“A thing of beauty is a joy forever.”

        The world, as God made it, works on the principle of Yin-Yang. For every good, there is something horrible. For every beauty, there exists a stinker. Like a Rahul Mahajan for every Clint Eastwood. Like a Porsche Cayenne for every Range Rover.

       Automotive design is a prerogative of three dominant schools of thought: form over function and function over form. The Cayenne is an excellent case in the latter point. After the intelligentsia at Stuttgart took care of the function (which naturally came first, this being Porsche!), the design team had its work cut out. Then they gave the world something that went like the bloody blazes and looked like a bloated toad.

Porsche Cayenne and Rang Rover Sport

        The first reports of children being scared to death by its looks started trickling in and the saner heads at Porsche reworked the physog. The resulting Cayenne now looks more like a well-groomed ogre rather than a toothless gargoyle. Despite the initial damage, it still sells. Because the form was dictated by market studies which revealed we had enough boneheads on this planet who would prefer a Cayenne over the perfectly capable, inoffensive looking Rangie.
       I am no Porsche loyalist but I do love the classic 911 and the GT3RS. The overalls go hand-in-glove with the badge and the moniker. I just feel they messed up by taking the 'function over form' thing a tad too seriously and insisted on a family look for all of their models.
      The 'form over function' thought process generally limits itself to concepts. And Maserati. Many of them never see the light of the production day (thankfully preventing a mini holocaust!) some of them are cursed for being brilliant design studies but simply show cars and a couple wrestle their way onto our roads. They invariably are watered down versions of the form they were once conceptualized and presented to us at glitzy auto expos.
       Lately though, auto marques have been bucking this annoying trend. There could be no better example than the Jaguar XF. The production version looks eerily similar to Ian Callum's gorgeous baby, the concept C-XF. Even the bells and whistles that the concept showcased were carried over, like the cryogenic cool rising gear selector (the Jaguar DriveSelect) and the effervescent blue mood lighting. It's brilliant. 

The rotary gear selector rises sensually up after starting the Jaguar XF

     Audi gave us the LeMans concept in a practical suit, christened the R8 and in the process turned 8 year olds into pimply teenagers. Forget the biggies, back home, Maruti Suzuki gave us the Ritz, an unaltered version of the pretty neat Splash concept, while somewhere else Chevrolet lost its collective marbles and thought its concept Beat was, in fact, the actual car and told the world accordingly.
      Thus, they treaded that fine line between form and function, striking a delectable balance between them and flawlessly blending sheer art with engineering expertise. The Europeans (sans the Germans, who seem to have the artistic ability of Fred Flintstone!), seem mighty adept at the art form. The names evoke strong memories: Sergio Pininfarina, Marcello Gandini (who fathered the utterly sinful Lamborghini Miura), Lorenzo Ramaciotti (Ferrari Enzo, another legend) and lots more.

Legendary designer Marcello Gandini and his creation the Lamborghini Miura

     The most beautiful piece of automotive design, then? The matter's highly subjective, obviously. I, for one, vote for the Alfa Romeo 8c Competizione. Trust me, if it were any more stunning, I'd have babies with it! So much for being a Lamborghini devout.

Alfa Romeo 8c Competizione (2007-2009)

        
          In case you missed it, I wrote 'three' schools of thoughts earlier and mentioned only two. The Japanese, the Koreans and worryingly, the Chinese have spawned their own design language, an independent entity which, much like their language and food, is understood just by their own kind. More on that later.


- Guest Writer

 Abhishek Joshi

The Mercedes-Benz R-Class

     A few months back sometime in October this year, Mercedes-Benz launched their R-Class in India. There were a few reports here and there but soon the media frenzy died out and the car went into the magazine's last page car listings. So you might be wondering now, what is the point of this article!

     Well you might have noticed from the images, that this car as no ordinary Merc sedan but a pretty huge MPV. If you are unknown to the term MPV, it stands for Multi-Purpose-Vehicle. Innova and Xylo fall under this category. But this isn't your ordinary people carrier; it's an ultra luxury vehicle which costs almost Rs. 60 lakhs. So this costs a bit more than your average luxury sedans like E-Class and almost comes in the X5 like luxury SUV range.


   The people, who spend this kind of moolah, go with either luxury sedans or luxury SUVs that I have mentioned above. Keeping this in mind let's face the facts. The guy that is spending this much, is almost all of the times a family man, with a nice business or something of that sort. The sedan would give him 5 super comfy seats and a decent boot. If he craves for more space, he can go for the SUV. But that would also mean that he would be shelling out an extra premium for the off-road abilities of the SUV. And it is well known fact that these premium SUVs rarely and almost never get to see the muck and mud of a hardcore off-road track.


   This is where I feel the R-Class hits the sweet spot. It has proper 7 seats, more than ample space and is expected to be at least as if not more comfy than the regular E-Class. It is not as bulky as the SUV, thus manoeuvring in the city traffic wouldn't be a headache. But a corporate head honcho would prefer the subtle looks of a sedan or a menacing SUV, to what basically is a minivan; but I feel this car has a certain cool-factor to it. It is a kind of a niche product. The only downside I see to this amazingly practical vehicle is that despite having a marvellous petrol V6 that gives up to 13kmpl with the help of fuel saving 'blue-efficiency' tech, these segments deserve and rather thrive on diesels. If Merc could get one of their beautiful diesel engines and manages to assemble the car locally, this would further sweeten the deal. This car at around Rs. 40-50 Lakhs would just be sinful!
                          
