The wait is over, and the first Indian sports car possibly the fastest Indian as well will in all probability come out of its mother’s womb this month. The sports car of India, by India but for India and the world. The DC Avanti is India’s first indigenous sports car, produced by DC Design (DCD) headed by Dillip Chhabria- the renowned automobile designer whose portfolio includes the Aston Martin AMV8 Vantage Concept prototype. This will be the company’s first production vehicle as it aims to become a “low-volume niche manufacturer” in India.
The Avanti is meant to target the young Indian crowd that is willing to compromise on performance in order to get the feel of a sports car. It was first showcased as a concept car at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo, before DCD exhibited the production variant at the same event two years later.
More than $15 million have been invested into the project and the name, ‘Avanti’, is taken from the sports coupé produced by Studebaker in the 1960’s. Chhabria originally wanted the car to be named ‘Budh’, after India’s Formula One track, but the name did not get a positive response.
The Avanti is one of the most awaited launches, thanks to the fact that it is the first made-in-India sports car. However, post the launch the company will deliver the cars on first-come-first-serve basis i.e. the folks who opted for early-bird bookings will get the Avanti first.
In fact, the company has already initiated the process with the first batch of 25 cars set to be handed over to customers this month. Interestingly, the DC Avanti has received a total of 762 confirmed bookings till date, which speaks volumes about the India's penchant for sports cars. Developed by DC himself and advertised by the Amitabh Bachchan, the Avanti measures 4,550mm in length, 1,965mm in width, and 1,200mm in height. With a ground clearance of 170mm, the Avanti just might be the perfect car for Indian driving conditions.
The body of the car sports several carbon-fibre components developed by the company's in-house engineers. Powering the Avanti is a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged engine, mounted between the seat back and the rear wheels (mid-engine).
The motor produces a peak power output of 248bhp along with 241Nm of torque. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission. Safety features like Antilock braking system (ABS), developed by Continental, will be offered as standard equipment.
The car is expected to be priced between Rs 25 lakh - 35 lakh; the total cost will eventually be decided by the level of customisation buyers opt for. Moreover, folks at DC Design say they do not wish for any two cars to look alike, hence customers will be able to choose from a palette of 40,000 exterior colours and 4,000 interior trim levels. We will have more about the DC Avanti soon, so stay tuned!
The Avanti is meant to target the young Indian crowd that is willing to compromise on performance in order to get the feel of a sports car. It was first showcased as a concept car at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo, before DCD exhibited the production variant at the same event two years later.
More than $15 million have been invested into the project and the name, ‘Avanti’, is taken from the sports coupé produced by Studebaker in the 1960’s. Chhabria originally wanted the car to be named ‘Budh’, after India’s Formula One track, but the name did not get a positive response.
The Avanti is one of the most awaited launches, thanks to the fact that it is the first made-in-India sports car. However, post the launch the company will deliver the cars on first-come-first-serve basis i.e. the folks who opted for early-bird bookings will get the Avanti first.
In fact, the company has already initiated the process with the first batch of 25 cars set to be handed over to customers this month. Interestingly, the DC Avanti has received a total of 762 confirmed bookings till date, which speaks volumes about the India's penchant for sports cars. Developed by DC himself and advertised by the Amitabh Bachchan, the Avanti measures 4,550mm in length, 1,965mm in width, and 1,200mm in height. With a ground clearance of 170mm, the Avanti just might be the perfect car for Indian driving conditions.
The body of the car sports several carbon-fibre components developed by the company's in-house engineers. Powering the Avanti is a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged engine, mounted between the seat back and the rear wheels (mid-engine).
The motor produces a peak power output of 248bhp along with 241Nm of torque. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission. Safety features like Antilock braking system (ABS), developed by Continental, will be offered as standard equipment.
The car is expected to be priced between Rs 25 lakh - 35 lakh; the total cost will eventually be decided by the level of customisation buyers opt for. Moreover, folks at DC Design say they do not wish for any two cars to look alike, hence customers will be able to choose from a palette of 40,000 exterior colours and 4,000 interior trim levels. We will have more about the DC Avanti soon, so stay tuned!
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