Re: Why.. Less of Supercars in India? Summarizing given the situation may have changed from 2006-2011/2012 Buying Power
With an average USA salary, one could buy a used 90s ferrari for about 25,000 $. It is impossible to buy one in india for the same amount (15 lacs). Buying power in US is more than what it is india. Bad Roads
There aren't "excellent" roads in india. Potholes, rumblers, speed-breakers are all deterents. Inconsistent Road Quality
You can expect even a crater on tolled roads in india. Even if we are ready to pay 10 times the toll, good quality roads are not assured. Krishnagiri Salem Highway and Chennai-Bangalore Highway are good examples. Traffic
I find driving a santro trouble some in chennai traffic. I can imagine what plight a supercar owner would have. Speed Limit Enforcement
At the so called good stretches on your roads, speed limit would be enforced by a radar gun. Old Private Intercity buses driving rashly at 90kmph in a 50 kmph zone would be left scott-free but a brand new civic driving at 53 kmph on the leftmost lane would be caught and fined. Traffic sense in india (both highways and City)
A TVS 50 on the wrong side of the road or a tractor would come right in front of you from nowhere. Imagine you are in a ferrari. That would be your worst nightmare. Fuel Quality
It is rumoured that filling up from your local fuel station would damage your super car in the long run. I do not have a super car. This is just hand-to-mouth info. Ever increasing Petrol costs
Not a concern for someone who can afford a supercar, but still it is a pinch. Fuel prices have almost doubled in 1.5 years. It is also expected that Petrol prices will increase further. That will be Manmohan Singh's gift to us for the new year. Sparse dealer network & registration issues
It is a pain in the neck to buy a Ferrari in Delhi and register it in Tamil Nadu. Only 1 service center throught india
A separate thread exists for the same. If i am in Chennai and have to sent the car for service every 6 months to Delhi, imagine the amount of pain. Transportation is not straight-forward in india. Lots of cheating and incompetent vehicles. Imagine cardboard cartons stacked on your Aston Martin. Jealousy factor
The average uneducated joe will wantedly scratch his rusty bicycle on your supercar just out of jealousy. Needless to say the slum kids. Policing and Legal issues
God forbid but if an alto hits a TVS 50 in a highway alongside a village, eventhough the TVS 50 is at fault, the alto is bashed up. Assume that Alto followed all traffic rules. Imagine what would be supercar driver's situation. Police and court formalities are not straight-forward. Ideally, if i hit a 2w/pedestrian and the fault is not mine, I should be allowed to walk away scott-free. If i hit a jaywalker, I should be allowed to walk away whether I am in a Bajaj Boxer or a Porsche Boxster and irrespective of whether the jaywalker lost his limbs or dies. Jaywalking is a punishable offense in india as per the traffic rules. The harrasment at the police-station/RTO/Court is a big detterent. Maintenance Servicing and running costs
It is a pinch on the wallet for the average joe for maintenance and replacement of parts. Service center's attitude in india
The "Chaltha Hai" or "Please Adjust" attitude in india is a big black mark. Be it Italian or German brand, the service center is run only by a chaltha hai indian. Complaining to the parent company is like complaining to the fish in your fish-tank. Service centers are not true to thier jobs and it is impractical for a chennai ferrari owner to supervise the work in a delhi workshop. |