- Gaurav Singh 

Vardenchi's Vedic Chopper

Date: 20/02/2010.

Location: Marine Drive, Mumbai.

I was out for a drive with my friends on a mission. Mission "SPOT SOMETHING NEW TODAY".

Well!! Yes girls are a thing to spot. But I was out for something different. Some mean wheels, a few wild beasts on the road. But little did I know about the thumping that was about to happen for the next couple of minutes.

Clicked By: Tanmay Tungare

Suddenly, a strong beam of light reflected into my eyes through the centre mirror of my Baleno.

And me, as usual cursed the rider behind for doing that. I was about to utter a few words and we heard the thump.

We slowed down and gave him his way.

Clicked by: Tanmay Tungare

And when I saw it, all I could hear is 5 people in a Baleno saying "OH F**K!!!" in a unison.

Our Eyes popped out by seeing the curves, the long shiny handle,the heavy looking wide rear tyre, alloys shining and what not just in mere 20 seconds!!

We had to chase it. But the traffic scene in Mumbai!! This isn’t right!!! Somehow, we spotted it again and this time, my friend was ready with my camera phone to shoot it.

Let me tell you one thing, we knew nothing about the bike. But still we were left so amazed as if we had spotted a "Bugatti Veyron".

That was the feel of presence the bike made.

What a moment that was !!!

               Almost 10 months now.Enjoying my Exam PL, I was browsing through my videos and I found that video again.After 10 months of curiosity to know "what was that bike all about?". I came through a fan-page of "Vardenchi". And the beast was in front of me, on my laptop screen.

Ok, what exactly is Vardenchi?

               It is a company started in 2005 by "Akshai Varde" by name "The Mumbai Motorcycle Company". The company keeps collective vision of building quality motorcycles and motorcycle products.

It is a 15 member team. Each has a different skill, but passion remains the same. Later on in 2006, the name was changed to "Vardenchi" since it needed a very own personal image. Indeed!! VARDENCHI, which means "belongs to Varde" in Marathi. (VARDE-N-CHI. Its my own funda applied here and may not be true.)

Aim: To build the best custom-made motorcycles in India.

               Vardenchi is well known for its standard of service with a firm control over innovative design and quality. Here, "quality" means not only the design, but also the ride. Vardenchi bikes are a mix of a classic and new age looks.

Courtesy:  Google Images

Vardenchi - Each build will be better than the last.

And they stand by their statement.

Courtesy:  Google Images

Name: Vardenchi Vedic Chopper.

Description: It is craziest custom chopper to hit the Indian streets!!

Customer name: Nimit Mehta.

               Vardenchi's earlier work had been some of the sickest 8 and a half footers and loud thumpers. But this one was built by Akshai himself and maybe this is why he says "It is quite close to the heart".

Built:
 

Courtesy:  Google Images

It is a 9 feet long Royal Enfield and a single seater!!!

A slim and long tank, accentuating the structure with a VM's pop-up gas cap.The controls actually suit the overall theme of the bike.

The single sided swing-arm and belt drive has been a trademark of Vardenchi.

Akshai says "Her handle bars were kept at comfort wide grip and with bare minimum wiring they looked like the wings of the bird just before a flight". And I second that.

He adds "It wasn’t a wonder that when I tested her, she was everything I imagined and more true to the initial imagination of my heels scraping the road on the 1st test".

Artwork:

Courtesy:  Google Image

The plan was to not keep the bike plain white.

Akshai wanted a touch of artwork on it just like other choppers but to make sure that it is unique.And guess what he came out with? The Hanuman Chalisa in English, written in an Indian form of Calligraphy by an artist from Aumchakra design.

Hanuman Chalisa in English. This is something creatively brilliant. Isn’t it?

To add to this sensational beast, was a little celebration.

Nimit had become the proud father to a son a couple of weeks before the bike was made. So, Vardenchi team decided to emboss the bike in chrome on the tank after his son "Vivaan".

What a great piece of artwork? Do check out the video of "Vardenchi's Vedic Chopper" spotted by us.

Your valuable feedback and discussions are always welcome.
Cheers!

-Tejas Kudtarkar
(The Grease Monkey Blog)

Thinking of a New Car?

It is often not easy to decide when it comes to buying a new car. There are loads of things to be taken into consideration for that unmatched synchronisation of a perfect drive and comfort. Tough the Indian car market is growing on healthy rate yet we do miss on certain key aspects when it comes to purchasing a new car.

Here are a few ways in which this big question becomes easier.

Your Requirements

• Your purpose behind buying the car, eg, family car, car for personal use, etc 
• Secondly, the budget or the money you are comfortable to spend on the on-road price of the car.
• Any key features that your are looking for, eg, better mileage, more power,etc

Selecting The Car

• The type of Segment depending upon your requirements and needs.
• This is a major point, buying a diesel or petrol variant. Although many owners opt for a diesel variant for obvious reasons they need to understand that a diesel variant costs around Rs 60,000 to 1 Lac more than its petrol counterpart,moreover using the car for 30-40 thousand km will not help recover the extra moolah spent at the time of buying a diesel ans the running cost difference is around Rs 1-2 per km. (depending upon the car and its mileage)
• Choosing the right car is very important as there is a healthy variety of cars available in each segment.

