The Mechatronics program offers a 3.5-year course that focuses on developing school leavers' talents to take up critical roles.

Skoda has showcased a unique 4-door convertible based on the Rapid, developed as part of the first-ever 'Student Car Project' in India. The Rapid convertible was created by students from the Group Academy's Dual Vocational Training in Mechatronics program. 

As part of their project, mechatronics students from the academy converted a standard hard-top sedan into a cabriolet. Students ensured to complete the project on time and with an immaculate finish. The Rapid convertible gets a retractable Skoda badge on the bonnet with LED lip lighting, an illuminated 'Skoda' inscription on the boot lid and other sporty bits. 

Inside, the car gets a touchscreen infotainment system, scarlet red leather seats and a sporty exhaust. The students also had to integrate the seatbelts into the front seat as the car doesn't have a B-pillar. 

Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Academy's Dual Vocational Training in Mechatronics program offers a 3.5-year course that focuses on developing school leavers' talents to take up critical roles.

Every modification has an implication, and I believe we trade off the pros for the cons, and live with some side effects, in return of gains, that suit our individual use cases.

BHPian vigneshkumar31 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Every modification has an implication, and I believe we trade off the pros for the cons, and live with some side effects, in return of gains, that suit our individual use cases. I constantly preach that it is crucial for the car owner to understand these side effects and weigh their options with a “whole of vehicle” approach rather than committing to certain mods just based on localised gains or aesthetics alone.

So here’s a list of ALL my mods, with their gains and side effects.

Maxxis Mud Terrain Upsize Tires (245/75/R16):

Gains:

• Improved Traction on mud and sand (aired down)
• More resilient against punctures on trails.
• Aspect ratio throws in more rubber for the wheel, great offroad.
• GC increase.

Side Effects:

• Wheels roll heavier tires - associated wear.
• Lower Mileage.
• Higher Road Noise.
• Minor torque shave due to effective drive ratio change.

Alloy Wheels Neo Killer 16”:

Gains:

• Lighter than steelies.

• OEM supply. Rare to find an aftermarket fit for the Gurkha PCD 160x5

Side Effects:

• Standard alloy vs steel wheels offroad compromises robust, repairability etc.

Offroad Bumper:

Gains:

• Protection and Strength
• Provides Winch Base
• Improved Approach Angle
• Hi-Lift Jacking Point
• Introduces Proper Recovery Points in the Front compared to low positioned stock tow-eye rod
• Higher Position of Recovery Points makes recovery from pits and slush easier.

Side Effects:

• Not Road Legal, Only for offroad use.
• Airbag operation will be affected.
• Weight, concentrated front nose weighs down front IFS.
• Steering characteristics marginally affected not manifesting due to low speed and BOF manners

Rock Slider:

Gains:

• Superior protection and slide over rocks and side break overs.
• Hi Lift jackable from side.
• Non Slip foot rail acts as sidestep.
• Upward Angle helps in sliding.
• Kick out at rear helps to pivot and kickout rear end.

Side Effects:

• Added weight (but distributed over relatively long span)
• Marginal increase in overall width beyond wheels.

Roof Rack:

Gains:

• OEM Supply. Perfect fit.
• Versatile and flexible to pack flat overhead with raised lips for securing.
• Great for securing dirty stuff outside the cabin enclosure. Have custom mounts for jack lift and traction boards.

Side Effects:

• Adds top weight and invites further top weight in terms of luggage and gear overhead.
• Reduces garage clearance- Adds top height above snorkel head. Jerry can holder is highest point.
• OEM option is Not full length of roof. Limited capacity.
• Jerry can holder eats up flat space.

Rear Half Ladder:

Gains:

• Manageable to climb onto roof if one is athletic.
• Differentiates rear end from Trax cousin.
• May mount some gear on it for ready reach (Older gen had a jerry can here) (I used to have traction boards here).

Side Effects:

Obscures visibility through rear side glass slightly, especially with gear mounted.

Windscreen Guard:

Gains:

• Barkbusting protection for windshield.
• Has mounting point for aux lights if required.
• Narrow trails extremely effective to part branches.
• Improves Aesthetics of a blank windshield- oozes offroad cred.

Side Effects:

• Blind spots especially on driver side. Earlier gen gurkha snorkel used to be huge blindspot. Presently bs6 snorkel is in line with A pillar but this windshield guard gives blindspot on certain view angles.

Underbody Bash Plate:

Gains:

• OEM front plate is steel. decent for normal use. offroad heavy usage requires heavier protection.
• Underbody diff guard from OEM is notorious (Tax plate installed for lower paper GC and hence reduced tax slab) So needed to change and swap.
• Perfect mating to bumper contours and OEM mounting points.
• Protects radiator etc from front bash and protects underbody hits of front diff.
• Can mount a GoPro inside safely for recording suspension and wheel travel.

Side Effects:

• Weight in front bias.
• Difficult to quickly inspect/ work underbody area.

Rear Diff Guard:

Gains:

• Lowest point on my Gurkha.
• Pumpkin had hit repeatedly on several occasions in rougher trails offroad.
• Now my Custom made ‘taco’ style rear diff guard protects the diff.

