Lahore Shopping Festival. And Classic CARS!

Posted on March 27, 2011 by momekh

Expect the Rolls Royce 1965 at the Car Rally

One of the better things coming out of the Lahore Chambers of Commerce is the decision to organize the Lahore Shopping Festival.

It has a lot of things covered it seems. And there is something for car lovers as well.

The Lahore Shopping Festival will start from the 4rd of April 2011, and will go on for about one week, ending on the 10th of April 2011.

Here’s what you can expect:

A Polo Tournament at the 125-year-old Lahore Polo Club
A Qirat competition on April 5th. The winner of the competition will be awarded PKR 100,000 and an Umra ticket (cool, no?)
A Classic Car Rally on April 6th, starting from Siddique Trade Center to Liberty Chowk. Around 50 cars dating from 1920 to 1965 will take part.
Young Entrepreneurs’ Business Plan competition will be held at 90 The Mall on the same day i.e. April 6th. (Wonder what the first prize for this competition would be!?!)
A Musical Evening at Raiwand Road
A Peace Walk on April 7th, from Lahore Chambers of Commerce to Alhamra Hall (Mall Road), at 10:30 AM.
A Photography Competition would be held at the Tollinton Market Hall.
Lahore Wrestling Competition will be held at the Punjab Wrestling Stadium on April 8th.
On the same day (April 8th), a two-day Punjab Expo would start at the remarkably built Lahore Expo Center, where trader and manufacturers would showcase their products at discounted rates.
Also on the same day (April 8th), a rally of heavy bikes would be organized, from Lahore Chambers of Commerce and Industry offices to the Lahore Expo Center.
A Fashion Show will be help on April 8th at 8:00 PM at The Royal Palm.
A Conference on Investment Opportunities will be held at the Lahore Expo Auditorium on April 9th. A must-attend for would-be entrepreneurs and businessmen.
A Cycle Race from the LCCI offices to the Lahore Expo Center would be help on April 10th.

OK, so I don’t know about you, but a lot of things are happening here; Cars, bikes, cycles, business opportunities and even wrestling and fashion shows! Don’t know about you, but it sure presents ample opportunity for many of us to be entertained, get educated and stay interested!

CarAdvice – some important updates

Posted on February 26, 2011 by momekh

Car Advice Pakistan

A lot has been happening in the Pakistani auto market. This post is not about that.

This post is about the future direction of CarAdvice.pk as a blog and as a magazine site for Car enthusiasts from all over Pakistan.

A new wave of inspiration and some plans have convinced me that we can inshAllah take CarAdvice a lot further and put out some great content that is not helpful but also entertaining.

I am planning video reviews for a number of cars. InshAllah you will soon see the Honda Civic reviewed inside out…

I am also hoping that you would continue with your support and feedback and interaction – the interaction in the form of comments on this website is what makes all of this useful.

Thank you for your interest and interaction – this is what makes this website useful for all of us. JazaakAllah and thank you again!

I have been writing a few posts/article over at Life ETC, and while writing on setting goals and helping people out, I realized that the CarAdvice blog is a great way to do just that. I know, when you think of ‘helping someone out’, no one is really thinking of helping people out in deciding which vehicle to buy or how to maintain their cars. But I also realized how confident I felt when I bought my first firearm after reading authentic reviews on forums like PakGuns – I was and am very thankful to people who take the time out to give valuable advice based on experience and good-ol hard work. I want the same for CarAdvice. And I hope that you keep advising me on how to do that even better.

Thank you and God bless,

This is Momekh, signing off.

Importing cars to Pakistan

Posted on January 28, 2011 by momekh

Import of 5 year old cars to Pakistan is now allowed...

I have imported a Honda Accord CF3 directly from Japan. This was in 2007. It was a great car, and is the best one I have owned (I have not owned many high-end cars, not yet at least! ) … I have other goals for life etc for the time being.

The reason CarAdvice.pk have had a few posts on the import of cars to Pakistan is because of the recent politically-driven bill of allowing import of 5 year old cars into Pakistan. And what do you know, the government has finally re-considered and have now allowed the import of 5 year old cars into Pakistan.

Now, the ‘automobile industry’ of Pakistan, as expected does not like this:

The Pakistan Automobile Manufacturers Association (PAMA) and Pakistan Association of Auto Parts and Accessories Manufacturers (PAAPAM), the assemblers of cars and the auto parts vendors, have expressed dismay over the government decision to allow import of up to five-year-old cars that would retard the gradual growth the auto sector was witnessing after two years of turmoil.

