Motor  

Mercedes-Benz pageant at BMICH

The Mercedes-Benz pageant took place at the BMICH yesterday. The pageant is an annual event organised by the Mercedes-Benz Club of Sri Lanka - a club consisting of die-hard like-minded automobile enthusiasts who have an extraordinary passion for the three-pointed star.

This year the Mercedes-Benz Pageant is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Mercedes-Benz Club.This is probably the only event in Sri Lanka, where over 500 Mercedes-Benz cars, its owners and their families get-together for fellowship at one location at the same time. The Mercedes-Benz Pageant is sponsored by DIMO - the authorised distributor for Mercedes-Benz in Sri Lanka.

This year's Mercedes-Benz Pageant showcased over 35 models from the pre-war era to the latest S-Class, E-Class and GLA-Class including the legendary AMG models. IDIMO also displayed its new Mercedes-Benz range and DIMO Premier (pre-owned) vehicles at the event.

Tuk tuk 'Lanka Challenge' in September

The Sri Lanka Convention Bureau launched the 11th edition of the 'Lanka Challenge' Tuk Tuk rally last week.

Twenty teams and 50 adventurists from all over the world explore more than 1,200 km of the spice island from September 4-14.

The Lanka Challenge is the ultimate road trip for those who like their travel fully charged and no-holds-barred. The self-drive adventure charity challenge, will give teams of two or three a close up and personal experience of some of the fascinating historical sites and natural delights of the island, while raising money for local charities and environmental organisations.

This year, the route will include adventurous territory where participants can expect even more remote, scenic and challenging roads. Teams will be set checkpoints to reach and challenges to complete.

Co-founder and organiser of the Large Minority Travel, Julian Carnall, who with Juan Paredes co-founded the Lanka Challenge said, "Our trips are challenges. They'll challenge you mentally and physically, but there'll be enough help and support along the way to get you over the line. Checking a map every now and then is encouraged, but ultimately optional."

The event is endorsed and supported by the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, Sri Lanka Tourism and the main partner Sri Lankan Airlines.

Connaissance de Ceylan is the official ground handler and local event partner.

The Lanka Challenge team will continue to support its local partners; the Red Cross Society of Sri Lanka and Land Owners Restore Rainforest In Sri Lanka (LORRIS).

Ten percent of each team's entry fee will be allocated towards charitable projects.

Paredes said, "Our challenges are designed to benefit the countries we visit. We make sure our trips give more to the locals than they take and that you can get involved in our projects first-hand. Your adventure will have a direct, positive impact on the communities you'll pass through."

Large Minority Travel is the leading provider of adventure charity challenges. From driving tuk-tuks across Sri Lanka and Cambodia to navigating Colombia's Amazon River in a canoe and sailing in the Philippines, they make the surreal, real.

Senok to launch new Audi

Director, Sales and Marketing, Senok Automobile (Pvt). Ltd, Rajieve Fernando said Senok offers motor enthusiasts a world-class range of vehicles and excellent after-sales service and support."This year, we want to provide a much more experiential launch event and we will give Audi customers a chance to actually test drive the A6 instead of just looking at it," he said.

With a history that extends over 40 years, Senok Trade Combine (Pvt) Ltd has become one of the leading providers of quality automobiles and commercial vehicles. The company offers a range of diversified solutions in the areas of travel, aviation, energy, mining and tea.

The company's automobile division, Senok Automobile (Pvt) Ltd, the agent of world famous vehicle brands such as Audi, Volkswagen, Subaru and Skoda in Sri Lanka, is poised to enjoy another year of success with the launch of the Audi A6.

Senok Trade Combine was incorporated in the 1970s by Noel Selvanayagam who started Senok as a travel business. In time, Senok diversified from the travel trade into heavy machinery and in the 1980s, the company made a pioneering move into the automobile industry by becoming the sole importer of Subaru vehicles.

In 1997, the company also became the sole importer of Audi in Sri Lanka and the Maldives and, thereafter, was appointed the sole agents of Volkswagen and Skoda as well. Today, Senok has diversified to many industries and has a portfolio of many local and global brands.

Senok Automobiles has been associated with the Audi brand since 1997.

Over the years, the company has worked hard to establish the brand among Sri Lanka's elite and has competed aggressively in the luxury car market.

Rajieve Fernando and his team are committed to making the Audi brand the number one car in the premium segment by 2020.

"Over the past few years the Audi brand has grown from strength to strength globally and locally. The

Audi A3 won World Car of the Year in 2014 and most of the models have been recognised globally for their excellence in design and performance," he said.

"The Audi brand is becoming increasingly popular in Sri Lanka and we have three new product launches in the pipeline, this year, including the launch of the A6, the A4, and Q7. We've also strengthened our presence by opening a corporate office and we'll be opening our new howroom shortly too," Fernando said.

Senok Automobiles imports all Audi vehicles directly from the Audi factory in Germany, which guarantees the quality of each vehicle.

Globally, Audi sells 1,800,000 units a year and it is a matter of time before we see Audi establishing itself as a market leader in the region.

This year, our target is to get another 200 cars on the road and we really want to delight customers in the premium segment," Fernando said.