Top Gear has been known for doing extra-ordinary, unusual and absurd things right from lighting up a car on fire cause they think its ugly, to blowing up a car just to see how much it withstands the impact. Maybe this time in India, they can do a performance test of the Nano with the Stig driving it down the hill? why not? Or maybe put Stig to the Ultimate test by making him race against Rajnikanth?

Considering how the men of Top Gear have angered various nations like Malaysia when Clarkson said that the Perodua Kelisa was built by men in jungles wearing leaves for shoes or when Richard Hammond used the words “lazy, feckless and flatulent” to describe Mexicans, we sure hope there is nothing bitter when they leave India. But knowing Clarkson well, there’s a good chance something he says will not go down well with India.

Hopes are high as the three stooges are getting ready to set foot in Indian soil for their Christmas special. This will be Clarkson’s first visit to India after he filmed for his MotorWorld program showing Indian roads as ones infested with cows.

Top Gear as expected has no kindness,  soft corner or understanding for Indian products. They termed Indica (CityRover) as the worst car tested on the show and compared the Nano’s front-end to cartoon character Pokemon. During the same part of the show Clarkson remarked that the base Nano variant (costing less than 2,000 UK pounds) would have a mule (pulling) in front.

I hope Jeremy and his team understand why we designed cars like the Nano after he spends a morning trying to battle arrogant auto rickshaws, criss-crossing two wheelers, trucks on high beam racing towards you at night, relaxing animals on the expressway, wallet-busting petrol prices and the lack of basic infrastructure or parking spaces as he constantly battles for his bit of space on the Indian “warzone.”

This will be one episode you would not want to miss!

[Source - WitneyTV]

‘Down to earth’, a store based in Auroville (Pondicherry) a platform for young designers, will host a small exhibition cum sale in Chennai to showcase their talent as well as lend a helping hand to Goody Two Shoes.

Items on display will be Cushions, Table runners, Votive candles, Earthenware, oil on canvas pop art paintings by French artists, Funky pot holders and Stationery holders made from recycled tin mugs, mini barbeque sets, etc.

15% of the profit from every product sold will go towards Goody two Shoes Inc’s July initiative which is striving to provide a week’s supply of a nourishing packet of milk and tender coconut water for every patient undergoing chemotherapy at the Cancer Research Institute, Chennai.

Please drop in to encourage the designers and artisans who have come together to create this charity event that will put a smile on children and adults affected by cancer. By purchasing the products on sale you would be contributing to a noble cause and walking away with exclusive pieces of eco-friendly art at the same time.

Also available are home made cakes, cookies and other goodies, at ‘down to earth’ prices.

Looking forward to seeing you there,
Anu & Sunanda,
Co-founders,
Goody Two Shoes Inc

Venue : studio DCode
Timings – 12PM – 8PM
New no. 16, Old no.21,
Cenotaph 1st street,
Alwarpet, Chennai -18
(Nr. Japanese Embassy)

Contact numbers – Harini – 99620 25122 / Anupama – 99410 71874

For IAB readers – I will be working out of studio DCode all week long. I will be happy to sit with you over a hot cuppa and discuss what we share in common – love for automobiles. Will I see you there tomorrow?

Thank you,
Shrawan Raja

Example items on sale at Studio DCode

1) Mahindra W201 up close spy video
2) Nissan Pickup truck caught testing near Chennai
3) More Mahindra W201 spy shots and information
4) News from Skoda, Mercedes Benz, Mahindra, Tata Motors and Maruti Suzuki
5) International news from steeringnews.com

So better stay tuned!

[Image Source - piedpatter.wordpress.com]

Requirements applicants must satisfy -

1) You must have equal passion for cars and motorcycles. An idea of the Indian automotive industry is important and an idea of overseas markets is a bonus.
2) This job is for the post of a writer, so your writing skills have to be very good. You must have the ability to send us well written articles that are informative and entertaining.
3) You need to have a good idea about the bike scene in India and hold a valid 2- and 4-wheeler driving license.
4) You need to have a good camera, a DSLR is a bonus.

Ideally we are looking at a writer who can mail us about three-four short news articles per day Monday-Saturday and represent our blogs at various launches and conferences in and around Delhi. You might have to take off from work for a few hours on launch/event days. Delhi events are usually conducted before lunch time. If you will not be able to take off from work, this position is not for you.

Are you interested or know someone who will be? Then do us a favor by sending a link of this page to them.

To apply you have to send an email with the subject line “Indian Autos Blog Delhi representative” to notjustshrawan(at)gmail.com with prior examples of your work. If you don’t have ready examples, write two 250 word articles related to any car or motorcycle plus a few lines about yourself, the blogs you read everyday, your educational background and work experience if any.

If you are the lucky one, we’ll contact you shortly with more information on the details of the position.

We will read through every application, but we may not be able to respond to each email individually.

This is exactly what we are looking for:

1) Primary but goes without saying – you need to be passionate about cars and motorcycles. You should have a rough idea about the auto industry in India.
2) Fluency in English is a must. Writing skills have to be immaculate and the ability to produce well written articles that have informative and entertaining sides to it is another compulsory requirement.

Ideally we want someone to produce about 4-5 articles per day Monday-Saturday and look into stories coming in from our Mumbai and Delhi writers through the day. Work load will increase during launch days and build up to launches. Having said that you might not have to report to your office desk everyday.

Are you interested? Know someone who is? Then do us a favor by sending a link of this page to them.

To apply you have to send us an email with the subject line “Indian Autos Blog assistant editor” to notjustshrawan(at)gmail.com with prior examples of your work. If you don’t have ready examples, write two 250 word articles related to any car or motorcycle plus a few lines about yourself, the blogs you read everyday and your educational background and work experience, if any. In other words, we’re open to freshers also.

If you are the lucky one, we’ll contact you shortly with more information on the details of the position.

We will read through every application, but we may not be able to respond to each email individually.

Everyone who attended the show last year would agree that the event was a disaster. Even on the so called “media days” general public were let in and launches were held minutes away from each other on locations that would take 20 minutes or more to reach by foot inside the Pragati Maidan complex.

And distribution of media passes gave us a feeling of being left out. We registered online with many weeks left for the deadline, but we failed to get our passes. We had to rush to the entry stall on the morning of the show to procure one, and that wasn’t a smooth affair either. They weren’t entirely sure if we deserved one.

Accommodating 35 launches within a span of two days under one roof will be the recipe for yet another disaster. The show organizers have to think this one out properly. They are toying with the idea of having parallel venues, and that’s a start.

They also have to alter or correct their understanding of “media days” and study up about the progress of online media and internet in India.

Source – EconomicTimes.IndiaTimes.com

stay tuned!