$3,000 Tata Nano Car Coming To US

walterbyrd writes "The Nano is currently powered by a 37 hp two-cylinder engine and lacks common safety features such as power steering, traction control and airbags. It was originally designed to compete in the Indian market against scooters and motorcycles. . . Along with added safety equipment, it's likely the car will get a larger, less polluting engine for export markets. Unfortunately, that means the price will increase, as well, possibly tripling by the time it goes on sale in the U.S.."

Comments

Good

[Billly Gates]

Poor people could use a new car. Too many who are making $17,000 a year working 2 jobs end up with cars that cost 50% of their paycheck just in maintaince and have to go hungry half the time if something goes wrong.

There are many walmart workers where this would be perfect and are not fortunate like the poor in Europe or other first world countries.

Re:Good

[Anonymous Coward]

Poor people could use a new car. Too many who are making $17,000 a year working 2 jobs end up with cars that cost 50% of their paycheck just in maintaince and have to go hungry half the time if something goes wrong.

There are many walmart workers where this would be perfect and are not fortunate like the poor in Europe or other first world countries.

There used to be this option known as "buying a used car," but the Lords here in the USA have ensured there is no supply of used cars in reach of their serfs^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hpoor people's spending power.

The Lords' program was called "Cash for Clunkers," and it took ~700,000 used cars off the market by literally destroying the engines intentionally (by pouring some powder directly into the engine and running it until died).

Cheap = shit

[AmiMoJo]

The reason it's cheap is because it's shit. Not just performance wise, this thing is made of incredibly thin sheets of metal that buckle when you apply slight pressure to them with your hand. It is basically a very slightly less unsafe scooter, or possible more unsafe because at least scooter riders realize how vulnerable they are and sometimes wear a helmet.

Re:Cheap = shit

[blue_teeth]

Hola, Hello,

I presume Sir, you own & drive (fully paid) a Mercedes Benz G-Class SUV.  Else, you are just acting like a silly woman bragging on handbags.

I am in India and drive a large Japanese SUV.  Even I was curious on these Tata Nano contraptions.  Drove one out of curiosity.  It feels and drives like a car.  In urban traffic, it is perfectly capable of moving 4 normal sized adult individuals.  I repeat urban India.  Unless someone is driving a military tank, I do not see a Tata Nano getting totalled.  It's a small car capable of transporting 4 normal size people in a civilized way.

PS:  I am still interested in your theory: Expensive = Golden Shit

BT

Re:Sorry guys...

[suutar]

I dunno. I like the trikes I've seen; if they added a windshell that would keep the rain off, I'd put it high on my list for my next car.

Lower insurance on Category L7e "Quadricycle" cars

[lkcl]

there's a strange fact that people have missed, here: in France, Category L7e cars (350kg, under 20HP) actually have *less* accidents, and so the insurance is lower. the reason why, i believe, is that these cars are so underpowered and, despite passing crash tests with flying colours they "look" unsafe, that both the drivers themselves and also other road users treat them with much more caution.

if, for example, you have a large vehicle that can do 0-60 in 9 seconds, and you are behind a small vehicle that can do 0-60 in 30, the rate of acceleration is so much what you are not used to that you would immediately realise, just from the look of the other car, that the driver in front of you is not "putting it on": his car *really* can't accelerate any quicker. automatically, you've just adjusted, slowed down, and will now be paying attention.

increased attention means increased awareness. increased awareness means less accidents.

so, far from being "unsafer", these Category L7e "micro-cars", apart from having insane fuel economy (100mpg is not uncommon) actually create a "sea of cautious respect" around them. this could be so much horse-shit speculation, but the insurance statistics speak for themselves.