No matter how much analysts chirp about India being an untapped, volume-intensive market, one cannot deny the fact that India has been a special fascination for all automakers, including exclusive ones like Ferrari and Lamborghini.
Take that exclusivity a notch higher, and the production figures a step lower. There you have it…niche automakers which are perched atop the global automotive pyramid. Catering to the whims and fancies of some of the really deep-pocketed individuals, exclusivity of their products is the biggest turn-on.
To ensure that this rarity-in-the-sightings of their models doesn’t stoop, they restrict production to about 500-1000 units a year, with a single model or two probably being rolled out of their factories at any time. The accompanying price tag can send many into a tizzy, as a premium of 5-20 crores is what they charge for their models!
Time to gloss over our Bharat, now! Despite a glaring display of poverty put forward by our crumbling infrastructure systems, there’s no denying that we have a burgeoning group of millionaires. This coupled with the starry-eyed and highly aspirational nature of us Indians turned out to be a temptation too difficult to resist for some niche automakers.
Here’s a check-through of who all have arrived, and who all are scheduled to make a landing! There you go :-
1.BUGATTI –
No introduction required for this brand! Its 16-pot model Veyron has an unmistakable presence as one of the fastest cars in the world.
Bugatti’s cars are available in India through an import route. Entrepreneur-cum-Socialite Satya Bagla’s Exclusive Motors handles Bugatti’s cars’ sales in India.
2.KOENIGSEGG –
This Swedish brand’s models will be available through the retail arm that will be set up in conjunction with InterGlobe Established, a group that owns the airline Indigo. Koenigsegg’s models will also follow the import route. You need to have a big, fat bank balance to take its wheel.
3.SPYKER-
A Dutch-brand, this company will set up a single outlet in New Delhi to cater to the whole country. They aim to begin sales by the end of this year.
Spyker currently produces a single model titled the C8 Aileron and this will be the first model to roll out in India. It will be propelled by a 400 hp, 4.2 Litre V8 engine sourced from Audi. The C8 Aileron will be equipped with an Automatic Transmission.
The next model from Spyker will be the ground-breaking B6 Venator.
4.PAGANI-
Italy might have a Silvio Berlusconi, but the nation has a penchant for a luxurious life as well. So a host of luxurious brands, on 4-wheels and 2-wheels as well, trace their roots to this lovely tourist destination.
Pagani is one of them, and it is another niche producer to have set their eyes on our Indian market. Pagani’s spokespersons have been cryptical in their replies to questions about launch windows, a trend that’s commonplace in the corporate world, but they are sure to take a plunge. Their first model will be the Huayra, a hypercar that will be pushed forward by a 700 hp 6-Litre V12 Mercedes engine, with some tweaks and customizations done.
Huayra can reach a top whack of 370 kph. [PERIOD]
5.LOTUS-
The iconic British marque doesn’t seem to be far behind. They have officially announced that they are evaluating the Indian market potential.
Though the details are hazy, we expect a firebrand model to go up on sale.
A photo of a Bugatti Veyron is often caught doing rounds in the cyberspace. In the click, the supercar is helplessly stuck atop-a-speedbreaker on an Indian road, as a motorbiker and his pillion look on, surprised. Do you feel the upcoming launches with their low-slung chassis’ are fit for our creaky Indian roads? Or are they just being gobbled up by our High-Net-Worth-Individuals to stay different from the crowd?
