Formula 1, what’s the fuss all about!

The F1 logo...the 'F' and '1' also make a one in the spacing between them! 

   Formula 1 for those who don’t follow it, is so-called ‘sport’ where they make weird looking cars go round and round, some guys crash and some go in a separate lane and get theirs tyres changed super-fast...and the one who is at the foremost of the pack wins and does some showboating by spraying champagne on people around him. And well if now you are thinking ‘holy cow, this guy reads my mind! Isn’t this all what F1 is ?!’ then my naive friend you absolutely need to have a through look at this article!

   F1 is the final word when it comes to technology, team spirit, physical fitness levels and big money along with lavish lifestyles! This entire saga began in 1951 when the first official F1 championship was held...well it wasn't a very big commercial avenue like today. It was more of manufactures like Mercedes, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Maserati and even some private players coming together pitting their machines against one and other with a pack of very gutsy drivers to help them achieve glory. As the rules kept changing the cars began evolving along with the sport and today we have around 800bhp monsters which can reach speeds of up to 340 kmph, accelerate from standstill to a 100 kmph in 1.7 secs and 200 in 3.8 secs and touch 300 in around 9 seconds! And can pull almost 5 G of force and just weigh around 650-700 kgs.

A 2011 Red Bull Racing F1 car and a 1956 Maserati F1 car

   All this is possible only by continuous development, heavy investments and a passion to strive for the best. These factors are solely responsible for the sport to be at the pinnacle of technology and these innovations eventually trickle down to passenger cars making them faster, more fun and safer to drive. Most of the automotive technologies that we are used to have come from F1...from ABS to active suspension the credit goes to Formula 1. Currently F1 uses a KERS system; it stands for Kinetic Energy Recovery System...all this jargon means that the kinetic energy of the moving vehicle which is wasted in the form of heat while braking is converted into electric energy and is stored. This energy can be used by the driver as boost of 60-90 bhp for duration of 6 seconds. A couple of decades down the line, when your son will be insisting on a sexy looking electric saloon, I am pretty sure that today’s KERS inspired tech will be the backbone of that car!

Here's an amazing animated video, explaining the KERS system and also the DRS (Drag Reduction System) in detail..

  And well, to be able to handle and make all this technology work in perfect harmony the driver acts as the pivot...and despite all this even today the most advanced F1 car is nothing without a deserving driver. But we will have more on that later, a small paragraph wouldn’t do justice to this different breed of humans...they deserve an entire article! What makes a race interesting and much more than 24 cars going round and round, are multitude of factors ,some controllable and some not. This year the new Pirelli tyres have shaken things up considerably with their short life span...this has resulted in more pit-stops and thus race strategy becomes more prominent. Many places have been lost and gained just because of botched pit-spot strategy and has won drivers races where it seemed to be impossible to overtake on the track.  And this is just the tip of the iceberg, weather conditions, car setups, mechanical and electrical gremlins and many more factors are able to maintain the air of uncertainty until the chequered flag is waved and the driver crosses the finishing line.

The driver's one has the names of all the previous champions engraved in a spiral starting from the bottom; the contructors champs have their badges stuck on in strategic positions - look closely and you can see the Ferrari, Lotus and Cooper emblems.

   As of now almost half of the 2011 season is over, last year’s constructors’ champion Red Bull Racing is still dominating and Sebastian Vettel is still leading the current championship table. Today the race is held at Nurburgring in Germany, it’s the 10^th race of the season out of the total 19 races. An interesting fact to note is that this time ‘round, 25% of the drivers on the grid are German! So the pressure to perform in front of the home crowd would be immense, but drivers say that it acts more as a motivation to them. And another thing that is out of the ordinary is that, the turns 8 and 9 in the Nurburgring track had been christened as the ‘Schumacher S’ after Michael Schumacher retired in 2006...he made a heroic comeback to F1 last year, and I think it’s the first time a driver would race on corners named after him...what pride! After yesterdays qualifying,  Mark Webber has taken the pole and Lewis Hamilton is 2nd on the grid with Vettel 3rd and the Ferraris of Alonso and Massa not far behind.  The earlier half of the season was largely dominated by Red Bull and the closest contenders Mc'Laren Mercedes and Ferrari were lagging behind a lot. But of-late they have caught up and have brought the fight to the defending champions.With all 3 top performing teams pretty closely tied, it sure makes for a very tantalizing race ahead with rain forecasts, victory could be anybody's bet!    