(TGM tip: take some time out for a test drive and check all the features offered before deciding as its a matter of a pleasurable drive.)

Sealing The Deal

This is a key aspect when it comes to purchasing.

• Always get quotations from 2 or more dealers, if possible.
• Ask for the break-up of the on-road price offered by the dealers.
• Cash discount is available on purchases through loans which varies up to 3% of the loan amount.

(TGM tip: try and opt for 3yrs loan payout as you can save money on the interest to be paid as compared to 5yrs loan payout.)

• In case you already own a car and are selling it for anew one, you can use the no claim bonus, if any to get a discount on the insurance amount for the new car.
• If you are buying at the end of year, insist the dealer for added discount as you are likely to loose a good amount in the re-sale value of the car.
•  Remember, if buying a car in Jan 2011 then the registration will be of 2011 but the car manufacturing will be of 2010, its only by the month of Feb that you will get a 2011 manufactured model.

Once all these are worked out you can set those wheels rolling & drive your way with a new car.

Send us your reviews.

- Nitesh Bansal

  TGM Blog team

Das Boot!

'Das Boot' or the boot is a major benchmark in the Indian market. Having a boot directly escalades the car to the realm of 'Badi Gaadi'...So naturally this segment has been exploited by the manufactures, and how! Yes, I am referring to the trend of simply adding a boot to a hatchback. Though this trend has been prevalent since long (remember the Fiat Petra!), I have recently started noticing it and sort of analysing.
So let's take a look what this segment has to offer...

• Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Dzire is one of the highest selling cars from this segment. And it isn't hard to see why...The car is really very well engineered by the guys at Maruti. And at some level I do feel proud of this car, because the entire process of adding the boot to the Swift has been done by the Indian engineers at Maruti. Kudos. Handling wise it is almost identical to the Swift, just the rear has been softened for more comfort as many cars in this category are chauffer driven. But, and this is a big one, the car is horribly let down by its looks. It does grow on you; well mostly because the owner would be inside the car. But why make other humanity suffer! So buy this if you hate your neighbour and park it in front of his window every day. But jokes apart, it a very logical car and brilliant in all aspects, looks are subjective.
  
  
  
• Tata Indigo Manza
  
  
  
  
  
  This too is right up there when it comes to the sales figures. Like every Tata product to date, it is a very frugal, logical and spacious; more car per car. Tata like Maruti understands our market very well, and Manza is just what the doctor ordered! The car is huge, I mean colossally huge. It would easily put a car two segments above it to shame. The downside is that it is a Tata and the quality levels are not up to standard, handling and performance wise do expect everything as in the Vista. Now I come to the looks, like the Dzire the job of attaching a boot though from the engineering point of view has been done perfectly, it doesn't score much on aesthetics. The rear overhang is just too large and completely out of proportions. But still I don't find it as preposterous as the Maruti, some do, but an option that has to be considered.
  
  
  
• Fiat Linea
  
  
  
  
  
  Some may not agree, but I have come across people who don't know that the Linea is actually based on the Punto, it's the Punto with a boot-job! And this says a lot doesn't it...the Italians have done this so perfectly that at first glance it is not evident at all. This is a really gorgeous, pretty and attractive car, I doubt someone may disagree. Earlier it had been let down by the lack of outright power, but the recent launch of the turbocharged petrol variant has given this Italian beauty a shot in the arm. It now has the power which compliments its brilliant chassis and handling. But the picture isn't so rosy here either, rear headroom is at a premium and overall fit and finish isn't that amazing. And then there's the Fiat brand image which isn't so remarkable. A product I would say that can be appreciated by a true fan, just like expensive scotch or wine. The car for a Connoisseur.
  
  
  
• Volkswagen Vento
  
  
  
  
  
  Vento is the new kid on the block. It's packed with legendary German engineering and has incredible looks. If Linea is the Italian beauty, Vento is the Hollywood hunk. Its chiseled looks are attractive, but I wish they would have done something to the front so that the Polo lineage wouldn't be so obvious. Sales as of now are good, it is a good product. Brilliant engine options and seemingly reliable operation are a few of the plus points. Handling and ride wise, it is satisfactory but not for the enthusiasts. Interior quality is up to the international standards et al. When buying in this segment, not considering this is a sin!
  
  
  
  So this sums it all up I guess, 'Das Boot' concept works!!! Now some smarty pants out there might point out that the SX4 is too a hatchback originally and the boot has been added for our market. Yes, I agree but without the hatchback here, I doubt it would have fit in. These smarty pants would say then, what about the City, it too is a Jazz with a boot. The city has been engineered separately internationally since very long and our market was introduced with the hatch much later, so just didn't feel like it..! And heres one amusing fact...the 1st three cars use the same diesel engine, the Fiat 1.3 Multi-jet in some form or the other!! 

-Gaurav Singh

Simple tips that can help you save loads on fuel bills!

If you are reading this, I think I can assume correctly that you are an automobile enthusiast and/or enjoy driving. Yes, I know revving the engine so hard that it feels like its gonna explode is fun..nothing can beat the happiness the upper end of the rev band can give you. But the down side is, under such horrific conditions, your engine might be giving an economy of barely 4-5 kmpl. Some of you must be having a smug smile on your face right now thinking 'ha -ha-ha , suckers! I drive a Maruti/Hyundai...'. Am sorry to say, the same figures apply to you too sir! So here are a few simple tips to avoid this...

