Smartbuy issue dated February 9, 2011

SmartbuyWednesday, February 9, 2011

G A D G E T S | A U T O | L U X U R Y www.blsmartbuy.com

Business Line

Suite-able for......Heads of State and the electoratePage 12

2 February 9, 2011Smartbuy

WHAT’S HOT this week

This Android 2.1smartphone from Motorola

is dust proof and waterresistant. The 3.7-inchWVGA touch screen is

perfect for watching videosand browsing, and is also

scratch resistant. Dualmicrophones filter

background noise so thatcall volumes are amplified.The camera is a 5-megger,

and comes with flash, digitalzoom and auto focus. The

DEFY is also DLNA enabled,allowing you to stream and

share content withcompatible devices.

Rs 21,990

The first Windows 7 phone byDell, the Venue Pro is a 4.1-inch touch-sensitivesmartphone. The display is anAMOLED screen protected byGorilla Glass. The Venue Profeatures an unique slidingvertical QWERTY keypad andcomes with XBOX Live andpre-loaded productivity andentertainment applications. A5-megapixel camera, high-speed 3.5G wireless, andcloud-based services cater toall your multimedia,connectivity and storageneeds. Rs 34,990

Team SmartbuyEditorial

Anushya [email protected]

Ketaki [email protected]

Mahananda [email protected]

S. [email protected]

Design

Bryan [email protected]

[email protected]

Advertising Contact

R. [email protected]

Web Advertising Contact

N. [email protected]

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The party’sright here!Dell Venue Pro

Digital dreams Infibeam Pi2The new 6-inch e-reader is the second of its kind beinglaunched by Infibeam. With a thickness of just 10 mm, theInfibeam Pi2 has a touch-sensitive screen and supports 15Indian languages including Sanskrit and Hindi. The e-reader isWi-Fi enabled and comes with an inbuilt browser, allowingyou to connect to Infibeam and download e-books, digitalmagazines and newspapers. Rs 11,999 (Pre-order price)

Life proofMotorola DEFY

Cover photo: S. MuralidharShot at: ITC Mughal Agra


A mouse for thehardcore gamer, the

Razer DeathAdderBlack Edition pays

tribute to a legacy builton precision and

ergonomics to ensurethat winning blow inyour games. A highly

ergonomic profile,3500dpi 3.5G infrared

sensor, 1000hzultrapolling with 1ms

response time, fiveHypereponse buttons

for increased accuracy,and On-the-Fly

sensitivity adjustmentall wrapped in a sleek

pitch-black finishmakes this the

essential mouse forany discerning gamer.

$59.99

Gift your lady love something to swoon over, with the new Tag Merdiist Fuchsiabeing added to its collection right in time for Valentine’s day. The body isconstructed out of 316L stainless steel, with polished and satin finishing. The callbutton features a green East African Tsavorite garnet and the end button a redruby. The screen is made of smoked sapphire crystal, with the fuchsia watersnake battery cover adding a dash of pink to truly make it a girl’s best friend.Rs 3.55 lakh

This 2.1 home theatre system from Bose is designed to make your living roomcome to life. The system features Gemstone ES speaker arrays, each of which havethree drivers. Unify Intelligent Integration technology displays step-by-stepinstructions of how to connect entertainment sources on your TV, making it easyto set up. The Lifestyle remote can be programmed to control any of yourentertainment devices. The system also features a built-in AM/FM tuner andiPod/iPhone dock.Rs 1.63 lakh

Sound for life Bose Lifestyle 235

A winningclick!

Razer DeathAdderBlack

Valentine’s surpriseFuschia MERDIIST

For a series that’s relatively young in videogame years, Assassin’s Creed has grown inpopularity faster than even Ubisoft couldhave hoped for. In an all too brutal industry,

where most studios only get one shot at success,2009’s Assassin’s Creed 2 was a rare chance atcorrecting the assorted foibles that kept the firstgame from being an instant classic. Having takenthe time to spit-shine the core idea (an open worldtime shifting period action-adventure) they hadwith the initial release to near perfection over atwo-year hiatus, it came as a surprise to everyonewhen Ubisoft announced a quick and dirty sequeldue out only a year after the previous game. It wasevident from the start that there wouldn’t beenough time to create a new character as deep asAltair or Ezio, or build a handful of cities that playedhost to intricately designed puzzles and a new setof real life personalities to guide you through yournew adventure.