Side Effects:

• Clearance from diff reduces rear GC slightly.
• Any Hit transfers to mounting points on live beam axle.

Headlight Grills:

Gains:

• Stone guard.
• Aesthetic nod to older Xtreme.

Side Effects:

• Mounted by drilling hex nuts into headlight housing.
• Rust and leak scares.

Jerry Can in Holder:

Gains:

• Heavy truck low mileage, 63L tank. Limited range.
• 20 L extra fuel is godsend in remote.

Side Effects:

• Limited capacity.
• Filling requires funnel and spout.
• Metal rattles on top and exposed to atmosphere Rust scares.
• Not as convenient or spacious as an additional aftermarket fitted fuel tank.

Reversing Camera:

Gains:

• Tall truck with wide rear glass but huge blindspot at lower height.
• Required for reversing in normal times and especially on tight trails.

Side Effects:

• Mounting point is below rear bumper. Lens blinded in slush easily.

Tall Gear Shifter Leather Wrapped

Gains:

Easier and shorter reach.

Side Effects:

• Not chunky hold. slender form factor.
• Not visual sync with 4wd lever.

Hi Lift Jack with Butterfly Mount:

Gains:

• Easy to use versatile and can jack up from different points.

Side Effects:

• Rattle snake . Heavy kit so mounting issues.
• Dangerous recoil if not used correctly.
• Prone to rust and lockup if not maintained.

Traction Boards with Butterfly Mount:

Gains:

• Easy solution to traction on loose surfaces.
• Can bridge small gaps and crevices.
• Superb option for sand recovery.

Side Effects:

• Needs special mount for easy reach and stowage. Large planks prone to wind buffeting if not secured right.

Wing Top Chequer Plate:

Gains:

• Aesthetic nod to the ol’Defender
• Drop Tools and gear while working under the hood.
• Can stand on it to access roof from front.

Side Effects:

Black plates gets heated up like a hot plate.

Radio Setup:

Gains:

• Easiest communication on trails with convoy.
• Simple setup. Not CB. Works on PTT Motorola Set.
• No wiring hassle.

Side Effects:

• Limited range.
• Battery drains too quickly.

Knee Pads:

Gains:

• Perfect cushion for long drives.

Side Effects:

• Angle of knee fixed.
• Prone to adhesive getting ripped off.

Custom name plates:

Gains:

• Aesthetics.
• Personalisation.

Michelin Floor Mats:

Gains:

• Non skid.
• Easy to remove and clean unlike stock mats which are buttoned down.

Side Effects:

• Needs care for pedals clearance.
• Generic model.Not perfect fit.

Sloped Rear step:

Gains:

• Before - When parallel to ground - Always hits at steep departures.
• Now inclined upwards. Better departure angle.

Side Effects:

• Higher and odd slope difficult to climb for rear entry.

Upcoming mods:

270 Degree WrapAround Batwing Awning.

12000LB Winch.

Full Suspension Upgrade.

I've compiled a video explaining all the mods in detail.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Fuel efficiency I am guessing will be the same or drop just a bit.

BHPian tharian recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hopefully my last mod for the bike. I decided on the FuelX Lite after reading about both the Pro and Lite versions. I picked it up online and fixed an appointment with RaceDynamics to get it fitted at their location. Once I was there, they tried up-selling the Pro version which I knew they would since my bike had both an aftermarket exhaust as well an air filter and from the reviews I had watched, the Pro version was worth it when it came to intake/exhaust mods and the Lite version for stock bikes. I didn't want to go for the Pro version also because of the hassle of having to try different settings when riding and deciding on one or changing it always regardless of external conditions. The Lite version had just one setting which is calibrated as number 6, the stock setting being 3, and the FuelX would adapt to the riding style and other parameters for optimum efficiency in that setting.

With the exhaust and air filter being aftermarket, the 6th setting may be just right, but with the Pro version, I had the option to try different mixtures or even go back to the stock set at #3.

The differences between each setting are only marginal in terms of the actual mixture going in, but the difference on an engine that runs quite lean in stock, the results are quite noticeable. After fitting the device, I had around 12 kms to ride during mid-day in traffic to gauge the effectiveness. It was the same traffic and outside heat when I was riding there and I could feel the heat on my thighs towards the end, which otherwise doesn't happen since I don't use the bike much during peak hours. On the return, apart from feeling the heat only when I place my palm near the engine fins, there was no heat felt otherwise. I started off at the 6th setting since anything between 4-7 is good enough for city riding as per them. I rode on 6th and could feel the difference in the way the engine was eager unlike feeling that something was empty when it was in stock condition. The exhaust note had mellowed down as well, I was expecting it to get louder. The de-acceleration engine braking had reduced a lot since on my bike it was quite a bit.

I moved to the 7th setting after a few kms and that is when I could feel an obvious difference. The engine and gear shifts got much smoother, I was able to shift up quite rapidly on empty stretches without having to let the revs climb, and I was able to crawl without having to half clutch and open the throttle without any protest or jerks and get over speed breakers without having to slip the clutch. The downside I felt with the 7th setting and probably the higher ones was a feeling of over-fueling when cutting off the throttle. It happened when I up-shifted rapidly where the revs didn't drop as quickly as in stock and once when I was crawling in traffic, the bike tends to lunge forward a bit with no accelerator input. It is probably a matter of time before I get used to it and it is also too early to give a full review since I rode very less and haven't tried multiple maps.

