Tata Nano......base model only $2500, but, check out the luxury version. Not available in the US yet...but, hey, just configure your own and dream.

http://www.tatapeoplescar.com/tatamotors/

 

What a piece of sh*t

 

india has a funny sense of humor if tata is my dream car.

 

Yeah, but if they get them here at Walmart they will sell bizillions of them.

 

As long as they will sell them for half of what the average person would normally pay for them Wally World will sell them.

 

Sorry, my dream car doesn't look anything like that.

 

You said it all!!!!

Rawhyde

 

I was hoping someone here might have a sense of humor.

Still, the reality, even in the USA, is that a very cheap and economical car for commuting would likely be very popular.

The Tata takes economical to a new low, but I found the configurator amusing.

 

They are already in the clearance bin

 

Interesting NY Times article on the Nano
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/11/wo...1indiacar.html


Functional.

Before you laugh at the Nano,
Consider India driving traffic patterns-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjrEQaG5jPM
Best described as randomly chaotic- the rule is if you are big/heavy you have the right of way, there are no lanes and intersections are congested.

Maybe each driver should get some Mad training-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv5d2...eature=related
I like the side parking stuff and synchronized driving in opposite directions.

 

looks alot like... 8am-10pm in any small to major city in China... nice vid 'hune

was in china twice during christmas... took a cab once... don't think i ever want to drive there

if there's room, squeeze in, if there's 3 lanes, the chinese can make 5 out of it, its funny cuze i often hear people say chinese can't drive, but hell if you can drive in china... you really are fearless

 

car looks like something you see on looney tunes...

 

to me the vehicle looks like its hoping off the ground!
I hope i never end up that broke in life that this thing would be all i can dream of owning

 

i think we'd opt for used cars.

 

ide rather comute using my bike.
I have my pride dammit!!

 

What a great 1st car for a new teenage driver! Inexpensive, and hopefully a good warranty. It is slightly reminiscent of the BMW Isetta bubble car from the 1950s.

It's not a MINI, but it's kind of cute!

I'd MUCH rather have my son in one of these than ogling MY car!

 

I think the Smart car is kinda cute. The Nano is basic and utilitarian. I would expect cardboard to be a major building material under the cosmetics.

Teenage drivers usually do better with good ole used American sedans like the Accord and Camry (built in the US of course) or if you must, a used Taurus or GM product.

You don't really want to be in the smallest and lightest underpowered car on the road unless everyone else is driving the same.

Here's a modern little car for US comsumption-

Toyota Yaris 3 door Hatchback. A commuter special.

 

True about the solid, larger sedans. Luckily I don't have to worry quite yet. . . about 3 years to go.

 

As an Indian, let me add some perspective.

Tata Motors is a small venture of a very substantial family owned Indian conglomerate. Among the family's various subsidiaries are one of India's largest steel plant and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), one of world's leader in software turn-key executors.

They have been manufacturing and selling cars for almost 15 years. Also, they still are India's largest commercial truck manufacturers. Do they know cars? No. But they are learning...having bought over the Indian operations of Daewoo, having Pininfarina design their best seller, the 'Indica' and now buying Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford.

If they can be faulted for anything, it is the fact that they over-engineer their cars. Roads and driving discipline are almost non-existent in most of India, and driving in India looks suicidal for anyone not from India . Vehicles in India need to be really tough and designed for a lot of abuse. And that throws out the idea that these cars are made of cardboard.

The 'Nano' is a pet of the current patriarch and an integral part of his vision that every Indian family should own a car. Considering an average Indian's annual income of $2,000, the car cannot be really large, but should be able to carry an average Indian's family (typically 4-5 people) comfortably. And I personally think that the 'Nano' fits this bill perfectly...an affordable car, fuel-efficient and suitable for urban commute.

An interesting read about the design philosophy behind the 'Nano' can be found at:
http://www.tata.com/0_media/features...e_lakh_car.htm

 

i finally figured out wat tha nano looked like.

it looks like the Prius. i saw one this morn and it reminded me of the nano.

 

If they come to the US, I'll probably buy one.

I think it would more than make sense on my commute - 22 miles of rush-hour traffic each way - average speeds are in the 20-30mph region !

I could take the surface streets rather than the freeway and probably have fun.

 

I totally understand the purpose and the need. but.....
Ide still rather walk or ride a bike, im sorry but that car was beat with the ugly stick.
why is it that whenever a car company creates a "inexpensive" peoples car, it looks like a cheap crappy toy.
you can make a car just as cheap as this one but add nicer lines and a little style would be nice.

 

I pretty much could not disagree more if I tried !

I think it has a 'cuteness' that is born from 'spot on' styling for the intended purpose. The basic concept being an aero-egg shape that is designed to keep the occupants safe, yet take up an absolute minimum of space.

The original Mini was a cheap, space efficient 'peoples car' as was the original VW Beetle - both multi-million sellers that became timeless classics - both of which where replaced with heavier, less efficient models.

As I said before - one would make perfect sense on my commute....

 

ayea but at least the original mini and beetle had a certain charm and "style" to them. at least they can be modified and personalized to insure cult status.
This "thing", er car will never have cult status of any kind.
it reminds me of the pacer,yugo,type cars "the thank heavens there gone type of cars".
I guess to each there own.
BTW, I dont dig "cutsie" cars.

 

I agree!! It reminds me of a Smart car and in fact, appears to be pretty smart in it's own right from an engineering perspective. The Nano seems to generating some kudos in the global automotive press, too. We may see more of these show up, maybe not in the U.S., but who knows....it's like the return of the bubble cars!!! Overall it is quite an achievement considering the price.