DC Design, India’s premier automotive design firm has taken a step beyond what it is known and revealed the country’s first ever sports car, the sleekly styled and superbly configured DC Avanti. DC will be producing 300 units of the Avanti in 2013-2014 and if all goes well we could ramp up production to go into four figures per annum. Till now DC Design has been noted for its design and customization but then they added complete engineering and prototyping to their roster of services.
The Avanti would be powered by a specially tuned Ford EcoBoost 2.0-litre four-cylinder, dohc, 16-valve engine. This unit not only features turbocharging with direct injection but also features VVT (variable valve timing) and this helps it to dish out power and torque which normally are on par with a larger 3.0-litre engine. Max power will be 240bhp at 5500rpm with a massive 366 Nm of torque developed at 3500rpm helping give it both tractability and thrust. If that is not all, the latest electronics will also help deliver strong on the fuel efficiency front as well. Also the engine and its ancillaries are all Euro 4 & 5 compliant already meaning it would be right even for the export markets but the good thing is that it could also be taken further to the incoming Euro 6 legislation with a slight change in the engine mapping characteristics.
Handling all that power and torque from the mid-mounted four-cylinder engine is a six-speed manual gearbox. Again sourced from the Ford Europe parts bin, this transmission is robust and reliable and does all it is tasked with. There will also be another transmission option for those who seek an even higher technological plane with a six-speed dual clutch PowerShift unit.
The Avanti will have a light weight but very strong spaceframe chassis using a mix of square, rectangular and round sections to get the best strength and rigidity across the dynamic spectrum. Suspension is in time honoured sports car fashion with unequal length wishbones all around working in conjunction with coil over shock absorbers. Agile, quick and ultra-responsive, the Avanti promises performance and visual erotica at a cost to quality proposition that will be second to none. Hydraulically assisted rack and pinion steering gear will be standard fitment.
Specialists in safety engineering which include the likes of Bosch would be lending their might in developing the latest generation ABS brake systems and SRS air bag technology for the Avanti; ride and handling would be perfected by global experts in this realm and overall body and trim plus final assembly would be done at DC Design’s all new production facility coming up at Talegaon near Pune. The Avanti will be electronically limited to 250km/h and will ride on 19-inch tyres all round. Footwear on the front wheels would be of size 255/35-19 while 295/30-19-sized rubber would do duty at the rear. Helping safety and control given the max velocity and acceleration the Avanti would pack in, large 330mm diameter ventilated disc brakes with grippy AP Racing calipers come as OE fitment.
The Avanti’s low slung silhouette is pure excitement and is unlike any seen from an Asian automotive entity. Sporting a combination of pleasingly complex concave and convex surfaces to deliver great form, the Avanti is fast standing still with its rippling muscles akin to a wild animal waiting to spring onto its prey. Animalistic yet aesthetic in its essence but replete with fine craftsmanship across the entire vehicle, the Avanti can more than hold its own in its class.
DC has already put in place a unique and dedicated self-owned and managed sales and service network in five major metros in the country (Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai and Hyderabad) and this would only be honed to a fine pitch by the time the Avanti production commences. An additional four outlets would also be opened in the course of 2012. Bookings, on a first-come-first-served-basis will open soon.
