Named as an homage to the legendary Avanti of the 1960s — an automotive icon built by long defunct automaker Studebaker — DC Design‘s modern Avanti has almost as much curiosity factor in its looks. A well regarded Indian design house, DC Design has built a name crafting concept cars for other OEMs as well as itself, but the Avanti is the first vehicle which looks to go into production. Debuting at the 2012 New Dehli Auto Expo, the Avanti features a tubular spaceframe chassis — but little else qualifies it as a “supercar” despite its billing. Right now the Avanti is set to be powered by a specially tuned turbocharged Ford EcoBoost 4-banger — the 2.0-litre DOHC engine generating a lukewarm 240 horsepower and 270 lb-ft (366 Nm) of torque. The power will run through a 6-speed dual clutch transmission, with a top speed limited at 155 mph. Hardly “supercar” numbers. A Honda-sourced V6 with 400 horsepower is in the works, however, which should improve performance. DC Design founder Dilip Chhabria says the company hopes to produce 300 cars in 2013, with a pricetag of about $55,000. For a country with a flourishing middle class, the DC Design Avanti could make a splash if it ever sees Indian daylight.