Audi India organises Weekender at RWITC in Mumbai

Audi India had organised the Audi Weekender over the weekend at the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) in Mahalaxmi, Mumbai. Audi aimed to give a first-hand experience to its customers of the capabilities of its various models. Be it the handling, acceleration, and braking of its sportier models including the Audi TT, and the recently launched Audi S5 Sportback or the off-road prowess of its SUV range including the Q3 and the flagship Q7. And what better place to watch these cars unleash their German horses than at the racecourse which has been home to Derby racing in India. For this, Audi had set up a short complete with a slalom section, acceleration sections, and a braking section. For the off-road part of the Weekender, they had designed a course in the centre of the Mahalaxmi Race Course with obstacles, slopes, and slush. Audi is celebrating 10 years in India this year.

Audi began the day with a safety briefing highlighting the systems and technology including the Quattro all-wheel drive system, which its cars employ to ensure they remain stable even when pushed to the extreme, as well as the correct ways of handling various situations while driving. The entire track experience was coordinated with experts and racers including Sunny Kumar, Deepak Chinnappa, Prithveen Rajan, and Karthik Tharani. First up was a quick run through the driving track, which comprised of five quick turns through the slalom section, followed by a short straight for acceleration, and subsequently, a braking section to check the ABS at work.

We drove through this course in the Audi TT and the Audi S5. And while the course was too small to utilise all the firepower in the TT,  it is was when Indian Touring Car driver Deepak Chinnappa got behind the wheel of the TT that as much potential of the 2-litre TFSI engine's 230PS was explored as possible. The man surely knows his way around a track and our time in the passenger seat was over quicker than you can say 'Deepak Paul Chinnappa drives like a man possessed'. Children, do not try this at home.

Next up was an off-road experience track specifically designed to show the extreme to which an Audi Q-car will go while maintaining composure. There were alternating ditches to test the axle articulation, side slopes to test how far you can lean the SUVs, a slush pit to check the Quattro system's tractability in near-zero traction, as well as a long series of rumblers and chicken holes to test the comfort. Through the side slope, with the Q7 leaned over at 36 degrees, the ground was close enough to touch from the driver side if one dared take their hand off the wheel. The smaller Q3 went through the course with equal aplomb, only requiring a little more effort in certain sections.

The idea behind the event was allowing customers and potential customers to test the performance of their vehicles in a controlled environment, which they might not be able to experience on a daily basis. Speaking about the same, hotelier Manish Khanna, an Audi A6 owner said that he was particularly enthralled by the off-road experience and that it was great to find out how capable the Audi Q7 really is. "It is truly a Mumbai car, given how there are places here where roads are just a series of potholes," he quipped.

Apart from the driving tracks, Audi India had also set up a tent with other activities including a virtual reality (VR) corner, merchandise store, a pool table, and a mini-golf course, among others.