There are four Bugatti sports cars that represent automotive innovation like no others cars do.

It would come as a surprise that the four cars that represent innovation in automobiles in its purest form are all Bugatti sports cars. Showcasing the evolution of automobiles in a way that is unique and amounts to flexing the boundaries of what machines can really be or do what they are expected to do to the fullest, the four Bugatti cars are the Veyron 16.4 Super Sport World Record Edition, Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse World Record Edition, Chiron Super Sport 300+ and the W16 Mistral World Record Car.

Successful in carving out a niche, each of the four cars – ultra super cars – have come to represent Bugatti’s incomparable legacy. The Veyron 16.4 Super Sport World Record Edition, on a beautiful day of April 2010, achieved a new land speed world record for production cars on the proving grounds of the Volkswagen Group at Ehra-Lessien (nearby its headquarters at Wolfsburg). In the presence of the German Technical Inspection Agency (TÜV) and a representative of Guinness Book of Records, the Super Sport achieved an average top speed of 431 kmph!

Bugatti’s Pilote Officiel Pierre Henri Raphanel put his helmet and gloves on, pulled the safety belts tight whilst the engineers checked the car a very last time for tyre pressure, temperature and all the systems.

The orange-black Super Sport crossed the light barrier within one hour by driving from South to North and then in the opposite direction. The driver being the only one to touch the car during the record run, the description of the Veyron as its headlights appeared at a certain point of the track was of a jumbo jet coming closer and simply jetting by.

The GPS-tachometer recorded a speed of as much as 933 kmph. The average speed generated by the TUV and Guinness representatives was a whopping 431.072 kmph, which surprised even the Bugatti team.

The roadster version of Veyron 16.4 Super Sport World Record Edition, Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse World Record Edition, set the world speed record for open-top production sports cars at the Volkswagen Group’s proving grounds in Ehra-Lessien.

TÜV, the renowned independent German organisation for technical inspection and certification, officially confirmed that a top speed of 408.84 kmph was achieved when the super car was driven by the Chinese racing driver Anthony Liu in 2013.

On the market since the spring of 2012, the open-top sports car is fitted with an 8.0 litre W16 engine that pours 1,200 PS and a torque of 1,500 Nm at 3,000 to 5,000 rpm on the road. Its high-performance handling can be attributed to a racing chassis, which together with extremely fast-acting shock absorbers and reinforced anti-roll bars, guarantees exact control of both the four-wheel drive system and the entire vehicle.

The other factors that enable such performance at the upper limits include a standard carbon monocoque with high torsional rigidity and an outer shell made entirely of carbon fibre. With wind noise and air turbulence a particular concern with open-top vehicles, the Vitesse is offered with a specially developed roof spoiler along with an intricately designed windbreak that guarantees calm open-top driving.

The Chiron Super Sport 300+ is the fastest Bugatti ever made, redefining what is possible when it comes to speed and aerodynamics. Piloted by Bugatti’s Pilote Officiel Andy Wallace, the hypercar smashed through the 482.803 kmph (300 mph) barrier in 2019. Never had a production car reached such speeds ever!

Occupying a spot in the history and standing as a marker in the quest for greater performance and speed, the hypercar was fitted with a re-engineered version of Bugatti’s legendary 8.0 litre W16 engine that produced 1,600 PS of power. A new thermal management system for the engine and gearbox were developed. Refinements to the software governing the engine, gearbox and turbochargers were also made.

To ensure top notch stability, the car was fitted with a ‘longtail’ that extended the car length by approximately 25 cm. This allowed the laminar flow to pass over the body for a longer period of time, reducing aerodynamic stall by more than 40 percent. Air curtains adorning the hyper sports car’s front corners dispersed excess air pressure towards the car’s sides. Simultaneously, air outlets at the wheel arches and behind the front wheels guided excess pressure away from each wheel arch, reducing drag by also producing a small amount of negative lift. Liberal use of exposed carbon fibre – flowing through into the car’s engine cover and the windscreen wiper, thereby contributing to crucial weight-saving that helps the hyper sports car push the envelope of performance – was resorted to. Extremely light and strong magnesium alloy wheels were deployed.

