My new Baleno VXi

Ram · 23rd July 2006, 13:34

Photos moved to the initial post. -Mod Team

sajo · 23rd July 2006, 16:35

Nice car! The car must be feeling right at home on the expressway! But with just 210Kms on the Odo...How does the engine feel when stretched?

Ram · 23rd July 2006, 17:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by sajo

Nice car! The car must be feeling right at home on the expressway! But with just 210Kms on the Odo...How does the engine feel when stretched?

Didn't stretch it!

Drove at a sedate 80-95 km/hr stopping and parking at two tea-shops on the way to let the engine and brakes, break-in properly.

I had to load the engine by accelerating gently in all gears, alternating between short bursts of hard acceleration and deceleration to properly load the piston rings and help them seat.

Alternated between 4th and 5th gears on the expressway.

Saturday and Sunday have been lovely rainy days.

Yesterday, I started out from Pune at 08:30. On the expressway, it was pouring in sheets everywhere!

After the Talegaon tollstation, are the Kamshet tunnel#2 and Kamshet tunnel#1. After the tunnels, I pulled over at a place called Pimploli-Taje to enjoy hot wada pav and hot masala tea, and marvel at the copious rain, the misty green mountains and lovely travellers.

Reached home in Mumbai at 11:30.

The Baleno drove like a dream.

Ram

Ram · 23rd July 2006, 21:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

'allo 'allo

congrats on your latest addition to the family, enjoy the "new car smell" while you can...

geez, this car is getting bloody popular...id better brush up on it...

cheers
karl

Thanks Karl.

The leathery, plastic, rubber scent that you smell when you get behind the wheel is indeed, one of things heaven is made of, for petrol-heads like us. Never fails to seduce and attract.

Nearly every lining, molding and panel in a modern car interior is made of cloth, rexine or plastic pasted with adhesives and sealers. These adhesives have volatile solvents that evaporate over time giving off a gentle hint of their characteristic odor.

Phthalate plasticizers used in PVC and other plastics generate much of the pleasant scent of a new car.

Genuine tanned leather tends to give off a faint zoo odor (remember the odor in a Bata shop), so some amount of artificial fragrance is added to the leather to get a fresh smell.

My Baleno has the added odor of the artificial leather seats.

Technocrat · 24th July 2006, 11:54

Great pics Ram, Congrats again

kpzen · 24th July 2006, 12:34

Congrats...
WElcome to team Baleno
Nice pics ram..!!!

Nagaraj · 26th July 2006, 12:21

Hi Ram,
Congrats!!!!!!

Welcome to the Club Baleno. You have taken a right decision. Enjoy the car. Have a safe motoring....

Bye,
Nagaraj

adya33 · 26th July 2006, 12:29

A bit late to the party but congratulations RAM.
Good choice with the colour.

theMAG · 26th July 2006, 22:17

Ram,

Congrats on your new car! I must also congratulate you on your gorgeous residential settings - there's something about lush greenery that makes all my stress melt away!

You also seem to have quite a poet in you - your recording "...and marvel at the copious rain, the misty green mountains and lovely travellers" made me want to be at that very place at this very moment you described this from !

Ram · 27th July 2006, 09:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by theMAG

Ram,

Congrats on your new car! I must also congratulate you on your gorgeous residential settings - there's something about lush greenery that makes all my stress melt away!

You also seem to have quite a poet in you - your recording "...and marvel at the copious rain, the misty green mountains and lovely travellers" made me want to be at that very place at this very moment you described this from !

Thanks for the compliments, Mahesh. I really enjoy the greenery too. And besides, it's great to wake up to a Sunday dawn, ...the smell of filter coffee and toast, with song-birds of all kinds singing in the trees -- bulbuls, cuckoos and the hooting of the great Himalayan coucal...

Makes you almost feel it not Bombay.