Re-appearancesWhat Ubisoft did instead was reuse Ezio Auditoreda Firenze, most of the supporting cast from thelast game, and set the semi-sequel back in good oldItaly (albeit in a new city - Rome). Yes, there’s justone city to tool around in, an absolute shocker toanyone who loved the variety that the first twogames offered. The upside though, is a city that’sabsolutely colossal in scale, and without loading

GAME review

screens and horse riding sessions across almost-empty countryside standing between you and yourcampaign progression. Unfortunately, Brother-hood’s Rome is also all but devoid of the variedcharacter and scenery that the changing citiesbrought to the table. Consequently, you’ll find your-self switching to the full screen map more oftenthan you used to because learning the city’s layoutis much harder this time around.

You can also bring your horse inside city limitsnow, but what could have been a decent inclusion isrendered redundant with the removal of the gallopbutton. Hoofing it over rooftops makes a lot moresense than taking your horse for a Sunday strollabout town. The size of the city and the lack of loadtimes also have a negative impact on game per-formance. There are framerate hiccups to sufferthrough, and instances of pop-up where soldiersappear out of nowhere and you suddenly have afight on your hands at the most inopportunemoment.

StorylineThe excellent (as is now de rigueur for the series)story picks up right where the second game left off,and follows Ezio and Desmond on a quest to recov-er the Apple of Eden in the past as well as thepresent. After a memorable intro that sticks youright in the middle of a surprise assault on your villain Monteriggioni, you’re bundled off to Rome,where you’re tasked with building a credible resist-ance against Borgia rule. Aside from Rodrigo Bor-gia, Brotherhood introduces us to Cesare andLucrezia Borgia, two of the more interesting char-acters in the story and who share a rather in-teresting relationship. Cesare, in particular, iswonderfully acted and you’ll find yourself genuinelywanting to go after the guy, if only to see how soonhe’d crack under the pressure.

Characters from the last game, such as Da Vinciand Machiavelli return, and there’s also a subplotthat introduces a gaggle of unfortunate Frenchtroops into the mix. You also now have the ability toleave the Animus (the device Desmond uses torelive Ezio’s memories) at any time, although thereisn’t much point to it aside from having random

conversations with your crew and the odd collec-tible to find.

Present-day Monteriggioni is beautiful, however,and it’s a shame that more wasn’t done to expandon the story in the present day. More of Abstergowould also have been welcome, and althoughthings do pick up towards the end, the developerscould have thrown in a lot more than the oddinconsequential email to make you want to exit theAnimus more often. It’s also worth pointing outthat with a mythos and story as deep as this, youreally should play through the earlier games to getthe most out of Brotherhood.

GameplayWhile there aren’t any gameplay changes of note,aside from chaining kills during combat, somethingyou’ll immediately notice is just how packed thegame’s map is. In addition to your usual memories,you’ll have Borgia towers to conquer, viewpoints tosynchronise, treasure and collectibles to hunt, lairsguarded by the disciples of Romulus to raid, stealthmissions from Da Vinci that end with you getting ahands-on with one of his over-the-top war ma-chines, Subject 16 puzzles to decipher, shops torenovate, and monuments to purchase.

Every renovated shop or acquired monumentadds to an income that accrues at banks, which youcan then collect and spend on more renovations oron better weapons and artwork for your assassin’sguild. There are also empty buildings that can berepurposed into factional headquarters with theirown side-quests inside. With both a sizeable maincampaign and a van-load of assorted tasks to keepyou busy, a lack of content isn’t a complaint you’llbe voicing.

The campaign missions can also now be replayedand there is some replay value in aiming for 100 percent synchronisation in each of them.

The Assassin’s Guild also serves as home to theassassins you recruit during the campaign. Savingcitizens from the wrath of Borgia guards lets youtrain them as assassins and pack them off on mis-sions around Europe that vary in difficulty. Suc-cessful missions allow these assassins to level upand you can also use them during your game time,

and at the press of a button, assassinate anymarked target. Their use is also tied to a rechargingmeter, so you’re prevented from spamming themon every guard or target in the game. While theyaren’t necessarily game changing, their presencedoes allude Ezio’s rise in stature and influence with-in the assassins.Multiplayer

Adding to the replayability is a set of multiplayermodes that surprisingly recreate the campaign’stension and improvisation in an online arena. You’rebasically given a target to kill, and you’ll need tomake the hit while skillfully avoiding other players,one of whose task is to take you out. Aiding you areseveral active and passive abilities that let youblend into crowds or cloak yourself as anothercharacter model from the game world. There arealso team-based modes to try out and a levelingsystem in place. It’s all very strategic and con-templative, and a nice change from the usual onlinefrag-fests that you get with other games.

