For four months, we scoured India for the perfect road, a road that would allow us to achieve something big. A road that we could close and that would allow us to go faster on Indian soil than any car before.

Our search paid off. On an overcast July day, a bright yellow Audi R8 V10 Plus is lowered down from its carrier truck on to a partially completed, five-lane stretch of uninterrupted, smooth tarmac. The numbers are compelling – seven kilometres of cordoned-off road, 610 horsepower and a claimed top speed of 330kph.

In the driver’s seat, Audi racing driver Aditya Patel tightened his grip around the steering wheel, surrounded by an array of speed-testing equipment and cameras.

Green light lit, his right foot went down hard on the gas pedal and didn’t come back up until India’s current top speed record was shattered.

How fast did he go in a car that’s claimed to be capable of an eye-melting 330kph? Pick up Autocar India’s action-packed 17th anniversary issue next month to know the full story.