Mahindra 2 Wheelers launches Rodeo 125 RZ.

Mahindra has finally launched the facelifted Rodeo scooter after it was unveiled on 7th june to the media.It is going to be launched in a phased manner across India starting from the south.That means for time being  the current launch is limited to South India.

The 125cc scooter has been rolled out across South India with prices ranging between INR 49,410 and INR 50,710 depending on the state.The ex-showroom prices announced are INR 49,575 (Andhra Pradesh), INR 49,410 (Kerala), INR 50,710 (Tamil Nadu) and INR 48,930 (Karnataka), respectively.

The Rodeo RZ is powered by a 125cc Z Series engine which has great pick up and at the same is fuel efficient.It now features the Dual Curve Digital Ignition (DCDI) similar to Duro DZ,  which Mahindra claims provides better fuel efficiency.It provides a fuel economy of 59.28 kmpl with slight increase in power due to DCDI.

Features at a Glance:

• 7 interchangeable backlit panel Digital console with tachometer, tripmeter, acceleration timer, odometer, speedometer, over-speed alarm, fuel gauge, clock and side stand buzzer.
• Body Color mirrors
• Mobile phone and MP3 charger
• 4-in-1 Anti-theft key
• Available in 7 color options – Mystique Violet, Electric Green and Flame Orange are new additions apart from the regulars
•  Front fuel filler cap

The facelifted Rodeo is priced somewhere around the same price tag as that of its competitors, Mahindra could have priced it around 1.5k-2k lesser than its competitors considering the fact that their competitors are a well established lot, still it seems Mahindra are quite confident considering the exhaustive feature list.

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Audi set offer of 750 Million Euro to buy Ducati

Just a couple of days ago, we had informed you that Iconic Italian motorcycle maker Ducati is up for sale , possibly considering Volkswagen and BMW as potential suitor . Hero Motocorp and Mahindra from our Indian contingent also had an eye on Ducati . But now we have a got a latest update that Audi is set to offer  750 MILLION EURO to buy Ducati .

The German car giant has put the bid to Andrea Bonomi, the owner of the Investindustrial, the private equity firm which controls about 70% of the legendary bike manufacturer since a takeover in 2008 and is looking to double its money.The other stake holders include  Red Borgo Panigal with 20% and the bottom Canadian Hospitals of Ontario Pension Plan about 7%.

There are speculations that Audi's,  750 million euro bid for Ducati, which while being lesser than the 850 million euros that InvestIndustrial sought for Ducati, could be accepted

Volkswagen's Audi brand is in full force to include Ducati in their stable of brands and triumph over their arch rival BMW . For Audi, whose Ingolstadt headquarters has become a key research and development center for lightweight fuel saving technologies, Ducati's engine technology could add a new development dimension.

It's a well-known fact that Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand Piëch has long been interested in adding Ducati to the VW Group's already massive stable of brands .VW had expressed interest in Ducati in the past but chose to pursue an interest in Suzuki which has turned out badly for both parties.

Apart from Volkswagen’s Audi, Hero MotoCorp and Mercedes Benz’s AMG were also reported to be in the race for Ducati.It remains to be seen whether Hero MotoCorp and Mercedes Benz’s tuning divison AMG, have also made bids for the Italian motorcycle maker.

Is Ducati's Future in the Four Rings?
Stay updated to get the latest news .

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Audi in talks to buy Italy’s Ducati

Just a couple of weeks ago, we had informed you that Iconic Italian motorcycle maker Ducati is up for sale , possibly considering Volkswagen and BMW as potential suitors. Hero Motocorp and Mahindra from our Indian contingent were also showing intentions to take their brand to the next level and to think beyond the small displacement motorcycles they're currently known for. But as of now as per our sources the current interested suitors include Volkswagen's Audi brand and BMW in the forefront not that Hero Motocorp and Mahindra are out of the race .

Volkswagen's Audi brand is in full force to include Ducati in their stable of brands and triumph over their arch rival BMW .
Audi the premium cars arm of Europe's top car maker Volkswagen  was in discussions with the private equity group that controls the Italian firm about a purchase.

A successful deal would extend Audi's long-standing rivalry with BMW  to superbikes, and add expertise about high-revving light engines to VW's engineering portfolio, which ranges from cars through heavy trucks to ship engines.
Basically VW wants to extend its legacy in the biking sector as well since it is the only department in which VW hasn't featured yet  .

For Audi, whose Ingolstadt headquarters has become a key research and development center for lightweight fuel saving technologies, Ducati's engine technology could add a new development dimension.

If rumors are correct, Ducati is hoping for a total purchase price of 850 million euros, or about 1.1 billion dollars – but that figure includes 800 million euros of debt, meaning the actual sale price of the brand itself would be just $65 million and currently Volkswagen's Audi brand is int forefront

Ducati has, in the past, positioned itself as the two-wheeled equivalent to Audi, whatever that means. And finally, having Ducati as its two-wheeled partner would give Audi yet another talking point in its longstanding rivalry with BMW.

