DELHI MOTOR SHOW: Birmingham Bolt
All-new concept conceived to showcase British engineering to the Indian audience; aim is to promote Anglo-Indian joint venturesA British firm is taking the unusual step of unveiling its all-new sports car concept at the Delhi motor show – an expo that seems better suited to world reveals of micro-cars and mini-MPVs.
Dubbed the Birmingham Bolt, the mid-engined coupe was developed primarily by a group of Birmingham-based companies as a showcase for the industrial city's automotive engineering nous.
According to UK's Autocar magazine, the aim is to promote and encourage joint ventures between UK companies and Indian firms.
Although no technical details about the Bolt have been released, its makers tout it as a high-performance premium concept that could theoretically be in production in less than 18 months.
Autocar quotes the company's marketing boss, Neil Rami, as saying: "The message we're sharing with investors in Delhi is that two thirds of all UK automotive R&D is conducted in the Greater Birmingham area, and global vehicle manufacturers such as Jaguar Land Rover, Toyota and BMW source over £4 billion ($6bn) of components locally."
The Bolt's local content includes a drivetrain sourced from Ricardo and ZF, while the exhaust system comes from Unipart. Meanwhile, the Alcon brakes are derived from those used by the ballistic Caparo T1.
Although the Bolt is unlikely to actually be produced, the mere existence of the concept is a telling indicator of the rapidly growing importance of the Indian market and its manufacturing industry.
Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
