Archive for February, 2005
Iran To Assemble Mercedes Cars In 2005
TEHRAN : Iranian public sector auto giant Iran Khodro Diesel (IKD) signed a deal with DaimlerChrysler for limited numbers of luxury Mercedes-Benz cars to be assembled in the Islamic republic.
The official news agency IRNA reported that under the deal, IKD will set up a company called Top Khodro to assemble the cars under the supervision of Mercedes-Benz, a division of the German-US auto giant.
Mercedes Benz 200, 250 and 350-E models will begin rolling off the production line later in 2005, with initial annual production limited to 2,500 units but eventually expanding to 5,000.
The head of IKD, Majid Sheikhani, said the cars would “fill the gap of luxury cars in Iran”.
The official was quoted as saying that only imported components would be used, with the price of each car ranging from 650 million to 1.3 billion rials (73,000 to 146,000 dollars).
IKD is Iran’s top truck producer, and has a long history of producing Benz trucks and buses under licence.
But the signing of the contract, initially scheduled for May 2004, had been delayed — something the Iranian press had attributed to the impact of US sanctions against the Islamic republic.
Iran’s auto market is tightly protected, and foreign companies are confined to striking minority-stake joint-venture deals with local firms or allowing their cars to be assembled here from imported or locally made components.
Iran’s domestic car, the Paykan, is to be taken out of production before next March, bringing to an end more than three decades of service. The Paykan is a descendent of the long-defunct British Hillman Hunter, the production line of which was sold to Iran in the late 1960s.
That car is already being eclipsed by more modern models made by France’s Peugeot, South Korea’s Kia and Japan’s Nissan. France’s Renault has also set up shop here to build the low-budget L-90, or Logan.
- AFP
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2005 May Not Be Easy For Ferrari
2005 may not be easy for Ferrari
NO CAKEWALK: The 2005 season might not be as easy as 2004 for Michael Schumacher. — AP
LONDON,
FEB. 24.
Unprecedented change is sweeping through Formula One, and not even Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher is immune. The seven-time series champion was almost invincible last season, winning 13 of 18 races. Teammate Rubens Barrichello won two more in the most predictable season in F1 history.
It may be very different when the 2005 season opens on March 6 in Melbourne, Australia, and then moves to Malaysia and Bahrain before the San Marino GP on April 24, the first race in Europe.
Renault and McLaren begin as the favourites. Ferrari starts with a re-jigged version of last year’s car, with the new model coming in May, probably at the Spanish GP.
“I want to win the championship again,” Schumacher said. “But it’s going to be more difficult than in previous years. Top rivals will be Renault and McLaren-Mercedes. They are already strong.
“I know that our run will end some time and someone will come who drives faster than me. I must live with that.”
In a nutshell
A lot has happened since the season ended four months ago in Brazil.
— Max Mosley, president of the sport’s governing body FIA, has pushed through controversial new rules to slow speeds and cut costs. Aerodynamic changes will reduce traction — engines must last two races, and the same tyre must be used for qualifying and the race.
Nine teams have agreed to fewer test sessions. Ferrari has not signed up.
— A Turkish GP has been added this season, bringing the race total to 19. India, Mexico and South Africa are on the horizon for next season.
— Only two teams have the same driver line-up — Ferrari and BAR-Honda (Jenson Button and Takuma Sato).
— Two teams have new ownership. Jaguar was bought by Red Bull, owned by Austrian billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz. Jordan has been sold to the Toronto-based Midland Group owned by Russia-born Canadian billionaire Alex Shnaider.
— Narain Karthikeyan joined Jordan to become F1’s first Indian driver. Jordan and the sport’s other also-ran, Minardi, each have two new drivers with no F1 experience.
— Several big names have changed teams. Colombia’s Juan Pablo Montoya has moved from Williams-BMW to McLaren; former champion Jacques Villeneuve is with Sauber after sitting out most of 2004; Giancarlo Fisichella has switched from Sauber to Renault; David Coulthard was dropped by McLaren, moving to Red Bull; Ralf Schumacher has joined Toyota from Williams.
Most everyone agrees: Renault and McLaren will present Ferrari a stern challenge.
“On the podium in Melbourne I can see this order: Renault, McLaren and Ferrari,” said Toyota’s Ralf Schumacher. “Certainly things are not going for them (Ferrari) the way they were expected to.”
With four victories in four seasons in F1, Montoya knows he must first beat his new teammate, Kimi Raikkonen. Montoya, Raikkonen and Jarno Trulli were the only non-Ferrari drivers to win in 2004.
“I had hard races with Kimi when I was with Williams,” Montoya said. “You are going to be seeing the same thing though we are both with McLaren.”
At Renault, Spanish driver Fernando Alonso and his new teammate, Fisichella, are talking up the season. Both have only one career victory. Schumacher has a record 83.
“In 2004, we were always battling for the podium places,” Alonso said. “Now, we must take the next step.”
Added Fisichella: “The podium? We are going to Melbourne hoping to win. The whole package is excellent — the engine, which is more powerful; the aerodynamics, the tyres.”
Early testing has not gone well for Williams BMW.
Williams’ new driver, Mark Webber, has complained openly about his car’s lack of speed. Team co-owner Patrick Head has apologised.
