Hyderabad: Wyclef Jean sang, `Life styles of the rich and famous.
Some die with a name, some die nameless’. Well, it is these nameless
rich that are grabbing the headlines for willing to spend Rs 2 crore
on a car and that too to drive in Hyderabadi traffic! Yet these
courageous crorepatis chose to remain anonymous issuing standing
instructions to the car distributors not to disclose their names.
The car is Bentley Continental Flying Spur, that is dubbed to be
the fastest four door in the company’s history with horsepower to
reach 60 miles per hour in 4.9 seconds.
This car was unveiled in the city exclusively for a select
gathering of 100 guests — mostly the high and mighty
businessmen,Politicans — who have shown interest in the car, or own
other such luxury cars.
And so, in attendance at this special party held at the Novatel
hotel in Hi-Tec City on Friday night were the bigwigs of Hyderabadi
business circles — all the prominent Reddys and Rajus and a handful
of movie stars.
Spotted eying the car were Venkatram Reddy Owner of Deccan
Chronicle Holdings who owns a Rolls Royce Phantom worth 2.5 Crores
in Hyderabad ,Teja Raju, son of Ramalinga Raju of Satyam computers ,
Mustafa Alam Khan from the Shah Alam Khan family who owns some of
the best vintage cars and a Mercedes Benz C class in the city worth
35 lakhs, businessmen brothers Prakash Jain and Gautam Jain of
Stanza retail outlet,Akbaruddin Owaisi MiM Leader from Owaisi Family
who owns a Volkswagen Touareg V10 SUV ,Jeep Wrangler and Mercedes
Benz CLS 350 worth 2.5 crores, designer Dinaz Shenoy, and socialites
like Lata Reddy, Gunny Raju who owns a Lamborghini Gallarado Black
worth 2 crore in Hyderabad, Shanta John,Kishore Reddy who owns a BMW
X5 worth 50 lakhs ,Vishnu Actor who owns a Porsche Cayenne SUV worth
80 lakhs, Iqbal Patni and Raju Jain. Everyone from Srini Raju of TV9
to actors Nagarjuna who owns a Meercedes Benz S Class and Porsche
Cayenne SUV worth 2 crores , NTR Junior who owns a BMW X5 SUV worth
55 lakhs, Pavan Kalyan and even Chiranjeevi were invited for the
launch of the car in the city.
It is also believed, that two richie rich from the city have
already booked the car. Again Satya Bagla, the Indian partner of
Bentley Motors, refused to disclose who they are all.
“It is our policy. One cannot disclose customers names, unless
one gets specific instructions to do so,” he said.
At a cost of Rs 1.95 crore on road — subject to dollar rates –
the Bentley is the second most expensive car in the country next to
the Mercedes S Class which costs a whopping Rs 3 crore. Nonetheless,
every year over a dozen buy this car in India.
The only owner who has let the world know he owns a Bentley is
Vijay Mallya whose Continental Flying Spur has been custom made for
him in Kingfishers Red and White.