Bajaj RE60 - a low cost car from India

**donbuggy** · January 4th, 2012 11:12 PM

Introducing Bajaj Auto's Brand New...Car? - NYTimes.com

January 3, 2012, 9:15 am

Introducing Bajaj Auto’s Brand New…Car?
By VIKAS BAJAJ and SRUTHI GOTTIPATI

Bajaj said the RE60, fitted with a one-cylinder, 200 cc engine, would deliver 35 kilometers per liter, or 82 miles per gallon, and have a top speed of 70 kilometers per hour, or 43 miles per hour.

**niky** · January 5th, 2012 10:47 AM

I wonder... if a 250cc Chinese car is already unbearably slow... how bad will this be?

I was going to post this sana... I think architect would be very interested, as it's similar in principle to what he wants to make.

**uls** · January 5th, 2012 11:46 AM

it's gonna flop like the Tata Nano

**niky** · January 5th, 2012 03:23 PM

Originally Posted by uls

it's gonna flop like the Tata Nano

That's what industry observers in India are predicting...

**cripple_rooster** · January 7th, 2012 04:32 PM

Originally Posted by niky

I wonder... if a 250cc Chinese car is already unbearably slow... how bad will this be?

It's supposed to achieve 70kmph. But I wouldn't actually call it a car, it's more like an European "qualified quadricycle". Intended basically to replace those tuk-tuk tricycles widely used in India...

**donbuggy** · January 8th, 2012 06:51 PM

Import the RE60 engine, transmission, drivetrain and suspension, install these in a locally made body and we have a low cost taxi to replace tricycles.

**niky** · January 9th, 2012 12:39 PM

I think that's what people are trying to do now, anyway... build cars with motorcycle drivetrains (quadricycle) or golf cart drivetrains (electric quadricycles)... but with locally made bodies or body panels.

**uls** · January 9th, 2012 12:56 PM

hehe

dati ko pa sinasabi pinoys can only make automobile bodies (and not very pretty)

nasaan na yung sinasabing pinoy made engine?

give up?

bili nalang sa ibang bansa no?

**cripple_rooster** · January 30th, 2012 01:24 PM

Originally Posted by niky

I think that's what people are trying to do now, anyway... build cars with motorcycle drivetrains (quadricycle) or golf cart drivetrains (electric quadricycles)... but with locally made bodies or body panels.

That's not a bad idea at all.

**niky** · January 30th, 2012 01:38 PM

We already have some groups who do this, but nobody has dedicated enough engineering and business knowhow to cars to make such projects attractive to outsiders. Well... maybe the Michel Gitano would change that, but unfortunately, it will be built in the UK. A smart move, as that's where the primary market is.

Originally Posted by uls

hehe

dati ko pa sinasabi pinoys can only make automobile bodies (and not very pretty)

nasaan na yung sinasabing pinoy made engine?

give up?

bili nalang sa ibang bansa no?

Looking back at when this comment was made... I remember we were talking about the Michel Gitano around the same time, and that was a very pretty body.

I've seen local designs that are very good, too.

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As for the engine... why bother making it locally? We do have the engineering know-how to get it done, but what's the point? Why spend the billions of pesos needed to engineer and produce a new automotive engine when the market is too small to justify the investment? Just buy something from someone else. That's what 100% of the small time makers who don't charge a million dollars a car do. And even some of those who do charge nearly a million dollars a car just buy the engine from someone else.