The $220,000 Nano
The world’s supposedly cheapest car ($2,500 apiece) will cost $220,000 when Mumbai-based D.C. Design is through with it. They will keep the car’s snub-nosed shape, everything else has to go.
The standard two-cylinder 624cc, 33-horsepower engine will be replaced by a 1600cc engine. To make room for the motor, the back seats will be removed. The car will get new brakes, new suspension, and bigger 20-inch wheels to allow for the top speed of 200 kilometers per hour (124 mph).
D.C. Design plans to build two to five of the world’s most expensive Nanos per year. Their target market is wealthy Indians “who have a passion for cars” (and a wanton disregard of cost.)
A prototype is expected in two months.
In related news, the export model of the regular Nano could be headed to the U.S. in three years, said Ratan Tata, chairman of Indian automaker Tata Motors, to the Freep. That’s a year later than originally planned, but Tata will have its hands full: “For the United States we need a car which has a larger engine and we need additional crash-test modifications and we are in the process of doing it,” Ratan Tata said.
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
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Excellent! Lets take one of the cheapest POS of the auto market.. made to be produced on the largest scale.. with so much thought that went into packaging and aerodynamics.. And lets UCK it up to the point of making the entire CONCEPT MOOT.. all the while stuffing it with larger tires (if you can see a way to fit 14's in here.. please tell me) and load it down with extra crap. This is like yahoos buying THE cheapEST korean / japanese cars possible and shoving DOUBLE the purchase price.. into crap that wont last the life of the vehicle. Im not being old here.. BUT DAMN. If Indians who used to get around on mopeds.. and bikes.. are now buying Nanos, now some yahoo company wants those same yahoos.. only with gobs of MOOLAH pouring out their ass.. to drive this mess (with that SAME inability).. Nice! SERIOUSLY?! Wouldnt it just be easier to design a new car from scratch?!
I'm afraid to do the double nickel in that thing.
I don't get it.
I'm an Indian (in America), I have a passion for cars, and there's no way in hell I'm driving that thing.