I have mentioned why this decision is GOOD for the consumer here.

But, as mentioned in The News (a daily newspaper), there is a rationale behind the recent decision to allow the import of 5-year-old cars:

The cabinet has finally taken a good decision to allow the import of five-year-old cars. The lack of competition in the market, owing to its small size and absence of economies of scale, make the car assemblers make money at the cost of ordinary people by increasing prices whenever the Japanese yen rises or the rupee falls. Ideally, we should have a developed car industry but it can not develop in a country with a small market size. To put it in perspective, China produced more than 13 million cars in 2009, Japan almost eight million and the USA around six million, compared to a little over 100,000 in Pakistan.

It would be foolish to expect the car assemblers in Pakistan not to raise prices when the yen rises or the Rupee falls further, because most of the car components for assembly are imported from Japan. However, if the size of the car market increases, there would be greater need for spare parts and Pakistan can make good-quality car parts, which could also be exported. Later on, if the numbers of cars sold in the country passes a certain threshold; we can also make good-quality cars. Until then the focus should be on increasing the market size and bringing cars within the reach of the ordinary people.

Source

So, do you guys think that this is a good decision? I know I am happy because I don’t want to pay 2.0 million rupees for a 1.8 sedan when I can pay less for a four-by-four. Let’s hear your comments people!!!

Govt to allow import of 5 year old cars

Posted on November 23, 2010 by momekh

Finally, some hope. Govt might allow import of 5 year old cars (up to 1300 CC) and heavy vehicles.

As you know, I am a thing or two to say about the import restrictions on cars and how that has given birth to a mafia of big industrial players. They control the prices and cars like a Toyota Corolla cost as much as 2.0 million rupees! Unbelievable. But that is not all, import restriction on tractors and trucks and buses is also in effect, giving chance to companies like Messi Ferguson to give tractor deliveries with a 3 month wait period.

The ever-grinning Auto Industry of Pakistan just might get a scare.

The automobile mafia in Pakistan should get a light jolt with this one. Should. If the ECC recommendation gets approved.

Let’s hope that someone with a conscious is handling this. God bless us all.

Suzuki Swift 2010 in Pakistan

Posted on January 19, 2010 by momekh

It has been a long time coming. As you are aware, we have been hoping for the Swift to be brought to Pakistan for some time now. Suzuki did what any sensible company should have done and brought a jawdropper to the market. Yes, it is three years late, but aren’t we all? :/

Anyways, the car is lovely, as you can see the pictures 0f the Swift here. And one thing of note is that it comes only in one trim and has no CNG, and that is good as there is hardly any CNG to go around. I hear that CNG owners are probably going to convert their stations into marriage halls, available for rent. If governments make profits from Rental Power, maybe they can make money from Rentals also. Before I get too political, know that the new Suzuki Swift is priced at a cool 1 million rupees. Therefore it is probably not targeted at the Cultus market (Cultus being, frankly, a shit car).

The new Swift obviously is a fun car to see (and according to the Swift reviews, a fun car to drive as well).

The car is priced at PKR 1,000,000/-. (They are pricing it like a Bata shoe – Rs 999,000!)

Leasing the Suzuki Swift in Pakistan

So if you lease your Suzuki Swift with a 20% down, you end up paying to the tune of Rs 24,000 per month. If you can manage up to half the price as down-payment (PKR 500,000), then the per month installment (including the insurance) comes to around a more bearable 16,000 per month.

P.S. If any of you are interested in leasing out this car, do sign up on our soon to be released Leasing section.

Suzuki’s APV: What good is this All Purpose Vehicle?

Posted on September 7, 2009 by savaiz

apv20design20concept201 Suzuki has about 3 years ago started importing APV to supplement (or perhaps replace) its ailing BOLAN Van. The APV however is now being used to give direct competition to Mitsubishi’s L300 & Toyota’s Hiace Commuter Vans as well as being advertised for your ‘entire’ (read joint) family needs. Lets see what the APV is all about!

