[saket77]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

Agreed. My friends asked me last month - doesn't it catch fire?

Doesn't it catch fire? As if it's a weekly or fortnightly affair.
Seriously, I think Tata has corrected the issue as there has been no recent news of fire breaking out on a Nano.

About the apprehension that a layman has, once about 1-1.5 years back or so, I told my non-petrol head friend that I read a report where a roofless Nano was seen making rounds near the Sanand factory; hence they might launch a topless Nano. The friend immediately remarked 'Oh, getting out on one of those will be easy in case of fire!'

[Sawyer]

Originally Posted by saket77

Doesn't it catch fire? As if it's a weekly or fortnightly affair.
Seriously, I think Tata has corrected the issue as there has been no recent news of fire breaking out on a Nano.

Sure, I know that and you know that - but public perceptions take time to change unless aggressively managed. Tata has this issue buried inside the FAQ on the Nano website...how many are going to click deep enough to locate it?
PS: For anyone interested, my review of the new car is in the latest pages of the official nano test drive thread on this forum. I am unable to meet the forum standards for having my own thread, and I am quite ok to latch on to the referred thread based on what I can furnish.

[FlatOut]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

I can answer that - for a single person/couple, in an Indian city, it beats any upmarket car for ease of driving and parking. I can see myself giving it for valet parking without any concerns. Plus the usual dings and dents that city driving in India inflicts on cars is also much less a concern. Summing up, driving it in the city is a lot more stress free than using an expensive car. Which is why I bought it.
PS: The valet may look down his nose at me, but I don't care about these things anymore. There may even be reverse snobbery at play on my part here!

Thanks, Sawyer. It's good to hear that some are sufficiently self-confident not to need a prestige vehicle even when it makes no sense at all. But what I was trying to discover was does the Nano have any qualities which rise above the small-car norm? For example, the 2cv was compared with a Rolls-Royce (it was suggested it was as good as or better than) for its ride when introduced to Britain, the Beetle made a mockery of the build quality of even the most expensive American car in the sixties, the Mini made Enzo Ferrari say, "I'm glad it's ugly" and the little Fiat had a bigger heart and soul than any large, prestigious car.

[Sawyer]

Originally Posted by FlatOut

But what I was trying to discover was does the Nano have any qualities which rise above the small-car norm?
the little Fiat had a bigger heart and soul than any large, prestigious car.

I answered your question - is there anything it does better than upmarket cars, other than being inexpensive to run. Conferring stress free city driving is that aspect to me. I will leave my expensive car parked for this reason, and use it for where it shines - inter-city drives. After all, in the city, why use a tank to swat a fly? That Nano is cheaper to run is icing on the cake. An inexpensive SmartCar.

The heart and soul thing is intangible, and a car acquires that over time. The Nano certainly has the potential to qualify, once Tata gets their act together to world class standards on reliability and service - they have come a long way, and seeing recent moves, there is reason for optimism. One reason for this is that there is so little in the car in the first place, so getting what is there to be even more reliable, and servicing it well isn't as big a leap as it is for more complex cars. For a car of its external dimensions, it competes very successfully with cars that cost about 50% more that are also larger sized, in the area of giving more passenger space and comfort than these cars, for in city use where luggage isn't present.

I also think it has potential to be tuned for more power from the same engine. Instead of adding unnecessary frills like power steering, my way would be to have a Nano Sport. No increase in top speed, but better in gear performance, with a tad more responsive brakes. Right now, it keeps up with city traffic, but a tuned Nano will be a blast to drive in the city, without being unsafe. Even now, it is as chuckable and as much fun to drive as a GoKart.

And if one wants a rear wheel drive car in India today, the options after Nano cost close to twenty times as much - the Mercs and BMWs. Unless one is ok with cars completely ill suited for Indian cities - the SUVs.

[FlatOut]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

And if one wants a rear wheel drive car in India today, the options after Nano cost close to twenty times as much - the Mercs and BMWs. Unless one is ok with cars completely ill suited for Indian cities - the SUVs.

#

I think perhaps that is the key - rear engine, rear drive.

Who'd want a Porsche when they can have a Nano?

All Tata have to do now is bring out a sporting edition. As Fiat did with the 500.

[Sawyer]

Indeed...very good, that slogan!

Let's hope Tata is tracking these threads, as any good auto maker should be doing.

[Sawyer]

As to the sport version, I hopes it will be one that makes it a wolf in sheep's clothing. Far too many "sports" versions are just the reverse, being kitted out with cosmetic decals, alloy wheels, spoilers and the like. And no extra go.

[bigautobuff]

Hope you go a long way with your beautiful car.

[FlatOut]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

Indeed...very good, that slogan!

Let's hope Tata is tracking these threads, as any good auto maker should be doing.

