2001 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Introduction
Mercedes-Benz has completely redesigned its top-of-the-line S-Class sedans for 2000. The S430 is powered by a 4.3-liter V8, while the S500 uses a 5.0-liter V8. The two S-Class models sport a striking coupe-like profile and a unique face reminiscent of the company’s oval-headlight models.

They aren’t as long overall as the previous generation of S-Class cars, but they are roomier, faster, lighter, more efficient and far more sophisticated.

The S-Class earned the ”Best of Show” award at the most recent Paris Motor Show. Mercedes cars are vastly improved from where they were nearly a decade ago: When the last-generation S-Class debuted, it became an object of derision. It was a masterpiece of engineering, but it became a symbol of an era that had come and gone. It was too heavy, ostentatious and expensive and it guzzled gas.

The shortcomings of the S-Class made it clear the automaker needed to break with its smug tradition. It was time to listen to the customer and watch the competition–particularly a newcomer called Lexus.
interior

The old S-Class interior was luxurious, functional, comfortable, yet cold and forbidding, like the home of a rich widowed aunt where children are firmly reminded to remain on their best behavior. The 2000 S500’s cabin is warmer and more inviting. There’s an almost Mediterranean influence in the way Mercedes designers have melded wood, metal and leather. You feel like you could stretch your feet out and relax on the sofa.

The new S500 has a cockpit-like feel and a formidable array of electronic features.

The most notable is the Distronic Active Cruise Control system. Set your desired speed, and it uses a radar system to scan the road ahead. If you come upon slower traffic, or someone unexpectedly pulls into your lane, Distronic will back off the throttle, downshift, even apply up to 20 percent of the car’s braking force in order to maintain a safe distance. You can set a following distance of between 1 to 2 seconds behind the car ahead. The idea of handing control of your car over to a computer might seem a little bit disconcerting, but we found Distronic a near-miracle on wheels, requiring us to touch the pedals only once while driving a crowded, 30-mile stretch of Autobahn outside Zurich. The setting you choose for Distronic can be displayed on a neat little video display mounted just below the car’s speedometer

Driving Impression
Bigger-is-better” seems to be the automotive mantra in the age of the full-size sport-utility vehicle. The old S-Class proved the fallacy of that logic. The new S500 is just big enough, and the result is a modestly downsized sedan that’s markedly more nimble and aggressive, as we discovered driving a looping route through the foothills of the Swiss Alps.

The 2000 S500 is powered by a 5.0-liter V8 pumping out 302 horsepower. That’s slightly less muscle than the old car, but you’re not likely to notice. Stomp on the accelerator, and you feel an extra kick, the most immediate payoff of trimming the car’s weight. And it’s more than just throttle feel. Steering is more precise, with far more road feel than the last-generation S-Class, a car that seemed numb by comparison. The suspension is firmer, but certainly not harsh. Setting the transmission into S, or Sports, mode, yielded crisp, aggressive shifts, and there’s a new Tiptronic-style mode. In manual mode, you tip the shift lever left or right to downshift or upshift, or simply leave it in ”D” for fully automatic operation.

IPL is far from being a carnival

New Delhi: The noises coming from the Indian Premier League’s workshop in Bangkok, where 130 people from various groups of stakeholders met over the last three days, are so positive that they resemble one of those self-help cults. Franchise owners praised the organisers, the organisers thanked everyone for taking part enthusiastically and laying the foundation to “take the game to the next levelIf you only listened to what the PR machinery rolled out, you would be forgiven for thinking the IPL was one big love fest.
 
But the true picture is not quite as rosy. Just as soon as the IPL’s PR machinery could trot out the measures they had taken to ensure franchises did not lose money, came a piece of news that has made analysts sit up and take notice. In Hyderabad, the board of the Deccan Holdings decided to put its IPL team up for sale, hoping to fetch $200 million, having bought the team for $107 million. This comes at the back of strong rumours of at least one other franchise looking to sell either the team or at least a significant stake.

What is an equally worrying sign is that chief executives of four of the eight franchisees have either been sacked or “moved elsewhere” before a ball is bowled in the second edition. Charu Sharma (Bangalore) was the first to go, sacked midway through the first edition. Yogesh Shetty who headed the Delhi team will no longer be with them, and Fraser Castellino, boss of the winning Jaipur team is reportedly also moving on to concentrate on other areas of the business. J Krishnan, who headed the Hyderabad team, has already given way to Tim Wright.

Sania Mirza

NEW DELHI: Sania Mirza was relaxed and confident, as she faced the media after another good training session at the DLTA Complex. She had finished her stint in the Capital with friend Radhika Tulpule, who has graduated from her playing days to be one of the best ITF-qualified coaches in the country.

Having seen through the tough phase in her career, when she could not bear watching the U.S. Open on the television, or lift a glass of water, as she had been troubled by a wrist injury that had flared up after surgery, during the Olympics in Beijing, the 21-year-old Sania was understandably composed.

“I have been practising for two weeks. It has been great. By God’s grace, the wrist is good. Everything is positive at the moment,” Sania said, as she warmed up for the tougher questions.

She was clear not to put a date for her return to the professional tennis circuit, or set an immediate goal in terms of rankings.

“At the moment, everything is a bonus for me. I am happy to be healthy. We don’t appreciate it unless we go through injuries. I take it by one day. I don’t even think about tomorrow”, she said in a philosophical tone.

“It is no secret that your ranking goes down when you are not playing. I did not care much about the ranking when I was 27 in the world, or 550. As long as you play the game well and you have the confidence, you are going to make it back. I do see the headlines when my ranking goes down to 98 or 99. As players, we don’t sit on a Monday to see where our ranking figures,” remarked Sania as she had a dig at a section of the media that has been religiously capturing her fall in the ranking ladder.

Sania conceded that as a sportsperson, one had to go through such phases when injuries dampen the spirit, and observed that she wanted to see the positive side of it all.

Cricket News

INDIA’s provocative paceman Zaheer Khan is the first player to be punished for poor behaviour in this hard-fought series after sending off Matthew Hayden during the second Test in Mohali.

Zaheer was docked 80% of his match fee for conduct contrary to the spirit of the game as Australian captain Ricky Ponting said the Indian players were emboldened by their strong position in the game to challenge Australia verbally.

“Quite often when you are the dominant team, you have better presence and better body language. That is what has happened in this game,” Ponting said.

Zaheer gave Hayden a send-off when the Australian opener fell to Harbhajan Singh after an aggressive 29 on the fourth afternoon in Mohali. Hayden then gestured to umpire Rudi Koertzen.

Zaheer has been a frequent antagonist in this series, clashing with Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin in Bangalore and claiming the Australians were incapable of taking 20 Indian wickets after the drawn series-opener.

“Clearly, this sort of behaviour is not acceptable at any level of cricket. It showed a lack of respect for the player who had been dismissed,” match referee Chris Broad said.

“Respect for the opposition was something that we talked about in the pre-series meeting I had with both captains and so it was disappointing that Zaheer behaved in this way. However, in considering the penalty, I took into account the fact that Zaheer had a good disciplinary record. He also pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and was very apologetic while also promising not to repeat the offence.”