Its price (ranging from Rs1.62million to Rs.1.675million) is perhaps its weapon of choice (as with all Suzuki models) with its competing Mitsubishi’s L300 price ranging between Rs.1.999million to Rs.2.349million & the more popular Hiace retailing between Rs.2.499million & Rs.3.199million.

dmmcl300_landing

Moreover its smaller overall & engine size makes it more economical & easier to navigate on narrow inner-city roads found in all the major cities of Pakistan. Engine dispalcement of APV is 1493cc compared to L300′s 2477cc & Hiace’s 1593cc. Overall length of APV is 4.23m much less than L300′s 4.59m (STD) & 4.81m (DX). Although both claim a min. turning radius of 4.9m APV can even part where L300 won’t (even with bumpers removed).

Fuel tank of L300 is slightly bigger 55L compared with APV’s 47L so is the seating capacity (L300:12; APV:8) but the size of fuel tank does not come as an advantage while within the urban areas & in Pakistan seating capacity is hardly what is written in the brochure.

The only thing the car isn’t good for is what it is actually advertised for: accomodating large-joint families because Suzuki’s own BOLAN beats APV in all categories (price, fuel efficiency & mobility) except comfort. But when the whole family travels together who needs comfort; all we need is to get wherever we are going fast to avoid verbal skirmishes.

Porsche’s (mis)adventure in Pakistan’s market!?

Posted on September 4, 2009 by savaiz

porsche Porsche Pakistan was launched by Autotechnik Pvt. Ltd. in 2005 with the establishment of Porsche Centre Lahore. Autotechnik is the exclusive importer of Porsche cars in Pakistan.

normal After changing two locations & opening/closing a service centre the company seems to have shut down its operations temporarily. The reasons purpotedly include a clash between partners & a ‘fall-out’ with the parent company in Germany.

cayman-s Today the contact numbers given by Autotechnik website are 0425872871 & 042-5872875 while the Porsche International Website (incidentally linked on Porsche Pakistan website gives the same as (Sales) 111-777-911 & (Service) 111-888-911. I’m confused but what is more confusing is that none of them is being attended.

cayenne-turbo Nevertheless the cars that are being sold are being sold at these proces (as er Porsche-Pakistan.com website:

www.porsche-pakistan.com

Boxster Rs.6.483m Boxster S Rs.7.502m

Cayman Rs.6.977m Cayman S Rs.7.908m

Cayenne Rs.7.003m Cayenne S Rs.9.082m

Cayenne GTS Rs.10.018m Cayenne Turbo Rs.14.213m

Unfortunately the classic 911 & the superfast Panamera range are not available in Lahore but you can get one from Middle East importers.

The convertible Boxster has a top speed of 258kph (standard) & 272kph (S-type) while Cayman & Cayman S have almost identical topspeed but with a fixed roof.

Until the sales start once more you can try checking out the porsche international website http://www.porsche.com for any further updates.

Where to buy your car from?

Posted on September 3, 2009 by savaiz

This post is not about giving you the addresses of the car dealers or showrooms but it merely gives you some tips about who to buy from & who not to.

Scenario 1: Where to Buy? Authorized Dealer vs Large Showroom

In context of which shop to buy from you can decide either to purchase from the authorized dealriship of the automobile’s assembler / importer OR you can buy from a wide array of large showrooms found in all major cities that purchase in bulk / import for resale. Advantage of authorized dealership is their guarantee to fix any aftersale problems while the large private showrooms provide ceratin models available exclusively through them.

Scenario 2: Where to Buy? Lease from Bank vs Pay Cash

The second scenario regarding where to buy involves deciding whether to lease a bigger, better car from a financial institution or purchasse on cash a smaller more ‘cosy’ car. Advantages of leasing discussed in earlier posts include ability to switch cars upon completion of repayment schedule & not having to worry about maintainence & repairs. On the other hand the ‘expensiveness’ of such a purchase and continous monthly cash outlays for repayment/running are reduced in cash payment approach.

Scenario 3: Where to Buy? New vs Second Hand

Yet another where to buy scenario arises whenyou must decide whether to purchase a new car or a second hand one. Again it depends not just on your budget but also on your requirements. If you need a family car & don’t have enough cash go for a ‘re-conditioned’ second hand car. Otherwise it is mostly adviseable to buy new car so that it requires less expense to run & maintain.

Scenario 4: Where to Buy? New Local vs New Import

Last but not the least is the big question whether to buy a local newbie or go for an exotic import. This is not only a case of personal taste but as we know in Pakistan it may become a case of ‘durability’ as well. My experience says that a foreign-assembled car (especially Japanese) runs with a lot less hiccups than a local-assembled car (even of same brand). Let your experience be your guide in this case.

