Autocar Professional magazine, May 1 issue preview

The first issue of May bristles with plenty of exciting news and an Automotive Lightweighting Special. Starting with the revelation of Datsun’s global premiere in New Delhi on July 15, Renault Dusters on the export path to South Africa and Indonesia, and Denso instrument clusters for supply to Maruti Suzuki and Toyota Kirloskar Motor, the issue also reveals all the winners and losers in India’s car market in 2012-13.

There’s also a first-hand report of Apollo Tyres’ launch of its 4th-generation tyres for the Indian market along with an analysis of Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India’s assault on the commuter bike market.

The 30-page Lightweighting Special is a mix of all things, big and small. We begin with in-depth interviews with industry heads like Dr Naveen Gautam, MD, Hella India Automotive; Claude d’Gama Rose, MD, Continental Automotive Components (India); Andy Postlethwaite, senior VP (Performance Materials, Engineering Plastics & PU Solutions), Asia-Pacific, BASF; and Rajan Wadhera, chief executive, Technology, Product Development & Sourcing (Auto & Farm Sector), Mahindra & Mahindra.

We also talk to leading suppliers which are driving innovation and experimenting with new materials, technologies and processes, all in a bid to reduce component weight and in turn overall vehicle weight. These include DSM Engineering Plastics, Anand Group, Lanxess, Rane Group, UNO Minda Group, TAFE’s Engineering Plastics & Tool division; Sona Group, Magneti Marelli India, Alcoa, SKF, TI Automotive, Varroc Electricals, Owens Corning India and Tubecraft among others.

Lastly, we find out why every gram counts for Audi AG as the carmaker strives to maximise the potential of its ultra-lightweight construction principle. Autocar Professional magazine is available through all good newsagents, subscription, and available to download from www.magster.com