It was that time of the year again when Supercars run wild and free on the streets of Mumbai, except this time it was wilder and freeer in every sense of the word! The fourth edition of the Parx Supercar show organized by the Super Car Club in association with Autocar India kicked off from a much glamorous (and bigger) venue – the Mahalaxmi Race Course in Mumbai.
The sensational Parx supercar parade is an event that every petrolhead Mumbaikar (like moi) wait for with bated breath. Conceived in 2009, the idea of the event is to get a common man acquainted with these super expensive beauties not in some dreary auto show, but right on the streets where they belong. We had a blast last year around and we were expecting the same this time. Boy, were we in for a surprise!
The Super Car Club (SSC) has definitely grown leaps and bound since its inception. The previous edition saw a measly 40 odd supercars running the streets. This time, there were more than a 100 cars (both official and unofficial) hitting the streets of Mumbai in all their glory. There were Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches, Bentleys, Rolls Royces, BMWs, Mercedeses, Aston Martins and every other brand that you possibly imagine.
After a safety briefing, the convoy was flagged off by none other than his highness – Valentino Balboni – Former chief test pilot of Lamborghini. Oh yes, the man who has tested almost 80% of the Lamborghinis on roads graced us with his presence.
After the flag off, the venue came alive to the sound of roaring V12s and V8s. The distinct smell of horse dung at the race course was completely masked by fragrance of burning rubber and clutch plates. All 100 cars fired up simultaneously and headed to the streets. The convoy paraded the arterial streets of Mumbai covering the Bandra-Worli sea link, Western Express Highway until Kalina before returning to the venue for prize distribution.
When it comes to putting up a fantastic show, trust the Supercars. The streets were alive to the mechanical symphonies of engines and exhaust notes. Everywhere the convoy headed there were hoards of people cheering for them. I am pleasantly surprised to see such huge masses of crowds turning out to experience these beauties. With the advent of Retweets and Facebook shares, young India understand these cars and brands better than their predecessors.
Uncles, Aunties, Chunnu Munnus, College students and even the working class admired these sensational pieces of engineering ripping through the streets of Mumbai. In fact, everywhere the convoy headed, they slowed the traffic right down. But don’t think of it as a rant, it is just a part and parcel of what the Supercars are capable off. Mumbai Police surely did their part of supporting the Parade and managing the traffic bottlenecks.
Overall, as always, the Parx Supercar parade did not disappoint even one bit. It was exciting, sensational and mind boggling orgy of Supercars and their owners, Petroheads and soon-to-be Petroheads. And I got to meet by childhood hero – Valentino Balboni. That’s definitely a thumbs up!
Of course you want to see more images, we know that. Do checkout our slideshow for more pictures of supercars.
2012 Parx Supercar parade in Mumbai
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