Chinkara 1.8S - Rubberneckin

The Chinkara finds its chromosomal roots in the iconic Lotus Super Seven, which turned out to be so popular that Lotus couldn't keep up with the demand. It sold off the Super Seven to Caterham Cars, which milked (and continues to do so to this day) the Super Seven by selling it to genuine automobile enthusiasts, fake automobile wannabes who wanted all the attention in the world, and really fake wannabe mechanics who wanted to assemble their own cars. It turned out to be an extremely profitable business. What with people all over UK dying to get a taste of the car that was 'too fast too race'. In certain cases, with outrageous power-to-weight ratios, Caterham Sevens really were. The model spawned off an entire society of Seven fans who created their own racing series, their own dedicated fan club, and their own TV channel. Ah, discount the last one there.

The Caterham's success must have been playing on Guido Bothe's mind as he worked day and night at his surfboard business in cold (and clinical and heartless) Germany. He drove a Porsche 911; nevertheless, he needed a vacation really badly. Off to India, then, and Guido landed in Alibaug on a hired Royal Enfield. Some mystical connection with Alibaug flared up, and Guido decided to settle down amongst warm and friendly Indians in tropical India. And build Caterham Seven-inspired Chinkaras for a living. Porsche 911 be damned.

That was your brief history lesson about India's only true-blue sportscar brand. Let's now look into what exactly goes into building a Chinkara. Whenever a Standard Herald dies, a Chinkara is born. Guido starts off using the chassis of an old Standard Herald as a blank canvas on which he proceeds to paint his vivid pictures. The tubular steel frame chassis is heavily modified and strengthened - so much so that it meets 2001-02 European safety norms for crashworthiness. The fibreglass body kit is then bolted on to the chassis using a special technique that Guido won't reveal - trade secret, you see. Well, whatever it is, the process is really special because it ensures that the panels are fixed absolutely perfectly. No matter how hard one drives the Chinkara, the body panels won't start off an idle chatter session with each other. For a vehicle that is practically handcrafted, build quality as well as finish are very good indeed. Fibreglass also ensures that the kerb weight of the Chinkara is kept to a lowly 620kg. That translates to a thunderous power-to-weight ratio of 187PS/tonne. No wonder the Chinkara will blast past 100km/h in a rapid 6.7 seconds and stay on the limit until it touches a very impressive 187km/h. Low weight also ensures that fuel consumption is kept on a tight leash. Enthusiastic driving will return close to 13 kilometres to a litre. Sedate, careful driving will…well, who buys the Chinkara for sedate driving anyway! Ventilated discs all around offer adequate stopping power, but it is the car itself that surprises with its stopping abilities. Crowd stopping, that is!

The Chinkara is a new way of looking at getting the 'fun' back into driving. Everything from the colour of the body to the colour of the interior to the position of the pedal to the reach-and-rake of the steering to the length and position of the gearlever to the configuration of the suspension components (phew!) is finalised based on what you are most comfortable with. It is much like a bespoke velvet glove. That goes really fast. Your very own Ferrari FXX for about Rs 7.4 lakh. Why not?

Reliability will always remain suspect with the Chinkara, though. You surely would think thrice before the 'receive-mom-in-law' sprint to the airport (even though the Chinkara would wreck havoc with ma-in-law's hair…some sight, that). Bugbears abound, no doubt, but instead of souring the driving experience, they only add a dash of lovable character to the entire package.

One of the last things that you learn as you are leaving Guido's multiple-utility-facility just outside Alibaug is that the Chinkara attempts to redefine the very concept of 'driving'. Sharp steering, stiff ride and an enthusiastic engine (discount the fact that the nerves in the backside suddenly come alive) all go into creating an experience that is enlightening (you can actually see the suspension doing its job) as well as enthralling.

Oh, and for the experience itself, no Nissan pick-up with any number of beanbags ever stands as much as a chance in hell, thank you!

Source: Car India April 2006.