Clouds roll in, wispy and grey, obscuring our vision. We slow to a crawl. Then, just as smoothly as they roll in, they dissipate, revealing a slick section of moist black tarmac. It twists, it turns, it bends, it loops, it dives and it climbs. It does everything but travel in a straight line. It’s why we love this road; it’s a proper roller coaster.
The constant drizzle, however, means the road up to Ambavane near Pune and the surrounding greenery are leaching moisture. In places, tiny rivulets trickle across the road and in others there are small pools of standing water. Not ideal conditions in which to unleash a collective 1,102bhp through the rear wheels. So I exercise a bit of caution as the M5 chases the E 63 through a tunnel of green. I caress the throttle instead of giving it a progressively firm shove and I’m smooth with my steering inputs.
As confidence builds we start to go harder and faster. Up ahead I can see Hormazd through a haze of spray having a ball, the tail of the E 63 stepping out occasionally. Though we’re not using more than 3,500 or 4,000 rpm in each gear, it still equates to approximately 380bhp; much more than you can put down cleanly on a serpentine wet road like this one.