Our VerdictThis is one of those rare series where the devel-opers place as much emphasis on the overarchingstory and depth of the universe as much as ongameplay. The biggest takeaway from Assassin’sCreed: Brotherhood, as from the earlier games, isthe encyclopedic lengths gone to by Ubisoft’s writ-ers to educate (a dirty word in the big bad world ofvideo games) the player about Renaissance eralocations, events and personalities as Ezio goesabout assassinating unfortunate Templars. Thisdepth, along with a map stuffed to the seams withcollectibles and side quests, and a story with someof the most nuanced acting and direction in themedium, are what ultimately save it from thedreaded ‘cash-in’ tag.

While we used the Xbox 360 version of the gamefor our playthrough, we also had the opportunity totest out the PS3 version, and it’s safe to say thatregardless of your platform of preference, you’reassured of an enjoyable gameplay experience.There were some instances like uneven framerates,screen tearing and texture pop-in, but again, this iscommon across both platforms. The only advan-tage the PS3 version has is the free, exclusiveCopernicus Conspiracy downloadable content,which is a set of additional single-player missions.

This may not be Assassin’s Creed 3, but thatshouldn’t deter you from picking this iteration ofthe series up. If you’ve played Assassin’s Creed 2and absolutely must know what happens after thecliffhanger ending, you could do a lot worse thanpicking up Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood. Love: Packed with content. Excellent story andpresentation. Deep mythos to pick throughHate: Rome is no Venice. Almost requires that yoube familiar with the earlier games

Rating: 4/5Publisher: UbisoftDeveloper: Ubisoft MontrealPlatform: Xbox 360, PS3Price: Rs 2,499CHIP

SOUND bytes

Mahananda Bohidar

It’s been almost three generations of listeners whohave seen and experienced Sony Walkmans downthe ages. The name was, at one point in time, almostsynonymous to music players and in some way still

continues to be, despite it having been battered to someextent by Apple that continues to unleash its army of iPodsin the market.

Sony still holds out strong and remains one of the topplayers in the PMP (portable media player) market and isconstantly launching new ranges of Walkman models tocater to varying consumer needs and demands. The SonyWalkman NWZ-E353, a 4 GB, budget Walkman, loadedwith all the goodies that the brand name is tagged with,was launched sometime ago and we’ve been plugged in tosee if it can stand up to the rivals snapping at its heels.

Look and feelThe colourful plastic body feels nice to touch and looksclassy with the almost glass-like display (although it’s justplastic). The matte back cover provides a decent gripwhile you operate the player. The controls almost look likethey have been designed and positioned to make it looklike a certain famous cartoon character by Disney.

The Play/Pause buttons are at the centre with a four-direction circular click button surrounding it. On the right,above the circular dials is the Power button which doublesup as the key that lets you access in-menu functions.

While listening to a song or browsing through theplaylist you can use this button to add a bookmark, searchfor a title among the various genres listed or return to theplayback screen. To the left is the Home/Return button.

MusicWe listened to ‘Don’t Rain on My Parade’ by Bobby Darin,one of the popular soundtracks from American Beauty, andthe vocals and the bass guitar throughout the song playedloud and clear.

The headphones bundled with the Walkman seemed abit low-end but did not disappoint at all when we plug-ged the pair in and explored the playlist. It helps to add,the headphones offered a very comfortable fit too.

One proprietary software used in the Walkman NWZ-E353 was the Digital Sound Enhancement Engine thatworks towards restoring the depth and clarity of digitallycompressed music and it did seem to do the job quite well.

You also have the option to upload videos to watch onthe 2-inch TFT display but the player

only supports .wmv files.

RadioYou can use the Up/Down arrow keys on the circular dialto browse through the FM radio stations — single clicks tomanually scan the radio stations and a long press for anautomatic scan. Once saved as presets, you can directlyjump from one station to another with the Next/Previousbuttons. Most stations got scanned easily and the staticwas absent for most stations except just one or two.

AppsOne of the icons in the in-terface is the SensMefunction. This app quiteefficiently groups yourmusic into differentgenres or moods basedon beats per minute inevery song that you’vestored in your Walk-man. We tried out thisfeature when we didn’twant to manuallyjump from one trackto another.

But each time youadd songs to the play-er, the SensMe chan-nel does notautomatically detectthe new tracks up-loaded. You’ll haveto go to the in-function menu andchoose ‘UpdatingChannels’ and on-ly then does thesoftware analyseeach track andadd it to which-ever SensMechannel itdeems the tracksuitable for.