   So now what are you waiting for! Sunday 5:30 pm do switch over to Star Sports or ESPN HD (if you are the few lucky ones to receive that channel, unfortunately I am not) and enjoy the broadcast of the German Grand Prix live. If speed, technology, super-human driving skills, sportsmanship, ‘clockwork precision’ team work gratify you like cocktail waitresses gratify Tiger Woods...join the band-wagon and dive head first into the realm of Formula 1...

-Gaurav Singh

VW Vento

VW the name that associates German engineering standards with automobiles has marked its presence in Indian market with their creation that is hailed to be a unison of engineering brilliance and comfort. It is called the Vento.

This C segment sedan has created waves in the Indian auto market by giving a run for the money to its competitors.

Looks

German cars have always been not so aesthetically appealing like the Italians or Japs and this is evident with the vento. The first look of the car gives you the feeling of looking at something different which is away from the recent trend of a flowing body design with smooth curves and edges.

The designers at VW which gives this car its identity, the lines are kept sharp with sharp edges around the front bumper, headlamps, and windows. The grills are relatively small but the chrome lines around the grills and fog lamps give it a complete look. The shape of the side mirrors are very appealing and provide good visibility, the semi clear tail lamps give out a signature style which can be spotted from a distance, this feature is usually seen in high end cars like your BMW's and Audi's. One thing which was seen was the use of chrome but in places where it would best suit the look of the car.

Interior

This is the place where the reagrd for German quality is evident,  the quality of material is superb and the use of high grade plastics and fibre does not give out the feeling of getting underpaid. Matt finished chrome is provided on the door lever, ac vents and the dashboard adds a touch of class to the overall soothing interior. We selected the top diesel variant (high-line) but were surprised with certain aspects like the lack of USB and aux support in the music system, no steering mounted controls.

SpaceMax Arrangement for maximum leg space at rear

The rear end of the car was spacious, with the vento VW has done much more than adding a boot to the polo, they have increased the rear track which provides better seating space and legroom. 

A unique feature here is the presence of a lever behind the front passenger seat which can be used to move the seat forward by the rear passenger. The only area for improvement here is the rear head rest which is not at a comfortable position and the relatively large hump in the rear foot space.










Power Train
VW Vento is equipped with 1.6L DOHC(Double Overhead Cam) 4 cylinder petrol as well as diesel engine. Although the power output for both the engines is same at 105 PS we personally liked the diesel variant for its higher efficiency and torque. The diesel plant packs a 250Nm torque @1500-2500rpm.The heart of the car is kept pretty powerful which is evident from the fact that even if you have five passengers and luggage the car would just tackle those ghats and uphills like a normal road.
The transmission provided is 5 Speed manual with front disc brake s and rear drum brakes. The engine compartment is very well placed which the center of gravity of the vehicle at the right level and position. The power to weight ratio is 0.9 PS/Kg.

Handling

Right from the word go, the car has a well engineered engine and transmission system. The engine is complained to be a bit earsplitting at cold start but for us its like music for our ears. The engine does pack a punch  for those overtaking maneuvers on the highway as well as for high speed drives.

15" alloys provide good comfort and stability

The diesel manual variant did have the turbo lag and the turbo kicks in only after 1900rpm, though the interesting part being the red line is at 5000rpm which is not usually seen for diesel power plants. The road grip is good with the 15" wheels and the steering is very nimble and smooth with a finger slot which in-turn makes it easier to use.

One interesting feature here is the presence of adaptive cruise, when the driver driving in 4th or 5th gear at speeds around 50kmph leaves the accelerator pedal the car will continue to cruise between 40 - 50 kmph. The cruising speed isn't high but its worth for those night drives with loved one(s). The only place were problem was faced was in the working of the clutch, the car is a bit jerky one the clutch is released while driving at lower gears.

Running Cost

VW is offering its Vento in both petrol and diesel variants but due to high petrol costs its is providing lower interest rates for its petrol variants. The mileage of the car was relatively good with 21kmpl on the highway and overall around 17kmpl. The service interval is provided at 15000km / 1yr which is great as no one likes to visit the service station too frequently. The diesel variant gave us a running cost of Rs 7.5-8/ km (incl of depreciation cost)

Final Verdict

VW Vento is a good buy but in case you are looking for more aesthetic features and a petrol car the Honda City or the new Hyundai Verna Fluidic. For diesel buyers it is worth the money but some dealers in big cities are providing a long waiting periods but we were able to get the delivery within 15 days from booking.

- Nitesh Bansal

   TGM Blog