Flame on! Fifth Tata Nano Bursts into Flames...

Another Nano, the fifth from since 2009, has gone up in smoke, this time in Gujarat, western India. For reference, the last one toasted itself in Mumbai in late March, 2010. According to Business Week, an email from Tata states that "the car belonged to the company and has no design flaw."

Bursting into flames due to "faulty switches that caused smoke and plastic parts to melt" seems like a possible design flaw to me.

As for an update regarding Tata's Mumbai victim (Tata still can't determine the cause of the fire), Satish Purshotam Sawant wants some compensation for putting him and his family in danger...in the form of Rs 15 lakhs (1,500,000 Rupees or ~$33,700 US) and a Fiat Punto. Tata says no dice: it's either a new Nano or a full refund.

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Spontaneous Combusting Nanos? Another Tata Goes up in Flames

Tata Motors' Nano city car is once again making headlines in India, but not for the reasons you might think. Following three separate cases in 2009 when owners of the Nano in Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Delhi reported seeing smoke and flames coming out of their vehicles' dashboard, another Nano caught fire. Only this time, Tata's much-vaunted 'world's cheapest car' literally went up in flames.

According to Indian news sites, the particular Nano was owned by insurance agent Satish Sawant who had just bought the car from a dealership in Prabhadevi, Mumbai, that provided him with a chauffeur as he -surprise, surprise- didn't know how to drive.

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Mercedes-Benz' Parent Company Sells Tata Motors Stake

Daimler AG, the company that owns Mercedes-Benz, today sold its entire 5.34% stake in India's Tata Motors ending a relationship that stretches back more than five decades.

The German firm said that the sale of 25.6 million shares will generate approximately €300 million (US$401 million) of cash and earnings before interest and taxes, with around €265 million (US$362 million) to be accounted for in the first quarter of 2010.

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Tata Motors Hires Ex-Opel Boss, Carl-Peter Forster as Group CEO

The former boss of General Motors Europe, Carl-Peter Forster, has been hired by India's largest automobile manufacturer, Tata Motors, as the group's Chief Executive Officer with overall responsibility of Tata Motors Operations globally, including Jaguar and Land Rover, the company announced.

Up until November of 2009, the 55-year-old executive was the head of General Motors Europe, where he looked after Opel/Vauxhall, Saab and the European activities of Chevrolet.

Forster stepped down as the company's president after objecting to GM's decision to reverse a sale of its European operations to a Magna-led consortium.

Prior to joining General Motors in 2001, Forster worked for the BMW Group for 13 years holding various positions including that of Managing Director of BMW South Africa and was also on the Managing Board of BMW responsible for manufacturing.

In an official statement, Ratan N. Tata, Chairman of the Indian company said, "Tata Motors expects that Mr. Forster's induction will greatly facilitate its ambition towards being a truly international company."

Indian Debut for Pininfarina-Styled Tata Pr1ma Sedan Concept

Following its world premiere at last year's Geneva Salon, Tata brought its oddly named Pr1ma concept car back home for the New Delhi motor show. Designed and built by famous Italian coachbuilder Pininfarina, the Pr1ma is suppose to offer an indication of how the next generation of Tata saloons could be stylistically interpreted.

The compact-size four-door saloon is based on the platform of the first Indian sedan, the Tata Indigo, and features a wheelbase of 2.700 mm. Neither Tata or Pininfarina have released any more information about the Pr1ma.

Tata Debuts Magic Iris Mini -Minivan for those that want to Upgrade from Tricycles

Tata Motors, the Indian maker of the world's cheapest mass produced car, the Nano, and owner of Jaguar and Land Rover, swiped the covers off the Magic Iris at this week's New Delhi motor show. The odd looking (and that's an understatement...) mini version of a minivan was developed specifically for India with the company claiming that it "aims at upgrading the quality of travel for those who depend on three-wheelers".

The pint-size four-wheel passenger car is said to seat up to five people, two at the front and three at the back.

Tata Motors makes it a point to note that the Iris Magic is "controlled by a steering that provides car-like on-road stability, while the hard roof, made of sheet metal, provides car-like safety" and that it also features "car-like clear lens headlamps and tail lights". If you've ever seen the tri-cycles in India, you'll understand why.

The Magic Iris, which is expected to go on sale in India later this year, is powered by a 0.6-liter water-cooled diesel engine producing 11.3-horsepower that allows the vehicle reach speeds of up to 55km/h or 34mph.