Experience: Audi Weekender Mumbai

Waking up at 7am on a weekend isn't something we enjoy, do we? But, when there’s a bunch of Audis waiting for you, the brain sets its own little alarm. For the first time ever, Audi India organized the 'Weekender' drive in Mumbai at the Mahalaxmi Race Course, Mumbai’s rather famous turf club that has ‘real horses’ race, while the rich and famous show up with their finest set of wheels. The idea behind Audi’s Weekender is to offer the driving experience of some of the brand’s finest cars, from its A, S, Q and RS ranges to enthusiasts and prospective buyers under one roof.

Expectedly, the place was buzzing with activity when we got there, and sure enough we were greeted by the brilliant sound of a V8 motor. Of course, before we go have some fun there was a quick brief from our instructors for the day including Rayomand Banajee, Rohitaaz Singh, Sunny Kumar and Karthik Tharanisingh - all well-known faces from the Indian motorsport scene. A quick explanation of Audi’s legendary Quattro technology and the off-road course was welcome then, along with a word on getting into the correct driving position behind the wheels. 

I rubbed my palms with glee once the briefing was over, since first up was the agility test with the S5 and the TT. The course was laid out in a manner that emulated sudden lane changes and had a slalom section. The fact that both cars are engineered to offer razor sharp responses helped, apart from the fact that both are equipped with plenty of electric nannies to keep you safe. We’ve sure had time in these cars on our roads when we had them for reviews, but driving them in a controlled environment while performing specific tasks was indeed fun. What’s most important in such conditions is good control over the throttle and quick reflexes with the steering wheel. Of course, the cars made it all seem like cakewalk, and the slalom reaffirmed my belief yet again that the Audi TT is a great everyday sportscar, and was clearly my favourite when it comes to driving in Mumbai’s horrendous traffic. 

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A couple of laps of the course done with, we lined up the cars for a straight line sprint, having barely half a kilometre at our disposal. Mind you, this was held inside the parking lot of a venue that had a generally bumpy surface thanks to the paver blocks. Nonetheless, I set the TT's 'drive select' to Dynamic, and set the gearbox to Sport. Now, unlike the bigger RS cars, you cannot launch the car by building the revs. With Rayomand asking me to floor it over the walkie-talkie, I did the second best thing - stomped on the loud pedal. The 230PS 2.0-litre four pot lets out a sweet little rasp before rocketing forward in a frenzied manner. 

The limited distance meant we could just about nudge past the 120kmph mark. The fact that the cars could accelerate as quick in such a short distance was truly commendable though. After a return run in the TT, I hopped into the S5. The 333PS V6 in the sportback makes it quicker than the two-door TT, clocking a 0-100 time of 5.1 seconds (compared to 5.3). What is a bit of a letdown though is the exhaust note – the S5’s speakers play a sonorous tone which makes you think the car sounds extremely sporty, though in reality the exhausts are a lot quieter. 

Sportscar experience done, we headed over to the Q course. Let's take a moment to realize that sportscars and SUVs are diametrically opposite in terms of driving experiences, and it is nice to see a manufacturer pull off both with equal finesse. The off-road course included rumbles, chicken holes, axle twisters, a banked incline, as well as a small hillock and a trench. We drove through the course in the Q3 and the Q7 and weren't surprised to find out that both managed to finish the course without a hiccup. The Quattro tech comes into play here, where it automatically cuts off power to the wheels that have no traction, while directing it to the ones that do. The course was designed for us to test out the car's insulation, suspension, centre of gravity, and tech like hill descent control and traction control. While it wasn't a particularly hardcore course, the Q cars practically drove themselves round it, needing nothing more than steering input and a little judicious helping of the throttle at times.

The little rendezvous with Audi’s range of cars reminded me yet again why the German brand is revered across the globe for its products. The ease with which you can live with modern day sportscars and SUVs is quite inimitable, especially from a brand like Audi, who has a legacy in making some of the finest luxury cars like few other brands do.  Audi India is in fact planning a track day at the Buddh International Circuit with the RS cars and the new R8 V10 Plus. Be right back, booking my tickets!