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penfold93

penfold93

Rex Craymer Man of Danger
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Just seen this article and wondered whether there is any market fot this sort of car here and if it did come over how much extra we would have to pay.

Looks better made than the GWizz but imagine it on the motor way:PDT_Xtremez_42:
 
If you think about it, it's the modern equivalent of the Citroen 2cV which was designed to bring cheap motoring to the french peasants of the day
 
I'd say there is a market for it here - a cheap, economical city car.

But (and it's a big but) with such a small engine I expect the car to be very light and as such, not very strong. The EU has much stricter safety standards than india for a car model's type approval. In order to meet these standards, the little Tata would probably have to be beefed up significantly structuraly and additional safety equipment (air bags, seat-belts, side impact protection, padding for pedestrians etc) making it much heavier. So the little 650cc engine wouldn't cope with the weight, so a larger engine would be fitted making the car heavier still, but more importantly more expensive and less efficient.

These are the reasons why the replacement for the Peugeot 206 and new Renault Clio and Vauxhall Corsa are bigger, heavier and under-powered compared to their predecessors.

It's a car built for the developing asian market only.
 
TheHogwartsBEngO said:
I'd say there is a market for it here - a cheap, economical city car.

But (and it's a big but) with such a small engine I expect the car to be very light and as such, not very strong. The EU has much stricter safety standards than india for a car model's type approval. In order to meet these standards, the little Tata would probably have to be beefed up significantly structuraly and additional safety equipment (air bags, seat-belts, side impact protection, padding for pedestrians etc) making it much heavier. So the little 650cc engine wouldn't cope with the weight, so a larger engine would be fitted making the car heavier still, but more importantly more expensive and less efficient.

These are the reasons why the replacement for the Peugeot 206 and new Renault Clio and Vauxhall Corsa are bigger, heavier and under-powered compared to their predecessors.

It's a car built for the developing asian market only.
Click to expand...

But what about the Smart car? That passed the EU and NCAP tests (although I doubt it scored well) and that's just as small as the Tata.
 
I believe there is a market here for this sort of car why not? Its a disposable motor and would be worth its weight in gold as a second family car for nipping to the shops, it would save mileage and engine wear on the family's main car and I reckon it would be a great investment . Just over a grand for a brand new car is amazing. You could run it for three years then get rid - no MOTs. Previous cheapo small cars on the market have been around the five grand mark and for that you can get a decent second hand Focus or Fiesta. You cant get anything low mileage for a grand in the uk. Bring it on Id buy one.
 
enginesuck said:
I believe there is a market here for this sort of car why not? Its a disposable motor and would be worth its weight in gold as a second family car for nipping to the shops, it would save mileage and engine wear on the family's main car and I reckon it would be a great investment . Just over a grand for a brand new car is amazing. You could run it for three years then get rid - no MOTs. Previous cheapo small cars on the market have been around the five grand mark and for that you can get a decent second hand Focus or Fiesta. You cant get anything low mileage for a grand in the uk. Bring it on Id buy one.
Click to expand...

I'd like to see what sort of warranty you'd get with it though. I work on the same principle nowadays - Buy a disposable banger with a good MOT for no more than a couple of hundred quid and if it fails next MOT, get rid. As a matter of fact, it looks like my Rover is going as I've been offered a £150 special from our admin bird so I'll have to change my username to "escortboy", although that sounds a bit dodgy!!
 
roverboy said:
I'll have to change my username to "escortboy", although that sounds a bit dodgy!!
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No news flash to us though !!

Did you see that little thing Jezza drove in the last series of Top Gear ? a little 50cc bubble car made in the 60's. You could never make a car like that now, the engine was between his feet. :PDT_Xtremez_35:
 
MontyPlumbs said:
But what about the Smart car? That passed the EU and NCAP tests (although I doubt it scored well) and that's just as small as the Tata.
Click to expand...

the smart doesn't have much space in it (it's a 2-seater) because the space is used up by a very strong safety cell around the occupants. The Tata looks quite flimsy in comparison - and it will be for that price.
 