Fuel efficiency I am guessing will be the same or drop just a bit since it depends on how my right-hand works the throttle. I have hardly gone full throttle or opened up more than 50% since I had this bike and that will reduce even more now with this device.

It took a while for the fitting which I am glad I didn't try myself since I didn't have the time or patience. I will update you on how the bike feels as I put in more miles. The bike has run 6900 kms.

The switch on the handlebar is used to change the mixture settings from 1-10. It blinks the number of times as per the level selected. As per RaceDynamics, they are going to come out with a digital readout device in their next version.

Update: Did a short 40 km ride within the city early this morning to get more of a feel of the FuelX Pro since I am not in town this weekend and have to wait another week if I want to do a ride.

Traffic was average, however, the summer heat had already started gradually by 7 am. I was shuffling between the 6th and 8th settings while riding and the DB killer which creates back pressure was also back in the muffler. When I had got the device fixed, I had the open DB killer which seemed to be what works well with the FuelX since the bike felt smoother with that, especially in higher rpms.

Coming back to the ride, I felt 7-8 were good when it came to riding in the city as it felt the torque that I have now is what a twin should have had from the factory to start off with, at least the BS6 bikes. In 5th and 6th, when doing around 40-45kmph, open the throttle and you are already at 70-80 km/h in no time with no gearshifts. You hardly need to go down to lower gears unless in a traffic signal or a jam. The higher gears are more than enough to cut through traffic. Earlier, that used to be 2-4th gear.

Came back home and parked the bike and kept my palm close to the engine and the heat was negligible. The way the bike picked up speed is different now and more enjoyable. If you ride hurriedly or relaxedly, it feels like the bike will pull way better now.

With the after-market exhaust and air filter, there is a nice mellow thrum as well.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

With the new downpipe, the car feels a lot less restricted and sounds fantastic too.

BHPian robimahanta recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

2 year/18XXX kms update : M340i

The M340i completed 2 years a few days back and it has been a great journey so far. After I got the Thar, I haven't been driving the M340i much, hoping to munch some miles this year.

I did the 2nd year oil/filter service at BMW and it was pretty quick and professional. They updated the built-in navigation maps for free and did a free wash and vacuum too. Overall quite impressed with BMW's service over the last few years (both with the 328 and the 340).

Latest Map version

Washed and parked next to an i4 after service

Cosmetic updates

I got the M style carbon fibre mirror caps. But it was a mismatch with the cerium grey grill surround and the lower bumper panels. So got a new black grill and bumper panels. I didn't want to mess around with the stock set.

Got the grill and the bumper panel hydro dipped in a dark carbon fibre look. The finish is reasonably good and you cannot find any difference between the mirror caps and the grill/panel unless you look at it really closely.

The M style Carbon fibre mirror caps

The black grill

The lower bumper trim in black

Hydro-dipped the grill surround and the panels

Final look of the car after installing the cosmetic bits

The CF Eventuri intake gel well with the grill and panels

Hardware upgrade

Active Autowerke (AA) Catted Downpipe

I wanted the Active Autowerke Catted (400 Cell GESI UHO series) downpipe as I didn't quite like the harsh sound of the decatted downpipes. Also, the weird smells and boost creep of decatted downpipes are not something anyone would desire, moreover it would throw a CEL and I did not want to tune (unlock dme) the car.

AA Downpipe

Comparing with the stock downpipe. It is one kilo lighter (3.8kg) and has a narrower midsection. Fantastic build quality and extremely simple plug-and-play.

The car does feel a lot less restricted and sounds fantastic. In comfort mode, it is as quiet as stock. Together with the M performance exhaust, the car feels like a different animal in Sports mode now.

Further details about the downpipe.

CSF Heat exchanger

With our weather conditions, more efficient cooling is always welcome. I got the CSF heat exchanger which has great reviews and significantly reduces intake air temperatures (IAT) and achieves much faster heat soak recovery (not just on the track but also on our hot and humid day-to-day drives). The best thing is that it is again a drop-in installation without much fuss.

Details about the heat exchanger.

I got the coolant from BMW and it is nice that BMW made the process of coolant bleeding so easy in their cars.

The CSF heat exchanger

Comparing with the stock one

The expensive BMW coolant (just because it is imported from Germany for no reason)

Looking forward to driving and enjoying the car even more over the next year.

Thanks for reading.

Cheers!

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

My plans to upgrade the car have definitely been pushed by at least a couple of years.

BHPian AbhiJ recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

The Plan

I am a proud owner of a 2013 Manufactured BMW F30 320d. I am in Kolkata so the vendors for car modifications are limited.

My vehicle hasn't covered too many kilometres since I get time to drive it only once a week or so. Every additional year my car ages, the itch to upgrade gets stronger. But rising car prices and quickly evolving EV Tech keeps me from pulling the trigger on a new purchase.

