Suzuki SX4 Special Edition Car

Suzuki SX4 Special Edition will be launched by American Suzuki Motor Corp., based on the 2009 Suzuki SX4 Sport and Suzuki SX4 Crossover. The Suzuki SX4 Special Edition main feature is that itl will be equipped with a navigation system.

Suzuki navigation system was developed in collaboration with Garmin and it is called TRIP (Travel, Real-time traffic, Information and Play).

Suzuki TRIP offering people with number of MSN Direct-enabled features, including weather forecasts, real-time traffic, news reports, local entertainment listings, movie times, stock quotes, and also a gas station finder capable of locating the lowest priced fuel in town.

Suzuki SX4 Special Edition price will starts at $15,999, and scheduled to arrive in dealer showrooms in July.

Read the rest entry of this news?

Land Rover G4 Challenge

Land Rover G4 Challenge organizers have announced the start of the recruitment process for the new event. The competitors can sign-up for the 2008/2009 Land Rover G4 Challenge at www.landroverG4Challenge.com. The Land Rover G4 Challenge was inaugurated in 2003, when Belgian fighter pilot Rudi Thoelen emerged victorious from a cliff hanging finale in the Moab desert, USA. The next Challenge, in 2006, went deep into rugged, remote locations in Thailand, Laos, Brazil and Bolivia, coming to an end at an altitude of over 4000m with South African Martin Dreyer emerging victorious.

Press Release
Recruitment kicks off for new Land Rover G4 Challenge

Organizers of the 2008/09 Land Rover G4 Challenge have opened recruitment for competitors to sign up for one of the most exciting 4×4 driving and adventure events in the world – with the aim of generating money for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Driving skill will be high on the agenda in the nation-versus-nation event and competitors can now sign up at www.landroverG4Challenge.com for the chance to battle through 4×4 and adventure sport activities for a place in one of the 18 mixed-gender two-person teams at the Challenge Finals in Asia in 2009.

Land Rover G4 Challenge Manager Ed Tilston said: “This new Challenge will put a priority on driving talent while retaining an exciting mix of adventure sports and strategic thinking. The new national team format will also allow twice the number of spaces for competitors – with one man and one woman from each nation in the Finals every place will be hard-fought.

“The Challenge takes competitors to remote places to take part in wild adventures on terrain that test both body and mind while pushing our Land Rover vehicles to the extremes. The Challenge, as always, will be environmentally considerate and this time it will be raising money for a very worthy cause, so we will really be giving something back.”

The 2008/09 Challenge will mix 4×4 off-road driving with adventure sports like kayaking, mountain biking and climbing. National Selections in 2008 and International Selections in early 2009 will filter thousands of competitors down to just two per country for the Challenge Finals, which will take place in a variety of environments.

The two previous Challenge Finals were won by Belgian Fighter pilot Rudi Thoelens, in 2003, and South African sportsman Martin Dreyer, in 2006. This time teams from the United States, Canada and China will be three new major nations joining an international field to battle for victory in a gruelling three-week event.

Last time’s winner Dreyer said: “I can’t imagine anything else ever comparing with the Challenge. The vast spaces, the camaraderie, the competition, the focus, it really is life-changing. The last Challenge was an amazing experience and I am sure the new format will make the next one even more exciting.”

The Challenge will be environmentally sensitive and fully carbon offset through Climate Care and the winning team will be given a Land Rover vehicle to donate to their country’s National Red Cross or Red Crescent Society.

Volvo Ocean Race

Volvo announced that the 2008 Volvo Ocean Race will have its seconds stopover in Kochi, in the Indian state of Kerala in December this year. The Kochi of the 2008 Volvo Ocean Race will come after a run from Cape Town, South Africa.

Press Release
Kochi in India to host Volvo Ocean Race for first time

Kochi, in the Indian state of Kerala, is confirmed as the host of the second stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race in December 2008. The Indian stopover will come at the end of the second leg of the race from Cape Town, South Africa. Kochi will be the first of three new ports in Asia.

At the Abad Plaza in Kochi today, the stopover port agreement was signed by Andy Hindley, Race Director for the Volvo Ocean Race; Mr. N. Ramachandran, Chairman, Kochi Port Trust and Mr. KG Mohanlal, Managing Director, Kerala Tourism Development Corporation.

Also present at the press conference were Mr. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, the Hon. Minister for Home, Vigilance and Tourism and Dr. Venu, Secretary of Kerala Tourism.

The Kochi Port Trust, which will be responsible for organising the stopover, with the full backing of the Kerala Tourism Department, welcomed the signing of the port agreement today and is confident that the stopover will give Kochi great exposure.

“India has never hosted such a prestigious sailing event and we are very excited that Kochi has been chosen,” said Mr. Ramachandran.

The booming shipping port on the Malabar Coast is now one of India’s foremost tourist destinations and the race stopover is sure to bring thousands of additional visitors to both Kochi and the State of Kerala. The Kerala State Tourism Department envisages the event will bring significant visibility as well as economic benefit to the region.

“Kerala Tourism sees this as an opportunity to project Kochi as an exciting destination, and we will be happy to extend all support to the Kochi Port Trust to bring the event to the State,” Dr Venu commented.

The Yachting Association of India (YAI), an active advocate of the race coming to India, sees the hosting of a stopover as an important boost to India’s ongoing campaign to establish itself as a venue for hosting major sporting events following its successful bid to stage the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in 2010.

“Hosting one of the world’s top three sailing events will obviously boost any future bid to host major sailing as well as other sports events in India,” said Commander Ajay Narang, Honorary Joint Secretary-General, YAI. “It will also be a tremendous fillip for local sailing,” he added.

It is the first time that India is hosting such a prestigious sailing event and Kochi will be the
only port of call in India. The seven yachts participating in the race will arrive in Kochi in December 2008 and will stay for 10 days, before starting leg three to Sentosa Island in Singapore. A race village covering 2.5 acres of land will be set up near the BTP berth at Willingdon Island.

Glenn Bourke, CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race commented: “It has always been part of our vision to take the race to different and wider audiences and we are delighted that Kochi has become part of that vision. India not only presents huge opportunities for the development of the event, but this coupled with the daunting challenges the competitors will face when racing their grand prix yachts in unfamiliar waters, will make the visit to India even more exciting for everyone involved. India has hundreds of millions of enthusiastic sports fans and we know they will enjoy this challenging race, with its passion, teamwork, adventure and excitement.”

The 2008-09 event will be the 10th running of this ocean marathon. Starting from Alicante in Spain on 4 October 2008, it will for the first time, take in ports in Asia. Spanning some 39,000 nautical miles, stopping at around 11 ports and taking nine months to complete, the Volvo Ocean Race is the world’s premier yacht race for professional racing crews.