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Indian design firm DC Design choose the Delhi Auto Expo Thursday to unveil India's first sports car called the DC Avanti.
Unveiled at the show by Bollywood film star Amitabh Bachchan, the Avanti was billed as the countries home grown "Supercar," looks wise clearly that's the market DC is aiming for although at launch, the power and performance available isn't likely to cause any sleepless nights in Maranello, Sant'Agata Bolognese or Stuttgart.
Whilst the mid-engined Avanti might look like it's packing a high-tech V8 or V12 engine, it will in fact use a specially tuned Ford EcoBoost turbo 2.0-litre four-cylinder, producing 240bhp and 270 lb-ft of torque, a 394bhp Honda V6 will later be available. Transmission will be a Ford sourced 6 speed manual with an optional six-speed dual clutch unit to follow. At launch the Avanti tips the scales at 1560kg and performance wise you're looking at a zero to 100km/h time in "under seven seconds" and a top speed electronically limited to 155mph/250kph.
The Avanti may not yet offer the "supercar" levels of performance it's looks suggest, however, there's no doubting the long term development potential. Standard equipment includes Bosch supplied ABS brakes (330mm diameter ventilated discs using AP Racing callipers) and SRS air bags and 19-inch wheels running 255/35 front and 295/30 rear spec rubber. What the Avanti does promise though is sports car styling, decent performance and handling with the bonus of impressive fuel economy and all for a very reasonable 30 lakh rupees (approximately £36,000/€43,000/$55,000 U.S./$57,000 CAN).
DC has already set-up a sales and service network of five stores in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai and Hyderabad. An additional four stores are expected to throughout the year. The order book for the Avanti will open after Auto Expo 2012 with deliveries scheduled from the last quarter of calendar 2013.
At the launch DC Design founder Dilip Chhabria said, "We are extremely ecstatic to present the DC Avanti today and it is a manifestation of not just the burgeoning interest in high end sports cars but also as a calling card for our own capabilities which have now progressed from mere styling in the early days to full prototyping and bespoke one-off manufacturing. Every country which has written its name in the pantheon of automobile manufacturing has invariably distinguished itself with sports cars by its own nationals and I thought that India rightly needs to be in this exclusive club."
"We intend to produce 300 units of the Avanti in 2013-2014 and if all goes well we could ramp up production to go into four figures per annum. Till now DC Design was noted for its design and customization but then we added complete engineering and prototyping to our roster of services and working for the world's biggest names helped us understand and add to our expertise," added Dilip. "The Avanti is an ongoing culmination of all that we have learnt and we intend to give a sports car to a select new emerging breed of car buyers who value good taste without compromising on performance and who don't need to spend a fortune on making the adrenaline flow," added Chhabria.
DC Avanti Specifications:
• Engine Type – 2.0L Four Cylinder, Turbocharged engine with direct injection and VVT DOHC, four valves per cylinder
• Maximum Power – 240 bhp at 5500 rpm
• Maximum Torque – 366 Nm at 3500 rpm
• Transmission Type – MMT6 6speed
• Chassis – Tubular Space Frame, Jig built, TIG welded
• Suspension – Unequal length double wishbones, coil cover shock absorbers
• Steering and Brakes
• Rack and pinion
• 330 mm ventilated discs (Front and Rear) AP racing callipers wheels
• Front Rim Size – 8.5J-19
• Front Tyres – 255/35 19” x 8.5 J
• Front Track – 1680 mm
• Rear Rim Size – 11J-19
• Rear Tyres – 295/30 19” x 11 J
• Rear Track – 1660
Overall Dimensions
• Wheelbase – 2700 mm
• Length – 4623 mm
• Width – 1967 mm
• Height – 1213 mm
• Front Over Hang – 993 mm
• Rear Over Hang – 930 mm
• Ground Clearance – 155 mm
• Dry Kerb weight – 1562 kgs By James Foreman
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I don't know anything about cars. because i am a middle class man. but i am really proud of your new invention "THE FIRST INDIAN SUPER CAR AVANTI". really it looks very stylish and according to me it can be called as "INDIAN FERRARI". i wish you for your future inventions. proud to be an indian........
thank you.
yours friendly,
B.SUNDARAMOORTHY.