Reborn icons star in the November ‘20 issue of evo India! To celebrate the arrival of the new Land Rover Defender, we went hunting for the icons that define this category. Can the aluminium monocoque Land Rover match the charm and ability of the G-Class and Wrangler? We’ve pitted the long-wheelbase Defender 110 against the more hardcore Rubicon spec of the Jeep while the Merc we have is the mighty G 63 AMG. It’s an India exclusive!
M8 HEADLINES THREE NEW BMWS
We’ve finally gotten our hands on the BMW M8 that was launched during the lockdown. It is a luxury grand tourer but it also has a monster 4.4-litre turbo-V8 and we engaged Drift Mode and let it rip!
We’ve also tested the 2 Series Gran Coupe — the smallest BMW on sale in India — and the first BMW sedan with front-wheel-drive. Does it live up to the brand’s Ultimate Driving Machine tag?
And finally, we dive deep into the new BMW M3/M4 and its massive kidney grilles!
ROYAL ENFIELD METEOR 350 vs JAWA & BENELLI IMPERIALE 400
The excellent Royal Enfield Meteor 350 replaces the Thunderbird X 350 in Royal Enfield’s lineup and to put their ‘best cruiser’ claims to the test, we pit it against the Jawa and Imperiale 400 in another India exclusive.
MERCEDES-BENZ GLS vs BMW X7
It’s a battle of super-luxury SUVs as the full-size, three-row, one crore rupee German SUVs face off in another India exclusive. The BMW has the edge for driving thrills, the Mercedes is more plush, but which one strikes the best balance?
GLC 43 AMG, THE MADE IN INDIA AMG
The GLC 43 AMG Coupe is a very, very important car for India — being the first AMG to be assembled in India — and marks the coming of age of Indian enthusiasts and sportscars in the country. We also discover that with its good ride, well-judged proportions and, of course, AMG power, the GLC 43 is also perfectly suited to India.
TRIPPIN’ WITH TATA HARRIER AND LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SPORT
For this edition of Trippin’ With Lemon Tree, we head off to Udaipur, on a road trip to find out what traits of the Land Rover D8 platform have filtered down to the Harrier.
AUDI Q2
The baby Audi is great fun to drive with its 2-litre turbo-petrol and quattro drivetrain but is it worth the asking price?
DRIVING THE ATAL TUNNEL
The world’s longest high altitude tunnel has just been opened, connecting Manali to the Lahaul Valley of Ladakh and bypassing the Rohtang Tunnel. We drive it and tell you why it is such an important road for defence, the local economy and even us driving enthusiasts.
KIA SONET vs HYUNDAI VENUE vs FORD ECOSPORT
The baby Kia takes on the reigning Indian Car of the Year, the Hyundai Venue, for compact SUV honours. Plus we pitch it against the Ford EcoSport to find out if it’s fun to drive.
TUNED
This month’s celebration of the tuner culture kicks off with the absolutely bonkers Rocket 900, Brabus having bored out the AMG GT 63’s twin-turbo motor to 4.5 litres, kicking out 888bhp, a gigantic 1050Nm and delivering a 0-200kmph time of just 9.7 seconds. Plus, it retains Drift Mode! We have also tested Race Concept’s turbo-charged Mitsubishi Cedia and taken a trip over to Mumbai to test out N1 Racing’s new load-bearing dynamometer.