The Lamborghini Gallardo valued at around Rs 1 crore, was completely destroyed in the fire.

A luxury car dealer’s Lamborghini Gallardo was torched by a rival over a business dispute. The incident took place in the Pahad Shareef area of Hyderabad on Saturday.

According to media reports, the two had met to settle a dispute over sharing of commission in connection with the sale of a car. The verbal spat soon took a violent turn after the accused set fire to the supercar.

Fire tenders rushed to the spot but by the time they could douse the flame; the car was completely burnt.

The Lamborghini Gallardo valued at around Rs 1 crore, was registered in the name of Neeraj, who has filed a complaint at the local police station. A case has been filed under Section 435 (Mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage) of the IPC. A look-out notice has been issued against the accused, who is on the run.

Source: Times Now

Formula E is likely to pursue action for the "breach of contract" by the state government.

Formula E has confirmed that the 2024 Hyderbad E-Prix has been cancelled. The race was scheduled to be held on February 10. 

In an official statement released by Formula E, the organisers revealed that the race was cancelled after the government of Telangana decided not to fulfil the Host City Agreement signed on October 30, 2023.

“The cancellation comes following a decision by the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department (MAUD), under the control of the Government of Telangana, not to fulfil the Host City Agreement signed on 30 October 2023,” the statement read.

Formula E is likely to pursue action for the "breach of contract" by the state government.

“Formula E Operations (FEO) has been left with no choice other than to formally give notice to MAUD that it is in breach of contract. FEO is considering its position and what steps it may take under the Host City Agreement and applicable laws. All of FEO’s rights in that regard are reserved.”

The organizing team for the Hyderabad E-Prix was disbanded in August, raising doubts on whether the race would return in 2024. Now, with the race officially cancelled, Formula E does not intend to replace it, leaving a 7-week gap between the Diriyah and Sao Paulo races.

Formula E is concerned the race will not be able to go ahead as planned.

The Hyderabad E-Prix is scheduled for February 10, 2024. However, the race’s future hangs in the balance as discussions are still underway with the newly elected state government and Formula E.

According to media reports, Formula E’s senior executive team met with government officials earlier this month. The organizers are seeking a clarification of the contractual commitments and are concerned that the race might have to be cancelled.

An official statement from Formula E read, “Following a recent official communication received from the new Government of Telangana, Formula E is seeking urgent clarification of their contractual commitments under the agreement and how it could impact the Hyderabad race. Based on the content of the letter received, Formula E is concerned the race will not be able to go ahead as planned.” “With the event just a few weeks away and in its final stages of preparation, Formula E, partners and suppliers have already made significant commercial investments in the event.”

The inaugural Hyderabad E-Prix was held on a street circuit alongside the Hussain Sagar Lake. The organizing team though was disbanded in August, raising doubts on whether the E-Prix would return in 2024. However, in October, Formula E confirmed that Hyderabad would be on the calendar.

Source: Autocar India

Just as someone who enjoys racing, this was a great opportunity to witness some skilled driving.

BHPian Omkar recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

The last Formula 1 race in India was held in 2013! We've had to wait almost a decade to watch international-level racing live in our country. Not Formula 1, but this year fans finally got to see some wheel-to-wheel Formula E racing on the streets of Hyderabad.

Yes, most of us are Formula 1 fans here, but let's not get into the discussion about which one's better. Just as someone who enjoys racing, this was a great opportunity to witness some skilled driving. And in all honesty, I didn’t go into the race weekend with a lot of hopes but was glad to witness an exciting race.

If you want to know about Formula E, you can visit their official website for more info. We're now in season 9 of the Formula E World Championship and the Hyderabad e-Prix was Round 4 of 16. The grid consists of 11 teams and 22 drivers. Indian fans were primarily cheering two teams – 1. Mahindra Racing with drivers Lucas Di Grassi (number 11 car) & Oliver Rowland (number 8 car). 2. Jaguar TCS Racing with drivers Sam Bird (number 10 car) & Mitch Evans (number 9 car).

This year also marked the introduction of Gen 3 cars that produce 469 BHP and can do 320 km/h. The cars can regenerate 600 kWh of energy which is 6 times that of the Gen 1 car. These Gen 3 cars also look simpler and sleeker than the previous generation cars.

