[Revvhead]

Why are some thinking of major production et all??

Since we are talking enthusiast , these would by nature be, for the initial period at least
a small numbers hand manufactured car, sold to real enthusiasts. What the big investments are for ar to set up factories and the like.

What you have to go for is high Local content, esp on Engine & drivetrain.

Here are my very basic suggestions for spec, since my Tech Knowlegde is rather poor

Engine - A 1.6 L Baleno blok -- Reasoning : This is the car that maruti has made avaliable for rallying in India and are willing to provide parts & support for,so avaliability , spars & support exists therefore go in that direction.

From here you could go two ways - One- increase Bore to a 1.8 for an increase in power

Or 2 - Supercharge or Turbocharge it. (this gives it a degree of exclusivity as opposed to oversizing)

IMO this in itself should not be ridiculously expensive and yet will give you a good power increase.

Chassis, now this is the important one. Tubular Aluminum would have been my suggestion, But both material and welding the same are expensive.
So i would settle for steel.
(possibly using an existing one from a suitable make of car)

Suspension- well ihave rather meagre knowledge in this area, but Local componenets from some of the carsshould do it.

I would go for a hardtop body, keeping our weather , Both rain & scorching sun in mind!!
with a coupe' 2+2 config.

As far as Detail, Basic dash, maybe an aluminium cut plate with the gauges stuck in
Speedo, tacho,Fuel,temp.

i owuld definitely source the indicator & wiper control stalks etc from some exisiting model as the quality is avaliabe in those and off the shelf!

I think it can surely be done in a 7-8 lakh deal.

Dc can do it- with awesome finish i may say(though i dont like most of his designs- but you cant argue with the quality of his exterior work) , as well as a lot of other coach builders.
It can even be on a provide the chassis & drivetrain with suspension etc all to one of the good bodywork garages, DC, rio etc and give them a design to build.

What say??

[ananthkamath]

Revvhead - Looks like we are on the same wavelength when it comes to the basics of what the car should be like...and what kind of parts we could use

Mtech - The M3 and 911 do use McPherson...the 911 also uses a rear-engine placement which goes against all the rules about polar moment of inertia...i guess its as much about system performance as it is about the marque's individuality; BUT, since we are considering a scratch-built design, why not use double-wishbone....Also, I am not sure about this, but I think double-wishbone has a better strength-to weight ratio; i can think of no other reason why they are used on almost ALL the SUVs and MUVs...

Polygraphite rod-ends are a type of rod-end having a stiff rubber-bushing..its not the solid 'rose-joint' you are talking about..

It looks like I opened a Pandora's box by saying the 100 crore figure...Its the max probably needed for a project like this...we do need a sizable amount if we are looking at volumes..like for example 20 cars a day...Like I said earlier, its the production and promotion that will take up most of this budget, not the engineering....

[Mpower]

@AK
Double wishbone is definetly better on paper. Offers more opportunity for tuning camber curve and toe curve. Problem is you need to make a unique upright to fit your geometry.

For a start can someone do some research on how much the
following engines cost from the dealers
1.6 baleno
1.6 Palio
1.6 Fusion

[ananthkamath]

Originally Posted by Mpower

@AK
Problem is you need to make a unique upright to fit your geometry.

There are ways to use existing uprights from strut-suspended cars...even if you want to make a new one, making an upright from sheet steel or aluminum is not an issue....

Like you said, powertrain is the starting point for this project....if you buy it from the dealers, it may not be available at prices less than 2-3 lac apiece...we need to find out the exact figures, though....

[Psycho]

When do we start...
(had to add those dots and this line to submit the post)

[hell_rider]

revvhead....

right on !!! can be done for about that kind of money...PROVIDED....the planning is good.

ananthkamat,
if we are building an enthusiast car, we do not need to consider volumes to begin with...its just a pet project. we can see how it turns out and then take it from there.

[vivek.singh.73]

are you guys really serious abt it or just evaluating the option..? Do you have a blue print ready or still thrashing it out...


I think it would be very interesting

[ananthkamath]

We need the following people:

1) Financier/Sponsor
2) Engine Guy to build intake/exhaust/ECM mods
3) Chassis/Suspension Guy to design and build the suspension and spaceframe
4) Financier/Sponsor
5) Stylist
6) Fibreglass Specialist to build the body
7) Financier/Sponsor
8) Interior Trim - can be done by the body shop
9) Electrical Guy to build the loom for wiring

And, in case I forgot to mention, we need a Financier/Sponsor to pump in atleast 5-6 lakhs to build the proto- If we use Gujri parts then the figure comes down to less than 2 lakhs.....


Ananth

[Mpower]

Originally Posted by ananthkamath

3) Chassis/Suspension Guy to design and build the suspension

I can help out with the spaceframe and the suspension. I have some experience with FSAE on frames and and I design suspensions for a living. Got the CAD tools as well.