Ghosn teams up with Bajaj for small car

PUNE: The passion of Rajiv Bajaj, MD of Bajaj Auto, for total productivity management has a new admirer — Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Renault and Nissan. Ghosn, whom Bajaj describes as the “rockstar of the global automotive industry”, was on a whirlwind visit to the Bajaj Auto’s 198-acre two-wheeler manufacturing facility at Chakan, near Pune, on Monday afternoon.

The visit was to announce the collaboration of both Renault and Nissan with BAL for making and selling an ultra low cost car (ULC) priced at around $2,500.

A tough call considering that the latest Bajaj Auto three-wheeler passenger vehicle (RE DD-Fi) is itself priced at $2,500. But not an impossible one, feel both Bajaj and Ghosn. “If Tatas can do it, there is no reason Bajaj cannot with the help of Renault and Nissan,” said Ghosn. He said that Bajaj would lead the tripartite tie-up, while the two global auto makers support the venture in design, engineering and even equity participation in the project if needed.

The idea is to build a car of robust quality that meets the basic requirement of the customers in India initially and then see if it can be exported to other markets, says Ghosn.

If the answer to that is an ‘yes’, which the two companies would know in a few months when the feasibility study is completed, then the ULC car is expected to be launched by end 2011. Whether the new car will have an independent badging or joint badging is yet to be decided.

Ferrari FXX gets faster

The awesome Ferrari FXX supercar has been given an upgrade. More power, better aerodynamics and sharper handling are the result.

29th October 2007

Italian supercar maker Ferrari has given its stunning FXX a bit of a work out. As a result the Enzo based track car gets a power boost, together with tweaks to the bodywork and suspension.

Under the carbon fibre skin is a modified version of the existing 6.3-litre V12 that now churns out 848bhp - 50bhp more than the original. This is connected to a gearbox that has had its shift times reduced from 80 to 60 milliseconds.

To keep the Ferrari on the road engineers have modified the rear spolier and underbody diffuser to give more downforce. At the front revised suspension geometery gives the Evoluzione even sharper steering, while the carbon ceramic brakes now last twice as long.

The modifications have resulted in an an impressive two second reduction in the standard FXX's 1 min 18sec lap of Fiorano. Many of the changes were the work of seven-times F1 champion Michael Shumacher.

The original FXX was developed as a mobile test bed for forthcoming Ferraris, with 30 super rich owners being given the opportunity to buy cars. Each one had to fork out an estimated £1 million pounds for the privilege of driving at 28 private events. Sadly none of the limited model run have ever been made road legal.

Unfortunately there will be no new cars as the modifications are to be carried out on existing versions only. Over the next two years owners will get the opportunity to test the improvements at circuits around the world.