Say hello to DC Avanti: India's first indigenous sports car

New Delhi: Zooming down India’s roads in a hot new sports car will soon be an affordable dream. Say Hi to DC Avanti - India’s first indigenous sports car, custom made for Indian roads, and billed at a very competitive Rs. 24 Lakh (ex-showroom). “This is good value for money because any imported sports car would not cost less than Rs 50 lakh,” said Murad Ali Baig, auto expert. [caption id=“attachment_177944” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“The DC Avanti is less than half the price of an imported sports car: Danish Raza/Firstpost”]  [/caption] DC Avanti was unveiled at the Delhi Auto Expo 2012 by Dileep Chhabria, the man known for customizing or modifying every car from the Nano to the Lamborghini. “This is meant for those who aspire to own a sports car but cannot afford a BMW, Ferrari or Porsche. There are lot of youngsters who want to pay for the feel good factor but can compromise a little on the performance,” said Bonito Chhabria, director, DC. DC Avanti (Italian for moving forward) is powered by a 2.0 litre four cylinder Ford petrol engine which generates 261 bhp. It is expected to go from 0- 97km/h in 7seconds. A Honda V6 engine will be used in the later assembly line- up. According to Baig, the advent of the DC Avanti reflects that India is finally developing the culture for sports cars that has been in existence in Europe and the USA for many years. The car has created quite a buzz in and outside the fair in the national capital. “I booked DC Avanti on the phone from Kolkatta on the first day of the expo. I had not even seen the car then. I have 30 cars. But this is different from anything I have ever seen,” said a DC Avanti owner on the condition of anonymity. ‘I have come to Delhi just to see what I am going to drive from now on,” he added. Auto expert Tutu Dhawan had a word of caution though. “It is only with a good after sales service that such projects can succeed. Buying is the easy part. One has to see what happens after that,” he said. The car will be available at select DC outlets starting December 2013. That’s still two years away, but possibly well worth the wait!