Tata is the latest high profile car manufacturer to be mentioned in connection with a possible Formula One project for the 2014 season when the new technical regulations aimed at attracting more manufacturers to the sport are enforced.

Indian involvement in Formula One has increased massively over the past couple of years, with two Indian drivers and of course the Force India F1 team. This along with the inaugural Indian Grand Prix which takes places at the end of this month makes it unsurprising that India’s biggest car manufacturer is being linked to the series.

Reasons for change

Toyota is just one of the five manufacturers who have either reduced their investment or withdrawn completely from F1 over the past eight years, leaving just Ferrari, Mercedes, Renault and independent company Cosworth as engine suppliers to the 12 teams.

The main reasons for these withdrawals have been the high levels of investment required (with Toyota alone rumoured to have been spending over $250 million per year) and the sports lack of relevance to the increasing green movement within the automotive industry.

A survey conducted by MoneySupermarket.com revealed that 65% of motorists will aim to purchase a more environmentally friendly vehicle the next time they are on the look out for a new car. It is therefore unsurprising that car manufacturers are aiming to participate in motor sport series that allow them to experiment with and develop fuel saving technologies. This has resulted in an increase in the popularity of the Le Mans series with car manufacturers, with Toyota and Volkswagen owned Porsche believed to be joining Peugeot, Audi and Aston Martin on the grid in the near future.

The new regulations

The sports governing body, the FIA, has therefore announced that the current generation of V8 engines will be replaced with V6 turbo’s. This links into the strategy of Renault, who is estimating that 75% of their road cars will be powered by smaller capacity turbo motors by 2015 due to the fuel saving potential of such engines.

Initial fears about the reduced power out-put from these engines has been addressed with the announcement of an increased capacity KERS hybrid system, which at 120kw per lap will have double the capacity of the current devices which at present have only a minimal impact on lap times. This will not be the case with the new systems; forcing manufacturers to investment money into the development of their hybrid devices with advances made likely to be applicable to the car manufacturers road car designs.

The FIA has also got the teams to agree to a RRA (Resource Restriction Agreement) which places a cap on their total spending, ensuring that no manufacturer will be able to employ Toyota-like budgets in the future.

The Nissan owned Infiniti car company has been the first manufacturer to officially endorse the new regulations; beginning a relationship with championship winning squad Red Bull Racing to develop their KERS devices for 2014.

Possible options

If Tata were to enter F1 it would be in an attempt to boost brand awareness outside of its native country. The performance of the car manufacturing arm of the Tata business has been strong in India, but sales in other regions which are dominated by established players have been slow. Like Infiniti, Tata could therefore involve itself in the international motorsport scene in an attempt to boost both brand awareness and hence sales.

Ploughing millions of pounds into a mere sponsorship logo on the side of a racing car would be unlikely to get the company noticed, and it is therefore far more likely that the company would wish to either provide engines for an established team or even buy a team. Both options would allow it to develop brand new F1 stand V6 engines and 120kw KERS systems which could be applied to their road car designs.

One team owner who may be interested in either selling up or even entering into a business partnership with Tata would be Vijay Mallya. Mallya’s Force India team has been plagued by rumours about his financial commitment for many years, with many of the team’s sponsors actually being owned by Mallya himself. Entering into collaboration with Tata would therefore ease his financial burden and boost the team’s Indian identity.

Mallya recently denied rumours that he was planning on selling his team outright to Indian businessman Subrata Roy, simply stating that he took great pride in putting an Indian team on the F1 grid; confirming that he would remain as Team Principal and has “no plans whatsoever to exit”. This surely does not rule out a potential partner such as Tata who could help run the team and contribute both financially and technically.

Another option would be for Tata to enter into a similar deal with the former championship winning Williams team. This would make sense, with Jaguar having recently agreed a deal to develop a supercar for the road with Williams Engineering. Interestingly, it is believed that Williams newly signed deal for a supply of Renault engines only runs until the end of 2013.

If Tata does decide to finally enter F1 in 2014, it won’t be short of options.

With most every auto manufacturer in the world developing hybrid technology for their vehicles, luxury car companies are no exception. The latest luxury automaker to join the hybrid revolution is Infiniti, with an addition to the Infiniti M family. The M35h, a V6-powered sedan, boasts a combination of high performance, environmental awareness, and safety into one package.

Despite the fact that the M35h runs on a hybrid powertrain, the engine still manages to pack quite the punch as far as top speed and acceleration are concerned. With an impressive acceleration speed of 0-100km/h in 5.5 seconds and maximum speed of 155 mph, this luxury car not only has an edge over other luxury sedans, but that type of power puts it on a similar level as other sports cars. It is also more lightweight than the M30d diesel in the same family of cars, weighing in at only 1,830 kg.

As with other hybrid vehicles, the M35h runs on a mixture of electric-only and fuel mode, and the electric-only, emissions-free mode can be used up to half the trip depending on the type of route. Just electric power alone can support speeds of up to 80 km/h. While standard cars lose energy during deceleration or braking, the hybrid powertrain converts this energy to help the battery maintain its charge.

