Editorial/ Time to recheck the taxes on supercars

Time to recheck the taxes on supercars

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Horrifying data from who reveals that one out of every ten people killed on roads worldwide is from india

Road accidents cause deaths, and the worst part is because of someone else’s negligence, one loses their life or gets permanently injured with imparity. That’s the worst feeling. India, as a country, ranks 

top in the number of road accident deaths across other global countries. Horrifying data from WHO reveals that one out of every ten people killed on roads worldwide is from India. This has to be digested with a pinch of salt. We can blame it on our poor road infrastructure, speed breakers which often spring up from anywhere of any size, not wearing seat belts, speeding, driving mannerisms etc. On the back of this information, Volkswagen Taigun & its immediate cousin-Skoda Kushaq are the only cars to score 5-star on the updated GNCAP test; it’s good news and sets a protocol. Mandating six airbags compulsory from October 2023 is another excellent step towards road safety, but in the end, we all have to become responsible, and education on road mannerisms has to be drilled deep down to the gram panchayat level.

I recently went to Rome to drive the new Lamborghini Urus Performante and rubbed my eyes in disbelief when the folks at Lamborghini left me to drive it on a dirt track. The most fun I had driving, simply because I was officially asked to drive an INR 4 crore + supercar on a dirt track, and even with ESC on, it was drifting and dancing on my steering inputs in a rather controlled manner. Knowing the safety standard in the Urus is top-notch will liberate you from driving it hard. On the other hand, the nearest competition, Aston Martin DBX 707, was handed to us to be driven on Mumbai roads, though for a limited time and kilometers. In my chat with Stephan Winkelmann, 

Chairman & CEO of Automobili Lamborghini, he stated the biggest roadblock to putting more Urus on Indian roads is the high taxation, and it’s time we relook at those. Aspirations drive people to work hard, boost the economy, and the roads will look more beautiful with Italian exotics springing around. Any Lamborghini, Ferrari etc., would cost less than half in Dubai, and that thought will definitely be a spoilsport for affluent buyers. Rolls-Royce Spectre, with its electric version, will make its way on the roads globally, another proof that EV is a serious game even for niche and luxurious car manufacturers. Rolls-Royce boss Torsten Müller-Ötvös told Top Gear, “Its customers always said- it has to be a Rolls-Royce first, electric second.” But they were all ready with the idea to take the charging cable instead of explosive liquids. Enjoy the issue and wear seat belts, even in the rear seat, always.


TopGear Magazine February 2024