Dilip Chabbria (the D&C in DC Design) eases his shoulders on the Infidel. DC is the man responsible for the concept, design and execution of the Infidel project that will be displayed at the Geneva motorshow as a showcase of Indian design and prototyping capabilities.

Infidel? Why call your car, your baby, your rolling showcase of design prowess the Infidel? "Cause I wanted her to be extreme," was DC's (Dilip Chabbria to the uninitiated) immediate retort. "Extreme in concept, extreme in design and extreme in execution. In my business, there is no place for the run-of-the-mill, no place for anything ordinary. My concept had to be different and radical to gain any worthwhile interest. I also wanted to use a name that no other manufacturer could nor would want to use, making her even more exclusive." Of course in an age where the plethora of cars, concept or otherwise has seen the name-pool virtually dry up, it pays to have a name as original as Infidel, never mind if it conjures up images of treachery styled by the Devil himself.

The Infidel was created to showcase DC Design's skills in designing, prototyping, fibreglass moulding, carpentry, tooling for optics and painting. The name of the game is style, visual presence and aggressiveness. The initial design sketches for the car were penned by Dilip after which it went through numerous revisions and modifications as ideas were reproduced on paper and then given definite physical shape. The entire process, from concept to reality, took a little over six weeks, a very quick turnaround time by any standards. Evidently Dilip has drawn inspiration from various Italian coach builders and supercar manufacturers. Notable amongst is Lamborghini, not for the exterior colour which is from a 1982 VW Passat, but for the angular sharp creased styling approach and aggressive stance. Design inspiration has also been drawn from the Ford GT90 concept car, from the cab forward stance to the wedgy profile.

The dashboard has been made in-house and has a centrally mounted speedo and tacho. Notice the steering wheel from Alpina, the German firm renowned for tuning BMW's. The interiors (top left) aren't up to the mark and are presently being upgraded in time for the Geneva motorshow where the Infidel will be showcased.

The running gear of the Infidel is derived from the Toyota MR2, a 1.8litre 138bhp mid-engined rear wheel drive roadster from the land of the rising sun. Of course the entire original body work has been junked, but in addition there have been some modifications to the chassis. The wheelbase has been increased to 104 inches while the track has also been widened. This has been done by chopping the central section of the floorpan and adding a spaceframe section to facilitate the increased dimensions. The front and rear bulkheads that house the mounting points for the suspension componentry (independent MacPherson struts front and rear) have been untouched so as not to alter the dynamics of the ride and handling package. The engine though hasn't been worked upon with the 1.8-litre VVT-i unit deemed to be sufficiently powerful for all intents and purposes. Tuning engines isn't a DC Design forte and neither do they make any tall claims on this count. Their skills lie in striking exterior designs which is what the Infidel has been built to showcase.

The extreme cab forward stance is an example of DC's intention of creating an extreme concept vehicle. Though some would say that it detracts from an overall fluidity of design, that it attracts attention and looks radical is without question. Design touches abound such as the crease that runs along the headlamp lenses, the frameless doors with flush door handles and the prominent crease running along the flanks that gives her a broad shouldered look. But then that is what DC Design is all about; detailing and execution.


The Infidel boasts tremendous street presence. In fact for the first time in my life an autorickshaw-walla actually backed up his rick to let me pass, something I have never experienced. Contributing to the visual appeal is the low-slung look. The car has a ground clearance of 7 inches and rides on stiff competition springs to avoid any bottoming of the suspension. Though low, thanks to the short overhangs and stiff dampers, the car never grounded even on some very poor Mumbai city roads. In terms of ground clearance, the Infidel was benchmarked against the Pontiac Firebird that has been run on Mumbai city roads without too many problems.

The car is shod with ultra low-profile 225/40 Dunlop Sport 9000 rubber, shod on huge 19-inch alloys. The alloys themselves contribute immensely to the visual aggression of the car.

The stunning optics have been developed in-house at a not inconsiderable expense of over Rs 64 lakh. The tooling for the front and rear optics as well as the lenses have all been developed in-house.

The interiors of the car have also been reworked but in execution fall way behind the standard set by the stunning exterior. The dash has been moulded in-house and houses a centrally mounted speedo and tacho. The steering wheel is an Alpina 4-spoke leather covered unit, normally found in tuned BMWs.

The Infidel has tremendous visual presence, at standstill and more so when on the move. Rather than just being a dressed up showcar, the Infidel handled the cut and thrust of Mumbai city traffic with aplomb. Extreme cab-forward stance is highlighted in the sideways shot (below) showing a slight lack of fluidity in the overall design.

As a concept vehicle the Infidel is a sure stunner. However what's even more impressive is the fact that the car actually runs on its own steam, not something that can be said of very many concept cars around. En route to Delhi for the Autop Expo last month, the truck in which the Infidel was being transported met with an accident which prompted DC Design to get their driver to drive the car from Jaipur to Delhi, a distance of over 250km, on its own steam! Back in Mumbai I had the opportunity to drive the car and can vouch for the driveability of the car, in that the wheels don't scrape against the wheel arches, the car doesn't ground out on any road imperfections and all the mechanical aggregates work perfectly.

The Infidel is due to make an appearance at the Geneva motor show in early March and to make any impression at an international show DC realises that the Infidel will have to be spruced up even further. To this end, the interiors have been stripped out and a compete rework is on the cards to bring it up to internationally accepted standards. Slight revision to the external styling is also on the cards with the silver finish panel between the rear lamps being replaced and the tail lamps also being given the once over. Ultimately though the Infidel is sure to be a shining star of Indian design capabilities at a show where the best in the world vie with each other. In such a scenario for an Indian company to make a splash will be asking too much but for a small design house to create a favourable impression will be a tremendous achievement. And DC Design seems on course to achieving it. Way to go, DC!