Mahindra Scorpio partners with Buddh International Circuit (BIC)

Mahindra Scorpio partners with Buddh International Circuit (BIC) to provide Official Intervention Vehicles for all motorsports at the circuit including Formula 1 Racing in India

Mahindra will allocate 25 Scorpios to the Buddh International Circuit to be used for all racing activities throughout the year, for five years, including the inaugural edition of the Formula 1 TM Indian Grand Prix in Oct, 2011

Official press release

New Delhi, September 5, 2011: Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M), a part of the US $12.5 billion Mahindra Group, today announced its association with the Buddh International Circuit (BIC). As part of the association, Mahindra will provide 25 Scorpios as the official intervention and support vehicles to the BIC over the next 5 years and for various other motorsports events.

The fleet of vehicles will include 10 Scorpio VLX 4wd (4-wheel drive) and 15 Scorpio Getaway 4wd (4-wheel drive). In turn, BIC is supporting the popular Mahindra ‘Adventure  Initiatives’ throughout the year.

Known for its inherent tough and rugged ‘Mahindra DNA’, the Scorpio has continued to outperform other SUVs in some of the most gruelling rallies on the Indian motorsports calendar.  The top-end, fully loaded Scorpio VLX 4wd (4 wheel-drive) is powered by the world-class 2179cc mHawk engine and delivers 120bhp power with torque of 290Nm at 1800-2800rpm.

The robust and stylish Scorpio Getaway 4wd(4 wheel-drive), a lifestyle pick-up with the 2600cc Common Rail Diesel engine, delivers 115bhp at 3800 rpm and 283Nm of torque at 1700-2200 rpm, resulting in great pulling power even in low gear.  This makes the Scorpio range ideally suited for their role as intervention vehicles at the BIC which is the only venue for Formula 1TM in India.

Speaking at the event, Vivek Nayer, Senior Vice President – Marketing, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, said, “We are extremely proud to be associated with the world class Buddh International Circuit for the Formula 1TM Indian Grand Prix. The unique characteristics of the Scorpio – tough, rugged, and powerful – make it ideally suited to be the official intervention vehicle for all motor racing events at the BIC which is the global showcase for cutting edge automotive technology and motor sport thrills in India”

Mr. Nayer further added, “Promoting motorsports through our Mahindra ‘Adventure Initiatives’ is at the very core of our Brand, and this association with BIC is further testimony to this fact. Our endeavour has always been to establish a stronger connect with auto enthusiasts and customers looking for fun and adventure.”

“We’re happy to have tied up with Mahindra & Mahindra for getting intervention vehicles that will be used during all motor sports at the Buddh International Circuit including the Formula 1TM  races  over the next 5 years. M&M is known for its robust and reliable engineering and we’re sure their vehicles will provide excellent service at our track.” said Mr Sameer Gaur, MD and CEO, Jaypee Sports International Limited.

About Scorpio

Launched in 2002, the Mighty Muscular Scorpio won three ‘Car of the Year’ awards (BBC World’s Wheels, CNBC Autocar, BS Motoring) in its launch year and is one of the most awarded automotive brands in the country.  Through 2010-11 as well, it edged out most SUVs and emerged ‘The Most Appealing Sports Utility Vehicle’ in the J.D.Power Asia Pacific 2010 India APEAL (Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study).  The Scorpio also topped the SUV/MUV category in the TNS Total Customer Satisfaction Study 2010. Further, the Scorpio was ranked highest in the SUV segment, in ‘Best Looks’ & ‘Best Resale Value’ in the HT-MARS Customer Satisfaction Survey 2010.

Known for its inherent tough and rugged ‘Mahindra DNA’ , the Scorpio continued to outperform other SUVs in 2008, 2009 and 2010 at the Raid de Himalaya, one of the most gruelling rallies on the Indian motorsports calendar.

The magic of the Scorpio is reflected in the array of impromptu fan clubs initiated by customers over the years. The brand is also strongly represented by its customers in the virtual world: from thriving Scorpio communities on the web, to Scorpio owners exchanging notes and sharing online travelogues on blogs and various other forums. Today, its popularity can be gauged by the fact that it is the No.1 Auto Brand on Facebook India & the only Auto Brand in the Top 15 brands of Facebook.  Currently, the Scorpio fan base on Facebook has crossed more than 6 lakhs.