Italian ‘supercar’ manufacturer Lamborghini will set up shop in Bangalore next year, says Pavan Shetty, Head of Operations at Lamborghini India.
Bangalore was the natural choice because of its easy access to major cities, including Chennai, Kochi and Goa, says Shetty.
He added that it was important for buyers in the South to know that after-sales service is at hand.
Service will never be more than 48 hours away for any customer, says Shetty, explaining that a team will fly in with equipment and attend to the customer’s needs.
Chennai currently has over half-a-dozen Lamborghinis.
‘Young’ buyers
So, What does it take to sell a Lamborghini, which comes with a base price of Rs 3 crore, and higher-end models that cost three or four times more? Who are the buyers? How do you categorise them, other than saying they’re rich?
The buyers, says Shetty, are “successful people”.
In India, he says, the buyer profile is “extremely young, between 25 and 40 years”. But there are exceptions: “My last customer was 61 years old.”
Lamborghini’s ‘supercars’ come with a reputation for speed. For instance, the Aventador and Gallardo can go from 0 to a 100 kmph in less than three seconds.
As for selling a supercar, Shetty believes some myths have to be dispelled.
The most often cited drawback is that these low slung machines are not suitable for India’s pothole-ridden roads. Nothing could be further from the truth, he says.
There are machines that have been driven nearly 10,000 km “without a scratch on the bottom”.
The normal road clearance may be about 125 mm for these machines.
But at the touch of a button they lift themselves and start riding 166 mm off the ground.
Most sedans have a clearance of 160-170 mm, points out Shetty.
balaji.ar@thehindu.co.in