[gauravdgr8]

I was overtaken by a Nano a week back on the Delhi - Chandigarh highway. I was in my Vista doing a 90.

Both, my friend and myself were amazed at how cleanly the car overtook us.

Well safety is another aspect which surely one needs to keep in mind at those speeds.

[honeybee]

I have been wondering: why is this thread about a Nano doing triple-digit speeds?

most of the learned members here acknowledge that doing those speeds even in other cars would be ridiculous.

So is it the hurt egos that a 2.5 lakh car can actually keep up with the other cars costing a few times more?

Is it that while a M 800 or an Omni could do 100 + without raising eyebrows, but the moment a Nano does it, it's suddenly a dangerous game? Even when we have no evidence to back it?

[nishantdlv]

Originally Posted by honeybee

I have been wondering: why is this thread about a Nano doing triple-digit speeds?

most of the learned members here acknowledge that doing those speeds even in other cars would be ridiculous.

Second that. Cars like Omni, M800, Alto800 should also fall in the same category.

Originally Posted by honeybee

So is it the hurt egos that a 2.5 lakh car can actually keep up with the other cars costing a few times more?

Is it that while a M 800 or an Omni could do 100 + without raising eyebrows, but the moment a Nano does it, it's suddenly a dangerous game? Even when we have no evidence to back it?

IMO, even when a M800 or an Omni does 100+, it does raise eyebrows. The safety remains the main concern, more because there are many other aspects other than the capabilities of these cars.
-As mentioned earlier, these cars are lighter in weight and situations like at high speeds a bus going past or crosswinds may make things bad in terms of handling.
-Also, these cars have comparatively smaller engines with smaller capacity and attaining 100+ does take some effort. I'm not questioning the capability of these cars to attain such speeds, but its definitely not easy as compared to the cars with slightly bigger engines. Even an Estilo starts to roar past 105-110 being in the top gear, imagine the strain on smaller engines. It does take a toll on the internals.

EDIT: The manufacturers do test the cars rigorously to its limits before selling them to the masses. This is what Tata has done, tested the Nano to its limits, and limited it to 105kmph.

[honeybee]

But why pick on the Nano so much?

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by honeybee

But why pick on the Nano so much?

Exactly buddy.

Why are all jumping guns on a poor Nano, the driver is risking his ad others life driving that way!

The Nano is pure city car for local commute and not for 0-100 kmh test or high-speed driving!

I am still thinking why is this thread created and for what is this discussion going on, 5 long pages! Wow!

Anurag.

[honeybee]

Someone sees a Nano doing 100 kmph and now all Nano drivers are maniacs out to kill themselves & others?

If this is the general theme, then I guess there's nothing more to add.

[Bops]

I'm amazed how such a tiny engine could do speeds of 100+ KMPH, but if something goes wrong at that speed it could be disastrous.

[Car-go-man]

To me it doesn't surprise someone trying to drive Nano at 100+ when I see Honda Activas being driven at 80+ on city roads by female drivers. In fact on a highway, I saw more than one Activa overtake me (when my car was doing a steady 80 kmph) on the Bangalore-Tumkur road.

My uncle who used to drive a '72 Amby ridicules me when I tell him I don't exceed 100 on my Wagon r for safety reasons while he believes that 120 shouldn't be a problem at all.

I (like other BHPiians) would discourage such abuse of a vehicle. It's OK to speed as long as you have a racing machine and you are on a race track. In all other instances, Caution is better.

Quoting a sign at the Silk Board junction in Bangalore issued by Bangalore Traffic police in the interest of public safety-
"Slow down!! You don't have an appointment with God yet"

[sramven]

I am a nano owner for a period of 26 months and i have clocked 76500 KM. I take nano on highways regularly. I have taken Nano past 100 at times and that has been a rare sign of me losing patience. I drive between 70-80 and the engine is smooth and i get mileages north of 27KM/liter. Driving nano for long hours does not put much strain, it is fun to drive on highways especially if you know your limits.

Driving any car beyond 100 or at 100 is not advisable in our roads, be it nano or merc. The more the luck you have, safer you reach the destination when you travel beyond 100.

As far as reliability of Nano, i will vouch for nano anyday, having abused so much like a taxi taking all type of roads and doing 76000 KM under 3years. Tata have done a wonderful job with Nano. I am waiting for the AMT for the ladies in my home. I always wonder why people raise eye brows when it comes to Nano. Probably Tata marketed it so bad.

[suzuki san]

Hi Guys,
I have owned a Nano for the last 30 odd months.
Just to try it out I have pushed the car to its limits on a couple of occasions.
At 105Kmph the check engine light starts flashing and at 106Kmph the engine cuts out.
Take your foot off the accelerator and it cuts back in so no biggie.
The exact same thing happens if climbing a steep slope with 4 people and the AC on full.
I have overtaken several vehicles at speeds less than 105Kmph and the worst part is the "chase" or race that follows.
No one wants to be overtaken by a Nano. Not even an old 800 driver. It's an ego thing I guess. I now just let them pass - and overtake them again later..
I would say that IMHO 90Kmph would be a max safe speed in a Nano but having said that it all depends on the driver and car.
I have fitted broader tyres on my car to get better road grip and to be honest it never felt scary on those couple of times I touched 105Kmph.
I would say doing those speeds in my high roof van many, many years ago was more scary.

