[ajmat]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Not sure which year you are referring but since 2018,

This was around 2014 if I recollect.

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by ajmat

This was around 2014 if I recollect.

Yes, I too. Maybe you are referring to this

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offic...ml#post3971684 (BMW M5 : Driven)

I attended the first M event in 2018 and the cars had run-in for sure so maybe they changed in later years. And Yes, BMW guys try to be very particular the way they keep their cars.

And here’s the mileage reading from the M5 that I missed posting before.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Yes, I too. Maybe you are referring to this

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offic...ml#post3971684 (BMW M5 : Driven)

Nope, it was this thread
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/super...-m6-buddh.html (Driven: BMW M3, M4 and M6 @ Buddh!)

Must correct myself, the cars had barely done 300km!

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by Akshay6988

....the test cars you or any other auto journalists get in India, are those run in before by the manufacturer? Or the reviewers just floor it?

Most of the cars given for review to all the media houses will be fresh off the line. The maximum I can think of would be sporting 250-300 kms on the odometer depending on where the drive location is planned for!

It is up to the journalists how they handle the cars once it's in their umbrella. We, enthusiasts, might easy initially till one gets a fair idea and do revv to the limit once in a while. Some YouTuber' revv the nuts from word go!

Feel bad for those cars but in a way it can be treated like some kind of 'endurance testing'. Not many are bothered in running-in etc and some cases, the journalists don't have that much possession time to go slow!

[GTO]

Originally Posted by a4anurag

We, enthusiasts, might easy initially till one gets a fair idea and do revv to the limit once in a while.

I have sometimes got new cars with the kind of odometer we see at deliveries. That is, under 100 km. As someone who is extremely particular about running-in his own cars, it is painful to take a 100-km engine to its max revs. But after 30 minutes of doing that, the pleasure of redlining completely overshadows the pain of not running in

[GTO]

Jalopnik reminded me of this!

Many times with the press cars, we get both keys - the original and the duplicate tied together. Curious, I asked the PR team why. They said "we'd lose them otherwise! There is no system to keep a duplicate key with us".

[GTO]

It's a great time to be a car guy! In just 2 weeks, I have driven 6 interesting cars (two are mine ), including the new Octavia, Alcazar, Kushaq & Land Rover Defender . Good way to end the lockdown and open the monsoon innings up.

[arjab]

Originally Posted by GTO

In just 2 weeks, I have driven 6 interesting cars (two are mine ), including the new Octavia, Alcazar, Kushaq & Land Rover Defender . Good way to end the lockdown and open the monsoon innings up.

So, when are you putting up the Defender drive impressions?
The next best thing to never being able to own the Defender due to perennial shortage of Vitamin - M, is to read your reviews, which puts us in the driver's seat!

[GTO]

Must appreciate the attention-to-detail.

Because we review unregistered cars, we have to fill out a Form 19 with driver details, purpose of drive etc. Cops really harrow you if you don't have this while driving a red plate car. Now, with all our press drive cars, a loose single paper Form 19 is placed somewhere in the glovebox. Many times, there is no Form 19 provided with the car at all.


Mercedes-Benz? A neatly organised booklet of Form 19s, with carbon paper & a duplicate copy. Unbelievable. Love the attention-to-detail

[GTO]

Someone wrote to us recently about previewing an upcoming vehicle. With a note = no comments on build quality, no close up pictures of fit & finish (only full profile images) etc.

My response = thanks, but no thanks . Team-BHP will NEVER be told what to write, or what not to write. If the said vehicle is important and our access is blocked, we will buy or borrow it for our review, but we will NEVER EVER take guidelines on what goes (or doesn't) into our report.

A response soon followed = we will get full access to the said vehicle after a month.

[Bibendum90949]

Originally Posted by GTO

Someone wrote to us recently about previewing an upcoming vehicle. With a note = no comments on build quality, no close up pictures of fit & finish (only full profile images) etc.

My response = thanks, but no thanks . Team-BHP will NEVER be told what to write, or what not to write. If the said vehicle is important and our access is blocked, we will buy or borrow it for our review, but we will NEVER EVER take guidelines on what goes (or doesn't) into our report.

A response soon followed = we will get full access to the said vehicle after a month.

Is it an all new upcoming vehicle or the so called facelift. You should divulge little more details GTO

So they feel even if team BHP reviews the car after a month, the damage can be contained. What a confidence ! , both on their product quality and line of thought.

They can think about having a small sticker put up on the dash for the buyers too with the aforesaid instructions just like how we see those with 4*4 instructions or how to start AT, AMT etc.

Originally Posted by Axe77

Like I said above, I don’t think this is to alter the opinions but more about releasing previews of the vehicle when they’re not fully production ready or not confident on QC etc front. This is more glorified and free advertising and “staying in the news” exercise for the product over a prolonged period running up to actual launch and sale.

But this part in GTO's post indicate it's not a pre production vehicle.

If the said vehicle is important and our access is blocked, we will buy or borrow it for our review, but we will NEVER EVER take guidelines on what goes (or doesn't) into our report.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by GTO

.

My response = thanks, but no thanks
.
.
A response soon followed = we will get full access to the said vehicle after a month.

And that is perfectly fine! More than trying to alter reviews, car companies are jumping the gun and trying to create interest alive by multiple phases of dekkos to the vehicle in question. Case in point: Alcazar (also Kushaq I think).

The first Alcazar RJ preview could only be published with Hyundai’s images. Unfortunately big publishers feel they have no choice but to pander to such requests and still need to make the silly trip and also give it coverage. Along with half a dozen nincompoop influencers to boot! You can display the car in phases and can only report stipulated aspects of it.

I much prefer this. One solid review on our own terms at the right time.

Shumi has published his detailed review of the Trident 660 only NOW (like, literally this week). And its hands down one of the most ‘on point’ reviews of the bike I have seen despite it being perhaps one of the shortest.

Originally Posted by Bibendum90949

So they feel even if team BHP reviews the car after a month, the damage can be contained. What a confidence ! , both on their product quality and line of thought.

Like I said above, I don’t think this is to alter the opinions but more about releasing previews of the vehicle when they’re not fully production ready or not confident on QC etc front. This is more glorified and free advertising and “staying in the news” exercise for the product over a prolonged period running up to actual launch and sale.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by Axe77

... Like I said above, I don’t think this is to alter the opinions but more about releasing previews of the vehicle when they’re not fully production ready or not confident on QC etc front. This is more glorified and free advertising and “staying in the news” exercise for the product over a prolonged period running up to actual launch and sale.

What next! Launching cars on Kickstarter?

[avishar]

Originally Posted by GTO

Someone wrote to us recently about previewing an upcoming vehicle. With a note = no comments on build quality, no close up pictures of fit & finish (only full profile images) etc.

My response = thanks, but no thanks . Team-BHP will NEVER be told what to write, or what not to write. If the said vehicle is important and our access is blocked, we will buy or borrow it for our review, but we will NEVER EVER take guidelines on what goes (or doesn't) into our report.

A response soon followed = we will get full access to the said vehicle after a month.

I am going to take a left field guess at this. I wonder if it is Ola Electric.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by avishar

I am going to take a left field guess at this. I wonder if it is Ola Electric.

My bet is that it's the market leader. If so it's shameless on their part to already be aware of the shortcomings and asking the media to hide it. If it's Ola electric, for it's scooter, then I can imagine how screwed up their first product into the market can be. Either way, let's see which other media house will override this suggestion and actually point out build quality issues.