In early 2022 order to push the upgrade another year (or two), I decided to get my car ECU tuned. I spoke to a few of the tuners in Kolkata but I did not find their confidence inspiring and hence I chose to not proceed.

I then got in touch with Vivek @ TuneOTronics for my needs. Things just felt right. He was clear and logical but was in Bangalore. I planned to remove my ECU and courier it to him, but a part of me was apprehensive about damaging my car during removal / re-installation.

The Execution

Fast forward to late 2022, I found out that TuneOTronics had partnered with a local Vendor in Kolkata, P26 Motoperformance. They could now remotely tune vehicles without the removal of the ECU.

So in November I finally set a date and went for it! Rishabh from P26 Motoperformance showed up at my residence with all his tools and laptop. Checked the car for any errors, and then emailed the ECU file to TuneOTronics.

Within 30 mins, a return email was received and the modified file was uploaded to the car. No errors, and zero drama. The car was tuned to Stage 1+ with a custom map.

The Result

The evil grin while driving the car has returned. I am not saying it's an all-new car, but it's significantly angrier and quicker. The mid-range is mental, and the car is way more fun in Sport Mode now!

The draggy timing is attached, but I have genuinely no idea if this result is good or bad. All I know is that my car upgrade is deferred successfully again.

Disclaimer: I am not associated with TuneOTronics or P26 MotoPerformance in any way.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The power output at the wheels is 125 PS and 275Nm, thanks to a Stage 1+ remap from Wolf Moto.

BHPian jithin23 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

50,000 km in 14 months with my Red Dragon

Hey all, I’ve not been quite active on team bhp for a long time due to my professional commitments and very frequent travels which sometimes extend for several days (I’m out of town for almost every weekend after the Red Dragon arrived last year). Most of you might wonder how come I’ve driven so much, but yes, I take my car almost everywhere I go, be it to a nearby shop which is 5 km away or to Tawang which is 3,500 Kms away. That much is the bond with my Red Dragon and he has been my lucky charm through! I’ve made a lot of good friends who are like family, a lot of great memories with this car. This car somewhat reminds me of my Dad’s Red Yamaha RX100 which we repainted to black before selling as that bike was the one I grew up on and have travelled a lot on that bike! I still remember that bike’s engine number and the Made in Japan engraving above the gear lever.

Here's a glimpse of the Red Dragon now:

After changing the market lights to orange

Interior shot

I will share my travelogue of travelling across India by car within a few weeks from now.

Most of the drives were solo and planned on the go!

So far I’ve driven close to 50k kms in one year (48k to be precise) and I’ve had a stellar experience with Ford Service centres across the country be it for a simple repair or a clutch job. I’ve tuned my car from Wolf Moto (Engineering Exponent) with a stage 1+ remap and the car is quite peppy after.

The remap. The power output at the crank is 133PS and 295Nm. The power output at the wheels is 125 PS and 275Nm. These are the results of a Dyno test by Harmonixx.

I didn’t face any issues even while driving in the Mountains of Ladakh with the Wolf remap. Thank you, Jayant, Rakshit, Prajwal, Sreekanth Ettan and Rajeev Ettan! In the Ford community, if anyone wants a remap for their Diesel Ford, all they say now at wolf is I want Jithin’s map. That’s level of reliability the map has as this map has seen all terrains and calibrated for a balance of FE and Power.

I’m a person who is curious and determined to do something different and unique in my car. Over this year as my hands and head won’t stay quiet, I have done a few mods on my own.

Whatever I post here, I hope it benefits the community and Ford owners. Some mods I have already posted previously, so I’d be posting ones which are new and afresh. That gives me a different level of joy and keeps me happy! And most of the mods are done independently by me(though I work for an IT company by profession) as well as my love for automobiles from childhood makes it even more enticing. All the mods are carried out on my car only first and only then do I suggest it to others.

I’ll share the total expenditure for all my mods below. Whenever I get free time, I will share all the mods list in both my cars on a separate thread.

Mods Cost

All the mods are sourced from Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai and different parts of the world, so I do not remember the exact location for most of the mod part sources, but I can certainly help someone find out some parts if necessary.

• Wolf Stage 1+ remap(Done on Day 1 when I bought the car): 28,000
• Dyno Test by Harmonixx: 5,500. I decided to get this done as no BS4 Stage 1+ remap had the exact figures for the power and torque mentioned and I thought that if I get it done, it will help thousands of people in deciding on a remap.
• Headlights, roof and mirror blackening: 12,000
• Upgraded low beams from Automotive Light Experts: 15,000
• Downsized to 16” Thunder Alloys(Set of 5): 23,000
• Fiesta ST Diesel Speedometer(Imported from UK): 15,000
• Focus ST Steering(Imported from UK): 12,000
• Sync 3 Nav Module(from a used Endevaour): 11,000
• HID Fogs: 5,000
• Euro Spec AC cluster: 15,000(For the controller, wiring and bezel(I’m yet to re-do the bezel and will complete it soon). This AC control is enabled in voice and climate controls on Sync 3(first in India).
• The Euro-spec AC cluster

I’m getting a dual-zone AC controller soon.