This featurewas pretty ac-curate in as-signing all thesongs we hadloaded on tothe device in

to the rightSensMe channel. For example, when we

wanted to listen to something ‘Upbeat’, it

played ‘Get The Party Started’ a, well, very upbeat numberby Pink! Other songs that it got bang on to the ‘Upbeat’ listwere the fast numbers ‘Only Thing That Looks Good OnMe’ by Bryan Adams, ‘Sultans of Swing’ by Dire Straits and‘I Want To Break Free’ by Queen.

‘Mellow’ triggered the all-time favourite ‘Can’t HelpFalling In Love’ by the King and ‘You Are My Sunshine’, alovely tune you croon to on a sunny day, by Soggy BottomBoys and a slow Sufi number ‘Tose Naina Lage’ from theBollywood flick ‘Anwar’.

‘Every Breath You Take’ by The Police,‘Drops of Jupiter’ by Train and

‘With Or Without You’by U2 figured in the‘Emotional’ genre andkudos to SensMe forthat!

Other g1enres include‘Dance’, ‘Extreme’,‘Morning’, ‘Energetic’,‘Relax’ and ‘Lounge’.

Transferring files wasan easy drag-and-droproutine. We dragged pic-tures, videos and podcaststoo in a list on the Win-dows Media Player win-dow and all files werecopied on to the Walkman inno time. With almost 4 GB ofspace one can store up to 50hours of music playback.

The battery life of the play-er was outstanding. Featuringa standby time of more than aweek without any significantdrop in the battery charge, thebattery indicator hadn’t evengone down by 25 per cent afterwe had listened to almost 8hours of music and FM Radiocombined.

Our verdict The Walkman NWZ-E353 mightnot be the best top-end portablemusic player that Sony has recent-ly come up with but for those ofyou who just want a simple, affor-dable, no-frills device that lets youlisten to all the music you wantwithout compromising heavily onthe sound quality or ease of use, thisone is definitely a good bet.

Rs 4,990Love – Sound clarity and depth,

SensMe channelsHate –Earphones feel cheap, limit-

ed video format [email protected]

6 February 9, 2011

Marching ahead with the Walkman!

Photo: R. Ravindran

Smartbuy


TABLET review

Ketaki Bhojnagarwala

With every major technology company vyingto get their hands occupied in the tabletwar, Taiwanese company Viewsonic alsodecided to bring out its own contenders,

the Viewpad 7 and Viewpad 10. For a company that isknown mainly for computer monitors, we were curious tosee what Viewsonic could offer in terms of a tablet. We gotViewsonic to ship us the Galaxy Tab sized, Android 2.2powered, Viewpad 7 and here are our thoughts.

Build & DesignThe first thing that strikes you when you flip open theblack leather case that the Viewpad comes encased in, ishow similar it is to the OlivePad.

Then you look closer, and you realise, it’s not just thatthey look similar, but exactly the same! For those of youunfamiliar with the OlivePad’s design, here’s a lowdownon what the tablet looks like.

Encased in a silver frame, the screen with a resolution of800x480 is made of scratch resistant glass. The bottom ofthe shiny black bezel has the four standard Android oper-ating buttons, for Menu, Return, Search and Home.

The front has a 0.3-meg webcam, with a more powerful3-megger at the rear. There is a 3.5mm headphone jack,built-in microphone and mini USB port on one side. On theother is a panel which encloses a SIM card slot and microSD slot. There are also two separate up and down volumebuttons.

Encased in a slim steel grill on either side, are stereospeakers. The power button is slightly flimsy, and we canforesee the same problems we had with the one on theOlivePad.

Viewpad 7:What’s thedifference?

User InterfaceLike the Samsung Galaxy Tab, the Viewpad 7 looks likeone big Android smartphone. Users will be familiar withthe customary sweep to unlock the tablet. There are fourcustomisable home screens, and you can flick betweenthem with a simple swipe gesture. At the bottom of everyhome screen is a standard Menu, Call and Browser button.You can add shortcuts, widgets and folders to each homescreen.

The Viewpad is primarily landscape oriented, and it’sonly in a few select apps that you can change the mode toportrait, like browser and messaging. The Viewpad 7comes with a choice of keyboards. You can choose be-tween full QWERTY, 12-key (like what you get on al-phanumeric mobile phones) and CooTek T+. You canchange between the keypads just by swiping. Typing onthe Viewpad 7 was smooth and easy, but the 7-inch sizedoes make it difficult to get up a good speed, because it’sonly comfortable to type one-handed. While the tabletdoes look and feel like the OlivePad, we found the touchinterface greatly improved.