This electric power sometimes proves troublesome in some hybrids, however, as many people cannot hear them approaching. To prevent the quiet engine posing a risk to pedestrians (especially those who are visually impaired), the Infiniti M35h features VSP, or Approaching Vehicle Sound for Pedestrians. Even though this safety mechanism has been available in other cars before the M35h, this model is the first to boast it as a standard feature.

Other specs such as the trim and capacity of the M35h are quite similar to other Infiniti M models. Although the technical specifications are sorted out, prices are yet to be announced. Pricing for both the GT and GT premium grades are expected to be revealed at this March’s Geneva Motor Show. Availability throughout Europe will vary by country, with first release starting in spring 2011.

Some people dread the day that they have to put their car up for sale. It’s not usually an issue of losing their car because of sentimental value – rather, it is often a matter of having to deal with the possibility of not getting their money’s worth back. Although cars do depreciate significantly once they are driven off of the dealership lot, they can maintain good resale values depending on the make and model as well as the upkeep.

To get as much money as possible from the sale, it is important to know the process that drivers go through when buying a used car. Keep these tips in mind for optimum negotiating power.

Find out your used car’s value. Buyers will be several steps ahead of you, browsing through online sites and print ads for the best deals on the car that they are interested in buying. Having an asking price well over the estimated value might cause most potential buyers to not give the car a second look.

Negotiation is the name of the game when it comes to second hand cars. You have a figure in mind that you’re willing to sell your car for, and the buyer has a figure that he or she is willing to pay. The buyer will likely be quick to point out defects in the car so that you can bring the price down.

Because most used cars do come with minor cosmetic or mechanical issues, it is probably best to start with your asking price being a slightly higher number than what you are willing to take for your car. Of course, if a buyer is not willing to meet in the middle, it is not an issue; ask him or her for their information, and if they are still interested later on, you can reconsider their offer if no other favorable ones come up in a few days or weeks.

The above guidelines can help ensure a smooth transaction when you sell your car. With these in mind, you can advertise your car and get the offers that you are hoping for.

There are thousands of loads of freight on the road daily, and in the modern day, many of their trips are being coordinated through internet freight exchange services. Not only do these services help businesses run more smoothly, but they also help greatly during hard economic times. On-line freight exchanges are especially important when the economy is in a slump because costs of goods are high and business is hard to come by.
After all, driving a truck back to its origin without a load of goods on board is simply a waste of fuel, and the transport company must still compensate the driver for their time. In order for road haulage companies to reduce the costs, vehicles have to be on the road. This is one of the reasons the memberships of online freight exchange services are significantly increasing. Also, the more people that sign up for services like this, such as the TRANS exchange system that serves Europe, the more work that becomes available and the more the economy is boosted.

No company can afford to be unprofitable. It is the responsibility of the business owner to ensure that their employees always have work to do, even during recessions, because the last resort is letting these employees go. Online freight exchange services prevent “dead mileage” which means that a truck brings a load one way and then has nothing to bring back to its origin. It goes without saying that this type of operation can be detrimental to a company’s profits. To combat this, the logistics manager for a haulage firm can look up loads on an online freight exchange site to see if there are any loads that are coming back to the originating location. It creates a win-win situation for the driver, who has picked up an additional job, and for the haulage firm that does not have to worry about dead mileage.

In the time since they became available, these services have become widely popular. Many companies have been rescued because of these online freight exchange systems. They are the best way to prevent job cuts and fill in the gaps created in hard economic times. If you take advantage of these services, you ensure that you are working at maximum efficiency, and as a result, your company is making as much money as possible.

Although only introduced in 2010 and offered for a limited time, Mazda is reintroducing the Takuya special editions, which are the top-spec trim levels for the Mazda2, Mazda3, and Mazda6 models. During the brief period of availability last year, these Takuya special edition models enjoyed quite a bit of success. Production for the line this year is expected to cap at 3,894 units.

The Mazda2 is the most affordable in the special-edition Takuya range, with a price of £11,940. Underneath the sporty exterior is a practical interior which boasts such safety features as side and curtain airbags as well as steering wheel audio controls so that the driver is not distracted while adjusting the stereo’s settings. Its added features, which include a Parrot Bluetooth hands-free kit, are said to represent a £110 saving over the Tamura model upon which the design is based.

The Mazda3, with a 105-hp and 1.6-litre engine, is up next with a price of £16,695. The Mazda3 is already a successful model on its own, and the Takuya special edition introduces even more features that make it an attractive and practical choice. Dusk-sensing lights which power on automatically, as well as rain-sensing wipers round out the advanced safety features of this model. For the drivers’ and passengers’ individual comfort needs, there is dual-zone air conditioning.

The Mazda6, which is ideal for a larger family, is available in three variants, with the basic 2.0 litre five-door priced at £20,495 and the top-of-the line Estate at £22,325. Many features that come as upgrades on other brands come standard on the Takuya special-edition models; each of the three unique models features alloy wheels and a sports styling kit.

As a final note, those who buy the Takuya special edition might be interested to learn of the Mazda2’s place in the Parker’s Cost of Motoring report. Although buying new cars are known to depreciate in value the second they are driven off the lot, but the Mazda2 managed to keep a majority of its value, losing only £2,022 or 23 percent of the original value. This placed it in sixth in the aforementioned report.