Think of the last time you sat in a parked car. Not a cab or an Uber, your own car, or a friend’s, or a relative’s. Given how punishing the heat is across most of India right now, chances are you reached straight for the AC dial and turned it all the way down to…
This was an amusing piece of news from this Monday where a corporator suggested imposing a London-style ‘pay-to-drive’ plan for South Mumbai in India. India has 4x the population of the US, sitting on 1/3rd the land mass! Take a second to let that sink in. The absolutely obvious solution for mass transportation must be…
A few months ago, I had posted about the concerning design of the current lot of cars, with their sheer vertical drop fronts. I was recently lucky to spot an old Honda Civic in a basement parking lot, and this photo shows side by side, the aerodynamic and generally safer sloping front of the Honda…
When companies create products, focus often tends to be on maximizing perceived value and profitability (within the respective value category). It’s like they are looking outward, being reactive (to competitors), and playing their part in a herd. Yet every once in a rare while, comes a product that has been built so thoughtfully, you begin…
Many Rolls Royce cars have a sheer vertical drop front design. And while they are extremely powerful and can go fast, they normally don’t, because they are meant to transport their occupants safely, in luxury, and in a refined manner, not to indulge in drag races. And so the vertical drop might be alright on…
I was recently at a few car showrooms, just browsing.. And I noticed something. Many of the popular brands tend to keep a higher or top end variant of different models on display. And interestingly, Toyota, at least the showroom I went to, had base variants on display. We could look at this in two…
What’s the similarity between trial biking and the one-inch punch? Is there any similarity? I believe so. I have always enjoyed watching trial bike events on TV (check the clip, not to be mistaken with trail biking). It is fascinating to watch riders mix slow and fast on their motorcycles with exceptional balance and control,…
Pic: source There are roads in Hungary that plays music! A musical road was first created in 1995 Denmark, by two artists. Given how brilliant a concept, I wonder why its Danish origins seem almost obvious. Just like the concept of hygge and especially Lego. Musical roads also exist in other countries like Hungary, Japan,…
When it comes to automotive light designs, a few occasionally catch your eye. Like the sweeping indicator lights from some years ago. Those still are impressive. I think Audi SUVs were among the first to have them. And you occasionally see some very strange designs. Like those on the Toyota Innova Crysta. What I call…
India – More highways or Better National & Public Transport? This is an email I had sent to our Minister for Road Transport & Highways in January this year. Of course I am still optimistic (or delusional) enough to hope for a response or an opportunity to further discuss this topic. Either way, I…
CrystalPlanet: The ENGESA Mercedes truck in Lego
Airbags and the Height of Drivers About a month ago, Honda introduced a new concept airbag for their vehicles. The challenge for them, was protecting drivers from angular collisions. In such cases, the driver’s head seemed to slide off the airbag and cause injury. The inspiration for them…Baseball mitts (or gloves). The result. A frontal…
Will Uber Disrupt Itself? Most of you must have seen this image (or a version of it) in the last few years. I remember a lot of people sharing it or referring to it with almost a sense of pride and relief. It was almost as if the world had found a way to get…
The Mortal Risk of Riding Shotgun in an Autonomous Vehicle We live in strange times. And in interesting and amusing times. A recent article I read, spoke about how most automotive manufacturers are misleading (or are confused themselves), when they claim to offer autonomous driving features in their vehicles. Their mindset seems hugely flawed, if…
The 106 Ladies at the Auto World Vintage Car Museum I was in Ahmedabad for a meeting earlier this year. Had to visit the Auto World Vintage Car Museum before getting back. With 106 cars there, it is a car-lover’s heaven. The cars are owned by Mumbai-resident Pranlal bhogilal Patel. A must-visit if you find…