The Birmingham Bolt Seeks to Build UK-Indian Relations in Delhi

The Birmingham Bolt concept should help foster Indian/British business relations.

Investment body Business Birmingham has developed a sports car concept that they believe will help foster business and research relations between India and the city they represent. The Bolt epitomizes Birmingham's ability to develop and produce a sports car, said to be able to launch in 18 months once a buyer is found.

Birmingham is home to 2/3rds of all automotive R&D in Britain and this new project, set for its debut at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo, will help the bureau stir up some interest for joint business ventures."The majority of The Bolt's body, chassis, interior and underlying componentry could be supplied locally - seeing this design or one very much like it accelerate from the drawing board and onto roads in under 18 months using our existing research, development and manufacturing base," said Martyn Mangan, Business Birmingham's tech and manufacturing investments manager.The Birmingham Bolt can run on either a hybrid 34kW electric motor or a 3.5-liter V6 engine paired to a ZF transmission. It should put out more than 300hp and reportedly can... bolt form 0-62mph in 4.2 seconds.
A top speed of over 185mph has been touted as well. It sits on a set of Rimstock wheels wrapped in Goodyear rubbers.Business Birmingham's Bolt concept will debut on January 5th at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo.

DC Design Reveals Avanti Supercar Concept in Delhi

India’s maiden supercar has finally taken a bow at the Delhi Auto Expo.
India's premier automotive design firm DC Design has finally revealed its new supercar concept and it looks very promising.Unveiled today at the Delhi Auto Expo, India's first ever supercar looks sleekly styled and has been given the name the Avanti. According to Indian Autos Blog, legendary Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan was on hand to unveil the vehicle, which was met with a loud round of applause from the reporters in the packed auditorium.

"We intend to produce 300 units of the Avanti in 2013-2014 and if all goes well we could ramp up the production to go into four figures per annum," said DC Design founder Dilip Chhabria upon unveiling the vehicle.Power is to come from Ford's EcoBoost 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine with direct injection and VVT. With DOHC and four valves per cylinder, it can deliver more horsepower and torque than a naturally aspirated 3.0-liter V6. Rated at 240hp and 270lb-ft of torque, the power will be delivered to the tarmac via a MMT 6-speed manual transmission with an optional power shift six-speed dual clutch gearbox.Impressive stopping power will come via 330mm ventilated discs operated by racing calipers at the front and rear. Whether the supercar concept can deliver what it promises on paper remains to be seen.

Not To Be Outdone, Suzuki Reveals XA Alpha SUV Concept

Suzuki's Indian subsidiary has revealed the concept version of their upcoming small SUV. 

In case some aren't aware, small SUVs are extremely popular in Asia. In fact, just about any compact vehicle, such as pickups, is vital to success in markets such as India and Malaysia.And just one day after Ford revealed their new EcoSport compact SUV, Suzuki is following suit by showing off their latest concept at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo. The Maruti Suzuki XA Alpha concept took 10 months to develop and was considered important because the automaker doesn't offer an SUV in the Indian market.
Maruti Suzuki vs. Suzuki? So what's up with the name difference? Simply put, the former is the Indian subsidiary of the Japanese automaker. The production version of the new small SUV concept will be powered by either gasoline or diesel engines.As of now, the gasoline engine will be a 1.3-liter unit while the diesel size is still unknown. According to Shinzo Nakanishi, Managing Director and CEO of Maruti Suzuki, "India is set to become one of the top automobile markets of the world. The Concept XA is designed for a market of customers with a young urban lifestyle."Photos courtesy of MotorBeam

Hyundai HND-7 Hexa Space MPV Concept Debuts in Delhi

An innovative use of interior space is showcased by Hyundai in their MPV concept.

The Korean carmaker has used the Delhi Auto Expo to premiere their Hexa Space MPV concept, which showcases a new way to maximize internal space while minimizing vehicle width.According to Hyundai, the concept revolutionizes the use of interior space by using eight slim, hexagonally shaped seats that move together like pieces in a puzzle. This is a novel approach for the hexagon, which from honeycombs to architecture is known as the optimum space for efficiency.

India is the ideal place for the Hexa Space Concept, codenamed HND-7, to make its world debut as it's compact enough for the chaotic roads, and with eight seats you can easily get a family of 12 in there.There are multiple configurations for the seating: for greater comfort the center seats can fold flat, the second row also folds flat for a limousine style setup, and the back row can be folded flat for light-cargo use.In fact all eight seats can be folded flat for camping, making it ideal for a driving holiday or if you can't keep up with mortgage repayments.Power comes from Hyundai's Kappa 1.2-liter turbo GDI engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. On the inside there's a host of high-tech gadgets, including a touch-screen center console and a push-button shifter, while several storage spaces can be found throughout.Thanks to an innovative door design the Hexa Space is easy to get in and out of, and despite a roomy interior its overall width is narrow and only slightly wider than the compact ix20 it shares its platform with. The Hexa Space would be an ideal car in the world's emerging nations, however Hyundai has yet to announce any production plans for the innovative MPV.

Land Rover Defender Concept 100 Takes a Bow in Delhi

Land Rover has unveiled its Defender Concept 100 with a new lick of paint and a video.

The Defender Concept 100 has been unveiled at the Delhi Auto Expo sporting a new coat of Firenze Red paint and bearing a white roof.

Having already made its world premiere at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in September alongside the canvas-roofed DC100 Sport variant, the next-generation Defender model is expected to make it to market by 2015.Both models will likely be available with 2.0-liter petrol or diesel engines with hybrid and plug-in capabilities and mated to an eight-speed transmission.