Tuesday 16th December 2014

JA Motorsport shows Tata 'Super Nano'

Not interested in the Tata Nano? What about one with 230hp?

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How can you even begin to describe a Tata Nano with 230hp? It makes something like a Clio V6 looks as sensible as a carrier bag. This utterly ridiculous creation has been made by JA Motorsport India, and it plans to market the upgrades. Bloody hell.

Arches of the year 2014...

The spec from JA's website will make you smile. It states: "JA Motorsport has used an in-house four-cylinder 1.3-litre high revving petrol engine that is capable of producing a whopping 230bhp. There's more. This engine is mated to a six-speed sequential gearbox that can be operated via paddle-shifters." In a Tata Nano! Top speed is estimated at 120mph.

Mercifully there are further modifications to ensure this rear-engined, rear-wheel drive rascal won't spit you off at the first corner. Perhaps the second then. There's a bolt-in cage, "race-tuned suspension", disc brakes at each corner and slick tyres. There are two Recaro buckets, a carbon dash and a data logger inside. Again, in a Tata Nano!

JA says it will be shown in action with Narain Karthikeyan at a 2015 track day and the package will be available at some point during next year. It's expected to cost Rs 25 lakh (2,500,000 rupees) which is about £25K. On a car that costs less than £5,000. Just when you thought it couldn't be any more mad. Still, who wouldn't fancy a go?

[Sources: JA Motorsport, autoevolution, IndianAutosBlog]

[Turbobanana]

"capable of producing a whopping 230bhp" or ACTUALLY producing?

Either way, as you rightly say, Bloody Hell!

[thespannerman]

I'd take one if I had the cash, purely as a talking point!

[Lugy]

According to the internet the normal car weighs 660kgs, you've got to assume this would be lighter (unless it's a heavy engine maybe - possibly from a bike?) so that's got to result in an impressive power to weight ratio, I'm pretty sure it'd upset a few owners of some decent machinery. And it's still a Tata.

[kambites]

Wonderfully stupid idea but that sounds like an awful lot of money, especially in India. How much would someone like Z-cars charge to stick a 'busa into one? In a perverse sort of way I think it'd be even more appealing without the obvious arch extensions although it might be completely undrivable.

[dukebox9reg]

A high revving 1.3 with over 200bhp does smack of a Hayabusa engine.

[gigglebug]

That looks funny as fk!! It should be a hoot to drive. Shame it hasn't been able to keep its four seat practicality but I'm guessing the cage would be the only thing stopping you becoming the crumple zone when you hit something because you were going faster than you thought were

[P-Jay]

If I drove a Nano I might be tempted by the roll cage - they're not exactly NCAP 5* cars as standard as they?

[dublet]

P-Jay said:

If I drove a Nano I might be tempted by the roll cage - they're not exactly NCAP 5* cars as standard as they?

It scored a mighty 0 stars in the NCAP test.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buMXtGoHHIg

[sideways man]

If i had the money to waste, would get one tomorrow. And love the arches

[redroadster]

Take of the a and you get what it is TAT

[Mercury00]

Those wheels and tyres are nice at least.

[amstrange1]

Matt Bird said:

On a car that costs less than £5,000.

You could buy two for £5k and have some change! The older models were about 1.5 lakhs or £1500ish.

[Escort Si-130]

Costing £25k that is a fkin rip off. Especially if the standard model is £5k. For that kind of money you can get new cars pushing that kind of power for cheaper. Or other tunnig outfits could do similar modifications for a lot less than £20k.

[Joedarkness]

dublet said:

P-Jay said:

If I drove a Nano I might be tempted by the roll cage - they're not exactly NCAP 5* cars as standard as they?

It scored a mighty 0 stars in the NCAP test.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buMXtGoHHIg

These are made of tinfoil .. they removed a Nano from a show once because it had thumb dings in it !!!

[daytona365]

So a little st like that is safe and stable with the same power as a Porsche Carrera ? If they say so, it must be true I guess !!

[ES335]

How does 230BHP and lets say sub 750 kilos equate to the top speed quoted? Its got a pretty small frontal area and the overall aero aspect doesn't look that bad.

[patmahe]

ES335 said:

How does 230BHP and lets say sub 750 kilos equate to the top speed quoted? Its got a pretty small frontal area and the overall aero aspect doesn't look that bad.

Gearing I would think. Acceleration must be manic, assuming it can get the power down.

[X5TUU]

Escort Si-130 said:

Costing £25k that is a fkin rip off. Especially if the standard model is £5k. For that kind of money you can get new cars pushing that kind of power for cheaper. Or other tunnig outfits could do similar modifications for a lot less than £20k.

not in India you cant, that's the point.

Anyhoo, its just a shame the majority of these are used in the super congested cities, but it would make excellent viewing seeing one tear through the swarms of 'ped riders off the lights!

[so called]

X5TUU said:

not in India you cant, that's the point.

Anyhoo, its just a shame the majority of these are used in the super congested cities, but it would make excellent viewing seeing one tear through the swarms of 'ped riders off the lights!

Assuming it has very stiff suspension, I think you would have a broken back within 50m of the lights

[nikaiyo2]

"race-tuned suspension" a: sounds like f'ing terrible idea in most of India and b: sounds like regular suspension that has been welded up or cut down Leepu style.