• Don’t start and stop engine needlessly. Idling your engine for one minute consumes the gas amount equivalent to when you start the engine.

• Avoid "revving" the engine, especially just before you switch the engine off; this wastes fuel needlessly and washes oil down from the inside cylinder walls, owing to loss of oil pressure.

• Eliminate jack-rabbit starts. Accelerate slowly when starting from dead stop. Don’t push pedal down more than 1/4 of the total foot travel.

• Travelling at fast rates in low gears can consume up to 45% more fuel than is needed.

• Manual shift driven cars allow you to change to highest gear as soon as possible, thereby letting you save gas if you "nurse it along". However, if you cause the engine to "bog down"(KNOCK), premature wearing of engine parts occurs.

• Keep windows closed when travelling at highway speeds. Open windows cause air drag, reducing your mileage by 10%.

• Drive steadily. Slowing down or speeding up wastes fuel. Also avoid tailgating - the driver in front of you is unpredictable. Not only is it unsafe, but if affects your economy, if he slows down unexpectedly.

• The best way to save FUEL is to ‘THINK AHEAD’ while driving. Do not accelerate unnecessarily.

• Do not rest left foot on floor board pedals while driving. The slightest pressure puts "mechanical drag" on components, wearing them down prematurely. This "dragging" also demands additional fuel usage.

• Avoid rough roads whenever possible, because dirt or gravel robs you of up to 30% of your gas mileage.

• Use alternate roads that are safer, shorter and straighter. Compare travelling distance differences - remember that corners, curves and lane jumping require extra gas. The shortest distance between two points is always straight.

• Signals are usually timed for your motoring advantage. By travelling steadily at the legal speed limit you boost your chances of having the "green light" all the way.

• Automatic transmissions should be allowed to cool down when your car is idling at a standstill, e.g. railroad crossings, long traffic lights, etc. Place gear into neutral position. This reduces transmission strain and allows transmission to cool.

• Park car so that you can later begin to travel in forward gear; avoid reverse-forward maneuvering while exiting, to save fuel.

• Regular tune-ups ensure best economy; check owner’s manual for recommended maintenance intervals. Special attention should be given to maintaining clean air filters... diminished air flow increases gas waste.

• Inspect suspension and chassis parts for occasional misalignment. Bent wheels, axels, bad shocks, broken springs, etc. create engine drag and are unsafe at high travelling speeds.

• Inflate all tires to maximum limit. Each tire should be, balanced and checked for out-of-round. Radial designs are the recognized fuel-savers; check manufacturer’s specifications for maximum tire pressures.

• Auto air conditioners can reduce fuel economy by 10% to 20%. Heater fan, power windows and seats increase engine load; the more load on your engine, the less kilometres per litre.

• Remove excess weight from trunk or inside of car - extra tires, back seats, unnecessary heavy parts.

• Distribute passenger weight evenly throughout car.

• While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 100 kph.

• Keep your Engine properly tuned.

• Fixing a car that is noticeably out of tune or has failed an emission test,can improve its fuel mileage by 4 percent.Though results vary based on the kind of repair and how well it is done. Fixing a serious maintenance problem, such as a faulty oxygen sensor, can improve your mileage by as much as 40 percent.

• Check replace Air Filters regularly.Replacing a clogged air filter can improve your car’s gas mileage by as much as 10 percent. Your car’s air filter keeps impurities from damaging the inside of your engine. Not only will replacing a dirty air filter save gas, it will protect your engine.

....So there you go, chances are you might already be knowing many of these points, and chances are when you will see the tank half full, you will say screw you economical driving I am going bonkers! But trust me, when you know that you are really low on fuel, efficient driving will take you places you wouldn't have ever imagined, literally.

Wishing you a Safe and Green Drive

The Grease Monkey Team

The Indian Classic, 1994 E-Class

Like most of you, I drive hatchbacks and sometimes cars, a segment or two, above it. So today when I came to know I’ll get to drive the old E-class around, I rushed to the spot. From inside, it was pretty different...the controls for everything from the light stalks to the air-con was unlike the current standards. But nothing that a few minutes of fiddling here and there couldn’t solve. The black leather and wood like dash panelling looked elegant. I personally liked the small analogue watch in the instrument panel.

The car I was driving was a W124 E220 i.e. 2.2l Inline-4 engine producing 150BHP. I put 1^st, the gear lever had a nice tactile feel to it, just went right into the slot desired. Feedback from the clutch and accelerator pedal took a few minutes to get used to. And from there onwards began my journey which made me realize what that 3-pointed star on the hood actually means.

The first thing I noticed was that the car was bulky and its big dimensions were constantly bothering me at the back of my mind. I approached the building gate, and the bored watchman suddenly came into attention and gave me a military like salute. The bumps that had me bobbing all over the place, in my i20 went past like just two small stones. Damn, that was just amazing. Soon I reached the highway and that is where I let all the 150 horses loose. The thing that was worth noticing was that, unlike the hatches there isn’t a sense of urgency when you put your foot down, there is a smooth build up of momentum and the car just effortlessly moves. One look at the speedometer and I've already touched 100kph, it did that in around 10-11 seconds. Far ahead I could see a long flowing corner, from my experience on the potholes, I assumed that here comes a ton of body roll...and to my surprise the car held its composure and gait.

