"If ever a car was built to be driven, it is the Bentley. Passion

for performance is in our blood. And in our bloodline. Early history was written on the racetracks of Europe by a breed of adventurers who not only had the vision to build the cars, but also the courage to drive them to victory.

Continue to design and build every precious part of a Bentley with one thing in mind -

the experience of the driver. That?s as true of the craftsmanship that creates vehicles of inimitable finesse as of the engineering that produces engines of phenomenal power.

Which is why, as long ago as 1938, Bentley inaugurated the first Instruction Class for owners. That was the beginning of Bentley Driving, which today offers advanced driving courses to those owners wishing to explore the full potential of their cars.

Not for the faint-hearted, these would typically involve extreme tests of skill in a wide

variety of driving situations. Experiencing and correcting oversteer and understeer, understanding the ESP system, using ABS to brake at speed, high speed cornering techniques, skid-pan practice or redline acceleration - the thrill of mastering these, and many other driving challenges, makes for a truly unforgettable learning experience.
Nothing less than the finest materials and the most painstaking attention to detail go into the manufacture of Bentley cars. And nothing less than those very same qualities can satisfy those who commission our Bentley replica models. The closest possible collaboration between our styling team and the die-cast manufacturer ensures that our scale miniatures are true in form and as authentic in detail as the originals.

This limited series, offered in unique Bentley packaging, matches the unique colours and specifications of the Bentley cars past and present.

Rare "B" species

Huge reserves of understated power and the finest tradition of British coachbuilding come together in the Bentley Arnage range of three Grand Touring saloons, each with its own distinctive character and style. Whether it?s the high performance, the beautifully refined, the stately Arnage, no other car can be hand-built to customer requirements with such delicacy and care.
Glamorous and desirable, the Bentley Azure represents the pinnacle in a revered line of convertibles that stretches back to the very earliest days of the Bentley legend. The inspiration is classic, the execution is cutting-edge.

Coup? worthy of the GT name. Inspired by the grace and power of Bentley?s thoroughbred bloodline, the Continental

GT combines phenomenal power, class-leading performance and contemporary design with handcraftsmanship in true Crewe tradition. Power that doesn?t compromise space. Handling that doesn?t compromise comfort. Technology that doesn?t compromise handcraftsmanship. Above all, true Grand Touring performance complemented by the luxury of Bentley legend.
The Continental Flying Spur, a sumptuous, spacious four-door with the soul of a high performance coup?. With its unmistakable Bentley qualities of exquisite design, peerless craftsmanship and unforgettable driving dynamics, the Continental Flying Spur continues the Bentley bloodline of sporting Grand Tourers with an understated style

that?s as appropriate for a business commute as it is for an evening at the theatre.
The Continental GTC. Inspired by the Grand Touring tradition of Bentley legend. Born of Bentley?s breathtaking Continental GT coup?. With the endless power of a 12-cylinder, 6-litre twin-turbocharged engine urging you from 0-60mph in just 4.8 seconds. And a canopy opening up to the endless skies in less than 25 seconds.

There was once a time when the word luxury connoted a sense of genuine exclusivity. But that was way back then, before the rising tide of ostentatious consumerism washed it all away. To a point where it's so just not there anymore not to have the "LUXURY" tag attached to every item of use --- and that can apply even to bathroom towels.

There are still some things out there though, that for most can never be anything other than objects of awe and wonder.

The super luxurious mobile phone Vertu, with changeable faces and sleek design, slips into that groove ever so smoothly.

In creating the Vertu, Nokia has paced the mobile handset industry by anticipating and surpassing users' needs. How successful has been the separation of this topend line from the mother lode is a story in itself. After all, there are not that many out there who are even aware that the world's handset leader owns this ultimate of status symbols

Encased in metal from stainless steel to platinum, faced with 69.25 carat pure scratch resistant sapphire crystal, with hard wearing ceramics fit for the space shuttle, jewelled ruby bearings to support each key and a round-the-clock/world concierge service, is expensive, exclusive and beautiful, each phone costs a whopping $20,000!! Roughly that is - and no, I did not type in an extra zero by accident.

VERTU - BECKONS INDIA
Nokia recognized that phones, like credit cards, were "lekking devices" - the new social badges for class, personality and community. The ever growing tribe of rich young things, it was probably surmised, would love the Vertu. By charting new territory, it built its brand from scratch playing on the demand for look-at-me phones.