BTW, is that cute dog with the tennis ball, your pet?
Ram

moralfibre · 27th July 2006, 09:33

Kewl pics and a great description. What speakers do you have?

condor · 27th July 2006, 09:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by ram

The leathery, plastic, rubber scent that you smell when you get behind the wheel is indeed, one of things heaven is made of, for petrol-heads like us. Never fails to seduce and attract.

And the sound of the engine is music to the ears!

Ram, congrats on your new love.

I think rainy days can be good photo days - the light's not too harsh. Btw, do you do a lot of Skynnrd?

theMAG · 27th July 2006, 10:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by ram

BTW, is that cute dog with the tennis ball, your pet?
Ram

Yeh - that's my cute 50 kg German Shepherd

Ram · 27th July 2006, 14:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by condor

And the sound of the engine is music to the ears!

Ram, congrats on your new love.

I think rainy days can be good photo days - the light's not too harsh. Btw, do you do a lot of Skynnrd?

Thanks for the sentiment.
Rainy days do have a uniform, diffuse, subdued light, but you must take care not to soak your camera!

BTW -- about Lynnrd Skynnrd -- the Southern rock band. Why did you associate me with them?

Ram

GTO · 27th July 2006, 15:05

Congrats Ram! Good choice with the Baleno. After living with the 800 and the Padmini, your Baleno must feel like a dream.

I bought an Esteem VXI, and after a decade in an 800 / Padmini family, it felt like the best car on earth. Its still running reliable at close to 2,00,000 kms but the time to sell is just around the corner.

GTO

23rd July 2006, 13:34	#31
Ram Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Singapore, Mumbai, Nagpur Posts: 2,166 Thanked: 219 Times View My Garage	Baleno VXi pics Sun. 23-July-2006 Photos moved to the initial post. -Mod Team Last edited by Samurai : 23rd July 2006 at 16:54.
	() Thanks

23rd July 2006, 16:35	#32
sajo Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pune Posts: 2,625 Thanked: 1,153 Times	Nice car! The car must be feeling right at home on the expressway! But with just 210Kms on the Odo...How does the engine feel when stretched?
	() Thanks

24th July 2006, 11:54	#35
Technocrat Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: GTA Posts: 14,813 Thanked: 2,700 Times	Great pics Ram, Congrats again
	() Thanks

24th July 2006, 12:34	#36
kpzen Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Faridabad Posts: 5,610 Thanked: 1,876 Times View My Garage	Congrats... WElcome to team Baleno Nice pics ram..!!!
	() Thanks

26th July 2006, 12:21	#37
Nagaraj BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 34 Thanked: 3 Times	Hi Ram, Congrats!!!!!! Welcome to the Club Baleno. You have taken a right decision. Enjoy the car. Have a safe motoring.... Bye, Nagaraj
	() Thanks

26th July 2006, 12:29	#38
adya33 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pune Posts: 1,839 Thanked: 183 Times	A bit late to the party but congratulations RAM. Good choice with the colour.
	() Thanks

26th July 2006, 22:17	#39
theMAG Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Avon, CT Posts: 7,217 Thanked: 1,807 Times View My Garage	Ram, Congrats on your new car! I must also congratulate you on your gorgeous residential settings - there's something about lush greenery that makes all my stress melt away! You also seem to have quite a poet in you - your recording "...and marvel at the copious rain, the misty green mountains and lovely travellers" made me want to be at that very place at this very moment you described this from ! Last edited by theMAG : 26th July 2006 at 22:22.
	() Thanks

27th July 2006, 09:33	#41
moralfibre Team-BHP Support Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: MH-12 Posts: 8,451 Thanked: 13,973 Times	Kewl pics and a great description. What speakers do you have?
	() Thanks

27th July 2006, 15:05	#45
GTO Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 70,546 Thanked: 300,779 Times View My Garage	Congrats Ram! Good choice with the Baleno. After living with the 800 and the Padmini, your Baleno must feel like a dream. I bought an Esteem VXI, and after a decade in an 800 / Padmini family, it felt like the best car on earth. Its still running reliable at close to 2,00,000 kms but the time to sell is just around the corner. GTO
	() Thanks