Then I took some horrible interior roads. The car had pretty nice low-end torque, normally at the places where we select 2^nd, this car could easily manage 3^rd and cruise effortlessly. So by now, the brand had been established and so was the engine. In this leg of the journey, what I realised was equally important, the fit and finish of the interiors. Despite going over a bone jarring road, there was absolutely zero rattle from any corner of the car. The only audible noise apart from the blower was the solid ‘thud’ of the suspension. And this was after 16 years of production; I've been in cars that sound much worse even though they were barely 6 years old! By the end of my run, I was pretty accustomed to the braking, power delivery and the cars size, so I had the confidence to throw it around a bit, and damn it was so rewarding!

Now let me come to the practicality of this car. There is tremendous space inside and the boot is very large. The equipment list it comes with, many manufacturers have started giving those in hatches just now. This car/brand is known to have practically no electrical gremlins. And what does it cost? You can easily get your hands on one in about 4-5 lakhs, now that is serious small hatchback money. But the picture isn’t so rosy after all...if any problem arises fixing it will be costly, parts are costly and the car barely gave me an average of around 7-8 kmpl.

So if you want to spend 5 lakhs on your 1^st car, please for heaven sakes look away. If you already own a car or two, this car can be the one for you if you have the courage to maintain it. And if maintained properly, you will definitely reap the benefits, and how! And plus it is a proper rear-wheel-drive car (http://tgmpost.blogspot.com/2010/09/drifting-seriously.html). It is pretty famous abroad, with AMG kits easily available, you know what I am talking about!! I very much liked this car, and many critics who have driven all Mercs have called it ‘last real Mercedes ever made.’

So in the end, I sat back in the i20...as I crossed the building gate, the watchman dint even bother to open the gate properly. The i20 felt like this nifty little mouse, as I missed the poise of the Merc. All hail the W124, The Indian Classic.

-Gaurav Singh

Drifting, seriously?

  No don’t get the heading wrong...I love drifting, and I don’t think anything can be as exciting as a long power slide. But, sadly experiencing that over here in India is not very easy, at least for the common man...

  Like the rest of the world, we do have teenagers/rash drivers/maniacs/racers/enthusiasts, whatever you may, but unlike the rest of the world, we don’t have cheap powerful rear wheel drive cars. So the guys over here simply call even the smallest ‘rear-out’ moment as drifting. No you imbecile, it’s called a hand-brake turn or just yanking the hand-brake, not DRIFTING. My heart just pains when I hear people saying ‘Dude, my friend did this crazy drift yesterday man...in his Alto’.

  Drifting is an art, no, seriously it is. Looking at a perfect smoothly flowing drift is no less than ogling at a Michelangelo. It requires a perfect entry, a perfect technique to get the rear out...and then starts the addictive and highly pleasurable game of balancing the car, while it’s going forwards sideways. Small changes of counter-steer and teasing the throttle get this right and you will have a grin on your face stretching from Texas to Tokyo.

  So when a dude, goes around bragging that he drifts in his Swift...it saddens me, as he is disrespecting this art. Drifting, seriously...?    


- Gaurav Singh

In Car Entertainment System Part III

When it comes to car music system the most essential part according to many is selecting & buying the components but to be true ‘proper installation’ makes the system stand apart. An expensive system will sound like “Just Another” system if not installed correctly.

We aren’t just talking about location and mounting of the speakers/ tweeters/ sub woofer, there is another aspect to music system which integrates the components with each other & gives you the sweet sound of happiness….

Electrical Connection

Most of us leave this part to our sales person but a little know how can save you from being cheated upon.

In car speaker system the power comes from the battery. A stronger battery delivers more power which controls the current in the system. However, the strength of the current in a car audio system does not remain the same and reduces due to components in the car audio system that is why the car owner must know how to wire car speaker systems.

The most commonly used way is the parallel connection, in this the speakers share the same voltage, and that voltage coming from the speakers goes to the amplifier (shared power) i.e. more current can flow through each of those same speakers.

Wiring

Wiring Harnesses

If you are planning on replacing your factory head unit but want to be able to put it back in easily, like if you sell your car later on, a wiring harness adapter kit will be needed. These are specially designed for each car and allow you to disconnect your stock radio and connect a new head unit without cutting your original wiring. The wiring harness plugs into your existing wiring and allows you to connect a new head unit to the harness.

RCA Cables

These are the cables used to transfer pre-amp signals. Usually, you use this type of cable for unamplified signals such as the connection between your head unit and amp or crossovers or equalizer unit. Look for appropriate thickness and shielding. The end connectors should be sturdy to prevent breakage from stress. Some expensive cables come with gold plated connectors which improve the connection quality and last longer since they don’t wear out as quickly as unplated connectors.

Speaker Cables

When the signal from the head unit is amplified it becomes much stronger and requires thicker cable to carry it. This is even more dramatic for subwoofer wiring. Use something between 8 gauge and 14 gauge wiring for subwoofers since a lot of current has to flow through those wires. For tweeters and midranges thickness is less critical but still important because appropriate shielding is still necessary to prevent leakage and contamination from outside sources.

