The Geneva Motor Show can be a bit of an assault to the senses. Most of the time you’re pivoting your neck left-and-right – what with the Koenigsegg on the left packing 1,500 horsepower and the brand new Ferrari with a naturally aspirated V12 on the right. And, if you’re not careful, you’re liable to trip over that new 700-horsepower McLaren. But, for some of us, the showstopper this year was a machine concealing a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol motor deep in the centre of its chassis – a brand new car by, believe it or not, Tata Motors.
Well, TAMO to be exact – Tata’s new low volume, experimental sub-brand. And with the exception of the name (Racemo), this machine is unique, imaginative and, most importantly, very ballsy.
There are a couple of ways to revive a brand, you can go about it progressively and organically – which is to say very slowly indeed – or you can grab it by the scruff of its neck and do something dramatic. Something disruptive! And that’s not easy to do, because there’s a lot on the line obviously – and not everyone wants to stick their necks out. But the current leadership team at Tata Motors obviously feels comfortable enough to do just that.
Make sure you check out the Racemo in our Geneva Motor Show coverage, and also read through our interaction with Dr. Tim Leverton – Tata’s engineering head. Not only does he divulge just what’s under the bold skin of India’s first real sports car, but also the thinking that led to the launch of such a dramatic machine.
And while you’re at it, make sure you check out our cover story as well. Pulling it off in a single day was hectic, sure, but also incredibly good fun. If you own a car like anyone in this quartet and you keep it as a garage queen, well, that’s just criminal. Our advice would be as follows – use it, and let people ogle at it. If I could pick up from where Nancy Sinatra left off, I would add: These cars are meant for driving, and that’s what you ought to do.
So, get out there and drive...
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