BW Communities

Hyper About Cars

BW Online Bureau Nov 08, 2014

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><root available-locales="en_US," default-locale="en_US"><static-content language-id="en_US"><![CDATA[There are fast cars, there are supercars, and then there are the hypercars. Here's some perspective. A Rolls-Royce Phantom coupe, the chariot of royalty, comes for around Rs 4 crore. If you think that's a lot, what would you make of the Rs 12-crore Koenigsegg Agera? Or the Rs 16-crore Bugatti Veyron from Volkswagen? These ultra-luxurious hypercars are not the type you would see whizzing by on a regular street. They are special and need special handling by near-fanatical owners. And India, it seems, is the land where these hyper brands are now seeking homes. "With the population of a billion, the 1 per cent who constitute the affluent or the new ‘global Indians' are estimated to be over 10 million. Moreover, good roads have also fuelled the demand for ultra-luxury cars in the country," says Satya Bagla, managing director, Exclusive Motors, the official importer of Bugattis, Bentleys and Lamborghinis in India. Again, the buying considerations of the ultra-wealthy have shifted from price to design, style and sheer pleasure. Ergo, hypercars. Let's take a look at some of the super-luxury cars that now vroom in India and also at a bunch of those you would die to buy, but are yet to hit the Indian roads. Aston Martin One-77 If you loved the fully equipped beast that Sean ‘007' Connery drove in Goldfinger or if you were bowled over by the opening scene of GoldenEye, where Pierce Brosnan drove an old but amazing car to race a Ferrari, you would be delighted to read about Aston Martin. Selling through Performance Cars, the British luxury marque has a range of models for Indian customers. With two dealerships, one in Mumbai and one in Delhi, the company imports most of its luxury fleet including the V8 Vantage Coupe, V8 Vantage S, V8 Vantage Roadster, the four-door Rapide and the new Virage. The jewel in its crown, though, is the limited edition One-77, which is available for a whopping Rs 20 crore. Powered by a 7.3-litre V12 engine, this is by far the most expensive car in India. And as the name indicates, only 77 units have been produced. Understandably, the coupe costs millions for registration alone. Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Named after French racing driver Pierre Veyron, the Bugatti Veyron is arguably the mother of all hypercars. Its skirmishes with the SSC Ultimate Aero for the honour of the "world's fastest car" are legendary. First sold at a charity auction for $3.19 million in August 2008, the Grand Sport possesses the staggering power of 989 bhp and is priced at Rs 16 crore in the Indian market. Manufactured at Bugatti's facilities in Molsheim, France, the Grand Sport is a limited production car that boasts an 8-litre, 16-cylinder engine and can accelerate from 0 to 100 kmph in just 2.5 seconds, while its top speed is measured at 407 kmph. <img src="/businessworld/system/files/cars1-600x223.jpg" width="599" height="223" style="vertical-align: middle;"> break-page-break Koenigsegg Agera Designed by Swedish sports car enthusiast Christian von Koenigsegg, this is one of the most stunning hypercars ever made. InterGlobe Established Products, which launched the Agera in India, plans to sell only one or two of this Rs 12.5-crore machine this year. Hand-built in Sweden, only 18 of these are made every year. A 4.7-litre V8 engine produces 910 bhp at 6,850 rpm, while the huge torque of 1,100 nm comes in at 5,100 rpm. Weighing just 1,290 kg, the Agera has a specially developed transversal transmission with paddle-shifts. It has a top speed of 435 kmph and takes 2.9 seconds to reach a 100 kmph speed — a wee lower than the Bugatti. And now for the second part — the cars you would wager everything to own but are not available in India yet. Maybach Exelero The most interesting fact about the Maybach Exelero — possibly the most expensive car ever made — is that it's the only car in the world customised for tyres and not the other way round! Maybach designed the one-off Exelero for tyre manufacturer Fulda Reifenwerke, which wanted to showcase its next-gen Fulda Carat Exelero tyres. The Exelero is a high-performance sports coupe that comes with a 700-hp (522-kW) bi-turbo V12 engine. Many enthusiasts would die to own even a replica of the car; the 800-hp, V10-engined Maybach Exelero replica is currently priced at $687,335. Estimated price: $4,710,000 Likely Indian price: Rs 42 crore (dollar conversion plus taxes)   Zenvo ST1 If you admire cutting-edge Danish design, as exemplified, for example, by the lifestyle electronics products from Bang & Olufsen, here's another design marvel from this Scandinavian country — the Zenvo ST1 whose unique aerodynamic design makes it look like a car from the future. Powered by an ST1 or supercharger turbo 1, the 7-litre V8 engine boasts both a supercharger and a turbo, and generates 1.104 bhp. The ST1 can accelerate from 0 to 100 kmph in just three seconds and vaunts a top speed of 375 kmph, which makes this Scandinavian beast one of the fastest street-legal sports cars in the world. Estimated price: $3,240,000 Likely Indian price: Rs 30 crore   <img src="/businessworld/system/files/cars2-600x200.jpg" width="600" height="200" style="vertical-align: middle;"> Pagani Zonda R Much like the hot wind in Argentina that gives the Zonda its name, the Zonda R from Italian auto major Pagani is strong, fast and hot, and produces 750 hp of sheer awesomeness. Unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show 2007 — where it stopped heartbeats with its futuristic, almost concept-like, design — this mid-engine monster uses a 6-litre V12 engine, sourced from the race version of the Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR. While the Zonda can leap from 0 to 100 kmph in less than 2.7 seconds, the Brembo carbon ceramic brakes can be used to bring the car to a quick standstill. Estimated price: $1,720,000 Likely Indian price: Rs 16 crore Weber Sportcars Faster One Swiss precision is no longer limited to the world's most prestigious chronographs. Coming from Tobel, Switzerland, the uniquely designed Weber Sportcars Faster One boasts a top speed of 400 kmph, which makes it one of the world's fastest street-legal cars. Weighing just 1,100 kg, the funky two-seater aims to achieve maximum aerodynamic efficiency and directional stability at high speeds, and is powered by a V8 engine with dual superchargers that produce 900 hp. It can reach 100 kmph in just 2.5 seconds. Estimated price: $1,310,000 Likely Indian price: Rs 12 crore (This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 18-07-2011)