New Indian Jam Jar.......

[R1Man]

So is it good or bad that there'll now be Millions of indians on the road in the �1200 motor?

[4GS]

Got a link to that R1Man?

[Panic Button]

Have you got a car R1? If so what right have you got to deny someone else one?

That is about as rich as telling the Iranians they can't have nuclear weapons, then spending billions to renew ours.

[4GS]

Panic
As far as I know, the UK has never threatened to wipe any country of the face of the earth like Iran did, heck the UK even refused to use Anthrax during the second world war against Germany because of the post war effects on Germany

[jake-the-peg]

Is that the same Iran that the CIA now admits stopped developing nuclear weapons 5 years ago?

[4GS]

You believe everything the CIA tells you?

[R1Man]

Ok, yellow card, let's not turn this into another bl00dy middle east row!

Panic, I have not said what my view is yet, why have you made assumptions about my position? As you can see I was asking if it is good or bad, that's all, my own view later.

Yes I have a car.... and a motorbike!

4GS - It's all over the news, see here for example:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7181432.st m

[jno]

4GS, I think the CIA got the business of Saddam's weapons of mass destruction so totally and embarrassingly wrong that they've been a bit more careful this time. Their assessment of Iran's nuclear programme is expressed very delicately with reference to just how sure they are of each element. So I'm inclined to trust them - this time.

[jake-the-peg]

OK ignoring Colnel Blimp and the paranoids playing in the corner

India does have a road safety problem and more people driving doesn't sound good but if it reduces the practice of "half a dozen on a scooter" which seems a regular occurence and puts a proper car within the reach of the majority in the way that the Austin 7 did, it has to be a good thing for India's road safety

[Panic Button]

It makes me laugh when the press describe the car as - shock horror - no power steering, no air conditioning and worst of all you have to wind the windows by hand!

[Gromit]

It is bad news that car use will grow in India, just as it is bad news if car use grows anywhere in the world.

However, it would seem to be inevitable. At least this mass produced small car seems to be designed with low emissions and resources in mind.

TATA, the company who make the car are purchasing the Jaguar and LandRover brands. When the affluent Indians start going to the supermarket in their Jags and Chelsea Tractors is when we should start to worry.

[Ethel]

Gromit - I see plenty of very affluent Indians going to the supermarket in their huge luxury motors.

I live near a very large hospital, and they are consultants.

[Gromit]

4GS

You apparently believed the CIA when it told you Ahmadinejad wanted to wipe Israel off the map.

"To quote his exact words in farsi:

"Imam ghoft een rezhim-e ishghalgar-e qods bayad az safheh-ye ruzgar mahv shavad."

That passage will mean nothing to most people, but one word might ring a bell: rezhim-e. It is the word "Regime", pronounced just like the English word with an extra "eh" sound at the end. Ahmadinejad did not refer to Israel the country or Israel the land mass, but the Israeli regime. This is a vastly significant distinction, as one cannot wipe a regime off the map. Ahmadinejad does not even refer to Israel by name, he instead uses the specific phrase "rezhim-e ishghalgar-e qods" (regime occupying Jerusalem).

Whether deliberate or just shoddy translating, the CIA now have you (and millions of others) believing Ahmadinejad said something a lot worse than 'Regime change'.

[Panic Button]

4 GS perhaps you can explain what we want nuclear weapons for. Perhaps they have a peaceful ourpose?

[jno]

Panic Button, they'd be useful for fuelling Indian cars.

[B00]

I fail to see how millions of Indians in India pootling round the roads there will effect you R1Man?

[Booldawg]

Will this see a decline in popularity of the elephant?

[Goodsoulette]

1200 quid is still a lot of money to lots of Indians. The people who work in call centres there get a lot of benefits, such as child care, a nice gym etc etc but they still only earn 2 grand a year. A factory worker a grand and a software engineer 6 grand.That's a good portion of their wages on a car, and even those with credit availble to them do not abuse it in the way that we do. I dont see them running out to buy one of these. There isn't going to be, all of a sudden, 1 billion extra cars on the roads.

I don't understand why people begrudge a nation bettering themselves. Hopefully this will pave the way for better motoring conditions on the whole in India.

[R1Man]

BOO : I have no offered my own opinion yet. Why have people already assigned one to me?

[anotheoldgit]

You are quite right Panic Button, it is not so long ago when it was an extra to have a heater fitted and a passenger side windscreen wiper in a British car.