The Hyderabad E-Prix Street Circuit was located on the banks of the artificial Hussain Sagar Lake. The 2.835 km long circuit consists of 18 turns:

VIP parking lots were full of exotics:

There were multiple gates and points of entry to the circuit:

Further security at the grandstand entry:

For media passes you needed to get accreditation done online from FIA before the race. After approval, you would have to collect the badges from this booth. Unfortunately, by the time I applied for the accreditation, FIA had already closed the entries for the Hyderabad e-Prix. So, I got to view the race like everyone else, in the grandstand:

The grandstands were big enough to accommodate the Indian crowd. However, in the scorching 35-degree heat of Hyderabad, these open grandstands were pure punishment:

This was the turn 16-17 chicane:

That white line was where the finish line was after turn 18:

That’s the first braking zone leading to turn 1:

I got to watch the qualifying from grandstand 14. Double fences meant that clicking pictures of fast cars was going to be very difficult. That’s Pascal Wehrlein who’s won rounds 2 and 3 in Diriyah and leads the championship for the Tag Heuer Porsche team:

One of the crowd favorites, Sam Bird in his number 10 Jaguar TCS car:

Andre Lotterer in the Avalanche Andretti car:

Maserati MSG Racing had one of the best-looking cars on the grid IMO. Maximilian Gunther driving this one:

Nio 333 Racing has participated in the Formula E world championship since its inaugural season in 2014. In the seat of this one was British driver Dan Ticktum:

DS Penske team’s car with Jean-Eric Vergne in the driver's seat. He qualified in 2nd position:

The Neom McLaren Formula E race car looks very similar to the Formula 1 McLaren car in papaya orange. Rene Rast behind the wheel of this one:

Marshalls getting some much-needed rest before the race:

Continue reading Omkar's experience for BHPian comments, insights and more information.

The stretch from Gacchibowli to Kondapur RTO via flyover doesn't see any traffic even in the peak hours.

BHPian Altrozed recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Didnt find any post specifically mentioning the swarm of new flyovers coming in Hyderabad, signals being closed and U-Turn junctions being set up on 2 lanes.

To all the ones driving on Hyderabad roads, hope you are enjoying the drive on the empty new flyover at Kondapur, the Kottaguda - AMB Mall Flyover.

This multi-entrance/exit flyover at Kottaguda Signal appears to be far from being useful.

After the flyover is opened, the U-Turn at the Le-Meridian building is now shifted closer to the Gacchibowli after the Shilpa Layout Exit.

As a result, drivers coming from Hi-tech City, Whitefields Kondapur are now reluctant to use the flyover and prefer the signalled route underneath.

The stretch from Gacchibowli to Kondapur RTO via flyover doesn't see any traffic even in the peak hours. There are hardly any cars or 2-wheelers going on this stretch.

Moving to the worst part, after descending the flyover at Kondapur RTO, there was a T-Jn Signal which is now closed. They made a small U-turn junction next to the signal.

Now, this is being 2 lanes on each side, and U-turn barriers occupied 1 complete lane, technically making a single-line road on both sides. All the vehicles pile up to the left side of the left lanes and thus forcing all bikers to go onto the footpaths or even bus stops.

Wonder why it causes this havoc just to make a signal-free stretch.

The Gacchibowli-Shilpalayout flyover is now choking the Raidurgam signal as everyone picks this flyover to enter the Raidurgam signal/Metro or end of the flyover to turn back to Le-Meridian - AMB MAll road.

Such mindless actions, not so useful flyovers built as part of the SRDP of the TS govt are now becoming a laughing stock.

Others can write about various new flyovers they encountered.

Be it, the Hi-Tech City flyover, Kaitallapur flyover or Sheikpet flyover which deserves a long rant here.

Here's what BHPian GForceEnjoyer had to say on the matter:

Thank you for starting a thread on this. I had the displeasure of experiencing some of the worst traffic jams ever around the AMB Mall junction. I'm at a loss to explain how such a mess was created. Even after the flyover's completion and inauguration, the junction below is still terribly crowded, while the flyover remains empty as you said.

They closed the U-turn before the Shaikpet flyover which one could use to turn towards Khajaguda or back towards Biodiversity Park, which now leads to an inevitable pileup at the first U-turn under the flyover. If you're trying to get to road number 78 in Jubilee Hills, you now have this menace added along the way. Not to mention the barricades that are put up after nightfall which causes chaos even with a tiny amount of traffic on an otherwise empty and wide road.