CHARTING NEW TERRITORY
Vertu has plenty of interesting little features created to connote discernment, taste and design. In addition to upgradeability, the Vertu appears tentative in defining a new modern version of exclusivity. To reinforce the image of luxury, Vertu is offering the services of a personal concierge to all Vertu owners round-the-clock (a big selling point).

Prospective owners are ferried to their first Vertu appointment in a limousine; the handset has a dedicated key that connects owners to travel and entertainment advice and reservations across the US, Europe and Asia. The Platinum credit card springs to mind. Need a Sachertorte (a chocolate cake that is one of the most famous Viennese culinary specialties in case you didn't know) delivered from Vienna to a friend in the US? Consider it done. The concierge service is available worldwide in five languages. Detailed records are kept of each customer's preferences. All of this accessible ... just a smooth push-button click away?

BRAND FOR THE TECHNOGEEK
For world class definition and as part of Constellation collection, Vertu has crafted 7 models in black, tan, chocolate or pink leather and in stainless steel or gold finishes. Where Vertu Signature and Vertu Ascent were the first ranges of luxury handsets that used the finest materials from the world of watch-making, automotive engineering and jewellery, the Vertu Constellation scaled it all up a notch further.

Vertu Constellation is finished in gold or stainless steel with an exceptional balance to weight ratio, and is encased across the back plate in leather. In fact, it's the largest piece of leather ever used on a handset.

To further talk about features, it allows one button access to lifestyle services 24 hours a day from virtually anywhere in the world. It also has world weather facilities that let you know exactly what to expect when you get to your destination. Vertu Concierge is the service desk that offers help ranging from recommending local restaurants, making theatre bookings, or simply sending a gift to someone --- anywhere in the world.

FUTURE/WITHSTANDING ITS NAME
To sum up, there are companies releasing exquisite digital products (of the Vertu sort) and coming up with their own luxury and premium brands targeted at the elite or super rich. And exclusive they remain.

Speed thrills! He wishes to touch the sky when flying high. Times Now vice president and business head Partho Dasgupta reveals his passion for speed... something which until now, only his close friends were privy to. "Speed always gave me a thrill and that's one of the reasons why I learnt how to drive at a very early age, when I ideally shouldn't have been driving," says Partho.

I inherited the thrill for speed from my dad

Part of my thrill for speed has been inherited from my father. There is an air strip near Calcutta called Barrackpore, where many races were held. It was here that Vijay Mallya used to race in a Formula 3000 in those early days. I used to attend those with my dad when I was seven and that's where I got enamoured by speed. So much so that when I was young I used to drive with pillows under me. Once I was tall enough to drive a car, I got a license.

I want to do a flying course

I harbour a dream of doing a flying course some day. Flying gives the concept of speed, a whole new dimension. But unfortunately, there are no flying courses in Mumbai and Delhi. My dream is to experience the thrill of sitting in a cockpit and flying high.

There is a lot to learn from racing

I love watching Formula 1 and sometimes my friends ask me what do I find so exciting in watching all 64 rounds of the race. To which I tell them there is always something new and exciting in each of those rounds.

There is a lot to learn from racing. It teaches you about team work and that's something we can apply in our professional lives too. In the end, there is only one champion and it is the quality of work that you put in, which ultimately decides whether you are a winner or not.

Sundays are race days

There are a lot of things that I want to do and once I have more time in my hand, I will eventually do them. With all the work pressure, one hardly gets to do these things. I have participated in some rallies earlier but never in races. Nowadays there are places where you can hire a Formula 1 car for a day and you can go on a ride with trainers.

Sundays are sacrosanct for me and I try and switch my mind off work and chill. This is when I catch up on the races.

My longest drive has been from Calcutta to Delhi

My biggest stress buster is playing with my daughter. Secondly, I also love hitting the Mumbai - Pune highway on Sunday mornings. I zoom at a speed of 160 - 170 kph and try not to think about anything at all.

My longest drive has been from Calcutta to Delhi via Agra. The total distance was about 1700 kilometers.

Driving gives me a thrill

My wife too loves to go on drives so there are times when we take off on Sunday mornings and go to Pune for lunch. Once we drove from Mahabaleshwar to Mumbai in just about six hours. It gives me a thrill.

Dad told me never to mess around on two wheelers

I have always been a responsible driver and I know when it is ok to drive fast and when it's not. My parents were never scared of my driving but my dad always told me to be careful while riding a two wheeler. I've had bad accidents on two wheelers when I was young and I was forced to leave riding.

I wish to have a sportier version of Ferrari

I drive an Innova but eventually I would love to possess a slightly sportier version of a Ferrari.

