Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupe headlines the June 2020 issue of evo India magazine!

Who said we need to ease out of the lockdown? We came sliding out of it, with the Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupe headlining the June 2020 issue of evo India. The C 63 is a familiar car in India, however for the first time ever, Mercedes-Benz has launched it as a Coupe and it looks bloody hot. It may have outputs that are dailed back from the C 63 S, but does that make it any less exciting? We head to our favourite hill-climb and indulge in some tyre destruction to find out.

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Going about business like normal has been hard, but we have managed to put together the reviews you have been asking for! We got our hands on the Volkswagen Polo TSI, and the 1-litre engine has left us impressed. Our social media was bombarded with questions of the Creta diesel during the lockdown and we got one on test and have our verdict for you. The Skoda Karoq is here to keep Skoda going before the India 2.0 products get out and the brand is really on to something with that SUV.

We’ve also got rather exciting stories like driving the Porsche 718 Spyder through the dead of the night, a brilliant piece of writing by Henry Catchpole on why manuals still matter, testing the new Defender in Namibia, delving deeper in to the eye-wateringly expensive (Rs 66 crore, if you care) Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato Continuation car, and the story of the modern Ford GT road and race car.

We have also introduced a brand new section in the magazine — the Fast Bikes section, where we will bring you the most exciting motorcycling content. This month, we’ve got some super-desirable metal in the form of the Ducati Streetfighter V4 S and the Honda Africa Twin. There’s all this and more, in the June issue of evo India so pick up your copy today!

Also in this issue:

Cover Story: Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupe

The Mercedes-AMG C 63 is a familiar car — we’ve drag raced it, drifted it, driven it on our favourite roads. But the C63 is now here in an unfamiliar form. Mercedes-Benz has taken off two doors and some power from the C 63 S sedan we were so familiar with. Will that dull the sheen of the C 63? Or will the new skin make it unmistakeable in a sea of regular C-Classes? We head to our favourite hill climb on the outskirts of Pune to let loose. What a brilliant way to shake of the rust post lockdown this was!

Hyundai Creta vs Kia Seltos: The Hyundai Creta may have created the segment, but there’s no denying that the Kia Seltos stole its crown last year. Well, the Creta is back and has a bone to pick with the Seltos. Armed with the same platform and drivetrain, there isn’t much to separate the two except for a few equipment options. However, after driving both these SUVs, we were able to pick one as a winner over the other. Which one was it? Go buy the magazine and find out!

Volkswagen Polo TSI: The Volkswagen Polo TSI with its new 1-litre TSI engine should get the enthusiast hot in the pants. It gets a world-class engine borrowed from the Up GTI, a manual gearbox and comes at a properly aggressive price point. Sure, it is based on an old platform and gets dated interiors. But does it deliver on the Thrill of Driving? Our in-depth review tells you all you need to know about the ‘new’ Polo.

Manuals Matter: We delve in to what makes the manual gearbox so special, and why it needs to be preserved. Is it the heightened interaction with the car? The degree of control it gives you? The tactility of interacting with a mechanical part? Manual gearboxes have been an integral part of the automobile and the driving experience, but they are now dying with the rise of clinically effective and efficient automatic gearboxes. But we’re here to remind you why manuals matter!

Land Rover Defender: Reviving an iconic name like the Defender was never going to be an easy task for Land Rover. Built on a new monocoque platform, the question was always going to be — can it live up to the capability of its predecessor? We drop by the vast expanses in Namibia and take the Defender in to the wild to see what it is capable of.

Ford GT: The modern Ford GT, much like the GT40 from the 60s, was build in a scarily short amount of time with the goal of going and dominating the endurance racing scene. We take a look in to the development in to the modern GT road and race car, how they took place parallely, why certain decisions were made and how this hugely desirable car made it to production. We also get behind the wheel of the race-car, that stopped competing internationally last year.

Skoda Karoq: Skoda India’s latest SUV in India is the Skoda Karoq. When we reviewed it in the Czech Republic last year, we called it a shrunken version of the Kodiaq. Will driving it on familiar roads lead to the same verdict? The Karoq is tasked with keeping interest alive till the India 2.0 SUV comes in next year, and it surely looks up to the task.

Porsche 718 Spyder: It’s the dead of the night, and we drive through the countryside in a ghostly white Porsche 718 Spyder. The 718 Spyder is no longer a compromise on the Cayman GT4, getting identical underpinnings and outputs. And the formula is perfect — naturally-aspirated, manual gearbox, no roof. The 718 Spyder makes for an engaging car, and even more so when the drive is all you have to focus on.

Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato Continuation: Aston Martin has resumed production of the DB4 GT Zagato, and will sell you one — but only if you buy a DBS Zagato as well. For over Rs 60 crore. This is possibly the most expensive new car in the world and have been recreated from scans of the original car. Aston Martin has a rich heritage and there’s no reason for them not to capitalise on it, if there are customers willing to pay enough to be a part of it!

Fast Bikes India Section: Our new Fast Bikes India section will bring you enthusiast-focused content from the world of motorcycling. With news, reviews and comparison test, expect this session to be a monthly addition that brings you the Thrill of Riding. This month, we kick things off with the Ducati Streetfighter V4 S — a superbike for the streets. It gets the same mental V4 from the Panigale, in a more street-friendly package.

We have also reviewed the new Africa Twin and though it may just look like an update, it is reworked a fair bit from the older one with a bigger capacity engine and more sophisticated electronics.

Unlock 1.0: Hyundai dealerships around the country are opening up again, and there are plenty of safety measures in place to ensure that these are safe spaces. From temperature checks to sanitising cars, Hyundai has made sure its dealerships and workshops are primed for the new normal. We head to one dealership in Pune to report on what you can expect

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