PORSCHE 911 GT3

The most hardcore and powerful normally-aspirated 911 ever made, the GT3 RS 4.0 is a last hurrah for the current shape Porsche 911

What - Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0
Where - Silverstone, UK
Date - June 2011
Price - Rs 96,34,950
Available - Now
Key rivals - Porsche 911 GT3, Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Porsche 911 Turbo S, Porsche 911 GT2, Porsche 911 GT2 RS, etc...

Ride and handling:

The question isn't how good is the GT3 RS 4.0, rather how good are you? At a base level this car is relatively easy to drive, the heavier than normal clutch, occasionally notchy manual shift and fiercely jiggly ride the only real compromises.But when you start going faster the 4.0 starts asking questions of your driving. And if you're not up to the job you can almost hear the car tut at your incompetence. If you're not breaking lap records it's not the car's fault.For such a hardcore car it's surprisingly usable on the road, once you dial into the lively steering feedback and undeniably stiff set-up. Two-stage PASM dampers and - gasp - stability and traction control are civilised stuff hardcore 911s of old would sneer at.On the track it's amazing. The engine's explosive thrust means you arrive at corners way, way, way faster than you thought you would. Just as well Porsche has upgraded the suspension to make sure you can get round them too.There's still the occasionally disconcerting front-end lightness that has always, to a greater or lesser extent, been part of the 911's handling. Ditto monumental traction out of corners once the rear axle hooks up.Rigidly mounted suspension and an aero kit that delivers 195kg of downforce at top speed are just two examples of the track inspired set-up. And the fact you have to earn the ability to exploit all this only makes the 4.0 even more rewarding.

NEW BMW 1 SERIES

BMW's all-family hatchback:

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The new range includes new 'TwinPower' twin-scroll turbo petrol engines and revised diesel units. The new BMW 116i's four-cylinder engine develops 136hp at 4,400rpm and a maximum torque of 162lb ft from just 1,350rpm, promising 0-100 kmph in 8.5 seconds, with combined fuel consumption of 17.5 km/l, CO2 emissions of 132g/km, going down to 116g/km when teamed with a new eight-speed automatic gearbox.

BMW has revealed the first details and images of its new generation 1 Series model, with an on sale date of 17 September 2011 at a price starting at Rs 14 lakh for the BMW 116i and Rs 15 lakh for the cheapest diesel, the 116d.

Following later will be the new 116d ED model, which will become the first production BMW to break the sub-100 g/km CO2 barrier - promising 99g, together with 27 km/l, while still outputting 116hp.
Like the previous model, the car is rear-wheel drive, in marked contrast to rivals like the Ford Focus, Volkswagen Golf, and Mercedes-Benz A-Class. A BMW spokesman said on Twitter that the car promised 'great economy and emissions but is still a driver's car'.The car is somewhat longer and wider than the outgoing model, leading to 20mm more legroom and 10% more luggage space. While an evolution rather than a revolution in design terms, the new model is clearly distinguishable from the old, not least in its disproportionately large headlights which appear almost identical to those on the much bigger 5 Series GT.

Six laptops under Rs 45,000

Best Laptops under Rs 45,000 for Indian collegestudents

#5 Acer AS4820TG - 5463G50Mnks
Specifications:
Processor: Intel i5-460M - 2.53 Ghz 3M Cache
RAM: 3 GB DDR3 (Upgradable to 8 GB)
Hard disk: 500 GB SATA 5400 Rpm
Screen Size: 14' Active Matrix TFT Colour LCD Resoultion: 1366 x 768
GPU: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 1 GB
OS: Genuine 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium
Weight: 2.20 kg
Price: Rs 42,500-ish
The goods: Fast processor, ample HDD space, very good GPU, Windows 7 home premium (better multimedia capabilities), Thin and light form factor.
The bads: Better deals available at lower prices, glossy screen makes it difficult to see in the sun.
Why is it here?
This is is a good laptop which can easily transform from a business laptop to a gaming one. However it is a little too pricey for its configuration as you will find out.

#4 Dell Inspiron 14R New Laptop
Specifications
Processor: Intel Core I3-380m (2.53 GHz, 4 Threads, 3M)
RAM: 4GB DDR3
Hard disk: 500 GB SATA 5400 Rpm
Screen Size: 14? (35.6cm) HD WLED Glossy Display with TrueLife™ (1366×768)
GPU: Intel HD Graphics
OS: Genuine Windows 7 Home Basic SP1 64bit (English)
Weight: 2.25 kg.
Price: Rs 34,400-ish.
Pros: RAM, and HDD, lower price, easily portable (14'' screen). Accidental Damage cover by Dell in the warranty period, which can be extended to second year at an extra cost of Rs 3235. Recommended if there is almost no need for gaming and/or viewing HD content.
Cons: No GPU, basic 1st generation i3 processor.
Why is it here?
This is a laptop that is purely for people who are looking for something that matches the rigours of a curriculum; nothing more, nothing less. This laptop can easily take the load of the applications needed in the MBA course, but might tire out if used for gaming or extensive multimedia. Recommended if you absolutely do not need a laptop for gaming or viewing HD content.

