Sleek, fast and classy: Mangalore's craze for supercars and bikes
Vineeth Monis/ Sanchia Nazareth
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Mangalore, Oct 24: In a tier-II city like Mangalore, one does not expect to see much of the exotic lifestyle that one can witness in metro cities. But if you are by chance awake at midnight, then you will definitely notice some amazing vehicles cruising on the empty roads. Supercars are a faster and better version of a sports car. These vehicles are more suitable for better roads one may say, but if you have a bout of car mania then getting hold of one of these beauties is worth the price and experience, despite the poor condition of roads.
Social networking sites and media are a major encouragement for car and bike enthusiasts to share their passion. One such group in Facebook which has brought out the best of the city’s beasts is the 'Super Cars and Bikes in Mangalore'. The group has over 19,000 likes and gives regular updates on new cars and bikes that arrive in the city along with photographs. The group also organizes various discussions and gives an update of events in the city.
Coming to city's most prominent cars and bikes, Arjun Moras is one person whom few can beat when it comes to possessing a fleet of beauties. A business tycoon, Arjun who has been passionate about cars and bike since childhood, has in his prized possession an Audi R8 imported from Germany at a pricey Rs 2.47 crore. His other cars include a BMW X6 (Rs 1.2 crore), Audi Q7 ( Rs 87 lac), and Beetle (Rs 26 lac).
He also owns a Suzuki Intruder, an 1800cc motorbike, imported from Japan via a dealer in Bangalore for Rs 16 lac.
Depending on the collection, service center facilities and variety of offers, Arjun says that he will plan his next buy.
Sanjay Rao is among Mangalore's top businessmen and an avid socialite. His history with cars goes a long way. A Mercedes C class was one of his first buys and he has gone a long way since then. There is no doubt that running a motor vehicle business has boosted his passion for sleek machines.
Being an ardent enthusiast, he recently visited the Delhi F1 circuit where he drove the Audi R8 and in the past he has also visited the McLaren factory in the UK.
Sanjay currently owns a Porsche Panamera priced at Rs 1.5 crore. He also owns an Audi TT priced at Rs 60 lac.
Sanjay says that Mangaloreans are car-crazy and sales in the city have always been on the higher side. When asked about the dream car that he would like to own, he proudly claimed that he wanted the Ferrari 458 Italia.
During our research, we stumbled upon an interesting fact. A total of 44 cars with KA 19 registration are worth more than Rs 50 lac each. The cars purchased in the current year stand at 12 till now.
Similarly, when it comes to superbikes, there are altogether 20 priced above Rs 5 lac each. Among these, two bikes have been purchased in 2013.
There is much talk about the tax levied upon these cars. For a car priced above Rs 20 lac, the tax is approximately 18 percent (excluding road tax) plus 11 percent cess. When it comes to bikes priced above Rs 50,000, it is 12 percent tax (excluding road tax) plus 11 percent cess.
Speaking to Daijiworld, RTO Afzal Ahmed Khan said that Mangalore has more potential for high-end cars and bikes when compared to other districts. “Wherever we find anyone trying to evade tax, we enforce it strictly as the state is very particular about such regulations.”
Traffic inspector Nagaraj said Mangalore has around four lac vehicles and there are around 30-40 new registrations on a daily basis. “Vehicles increase in number but the road conditions need improvement,” he said.
"Although concrete roads are not meant for speed cars, we cannot restrict anyone from purchasing such supercars. But at the same time, the owner should not cross the limits and must abide by the law,” he added.
Meraj Yusuf is one of the youngest owners of a superbike, the Suzuki Hayabusa. The bike costs over Rs 15 lac on the road.
He was the first one in the city to avail a superbike. Although a sports bike enthusiast, a cruiser, Triumph Rocket, or the Harley Road King will top his list on the next big buy. Yusuf has already invested in a new supercar which the city is waiting to catch a glimpse of.
Another biker enthusiast from Udupi, Sushil owns a Yamaha R1 priced at around Rs 18 lac. His passion for riding has encouraged him to buy a superbike.
“After learning to ride on an old CBR 250, I made the decision of purchasing this bike. I have a circle of friends who also own a couple of superbikes and we organize rides wherein the longest ride till date has been to Goa. Our priority during the rides is safety, and I encourage everyone to follow the rules and ride safe," he stated.
His dream is to own a sports bike as he says that since he is young now he can manage it, but as he gets a little older he would love to own a Harley Davidson.