evo India Podcast

Leading up to the sixth anniversary issue of evo India, we have gotten our hands on some very special cars. First, the Ferrari F8 Tributo, the latest and greatest mid-engined V8 Ferraris. We were flown in to Maranello and got the ultimate Ferrari experience: driving the car at Fiorano, and then the hills around the factory and even donning overalls to build the V8 that sits in it. The second car we got our hands on was the 992-generation of the Porsche 911. The 911 is the quintessential sports car, constantly pushing the boundaries of what we think is possible to keep a car dialled in. This one is no different. In this podcast, we talk about these two special stories that headline the sixth anniversary issue.

A plethora of electrified machinery was on display at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show. A big piece of the cake belonged to the giants from Germany, namely the Volkswagen Group, BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz. Ed Sirish Chandran was at the show and he gives us a recap of what the future would look like not only in terms of electric powertrains but also the new design directions most brands are adapting to. Enjoy the podcast!

For the first time ever, the boss of Mercedes-Benz India is featured in a podcast. Ed Sirish Chandran visits the Mercedes-Benz India facility in Chakan, just outside of Pune for a podcast with Martin Schwenk. The marque sells the highest number of luxury vehicles in India and Martin gives us a detailed perspective on the German brand's focus and positioning in our country. Also, amidst the slowdown of automotive industry, the sale of Mercedes-AMG performance cars has actually grown! Moreover, a new version of a Mercedes-Benz SUV is headed to our shores. Watch the podcast to find out which one!

In the 12th episode of the #ThrillofDriving podcast, Karun Chandhok, F1 commentator and ex F1 driver takes us through his journey to the world's premier racing championship. From Madras, a city of 11 million, to Bradley in the United Kingdom, a town of just 11,000 people, Karun's journey was full of highs and lows. At an age where youngsters partied and lived the hipster life, Karun negotiated sponsorship deals worth millions, trained hard to stay fit and did everything to clock the fastest time around the track. Enjoy the podcast.

In this special edition of the #ThrillofDriving podcast we have Steffen Knapp, director of Volkswagen passenger cars in India and Adil Jal Darukhanawala, editor, Fast Bikes India magazine, along with ed Sirish Chandran. The trio head to Nashik together to celebrate 10 years of the Polo in India. Which new Volkswagen cars will come to India? How do demographics affect sales? What is the German marque's future strategy for India? Steffen gives us a detailed insight into all of this along with some fun experiences he's had in his favourite cars. Enjoy the podcast!

Rahil Ansari is the charismatic head of Audi India, one that is a breakaway from the stereotype corporate head honcho. Suave, stylish and with a hint of a German accent in his voice, he took over as head of the brand nearly three years ago and is currently on his last month in India. We caught up with him for a quick chat before he leaves the country to take on a larger global role within Audi. In this podcast, we talk about Rahil's journey so far: his roots, his love for Audi and how he ended up as head of Audi India so young. Rahil gives insight in to the industry, why it is struggling and how his time at Audi India has been tough but the the fruits of his labour should show soon. Upcoming launches? He does share a few nuggets of information. But it's not all work, Rahil tells us what he likes to do in his downtime and makes very clear his love for Bollywood music.

In this week's Thrill of Driving podcast, we talk about one of the most awaited launches of the year - Kia Seltos. The Seltos is important for Kia as it marks the brand's entry in India. Of course, we all know that it's based on the Creta but there's a lot more than meets the eye. We have answered all your questions in this week's podcast. But that's not all; Maruti Suzuki has teased the Ertiga XL6. A 6-seater variant of the popular Ertiga with captain seats for all. It seems larger than the Ertiga but not so much as the Mahindra Marazzo. Want to know more? Check out the full podcast. We hope you enjoy it!

In this week's Thrill of Driving podcast we cover two very interesting topics. The Indian automotive industry is facing its worst ever slowdown in two decades. Why is it happening? What measures should the government take to tackle this? Ed gives his opinion and we hope that the industry recovers soon. Moving on, ed drove one hell of a good looking car in Japan this week. The Lexus LC 500h is one of the most striking luxury coupes out there. How has the Japenese marque managed to create a design like this is something that needs telling. It also sports a very complicated 10-speed gearbox which uses a CVT and a torque convertor in conjunction. How does this exactly work? Is the car coming to India? We have it all answered for you in the podcast.

In this episode of The Thrill of Driving Podcast, we talk to you about the Lamborghini Huracan Evo, a car that we very recently drove at the MMRT in Chennai. Was it too fast for the track? How is it compared to the Huracan Performante? What's it like chasing an Urus around the racetrack? Sirish gives us all the insight from his drive there. We also talk about two very big launches that happened last week: the BMW X7 and the BMW 7 Series. Both cars are flagships from BMW and they significantly up the game in their respective segments. Also on this podcast is everything you can expect to see in the August issue of evo India, which will be on stands this week. We took a Ferrari 488 Pista to the Rann of Kutch, compared the MG Hector to its closes rivals and have driven a lot of electric cars. Make sure you pick your copy up soon!