Man Who Bought Chennai’s First Porsche Has Finally Upgraded!
Porsche sales have lately been on the rise in India. Every day we see the affluent add these fast automotive masterpieces to their garages. This article, however, would talk about a person who bought what could have probably been the first Porsche in Chennai- Ranjit Pratap, the Managing Director of Rayala Corporation Pvt. Ltd. He has now upgraded to a brand new Porsche 911.
Ranjit Pratap Buys New 911 Carrera
In 2005, this businessman bought a Porsche Boxster, thereby becoming one of the first ones in Chennai to do so. That was a time when Porsches were rare. He used it for two years and dreamt of owning a 911 ever since. Finally, he booked it in June-July 2023. KUN, the Porsche dealer in Chennai, commenced the delivery in 2025. The dealer posted a video of him sharing his purchase experience and talking about his past life with Porsche. This reel is now getting massive viewership.
In India, the base-spec Porsche 911 is priced at 2 Crores, ex-showroom. This is before adding any options or customisation to it. The top-spec (Porsche 911 S/T) has an ex-showroom price of 4.26 Crores. It seems like the businessman has opted for the Carrera. This variant has an on-road price of 2.48 Crores in Chennai.
The 911 Carrera is powered by a 3-litre twin-turbocharged boxer engine that is capable of producing 394 PS and 450 Nm. It can accelerate from 0-100 kph in just 3.9 seconds. The top speed is limited to 294 kph.
Ranjit Pratap Is An Avid Car Collector!
Mr Pratap owns a tasteful garage. His collection includes several classics alongside newer Porsche and Mercedes Benz models. In the past, he was also noted for owning an Aston Martin DB11 Volante. We don’t know if he still keeps it or not. He has always been passionate about cars and owned a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle 1300 when he was still in college.
Pratap’s expansive classic car collection includes nearly all the generations of the S-Class, two SLs (an R129 and a C107), a W110, a W108, a W111, US-spec W123, W116, a W201m, Jaguar 240, Rolls Royce, 1979 Mustang and more. All of these restorations happened in-house. Ranjit has a team of skilled mechanics for the same. This businessman sure has some of the most interesting restoration tales in the country.
Till recently, he could be seen driving past the ECR in his Electric Blue 1949 Hudson. Reports say that the car was in a very bad shape when he sourced it and 10-14 people had to work hard for over two years, to get it fully restored. A part of the delay had to do with the pandemic hitting as well. Another interesting model in his garage is the 1965 Ford Thunderbird. Pratap is passionate about collecting cars from the 50s, 60s, and 70s.
Interestingly, he compares collecting cars to gambling and says that it never stops with just one. It is an addiction that is hard to resist.
He Owns A 2004 MV Agusta F4!
The Italian superbike brand MV Agusta entered the Indian market in 2016. More than a decade before this, Mr Pratap bought a 2004 MV Agusta F4- likely a complete import. This motorcycle could be one of the earliest MV Agusta F4s in the country. An Instagram user reports that he still owns the bike, although we haven’t been able to confirm it officially.