The screen had no trouble recognising gestures, andwas quite responsive. The pinch and zoom function alsoworked well.

MediaThe Viewpad 7 has limited onboard storage, so no mediacan be used on it without a micro SD card. Transferringdata was pretty easy - once you activate the USB datafunction, it’s basically drag and drop.

The tablet supports only MPEG-4 files, which is a quitea pain because most videos come in Avi or DivX formats.We played a few videos, and they looked clean and played

without any stutters or delay. The speaker volume levelwas disappointing though – being barely enough to fill aroom, so you’ll definitely need headphones if you’re goingto watch a movie. The music player is the standard An-droid one, with music organised according to Artist, Al-bum, Song and Playlist. You can shuffle your music too.

The camera wasn’t so great - images came out grainyand lacked sharpness and colour. The front camera wasjust about acceptable as a webcam.

PerformanceThe Viewpad 7 comes with a Qualcomm 600 MHz proc-essor, which isn’t nearly powerful enough consideringthat many smartphones nowadays are shipping with a1GHz processor.

Having said that, however, the browser loaded fairlyquickly. One problem is that the tablet doesn’t supportAdobe Flash, which really limits the browsing experience.

Battery lasted us close to 10 hours, which was reallygood for a tablet. The Viewpad 7 took ages to chargethough, and we mostly had to leave it on charge overnight,much like our experience with the Olive Pad.

BottomlineThe Viewpad 7 is a decent Android tablet, but we wish thatViewsonic would have attempted at least some changes inits hardware. We hope that the higher end Viewpad 10resolves some of these issues. Until then, the Viewpad 7 isa tad pricey for what it has to offer. Love: Good touch sensitivity, long battery lifeHate: OlivePad and Viewpad 7 look like clones, no flashsupportRs 32,000

[email protected]

Photo: R. Ravindran


AUTO focus

Skip buyback, choose theMaybach instead !


Team Smartbuy

In the niche, rarefied world of super-luxury saloons,legroom is one of the most important yardsticks thatbuyers use to make their choice. We are used toconceiving of cabin space and car size in millimetres

(mm), but there is this super-luxury car brand that actuallyuses metres as a measure for the dimensions of its car!

The Maybach from Mercedes-Benz has two basic mod-els the 57 and 62, and the numbers as nomenclature repre-sent the length of the two cars – 5.7 metres and 6.2 metres.

The Maybach saloons were first launched in India in2004. The new, refreshed Maybach 57 S and the Maybach62, which were showcased at last year’s Geneva MotorShow, have now been launched in India, and have beenpriced at Rs 4.85 crore and Rs 5.1 crore respectively.

The new Maybachs look younger and more distinctivethan the predecessors. The powertrains have beentweaked for performance and emissions, the body sportsnew paint finishes and the interiors of the models get evenmore luxurious options to choose from.

ExteriorA large new chrome radiator grille confidently emphasisesthe legendary saloons’ exceptional status. The new dom-inant grille is produced in two different variants. In theMaybach 57 and 62 models it has 20 fine logitudinal bars,and in the Maybach 57S and 62S twelve solid doublelouvres and a ‘shadow strut’ flag up the vehicle’s power.

The designers have also elevated the modified bonnetand given it sharply defined contours. A restyled, horizon-tally structured bumper trim gives the Maybach saloons aneven broader look. Daytime driving lights featuring LEDtechnology and bordered with a chrome insert have beenintegrated into the outer air intakes.

New high sheen 21-spoke 19-inch wheels in titaniumsilver for the Maybach 57 and 62 models also add to thedistinguished look. The Maybach 57S and 62S models willin future be sold as standard with new 12-spoke 20-inchwheels in noble sterling silver. The new Maybach’s exte-rior mirrors with optimised aerodynamics for less drivingnoise harmonise with the striking front design, whilst theirlarge surface offers improved vision.

InteriorThe rear reclining seat which till now has only beenavailable in the Maybach saloons with a longwheelbase, can now be installed in theMaybach 57 and 57S models. Thecraftsmanship of the seats

for all the models has also been enhanced. The look of theseat upholstery layout has been refined and given addition-al piping. On request the piping can also be hand-braidedor adorned with valuable Swarovski elements. In the upperpart of the seat backrest is a redesigned badge in 925sterling silver with the lettering ‘Maybach Manufactur’ .

