OnCars India Buzz: 12 September 2012

- Probably, one of the whackiest and craziest street race in the world, the Red Bull Soap Box Race, which features some of the most eccentric tiffin-boxes on wheels going down a slope is making its way for the very first time in India. After going to 77 cities across 40 countries in the world, the SoapBox Race will be held on December 2, 2012 on a slope in Mumbai. 

- Come September 18, Mercedes Benz will officially launch its all-new 2012 Mercedes Benz B-Class in the Indian market, which was first unveiled in July 2012 at the Buddh International Circuit and a day later at Mumbai's Hard Rock Cafe.  The upcoming Mercedes Benz B-Class will be initially offered only with a petrol engine, while its diesel counterpart will follow suit in the coming months.

- Fiat has announced limited edition of its Linea sedan and Punto hatchback called 'Absolute' that will debut in the Indian market during the festive season of Diwali. The models will feature new seat covers with Absolute theme, new carpets, new contoured mud flaps, satellite navigation and new door sills among many other things. The bookings for the Absolute Edition Fiat Punto and Linea have already begun at all company showrooms. 

- Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) has been award the prestigious 'Green Award' in the large industries category (North Zone) for the year 2011-12 by the Tamil Nadu government. The HMIL plant was felicitated for its sustainable water and energy efficient manufacturing practices where the used water is recycled by two Reverse Osmosis plants installed inside the factory. The Honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Selvi J. Jayalalithaa gave away the award to Mr. R. Sethuraman, Director-Finance & Corporate Affairs, at a function held in the State Secretariat today.

- Ashok Leyland, along with its joint venture partner Nissan Motor Company on this day last year forayed into the small commercial vehicle segment,with the launch of 'DOST' range of vehicles. And to mark its one year anniversary, Ashok Leyland has today unveiled the limited edition of its DOST small commercial vehicle. The new variant will be immediately offered on sales in all 45 touchpoints across the country.  

- Inteva Products LLC, has further expanded its reach in automotive capabilities and presence in India with the opening of a new Closure Systems and Motors manufacturing plant in Pune, India. The newly-constructed 72,000 square-feet facility was inaugurated in the presences of its customers such as Ford, Volkswagen, Tata, Hyundai and Mahindra,  suppliers and government officials.

- International Cars & Motors Ltd of ICML Sonalika have launched a new MUV called 'Extreme' in Hyderabad at Rs 5.88 lakh. Based on the Rhino platform, the ICML Extreme is being offered with two engine options - DI and CRD-Fi 2.0-litre diesel engines, which produces 99PS of max power and 240Nm of max torque. 

- Tata Motors today have launched the 'Nano: Art in Motion' campaign wherein well-known artists will work their magic on the Tata Nano car as its canvas. The inaugural Nano Art Car under the special campaign will be painted by renowned artist, Ms Sangeeta Babani who will start the work of transformation on the car from September 14-16, 2012 at the Palladium Courtyard of the High Street Phoenix in Mumbai.

- Hyundai is planning to enter the 2014 World Rally Championship with its own specially modified i20 - that will be officially revealed at the upcoming 2012 Paris Motor Show later this month. The Hyundai i20 WRC car is currently under development in Offenbach, Germany. 

- Jaguar Heritage Racing will make its debut in this year's Goodwood Revival with its legendary race-ready versions of the C-Type and D-Type cars. The race-ready C-type and D-type will line up in the hotly-contested Freddie March Memorial Trophy and Sussex Trophy respectively. In addition, Jaguar Cars’ partner in Jaguar Heritage Racing, JD Classics, will enter a race prepared Jaguar Mk. 7 saloon. The vast Mk. 7 will be driven in the St Mary’s Trophy race by JD Classics’ owner Derek Hood, and Le Mans 24hrs racer Andy Wallace. 

- The sportier version of the India-bound Volvo V40 hatchback, the V40 R-Design has been revealed ahead of its official debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. The model, which has been revealed is in the production-ready avatar and features chunkier bumpers, integrated fog lamps, high-gloss front grille, a lower air intake, a rear diffuser and twin tailpipes. 

- The European version of the all-new 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe has been revealed ahead its official debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show later this month. The new generation Santa Fe is being powered by a 2.0-litre Euro 6 diesel engine named the R VGT and churns out 150PS of max power and 382Nm of max torque. 

- BMW has unveiled the 2013 760Li V12 25 Years Anniversary Edition, which pays homage to the rich tradition of V12 engine that began back in 1987 with the then groundbreaking BMW 750iL. 

- The Peugeot 2008 Concept has been officially unveiled ahead of its official debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show later on this month. The final production version of the Peugeot 2008 Concept will be based on the 208 hatchback and it’s expected to hit the market sometimes next year. 

- Peugeot has also recently released a teaser video showing of a brand new model in concept form that is being referred to as the Onyx Concept and is slated to make its official debut the upcoming Paris Motor Show later this month. 

- Mini has revealed its Countryman JCW ahead of its official debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. The Mini Countryman JCW is wearing features such as individual rear buckets, a full aero kit and a fresh unique set of 18-inch alloy wheels. Owners will be able to choose from seven exterior body colors and three shades for the roof and side mirrors.

- After starting as a simple rumor, the Porsche Cayenne V8 diesel has been confirmed by the German carmaker and the model is slated to make its official debut the upcoming 2012 Paris Motor Show. The new Porsche Cayenne V8 diesel is most likely to be powered by a 4.2-litre V8 diesel unit borrowed from Audi.

- Jaguar Land Rover has announced to have infused an investment of 370 million pounds to upgrade its UK manufacturing facility and increase productivity as it prepares to launch the all-new Range Rover in 170 countries around the world. Inaugural sales of the fourth-generation Range Rover, the world’s most refined Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), are to begin this month following a three-year engineering project, supporting 1,000 jobs in design, product development and manufacturing at Jaguar Land Rover.

-  Mahindra USA, the number one selling tractor brand in the world based on volume, has recently opened its fourth North American assembly and distribution facility in Bloomsburg, PA. The Mahindra Authorized Distribution Center in Bloomsburg, PA will specialize in meeting the needs and demands for Mahindra’s new products and the revolutionary Mahindra Max series tractors and Mahindra’s compact tractors - both of which were developed primarily for the U.S market. 

- The British based automaker McLaren is planning to update the MP4-12C supercar with a minor facelift and the model is expected to hit the market sometimes next year.

- Skoda has introduced two limited edition models of its Skoda Octavia in the UK - that is known as Skoda Laura in India - the Skoda Octavia vRS Blackline and the Skoda Octavia SE Connect. Among the two, the vRS Blackline is the sportier version that is being powered with a 2.0-litre TDI CR engine, while the regular looking SE Connect edition feature upmarket good on the inside.