Installation

There are different ways for one to install their speakers & sub woofers which determine the quality of desired sound. Basically there are 3 main categories:

1. One’s who will buy the head unit and speakers only and get the speakers installed either in the door panel or the rear tray as per the arrangement provided by the car manufacturer.

Cost: Almost nil, just the labour cost.

2. These types of people like to go a step further by installing an additional amplifier and sub woofer for that extra effect punch and effect which is missing in a regular system and speakers. Usual mounting is done by making a cut-out in the rear tray for the speakers and the sub or having a sub woofer box in the trunk.

One can also opt for the coaxial speakers with cut-out in the rear tray for that better sound but it alters the look a lot.

Cost: Woofer mountings may cost a few bucks, but all the cutting and fitting will be a bit more expensive than regular fitting.

3. Here we have the true audiophiles who will go to a great deal just for that perfect sound. You are likely to find all the essential components in their car along with crossovers and equalizers, customized enclosures for sub, speakers & tweeters. Money isn’t the deicing factor for them while selecting their system.

Cost: Dude, you gotta have some serious moolah!

 

Customized Sub Woofer Boxes

 

Free air:

It is basically mounting the subwoofers to a board and then placed behind the rear seat of the vehicle. The trunk acts as the entire box, so for the best performance, it is important to have an air-tight trunk seal. It is the simplest and easiest to follow design available to house your subwoofer. These are most commonly used and offer good sound quality at least cost but have poor low frequency response.

Ported:

These boxes also provide a round port behind the speaker, hence the name. Ported subwoofer enclosures are always bigger than a standard sealed enclosure. These enclosures have a wide audience because of its ability to make most types of music sound good. They have good sound quality with higher sound and volume than a sealed enclosure & mainly a strong mid bass sound.

Sealed:

A sealed subwoofer enclosure is a sealed box that is completely and totally airtight that provides a home for the woofer. It is must for tight & high quality bass with less booming type of music. Ample power is a must for sealed subwoofer enclosures and the best method is to use an amplifier for the additional power. The tight accurate bass that this type of box offers is only guaranteed if the box the speaker is put into is constructed correctly without any air able to get in, which is why most stereo enthusiasts purchase them from someone else.

Band pass (6th oreder):

The 6th order bandpass enclosure is ported, meaning has vents, in both the front and rear leaving the rest of the box completely sealed. It offers more bass over a narrow frequency range with additional sound effect. Its large enclosure makes it less suitable for installation in cars.

Fiberglass/ Plexiglas:

Plexiglas subwoofer enclosures are one of the preferred ad they are very durable. Even though they may feel like they are not sturdy, they are a great protective source for your subwoofer. Plexiglas subwoofer enclosures are also very nice looking. If you are looking for a way to spruce up your car Plexiglas is definitely one of your best options.

Aperiodic & Isobaric:

These are good for tight & accurate bass but offer less booming effect. They a bit complicated to design and tune. Isobaric gives the best bass for its small size but the sub woofer is exposed which is a major drawback.

Transmission line:

A transmission line subwoofer is comprised of a waveguide system. It produces a very characteristic and unmistakable bass that many people enjoy. It is an extended low end response that those who desire a more realistic and tight sounding bass would not appreciate this enclosure. One drawback to a transmission line subwoofer is the size of the enclosure as it is typically quite large to accommodate the waveguide system.

Do's & Don'ts

• Always opt for a genuine dealer for your purchase as there are less chances of geting duplicate parts.
• Do specify the salesperson the type of sound or output you want from the system.
• Always enquire about the continous or RMS (Root Mean Square) power handling of the components.
• Stand at a distance of 1 metre while checking the sound of any co-axial speaker.
• Do check the quality and the strength of the boxes used to enclose a sub woofer as it directly affects the quality of sound.
• Always insist on high quality wiring as jus t for the sake of few bucks the performance of the system can get degraded.
• Lastly, something most of us forget, get the system included in your car insurance cover.

This brings us to the end of your effort to help you understand your priced installation. There are many more things we could have included but that would have confused our readers who didn't know much about car systems.

If you have done something with your car and think it is worthy of being featured in our blog, then mail us the pics.

- Grease Monkey Blog Team

In Car Entertainment System - Part II

In this part we bring to you the basic things that one should keep in mind while going for a car system. There are a variety of things are to be considered but certain key aspects stand out as the decision making factors. So, read on..

Planning and Buying

 

A bare-basic system will include a head unit and two to four speakers. But to find the best you can afford and get the best sound out of your car will take a fair bit of research and a competent installer. Compromise is inevitable, given the average consumer’s usually limited budget. An ICE setup can cost anything in range of a few thousands to a few lakhs.

 You should start by listing down a few things which you should use as a guideline. Start with the budget (very important, since you can go overboard very easily!), what music formats are the most common in your library, what kind of connectivity you would like in your receiver (iPod, USB, SD card), any other features you may want (Bluetooth or phone compatibility, navigation) and whether you want to hook up a head-rest monitor or overhead screen for video playback for rear passengers. You've also got to be certain about what you're expecting from the system and also look at what kind of music genre you primarily listen to. Some systems configured for pure video may end up doing a shoddy job of reproducing a natural soundstage when listening to a concert for example. And you need to understand whether it's nice crisp bass you fancy or whether you want a lot of boom. So list all these down methodically and try and stick to the list since it is very easy to get tempted to spend more money and not arrive at the kind of sound you had envisaged in your car.