For the very first time there is an extremely high-qualityflacon perfume atomiser exclusively developed by May-bach is available on request. Till now was reserved only forthe special Maybach Zeppelin model, limited to just 100units. As an option a large, high-resolution cinema screenwith a 19-inch diagonal can now be fitted to the centre ofthe of the partition - which can now also be personalisedwith motifs of the customer’s choosing - with an overviewcamera, through which the rear passengers can keep an eyeon the traffic in front of them without being seenthemselves.

With the help of a new WLAN router it is also possiblefor passengers to enjoy wireless internet access during thejourney in the car. The state-of-the-art connection uses thefast transmission standards HSDPA, UMTS and GSM/EDGE. There are three new interior appointments withdifferent leather, carpet and headlining colours. New trimin selected dark brown bird’s-eye maple, which can becombined with brilliant porcelain piano lacquer in theMaybach 57S and 62S.

PerformanceThe output of the six-litre, twelve-cylinder engine in the57S and the 62S has been increased by 13 kW to 463 kW(630bhp) with a torque of 1000Nm. The Maybach 62 fea-tures the 5.5-litre V12 that generates 550 PS of peak powerat 5,250 rpm and a peak torque of 900 Nm within a 2,200-3,000 engine rpm range.

However, Maybach developers have managed to reducethe consumption figures of the engine from 16.4 litres/ 100kms to 15.8 lit/100 kms. The CO2 emissions have also beenbrought down to 368 gms/km from the previous level of390 gms/km. The output of the 57 and 62 models remainunchanged, though the consumption and emission levelshave similarly been improved. All the Maybach twelve-cylinder engines meet the EU5 standard.

Mercedes-Benz celebrated the 125th anniversary of the in-vention of the motor car on January 29th this year. It was onthat day in the year 1886 that Carl Benz filed an applicationin Berlin for a patent on his three-wheeled motor car.

Mercedes-Benz India launched the Maybach to coincidewith its celebrations to mark the anniversary. Mercedes-Benz is taking the opportunity to also reiterate the compa-ny’s culture of innovation and technological leadership, bypointing out that more than 80 per cent of all major in-novations for the automobile were developed by Mercedes-Benz. The company has had over 80,000 patent applicationsfiled since 1886.Here are selected milestones in the history ofMercedes-Benz’s safety technology:

1939 – Inception of passenger car safety development

1959 – World’s first safety body

1969 – Establishment of Mercedes-Benz accident research

1978 – Electronically controlled anti-lock braking

system (ABS)

1980 – Pyrotechnic airbag, seat belt tensioner

1989 – Automatically raised roll-over bar

1995 – Electronic Stability Program (ESP)

1996 – Brake Assist (BAS)

1998 – DISTRONIC adaptive cruise control

1999 – Active Body Control (ABC), tyre pressure monitor

2002 – PRE-SAFE preventive occupany protection system

2003 – Active light function

2005 – DISTRONIC PLUS, Brake Assist PLUS,

Night View Assist

2006 – PRE-SAFE Brake, Intelligent Light system

2009 – Speed Limit Assist, Lane keeping assist, Blind spot

assist, Attention Assist drowsiness detection

2010 – Active lane keeping assist, active blind spot assist;

LED high-performance headlamps

The Quasquicentennial of the car


AUTO news

The Boxster S Black Edition is the latest luxurious top model that joins the PorscheBoxster model line up, in addition to the sporty Boxster Spyder currently available.

Limited to 987 cars and with its 320 bhp – ten bhp more than the Boxster S – this editionoffers a substantially larger range of standard equipment and exclusive special options, all ata very attractive price. The ex-showroom price in India will be announced after the car islaunched in March. It will be showcased at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.

The new mid-engined sports car is black all over: Black body, black hood, and black 19inch Boxster Spyder wheels accentuate the muscular appearance of the top roadster.

The colour concept of the Boxster S Black Edition is consistent. The rear side air intakegrilles are painted in black as is the twin tailpipe of the exhaust system. The model letteringpainted in black on the rear luggage compartment lid identifies the Black Edition as much asthe embossed Black Edition model designation on the side of the fabric hood. The roll-overbars are painted in black, too.

The black line of the exterior is continued in the interior. The stainless steel door entryguards feature the ‘Black Edition’ model lettering in black. The standard Sport Designsteering wheel with its double-spoke appeal has a non-slip rim of smooth-finish leather andsporty grips. The trim strips of the dashboard and of shift lever or gear selector are paintedin black. The dials on the instrument cluster are black as are the partial leather seats withthe Porsche emblem embossed in the headrests.

