Scorpios to become official intervention and support vehicles for the BIC

The Inaugural Indian Grand Prix has a new backer – Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd (M&M). M&M, a part of the US $12.5 billion Mahindra Group, has become the latest business house to join the list of corporate sponsors backing next month's inaugural Indian Grand Prix.

This comes on the back of last Friday's announcement by Hero Motorcorp that they would be sponsoring Narayan Kartikeyan and the Hispania Racing Team (HRT) in the 28-30 October race.

Under the sponsorship deal, M&M will deploy a fleet of 25 Scorpios, their premium SUV model, as the official and support vehicles for the Budh International Circuit (BIC)over the next five years, they announced on Tuesday. This will include 10 Scorpio VLX 4wd (4-wheel drive) and 15 Scorpio Getaway 4wd (4-wheel drive). In return, BIC will support the popular Mahindra ‘Adventure Initiatives’ throughout the year.

Speaking at the event, Vivek Nayer, Senior Vice President, marketing, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, said, “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.”

Nayer informed that there had been no major mechanical modifications made to the cars for this purpose. The only modifications were installation of fire fighting equipment etc.

"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 1 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 Sameer Gaur, MD and CEO, Jaypee Sports International Limited (JSIL).