Two icons: the Porsche 911 Turbo and Mahindra Thar headline the September 2020 issue of evo India
Headlining the September issue of evo India is the new generation Porsche 911 Turbo, and we’re celebrating the allure of the Turbo badge. Our cover story features the 992-gen Turbo alongside the 930 Turbo — the OG that gave the Turbo its legendary status. We also bring together four 911 Turbos in India on a day befitting the ‘all-weather supercar’ title that it has been bestowed with over the years. Sharing space with the 911 on the cover is another icon — the all-new Mahindra Thar. Completely reimagined for 2020, the new Thar is now far more sophisticated than ever before, without compromising on off-road ability.
We’ve got an epic five-car comparison test in store for you, with compact SUVs like the Hyundai Venue, Nexon, XUV300, WR-V and Vitara Brezza going head to head. With lockdown regulations easing across the country, we take the Hyundai Verna and Renault Triber out for road-trips in the new normal. We also deep-dive in to Gordon Murray’s T.50 hypercar project. We have finally gotten our hands on the much awaited Husqvarna 250s — the Vitpilen and Svartpilen, and also get astride BS6 versions of the Hero Xpulse, TVS Ntorq and Yamaha Fascino. We’ve driven plenty of new cars as well — the new Skoda Superb, the Maruti Suzuki S-Cross, the Mercedes Benz EQC and the Hyundai Venue with its ingenious iMT gearbox. Buy your issue today!
Mahindra Thar
The all-new Thar is here and we couldn’t be more excited! There’s so much to talk about — new engines, a new platform, new suspension, completely redone interiors and even a factory fitted hard-top! We get down and dirty with both the soft-top and hard-top Thars, with both a diesel and petrol engine. From off-roading to on-road driving, how easy it is to live with and how to take the top off — this is the most comprehensive review of the all-new Thar out there.
The Porsche 911 Turbo
To Porsche, Turbo no longer just means turbocharged. It represents the flagship. And the 992 Porsche 911 Turbo S is a worthy flagship in the 911 range. This story explores what makes Turbos special, and it traces the modern 911 Turbo’s ancestry right back to the 930 Turbo from 1975. With eye watering performance and superb dynamic polish, it shames many a supercar without compromising on the practicality of the 911 and the ability to fly under the radar. It is the latest in a long line of cars with a rich legacy, and this is a story of looking forward as much as it is of looking behind.
Turbos in India
India has its fair share of supercars and there’s no dearth of 911 Turbos either. We bring together four hardcore enthusiasts from Speedfest that properly drive their Turbos. With four separate examples — a 997.1, 997.2, 991.1 and 991.2 — we trace the evolution of the Turbo in the last decade-and-a-half. We had a runway to ourselves, and it was raining incessantly but the Turbo truly lived up to that image of it being an all-weather supercar.
Mercedes-Benz EQC
Reinforcing their leadership in the luxury segment Mercedes is all set to launch the EQC in time for the festive season. It is clean, green and silent but what floored us was its phenomenal turn of speed. It delivers on the Thrill of Driving!
Sportline or L&K
That's what we are asking with our test of both the variants of the updated Skoda Superb with the 2.0 TSI engine. And we also ask if a luxury saloon is still relevant in this day and age of SUVs
Hyundai Venue iMT
India's first clutchless manual transmission is here in the Venue and we tell you everything you need to know about this, including if it is any fun to drive.
Maruti-Suzuki S-Cross
Maruti's crossover gets a new lease of life with the 1.5 petrol engine but is the 4-speed automatic up to the task?
Nexon v Venue v Vitara Brezza v WR-V v XUV300
With the launch of the Sonet around the corner, we take a refresher course in the compact SUV segment. The cars have been updated since the last time they squared off — the Nexon has more power and fresh styling, the Venue has some ingenious new drivetrains, the Brezza has a new petrol engine and the WR-V has gotten a facelift. How do these compact SUVs square off and which one will take the fight to the Kia Sonet soon?
Gordon Murray’s T.50
Arguably one of the most influential F1 designers of his time, Gordon Murray has finally gotten down to creating the successor the McLaren F1. It has the ingredients to be the prefect driver’s car — lightweight, naturally-aspirated V12 engine, manual gearbox and of course, a central driving position. It will be very exclusive, costing around Rs 20 crore before taxes but it perfectly embodies what we love about cars in one extremely desirable package.
Fast Bikes India section
The Husqvarna Vitpilen and Svartpilen 250 take the performance we love from the Duke, and repackage it in to two extremely desirable packages. Which one should you be putting your money on? We get astride them to find out. We also ride new BS6 motorcycles like the Yamaha Fascino, Hero XPulse and TVS Ntorq. We also give you the full low-down on Triumph’s upcoming entry-level motorcycle, the Trident.
Tuned Section
Sarbloh Motors has a hand in some of the wildest off-roaders in the country and the RFC-spec Gypsy featured this month is no different. It doesn’t have an insane engine — a humble 1.6 petrol from the old Baleno, but work to the suspension, gearing, a sophisticated pneumatic system and two winches means it can scale vertical walls. We also feature a Zen with a G13B, a variation of the G13BB engine we found in the Esteem but with dual overhead cams and insane tuning potential.
Nexa’s 5th Anniversary
On Nexa’s fifth anniversary, our correspondent Suvrat looks back at the time when his family bought an S-Cross when Nexa was still in its infancy. He also traces Nexa’s journey since then, talking about the cars that have made it to the dealerships, the involvement of Nexa in the music and fashion scene and how the Nexa experience, or Nexperience if you may, is an elevated one.
Hyundai Verna roadtrip
Roadtrips aren’t going to be the same again for a while. In light of everything happening in the world today, we have come up with a comprehensive list of things to keep in mind before you head out on the road. From wearing a mask, to the sort of food you should be eating on these drives — our road trip in the Hyundai Verna covers it all.
Triber Roadtrip
The Renault Triber is the epitome of convenience on a budget. And now that it is available with an AMT gearbox, it takes that convenience a few notches higher. We head out of town in the Triber AMT, exploring everything that there is to know about the Triber and doing so.
