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-   -   Test Driving a San Storm (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/73293-test-driving-san-storm.html)

Today I drove a Ferrari red San Storm with black alloys (alloys are OE and look beautiful).The letters F E R R A R I (too large to ignore)were pasted in a sticker on its rear. There was no San Storm logo and those not in the know may have mistaken it for a Ferrari! :uncontrol In fact, many young bikers were trying to speed up and keep pace with me on this car to have a "dekho".Mobile camera clicks became usual.Mistaking a small, poorly finished , fibre bodied car for a Ferrari maybe? clap:The car was about 2 years old but in ship shape.

San Storm is powered by a 4 cyl Renault 1149cc/58.5bhp/9kgm petrol engine and weighs 820Kg. The soft-top is quite usable and not much of a bother to put on. The car had a company fitted AC and the door glasses upped with the sun-roof put on can facilitate the AC to be turned on for the comfy and dust free feel.The music system was an after-market add-on.

To start with the black dash plastics are not so slick and not also the interiors and even the exterior fit'n finish levels.But have to concur that the car is quite cute and surely a traffic stopper, be it any Indian city.The yellow dialled dash meters are quite well laid out for reference and are quite slick. The round horn button at the centre of the three spoked chrome steering wheel reminded me about the Austin 8 of 1940's vintage, that too has a similar horn layout. Older jeeps too have such a horn button layout. The wheel as such is quite cushy and nice to hold and of a small diameter to match up with the sports car image.The horn button of my Landmaster of 1955 vintage is also better with access from many angles.

The test drive- The gearbox (not aware if it is to Renault made)is not at all slick. Engaging the reverse gear was troublesome.You just do not know which gear is being engaged while on the move unless you are used to.Other than the first, all other gears are accessible with difficulty.The car moved 40kmph with the second gear engaged, but the high RPM prompted me to shift to the third. The engine when strained makes a typical Tak tak kind of noise-i.e. when its a higher gear with a lower speed. It has five gears.The top speed is 141kmph but I never could exceed 70kmph in the city traffic.The engine is very, very peppy.Cars following me were left behind and became smaller on the OVRM.Once behind the wheel the engine pampers you and begs for more pedal press.I simply liked the engine thats so free revving and spoils you.The gear box spoils the party. I was however appalled as its output was a mere 58.5 bhp. Thats too low for a 1149cc engine fitted to a SPORTS CAR.
The two front seats have comfortable leg space but the rear bench seat is only OK for kids or men and women of short stature.

Our own Indica Xeta with the 1193 cc engine delivers 64bhp/10.2kgm and the Vista with the Fiat petrol 1172 cc engine delivers 65bhp/9.8kgm.And these are not sports cars!

Verdict: A wonderful effort by the car maker but has a tremendous scope for improvement.The car if appropriately priced at Rs 4.5-5L (now costs about 5.9L) and improved can create a true niche market especially for youngsters who seem to like it for what it is!!

Will post pictures soon.

Forgot to mention that the car has manually operated window glasses with a quarter glasses too on its only doors.Again the quarter glass on the front is vintage and even Premier Automobiles discontinued it in 1987 due to car breakers getting in, using this conveniently.

Hey Anjan, Did you get some pictures. The last road test / review I remembered, has images with a very poorily finished paintjob,..and overall fit and finish.

Have they improved.

Another technical question. Since the body is made of FRP,..how do they mount the drive train,.....Hmm!? I guess the same question would apply to the chevy corvette as well (being the only other FRP car body I know)

We do have a very happy San Storm owner at TBHP. Your review is similar to what he has to say about his owernship updates. Sad that they didnt provide a better engine and marketing was bad.

From the ownership review, it seems maintaining and procuring parts is easy though.

Yes true, procuring parts is easy but there should be a dealer in your city.

The pictures are here.The fit and finish are OK but not at par with the classy cars rolling out of our showrooms.Sure it needs improvement!
I did not open the bonnet but will soon let you know about the drive train/engine mounting. The FRP body is quite tough. Remember those Sipani Dolphins which to had FRP bodies but were too fragile and the body sheet was only a bit tougher than the Bajaj Sunny. But this one's FRP quality (San Storm) is too good!

Some more pictures of the car!









The soft-top

The rear bench seat

Thats good insight into the car. Though I am interested in having a peek at this car, I have never managed to locate in Chennai ever. Has anyone sighted this car in Chennai?

A link to mine and Dippy's testdrive of the car : Here.

I beg to differ on the San Storm. Its price is 6.5 lakhs on the road, and performance pretty lacklustre for a "sporty" car. Even a Zen MPFi or Palio 1.6 will leave the Storm for dead. We had driven a new car and the fit, finish and build quality were pathetic. An Ambassador's quality of construction felt more modern.

The pictures are so hideous, it makes one wonder why would anyone buy a contraption like this for even 2 lakh!

Certainly a car costing upwards of 6lacs should have decent if not contemporary interiors. The controls look so tacky and I believe its better to drive with the soft top on, lest others notice the poor folded soft top.:eek:

We also have an ownership review of the San Storm. FYI.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...san-storm.html

What I dont understand is how the company manages to survive.

How many have they sold in 2009??

Thats quite true. Maybe it gets its balance sheets with negative points and the show ends sooner or later.The liquidator's hammer may be looming large over the company.
In fact I am seeing more Revas these days on the roads (Bangalore roads have some ).But San Storms are too rare to be spotted.

it doesn't mean a car with Bigger bore and higher horsepower is a sports car. u cannot utilize those power when u cannot handle car at very high speed or high speed corners.
a factory out sports car or custom made sports car can sustain, high speed vibrations using racing suspensions, body design helps in down force and aerodynamic, Ceramic or specially treated disk brakes gives out the effectiveness by reducing the heat, strut braces helps in high speed corners, steering technology and positioning also matters, there are many more things other than parts which helps to gain HP like Headers, synchromesh Short ratio gearbox, Free Flow exhaust, cold air intake, Turbo, Spark plugs, bigger Bore manifold and carburettors, high lift Cam, over boring, Programmed ECU. in commuter cars u see a hight bore engine with FI helps to produce more HP thats it.

OMG! Why would some one buy this car? It looks pathetic, Specially the quality of the softtop and its fit and finish is no batter than a plastic carry bag. Till date, Neither me nor my friends spotted a storm in AP.