Satya has mentioned elaborately on the connectors part and here are the links for the connectors for reference:

Female plug needed for global variants

Male plug which connects to the female harness

• TPMS: 7,000 for a set of 4 sensors
• Shelby Grill (made by 6th-mile customs): 9,000. For this mod, I had to give a used Ford Raptor-style grill and 6th-mile customs did the custom mesh for me.

• BMC Air Filter: 7,000. I do not suggest a BMC filter for a diesel Ecosport as there’s no significant difference in terms of output.
• Thunder Bumper Applique: 3,000
• Digital Speedometer: The cost for this I spent was about 20,000. This has an interesting story though.

One of my friends from Bombay had given me a completely broken meter (The meter is a ford Puma meter though) and told me “Jithin, do whatever you want with this meter and please do not pay me for it”. I said okay and he shipped the meter to me. To my dismay, when I installed the meter, there was a huge crack in the LCD.

Then I approached all the European forums and my sources and everyone told me that full meter replacement is the way to go and nobody has ever refurbished the Ford digital meter. I was still thinking about how to source the LCD alone and I did some digging and found out that the display was available on AliExpress and this LCD is common across Puma, Escape, Kuga and Focus. This gave me some hope and I approached A close friend of mine in Mysore who has some connections in China. Even the Aliexpress seller was curious to know if the meter will work after the LCD change. We got the meter LCD within a week and I spent one whole night dismantling and fixing the LCD.

The digital speedometer disassembled

Final results

After fixing the meter, I plugged it into my car and the display was in MPH and the dials weren’t working when the engine was on. Then I used my car’s as built file and everything started working perfectly including the readings in KPH. I thought my mission was complete with this, but the elephant in the room was locking the meter in place. So I had to trim certain portions of the speedo housing near the Dashboard and the speedometer itself and this was the most painful part in this process. However, the cuts aren’t visible as the speedo cowl covers it all. After 2 hours, the meter was sitting flush with all the panels intact.

Total mods cost: Rs 172,500

Here’s a video of me describing my car’s build in case you are running short on time.

Additionally, I worked on building the un-launched EcoSport too during Nov-Dec 2022 for an acquaintance in Bangalore. Most of you might have seen this car posted on Carblog India. That was the car I had worked on. He had a BS4 Titanium+ with fly audio and we went all out in changing the interior to the black dashboard, Changing the alloys to the un-launched version, converting from Fly Audio to Sync 3 and the whole front Fascia change. Personally, I prefer the current-gen front bumper as it’s a timeless and elegant design. Due to time constraints, I haven’t been able to post any of
these.

P.S: I have shared all this info to help fellow owners make an informed decision and not for any commercial intent

The un-launched facelift EcoSport bumper suits white! Helped a fellow enthusiast get the un-launched facelift EcoSport bumper at his residence in Kolkata and we got it shipped it from Chennai.

The total cost of rebuilding this car was:

1. Sync 3 (consists of Sync 3 screen[16,000]
2. APIM module[11,000]
3. Audio control module[10,000]
4. GPS antenna[1,500]
5. Illuminated USB ports[4,500]
6. Center Speaker, Bezel for the centre speaker and sync 3 bezel[5,000]
7. Wiring Bunch from EcoSport S[13-15,000 depending on the seller]) Rs. 63,000 is the cost only for the parts and these prices vary for every part as I had sourced it from some Insiders at Ford.
8. Bumper with the Bezel and DRL: About 25,000. We took the help of a known mechanic for removing and reassembling the bumper, Dash and Sync 3 wiring
9. Euro Spec AC panel: The same cost as my car
10. Alloys (again depending on the vendors): We picked it for about 40,000 for a set of 5.
11. Cruise Control and TPMS: For the parts alone we spent about 13,000.

Total Expenditure: Rs 154,000

Here’s a video of what we have done on that car as well:

Fuel and Maintenance:

I’ve consumed 2,800 litres of diesel in 1 year and 2 months (For 50,000 km running). The total fuel cost alone is Rs. 257,600 (assuming Rs 92/Litre). Tolls I’ve spent about 20-25,000 through my usage.

This is the best part now! In terms of maintenance, I’ve spent Only 5,000 for every service apart from Clutch replacement (14,000) Tyre change: Yokohama Earth 1(30,000), first 2 tyres at Gangtok and the next 2 In Bangalore by Keerthi(Tyre Stacks,

TC Palya road) and Battery Change(4,000) from Ford itself at Saluja Ford, Chandigarh. Alignment and Balancing I do it every 10,000 km.

Detailing at Turtle Wax: 12,000

Post detailing!

So the total cost for my joy is Rs 3,55,600. I’d say it’s very reasonable as I’ve travelled across 24 states in India and this car has been like a mini house on wheels for me. Heck, even flights to travel so much would have been way more expensive(also the unlimited luggage carrying capacity while driving your car is priceless!). I haven’t included the washing cost as that is frequent and imperative to keep the car clean.

