Tata sub-brand's rumored sports car concept may change low-cost image

Tata Motor's newly announced Tamo sub-brand will debut a concept at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and in a surprising move, it will possibly be a halo sports car, according to Automotive News. Tamo's mission will be to act like a small startup within the larger Indian automaker, and the firm will develop low-volume, low-investment models for proving new technology. Hitting the ground running with a performance vehicle would be a fantastic way to establish the new name.

Tamo's internal name for the sports car concept is reportedly the Futuro, according to Automotive News, and if a production model happens, the new sub-brand might only build 250 units. As a two-seat, mid-engine model, it would be something completely different from what Tata generally makes.

The rendering above by Matthew Swann imagines a roadster version of the Tata Nano. We don't expect Tamo's concept to actually look like this, but design at least offers an idea of what a sporty model from the brand might look like.

"Our focus will be to scout for new technologies and to explore opportunities at the innovation hubs across the globe and to work with start-ups in the new spaces. Since this requires a different way of thinking, we will apply within Tamo also, new ways of working because leadership is all about time to market," Dr. Tim Leverton, President and Head Advanced and Product Engineering at Tata Motors, said in the company's announcement.

Spinning off a small, energetic team and essentially letting them go wild is a fascinating strategy. This idea seems to hinge on finding partnerships with other startups and tech companies, though. Without finding that cooperation, this initiative might have an issue finding success because it doesn't sound like Tata is giving the team a huge supply of resources.

Tata Motors is also working to become a leaner automaker. It intends to pare down to two modular platforms what would underpin seven or eight vehicles. The move reduces complexity and increases economies of scale by letting the automaker by one component that works in all of these upcoming models.