Once you reach road number 82 and you want to turn right onto Jubilee Hills Check Post Road, too bad! You HAVE to turn left (the opposite direction) and go all the way to Road Number 45, take the U-turn under the Durgam Cheruvu elevated road and then go all the way back to the junction to finally head in the right direction after heading several kilometres away first.

If you want to head towards Biodiversity park on the Dallas Centre road when coming from Inorbit Mall road, too bad! You have to turn left and go all the way to the next junction to be able to take a U-turn and finally head in the right direction.

The worst thing is, what I said may not even be true anymore, since nearly every time I go somewhere, things have changed from the previous time, adding to the confusion. Using Google maps doesn't help either, since it's unaware of a lot of these diversions.

Then, the traffic lights were installed at Khajaguda and Nanakramguda Circles. They just cause pileups at the ORR exit ramps, causing you to have to slam on your brakes immediately after the curves since there is a mass of stationary traffic ahead!

After dark, I see insane chicanes made with barricades nearly everywhere and they manage to cause chaos with barely any traffic. And of course, no rant about Hyderabad's roads is enough with mentioning the rumble strips. Well, they've come a full circle now and just become speed breakers at this point. So, commuters can enjoy being rattled to death by hundreds of these on intercity drives!

Coming back to the U-turns in particular, the ones in Jubilee hills are sometimes made so narrow by barricades placed there that you have to take a three-point turn, while in other places, the barricades go so far out that traffic coming from the other side is forced into 1 lane from 3 or more!

I don't know what triggered this sudden spate of actions, but it seems like gone will be the days where you could enjoy the highest average speed in India (maybe they already are?). Link (Ola Insights: Average speed & traffic spots of the big Indian cities)

Here's what BHPian karthikg87 had to say on the matter:

I think most of the planning of Hyderabad roads is done at the whims and fancies of the powerful. A cycling track in a random country comes to a powerful person’s notice and voila we have a cycling track on the ORR.

There is no long-term approach to anything. Pedestrian paths are absent on all the roads. With our wide roads cycling can be encouraged for short commutes but it’s extremely unsafe. The less spoken about the U-turn the better. Metro without an eye on end-to-end connectivity is a flop with half a million ridership a day.

Hyderabad on average is the most polluted city in south India and nothing is being done about it.

Here's what BHPian thanixravindran had to say on the matter:

Leaving a picture taken last Saturday evening from 10 Downing Street, SLN Platinum. One can see how empty the flyover is and how choked the road is

Someone got the signal-free roads as a goal and just created a U-turn in the next 100 m after eliminating the signal and claimed they achieved their goals. At the Kondapur RTO office, they could have at least left the pedestrian signal working. It is now extremely dangerous to cross there.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The Formula E Season 9 kicks off on January 14 in Mexico City. Hyderabad will host Round 4 on February 11, 2023.

India will be hosting a Formula E race next year. It will be held at a street circuit alongside the Hussainsagar Lake in Hyderabad.

An Indian Racing League (IRL) race will be organized at the new racetrack on November 19-20, 2022, prior to the main event.

The 2.83 km racetrack winds through NTR Gardens and consists of 17 turns. Initially, the organizers had planned for a 2.38 km track, which was later revised to the present layout.

The Formula E Season 9 kicks off on January 14 in Mexico City. Hyderabad will host Round 4 on February 11, 2023.

I got to see some lovely views of the Financial District, some novel-looking HT towers, and some swanky buildings en-route.

BHPian vigsom recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Introduction

This is a short ride report cum review on Hyderabad’s Nehru Outer Ring Road (ORR) - arguably the finest road that I’ve been on in India so far. This road’s USP is that once you’ve entered the road from any of the entry points and locked the vehicle’s speed at, say, 90 km/h, one doesn’t need to drop that speed one bit until the exit that one plans to take to get off the road.

Safety

1. Kept my seat belt on when I was seated in the rear seat.
2. Urged the driver to put his seat belt on

Why was I on Nehru ORR?

I was in Hyderabad at work and had to head back to the Airport from a place off NH44 approx. 25km from the Kandlakoya junction. I've been to this location earlier, but the last time, I was taken through the city since that was a low-traffic time. This time, I had a tight timeline and hence had to take the ORR.