#3 Hewlett-Packard HP G6-1017TU
Specifications
Processor: Intel Core i5-2410M (2.30GHz, 4 threads, turbo boost up to 2.93 Ghz, 3M cache)
RAM: 4 GB DDR3 (Upgradable to 8 GB)
HDD: 320GB SATA 5400 Rpm
Screen Size: 15.6? (39.6cm) HD LED HP BrightView Display (1366×768)
GPU: Intel HD Graphics 3000 (Internal)
OS: Genuine Windows 7 Home Basic SP1 64bit (English)
Weight: 2.4 kg
Price: Rs 40,500
Pros: 2nd Gen i5 processor (fast, really), decent RAM.
Cons: No separate GPU.
Why is it here?
A very well-rounded package for business needs, with a fast processor and ample RAM. Well suited for delivering rich multimedia experience coupled with superb performance in routine tasks. The lack of a separate GPU means that avid gamers might want to look for some other options, but it can handle casual games quite well with Intel HD Graphics 3000 integrated GPU.

#3 Lenovo IdeaPad Z570 59-067847
Specifications
Processor: Intel Core i5-2410M (2.30GHz, 4 threads, turbo boost up to 2.93Ghz, 3M cache)
RAM: 4 GB DDR3 (Upgradable to 8 GB)
HDD: 640GB SATA 5400 Rpm
Screen Size: 15.6 HD LED Glare (1366×768)
GPU: Integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000
OS: Win7 Home Premium( 64 Bits)
Weight: 2.5 kg
Price: Rs 40,990+tax
Pros: Good processor, RAM and HDD config, Windows 7 Home Premium
Cons: Price, absence of a separate GPU will cause problems for gamers.
Why is it here?
This model has slight edge over the Hewlett Packard HP G6-1017TU as it offers an additional 320GB HDD space and Windows 7 Home premium, which offer better multimedia capabilities over Windows 7 Home Basic. But because of its price the Lenovo ties with HP for #3.

#2 Lenovo IdeaPad Z570 59-069600
Specifications
Processor: Intel Core i3-2310M (2.10 GHz 3M cache)
RAM: 4GB DDR3 (Upgradable to 8 GB)
HDD: 640GB SATA 5400 Rpm
Screen Size: 14? (35.6cm) Widescreen HD WLED Glossy Display with TrueLife™ (1366×768)
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GT 520M - 1GB
OS: Genuine Windows 7 Home Basic SP1 64-bit (English)
Weight: 2.6 kg
Price: Rs 38,990+tax
Pros: 2nd Gen i3 processor, ample RAM and HDD space, and a separate GPU too!
Cons: The processor could have been faster, like a first generation i-5.
Why is it here?
A gaming laptop, akin to the #1, albeit with slightly downscaled performance parameters. However, the price is lower as well.
The only difference between this and the #1 laptop is the processor. The i3 second generation here, we feel is slightly underpowered. Both of them are at par as far as graphics is concerned with Lenovo's Nvidia 520M only slightly losing out. However with Nvidia's optimizer solution Optimus, the GPU power consumption is regulated for giving an optimum battery life. All in all a very good buy. Let us say Lenovo lost in a photo finish.

#1 Dell Inspiron 14R
Specifications
Processor: Intel Core i5-480M (2.66GHz, 4Threads, turbo boost up to 2.93Ghz, 3M cache)
RAM: 4 GB DDR3 (Upgradable to 8 GB)
HDD: 320GB SATA 5400 Rpm
Screen Size: 14? (35.6cm) Widescreen HD WLED Glossy Display with TrueLife™ (1366×768)
GPU: ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 5650 - 1GB
OS: Genuine Windows 7 Home Basic SP1 64bit (English)
Weight: 2.25 kg
Price: Rs 40,626 for this configuration, Rs 35,400 without Graphics card and 3 GB RAM.
Pros: Everything. Accidental Damage cover by Dell in the warranty period, which can be extended to second year at an extra cost of Rs 3235..
Cons: HDD space could've been larger.
Why is it here?
An i5 processor with 4GB RAM, coupled with a high-mid range separate GPU we guess that the configuration speaks volumes. And as stated earlier, Dell is known to have a superb after-sales service. It edges out the Lenovo Ideapad Z570 mainly because of its processor and its graphics handling capabilities are far better than the others in this range. The best laptop at this price, for b-school requirements, high definition movie watching and occasional gaming.
PS: For people willing to put a graphics card in their laptops and run the machine for more than 12 hours a day, you might want to invest in a laptop cooling stand. And if you want to use/play unplugged, a 9-cell battery would take care of the extra power consumption.
PPS: Apple makes excellent laptops. It's just that they never bother to come down to this price range.
Advisory
We have observed some people considering the Apple iPad or other tablet devices as a substitute for a full-fledged laptop. If you ask us, tablets such as the iPad or the Blackberry Playbook have not been designed and are not intended to replace a laptop. So please don't think of the iPad as a substitute to a laptop. Tablets for now are niche media consumption devices not geared up for complex spreadsheet or presentation-creating activities.