While August 15 is a day of pride and patriotism for our country, for the residents of Mumbai, the day is also synonymous with one of India’s largest supercar and sports car drives. Throttle97, a Mumbai-based group of petrol heads that own some of the best cars in the country, held its annual Independence Day drive where supercars, sports cars, sports sedans and SUVs, and even some tuner cars, took to the street in a fiesta of horsepower. The drive, which began from Bandra Kurla Complex and saw the cars moving in a convoy, ended at Ajmera I-Land in Wadala, giving the residents of Mumbai an absolute visual and more importantly, an aural feast.
Some of the highlights, in terms of participating cars, included the very recently launched new Lamborghini Huracan Evo, a Mercedes-AMG S63 Coupe that was piloted by Autocar’s own Hormazd Sorabjee, a Ferrari GTC4Lusso and a Porsche 911 GT3RS. There were also a host of Mercedes-AMG cars that ranged from the relatively humbler CLA and GLA 45s to the mighty G63 across generations. Other marques that made their presence felt in big numbers included BMW, with a wide variety of M cars, from bone stock to highly tuned ones; Porsche, from Caymans and Boxsters to a handful of 911s; and, of course, a generous peppering of Ford Mustangs that ranged from mild to wild.
This year, the Throttle97 event was also thrown open to the public, who could come and have a look at the cars that were on display, post the drive – a move that saw thousands turn up to hear the high-revving engines, smoking tyres, and general well-mannered automotive mayhem. The Ajmera Racing Academy also put up a great show, with a display of motocross stunts where riders launched 40 feet into the air with their bikes. The event also saw some Throttle97 club members take to the Ajmera Go Kart track, which was rather wet, for some friendly competition. All in all, the Throttle97 Independence Drive has turned out to be one of the biggest and most exciting car events of the year in Mumbai.