Tata appoints ex-GM Europe boss as Group CEO

Tata Motors has appointed Carl-Peter Forster as the Group CEO of the company. He will have the overall responsibility of managing Tata Motors Operations globally, including Jaguar and Land Rover brands.
Forster, 55, has 24 years of experience in the automobile industry. Most recently he was the head of GM Europe, overseeing Opel/Vauxhall, Saab and Chevrolet’s European presence. Before joining GM in 2001, Forster was with BMW for 13 years, where he held various positions including that of Managing Director of BMW South Africa. He was also on the “Managing Board” of BMW responsible for manufacturing.
On the appointment, Ratan Tata, Chairman of Tata Sons and Tata Motors, said: “Tata Motors expects that Mr. Forster’s induction will greatly facilitate its ambition towards being a truly international company.” 
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Tata Nano to get world’s smallest common-rail diesel engine designed by Bosch

Automotive component giant Bosch is banking on India’s booming auto market. The German company will invest Rs 2000 crore ($430 million) in India from now till 2012 and hopes to manufacture two million common-rail units a year by 2013.

How is this figure possible? A big chunk of that two million will be for the Tata Nano. Bosch has announced that it’s developing a common-rail diesel system for the Tata Nano. Called the Bosch CRS 1.1, it’s speculated to be part of a single cylinder unit sized about 550-650 cc, with 25 to 30 bhp and adequate torque, according to reports. So far Bosch has supplied Tata with the Nano’s front and rear drum brakes, starter, alternator and fuel injection system.

After Germany, India is the next biggest recepient of Bosch’s R&D funds, which totalled €3 billion in 2009. About 15 per cent of Indian made Bosch components are exported, mainly to Europe and South Korea.

OUTRAGEOUS: The $220,000 Tata Nano!

A Tata Nano that’s more expensive than a Lamborghini Gallardo? As outrageous as that might sound, Mumbai based D.C. Design’s version of the world’s cheapest car is set to cost $220,000 or 10 million rupees, which is quite some distance away from the 100,000 rupee (1 lakh) price the Nano was designed to fulfill. 

“We would like to keep the cost low but with the technology and the amount of work we will be putting into the car, the 10 million rupee price tag will be justified,” said Dilip Chhabaria, head of the specialist car refitting group that has worked for Bollywood stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Anil Kapoor
Much of D.C.’s Nano will be bespoke. The car’s basic silhouette will be retained, but everything else will go. The standard two-cylinder 624cc engine will be replaced by a 1.6-litre engine and the car will roll on 20-inch wheels. To accommodate the new engine, the rear seats will make way. D.C is targetting a top speed of 200 km/h.
“There will be a lot of tech wizardry in it, plenty of IT-enabled equipment. The idea is to give the world a feel of what India’s IT and automotive industries are capable of when working in synergy,” Chhabaria added. 
The image above is of an earlier styling concept. The mega-money Nano prototype is expected in two months.