Andy Wallace – Bugatti Pilote Officiel and winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours – assumed the controls of the one-off W16 Mistral World Record Car, warming up the vehicle’s bespoke high-performance tyres on a first anticipatory lap. Ascending to a specified speed of 200 kmph into the banking of the track (of ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg GmbH), he increased the speed before unleashing the full power of the vehicle as the straight opened up coming off the banking, taking it to new heights of record speed in November 2024. Under the meticulous control of SGS-TÜV Saar GmbH, the achievement of a new world top-speed record for an open-top car was officially confirmed at the end of the run, with Andy reaching an incredible 453.91 kmph.

The EUR 14 million hypercar is powered by an 8.0-litre, quad-turbo, W16 engine that does an impressive 1,578 bhp. Innovative is the W16 Mistral’s X-taillight arrangement, which channels hot air from the radiators through ducts towards the rear of the vehicle. The air is expelled through the vents in the X-taillight arrangement.

The hypercar’s ramp-design diffuser accelerates the air’s journey from the rear of the vehicle, which increases downforce and helps the model excel at high speeds. Contributing to the vehicle’s excellent stability are bespoke high-performance tyres.

MT

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Mercedes-Benz India has officially launched the all-new CLA BEV, marking the debut of the Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA) and the proprietary MB.OS (Mercedes-Benz Operating System) in the Indian market.

The launch represents a significant milestone in the brand's electrification roadmap, with the company claiming it recorded over 400 pre-launch bookings prior to the official announcement.

The CLA BEV is introduced in three distinct variants, headlined by an 800-volt architecture that allows for industry-leading charging speeds.

Performance and Charging

Built as a ‘born electric’ sedan, the CLA BEV sets a new benchmark for efficiency with a drag coefficient of 0.21.

• Ultra-Fast Charging: Supporting up to 320 kW DC charging, the CLA 250+ can add 400 km of range in just 20 minutes using a 240 kW charger.
• Powertrain: The CLA 250+ delivers a peak output of 200 kW, achieving 0–100 km/h in 6.7 seconds powered by an 85.5 kWh battery.
• Indian Adaptation: The vehicle’s suspension has been specifically tuned to handle Indian road conditions.

The CLA is the first vehicle in India to feature MB.OS, which integrates the 4th generation of MBUX.

The EV sees integrated AI, which is powered by NVIDIA chips capable of 508 trillion operations per second, the car features a virtual assistant integrated with ChatGPT-4, MS Bing and Gemini.

The CLA BEV supports seamless Over-the-Air (OTA) updates and comes standard with Level 2 ADAS, upgradeable to L2+ via software. High-end variants feature the MBUX Superscreen and a panoramic sunroof with a 250-nanometre ‘Heat Protection Coating’ to filter UV and glare.

In a move to build customer trust, Mercedes-Benz launched India’s first ‘High-Voltage Battery Report’. This system-generated report provides owners with a physical and diagnostic evaluation of the battery's health (State of Charge Energy - SOCE), ensuring transparency for future resale and long-term ownership.

Santosh Iyer, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, said, “The CLA BEV is the most intelligent Mercedes-Benz ever; born electric, a true range champion and a hallmark of high product substance. As Mercedes-Benz’s first next-generation BEV to debut in India, the CLA underlines our confident BEV strategy shaped by feature-rich, technology-driven products.”

Mercedes-Benz is backing the launch with a comprehensive ecosystem, including the MB.CHARGE public network, which now covers over 9,000 charging points across India. Ownership is further simplified through Star Agility+ financing, offering a 59% assured buy-back value and EMIs starting at INR 62,000. All models come with an 8-year/160,000 km battery warranty. Deliveries for the CLA 250+ begin at the end of April 2026, while the CLA 200 will follow in June 2026.

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Chinese automotive major Chery has officially launched its new global value proposition, ‘For Family’, marking a strategic transition from a ‘Global Brand’ to a ‘Global Citizen’ at Auto China 2026.

During the event, the company announced an ambitious target to serve 10 million customers worldwide by 2030. The new slogan and strategic roadmap were unveiled by Jeff Zhang, CEO of the Chery Brand, who emphasised that the shift is rooted in providing ‘trusted quality and thoughtful technology’ for household mobility.

The new proposition is built upon three core ‘equalities’ designed to make premium automotive features accessible to a broader demographic:

• Uncompromising Safety: Prioritising high-standard safety features for every passenger, regardless of vehicle segment.
• Space Equality: Optimising interior dimensions to ensure maximum comfort and utility for all family members.
• Technology Equality: Bringing advanced smart features and connectivity to mass-market models.

