Tata Nano launched

[Namreg]

tata launched its nano today, the $2000 car. on sale only in india so far, it has a 33hp but space for four. i'd still rather have a used protege or something, but i am quite impressed by this little thing. imagine, in a couple of years, used nanos will be cheaper than a decent mountain bike...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7957671.stm

watch the video in teh link, an engineer explains a few things there and you can hear the engine.

 

[onyx69]

i do not know what to say ... i do not think is a safe car

 

[Legzman]

looks like a golf cart with doors. Kinda like that thing they have driving around here in the states. Very unsafe indeed! :nono:

 

[stampede2873]

Uhhhh.... no. That is not a car I would even be buried in.

 

[Namreg]

you're missing the point... this is supposed to be an alternative to a moped/scooter.

 

[stampede2873]

you're missing the point... this is supposed to be an alternative to a moped/scooter.

okay, I wouldn't ride a moped either.

Regardless of the point of the vehicle... it's not attractive to me. I don't like it.

 

[Doc Scurlock]

Read in the article that the makers plan to expand around the world. Somehow, I don't think this car is going to fly in North America. A max speed of 70 km, no. With that aside it's pretty much a car for the poor crowded countries as I don't see neither Europe or North America embracing it.

 

[Namreg]

well eastern europe, maybe... in the west, it does seem pointless, at least if there are no airbags and if the engine remains weak. but if they manage to give it airbags and a 70hp engine AND keep the cost below, say, $5000, then people living in cities might be interested. they are buying the so-called smart car after all, and that is waaaay overpriced and only has space for two.

 

[stampede2873]

well eastern europe, maybe... in the west, it does seem pointless, at least if there are no airbags and if the engine remains weak. but if they manage to give it airbags and a 70hp engine AND keep the cost below, say, $5000, then people living in cities might be interested. they are buying the so-called smart car after all, and that is waaaay overpriced and only has space for two.

Alright, I'll give you that. If the upgrades are made then Americans would probably go for it. Although, I still wouldn't.

 

[Wainkerr99]

Huh. Not bad. Inndiyas answer to the Volkswagen. Just shows you what can be done with price.
Nice thing is the body work with the glass. Also, you can actually see the rear lights, unlike, for instance, the Cadillac and other such cars.
It is quiet. :hatsoff:
India on Mars, India on the road. Hmmmm....and here we thought China was going to take over the solar system.
Conspiracy. I see conspiracy!!!!!! :nanner:

 

[Doc Scurlock]

Okay, looking at it again in the pic of why it makes it so cheap it says that instead of welding its held by plastic and adhesives and has a body made of plastic and sheet metal. I don't know but I sure as hell don't want to be in an accident in this thing. Namreg, I think this thing is going to need a little more than an airbag to make it safe for North American roads.

 

[Legzman]

well eastern europe, maybe... in the west, it does seem pointless, at least if there are no airbags and if the engine remains weak. but if they manage to give it airbags and a 70hp engine AND keep the cost below, say, $5000, then people living in cities might be interested. they are buying the so-called smart car after all, and that is waaaay overpriced and only has space for two.

thats what I was talking about in my first post. Ugly litte fucker. An overpriced golf cart with doors, take a look!
http://www.smartusa.com/

 

[Namreg]

there are quite a few smarts here in montreal, and although the idea o a small runabout with a fuel efficient diesel at first sounds appealing, the execution just flat out sucks. too expensive by about half its asking price (pretty much corolla/civic territory, and that's without options), and the new model comes with a gas engine because the previous diesel no longer meets emission standards. lame.

 

[PlasmaTwa2]

I would never be caught in a car like that. At such a low cost they must have seriously compromised the materials they used to build it with. I doubt that thing could even pass safety tests in Canada without tripling the price to add all of it.

 

[Namreg]

which is exactly why the smart is so expensive, because of all the safety systems.

i still like the idea of this though, a small, efficient city car that's cheaper than a scooter (or 3 years of bus tickets in montreal). i'd still rather get a motorcycle/used car than a nano, but if this takes off who knows what could happen... maybe other manufacturers would investigate building a car like this?

for indians it is a huge step forwards, so i hope they succeed with this.

 

[Wainkerr99]

I figure they are probably aiming at the African market. The dollar/Pound/Euro exchange rate makes buying cars scarily expensive.

 

[Ace Boobtoucher]

What kind of performance does this POS offer?