Are you one of those who like me, longs to own and drive a sports car? Not a sporty hatch, but a real sports car that you could pretend (with a little imagination) was a Le Mans contender? Well, today, you can go out and buy one ? more than one in fact, as there’s quite a range out there. Want a Porsche? Get a 911 Carrera for Rs 61 lakh, or a 911 Carrera S Cabriolet for Rs 78 lakh. A Cayman can be yours for Rs 52 lakh while a Boxster S (the poor man’s Porsche) is only Rs 47 lakh. A brand new Mercedes SL500 could be yours for upwards of Rs 90 lakh. An SLK is a bit less at Rs 60 lakh. Going cheaper? How about an Audi TT with a turbo-charged 1.8-litre engine for Rs 32 lakh?

Now besides the fact that the aforementioned are all sports cars, there’s another thing that they have in common ? their heart-stopping premium price tags. This puts them out of reach for Tom, Dick and Hari ? something which frustrated Milind Thakkar of Bangalore-based SAN Engineering and Locomotive Ltd. so much that he decided to do something about it. The result: the SAN Storm.

SAN Motors is a subsidiary of SAN Engineering, and is behind the convertible. The Storm was not born in somebody’s garage via a trial and error method. It’s actually been designed in France by the Le Mans Design Group, a firm based in Le Mans not far away from the Le Mans track. The three main people behind the project are Gerard Godfroy, Philippe Belou and Christophe Bhir.

Godfroy penned the lines of the car and he is well qualified to do so having designed the Venturi and several Le Mans racers including the Rondeau. Phillipe Belou is a world level go-karting champion while Bhir has built and prototyped several Le Man race cars. So when it comes to designing a sports car specifically for India, the trio certainly knows its onions.

The Storm that I drove was courtesy the dealer for North India, P&P, and actually marks the relaunching of the car and company. The Storm made its first appearance at the Auto Expo in 1998 as the topless Streak, with Storm being the name for the two-door coupe. Production, handling and yes, ego issues too, resulted in the car having a long gestation period. It took four years to sort out the car along with a change in name. Now, the Storm is back with a number of aesthetic changes that include alterations to the interior, the headlights and alloy wheel rims. Currently the FRP body is manufactured in Bangalore and the complete car emerges from a factory in Goa where it gets assembled.

The first thing one notices about the car is how compact it is. And one word springs to mind immediately ? cute. No, there is nothing wrong with calling a sports car cute ? remember the Suzuki Cappucino and the Daihatsu Copen? At 3515mm long and 1515mm wide, the Storm does not take up much road space. The styling is quite French, with the clear lens headlights taking a cue from the timeless Citroen DS.

Getting in and out is a breeze. So without much ado, I get in. I prefer the topless look and feel, so I first unfasten two catches and then put the roof down. It takes a bit of getting used to. It’s a bit different ? the leg space area had looked cramped in terms of width from outside but once in, is not a problem at all.

In front of me is a three-spoke steering wheel in red and black leather. In fact, this car is built around components commonly found in the Indian automotive market, so spares are easily available.

Beyond the steering wheel, the instrument cluster has a fresh and simple look about it ? a speedometer and a tachometer with two warning gauges on either side for fuel and engine temperature. To my left is a short gear lever and handbrake. The centre console, which dominates the fascia, has the AC vents on top, a panel for fitting a music system, the AC controls and switchgear for the headlights and the power windows.

As I sit there looking around me, I realise that I am sitting within a cocoon of FRP ? fibre reinforced plastic, the stuff they make helmets out of. The doors, the boot, the panels and the bonnet are all made out of FRP. Behind me is a bench masquerading as a seat ? the only people sitting there would be children, but they’d probably be more comfortable in the boot. Jokes apart, the boot has some space ? enough for a couple of duffel bags.

Under the bonnet is a Renault D7F-MPFI petrol engine. This inline-four displaces 1149cc and develops 60bhp of power and 93Nm of torque. The transmission is again from Renault, a 5F-1R synchromesh unit. The steering is the rack and pinion type, which is on par for sports cars in general.

I tried to storm over the stretch of road between Gurgaon and Faridabad, but the lack of power showed. Oh, the engine revs happily and ensures the Storm is no slouch ? it pulls strongly in the midrange ? but I’d have been happier with about 30-40bhp more. The Storm weighs 820kg and that’s quite a bit for a 60bhp, 93Nm engine to deal with. Yes, I did see off a Swift but that was probably because the guy was not trying very hard. Also perhaps it was due to the fact that the Storm is excellent around bends ? it hardly any body roll.

The gearbox too has a short, snappy throw so with adequate power, excellent handling and a quick gearbox, the Storm is a frisky pup. At slower speeds, the ride is hard but not harsh ? SAN has equipped the Storm with a stiffer suspension and more compliant tyres. The Storm deals well with traffic. The only negative here was that with the AC on, the car is not that quick off the mark.

Wherever I went, the Storm attracted second looks. SAN Motors through its dealer P&P, is concentrating on making its mark in North India currently but say they can handle other parts as well. Currently the company is doing a bit of R&D on improving the power characteristics of the engine, but if it were up to me, I’d push in a bigger engine ? the 1.6-litre unit from a Palio or Baleno perhaps. As it stands currently, the Storm is just the thing for posing in or eating up country miles in a sedate manner. The best thing is that India’s first sports car does not cost an arm or leg to possess one ? just Rs 5.95 lakh ex-showroom.

Photograph by the author

My favourite long drive

Gargi Roy Chowdhury,
actress

I always used to think that long drives are best enjoyed when one is with friends. I think long drives have become a part and parcel of my life with a close group of friends. With a big car like a Scorpio, or even a Santro, zipping off to any place can be fun. We find ourselves having a rollicking time even when we go to a place like Uluberia.

But that aside, my longheld belief was shaken this summer when I went to Europe. I took a three-hour drive from London to Scanthorp with an aquaintance of mine. This drive was simply the best I’ve ever been on. Firstly, the car was a sleek Mercedes. Second, the road was unbelievable. It was so beautiful driving through the famed English countryside. Being in a different country is in itself exciting enough, and the spectacular view made it even more memorable.