TheHogwartsBEngO said:
the smart doesn't have much space in it (it's a 2-seater) because the space is used up by a very strong safety cell around the occupants. The Tata looks quite flimsy in comparison - and it will be for that price.
Click to expand...

Smarts still aren't that safe, they have a tendency to bounce rather than crumple. And lions are likely to take an interest in them if you visit a safari park:

BBC News
 
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Douglas Bader's Right Leg said:
Smarts still aren't that safe, they have a tendency to bounce rather than crumple. And lions are likely to take an interest in them if you visit a safari park:

BBC News
Click to expand...

I think the TATA will have a tendency to disintegrate rather than crumple. To be honest, it looks like it would crumple when you wash it.

I love the Lion story! My mate has just bought a Mini...
 
TheHogwartsBEngO said:
the smart doesn't have much space in it (it's a 2-seater) because the space is used up by a very strong safety cell around the occupants. The Tata looks quite flimsy in comparison - and it will be for that price.
Click to expand...


Still a lot more protection than a motor scooter, and you can fit your shopping in it too.
 
I think it's brilliant for the price, as opposed to the Smart car. My only problem is; why do all the cheap cars have to make you look like a pratt when you're driving it? How about a cheap 'car' shaped car?
 
Ligier once of formula 1 fame have also built a small car about the same size as the tata with a 500cc twin cylinder diesel engine with a petrol option to. On sale in the Midlands from our local Reliant dealer I kid you not. The Ligier Ambra. Looks about as crash worthy as a paper bag with its all aluminium tublar chassis and polycarbonate body.

See here

http://www.rumcars.org/c-ligier.html
 
penfold93 said:
Just seen this article and wondered whether there is any market fot this sort of car here and if it did come over how much extra we would have to pay.

Looks better made than the GWizz but imagine it on the motor way:PDT_Xtremez_42:
Click to expand...

50mpg, not good for a car that size.
 
PingDit said:
I think it's brilliant for the price, as opposed to the Smart car. My only problem is; why do all the cheap cars have to make you look like a pratt when you're driving it? How about a cheap 'car' shaped car?
Click to expand...

Or they could just put an MG badge on the front to fool people into thinking it's a real car and charge another grand for the privelage!! sorry bengo, I couldn't resist!!
 
roverboy said:
Or they could just put an MG badge on the front to fool people into thinking it's a real car and charge another grand for the privelage!! sorry bengo, I couldn't resist!!
Click to expand...

they only 'badge-engineered' the austin rovers in the 80s and early 90s (The MG Metro, Maestro and Montegos). They were, literally, a rover with MG badging, fancy wheels and red piping on the seats.

The MGs based on Rovers released 2001 onwards were very different beasts from their Rover cousins. Completely new suspension set-up and brakes, revised gearboxes (on some), more direct steering, diferent ECUs and a more sporty engine tune (all new intakes and exhausts on most models).

enough pedantry.

(I actually drove my mate's father-in-law's Rover 75 Diesel Estate the other day. An Automatic and very tip-top of the range. I almost regretted plumping for the MG - it was a very, very, very comfortable and luxurious car. Not bad for £10k with 40k miles)
 
TheHogwartsBEngO said:
they only 'badge-engineered' the austin rovers in the 80s and early 90s (The MG Metro, Maestro and Montegos). They were, literally, a rover with MG badging, fancy wheels and red piping on the seats.

The MGs based on Rovers released 2001 onwards were very different beasts from their Rover cousins. Completely new suspension set-up and brakes, revised gearboxes (on some), more direct steering, diferent ECUs and a more sporty engine tune (all new intakes and exhausts on most models).

enough pedantry.

(I actually drove my mate's father-in-law's Rover 75 Diesel Estate the other day. An Automatic and very tip-top of the range. I almost regretted plumping for the MG - it was a very, very, very comfortable and luxurious car. Not bad for £10k with 40k miles)
Click to expand...


I knew you'd bite!! And the Austins, Wolseleys and Rileys of the 60's!!! My Suspension setup is the same as the ZS.
 
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