As a standard, the Boxster S Black Edition features the otherwise optional ‘Comfort’,‘Infotainment’, and ‘Design’ equipment packages, and therefore comes at a more favour-able price than a series model with comparable equipment options. The wind deflector ison board right from the factory as are the anti-dazzle interior and exterior mirrors withintegrated rain sensor, cruise control and a climate control system. The Porsche Commu-nication Management (PCM) including navigation module are also standard.

Upon request, the Boxster S Black Edition can be individualised even further withother options of the Boxster programme.

A 3.4-litre, six-cylinder engine with direct fuel injection, mounted in front of the rearaxle of the Boxster S Black Edition, supplies power to the car. Its output is 320 bhp andthe engine reaches its rated power at 7,200 rpm. Torque of 370 Nm boosted by tennewton metres is available at 4,750 rpm.

With its standard six-speed manual transmission, the Boxster S Black Edition has a topspeed of 276 kmph and accelerates from zero to 100 kmph in 5.2 seconds, a tenth of asecond faster than the Boxster S. The mid-engined sports car is modest only in its thirstfor fuel. During the NEDC test cycle, the Boxster S Black Edition contents itself with asmuch fuel as the Boxster S: 9.8 litres per 100 kilometres.

To raise dynamics and efficiency even further, the Boxster S Black Edition mayalternatively also be fitted with the seven-speed Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK).

Pushing the envelope for performance motoring fans,Audi India has introduced the new R8 V10 in here.

Winner of the ‘World Performance Car’ 2010, the newAudi R8 V10 will be priced at Rs 1.33 crore (ex-showroom,Mumbai).

The R8 V10 features the more powerful 5.2-litre, ten-cylinder FSI engine that produces in excess of 510 bhp andis said to be capable of a top speed of over 315 kmph. Thesuper sports car is capable of accelerating past the 100kmph mark from standstill in just 3.9 seconds.

The Audi R8 5.2 FSI will be available with a manualsix-speed transmission or R-tronic which enables thedriver to change gears in an instant via rocker switches onthe steering wheel. The exterior of the R8 5.2 FSI isrefreshed with newly designed sideblades to increase airintake and maximise performance. A very distinctive de-sign highlight of the R8 V10 is the all-LED headlightswhich are part of standard equipment.

Audi R8 V10 launched

Boxster in Black


MELANGE luxury redefined

Adding to her red collection is this Hermitage quilted bagfrom Hidesign made in soft lamb and smooth ranch leather

with chic contrast stitch detail. Head to Hidesign storesand take your pick from the whole collection.

Price on request

Sling it on!

Fleur Cherie. The favourite orange blossom flower blooms this season oflove in the slew of new products from L’Occitane. This solid perfume

held in a pretty heart-shaped case is an ideal gift to get that smile back onher face. Available at its stores.

Rs 600 (10g)

Fragrance of love

Exclusive sunglasses with little red hearts adoring the armsalong the inner frame, a cleaning cloth printed with hearts and

a striking pink and red gift case… Love Vogue is one for thelovesick girlie! Check it out at select eyewear outlets.

Rs 5,800

Romantic gesture

Heart overdose!

Ralph Lauren’s Summer Romance can bowl her over withscents of blooming flowers, exotic fruits and apricot musk.Available in select lifestyle stores in a glowing pink bottle.

Rs 4,100 (50ml) and Rs 5,800 (100ml)

This is ‘Erika’ fromSwarovski this

Valentines for thatmobile addict

girlfriend. With aheart in red vinyl, face

in epoxy on vinylstrap and two little

crystal sparkles, Erikais available at

Swarovski boutiques.Rs 6,000

Wristletin red


LUXURY abodes

For all the President’s men!

‘Rajput shaan’in the City

of LakesThe Maharaja Suite,

The Leela PalaceKempinski Udaipur

Amidst the splendour of a luxury five star hotel, the cherry on top is always the PresidentialSuite. Lavish in design, well-appointed in service, yet elegant in its own way. The ‘suite of suites’is always the largest, with a lounge, two to three bedrooms, gym, spa room and study, ideal forthe country-hopping Head of State, corporate honcho or top notch entrepreneur, entourage in

tow. And that’s just the basic! ANUSHYA MAMTORA picks out five of the most exotic presidentialsuites to have been offered by the hospitality industry in recent times

Palatial from the very first step, a stay in this 3,585 sftmagnificent suite is sure to take you back to the daysof the yore. A time when Maharanas and Maharanis,dressed in finery and pearls, glided around the roomswith subjects hanging to their every word. Yes, Leela,gives you an experience only the mighty kingsenjoyed. Recreating the magic, the suite, apart fromthe usual, has a separate walk in closet for leisuredressing, an ESPA massage parlour for some privatepampering, plunge pool for a midnight dip andsprawling courtyards for a quiet stroll.