Audi isn't the only serious suitor for Ducati. There's talk of potential ownership by India's Mahindra and Germany's Mercedes-Benz, who's own AMG performance division is a strategic marketing partner with Ducati as it is. Audi parent Volkswagen, too, is said to be in the running for a bid to own the famed Italian motorcycle marque.

Ducati currently sells a range of motorcycles in India including the Ducati Monster, the Ducati Hypermotard, the Ducati 848, the Ducati 1098 and the Ducati Diavel. Ducati sells over 40,000 motorcycles across the globe and has been in existence for over  86 years. Bologna headquartered Ducati has had a series of owners in the past.
We'll keep you up to date with any more information on Ducati's future ownership as time goes on.

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Mahindra Racing Team wins 2012 ITALIAN 125GP CHAMPIONSHIP .

In 2008, Mahindra & Mahindra acquired Italy’s Engines Engineering, who had been constructing race bikes and providing specialised components and technical support for teams in MotoGP since 2003.


Last January, Mahindra Racing was unveiled and with it a new set of dreams unfolded as an Indian team featured in Moto3 for the first time and this year they featured in 2012 ITALIAN 125GP CHAMPIONSHIP

The Italian Championship is the leading national track competition in Italy and a launch pad for Italy’s best young motorcyclists as they head towards the international arena. It is staged on the country’s best racetracks from March to October over six weekends and has 8 rounds. The event is organised by FMI

The Italian Championship has been a launch pad for many well known names in MotoGP. Valentino Rossi -The  Legend of MotoGP is one of them .


Mahindra Racing Team's road to victory .
Italian rider Ricardo Moretti earned a remarkable victory for Mahindra Racing Team in the season-opening race of the 125GP Italian Championship at the Mugello Circuit on Sunday. Sarath Kumar was unfortunately forced into an early retirement due to a technical issue. It was Sarath Kumar's first weekend on the Italian track

Moretti started the race from the pole, thanks to the outstanding performance displayed in the two qualifying sessions. He consolidated his position up front with a swift starton Sunday and quickly extended his lead. Such was his dominance that Moretti opened up a 10-second gap over the second-placed racer , while Kumar got off from the 8th row - the 22nd spot on the grid.

Moretti got a good start in the race as he maintained the lead which he quickly extended. Kumar, on the other hand, didn't get the best of the starts but was able to settle into a good rhythm and overtook several riders.

As the race went into its second half, Moretti's advantage on the runner-up grew to an amazing ten seconds , while Kumar kept pushing hard before being forced to pull up with an early retirement due to a technical problem and wasn't able to complete the race with just 3 laps to go , it was an unfortunate incident for the young Indian rider .

The race ended with an overpowering victory for Moretti, who crossed the finish line with a big margin over the rest of the field.

Riccardo Moretti credited his performance to the pre-season testing done by Mahindra .
"We started this season in the best way possible. My start from the grid was a good one and since I was in the lead I tried to push at my best to get the best margin possible," Riccardo Moretti said .

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DUCATI UP FOR SALE; INTERESTED SUITORS INCLUDE MAHINDRA, BMW AND VOLKSWAGEN!

Iconic Italian motorcycle maker Ducati is up for sale and its current owners are asking 1 billion pounds or USD 1.6 billion dollars for the motorcycle company, which is regarded as the Ferrari of the two wheeled world for its high performance and cutting edge motorcycle range. Interestingly, Mercedes Benz’s name does not appear anywhere in the suitor list for Ducati, even though the German automaker has a co-operative agreement with Ducati. The sale could happen over the next one year as Ducati needs cash to fund future growth and this is the reason being given by its current owners, Investindustrial Holdings.

At the current expected price of 1.6 Billion USD, Investindustrial Holdings will make thrice as much money that it originally invested in the Italian motorcycle brand.

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MAHINDRA EXITS ENGINES ENGINEERING BY SELLING BACK STAKE TO PROMOTER!

Mahindra has done a dramatic u-turn here, by selling its 70% stake in Italian engine and design firm, Engines Engineering, a stake that gave Mahindra ownership rights. This moves comes as quite a surprise as Mahindra does have a MotoGP racing effort in place. with the entire design engineering support being provided by the Italian firm. Engines Engineering was also enlisted the work of fixing the Stallio 110′s gearbox.

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MAHINDRA MOTO3 BIKE FOR 2012

Mahindra Racing unveiled its new Moto3 challenger, the MGP30(pronounced three oh) today. Mahindra became the first Indian company to enter MotoGP when Mahindra Racing opened its account at the Qatar Grand Prix in March this year. With 16 of the 17 2011 races now under its belt, the team aims to finish the season on a high tomorrow by claiming third place in the Constructors’ Championship and 15th in the riders’ standings for German teenager Marcel Schrötter. “I have been watching our progress in the 125cc class all year and am now delighted to finally have the opportunity to witness the fantastic spectacle of MotoGP first hand,” said Mr Anand Mahindra, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

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