230 HP Widebody Tata Nano with Racing Slicks Is Killer

The Renault R5 Turbo, the Clio V6 and of course the original Fiat 500 Abarth – all these cars have gained cult following because of their rear-mounted powerful engines and short wheelbases. It's a potentially deadly, but very interesting concoction. And now there's an Indian car that follows the same formula and is based on the Tata Nano. It used to be the laughing stalk of the auto industry, but who's laughing now.

This blue smurf bodybuilder has been put together by a company called JA Motorsport who from what we gather usually makes single-seater race cars like the ones in Formula 2000. They decided that what the Tata Nano needed was more power, a lot more power. And so they pulled the old 40 horsepower 2-cylinder motor and replaced it with a 1.3-liter one that they tuned to produce 230 horsepower.

Now, we don't really know how they did it and we don't actually care that much. It looks like a racing setup with de-restricted exhaust and a turbo.

The Nano was originally designed as an economy car with a top speed of only 105 km/h (65 mph). So pretty much everything had to be stripped down and replaced. It now features super-sticky slick tires, flared wheel arches, racing brakes, Recaro bucket seats and even a splash of carbon fiber here and there.

We especially like how they flared bumpers and redesigned the rear quarters to make it look like the Fiats in the Trofeo Abarth racing series. This just goes to show you that with racing parts and a bit of creativity, any car can become great.

Tata Nano by JA Motorsport - photo gallery