It’s a cool morning in Goa. Thank the monsoon. Palm trees sway, the air is crisp, and a fresh breeze seems to be blowing in from the sea. Ahh, Goa. There’s something special about it. And are the retreating monsoons the best time to be here? Shhh.
We set out early for the new Porvorim Elevated Corridor, just to see if there are any overnight obstacles or obstructions courtesy the builders. I glance at my watch. It’s 7:07am, Saturday. Goa is asleep, and we don’t expect to encounter much traffic. But this is ridiculous! The roads are completely empty. There’s no one taking a walk, there are no cyclists, no bakers, no newspaper boys, and no one walking a dog either. Just one lone runner. Wonder how many of the dozen or so supercars we’ve invited will show up. Fingers and toes crossed.
The drive over from downtown to the new section at Porvorim takes longer than I expect. But soon, we are standing on top, the wide six-lane roads stretching into the distance on either side, weaving, dipping and turning.
A couple of hours later, we are making our way back to the corridor. But this time, the neighbours are wide awake. And it’s not just the time of day. It’s because the air has been filled by the collective roar of six thousand horsepower. Engines of all shapes and configurations have assembled. All courtesy of a close-knit bunch of supercar owners who’ve been nice enough to climb out of bed early on a Saturday and drive up in some seriously tasty gear.
Onlookers in buildings higher than the bridge peep out from doors, windows and terraces. And they are all toting cell phones. “Louder, louder,” they gesture with their hands, as they ask the cars in the convoy to rev. Of course, it’s a big deal. Even one supercar demands attention, so seeing so many has folks whooping in delight.
After a quick chat and a safety briefing, we set off for the other end. Since we have early access to the road, we can get some cracking visuals of the cars; this is not an opportunity to be missed. Time to shakedown the brand-new Porvorim Elevated Corridor and give it a baptism by fire. Then a stroke of luck; the wispy clouds part and the sky turns a brilliant blue. Wow.
To help keep things civil, leading the charge is our bright red MG Cyberster, its dual-motor electric powertrain punching above its weight. Sure, with 510hp and 725Nm, it has plenty of poke. But just take a look at the line-up here.
Right behind the Cyberster, Andrew Dias wakes up his Ferrari 458. The naturally aspirated 4.5-litre V8 screaming as the engine nears the redline, its 570hp going straight to the rear wheels. It has to be one of the most enduring modern classics, the last naturally aspirated, mid-mounted V8 from Ferrari. A racing go-kart with a mad V8 strapped on. And what a contrast to the Cyberster. While this is silent, surgical and sudden, the 458 is just operatic in the manner in which it hurls out its power, the top end like the crack of a whip, exhausts bouncing off the retaining walls.
Next in line is Darius Myles in a Supernova Silver McLaren 750S. Its 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 making a deep-chested 750hp, its active rear wing flicking up as it sweeps around the curves. Some cool theatre. Following him, Druan
Myles keeping pace in a pristine white Ferrari 296 GTB, the 120-degree twin-turbo V6 working in tandem with its electric motor... combined power 830hp to the rear wheels. Yeah, it ‘only’ has a V6, and there’s plenty of e-assist from the hybrid system, but remember, this is the real deal: Ferrari operating at its peak, up there in the stratosphere.
Next to him, Aaron Furtado’s black Porsche Turbo S with its wide hips and gumball rear rubber. It puts all its power down cleanly via the sophisticated all-wheel-drive system that helps it scoot out of corners. Following close,Leroy Lobo in a menacing black Ferrari 296 GTS, sharing that same hybrid powertrain. But here, the roof can be dropped. Not today, however, the cool morning is already turning into a baking day.
As we carve around the road and experience the twists, turns and drops, the drivers get a feel of the place. Now we stop for some individual runs. As I walk past one of the waiting cars, I take a good look at the design of the deep blue McLaren GTS driven by Dave Myles. This 635hp is a follow up to the GT, the company’s middle-of-the-range car. And this is a rare bird; I’ve never seen one!
Then we are treated to the sight of Rohan Lobo’s red Ferrari Roma, one of the most playful Ferraris. It leads a scarlet wave, its front-mid-mounted V8 singing a 620hp tune. He is flanked by Xavier Furtado in another red 296 GTB and Joshua Lobo piloting a spectacular red Lamborghini Huracán Spider, its 5.2-litre naturally aspirated V10 screaming out a glorious 610hp. Bringing up the rear with a sense of oldschool charm Oliver Furtado in a deep green Bentley Continental GT Speed; the one you go to for fast but more relaxed drives. Kind of what we are on today, this is a closed-off road, but it’s still a public road and not a racetrack.
Once we park up, the reactions from the drivers don’t come as a surprise. “Unique experience,” say most. “We’ll never see it this empty again,” says another, and most drivers even love the fact that you can see so much of real Goa from up here. The green fields, the water bodies, the palm trees and, of course, an armful of sky.
Later in the day, while returning and driving to Manohar International Airport, we use the Porvorim Elevated Corridor again and are through and out the other side very soon; probably the first real commuters. Our time to Mopa Airport is halved, it goes from forty something to twenty something minutes. Even Google Maps gets confused. Have you ever halved your ETA? Great roads and great cars certainly go together, don’t they! And what a collection we had. Well done, Goa.
Uday Singh
Dipan Sur
Glenn Noronha
