Team MRF Tyres has won the final round of European Rally Championship 2024 at the Rally of Silesia, Poland. Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi (ITA) steered the team to victory, participating in Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, and became the eighth different winner of the eight round 2024 FIA European Rally Championship.

Mabellini's maiden European career triumph was made possible by the exceptional performance of the Italian crew, who was placed second in the last championship round at the JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion. As the first Italian to win a European rally outside of Italy in 13 years, this is a noteworthy outcome. With this outcome, Mabellini concluded the season in fourth position, just a few points below third place, and made a substantial contribution to Team MRF Tyres' second-place finish in the rankings.

As the only driver to fight two-time European champion and former WRC driver Hayden Paddon, Mabellini was in the running from the beginning, finishing second in the opening show stage. After a fierce duel that lasted down to the tenths of a second, Mabellini's triumph on SS11 on Day 2 marked a turning point and put him in the lead. The pivotal moment came three stages from the finish: following a largely dry rally, the rain and shifting weather conditions made tyre selection extremely important. Mabellini showed maturity by driving with both speed and precision while Team MRF Tyres made no mistakes. By the finish, he had increased his advantage from a slim 1.9-second cushion to 18.3 seconds.

Amaury Molle (B) and Alex Dubois (FRA) of Team MRF Tyres also finished in Katowice with their Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo. After an accident at the Barum Czech Rally Zlín two months ago, the Belgian driver returned and showed steady performance. Molle fought hard to restore confidence and consistency, achieving outstanding times, including sixth on SS11, despite the extremely unpredictable circumstances.

Mabellini said, “I’m extremely happy. I want to thank Team MRF Tyres for believing in me from the start. We’ve worked hard together, and achieving this result is a huge satisfaction for all of us. A big thanks also to Virginia, who understands me perfectly, guides me, and without whom I wouldn’t be able to give my best, and to everyone who supported us from Italy. It’s been an incredible weekend, a season finale to remember. We’re enjoying this moment.”

Molle said, “It’s been a weekend full of positives. I know it will take time to fully regain my rhythm and the confidence to push at 100 percent, but I felt a great connection with the car, and Alex and I did a good job, improving stage by stage. We made a small mistake on the final stage but that doesn’t change our outlook on the weekend’s result. Thanks to Team MRF Tyres for this opportunity; now we have the winter to prepare and focus on our 2025 season.”

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Chennai-headquartered two-wheeler and three-wheeler major TVS Motor Company has launched updated variants of its TVS Raider motorcycle, introducing active safety features to the 125cc segment.

The TVS Raider TFT DD and TVS Raider SXC DD models now feature a Traction Control System and Emergency Brake Warning functionality.

The Traction Control System manages rear-wheel power output during traction loss over wet surfaces, loose gravel or road hazards. The Emergency Brake Warning system flashes rear lighting signals during deceleration to alert trailing traffic.

Additional hardware updates include a wider rear tyre, a 27W USB Type-C device charger and established powertrain features including a 3-valve engine with iGO Assist boost functionality, Glide Through Technology for low-speed manoeuvring and a TFT display supporting connectivity software.

The TVS Raider SXC DD variant is priced at INR 100,330 ex-showroom Delhi, while the TVS Raider TFT DD variant is available at INR 103,170 across TVS Motor dealerships nationwide.

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BSA Motorcycles, part of Classic Legends, has expanded its Gold Star 650 lineup in India with the introduction of the Brooklands Black Legacy Edition and Birmingham Blue Edition. The launch increases the colourways and trim options available for the retro-roadster model across the country.

The Birmingham Blue Edition is priced at INR 355,950 ex-showroom New Delhi, while the Brooklands Black Legacy Edition is available at INR 364,950. Retail and service coverage spans over 450 touchpoints across India, supported by a standard four-year or 50,000-kilometre warranty package.

The Brooklands Black Legacy Edition incorporates black body paint with gold pinstriping, chrome fenders, a chrome-accented fuel tank and a quilted seat layout. The Birmingham Blue Edition introduces a blue paint scheme paired with a silver side-panel badge and a revised engine surface finish.

Both editions retain the underlying technical platform, powered by a 652cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine producing 45 hp of power and 55 Nm of torque. Chassis hardware includes Brembo braking components, dual-channel anti-lock braking systems and wire-spoke wheels.

Anupam Thareja, Co-Founder, Classic Legends, said, "The Gold Star embodies everything we believe a modern retro-roadster should be. From its authentic British design to the distinctive experience of its big-single engine, every element reflects the craftsmanship, engineering and attention to detail that have defined the Gold Star for generations. The Brooklands Black Legacy Edition honours the moment when the Gold Star earned its legendary name, while Birmingham Blue offers a contemporary expression of the Gold Star, reinterpreting its iconic DNA for today's rider. Together, they represent two distinct chapters of the Gold Star story, united by the heritage and individuality that remain central to BSA."

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Motohaus India has announced a strategic partnership with Italian two-wheeler manufacturer Italjet, confirming the brand's formal entry into the Indian market.

Operating under KAW Veloce Motors – a subsidiary of the KAW Group – Motohaus currently manages the distribution and local manufacturing operations for international brands, including Brixton Motorcycles and VLF, from its production plant in Kolhapur, Maharashtra.

The agreement with Bologna-based Italjet adds the Italian manufacturer's scooter and motorcycle lineup to Motohaus's distribution portfolio in India.

The partnership intends to leverage Italjet's engineering and design platform alongside Motohaus's assembly infrastructure and dealership network across the country. Specific details regarding the product portfolio, pricing, assembly arrangements and commercial rollout timelines for India will be formally presented at the EICMA 2026 motorcycle exhibition in Milan.

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Chennai-headquartered two-wheeler and three-wheeler major TVS Motor Company has launched an updated version of its TVS Radeon motorcycle, introducing styling revisions and updated lighting components ahead of the domestic festive season. The commuter motorcycle model currently maintains a customer base exceeding 1.1 million units in India.

The updated TVS Radeon features revised body panels across the fuel tank, side sections and rear cowl, alongside new graphic schemes. Lighting updates include a full LED headlamp unit with integrated signature lighting, LED turn signals and an LED tail lamp incorporating a multi-dimensional lens effect.

The motorcycle retains core functional components from the previous iteration, including its segment-length seat layout and a reverse LCD instrument cluster with real-time mileage indicator functions.

The model is available across authorised dealerships in three trim levels: the Base variant priced at INR 67,100, the Digi Cluster Drum variant at INT 70,100 and the top-spec Digi Cluster Disc variant priced at INT 73,100 (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Aniruddha Haldar, Senior Vice-President and Head of Commuter & EV Business, TVS Motor Company, said, "Over the last decade, TVS Radeon customers have grown with a progressive India. More than 1.1 million customers have made TVS Radeon part of their everyday journeys, and as their lifestyles, aspirations and expectations have evolved, their motorcycle also has evolved with them. At TVS Motor, we have always put the customer at the heart of meaningful product evolution. The new TVS Radeon is a reflection of that belief, bringing a more youthful, dynamic and aspirational character to a motorcycle in line with its consumers from the New India of today. Radeon continues to stand for superior build quality, reliability, and its distinctive new lighting signature, contemporary graphics and confident design, makes it such a preferred ride. The new TVS Radeon is designed for customers who want their everyday motorcycle to be as progressive and expressive as the life and country they are building. We salute the nation building spirit of the Progressive Radeon rider."

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