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World's Cheapest Car £1,300

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7431881.stm

It's both good and bad news - good for consumers and safer then seeing an entire family of 3 to 5 on a motorbike - but also potentially bad news for the environment with millions more in a country of 1 Billion people being able to afford a car.

Pretty amazing I think though for the price.

10tata.jpg

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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It depends on whether existing car owners go for them too. There's been a steady move towards luxury and much bigger cars in the past 20 years that's almost negated any increase in engine efficiancy. What are the fuel efficiancy stats for this car? I think us in the west need to make it commercially viable for our manufacturers to pump money into these new engine technologies and then export them to countries like India.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    J wrote: »
    People need to boost their ego...

    And support their fat arse. :p
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If there was a car you could buy NEW in the UK for £1300 I think it would be a massive hit.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ShyBoy wrote: »
    If there was a car you could buy NEW in the UK for £1300 I think it would be a massive hit.

    If that Tata Nano was £1,300 and electric I'd buy one - no congestion charges, no 80% fuel tax, etc.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    They could have made it look a bit better, looks like we're going to have a crisis of grannies rushing to buy cars
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    it doesn't really matter if oil keeps going up $10 a day, noone will be able to afford to run the damn things anymore. asian governments won't be able to subisidise prices forever and i think car ownership will become a luxury item in places like india and china before long.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It's ugly though - i'd rather buy a better looking used car for cheaper
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Buying a car for £1300 will be analogous to getting a computer system in Tesco for £299. You get what you pay for.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think I'd rather walk than drive that thing.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Monserrat wrote: »
    Buying a car for £1300 will be analogous to getting a computer system in Tesco for £299. You get what you pay for.


    That statement makes little or no sense and misses the point entirely
    Virus wrote: »
    They could have made it look a bit better, looks like we're going to have a crisis of grannies rushing to buy cars
    Ballerina wrote: »
    It's ugly though - i'd rather buy a better looking used car for cheaper
    Kiezo wrote: »
    I think I'd rather walk than drive that thing.

    The issue is about people's freedom of movement -

    At less then half the price of the next car the Nano brings the potential of freedom of movement to a whole new group of people - potentially millions more people.

    A lot of people here are talking about cars as if they're status symbols and totally missing the point.
    • How will this impact the environment?
    • Will greater freedom of movement lead to people seeking work further from their homes?
    • What are the implications on society in a country where an estimated 100,000 people are killed on the roads each year and another 2 million are estimated to be injured?

    It would be nice if some people can think a little deeper about the issue ... so far I'm pretty disappointed with the rather shallow comments ... This was posted in the debate section after all - not anything goes
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    "You want to give mobility to all," said Anumita Roychowdhury of the Centre for Science and Environment. "And cars can never give mobility to all in Indian cities."
    "You just do not have the space in Indian cities where you can motorise and meet the needs of everyone. There's a big equity issue here."

    :yes:
    At less then half the price of the next car the Nano brings the potential of freedom of movement to a whole new group of people - potentially millions more people.

    In a country of over a billion - with large (and growing) sections of the population concentrated into cities with an already struggling infrastructure - I'd be stunned if anybody (lacking vested interests) could possibly see this car as a positive development. In a country of over a billion people - making a car affordable to a far greater proportion of the population than any previous car, equates to a potential for enormous profit.

    The population density within cities is increasing. The price of oil is increasing - and supplies of oil are rapidly running out. Unless we want a future of congested, polluted cities where entire sections of the population cannot afford to travel, in the developed (and developing) world - there needs to be enormous investment in much greater public transport infrastructure... perhaps some of this investment should be paid for by those providing short term 'solutions' in search of profit? i.e. Tata
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'd prefer a smart car over that thing,

    When it hits the UK it wont cost £1,300. Lots of work will have to be done to bring it up to euro ncap standards, It doesn't even have airbags!.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Plenty of cars don't have airbags. A lot of supercars don't.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Plenty of cars don't have airbags. A lot of supercars don't.

    I think you'll find it hard to find a new car today that doesnt come with airbags, anyway Tata motors have already said they'll only bring the car to europe if it gets a high ncap rating (4star or higher) which means they will put airbags and other safety gear in, which will bump the price up. It woulden't suprise me if this car RRP'd for £4500k+ including the obligatory rip off britain tax :)
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The Lotus Elise. You can get them as an optional extra, but they're £2k each.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i think the car is ugly i would rather walk then drive that, even if it is cheap!
    but more to the point are they mad selling a car as cheap as this? everyone will want one and its not going to be good for global warming and the environment - if im right? all the pollution etc.. shouldnt the asian government be thinking of trying to stop pollution as asia is quite heavily popullated which will mean a high demand for a car this cheap.
    and as some one has mentioned owning a car will soon be a luxery item due to fuel prices increasing so is this the car companys way of breaking even with making consumers forget that fuel is going to cost an arm and leg? - not literally but you know what i mean?
    my firslt car cost £1300 and it was quite old but it looked better then the tata car..
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    So what you're saying si that it is ok for rich people to increase global warming and piss around in cars, but poorer people- no how dare they?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    katralla wrote: »
    So what you're saying si that it is ok for rich people to increase global warming and piss around in cars, but poorer people- no how dare they?

    More cars in overcrowded and already polluted cities is not a good thing... More affordable cars means more congestion, poor quality and an increase in carbon dioxide emissions. In the long run cars in urban areas (should) have only a very limited role... Cities need better, more extensive and affordable public transport networks, not £1,300 cars.
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    Teh_GerbilTeh_Gerbil Posts: 13,332 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
    OH GOD THATS UGLY.

    Also, second hand Rover 800 for £600 12 months T&T? I know what I'd take, especially is the Rover was V8 (and I could afford the petrols to put in it). Even for that Rover V8 engine alone...

    But seriously... second hand is better than that. LOOK AT IT. If it wasn't so ugly, yeah. But man. UGH. If you want to make a cheap car for starter drivers... make it look at least decent.

    Also yeah, cars are getting bigger and more luxurious. Maybe oneday Muscle Cars will return though. Stuff you luxury and aerodynamics. RAW POWER.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    second hand cars are one of the cheapest item relatively to what they should be

    only a mug, or someone too wealthy buys a new car
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