Tariff: About Rs 2.5 lakh per night


Sparkling atop the 21st floor of the property with a calming view ofthe Arabian Sea, the Kohinoor is Oberoi’s crowning glory. The entryis magnificent with a formal entrance foyer opening up to whiteThassos marble flooring and large picture windows of the livingroom that offer a panoramic view of the ocean. Ideal for the crèmede la crème who mean business, the fully equipped workspace isalso part of this elegant setting. Some interesting highlights of the2,050 sft are a luxurious en suite four-fixture bathroom with atreadmill, a powder room, a Baby Grand piano located in the livingroom and the pleasure of enjoying Mumbai like no other.

A solitaire inMaximum City

The Kohinoor Presidential Suite,

The Oberoi, Mumbai

Packed with luxuries, design andcomfort of the highest order, the NizamSuite is the newest epitome of royalty tojoin the Taj Group with the launch ofthis once-upon-a-time abode of theNizams. Housed in the Zenana suitesand brimming with history, what addsto its residential splendour is theelegant blend of contemporary with theartistic inspiration of the Nizam era.Nawabi style bedroom with walls handpainted with royal motifs to EmilyGriffin glass paintings from the early1900s, restored antique furniture withancient elephant tusk details to aprivate swimming and whirl pool, thebalance is harmonious. The winnerexperience is the exclusive jasmine orsandal wood ‘ittar’ bath the personalbutler draws for the guest.

Royalty, Nizami styleNizam Suite, Taj Falaknuma Palace,Hyderabad

Tariff: About Rs 5 lakh per night


The very names conjure up the image ofthe regal Mughal queens fussed around bya retinue of women. Pamperingunparalleled. Recreating this experience,the new wing of the award winning KayaKalp – The Royal Spa, ‘Khwab Mahal’ has42 opulent suites and the gem among themall are the two royal presidential suites forguests who seek indulgence in the privacyof their ‘chambers’ but withoutcompromising on the aura that envelopesKaya Kalp. Simply done in gorgeousshades of grey, off-white and gold, thedécor is well, befitting a queen! Despitebeing smaller (1,091 sft each) compared toits peers, what bowls the guests and luresthem is the luxury spa abode within thesuite, glimpses of Mughal gardens with‘jharokhas’ and a personal plunge pool.And yes of course, a ‘khidmadgar’ who isthere to do a ‘jo hukum mere aka’!

Live life, Queen size Nur Jehan and Mumtaj Mahal suites, ITC Mughal Agra

Photo: S. Muralidhar


More of the serene Arabian Sea and a spectacular skyline of Mumbai and the Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Four Season’s Presidential Suite sits on the32nd floor and is seeped in contemporary décor. Timber flooring, exquisite hand-tufted rugs, mahagony and maple wood furnishings, rich silk andmohair accessories, silver accents and modern artwork adds to its modern and luxe appeal. The 3,336 sft packs in a spacious living area withchaise lounge, sofas, home theatre system and a bar, a dining space for eight with a well-appointed kitchen, a private well-equipped study and aplush bedroom with bath. The suite can also be configured as a two-three-bedroom suite with the addition of connecting rooms.

Luxury for all Seasons Presidential suite, Four Seasons Hotel, Mumbai


Tariff: About Rs 1.25 lakh per [email protected]


BLING corner

Gorgeous with a triplerow of diamonds in aheart and brilliantcaptive diamonds, thisHappy Diamondspendant from Chopardis a stunner whenteamed with a décolletégown. Available at itsboutiques in New Delhiand Mumbai.Price on request

Chopard gets‘Happy’er

Two interlinked hearts, one in white gold theother in pink, a sparkling diamond that revealsa pattern of hearts and arrows when seenthrough a special magnifying glass - ORRA hasa quite a treat lined up this month. Check outits boutiques for more.Rs 13,015 (in pic)

Linked-up!

With a pink gold chainpendant, gold andchocolate-brown cottoncord bracelet and whitegold ring, Piaget’s‘declaration of love’ is itsnew Possession range.What catches the eye isthe diamonds and theengraved ‘possession’.Head to its boutique inNew Delhi.Price on request

Prizedpossession!

Brilliant diamonds encrusted in 18kwhite gold makes this pretty pair ofearrings from Minawala’s Freyacollection a neat pick. Available at itsoutlets in New Delhi, Mumbai andBengaluru. Rs 50,600

Little hearts

Documents

Smartbuy issue dated February 9, 2011