Superminis Versus the $10K worth Tata Nano

[basti08]

Remember the World's most affordable car from India? The Tata Nano?



The Suzuki Alto cost about 400K, Hyundai Getz at 488K, Picanto at 500K and Spark at 495K. Even the chinese QQ cost more at its cheapest 308 trim at 319K. Now, the $2500 (+/-100-120K pesos)Nano seems to be an underdog when compared to these mini cars. Now what can you do to spec up the li'l cheap Nano while not exceeding the price of its rivals?

$10,686 =PhP 449,880.60 (at 42.10pesos=$1)

Now, this is when Car and Driver decided to put a V8 from the Corvette LS engine family in the diminutive Tata Nano

V-8 Tata Nano

Base price: $10,686

There are great ideas, and then there are seemingly-great ideas forged in the depths of an alternate, alcohol-fueled reality where putting large engines in anything with wheels is the best idea, ever. This is how V-8–powered barstools happen.

Marxists rejoiced at the unveiling of the Tata Nano. It is a rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive, five-person vehicle that will be sold for $2500. Anything with rear-wheel drive, with the exception of perhaps a Chevy Chevette, makes gearheads think impure thoughts.

Being American, our machinations start and end with a big, nasty V-8. Of course there exists no greater temptation than the LS7, that enchanted aluminum and titanium dynamo spiriting forth the Corvette Z06. But let us, instead, lead you in building a viable V-8 Nano death—er, fun trap using the more ubiquitous LS4.

First, buy a $2500 Nano and have it shipped from India in a container shared with incense and remarkably low-quality open-end wrenches. Next, purchase a rear-ended 2005-2008 Chevrolet Impala SS, Monte Carlo SS, or Pontiac Grand Prix GXP. You can also buy a 5.3-liter LS4 V-8 engine, transmission, wiring harness and subframe separately; we found a complete powertrain with only 17,000 miles on eBay for $3750.

Order pizza and Chinese takeout and pick up a pony keg. Drink half the pony keg, then drop the Nano’s powertrain and save it for your next Darwin Award entry (a Nano-powered skateboard?). Use a Sawzall to create an LS4-sized hole in the rear floorpan. Finish the pony keg, and fabricate a 10-point NHRA-legal roll cage with integral pickup points for the LS4’s subframe. Refer as necessary to the scale model you built with chopsticks and pizza boxes. The powertrain should bolt right in. Hold onto the empty pony keg—that’ll be reused as the gas tank.

Fire it up, barking like Tim Allen above the din of open headers. Sober up and do a large burnout. Install a nitrous-oxide kit; the V-8 is now producing roughly 13 times the horsepower of a stock Nano. Do a bigger burnout. Use the remaining $9000 or so to purchase a life insurance policy, and enjoy your $20K worth of fun.

Parts List:

Tata Nano: $2500
Shipping: $1000
LS4 powertrain (with shipping): $4750
Welder: $360
Metal and stuff: $700
Beer (pony keg): $37
Hydrogen peroxide and Band-Aids: $4.87
Epoxy and Loctite: $223.46 (you’ll need a lot)
Change for swear jar $482.12
125-horsepower nitrous-oxide kit: $624.39
Dashboard Jesus: $3.98
Subtotal: $10,685.82
Life Insurance policy: $9314.17
Total: $19,999.99

Now, a proper supermini competitor from Tata.

[redorange]

Damn! That's even better than the 2 door Ford Festiva/Kia Pride that had a Ford 302ci(5.0L) V8 in the back that was done in the late 80's early 90's.

[scharnhorst]

parang joke lang to a. I wonder what the performance figures are.

Mas matindi pa ata to kesa yung smart na may hayabusa motor

[drey]

scharnhorst,

Matindi yan sa head-on crash.

[ghosthunter]

actually. if you think about it, fitting a V8 complete with tranny would set the motor where the fours seats are right now. So unless you will be controlling the car via radio control, I doubt it if you will be sitting inside it.

[redorange]

The engine is where the two rear seats are located and a firewall is fabricated to separate the two passengers in front from the engine. The car is rear engine rear drive. Here is a vid from Jay Leno's garage of a Festiva/Pride 2 door witha V6 called SHOgun, another company did conversions for a V8. It is possible to do with enough money.

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[pup2]

Naisip ko nga yun eh. Ang laki laki ng V8 eh, tsaka di lang yata engine ang papalitan dun ... tranny, suspension (mas mabigat eh), brakes (mas mabilis na mas mabigat pa), ... might as well get a ... V8!

[basti08]

about Jay Leno's Festiva, Ford's Yamaha built Taurus SHO V6 engine ata ang ginamit dun.