India's first supercar breaks cover

Mid-engined Avanti could develop up to 293 kW

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India’s first ever supercar, the DC Design Avanti, has been unveiled at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo.

While India’s contributions to the automotive market generally fall within the budget car/compact SUV/MPV/light commercial bracket, it seems that the country’s growing wealth and expansion into foreign markets is opening a new avenue in its vehicular offerings – namely a supercar.

Developed by Indian design studio DC Design, which is better known for its niche luxury cars and the odd concept vehicle, the Avanti has been conceived as a low-volume supercar specifically targeting the Indian market.

Visually, the Avanti appears to carry elements of Ferrari 458, Audi R8 and even some of the recent Lotus concepts about its appearance – especially at the front. Even so, it’s an eye-catching design that will form a vessel for two mid-mounted powerplants.

The first will be a Ford-sourced 2,0-litre EcoBoost petrol unit developing 194 kW. Provision has also been made for a V6 powerplant capable of serving up 293 kW. Both units will be coupled with a six-speed, dual-clutch transmission.

The engineers at DC Design have made extensive use of lightweight aluminium in the Avanti’s construction resulting in a claimed kerb weight of around 1 560 kg. This should help the 2,0-litre model to crack the zero to 100 km/h dash in under seven seconds.

While the powerplants and many technical components will be imported, the Avanti will be assembled at the firm’s plant in Pune, India. The company is taking orders at the Delhi Auto Expo and hopes to build a run of 300 cars in 2013. Should the Avanti meet with a receptive audience, projected production figures could thereafter swell to 2 000 units per year.