car. Where an ordinary single-phase 230V household outlet takes a total of 8-10 hours (depending on the available current) to completely charge your battery operated vehicle, the new Volvo fast-charger can do it in 1.5 hours.

If you don't have even 90 minutes to spare, you could plug it in for just 30 minutes and give your car enough power drive a good 80 kilometres says Lennart Stegland, Vice President Electric Propulsion Systems, Volvo Car Corporation.

The new charger will be installed and evaluated in a number of Volvo C30 Electric cars and will offer the car owner two possible ways of keeping his car charged up and ready to go. He could 'top up' the battery pack on his car one or more times during the day.

The same low operating cost compared to a car with a conventional power train has always made electric cars good long term investments, but with the advent of such technologies significantly reducing charge times customers could look forward to spending lesser hours in a day powering up their vehicles and more on driving them around with 'zero emission' pride.

]]> 0 Rahul Basu http://www.zigwheels.com/news-features/auto-insight/volvo-cuts-electric-car-recharging-time-to-15-hours/14665/