Porsche, which is launching the Cayenne in India, is already contemplating driving the ever-popular 911 into India after its updated version is out later this year.

Toyota, which will roll out its people mover IMV later this year, is planning a simultaneous launch in India as well as in the rest of Asia.

The global Indian, who knows his cars as well as his karma, is forcing foreign auto manufacturers to launch their latest international models in the country, instead of the dated automobiles that came our way in the past.

A number of automobile manufacturers have burned their fingers by underestimating the average Indian car buyer's knowledge of the hottest wheels zipping along international roads.

When DaimlerChrysler rode into the country on the old W124, it hardly met with success. That's because the customer for a Rs 22 lakh E-Class in 1994 knew that an all-new dramatically different looking E-Class had already made a debut in Europe. No surprise. The W124 bombed.

Be it all-new cars or facelifts, DaimlerChrysler has learnt its lesson since, and has been rapidly launching contemporary models in India. For instance, the W211 E-Class is a contemporary model, and the facelift for the C-class, which was introduced two months ago, is ready for launch next month.

The company has been diligently updating its product portfolio by importing completely built units of the SLK, CLK and M-Class. It is tapping its large international portfolio, especially for customers who are willing to pay large sums of money, besides 120 per cent import duties.

Other car makers like Hyundai and Honda, which have been introducing the latest international cars in India, have been reaping rich dividends. Hyundai was one of the first to launch its newest international products in India.

The Hyundai Accent, which made its European debut at the Frankfurt motor show in September 1998, made an Indian entry just a month later.

Honda's seventh generation Accord too made its appearance on Indian soil almost at the same time as it hit the US. While the old Honda City was an Asia-specific model, the new one is hip, to say the least.