  First we’ll walk you through an example system that we believe includes everything you need to have a pretty good sounding system. Here’s a nice tip for you, do not do everything at once, especially since budgets can be a deciding factor and you can build the system over a few years. With a little planning you can upgrade your system in steps and that way it’s like getting a new system every time you change something instead of getting everything at once!

Setup

 
   A good system should start off with a good head unit that either has a DVD or a CD player which will play all the regular sound formats (mp3, aac, wma). You may like something with an iPod control or an Aux-In since that will make it more usable. Next, a component kit with a good midrange/tweeter set for the front rather than coaxial. Since, head units generally do not put out enough clean power so you may want an amplifier to drive the speakers. In the rear where you only need some ‘fill’ for ambiance you can get away with cheaper coaxials and set their level lower than the fronts to keep the sound stage in front. A modest (50x4) 4 channel amp is a good choice here for powering the component set up front and the rear speakers. Midranges sound best when they do not play bass so you will want a 2 way electronic crossover, which should come as part of the component kit. Most people are happy with a single 10" subwoofer or a pair of 12"s. Use an appropriate enclosure and a big amp (at least 75x2, preferably even more) or run a monoblock for the sub. Throw in installation and wiring accessories (like fuses and distribution blocks).

Head unit: 7,000 – 15,000

4-channel amp for highs: 9,000 – 16,000

2-channel amp for lows: 9,000 – 18,000

Sub(s) (1-10" to 2-12"): 4,500 – 16,000

Enclosure (Bandpass) for sub(s): 2500 – 4000

Component set: 4,500 – 12,000

Coaxials for rear fill: 3,000 – 8,000

Wiring and Accessories: 1,500 – 4,000

Installation: 1,500 – 3,000

   This comes out to close to 42,000 for quality setup. However, the things listed above are what we feel is necessary to have a system with only a few compromises. If you are less concerned about highs, get coaxials in front instead of the component set and power them off of the head unit and use some bass blockers on them. This will save you quite a bit! You could also consider getting an active subwoofer instead of running a separate amp and a subwoofer with a custom enclosure. Getting a bargain head unit can save you some money as well and you should try and negotiate with the installer on the total package cost.  So proper planning and selection of components according to ones needs it can be brought down easily.

   If you are really not hot on bass, you can forgo all the bass related equipment and run your component set full range. This will still give you clean sound but not much bass. However, you might end up saving some money. When buying equipment try to spend time listening to it before you buy, especially with speakers. Also try to use equipment that is similar to yours when listening in a store. As for amps, it costs money to build a good amp so if you see some awesome price on an amp you have never heard of before, it is probably a piece of junk. Stick with good names with amplifiers and speakers.  So an alternative setup may be as,

Head unit: 7,000 – 15,000

Active Sub-Woofer :  8,000 – 18,000

Coaxials for front & rear: 6,000-12,000

Wiring and Accessories: 1,500 – 2,500

Installation: 1,500 – 3,000

   This setup should set you back by roughly 25,000-30,000. Only you know what kind of system you can be happy with so let your ears be the guide when it comes to your car audio system, since what sound might appeal to you, may not appeal to your friends.
 And since money doesn’t grow on trees and you want an immediately better sounding system, just changing the factory speakers and getting better speaker wiring will help. And whatever it is, remember it’s your car and your ears so don’t get taken in by sales spiel and buy something you do not need or can’t really afford!

    Very high end audio setups include everything from adding high quality components with dedicated amps, at least two sub woofers with their own amps. Today a lot of people add two or more screens and some newer headunits support Dolby 5.1 for DVD playback. There’s no dearth of what you can really cram into your car. If you think that your car’s electrical system can’t stand it, you can always add in a deep cycle battery and capacitors to handle the extra load when the bass really hits! Setups like this can start at a mere Lakh and go to several Lakh Rupees. It all boils down to what brands you want in your car and how loud or customized you want it to get.

More to come on Part 3 about installations, brands & more. So stay tuned


-The Grease Monkey Blog Team

In Car Entertainment System - Part I

In-Car-Entertainment, also called as ICE has very humble beginnings from back in 1930 when the 1st car radio was launched called Motorola 5T71, and today it has flourished into a mutli-billion dollar industry. ICE is a vital part of our daily lives, I doubt one can imagine traveling somewhere without music!! These days the car manufacturers have realized this, and now even the entry level cars come with factory mounted music systems. Though these may be good enough for a general user, many audiophiles want more...and boy do they have options!

So to elaborate more, here we have a small guide. And we start with the basic components required for a good ICE system.

Head Units/Receivers

The head unit, also called as a receiver, is the part of the car stereo that you interact with most. So it is important to get one that ‘feels’ good to you and something you’d like to look at every day. Since many models in the same price range are similar in features and sound quality, usability is often the deciding factor between models. The most common features on a head-unit today would be playback of a disc with support for MP3, WMA, AAC and Audio CD formats. In addition there is the standard AM/FM tuner and some units now sport an Aux-In and a USB port which allows you to plug in a pen-drive. Most receivers today support iPod connectivity although full-iPod control through the USB is something that not all manufacturers have in the market at the moment.

