VIDEO: Indian Daredevils and the Well of Death

The �circle of death� is neither new nor shocking, but it�s one thing to see a professional stuntman who follows the necessary safety precautions doing it and another a group of gifted but nevertheless amateur daredevils going at it in a shoddy well made out of wooden planks with the crowd only inches away�.

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Aston Martin Enters Indian Market, Opens its First Dealership in Mumbai

British sports car-maker Aston Martin announced its first foray into India�s booming luxury market on Friday with the opening of its first dealership in the country located in the city of Mumbai. India�s car market posted sales of 1.87 million units in 2010 recording an impressive 25 percent increase over the previous year. More importantly for brands like Aston Martin, the premium car sector grew by a staggering 70 percent last year.

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Indian Firm Whips up a Ferrari F430 Replica out of a Toyota Corolla

Here at ROAD CARS we�ve shown you Ferrari F430 clones based on all sorts of sports cars ranging from the oh-so popular Pontiac Fiero to the Toyota MR2 and even the Toyota Celica. Now it�s time to show you an F430 doppelganger of even more humble origins as this creation is reportedly based on a Toyota Corolla.

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India's Mahindra & Mahindra Seals SsangYong Acquisition

Indian industrial giant Mahindra & Mahindra announced today that it has completed the acquisition of a majority stake in South Korea's SsangYong Motor Company, with the deal also signaling that SsangYong is no longer in court receivership. Mahindra won the bid for the troubled Korean carmaker in August 2010.

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Tata Nano Sales Rose by 1,136% in December

In an effort to boost sales of its US$2,900 Nano micro car, India's Tata extended the warranty and offered easier financing in December, while it also launched a new advertising campaign that included a TV spot.

It turns out that this was a smart move, as sales of the Nano spiked reaching 5,784 units, which represents a 1,136% increase over the 509 units the company shifted a month earlier. This is still below the 9,000 monthly sales record achieved in July, but it seems that the Nano is back with a vengeance for 2011.

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VIDEO: Tata Tries to Boost Nano Sales with New Ad

As previously reported, Tata Nano sales in India have dropped significantly in the past few month, with just 509 customers opting for the US $2,900 micro car, down from 9,000 in July. It seems that Indian buyers have higher aspirations and are moving away from the Nano, as the nation�s market is booming. Reliability issues and a few spontaneously combusting units didn�t help sales either.

To mend the situation, the automaker has extended the car�s warranty and launched a new TV ad, depicting the Nano as the most lovable thing of Earth. Hit the jump to watch the commercial.

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India's Car Market Booming yet Customers Show Little Love for Tata Nano

Sometimes being cheap and cheerful just isn�t enough. Production delays, land debates and questions over occupant safety are killing the Tata Nano faster than an unexplained engine fire. India�s people car is struggling in spite of the nation�s booming car market and a low asking price of just US$2,900, half of what its nearest rival costs.

With economic growth at a staggering 9% per annum and a 22% year-to-date increase in car sales, Tata must have felt it was onto a sure thing. Things started out good, with 200,000 advanced orders for the sub-subcompact before its 2009 launch.

However, sales have been flagging these past four months with the Indian carmaker selling just 509 Nano�s in November, down from 9,000 in July.

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Toyota Tries to Break Indian Market with New Low-Cost Etios Sedan

The world's largest automaker, Toyota Motor Corp., is eyeing emerging markets with a new low cost model that was unveiled this week in India. The production version of the 2010 New Delhi Show Etios Concept is available at launch as a four-door sedan model, but will be joined by a five door hatchback called the Etios Liva in April of 2011.

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Honda Brio Prototype Previews New City Car for Asian Markets

As a follow up to the New Small Concept model showcased this past January at the Auto Expo 2010 in New Delhi, India, Honda revealed the pre-production version of its new small city car called the Brio at the 27th Thailand International Motor Expo (press day: November 30, public days: December 1-12.).

Developed for Asian markets and scheduled to be introduced in Thailand and India in 2011, the Brio has a small footprint measuring just 3,610mm in length, 1,680mm in width and 1,475 mm in height. Even though the Brio keeps the basic styling theme of the concept car, the pre-production prototype's design has been watered down with the new grille looking like a last minute addition and a not very attractive one at that.

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Audi Q5 - Now Also Made in India

Audi today announced that it has started assembly of its Q5 compact SUV at its Aurangabad plant in the Indian state of Maharashtra, with the company planning to build up to 1,500 units per year exclusively for the Indian market.

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