“We are not expecting to be the class of the field at the start of the season,” Head said. “But the car is good and has great potential to develop.”
Takuma Sato (Jpn); Jenson Button (Eng); Renault: Fernando Alonso (Esp); Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita); Williams-BMW: Mark Webber (Aus); Nick Heidfeld (Ger); McLaren-Mercedes: Kimi Raikkonen (Fin); Juan Pablo Montoya (Col); Sauber: Jacques Villeneuve (Can); Felipe Massa (Bra); Red Bull: David Coulthard (Sco); Christian Klien (Aut); Toyota: Ralf Schumacher (Ger); Jarno Trulli (Ita); Jordan: Narain Karthikeyan (Ind); Tiago Monteiro (Por); Minardi: Christijan Albers (Ned); Patrick Friesacher (Aut). — AP
Hindu On Net
2005 May Not Be Easy For Ferrari
2005 may not be easy for Ferrari
NO CAKEWALK: The 2005 season might not be as easy as 2004 for Michael Schumacher. — AP
LONDON,
FEB. 24.
Unprecedented change is sweeping through Formula One, and not even Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher is immune. The seven-time series champion was almost invincible last season, winning 13 of 18 races. Teammate Rubens Barrichello won two more in the most predictable season in F1 history.
It may be very different when the 2005 season opens on March 6 in Melbourne, Australia, and then moves to Malaysia and Bahrain before the San Marino GP on April 24, the first race in Europe.
Renault and McLaren begin as the favourites. Ferrari starts with a re-jigged version of last year’s car, with the new model coming in May, probably at the Spanish GP.
“I want to win the championship again,” Schumacher said. “But it’s going to be more difficult than in previous years. Top rivals will be Renault and McLaren-Mercedes. They are already strong.
“I know that our run will end some time and someone will come who drives faster than me. I must live with that.”
In a nutshell
A lot has happened since the season ended four months ago in Brazil.
— Max Mosley, president of the sport’s governing body FIA, has pushed through controversial new rules to slow speeds and cut costs. Aerodynamic changes will reduce traction — engines must last two races, and the same tyre must be used for qualifying and the race.
Nine teams have agreed to fewer test sessions. Ferrari has not signed up.
— A Turkish GP has been added this season, bringing the race total to 19. India, Mexico and South Africa are on the horizon for next season.
— Only two teams have the same driver line-up — Ferrari and BAR-Honda (Jenson Button and Takuma Sato).
— Two teams have new ownership. Jaguar was bought by Red Bull, owned by Austrian billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz. Jordan has been sold to the Toronto-based Midland Group owned by Russia-born Canadian billionaire Alex Shnaider.
— Narain Karthikeyan joined Jordan to become F1’s first Indian driver. Jordan and the sport’s other also-ran, Minardi, each have two new drivers with no F1 experience.
— Several big names have changed teams. Colombia’s Juan Pablo Montoya has moved from Williams-BMW to McLaren; former champion Jacques Villeneuve is with Sauber after sitting out most of 2004; Giancarlo Fisichella has switched from Sauber to Renault; David Coulthard was dropped by McLaren, moving to Red Bull; Ralf Schumacher has joined Toyota from Williams.
Most everyone agrees: Renault and McLaren will present Ferrari a stern challenge.
“On the podium in Melbourne I can see this order: Renault, McLaren and Ferrari,” said Toyota’s Ralf Schumacher. “Certainly things are not going for them (Ferrari) the way they were expected to.”
With four victories in four seasons in F1, Montoya knows he must first beat his new teammate, Kimi Raikkonen. Montoya, Raikkonen and Jarno Trulli were the only non-Ferrari drivers to win in 2004.
“I had hard races with Kimi when I was with Williams,” Montoya said. “You are going to be seeing the same thing though we are both with McLaren.”
At Renault, Spanish driver Fernando Alonso and his new teammate, Fisichella, are talking up the season. Both have only one career victory. Schumacher has a record 83.
“In 2004, we were always battling for the podium places,” Alonso said. “Now, we must take the next step.”
Added Fisichella: “The podium? We are going to Melbourne hoping to win. The whole package is excellent — the engine, which is more powerful; the aerodynamics, the tyres.”
Early testing has not gone well for Williams BMW.
Williams’ new driver, Mark Webber, has complained openly about his car’s lack of speed. Team co-owner Patrick Head has apologised.
“We are not expecting to be the class of the field at the start of the season,” Head said. “But the car is good and has great potential to develop.”
Takuma Sato (Jpn); Jenson Button (Eng); Renault: Fernando Alonso (Esp); Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita); Williams-BMW: Mark Webber (Aus); Nick Heidfeld (Ger); McLaren-Mercedes: Kimi Raikkonen (Fin); Juan Pablo Montoya (Col); Sauber: Jacques Villeneuve (Can); Felipe Massa (Bra); Red Bull: David Coulthard (Sco); Christian Klien (Aut); Toyota: Ralf Schumacher (Ger); Jarno Trulli (Ita); Jordan: Narain Karthikeyan (Ind); Tiago Monteiro (Por); Minardi: Christijan Albers (Ned); Patrick Friesacher (Aut). — AP
Hindu On Net