10 Wildest Cars From DC Design In Recent Times
Dilip Chhabria (also known as DC) needs no introduction. We have seen a lot of designs from this Indian design house over the years. Some of these are extremely outlandish. Here are 10 of the wildest cars that Dilip Chhabria has designed in recent times.
What you see in this picture is a custom-built coupe SUV. The customisation here can be called ‘extreme’ and will make people raise their brows. The donor car is a Volvo XC90 SUV Excellence. The exterior design has been completely overhauled. The new design is more rugged than that of the donor SUV.
Key highlights of this design include a mesh-like pattern at the front, huge wheel arches, roof-hinged doors (gull-wing doors), connected taillights, large squarish exhausts, and large off-road tyres. The design also has glass panels and small, openable window areas.
This XC90-based build has a four-seater layout inside. While the exterior looks completely different from that of the XC90, the cabin design has a lot in common with that of the Volvo SUV. The vehicle has Red interior and upholstery. DC2 has given it ambient lighting and a nightclub lounge aesthetic. The panoramic sunroof has, however, been removed.
The dashboard design has been kept unchanged. It uses the original AC-vents, steering wheel, centre console, power-adjustable front seats, and vertically oriented touchscreen.
This build is based on a previous-generation Mahindra Thar CRDe. The design looks very solid and upright. It uses a lot of strong body lines and looks outlandish. This vehicle retains the two-door format, but with a hardtop. The donor vehicle used to come with a soft top.
It wears a Nardo Grey paint, and rides on aftermarket alloy wheels. As for the powertrain, the ‘ Thar Hammer’ houses a 2.5-litre CRDe diesel engine under its hood. This powertrain is capable of producing 105 bhp and 247 Nm. It is mated to a five-speed transmission.
The XUV 3XO is a good-looking SUV. The folks at DC2 gave it a makeover which made many dislike the build instantly. The vehicle now wears a loud, neon-green paint. Changes can be seen on the front and rear bumpers as well. The tail lamps now feature a smoked finish. The DC2 3XO rides on a different set of wheels. Inside, the SUV gets a custom Blacked-out roof liner with a starlight roof and ambient lighting.
Dilip Chhabria showcased the TANQ for the first time at the Bharat Mobility Expo 2025. It was then announced that the production version will be an electric SUV with a 180 kWh battery pack. Later the TANQ was spotted driving through the Indian roads.
Much like the vehicle showcased at the Expo, this vehicle had a unique LED taillight, an aggressive rear diffuser, aggressive front grille, powerful LED headlamps, chunky fenders and massive wheels with all-terrain tyres. The vehicle seen driving on the road was based on a three-door Mahindra Thar 4X4.
The Land Cruiser 300 already holds a high aspirational value among enthusiasts. The team at DC2 modified an LC300 into a super-luxury lounge. For this, the SIV has been stretched out and now features a significantly longer wheelbase. It gets a completely customized interior as well. The cabin makes generous use of leatherette upholstery.
The design studio has also given it starlight headliner, ambient lighting, hardwood floors, luxurious trims and more. Most of the features of the stock SUV have been retained- the 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, multi-zone automatic climate control, powered and ventilated front seats, and a 14-speaker JBL audio system are all examples.
The LC300 is powered by a 3.3-liter V6 turbo diesel engine that produces 309 PS and 700 Nm of peak torque. It comes mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. The petrol version gets a 415hp 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged engine.
The Carnival first went on sale in India in 2020. DC modified the MPV into a luxurious lounge. Both the exterior and interior receive major overhauls on this build. The front fascia has been completely reworked.
It now gets a weird section that runs along the width of the vehicle. The LED headlamps sit on the bumper, side skirts, full-width tail lamps, a roof-mounted spoiler, a shark fin antenna etc and the MPV rides on a new set of wheels.
Inside, the design and layout feel plush and comfort-focused. There is generous use of wood inside. The cabin has a Beige colour scheme and seats that face each other. The design studio has also added features like a giant TV screen, clever use of ambient lighting, an intercom to talk to the driver, sun blinds etc. Several premium trims and materials have been used inside.
This project had a Mahindra Thar as its base car. Extensive modifications have been made to the SUV. The design looks weird, but will surely strike the eye. The vehicle features a new front grille, LED headlamps, power-operated side steps, a new set of steel wheels with massive off-road rubber, hardtop roof, aux lamps, LED tail lamps, and a Chrome bar on the front bumper.
The interior has been made more upmarket. The cabin colourway comprises Red and Black. The vehicle also features ambient lighting. It gets four aftermarket bucket seats, a central armrest, and a lot of storage spaces. DC has even given the Hulk Thar a panoramic sunroof. The 3-door Thar comes with two engine options in India- a 2.2L mHawk diesel and 2.0L mStallion petrol,
The Seilo is in fact, a precursor of the TANQ. It is heavily inspired by the Mahindra Thar. The design seems to be inspired by a sci-fi movie. It gets LED headlamps, an attractive grille, a large skid plate, prominent fender, chunky tyres, fender-mounted air intakes, integrated rear spoiler, and striking alloy wheel wheels. It gets a two-door layout.
Chhabria built a luxury van from a BS4 Tata Winger. The entire bodywork looks fresh and custom-built. Many find this build to be better looking than the donor vehicle. It gets projector headlamps, LED DRLs, uniquely styled grille, sleek DC logo, fresh-looking roofline, flared wheel arches, new bumpers, LED tail lamps and unique character lines.
Inside, this vehicle gets a lounge-like design. It can accommodate up to five people. On one side of the cabin, there is a large bench seat. The interior is finished in White and has integrated ambient lighting as well. It also gets LED screens, powered curtains, mini-fridge, a high end audio system and pop-out tables. The Winger’s 2.2 litre diesel engine makes 100 bhp and 190 Nm of torque.
The Isuzu DMax VCross is an intimidating pickup truck even in the stock form. DC’s imagination of it adds more colours and trims to the VCross. The front gets a new grille, flared wheel arches, new lights and highlights. The roof gets LED lamps, and the rear now has a new bracket. Many of these seem to be bolt-on units.
Even the cargo bay gets more support and even comes with a new rack . Some people might find this build interesting. Many, however, find it to be overdone and resulted in the vehicle’s design losing its character.