Vitz & Platz: Are they any good on Pakistani roads?

Posted on August 31, 2009 by savaiz

800px-03-05_toyota_echo_sedan 800px-2002_toyota_vitz_01

Toyota developed Vitz (aka Yaris) & Platz (aka Echo) initially for sale/use in European & Japanese markets. However, just because they are cheaper (to buy) many of my local brethren have fallen ‘prey’ to dubious dealers selling Vitz & Platz (mostly re-conditioned ones) as Japanese assembled “A-Category” automobiles.

During the course of my research I came across an article by an American ex-pat, Heather Carriero currently teaching in Pakistan who has a self-described ‘unquenchable” thirst for travel, adventure & new challenges.

Her article cites the cars’ low clearance, non-compatibility with CNG kits & overall poor quality of fuel in Pakistan as the most daunting problems faced by these foreign-assembled cars.

You can read more of her article at the link given below:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1057526/warning_buying_and_driving_a_toyota.html?cat=27

Heather’s VERDICT: Would love to buy, own & use both in Japan but they are just not suitable to the environment of the subcontinent.

Your VERDICT: ???

Which is the fastest road car in the world?

Posted on August 26, 2009 by savaiz

Face it boys will always be boys & the badder the boy the faster will be his ride. However here we are interested in super cars that are street legal & go faster than all others.

Although Bugatti Veyron made by is the fastest production car currently with a price tag of US$.1.7million and a top speed of 253mph achieved by its 1001hp Narrow Angle W16 Engine and ended McLaren F1′s (Top Speed: 240mph) 11-year reign as the fastest production car in 2005. Today several cars are in various stages of development that have proven faster in trials.

One such car is the swedish-made Koenigsegg CCX whose manufacturer also claims that it is capable of exceeding 250mph putting it at par with the Veyron. Infact CCX ended the reign of McLaren F1 but its own reign was short-lived as Bugatti immediately updated its Veyron. Koenigsegg has announced that they will update CCX very soon.

Yet another challenger is SSC Ultimate Aero which on Sep. 13th, 2007 using a closed section of Washington State Highway clocked a top speed of 256.18mph using a V8 engine half-the-size of Veyron’s. It generates 1183bhp & of torque (Veyron: 479lbs). The car’s website page(www.sportscarcup.com/ssc-ultimate-aero/) lists the top speed as 273mph. Price: US$0.6Million.

Another equivalent of this amazing challenger is the fast yet modified supercar built by Barabus called Barabus TKR having 6L V8 Chevy bi-turbo engine capable of generating an amazing 1095bhp & acgheivingtop speed of 270mph. The body & chasis of the car are both made of carbon-fibre. It is rumoured to reach 0-60mph in 1.67sec which is amazing since even 4 sec qualifies for supercar.

An obscure modifier using modified versions of Dodge Viper under name of Hennessey SRT-10 Viper Venom 1000 Twin Turbo Coupe claims to challenge Bugatti Veyron (even SSC Ultimate Aero) using a 500bhp Viper engine reworked to give 1000bhp at 15psi instead of the usual 10psi creating a 255mph marvel priced at a ‘reasonable’ US$0.225million.

Colani Racing of Switzerland has designed a roadster which is yet to see the light of any road other than the 24-hour LeMans Circuit. With a 900hp engine The Colani LeMans is rumoured to have a top speed of approx. 255mph. However there is no news regarding any plans for commercial production and Colani are uptil now only producers of cars for racing purpose.

Callaway Corvette Sledgehammer reached a top speed of 254.76mph on Oct 19, 1989 driven by John Lingenfelter. Only 1 of these cars exists, although, at the time Callway Motor Company claimed that they could reproduce it for 0.400million. It seems no one wants one at that price & it has ended up being a concept car rather than a commercial production model.

Other concept cars that failed to become production cars included Oldsmobile Aerotech Short Tail (Top Speed: 257mph); Lotec C1000 (Top Speed 268mph); F-Bomb 1973 Camaro (Top Speed 270mph); Bristol Fighter SCR (270mph – electronically limited to 225mph); Audi R-Zero (Top Speed 253mph); Melling Hellcat (Top Speed 276mph) & the 2000hp Walley Larson LE1 Groundfighter (Top Speed 305mph).

Anything I missed please do let me know.

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