The overall ownership cost with mods is Rs 5,40,900. I could have cleared my car loan with this amount but the joy, the time spent travelling and understanding my car and the experiences that I’ve acquired by travelling across India cannot be replaced with money and it won’t do any justice for the loan I’m paying if I’m not using my car to the fullest! Even Red Dragon’s twin brother the Blue Baby is running fine and covers miles equally.

I do have a few more enhancements to be done on the Red Dragon, those are EGR and Intercooler clean and Bette brakes as the brakes are not completely sufficient for a remapped car.

I’m contemplating Brembo or EBC with disc change and TPMS display in sync 3 (most of the Europeans, Thai and Vietnamese people have done it but I’m asking them to ship the module for an EcoSport so that I can study and custom tweak it to show TPMS and some values such as exact oil temperature and boost pressures).

The one I'm aiming to get on sync 3 next is the TPMS and telemetry data pic. Works on Android auto too as per Polish sources.

Someday I wish to add even rear discs and a 4x4 1.5 EcoBlue Diesel manual engine with a 6-speed gearbox from UK or Germany. Till then, Keep revving and travel often!

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The fastest stock turbo Octavia 2.0 TDI and Jetta 2.0 TDIs in the country.

BHPian dieselhead01 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hey all. Been a while since a thread was posted from my side. So, a week back, I and my friend decided to put our cars to the test. Mine was a Skoda Octavia L&K TDI DSG and the friend's was a Jetta HL TDI DSG, both equipped with Stage 2 ECU and Stage 2 TCU from Wolf Moto Performance, along with SS 304 Custom Downpipe and a Custom Diesel Performance Muffler along with a resonator delete as well, and both the cars now sound like a dream. We did the draggy runs for both the cars in Bengaluru and were eager to see the results for the same.

Do note: Both cars were running on full weight, more than half a tank of fuel, and bigger/heavier alloys.

Octavia Dragy Run

Jetta Dragy Run

All this with full weight, more than half a tank of fuel and bigger/heavier alloys. With proper weight reduction, we’re expecting considerably better timings.

Both the cars with proper reduction will do a better timing, and it’s pretty obvious that it will. We have big hopes for these builds. All thanks to Engineering Exponent and Garage 89 for working on these builds extensively and turning them into monsters.

14.8s on the Octavia making it the fastest stock turbo Octavia 2.0 TDI in the country, and 14.9s on the Jetta making it the fastest stock turbo Jetta 2.0 TDI in the country, so considering performance, reliability and efficiency, Wolf has once again shown us who the 2.0 TDI kings are.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Let's discuss your wish list, generate interest, share knowledge and talk about what your Jimny 4-door can be in the future.

BHPian svsantosh recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Dear Off Roaders,

Now the wait is over and the Jimny is here. Jeep Vs Gypsy brothers have grown to become uncles and now the next generation Thar brother was left alone and wanting a younger sibling to carry on his Dad Vs uncle(s) weekend battles.

Maruti - thank you wholeheartedly for taking a stand and finally bringing in the Jimny (4 door nonetheless) to take on its elder brother head long.

Dear Anand Mahindra Ji - Let the games begin.

Cut to the chase. You are a new Jimny owner (Or a wannabe Jimny owner). I will skip the part about what a Jimny is or was or what is the Jeep Vs Gypsy Debate, read old threads about it here on TBhp over the last 15 years.

My Offroad journey began in 2009. Yours will begin soon if you are new to offroad. Congratulations.

The intent of the thread is to discuss your wish list, generate interest, share knowledge and discuss what your Jimny can be in future.

• Suspension - lift kits, track bars, alignment issues, spacer blocks, etc.
• Offroad tyres/wheels - how big can the Jimny 1.5 take?
• Performance - Engine power, tuning, headers & exhaust, CAI, chip...
• Lighting - Dual battery, LED lights (strictly for offroad use Warning, please!)
• Tcase - Crawl gears?
• Armour - Bash plates, rock sliders? roll cage?
• Better Angles - Stubby bumpers for better approach/departure, 8mm skid for underbody?
• Camping - Awning, tents, how to use the short boot for overlanding trips, roof rack, etc
• Recovery - winch, ropes, chassis points, etc

My wishlist

2" Lift, 1 upsize wheel and tyres, bumpers front/rear, 8" Alu skid plate for the LWB version to begin with from Day-1 of ownership.

Attaching some random pics from the net with their sources mentioned.

Here's what GTO had to say about the matter:

Greatly looking forward to ogling over modified Jimnys. The best part of such cars is the level of customisation available in the market, and how owners splurge on them.

No two modified 4x4s are the same. I have thoroughly enjoyed modifying my Thar, thread will be up soon. We spent about 30% of the car's cost on modifications!

The Jimny - being an international model - already has loads of customisation options available globally. You can expect players like Bimbra, Arka etc. to offer parts for the Jimny too.

Here's what BHPian volkman10 had to say about the matter:

Feast your eyes on this Suzuki Jimny with an Adventure Defender kit by the Japanese legends down at Mudron.

Here's what BHPian tjsi had to say about the matter:

I waited and waited for the Jimny but it never came. Bought the Hyryder hybrid and they come out with the Jimmy after 3 months. Aw, man. Never felt so depressed.

I had my whole modding scene planned a year ago.

