No Compromises on Day One.
From the fuel in the tank to the armor on the paint, how you treat the machine sets the standard.
This week on DRS Diaries: We’re breaking down Paint Protection Film like you’re five, rewinding to September 20, 1962, the day Ford UK established the modern mass-market formula with the legendary Cortina, stepping into The Driver’s Room to celebrate the delivery of my brand-new Lava Blue VW Virtus GT+ Sport and exactly why I immediately bypassed E20 for XP95 fuel, and wrapping it up with a petrolhead pick that brutally analyzes whether the new Kia Sorento is the ultimate D-segment disruptor. Let’s get into it!
Car Tech Explained Like You're 5
Paint Protection Film (PPF)
Think about getting an entirely new, ultra-expensive smartphone like an iPhone duo. What's the very first thing that you do before anything else, and even putting it into your pocket? Cover it with a screen protector so it does not get ruined by your keys or clumsiness.
Exactly!
And guess what? We do exactly the same for our cars.
What exactly is PPF?
Paint Protection Film is essentially a giant screen protector for your car's paint. You put it on the body panels, and your car says, "Ok bro. Bring on the gravel."
How it works (in simple terms):
Rock is shot off highway → Rock impacts bumper → Clear plastic coating takes hit → Your real paint is left completely untouched.
There are two kinds (same purpose, different attitude)
- Clear/Poly Gloss PPF: Totally invisible. Just gives car wet and glossy appearance all the time. Essentially, a stealthy bodyguard.
- Matte/Stealth PPF: Takes your regular car that’s glossy and turns it into frosted or satin finish. Essentially, Batmobile (ok I might be slightly biased here :p).
The reason most enthusiasts use this for their cars is because:
- Self-healing: Get a light scratch? Just leave the car in the hot sun and let the scratch melt away. Pretty cool imo.
- Peace-of-mind: No more taking highway dump trucks seriously like they’re warzones.
- Money saving: Once you decide to sell your car, all you have to do is remove the film and the paint underneath looks brand new. (mostly)
Why its placement is important:
- Front End Only: Bumper, hood, and mirrors (the impact zones). In other words, Helmet and kneepads.
- Full Body: Every square inch of the car. In other words, Iron man armor.
The film takes the hit and tells you “I took one for the team.”
This Week in Petrolhead History : Sep 20, 1962
The Day the “Cortina Class” Was Born
On the 20th September 1962, Ford UK introduced a brand new car model with the purpose of capturing the average family car buyer.
The name: Ford Consul 325 (fortunately re-christened Cortina after the Italian ski resort).
The objective: To produce the cheapest running and manufacturing car in Britain.
Outcome: It created quite a phenomenon of culture. It became the UK's best-seller car, becoming a top seller and selling over 4.3 million cars throughout its 20 year lifetime.
What went right?
It wasn’t just a standard A-to-B commuter.
But actually much better:
- Excellent cost control: Every single component was tightly costed with profit maximization in mind and hence had a very cheap cost.
- Variants galore: Two door, four door and estate versions all with different trim options; in other words, there was a Cortina for everyone’s pocket.
- Halo Effect: Ford smartly teamed up with Colin Chapman to produce the mythical Lotus Cortina, stuffing the legendary twin-cam engine producing 105bhp in the car, giving any normal family car racing pedigree instantly.
Essentially a series of excellent product decisions leading to a huge success!
Why this matters: (even for cars today)
The launch was so successful that it basically made a whole new vehicle category, creating what the UK automotive industry calls the “Cortina class.”
It validated the modern mass-market formula:
- Use a cheap and scalable chassis.
- Have it in twelve different variations.
- Make a performance version to make the regulars look good by association.
Connection with today's cars:
All the major auto makers still use this very strategy when selling volume cars.
Such as:
- Toyota Corolla range from base LE through GR Corolla.
- BMW 3 series from basic 318i fleet car to the M3.
- Ford Mustang Mach-E from standard range RWD up to GT Performance.
As someone once rightly said, "The cars that really make the difference in the world aren't the one million-dollar ones but the ones that sell a million units."
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The Driver’s Room
New Keys, No Compromises: The GT+ Sport Arrives
On September 14th, I left VW Downtown, Mumbai with the keys to my new, Lava blue Volkswagen Virtus GT+ Sport.
The harsh reality about today's enthusiast cars?
They need to be modified to make them truly enjoyable.
Not this one.
Even completely in stock form, it is pure awesomeness. It pulls like crazy, the DSG shift is just perfect and the chassis cries for you to give it more.
Do I have any modifications in store?
Of course I do. Stage 2 or Stage 3 hardware is already planned. Downpipes, intercoolers and all the rest.
However, for now I am waiting for the “warranty period to expire” (feel free to read between lines).
However, here is what I did as the first "out of the norm" thing to my car.
I bypassed the regular E20 fuel and went directly to XP95 after the first tank was done.
Why? Because running a high-performance engine on poor quality fuel is sacrilegious.
- Knock Resistance: The EA211 EVO engine is high compression and turbocharged. Regular fuel will have the ECU retard the timing of the engine to avoid knocking, thereby reducing your horsepower. The XP95 allows the timing to remain advanced and maintain aggressive power delivery.
- Ethanol Issue: E20 means 20% of ethanol in the fuel blend. Ethanol has lower energy density as compared to straight gasoline, leading to poor fuel economy and sluggish throttle performance. (I know XP95 is also a 20% blend through and through but take it from someone with published research in alternative fuels, the additives do make a hell of a difference).
- Heat Generation: During the scorching afternoons in Mumbai, a turbo charged engine on poor quality fuel gets choked. XP95 ensures the engine remains cool and gives you the promised 150 horsepower.
You do not buy a GT badge to be run on poor quality fuel. You feed the beast with its required diet. The 9 rupee difference per litre is definitely worth it in the long run.
And speaking of taking care of the beast,
That Lava Blue paint is gorgeous, but gloss is just the baseline. In a couple of days, the car is going into the shop for a full Matte PPF wrap. The stealth look is incoming, and it's going to completely transform the aggressive lines of the GT+ Sport. Stay tuned for those updates!
Petrolhead Pick
Biturbo Media: The Kia Sorento's Threat to the D-Segment
Not clickbait spec-sheet reading.
Not superficial showroom hype.
But you’ll appreciate this the second you're actually forced to look for a real D-segment alternative that bridges the gap between utilitarian MPVs and overpriced CBU imports.
A proper, context-heavy breakdown of market positioning is the most underrated tool when a new flagship SUV drops.
No corporate PR fluff. Just a pure, unfiltered analysis of why Kia's new offering might actually disrupt the established hierarchy.
This breakdown delivers:
- The localization advantage: Why avoiding the CKD/CBU route and manufacturing the Sorento in India drastically changes its starting price and value ratio
- No-nonsense dimension checks: Honest comparisons of its actual footprint and real-world ground clearance against segment kings like the Fortuner, Kodiaq, and Hycross
- Powertrain reality check: Unpacking the rare availability of a large 2.2L diesel engine and a turbocharged hybrid setup right from the base variants
- Brutally honest cabin review: Highlighting the premium material quality and features like front massage seats, while simultaneously pointing out the compromised under-thigh support in the middle row caused by the hybrid battery placement
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Keep revving,
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Parth Kusalkar
Founder, DRS Diaries.
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