[manticore]

A very elusive dream this. Numerous manufacturers have tried their hands at the one lakh car, only to abandon the project later on. If the car looks like a 'car', then indeed the costs spiral well over the intended target, and if they get the pricing right, the car ends up looking like something right out of the Flintsones. People are really fussy about looks; a funny lookin car, however cheap it may be, most likely will not cut the cake. A very tough equation.
But knowing Ratan Tata for what he is, it's highly probable that he could discover a way through the problem. The sheer success of the Indica and the Indigo alone are reason enough to silence critics. The 1 lakh car is a different ballgame altogether though, but I guess he'll succeed in developing it, maybe it'll cost a little bit more. But imagine a Smart-lookalike at around 1-1.5 lakhs. Then again, I think it's at best a wait-n-watch game. Or probably wouldnt someone be better off with a second-hand 800??