Interview with Nigel A Harwood, President and CEO, Interglobe Established

ZW: Why bring the Ariel Atom to India?

Nigel: We have a high end portfolio and if I were to site examples of just the sports cars then the Gumpert is priced around Rs. 4.5-5crore and the Koenigsegg goes all the way up to about Rs. 12.5crore.  What we wanted was an entry level sportscar to fit our product portfolio and this had to be a vehicle that could easily be driven on road here in India as well. With the F1 track opening and the access down south to the Chennai track, we saw an opportunity to bring in a car that we believe offers stunning performance at a price tag that is relatively easier to afford as compared to other cars that offer a similar drive experience and at the same time the folks at Ariel Atom were keen on exploring new markets. They saw a partner in us and now the car is set to reach Indian shores early in 2012. 

ZW: What is the outlook that customers have for the Ariel Atom? How do people perceive the Ariel Atom?

Nigel: First of all I would like to say that anyone who is an enthusiast would know about the Ariel Atom. It’s a niche product, but it does have a global brand presence, so, anybody who knows anything about performance cars typically would ask about the Atom. The target Indian consumer is also aware of what is happening globally and we have witnessed that as well, therefore it is not really an exercise in building a brand from scratch. 

Our customer understands that the Ariel Atom is essentially an enthusiast’s machine. It’s not your daily purpose car, however if you have access to tracks such as the Buddh International Circuit or the Chennai track, and you want to have a thrilling drive without spending a couple of crores, then the Atom is for you. We plan on introducing it for about Rs. 55 lakh, which makes it relatively easy to buy and from what we’ve studied of the market, people are keenly waiting for this product.

ZW: Are implying that there is no need to build the brand and that customers are well informed, or do you feel that there is still homework to be done on this front?

Nigel: No, despite what we’ve witnessed in terms of customer knowledge in the market, we still think there is long way to go with that and there is no way that we can sustain the sales of the Atom depending solely on the current customer base. We have a lot of direct marketing initiatives in place and are constantly contacting prospective customers and educating them about the Atom. We also have a demo car coming in early next year which will be used extensively to further buffer our marketing initiatives. 

ZW: What do you foresee as the demand for the Ariel Atom?

Nigel: In terms of numbers we believe that once the demo car gets here and people get to drive it, we would be able to sell 5 to 10 plus pieces a year. That is currently the market we are looking at, and considering the fact that more expensive machinery sells in this country in larger numbers, and we shouldn’t discount the fact that India is a large country with a number of rich people who might be keen on such a car.

ZW: With regard to the car itself. It’s an enthusiast’s delight, however it is not very practical, especially for a country like India where our roads have perpetually been the topic of endless debate.

Nigel: I actually took the car for a road test in the UK, and when I mean road test, I am talking about driving on the road and not on some track. I drove it extensively over all sorts of terrain and I was driving a standard Ariel Atom with standard clearances. It handled everything brilliantly. As far as India is concerned, I am yet to drive around here, but I have come across a number of great roads and the Atom shouldn’t have difficulty being driven around here at all.

ZW: So, it can survive our roads, but how about the fact that it is an open car that doesn’t even have a provision for a roof/canopy?

Nigel: Wear sunglasses! Actually, on a more serious note, the dust and heat can be a bit bothersome and we are well aware of this fact, however this is an enthusiast’s car and isn’t your commuter special. It’s going to be driven when the conditions are right and summer nights are perfect for open top motoring. 

The car has the option of coming fitted with a full windscreen, which is more than enough to keep the passenger cell relatively clear of flying projectiles and of course the sun glasses would come in handy. Incidentally in Europe we offer a model without a windscreen, but you have to wear a helmet for that and we doubt that would gel well with the Indian clientele. 

ZW: Is there any cause of concern regarding the vehicle’s performance in India? Is the engine tuned to the fuel? Are you carrying any modifications on the India bound vehicles?

Nigel: The Ariel Atom comes fitted with a Honda 2.0litre unit which is available in three different states of tune, namely the standard, the turbocharged and the supercharged. The top of the line Ariel Atom makes close to 300bhp and as you must be aware, its built on a light chassis giving it a power to weight ratio like no other and that is essentially the genes that make it such a fun car to drive.

We aren’t expecting any issues in terms of fuel and the only suggestion that the company has recommended for the Indian market is the inclusion of a second radiator in order to deal with the Indian summers, apart from that the car is strictly UK spec.

ZW: How are you gearing up to handle sale, service and spares?

Nigel: The car comes with a warranty and the connection after the purchase becomes direct between Ariel and the customer. We don’t foresee too much trouble with the vehicle, after all it is rather bare boned and the less you have the less can go wrong! Having said that, we are looking at a strategic tie-up with an existing service provider in order to leverage a wider reach across India. Once appointed, the service provider will be trained by Ariel Atom service team members in the UK on how to take care of this car. Further to this, we do intend on offering a flying mechanic service.

ZW: Finally, if you had to sum up the Ariel Atom in one sentence, what would that be?

Nigel:  The Ariel Atom allows you to enjoy Formula One levels of performance at a price and value that relatively affordable, especially when compared to other super cars.