DC Design Avanti revealed
First supercar to be designed and built in India makes its world debut at the Delhi Auto Expo
India's first supercar has been revealed at the Delhi Auto Expo, in the form of the DC Design Avanti.
DC Design is better known for modifying everything from Tata Nanos to Rolls-Royce Phantoms, and the Avanti is the firm's first new model to be built from scratch.
Exotic materials such as carbon-fibre or aluminium haven't been used in the Avanti's construction, but its compact size allows it to weigh in at 1,562kg – that's identical to the Audi R8 V8.
Power comes from a Ford-sourced 2.0-litre EcoBoost engine producing 240bhp and 366Nm of torque. Buyers can also choose between a six-speed manual or a six-speed dual clutch Powershift gearbox, also acquired from Ford.
Performance for the four-cylinder model will be modest by supercar standards, with 0-62mph taking just under seven seconds, but a more powerful version is reported to be in the pipeline using a Honda-sourced V6 with more than 300bhp.
Costing 3 million rupees (£36,600) the Avanti is shaping up to be a performance car bargain. Initially, only 200 examples a year will be built, but DC Design is hoping to increase production significantly in the long term.