Sunday, January 9, 2011


A car enthusiast is offering the world’s most expensive car wash service – charging up to £7,200 per vehicle.


Gurcharn Sahota, 30, takes up to 250 hours to clean each vehicle with an array of 100 cleaning fluids and wax that costs £8,200 per tub.
His premier wash includes polishing and buffing every inch of the car inside and out five times.
He even uses a computerised microscope – normally used by forensic scientists – to examine the bodywork for the minutest scratch not even visible to the naked eye.
Mr Sahota, who drives a clapped-out VW Golf himself, started the business five years ago by washing his neighbour’s cars with a bucket and sponge.
But he has since cleaned hundreds of supercars and now boasts a string of celebrity clients.
He said: ”When I was younger I washed neighbours’ cars and my dad’s car whenever I could.
”They never paid me, I loved it so much I did it for free.
”Things have built up from there and now I’m cleaning some of the fastest, most powerful sports cars in the world.
”People come to me and they want the best treatment going for their car.
”If you’ve got a £500,000 car then a few grand for cleaning is worth it.
”Sometimes I’ll work through the night to get a car looking absolutely pristine.
”They’re world class motors that deserve a world class wash.”
Mr Sahota, who lives with his parents in Derbyshire, has converted their double garage into a hi-tech workshop.
He built a Formula 1-style pit for scrubbing the underneath of cars and layered the entire workshop floor and walls with specialist tiles imported from Italy which help reflect flecks of dirt on the cars.
He begins every clean in the same way – washing it with a lambwool mitten and soapy water.
He said: ”I treat every car like an individual project, I want them to leave my workshop looking better than they have ever done.
”I have my processes which I go through and I am meticulous about each one.
”If you’re paying £150,000 for a car then you’re going to want it to be perfect.
”The first time I cleaned a Ferrari Enzo it took a week and when I tried to sleep all I could see was Ferrari red.
”The car has to be free from all contaminants like dust and dirt before you start otherwise it’s going to get scratched.
”I just want perfection. Finishing is the best part because you know what it was like when you started. That gives me great satisfaction.”
After spending hundreds of hours cleaning by hand he uses a £5,000 computerised microscope which examines the car for blotches and scratches.
A buffer is linked to a highly sensitive paint gauge which scans the car to prevent patching on the bodywork.
Finally, he uses a specialist clay which he rubs over the bodywork to remove any imperfections.
Mr Sahota, who works alone, started cleaning cars while he studied for a degree in accountancy at Birmingham University.
After graduating, he begged a local Aston Martin dealer to let him clean a DB9 for free.
The dealer, who reluctantly agreed, was so impressed with the results he passed on his details to clients and began using him on a regular basis.
He then established his own firm – Elite Detailing – and has opened a second workshop in Worcester.
He said: ”The work just started flying in. My reputation was great and word just spread.”
His parents Gurbinder, 55, and Amarjit, 53, were so impressed with their son’s work they converted their double garage into a hi-tech workshop for his business.
Since then he has washed hundreds of supercars including Lamborghinis, Ferraris and Porsches.
His proudest moment cleaning the world’s most expensive car – the McLaren F1 GTR worth up to £3 million.
He said: ”The McLaren F1 GTR is without doubt my favourite car. It is so exclusive you hardly see any of them on the roads.
”They are a very attractive car and every inch of them is perfect – they are a work of art.”
He does not disclose the identities of his celebrity clients identities but one of his customers is the lawyer Nick Freeman – known as Mr Loophole – who regularly sends his Aston Martin DBS Volante to him for a clean.
His other customers include Premiership footballers, rock stars, actors and stockbrokers.

Upcoming Toyota Etios Diesel in Mid-2011

Toyota Etios Diesel Expected in Mid-2011
Estimated price: Rs 6.2lakh

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd., showcased the Etios which turned out to be a headturner at the Auto Expo held in New Delhi in January 2010. While the car was not a production model, people at the Expo got a fairly clear picture of what the car would look like once it arrived by the year end and also about what they could expect on it. Toyota displayed both, the hatch and the sedan models, at the Auto Expo.

Toyota launched the petrol variant of the Etios on 1st December, 2010. Toyota plans to launch the diesel variant of the Etios in 2011. Toyota might plonk the 1.4-litre diesel engine that even powers the Corolla Altis diesel.
Design

The Etios was originally called the EFC, or the Entry Family Car. Etios means Spirit and Principle which Toyota intends to give to its customers in India. More than 2000 engineers in India and Japan have worked in close collaboration for four years to ensure the perfect blend of local design sensibilities and unmatched global quality standards are integrated into the Etios.

The chief engineer of Product Planning at Toyota Mr. Yoshinori Noritake said, "In the process of development of Etios, I have visited many Indian cities and homes to understand the market and interact with customers. The Etios concept will cater to the basic needs of this market - highest standards of quality at competitive prices.

Toyota's new compact cars have been designed to offer innovative styling, roomy interiors, superior ride comfort and best in class mileage at competitive prices. The design concept of 'Bold Simplicity' represents the pursuit of the perfect combination of functionality and affordable luxury.
The Etios incorporates advanced technology and superior quality features that have been developed by Toyota, specifically for India, by leveraging the world class innovation that Toyota is globally renowned for.

Mechanicals:
As we had predicted there will also be a diesel car as a diesel version of the car would make a lot of sense for several buyers especially here in India. Also, considering it would come from the Toyota stables, most buyers would be only too happy to put down the extra thousands for a diesel engine by Toyota, humming under their hoods. The fact that Toyota has recently launched the Toyota Corolla Diesel, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to think that Toyota would launch the Etios only with petrol engines.
Competition:
Maruti Suzuki Swift and the Swift Dzire will be the main competition for the Toyota Etios. In addition to the sales in India, the car, which is Toyota's biggest project, the car will roll out of the Bangalore plant and will also be offered for sale in China, Russia and South America. The company already has Toyota Corolla, Toyota Innova, Toyota Camry and Toyota Innova along with newly launched SUV, Toyota Fortuner, in its portfolio.

Audi Launches A8: 4.2 TFSI Sedan Cars in India

One of the biggest name in the luxury cars in India, Audi is bringing a brand new piece of art named Audi A8 for the Indian buyers. The date decided for the launch is 10th January, 2011.

The rear of the car resembles a bit of Audi A4 but the frontier has a look of its own own and very stylish. This launch is company's move to compete against its contemporaries like Mercedes S Class and BMW 7 series. The new Audi A8 to be available in both petrol and diesel variants will be priced at 91 lac and 76.5 lac respectively, both being ex-showroom prices in Mumbai.


This new car from Audi will have a 4.2L FSI V8 engine (petrol) churning a maximum output of 367 bhp and a top torque of 445 Nm. The diesel version of Audi A8 to follow will be powered by a 3.0L TDI V6 engine developing a maximum power of 247 bhp with a peak torque of 550 Nm. Another variant in the Audi A8 with more power will be launched within the second quarter of 2011 which would deliver massive output of 493 bhp and a maximum torque of 625 Nm.