Dial 911 for sport

I am a 42-year-old senior executive with a north India-based firm. I currently drive a tuned Toyota Celica for my weekend pleasure, but I am growing tired of it. I’m now looking to buy a fast sports car that can fulfil my pleasures, without me needing to tinker around with it. I have a budget of up to Rs 80 lakh, and I was wondering whether I should go for something like the Nissan 370Z, Porsche Boxster or should I stretch for a Porsche 911 Carrera? I plan to keep the car for some years at least and depreciation is the least of my worries. Fun to drive factor definitely is. Please recommend the best one for me.

Harish K, via email

Wow, now those are some very interesting choices you have there. The 370Z is a riot to drive and is really quick, while the Boxster is a sublime lesson in handling. Since you have included the 911 Carrera in your list, why not go for it? It is not without good reason one of the best combinations between a grand tourer and a sports car. It’s god-like in the handling department and is great going flat-out on an empty stretch of road. What’s more, it’s more comfortable and spacious than either Boxster or 370Z and just feels like a more mature car. After all, it’s been through a series of evolutions and improvements over the last five decades. Ask us, it’s the one car we’d like to have in our dream garage, any time of the year.

Micra nation

I’m quite confused between the Nissan Micra and Maruti Suzuki Swift. What is the implication of the low ground clearance of the Micra and also its three cylinder engine? The Swift seems better on both these counts according to my friends. Is this true?

Vishal Kapoor, via email

The Micra’s ground clearance is very similar to the Maruti Suzuki Swift, so neither car has an advantage. The three-cylinder Micra is a bit unrefined in comparison to the four-cylinder K-Series unit on the Swift, but the Micra feels more torquey and easier to drive around town. Also the Micra has better space utilisation and better comfort levels than the Swift. On the whole, the Micra makes for a pretty good buy, and we don’t see why you shouldn’t consider it.

ACE VENTORA

I’m looking at buying a new car. I have a budget of Rs 10 lakh and am looking at a chauffeur driven car. The car will be driven for about 1,000 km a month, so I guess a diesel sedan is out of the question. Occasionally, the car will be self-driven for long outstation trips. The car should seat five comfortably and have good rear legroom.  To be honest, I’ve narrowed down my choices to the Volkswagen Vento, Fiat Linea T-Jet and Honda City. Which one should I buy?

Sridhar, via email

Of the three, the Honda City and VW Vento have the best rear seats and legroom. The City is, in fact, a bit nicer in this regard, thanks to its better legroom and seat position. As a chauffeur driven car, the City is probably the best here, though the Volkswagen presents itself to be a better value package. It boasts of automatic climate control on the Highline version as well as CD-player, while the City makes do with a USB-based audio system with no CD playback capability. So, if you are okay with it, go ahead and buy a City, but if you want something refreshing and great value, the Vento makes a compelling case for itself.

Any automotive questions?
Ask us at bijoy.y@bsmail.in