DC Avanti review, test drive

ENGINEERED FOR SPEED

The secret of the Avanti’s well-balanced driving manners seems to be the iron block-like stiffness of the space frame chassis. Based on a globally successful design, but considerably beefed up for our conditions by an in-house engineering team, the Avanti uses race-car-like independent A-arms both at the front and the rear. Whereas the struts are outsourced from Koni, the chassis and suspension arms are manufactured inhouse in Pune. Befitting the profile and size of the car are 20-inch wheels both at the front and the rear. The alloys are currently being sourced from Wheels India, but DC may move to a different supplier in the future. Stopping power comes from ventilated 330mm disc brakes in the front and 295s at the rear. A four-piston caliper is used on the front disc and the hardware is supplied by Bosch and Foundation brakes. Continental, on the other hand, has developed the anti-lock system (ABS).

The transversely mounted turbo engine sits midship behind the passenger firewall and the difficult job of installing it along with the gearbox has been executed by DC’s French suppliers. There are very few unwarranted vibrations from the gearbox or the engine, and there are no shunts, even when you whack open and close the throttle suddenly – all very commendable. 

Despite having a box section space frame chassis, the body is constructed from super-strong high-tech carbonfibre panels. These are also made and cured inhouse by a set of people who were earlier supplying parts to ISRO out of Bangalore. While these panels won’t be taking on any load and aren’t created in a pressurized autoclave, they are cured in specially made ovens at around 140deg C for strength.