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Why the world needs the Nano
Posted by Cameron Countach
After experiencing more trials and tribulations than a character in a Woody Allen movie, the Tata Nano - aka the world's cheapest car – was delivered to its first customer in Mumbai, India yesterday.
It was a momentous occasion for the Nano's manufacturer, Tata - and motoring in general - as there had been moments when it seemed the world's cheapest car – priced at just 100,000 Indian rupees or £1,260 - would never come to fruition.
Towards the end of 2008, disputes between Indian farmers in West Bengal and Tata over the location of the Nano factory had forced the giant manufacturer to move its production facilities, putting production of the car on hold, and at one stage generating fears that the Nano may never hit the market. But these concerns were allayed in April 2009, with news that the Nano had gone on display in Tata dealerships across India, making Tata’s dreams of even the poorest of families owning a car a real possibility. Yesterday’s fantastic news confirms the dream is now becoming a reality, and for someone like myself, who believes everyone should be able to enjoy the experience of driving a car, this is great news.
Owning your first car is a landmark moment in many people's lives and something many of us take for granted, but for many people in poorer parts of the world, the thought of ever owning a set of four wheels still remains a distant dream. And nowhere is that more evident than in India. A 2007 census discovered that only 0.7% of India households owned a car - that's in a country that has an estimated population of over 1.1 billion people. And the news and data company, Bloomberg, claims that for every car sold in India, seven motorbikes are bought by members of the population. That’s not good, right? But with the introduction of the Nano to the market, this may be about to change.
When Tata’s Nano factory opens in Gujarat next year, it will be able to create 250,000 of these cars a year, and though that won’t immediately satisfy the needs of such a large population, the Nano’s success should mean that further down line the Indian marque will be able to create more production factories to meet the demand.
From the perspective of someone who writes about the various joys that the world of motoring has to bring us, the thought that in parts of the world there are people may not have been able to afford a car, or are dependent on public transport, is deeply saddening. At the moment, the Nano is only slated to be sold in India, with the Nano Europa set to arrive on these shores in 2011, but I’d like to see them to take things further and try and expand the sale of the car to other parts of Asia, and then to countries of the African continent and beyond.
Those are my thoughts on the significance of the Tata Nano, but what do you think about the world’s cheapest car? Share your thoughts below, and check out our gallery of the Tata Nano.
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Aston Cygnet: sick joke or stroke of genius?
Posted by Cameron Countach
There are some things in this lifetime you think and hope you'll never see, like David Bowie covering a Ricky Martin song or Steven Gerrard leaving Liverpool for Arsenal. So when we heard legendary luxury sports car marque Aston Martin's announcement that it is planning to launch a supermini called the Cygnet, we were a little concerned at first.
The response from the media has been mixed, with some publications going so far as to brand it as a joke. But, according to Aston Martin, this is far from being the case: the marque is collaborating with Japanese manufacturer, Toyota, to create this iQ-inspired Aston supermini as an extra option for current customers of the Warwickshire-based company.
According to the guys at Aston, the Cygnet will offer customers “a distinctive, intelligent and exclusive solution for urban travel in style and luxury”. Aston Martin chief executive, Dr Ulrich Bez said: “Much work is still required, but I am confident that this project could become reality in the not too distant future. This concept – akin to an exclusive tender to a luxury yacht – will allow us to apply Aston Martin design language, craftsmanship and brand values to a completely new segment of the market.”
From close inspection of the solitary image of the Cygnet, it appears that the supermini will have a similar, if a little squashed, front end to that of the long-awaited four-door Rapide sports car that Aston Martin plans to unleash on the market in 2010. And that’s not a bad thing, we promise you.
The price for the Cygnet is rumoured to be around £20,000, which while being a little pricey, will not be a real issue for its target market. And there’s also the promise that it will be fuel efficient, environmentally-friendly, and should come with the kind of luxury interior you’d expect from one of Aston’s grand tourers.
So what’s our verdict on the Cygnet? Well, we think a luxury supermini like this is a great idea – offering a luxury option for the more demanding fans out there. It’s far from being a motor James Bond would like to drive, but we could definitely envision Miss Moneypenny taking it for a spin.
The Cygnet could also be the ideal car for current Aston owners who work in the City, but don’t want to risk getting their DBS or DB9 nicked. And in the “cool” sector of the supermini market, where the Fiat 500 and iQ are leagues ahead of other superminis, we think the Cygnet could be a genuine rival to these little cars. A style icon of the future, if you like.
But that’s enough about what we think. We want to hear what you have to say about the new Aston Martin. Post your comments here…