I've wondered this too - if you are out there somewhere, Tata, then have a good long look at the advertising campaigns for the BMC Mini, VW Beetle and Citroën 2cv, with particular note when selling in a foreign market. Citroën very quickly latched on to the idea that for English people the car was as much of a style statement as a practical, economical car. They began advertising it as a car which laughed at the pretensions of other cars, was honest, comfortable, economical and durable with a classic set of humorous, self-deprecating adverts in the press. They did have a superbly engineered if out-dated product though, which had already become a legend in its own lifetime.

US adverts for the Beetle were clever also, engaging the reader's mind. To this day VW has some of the most clever tv commercials.

Here is a British tv ad for the 2cv from 1984.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOKsqHtzHyk

[saket77]

Originally Posted by FlatOut

I've wondered this too - if you are out there somewhere, Tata, then have a good long look at the advertising campaigns for the BMC Mini, VW Beetle and Citroën 2cv, with particular note when selling in a foreign market.

Good ones there FlatOut.
But since you are not located in India, hence you might not be updated, but Tata has launched a new ad which looks to re-position the new 2013 Nano. They have used everything except the word cheap in the ad, IIRC. I believe if this would have been the first Nano ad, then even the previous versions would have fared better. I am sceptical that even this ad would do much good to the Nano- After all re-positioning a product is not an easy task; that too which can be termed as a marketing failure initially.

Here you go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B-WFAD02ss

[Sawyer]

Some of these are brilliant. Wacky, but brilliant. Takes guts to make, and even more guts for the auto maker to approve these for release. Tata, at this point, has a very mediocre ad agency, that's for sure. Run of the mill stuff. But there are off beat ad makers in India now as well, one has to find them and let them off the leash.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

Some of these are brilliant. Wacky, but brilliant. Takes guts to make, and even more guts for the auto maker to approve these for release. Tata, at this point, has a very mediocre ad agency, that's for sure. Run of the mill stuff. But there are off beat ad makers in India now as well, one has to find them and let them off the leash.

I don't know but won't the other car makers who are being laughed at in the ads will sue such manufacturer? I think using direct names esp. in such funny, out of logic aspects can attract some legal action in India. What say?

[FlatOut]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

Some of these are brilliant. Wacky, but brilliant. Takes guts to make, and even more guts for the auto maker to approve these for release. Tata, at this point, has a very mediocre ad agency, that's for sure. Run of the mill stuff. But there are off beat ad makers in India now as well, one has to find them and let them off the leash.

That's a decent ad, but still in the traditional way of selling a car. It looks like Tata has simply spent more money with the same company. I would say the Nano is sufficiently different to use a non-standard approach - they need to show 110% confidence in their product, as did VW and Citroen. But it's early days yet.

I think an Abarth equivalent is imperative to improve the image. The Nano has many similarities with the Fiat 500. The racing version was great and must have been good for sales of the standard car. Similarly, the Mini Cooper was a god-send for BMC.

There is a danger in the 21st century that so often it is a case of form over function. The BMW Mini (or Bini as the British call it) is fairly cynical. The original one was full of cheap parts (not least the engine) yet very expensive to buy. Many consider it almost sacrilege to use the name for such an ordinary car when the original was so great. But nobody knows how to make money as well as BMW!

So a sporting version of the Nano should take part in competition, and win. Then the public will begin to believe in it, big time.

[Sawyer]

Originally Posted by saket77

I don't know but won't the other car makers who are being laughed at in the ads will sue such manufacturer? I think using direct names esp. in such funny, out of logic aspects can attract some legal action in India. What say?

The first set of car names used are also commonly used for other products - Polo for example is also a mint with the hole. That's the genius of that part of the ad.
And the general thrust of the ad is poking fun at itself. Now it is quite likely that Indian car makers are like the rest of us Indians - unable to laugh at oneself, and quick to take offence if someone else does.
I think though that a clever ad can get away with murder - even if it has to pulled at some time if someone with an overdeveloped sense of self importance were to object. In fact the objection itself can be lampooned in the next set of ads!

[FlatOut]

Originally Posted by saket77

I don't know but won't the other car makers who are being laughed at in the ads will sue such manufacturer? I think using direct names esp. in such funny, out of logic aspects can attract some legal action in India. What say?

The point is that it was in good humour - and all the statements are correct. Nobody would have dared think about taking action, they would have been the laughing stock of the whole industry. What Citroën were really doing was juxtaposing their minimalist, inexpensive product with what were considered the world's finest. This is a very subtle and thought-provoking way of altering perception. In addition, the engineering of the little two cylinder car was quite excellent - it really shouldn't have worked as well as it did, if you look at the figures on paper.

In comparing names, the advert takes on an almost childish form - and who is more perceptive than a child? The result is that the more important aspects of a car might be considered, instead of whether there was a long list of extras and option on the sales blurb. Comfortable, economical, practical, roomy, charming. And loveable.

As time goes by, the 2cv has become more of an icon and piece of classic design than either the Rolls-Royce or Ferrari in the ad.