• Tyres BF GOODRICH 215s or 235s
• Iron man bumpers
• Winch
• Skid plates
• Flood lights brighter than the sun
• 40mm lift kit
• Old S U Z U K I grill

It would look something like this.

Here's what BHPian shibujp had to say about the matter:

My wishlist:

• Tyre upgrade
• Old Man Emu suspension with a 40mm lift
• Evo Corse Alloys (stretch goal)
• Turbo kit (yet another stretch goal)

I spend most of yesterday drooling at the options available here.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The Ignis replaces my Polo GT TDI, because of the 10-year-old diesel ban in Delhi.

BHPian Intelsingh recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Prologue:

I owned a GT TDI 1.6. Absolutely loved the car, and pampered it all these years. This vehicle got me into the world of modifications, as it was running a Quantum Red Map, KSM intercooler and a BMC stock replacement filter inside the engine bay. In the 8 years that this car was with me, it had seen Brembo rotors and pads, and later I moved to EBC Green Stuff with stock rotors.

The car had a 3-way active music system. The car was nothing but smiles, as these years were absolutely niggle free and smile-inducing every time I got into the car.

As all things must come to an end, living in NCR with the 10-year diesel ban - it was time to move on.

The Year 2022:

In February, I got an offer for the Polo and chose to move on. With 1,47,000 on the odometer, I still had a decent offer and hence, I jumped the gun.

The important question was which car can replace my 145 BHP, 350 Nm torque German Monster?

As I prefer hatchbacks and wanted to keep it under 15L - The answer was clear. No car could be a worthy replacement!

So, I had to look for a car, that I could tinker with, and modify such that it gave me the joy to drive and tinker with.

The Choices:

• Buy the 1.0L Polo
• Honda Jazz
• i20 N Line
• Anything from the Suzuki Stable with the 1.2L Engine.

Of the above-mentioned, The i20 N Line was a dream to drive. Loved nearly everything in the car. Why did I not buy it? For starters, there was no manual. Then the car was too refined, it would have been blasphemous to tinker with things, upgrade the music etc. Owning a turbo car before- it felt easy to work within the power upgrades domain.

The Jazz was ruled out because of the infamous quality of things that Honda has been offering lately.

The 1.0L Polo would have not felt like a new car. Even if I opted for a Stage 2 Map, the torque would have made it feel sluggish; and the newer stable just felt a bit poor in quality, compared to what I owned- so why complain later?

From the Suzuki stable, Ignis seemed quirky enough to meet my tastes. All of the 1.2L cars felt more spacious than the Polo any which way! Then there was this whole enigma of tinkering with a Naturally Aspirated Engine- as the future would offer everything turbo and/or hybrid.

Jumping the gun:

Filled up the enquiry form on the Nexa website, and woke up the next day to a barrage of incoming calls for test drives. Prem Motors, Gurgaon had the most impressive staff (The rest reminded me of the disinterested Maruti sales team of the years gone by). There wasn't much to register in the test drive itself, as the car felt like any other Japanese hatch available in the country. Since I had plans to tinker with it anyways, I chose the Sigma variant as that was the only vehicle with all-black interiors. The compromise was made with Rear Power windows and adjustable ORVMS, which didn't matter much to me. Prem Motors also offered me the best deal from the rest of the flock, so the car was booked, and I waited for my funds to clear, and for my daughter to finalize the colour!

In the meantime, I started calling people to go ahead with the procurement of modification parts.

Pahiya 4x4 helped me get a set of OZ racing wheels with Continental UC6 195/60/15 and a Momo gear knob with Sparco replica pedals.

Till now I had plans to go ahead with the Music System from my Polo. So my pre-purchase shopping was done!

Taking Delivery:

March 17th, 2022 I woke up to a message stating that my account has money! I call up Rahul Paliwal from Pem Motors, telling him about the fact that I am ready to take delivery. I immediately transferred the pending amount and was assured delivery the same day.

Special shoutout to the team at Prem Motors to get the car ready for delivery when they were open for a half day as it was Holi. I was especially impressed with the fact that they got my car ready, and ordered a cake with my daughter's name. That's some good customer service. I was done with all the formalities and on the road by 1 pm.

The reason for me buying this car was the motor and the quirky design. What this car lacks in speed is complemented by the small footprint that makes it super nimble on the road. With speed cameras nearly everywhere in NCR, I realized that my commute still takes the same time as in my Polo. What this car lacks in acceleration is complimented by its manoeuvrability. I personally like the spartan interiors, as a rear parking sensor, and lane changing indicators provided by the factory do suffice my needs. The AC works like a charm while the boot space, though not so relevant for me feels like an upgrade from the Polo.

Dislikes:

The major sore point of this car is its suspension. In the city, the suspension feels quite adequate. Problems begin the moment you hit a speed breaker, that's when the rear of the car tends to jump and land with a thud! This may be avoided at single-digit speeds, or else the rear suspension reminds me of leaf springs. The added quirk to this suspension is that the moment you egress from the vehicle and shut the door- the car seems to vibrate a bit.

Thanks to this suspension, on some roads you can hit 90kmph and the car drives like magic; while on some roads, crossing 50kmph will make you nervous with its weird body roll on steroids kind of dynamics.