About the Author - Ashok V. Desai is the consulting editor of The Telegraph. He also writes for the Business World. Before becoming a columnist and commentator, he was advisor to the then Indian finance minister Manmohan Singh in the early 1990s, when India embarked on economic reforms. In the 1980s, Desai coordinated a large project on energy research across the world, the results of which were published in a 15 volume study. Desai speaks fluent German and once wrote a thesis on German wages in the nineteenth century.

India has evolved with the passage of time and so has its telecommunications industry. More than a decade back in 1992, the Indian telecommunication industry was totally monopolised by the government, but now with the advent of new technology, it is growing at a rapid pace and seeing more and more private players.

In the 1990s, the government of India appointed regulators as an alternative to the direct control of industries such as telecommunications, banking, capital markets, insurance, hydrocarbons and electricity. But in spite of tremendous efforts, it seemed to go in vain and was by and large ineffective.

The book takes holistic look at the industry's past, incumbent and future trail. The author creates an atmosphere for the readers and provides a detailed view of the technical world. Through the book, Desai attempts to bring forth arguments as to why regulation does not work in India.

India's Telecommunications Industry showcases the birth and growth of the industry. Desai throws light on the industry from the time of DoT to internet telephony.

He also talks about the impact technology has on the telecommunications industry. He divulges a well known fact, which is understood by all in fast paced world --- the importance of networking and staying connected.

Who can do without a mobile or a personal phone in today's world? And to top it all, with increasing competition, the calling rates too are lowering day by day. With the advent of more and more channels of communication, the need seems to be unending.

India's Telecommunications Industry had been written in a lucid manner and is also packed with a punch. It is an essential read for policy makers, economists and industry watchers. The book will also be of interest to students of industrial economics and management.

"Just as one thinks that one has reached the full stop, something happens that renders an entire chapter out of date," says Desai. As a result, this book is a result of four drafts spread over a year coupled with a whole lot of effort on the author's behalf.

Car buyers crave the best deals on their purchases, but the best cars for the bucks are not necessarily the ones that come with the biggest discounts. After all, you can brag to your friends that you got a Saturn Ion with thousands of dollars on the hood, but you?ll still be driving a Saturn Ion.

In the slide show that follows this piece, we describe this year?s crop of the top cars in terms of value. We focus on vehicles that give you a lot of car considering their sticker prices?not on vehicles that have deep discounts because of inventory and/or sales problems.

Detroit should focus on packing value into its cars from the beginning. Instead, starting with the initial business cases they make for new cars, American automakers count on offering incentives. The average offer from General Motors is $2,433; from Ford Motor , $2,612; and from DaimlerChrysler?s subsidiary, Chrysler, $1,969?all significantly higher than the offers made by foreign competitors.

See the best cars for the bucks.

Honda Motor is getting full sticker prices for its overhauled Civic line, and it can do that because the Civic is chock full of value. As you will see in our list, it is an affordable, entry-level car, but one that meets the highest standards for safety, reliability, build quality, accident-avoidance technology and fuel economy.

Honda avoids cash incentives, and fellow Japanese automaker Toyota Motor is cutting incentive spending. In the first quarter, Toyota?s average incentive offer dropped 38% to $816. Yet sales for both Honda and Toyota are up this year, and their profits never seem to stop growing, while GM edges closer to bankruptcy.

However, American-car inventories have declined this year, meaning that GM and Ford might be able to avoid the kind of blowouts they offered last summer, when they made employee pricing available to the general public.

The command that Wall Street likes to use when advising General Motors is, ?Shrink to a defensible position.? This means cut production, cut salaries and cut the workforce, and focus not on being the world?s largest automaker but on improving per-car and per-dealer profits.

Just look at Porsche, which is one of the world?s smallest automakers but one that is nearly untouchable in terms of profitability. Making fewer cars but making them better is the key to rehabilitating customers and getting them used to lower discounts.

In keeping with the idea that cheap doesn?t equal good value, when compiling our list of the best cars you can get for your buck, we looked for vehicles that offer power, comfort, safety technology, reliability, high levels of build quality, sophisticated accident-avoidance technology and more?all for less than you would spend on competing vehicles. The cars on our list range from the $15,000 Civic up to the what we think is the best bargain supercar around, the Chevrolet Corvette Z06, priced a little under $66,000.

And they?re from all over the map, which just goes to show that any automaker can offer an attractive car for an attractive price, and not just lure people into showrooms with cash on the hoods of its cars.