Regards,
SS

[pratyush6]

I have very frequently overtaken by a Nano on the NH209 while doing about a 90-100. I kind of always wondered is that safe? By the looks and specifications of it, looks slightly dangerous but I have never driven a Nano or a M800 or an Omni even close to 60, so I do not know how it feels like to go over a 100.

Maybe on straight roads and sparse traffic, might be all right but zigzagging Nano (which I keep running into) is a disaster waiting for happen. All the while, please not on Indian roads I believe, no car can safely be gunned to over a 100 for a longer period of time, and definitely not the ones which have poor aerodynamic shapes.

[jagzrk]

Being a Nano Driver myself and having driven at its full potential, I can surely say if Nano is a disaster to drive above hundred, so are all the A-segment hatches like M800, Altos, Santros, WagonR's, Eons. They all behave nearly the same at those speeds (having driven Alto and a WagonR). It(Nano) has a really good power to weight ratio and with a higher gear ratio it pulls better and faster till 60/70 kph.

I regularly used the Nano (25K kms in 18 months) including expressways, highways, off-roads, river streams, rocks and I can vouch for its stability.

No, its not safe above 100, scratch that, its not even safe above 80kph. But then none of the vehicles in small-hatch category are that safe with a very few exceptions (A-star was one of them).

Note: Views are strictly from personal experience, one frontal collision in nano @ 60kph with an overtaking i10 at blind turn in panchgani ghat for no fault of mine. One accident caused by sister by crashing Nano in to the divider @ 40 kph. Both accidents people walked out unscathed. (Seat-belts were worn). And the vehicle is back in original condition despite those accidents. I do love the Nano. Do not let the small car and Tata's foolish marketing fool you.

[humyum]

Nano I believe is a little safer than the 800 and the 800 used to be comfortable pottering around at 100 with 110 and 120 bursts too feeling okay, so why should a Nano be unsafe?

Nano although has drums all over, it does have a brake booster, which the 800 does not except for some models of the 5 speed MPFI one's which they launched.

800 does not pass any safety tests, Nano does.

Handling wise, Nano is like on similar terms with the 800.

Yesterday on the way to Lonavala in the afternoon, I saw a Nano on the Ghat section of the expressway and boy o boy, my turbo was working hard to even keep up with them on the slopes. Their short gearing and good low end made sure he was always in the band, while I had to wait for 2000 rpm all the time. Of course on a long slope with a straight, I would have him, but when we slowed down for some trucks or cars in between and had to re accelerate back, he would blow by.

Nano may not have a brilliant top speed, but till the 105 it goes, it goes like a missile with fantastic roll on figures.

[Chetan_Rao]

I don't know how anyone can take 'Nano is unsafe at triple-digit speeds on the highway' to mean 'Nano is a bad car' or think people are biased against it.

Nano is a fantastic car for what it's mean to be, a city runabout.

What it isn't meant to be is a highway cruiser. That it performs well enough on the highway isn't the point (credit to the car though), anything with wheels will get you from one point to another, safety notwithstanding. That our highways are full of unsafe cars like the 800 (and several other budget hatchbacks) and the deathtrap Omni (literally inches between the driver and the oncoming vehicle in case of a collision) is a testament to our safety standards (or lack thereof), not something to be proud of.

P.S. I drive a generation-old sedan that doesn't have ABS/Airbags and I feel unsafe in it even with my sedate driving style. I can't imagine what makes people take an Omni to the highway and drive it at 80-100 kmph.

P.P.S. The Nano is the top of our shopping list when it's time for us to get a car for my wife for city use. I'd prefer the power-steering and AMT version for ease-of-use. I'd still NEVER take it to the highway.

[Fx14]

An interesting thread. What it has brought out through the various posts is that the Nano is as capable or probably better than some other entry level cars priced more than it, on both performance and extant safety offered.

Of course, irrespective of the make / model, driving above 100 on our roads given the state of affairs prevalent, is always inviting trouble - picking only on the Nano may be unfair.

Some posts were highlighting models with airbags etc. Practical daily points observed where safety could be highly compromised even in cars with airbags (though many car users apparently are still unaware or ignore it):

• Using the mobile while driving (irrespective of the speed).
• Seat belts not worn - even Airbags are renderred useless in such cases - why make a noise of Nano not having airbags
• Air-fresheners / perfumes / small statues placed on AC vents / dashboard in close proximity of the passenger side Airbag - imagine if this becomes a projectile when the airbag does inflate and hits the passenger on the chest / head at the speed @ airbag inflates.

Rare specimens do install seat covers on seats with airbags

As an aside, how many who purchase the version with Airbags / ABS etc. do so because of safety norms or just because it is the top-end variant (ego / status symbol) is an eye-opener. Eg.- On querying a colleague on the SRS marking on the dashboard of his Honda City, he had no clue of what it was (some trademark maybe, was the reply) - needless to add, he is chaffeur-driven and prefers to sit in the rear always.