NEW DELHI: For thousands of Indian auto enthusiasts, this is the closest thing to petrol-head heaven. Car-modification experts are working overtime to cut costs. And by the look of things they have it all figured out. No, you still don’t get a gull-winged coupe for the price of a Maruti 800. But double that amount and you might be able to snap up a souped-up BMW or Mercedes.
For Indian automobile buffs, modification has always been expensive. But not anymore. Now for anything between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 6 lakh, modification gurus are only too happy to build you a spanking new custom-made hot rod - cost of car included. And less money doesn’t necessarily mean less of a car. A beaming Beamer or a snotty Merc - that’s what you get.
Earlier, it was almost impossible to get a customised Merc or Beamer at this price. But now due to the slowdown in business, car studios have found out a way to work around the problem. And customers are happy too. Who doesn’t want to be seen in a Merc or a Beamer? And if it comes at a fraction of the cost of a new vehicle, customers feel that they have hit the jackpot.
“First, let us get new cars out of the way,” says Arush Vohra owner of Autopsyche, a Delhi-based car studio. By new cars, he means favourites such as the Honda Accord, Skoda RS and the ever-popular Honda Civic. “New cars cost money. Instead, we spend around Rs 2.5 lakh and pick up old BMWs and Mercedes from the used-car market,” he reveals. “These cars don’t require any major overhauling since their build quality is excellent, and mechanically they are well-suited to Indian conditions.” According to Vohra, Autopsyche has modified a good number of BMWs and Mercs till now.
Source: Economic times
For Indian automobile buffs, modification has always been expensive. But not anymore. Now for anything between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 6 lakh, modification gurus are only too happy to build you a spanking new custom-made hot rod - cost of car included. And less money doesn’t necessarily mean less of a car. A beaming Beamer or a snotty Merc - that’s what you get.
Earlier, it was almost impossible to get a customised Merc or Beamer at this price. But now due to the slowdown in business, car studios have found out a way to work around the problem. And customers are happy too. Who doesn’t want to be seen in a Merc or a Beamer? And if it comes at a fraction of the cost of a new vehicle, customers feel that they have hit the jackpot.
“First, let us get new cars out of the way,” says Arush Vohra owner of Autopsyche, a Delhi-based car studio. By new cars, he means favourites such as the Honda Accord, Skoda RS and the ever-popular Honda Civic. “New cars cost money. Instead, we spend around Rs 2.5 lakh and pick up old BMWs and Mercedes from the used-car market,” he reveals. “These cars don’t require any major overhauling since their build quality is excellent, and mechanically they are well-suited to Indian conditions.” According to Vohra, Autopsyche has modified a good number of BMWs and Mercs till now.
Source: Economic times