Hit some potholes, and the rear passengers are going to curse you, even at speeds as low as 20kmph.

Something else worth noting is that this is a narrow car, so if two people with medium to heavy build occupy the front seats, it may feel cramped while you are changing gears.

Tinkering and getting to know the car:

Post Delivery, it was time for me to understand the car, its maintenance, fluids needed, aesthetic changes, and music. The first order of business was to get rid of the chrome on the bumper, as it felt like a major eye sore.

Though this car shares its engine with the Old generation Swift, with the new BS6 norms, I was unsure of what engine oil to flush out the company oil with. Since the Suzuki K Series VVT engine can have either 5W30 or 0W20. I started by searching for synthetic variants of both. Got my hands on Motul 8100 X Clean 8100+ 5W30 and decided to give it a try. Purchased Motylgear 75W80 for the gearbox.

Flushed out the company engine oil and replaced it at 2885kms on the odometer. Before, my car was giving me a mileage of 14.7 km/l in city drives, which dropped to 14.5 km/l. Whether this was the oil change or the heat- I have no idea! Did not replace the gear oil at this point as the rain Gods seemed to be looming over NCR.

What was decided was the roof wrap though.

Car Audio and German Cars came into my life at the same time. Switching over to a Japanese Manufacturer made me understand the need for car dampening. This got me into a spiral of enquiries to the doorstep of audio installers which gave me bouts of acidity. The prices were vague. Most of them were non-committal when it came to either a quote regarding the scope of work or the timelines.

Here is me enjoying the bare-bones interiors

Enter Sundown Audio! (drumroll please)

I had interacted with Anubhav Gupta of Hype Audio(Sundown Audio dealers in India) in the past, this man gave me nothing but genuine advice. As I was sharing my frustration with him- I happened to hear one of his setups and was blown away by the clarity. Thus I tried my hands on audio installation for the first time, since Hype Audio does only Competition Installs. Thanks to Anubhav, I got all the parts needed to get working. My free time was filled with the audio built in my driveway.

The above sights were a norm as I would dismantle a certain section of the car in my free time till the audio setup was complete. Another interesting observation as I completed the setup was that the doors felt more solid with the dampening, and the car became silent- and, surprisingly, with the amps and the subwoofer- the rear of the car felt lowered. The springs seemed to be sagging with the weight of the music hardware.

Before this car, a remap would have been my first go-to. With the Ignis, I realized that the suspension is the weakest link. What would performance upgrades serve, if the car feels wobbly at normal speeds on certain roads?

The rest of the things that are there, are all quite impressive - hats off to Nexa Experience. The car is well-packed, feels sturdy, and even the service experience is extremely professional. From the moment the car would be attended to by a service rep to the time of final delivery: the whole thing works like a well-oiled machine. In the first check-up at 5000 kms, I was expecting to be billed for some random miscellaneous bits or an oil top-up. Nothing of that sort happened- though they cleaned all the filters, tightened all the bolts, and even checked bits that I don't have a working vocabulary for. I did opt for both Air and Cabin Filter changes personally. (Chargeable of course)

By the first week of November, my car had reached its 10k mark; and once again I take it to the Service Center. The well-spoken staff was still there, and most of them remembered bits from my previous visit. This again speaks volumes of the kind of training Nexa employees to get. To add to the smiles, I see that Nexa is really working on having a bunch of gadgets that car owners might use offered under their roof, and come with a company-provided warranty. Now, for a car charger or any other small item, I don't fret over which accessory store to go to, as I know a visit to the service centre will take care of it. The 10000 Kms Service is the last of "free labour" services. The hit to my pocket was around 2500INR (Oil change with the oil filter and misc. and a cabin filter with other liquids topped up)

Continue to read BHPian Intelsingh's Maruti Ignis modifications for more insights and information.

The blindspot mirrors are very useful in city & highway conditions.

BHPian advstreak recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Motourenn Headlight Brace

I went to their office and got it installed. The assembly is a little tricky and I noticed the headlight vibrating more than before on the ride back. After reaching I tightened the bolts properly and finally, it felt stable again. It does feel a little more sturdy than before and I mainly got it for peace of mind due to the fear of breaking the headlight assembly due to the heavy HGJ KZ30 aux lights.

Angle Adjustable Wind Deflector

This purchase was inspired by reading a couple of articles on windshield aerodynamics. The purpose of this system is to make a laminar lip like the GIVI AIR FLOW windscreen and find the perfect angle for it.

Here is the article for reference and a post from the ADVRIDER forum about an interesting angle.

It was very wobbly when attached to the top of the Inscape Dreamz V4 windshield leading me to remove and attach it to the stock windscreen. I will keep on experimenting with various angles and jot down my observation in the follow-up posts. The build quality is not great and after finding the perfect angle I plan to make a bracket to fix it more rigidly in that position.

Blindspot Mirrors

After breaking a couple of adjustable blind spot mirrors at the ball joint finally got the cheap fixed angle double side taped ones. Although 30% of the mirror gets obstructed by the shoulders, they are still very useful in city/highway conditions.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.