Certifiable, crazy and insane are just some of the ways you can describe the Super Nano. And you wouldn’t be far off the mark; what with a claimed 200bhp-plus kicking out the rear and those mad, mad wheels. But just what is it? Weekend track car, real racing car or something to drive to the movies in?
I put the question to J Anand (of JA Motorsport). “Well, officially, it’s an engineering showcase, a sort of here’s what we can do. But it’s also loads of fun and shows the Nano in a new light.” Like he said, that’s the official answer. I, however, think this is what happens when you make an ex-racing driver pilot a 37bhp Nano around, month after month. Of course, Jayem Auto, JA Motorsports’ mother company, works closely with Tata Motors on many of its engineering projects, so, the Super Nano is a step in the right direction too. But what’s a 200bhp Nano like to drive?
It’s clearly racing car-like to climb into. You need to squeeze your way past the jungle gym-like roll cage, and seat adjustment is only via a set of spanners. Once in, you get clipped into the racing harness and it even needs an external power supply to get going. Everyday usability; ahh, you can forget that.
Starting up is an eye-opener in more ways than one. Sequential motorcycle-based gearbox in ‘N’, I hit the tiny starter and flex the throttle; the dragon awakens with a primeval scream, stabs of exhaust spitting from the rear. And the revs soar, even if I so much as tap the accelerator. The din from the un-silenced exhaust is so loud, the farmer from the adjoining field comes over to see what the fuss is all about.
Getting away from rest though, isn’t easy. I try not to fry the clutch and am a bit too gentle; the Super Nano stalls. This motorcycle engine may have approximately 200bhp, but there’s only a Swift-like 13 or 14kgm of torque here, and real grunt is way up the power band. The next time around, I give it more revs, slip the clutch a bit and make a clean-ish getaway; phew.