Koenigsegg Agera India

Five hyper-cars that visited India but never stayed back

Though India sees a steady influx of super and sports cars (close to 40 examples of the Lamborghini Huracan have been sold in the country so far), it’s the hyper-cars that have always remained elusive. A bit of digging through the archives reveal that we’ve had some pretty special visitors over the years.

Ferrari LaFerrari

2015 Parx Super Car Show -LaFerrari

One of 499 ever made, a Rosso Corsa (red) LaFerrari blew some dust at the 2015 Parx Super Car rally in Mumbai. Indeed, it was the undoubted star of the show, its otherworldly appearance dropping collective Indian jaws. The hyper-car was reportedly bought into the country from Dubai by Gautam Singhania, Chairman and Managing Director, Raymond Limited and celebrity petrol-head. After its visit for the super-car extravagance, the car was shipped back to the Middle East, or wherever it came from. With over 960 bhp from its electrically assisted, 6.3-litre, naturally aspirated V12 engine, the LaFerrari sprints to 100 km/h from a standstill in less than 3 seconds, while 124mph arrives in less than 7 seconds. Top speed is an electronically-limited 218 mph, and the price –  in excess of £1million

Koenigsegg Agera

Koenigsegg Agera India (5)

Unlike the LaFerrari, this Swedish masterpiece was actually launched in India, way back in 2011, with prices starting from INR 12.5 crores (ex-showroom Delhi). The Koenigsegg, though marketed in India by Interglobe General Aviation, the same company associated with Indigo Airlines, never sold a single unit. It’s twin-turbocharged, 5.0-litre V8 was good for a LaFerrari rivalling 960 hp, while torque was rated at over 1000 Nm, allowing for an acceleration of 0 to 100 km/h in just 3 seconds. 200 km/h came up from a standstill in a pithy 8 seconds, and 0-200-0 km/h took a mere 13.5 seconds. These pictures are from New Delhi, where the Swedes gave a taste of the Agera on a closed road. The car, a demo vehicle, was later shipped back to Sweden. Since then, more qualified Koenigseggs have taken over, like the Agera S, the One:1 and the transmission-less Regera. (via IndianAutosBlog)

Buggati Veyron 16.4

Bugatti Veyron in India (3)

The Buggati Veyron needs no introduction, even though it has now been eclipsed by its successor – the 1500 bhp Chiron mega-car. Still one of the fastest and poshest cars on the planet, the Buggati Veyron was also launched in India in 2010 by Exclusive Motors with prices starting from INR 16 Crores, but never managed to shift a single unit. A demo car with French plates had come down to India, and that was all. After touring the country seeking potential customers, and of course, posing for photographs, the sole Buggati Veyron to grace Indian roads bid farewell to the nation. With over 1000 hp from its 16-cylinder engine, a 0 to 100 km/hr time of 2.7 seconds and a top speed of more than 400 km/h, the Veyron 16.4 is considered to be the ultimate super sports car. SuperSport editions which came out later cranked out over 1200 hp, and maxed out at a speeds in excess of 430 km/h. (via Automobili Ardent)

Porsche Carrera GT

Porsche Carrera Gt India (5)

One of Porsche’s (and the world’s) finest super cars, the Carrera GT was in Mumbai for a brief while. A red example had been flown down from Germany in 2007 for the opening ceremony of the erstwhile Porsche Centre in Peddar Road, Mumbai, before being shipped back. More than 1200 examples of the Carrera GT were produced from 2004–2007, and featured a ‎5.7-litre, naturally aspirated V10 engine clubbed to a ‎6-speed manual transmission. Porsche claimed that the car would accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.5 seconds with a maximum speed of 330 km/h. It is also widely considered to be one of the hairiest modern super cars to drive, and was also the vehicle that celebrity actor Paul Walker and his friend Roger Rodas tragically ended their lives in after a fatal crash.

Aston Martin One-77

Aston Martin One 77 India

The One-77 hypercar was revealed at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, and retailed for £1,150,000 a pop, making it the most expensive Aston Martin to have ever gone on sale. All we know that the very same prototype from Paris, a metallic blue mockup and rolling chassis without its 7.3 litre, 750 hp power-train, had made its way into India. The mockup was displayed when the British luxury brand had launched itself in the country. It even graced the floors of the Aston Martin Mumbai showroom at Kemp’s Corner for some time, before disappearing altogether. There was a limited run of 77 cars, thus the name, and it did 0-100 km/h in a mere 3.5 seconds, before going on to hit a dizzying 350 km/h+.

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