What I liked

• A proper “ring” road around Hyderabad offering entry and exit points
• Seamless connectivity to the Airport, and Financial District
• 4+4 lanes
• Speed limits marked at 100kmph
• Lined up with good vegetation both on the median and on the sides - pleasing to the eye
• Connectivity to National highways eg: Mumbai, Vijayawada, Warangal, Bangalore, Nagpur
• Large signages - route and exit markings
• Exit markings are shown 2km ahead of the actual exit to help drivers plan the exit well
• Elevated and barricaded
• No crossings possible

Opportunities for improvement

• Maintenance staff engaged in the trimming vegetation leave the warning cones carelessly on the fast lane with no warning to approaching drivers
• On the route towards the Airport, there was a point below a road overhead where the extreme right lane had some mud piled up - can be dangerous for motorists
• Longer connectivity from certain areas of the city to the ORR (Eg. Uppal)
• Bugs in the night can be a challenge
• Exit needs perfect planning; missing an exit can prove time and km consuming

Large easy to read the route and exit markings

Exit marking - sample

My ride experience on the Nehru ORR

I was in a Swift Dzire Tour cab riding from NH44 past Medchal to the airport. Once the cab entered the ORR, I noticed that he didn’t have to drop speed for the entire one hour he was on the ORR; no moving in and out of lanes, no trailing trucks before overtaking, nothing. I also got to see some lovely views of the Financial District, some novel-looking HT towers, and some swanky buildings en route.

Driving past a colourful D.E.C Infra project Kollur

Different looking towers supporting HT power lines

Exit to the Financial District

View of the Financial District

Driving past the Financial District

Gachibowli and Hitex Exit

Jayabheri Peak - standing tall

Exit to RGIA Airport - note the shabby set-up just at the exit separator

Approach to the Airport

Key Takeaways

1. There may be better roads in the country that I've not been on, but for me, a road on which one doesn’t have to drop speed at all is a benchmark
2. Even the best roads can be marred by some below-par practices – eg. cones placed irresponsibly on the fast lane (extreme right) by maintenance staff or the right lane on this road had a small heap of mud at one point
3. It is fine to build a road, but to maintain it professionally, and ensure the safety of motorists is an even more difficult task - this is where Indian infrastructure contractors have a lot of work to do

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The racetrack is named after the Ferrari 488 Pista.

Hyderabad-based entrepreneur Nishant Saboo is building a racetrack near Hyderabad. Construction on the Pista Motor Raceway will commence later this year and is expected to be completed by 2023.

The Pista Motor Raceway is located at Dundigal, Telangana. It's about an hour's drive from the Hyderabad airport. The track is named after the Ferrari 488 Pista, where Pista translates to racetrack in Italian.

The racetrack will be constructed in three phases. A drag strip will be constructed in the first phase. It will be ready by May-August 2021. In Phase 2, a 2.3 km circuit will be built, which will be completed by May 2022. In the next phase of construction, the existing circuit will be extended to 3.708 km. The third phase is expected to be completed by May 2023. The facility will also house an off-road track. A dirt track has already been constructed at the site.

When ready, the 3.708 km long track will have 16 corners, a 150 meter long pit lane, a 145 feet diameter steering pad and 50-100 meters of run-off.

While the Nanoli Speedway near Pune has received FIA approval, the Pista Motor Raceway is yet to get accredited by the motorsport's governing body.

According to a media report, the Hyderabad Police have arrested 3 persons, including a used car dealer for illegally transferring a Ferrari and later stealing the vehicle.

On June 23, 2020, 3 people went to the house where the Ferrari was parked and got the keys by pretending to be the owners friends. The trio then fled with the Ferrari.

Police verified CCTV footage and managed to track the thieves on June 26. It was later discovered that one of the accused had even transferred the Ferrari on to his name and then to another person in Delhi. The accused had planned to drive the car all the way to Delhi.

It has been reported that the Ferrari was purchased by a Hyderabad based businessman with the help of a Delhi-based car dealer, who is said to have forged documents and is absconding.

Source, Image Source

According to a media report, Hyderabad airport has started a trial for FASTag-based parking fee collection. In the first phase, only ICICI bank issued tags will be allowed before opening it for other vendors.

As part of the FASTag 2.0 project, apart from the parking fee, tags would be used for fuel payment, e-challans and access management. After Hyderabad airport, the project will be launched at the Delhi airport.

The report suggests that SBI, Axis, HDFC and IDFC are also in talks with airports and malls in Mumbai, Bengaluru to implement FASTags.

Source