From DC Avanti to BMWs: Cars that Dilip Chhabria drives

Dilip Chhabria is a well-known name across the world in the automotive circuits. The famous auto designer is the founder of DC Design and a big petrolhead himself. The man brought laurels to India back in 2003 when he was asked to design a prototype version of the Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Though some of the exteriors design kits he made were not exactly great, most of his work is applause-worthy including the DC Lounge interior job. Of late, his company has been going through some trouble but we wish he manages everything swiftly. Meanwhile, let’s take a look at his personal garage

BMW X6 M

The BMW X6 is known to be the first SUV-Coupe crossover the world saw. It had both the ruggedness of an SUV as well as the sportiness of a coupe. It was widely deemed as a failure by many upon its launch but history says otherwise. Among the various people who own an X6 in India, Dilip Chhabria is a proud owner of this car. He owns an X6 M which is a beast on a whole next level and Dilip uses it regularly as seen in the picture above while he is going around the Buddh International Circuit.

The metallic blue BMW X6 M that he owns is powered by an 8-cylinder engine that produces a maximum power of 567 Bhp and 750 Nm of Torque. The engine comes mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission along with an AWD system. The BMW X6 M he owns can do the 0-100 km/h run in a mere 4.2 seconds and can go all the way up to an electronically limited top speed of 249.9 km/h if the throttle is kept pinned to the floor.

Aston Martin Vanquish

We talked about the reputed British brand Aston Martin approached Dilip Chhabria for his design services. The man designed the interiors as well as the exteriors of a prototype of the Aston Martin Vantage V8 which was unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show. Dilip also owns an Aston Martin in the form of the Vanquish. The Vanquish is one gorgeous looking car and had a price tag of Rs. 5.21 crores in India till sometime back.

It has now been replaced with the DBS Superleggera which is another brutally excellent car. Talking about the AM Vanquish, the car was powered by a big 5.9-litre V12 engine that churned out a good 568 Bhp of power which enabled the car to reach a top speed of 324 km/h. The engine was mated to an 8-speed transmission that shifted as quick as a hot knife goes through a slab of butter.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Talking about luxury cars and leaving out the Mercedes-Benz S-Class out of the discussion can be deemed as a sin. The S-Class has always been one of the best and most luxurious sedans on sale in the world. Dilip Chhabria uses an old-generation version of the luxury saloon as his daily car. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class S320 CDI used by him is powered by a 3.0-litre V6 engine that produces a maximum of 210 Bhp and 490 Nm. The engine on this car comes mated to a 7-speed automatic transmission.

DC Avanti

The DC Avanti is India’s first proper sportscar that made it to production and Dilip Chhabria gets the full credit for that. He is naturally the owner of an example of one of his most famous creations. The DC Avanti was designed according to the Indian driving conditions and hence it gets a ground clearance of 170 mm, which is more than what most regular hatchbacks on sale in our country provide. The Avanti is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine sourced from Ford. The EcoBoost engine generates a maximum of 250 Bhp and a peak torque of 366 Nm and is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission.

At the time it was launched, it carried a price tag of Rs. 35 lakhs. Electronically limited to a top speed of 180 km/h, the DC Avanti was disregard by many for its design and driving dynamics when compared to international sports cars. What one should not forget here is the massive R&D budgets brands like Ferrari and Lamborghini issue for a new car compared to the limited resources and budget DC Design had in India.

Porsche 911 Turbo S

Ask any petrolhead and he would definitely say yes about owning a Porsche 911. Probably not as their first or only car, but surely as one of their cars. Dilip Chhabria, therefore, owns a Porsche 911 Turbo S which is one of the most fun to drive sportscar that can be used on a daily basis too. The yellow beauty seen in the image above is usually driven by Dilip Chhabria’s son Bonito. The car gets a twin-turbocharged flat six engine that puts out a maximum power of 572 Bhp enabling it to reach 100 km/h from standstill in just 2.9 seconds.

Audi R8 Spyder

Next up is the Audi R8, which is one of the best selling sportscars around the world. It is among the rare breed of sportscars that can be used every day. This is among the reasons behind its popularity. Dilip owns this bright yellow 2012 R8 Spyder but it is used by Bonito often. This convertible sportscar looks marvellous and has the power to match those seductive looks. Speaking of which, it comes powered by a 4.2-litre V8 engine that churns out 420 Bhp of power. The R8 convertible here does the 0-100 km/h run in just 4.8 seconds and its top speed is electronically limited at 299 km/h.

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG has gained the iconic status over the years. It may not be the greatest of sportscars out there and might not have the performance numbers o beat the big boys at their game, but boy was it a looker! The long flowing bonnet matched by the sleek rear end created a shape that harks back its roots to the original Mercedes-Benz 300SL. And those gullwing doors, damn perfect. The one featured here is driven by Bonito and is often seen at the Buddh International Circuit. The sportscar is powered by a 6.2-litre V8 engine that produces a maximum power of 563 Bhp and 650 Nm.

Source: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7