In a 50:50 joint venture project, German company KLAUS Multiparking GmbH and the Pune-based Automag Group are setting up a manufacturing facility near Pune, where they will produce mechanised parking systems.

KLAUS Multiparking has significant experience and technical expertise in manufacturing and installing multi-level car parking systems. The company has supplied its parking systems in 65 countries all over the world, which can, together, accommodate up to 500,000 cars. Now, according to Guenther Siederer, MD, KLAUS Multiparking Systems, India also needs mechanised parking systems to deal with the huge growth in the number of cars on our streets in all major cities.

Mechanized car parking systems enable optimum usage of space and ensure safety and security of cars, says Nitin B...

How does one write ‘NAIAS’ in Mandarin, asks Jayesh Jagasia

What unprecedented times these are. We’ve got to be fortunate and unfortunate at once, to be witnessing times like these.

Hallowed institutions that have weathered through decades (and in case, the odd century) of prosperity and depression; wars – hot, cold and the occasional pointless one; famines and floods; accounting scandals, bribery scandals and sex scandals, are falling by the dozen. Some others, long derided as not being the ‘real thing’ are on the up. From the basement, to the Main Floor. And that makes January’s North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) at Detroit most significant.

The old faithfuls are out. Eight major automakers have pulled out of the Detroit Auto Show...

Global recession? Time to buy more Porsches then!

Despite the worldwide economic recession, it seems people are buying more Porsches than ever before! Porsche Automobil Holding SE, Stuttgart, reports that the company has set new records in the business year 2007-08, with profits, turnover, sales, and production reaching new all-time highs.

The business year 2007-08 was the most successful year ever in the 60-year history of Porsche, with Group profit before taxes increasing by 46 percent to 8.569 billion Euro. This significant jump in profit was again due to special influences in connection with the holdings in Volkswagen AG, Wolfsburg, Germany.

Porsche’s operative earnings before taxes, corrected for special effects from hedging operations as well as the interest result of Pors...

Euro NCAP crash testing is all set to get tougher next year…

According to a report on the Telegraph, four- and five-star Euro NCAP safety ratings may become harder to come by for carmakers from next year onwards, as the testing body is getting ready to introduce more stringent tests for cars.

Currently, for each car it tests, Euro NCAP gives out multiple star ratings under various categories – for example, adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, pedestrian protection and so on. However, from February 2009 on, a new system will come into effect, wherein just one overall star rating will be awarded to each car.

The one overall Euro NCAP rating awarded to each car will be decided on the basis of the average of its scores across the various prescribed categories...

J.D. Power Asia Pacific2008 India Initial Quality Study (IQS): Chart shows top three vehicles per segment in Initial Quality. Lower score reflects better performance

Honda models improved considerably in initial quality from 2007, garnering three model-level awards and emerging as the most-improved brand, according to the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2008 India Initial Quality Study (IQS) released today.

The study, which measures problems customers’ experience with their new vehicles during the first two to six months of ownership, examines more than 200 problem symptoms covering eight vehicle components...