From DC Avanti to BMWs & Mercedes: Cars that Dilip Chhabria drives

World renowned designer Dilip Chhabria is a big figure in automotive design industry. Founder of the popular DC Designs in India, he is a big gearhead himself. While some of the designs out of his house may be less than spectacular, there are many others including the Aston Martin Vantage V8 concept, which are appreciated the world over. His personal garage is full of exotic vehicles and here is a full list of all the vehicles that belong to him.

BMW X6 M

The BMW X6 is known for being the world’s first SUV-Coupe crossover. This gives it both ruggedness as well as sportiness. No doubt this design concept has been lifted by many companies now. Dilip Chhabria owns one of them, that too in the M powered guise. The X6 M is one of the most powerful production SUVs in the world. He uses the vehicle regularly and is pictured above going around the Buddh International Circuit, the only Formula 1 circuit in the country.

The metallic blue BMW X6 M owned by Dilip Chhabria is powered by an 8-cylinder engine that churns out a maximum power of 567 Bhp and 750 Nm of Torque. It gets an 8-speed automatic transmission and an AWD system. It can run from 0-100 km/h in just 4.2 seconds and can reach an electronically limited top speed of 249.9 km/h.

Aston Martin Vanquish

Aston Martin once approached Dilip Chhabria to build a prototype of the Aston Martin Vantage V8 which was unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show. The British Manufacturer famous for being James Bond’s choice of ride has found a way into Dilip’s garage in form of the Vanquish. This sportscar carries a price tag of Rs. 5.21 crores in India and is the most expensive Aston Martin that you can buy. The Vanquish has now been replaced by the DBS Superleggera in the company’s model lineup. The Vanquish gets powered by a massive 5.9-litre V12 engine that produces 568 Bhp of power and can reach a top speed of 324 km/h. The engine gets an 8-speed transmission that is known to shift between gears in a lightning fast speed of 130 milliseconds. Truly a Aston Martin then.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Talk of luxury sedans and the one name which comes floating in mind is the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Dilip Chhabria uses the old-generation 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 churns out a maximum of 210 Bhp and 490 Nm. The luxury saloon gets a 7-speed automatic transmission and is a fun car to drive too. However, most owners of the S-Class are found to be relaxing in the rear seats rather than putting the engine horses to work.

DC Avanti

Dilip Chhabria is the man behind India’s first sportscar, the DC Avanti which is quite popular too. It is quite natural then that he must be the owner of one of them. The DC Avanti has been designed keeping the Indian conditions in mind and it gets a ground clearance of 170mm, which is huge by sports car standards. The Avanti is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine 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.

The Avanti is electronically limited at 180 km/h. It is also one of the most affordable sportscars that you can buy in India and carries a price tag of Rs. 35 lakhs. While many disregard it for its design and driving dynamics when compared to international models, one should keep in mind the difference in R&D budget of the international sports car brands and DC.

Porsche 911 Turbo S

The Porsche 911 Turbo S is one of the most fun to drive sportscar and is popularly known as an everyday-use-sportscar. This yellow beauty here is usually driven by Dilip Chhabria’s son Bonito. Like his father, he is also an avid gearhead and is known for making a replica of a Mercedes 300SLR Roadster. The twin-turbocharged flat six engine on this car produces a maximum power of 572 Bhp and it can reach 100 km/h from standstill in just 2.9 seconds. That is really fast by even supercar standards. Bonito has been spotted at the Buddh International Circuit numerous times with the vehicle.

Audi R8 Spyder

The Audi R8 is one of the best selling sports car in India and is owned by many celebrities also. The reason behind is the ease of use and practicality it offers, something for which sportscars are not generally known for. This 2012 R8 Spyder in bright yellow colour is used by Bonito often. This convertible sportscar looks stunning and comes powered by a 4.2-litre V8 engine to match the looks. The power out of this car is slated at 420 Bhp. The convertible can accelerate to 100 km/h 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 may not be the greatest of sportscars but is the most flamboyant one for sure. The very long bonnet, gull wing doors and sleek looks make it a car which will become a future classic. This beautiful red coloured example 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.

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