2 DIN Head Unit

When you’re looking at a receiver also consider whether it has Pre-amp outputs. These are must for any serious upgrades later on and are quite desirable in the head unit. These outputs allow you to run an amplifier directly and this is the cleanest signal output from a receiver. If your vehicle has a 2DIN slot you can go for double-DIN sized system. This widens your options since you can get a full-touch-screen based system with an in-dash DVD, and for those who want navigation this is a definite plus. With a large display you can install a reverse-camera for your car and have the camera image on your system display.

Manufacturers often use terms like ‘music power’ or ‘peak power’ which have little real meaning because there is no standard definition of those terms. If the power is quoted in ‘RMS’ terms then it is usually accurate. However, there is still one other place of misconception. Often manufacturers will quote power as ‘30watts x 4 RMS’. What they are implying here is that all 4 channels can produce 30watts RMS at the same time as a total and not per channel.

Amplifiers

To arrive at clean playing sound through the speakers your amplifier has to be up to the task. As explained before each receiver does have a built in amplifier but in order to get clean and powerful sound a dedicated amplifier is the right thing to do. Amplifiers, head units and speakers have to be matched well, so it is best to leave it to a professional installer if you’re still experimenting, since it can prove to an expensive mistake. Most installers in a mid-to-high end system will use a four channel amp to power your components inside of the car and a dedicated mono-block amplifier to run the sub-woofer. Do look at the construction and "feel" of the amp as well to help make your decision and you can always request for a demo on a vehicle with a similar setup to what you’d like to run to understand the difference an amp will make.

Speakers

Co-axial 6x9 speakers

The speakers are very important too, an awesome head unit and amp pair will be utter waste until nice quality speakers aren’t installed! A speaker called a tweeter reproduces high frequencies generally above 2 kHz. Tweeters are small and lightweight so they can respond quickly. Very little power is required for powering tweeters because they are very efficient.

However, the most common upgrade from the factory speakers are to a pair of Coaxial speakers which have the woofer and tweeter packaged in one unit. An improvement over the co-axial speaker can be seen in almost all cars with speaker upgrades. It is the ubiquitous ‘oval’ or 6x9 composite-speakers which has a mid-bass woofer, a mid range and a tweeter. This is a fair compromise without having to invest in separate components and unless you’re a true audiophile, you’ll be more than satisfied with the clarity and punch most of these speakers have.

Sub-woofers & Enclosures

Woofers are typically large and are sized anywhere from 8” to 18”, they are exact opposite of tweeters because they usually require large amounts of power to really move air. Woofers are meant to produce sound at frequencies below 250 Hz and often just below 100 Hz as in the case of sub-woofers.

The oldest and most popular type is a sealed enclosure. This method simply has the woofer firing into the car and the back wave is suppressed inside the box. This method usually produces tight accurate bass but is not as efficient. Also this method typically requires a large box to work well. Finally because of the lower efficiency of this design more powerful amps and woofers are needed to play loudly.

10" Tube Sub-Woofer

For people with limited boot space there’s always the bazooka tube sub-woofer enclosure which can utilize a smaller woofer and yet produce twice the amount of ‘loud boom’ thanks to the tube-bazooka design. This works well in hatchbacks or small sedans where space is at a premium. Another sensible option to get some punch into a small and basic install (which is just a receiver and four speakers) is to add an active sub-woofer. Essentially this is just a sub-woofer in an enclosure with its own dedicated built-in amplifier. This works well on the cost front with an active sub-woofer costing a tad less than if you’d add all the components separately. There’s also less wiring to deal with and it makes for a neater install. Several manufacturers in India have good quality active sub-woofers and if you get a slim packaged sub, you could even fit it under a seat.

 

Crossovers

An electronic crossover takes a full range signal and divides it into different frequency ranges. The most common types are 2-way or 3-way. A 2-way crossover divides the frequency range in half at some cut off frequency. All signals below the cut off frequency are routed to a low pass pre-amp output and the rest are sent to a high pass output. Usually these are just simple high pass or low pass units. You connect a high pass crossover to a speaker to block bass to that speaker. Some people call these “bass blockers”. You use a low pass crossover with a woofer so it only plays "lows." Typically component speakers (Coaxial speakers) which will consist of a mid range driver and a tweeter will come with a crossover which will split the sound and deliver quality sound that each individual speaker.

Sound processors / Equalizers

Equalizers give you the capability to fine tune your system. It is virtually impossible to get speakers to reproduce sound perfectly, and in a multiple speaker system things are even more complex because the different drivers interact with each other. With an equalizer you can boost or cut certain frequency ranges to tailor the overall sound to whatever you desire.

For real audiophiles, a lot of manufacturers have a separate EQ module with its own screen which allows you to fine tune the sound over and above what you’d be able to do with just your receiver. The number of bands in an equalizer tells you how fine an adjustment you can make. You can get a 10 band equalizer which breaks up the audio range into 10 parts, real audiophiles will love a 30 band EQ module, but be warned – these should only be considered if you’re a true connoisseur.

So much for the basic idea on the various elements of ICE systems, we hope that whatever has been mentioned helps you understand your system in much better way.

Coming up this week more on buying and setup, tuning, brands etc., so stay tuned...

- Grease Monkey Blog Team