NEW DELHI: It was touted as the world’s cheapest car at $2,000 apiece, but a new version of the snub-nosed Tata Nano will be available soon at a price closer to that of a top-end Ferrari or Porsche.
Mumbai-based firm D.C. Design says it is refitting the 3.1-meter (10.23 feet) five-seater hatchback, doing away with its plastic seat coverings, small wheels and single-dial dashboard.
The car’s basic silhouette will be retained, but everything else will go in the new $220,000 bespoke models that will have a top speed of 200 kilometers (124 miles) an hour, double that of the original.
A prototype is expected in two months. “Our hallmark is high-technology products,” said Dilip Chhabaria, head of D.C. Design, a specialist car refitting group that has worked for Bollywood stars and other wealthy drivers.
“We would like to keep the cost low but with the technology and the amount of work we will be putting into the car, the 10 million-rupee ($220,000) price tag will be justified,” Chhabaria told AFP.
“There will be a lot of tech wizardry in it, plenty of IT-enabled equipment,” he said.
The standard two-cylinder 624cc, 33-horsepower engine will be replaced by a 1600cc engine and the car will roll on bigger 20-inch (51 centimeter) wheels.
To accommodate the new muscle under the bonnet, the back seats will be stripped out.