As a concrete implementation of this new philosophy, Chery debuted the Tiggo V at the exhibition. The vehicle is designed to showcase the ‘For Family’ pillars, offering enhanced cabin flexibility and integrated smart safety systems tailored for multi-generational use.

Chery’s expansion is supported by a significant global footprint established over 23 years. Currently, the brand serves 4.5 million customers across 120 countries. Its ‘In somewhere, For somewhere’ localised philosophy is powered by:

• 8 R&D centres and 36 production bases worldwide.
• A network of over 2,000 dealers and 1,800 service centres.
• The Chery Family Care service brand, which provides dedicated aftersales support.

Jeff Zhang, said, "For Family is not just a slogan; it is a promise that we safeguard the peace of mind and joy on every journey, through trusted quality and thoughtful technology."

This announcement follows a year of rapid growth for the brand, which now sees a new family join its user base every minute on average. By focusing on the ‘Global Citizen’ model, Chery aims to achieve mutual prosperity with the local communities where it operates through sustainable and community-focused manufacturing.

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Maruti Suzuki India Limited recorded its highest-ever annual production volume, reaching 2.34 million units during fiscal year 2025-26. This achievement establishes the automaker as the only original equipment manufacturer in India to attain such a production milestone for passenger vehicles. Furthermore, among all of Suzuki Motor Corporation’s global automobile manufacturing facilities, Maruti Suzuki stands alone in reaching this landmark volume.

The company currently operates four manufacturing plants located in Gurugram, Manesar, Kharkhoda in Haryana and Hansalpur in Gujarat, with a combined installed annual capacity of 2.40 million units. In March 2026, as part of its capacity expansion strategy, Maruti Suzuki identified land for a fifth manufacturing facility at the Khoraj Industrial Estate in Sanand, Gujarat. Once fully operational, this new plant is expected to add an annual production capacity of one million units. The most produced models during the year included the Dzire, Fronx, Swift, Ertiga and Baleno, each surpassing the 200,000-unit mark.

The company manufactures 17 models with over 650 variants to meet both domestic and export market requirements. This record production volume underscores Maruti Suzuki’s dominant position in India’s passenger vehicle segment and its unique standing within the global Suzuki manufacturing network.

Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said, “This is a proud moment for us, as very few companies across the world have been able to manufacture such large volumes in a single country. At Maruti Suzuki, we have always believed in offering products and technologies that complement the evolving needs and aspirations of our customers, earning their trust, generation after generation. This achievement is the outcome of a carefully nurtured automobile ecosystem built over four and a half decades. At its foundation lies the mutual trust and longstanding collaboration that we share with our employees, vendor and dealer partners. This ecosystem supported by the current government’s policy environment, like the rollout of GST 2.0, strengthened market confidence and stimulated demand at a critical time allowing us to manufacture record-high units.”

He added, “Our parent company, Suzuki Motor Corporation’s strong belief in India’s growth story, along with an increased focus on developing India as an export hub, is enabling us to further expand our production capacity. We aim to scale it to about four million units per annum.”

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Nissan Motor India (NMIPL), in partnership with Vibrant Nissan, reached a significant sales milestone by delivering 100 units of the all-new Nissan Gravite in a single day in Hyderabad.

The mass delivery event, held at Le Palais Royal Crown Villa Garden on 22 April 2026, the company said, highlights the strong market reception for the Gravite following its recent entry into the mid-size SUV segment.

The Nissan Gravite is positioned as a versatile family vehicle, featuring a bold design language and a focus on cabin flexibility. The successful delivery of 100 units underscores rising customer confidence in Nissan's refreshed product portfolio, which is currently anchored by the long-standing success of the Nissan Magnite and now bolstered by the Gravite's premium features and safety package.

With an expanding dealer network and a renewed focus on the Indian market, Nissan is entering a new phase of growth. The Gravite's performance in high-potential markets like Hyderabad is seen as a key indicator of the brand's ability to compete in the highly contested SUV categories.

"The 100 Gravite delivery milestone reflects growing demand for Nissan Motor India and rising customer confidence in the all-new Nissan Gravite. Backed by the Gravite’s bold design, spacious and flexible cabin, strong safety package, Nissan’s expanding network and the continued strong run of the Nissan Magnite, the company is entering a new phase of growth in India," said the company in a statement.

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