If you've got it, flaunt it!

It is not unusual for flamboyant page 3-favourite Gautam Singhania, MD, Raymond group, to take one of his super — read extravagant — machines out for a spin and attract gawping on lookers. And nor is it, I bet, for the owners of the 100-odd cars who set out to display their mean machines at the Parx Super Car show at the Mahalaxmi Race Course in Mumbai.

It is not every day that car aficionados get a glimpse of some of the most coveted cars in the world, parading them around like supermodel eye candy. The appeal of the brands is obvious — they range from the likes of Audi, Mercedes and Lamborghini to Aston Martin, Porsche, Ferrari, Bentley, BMW and Rolls-Royce. Most participants of the Parx Super Car show are part of the Super Car Club (SCC), the first and only exclusive club for super car owners, founded by Singhania and Autocar editor Hormazd Sorabjee. “The main idea is to open the world of grand cars to car enthusiasts, free of charge,” says Singhania. The Parx Super Car show, which began its journey in April 2009, has witnessed growth, not only in terms of the super cars — which doubled from around 50 in the first year to 100 cars now — but also in the number of participants. Since its inception, the club’s member base has quadrupled to around 250 members pan-India. The club has a presence across New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and Mumbai. SCC has to its credit over six large super car shows and numerous drives to exotic locations such as Ladakh and Rajasthan. 

But the show-stopper at the event was definitely Singhania’s red hot La Ferrari. Not only has the car been touted as Ferrari’s best performing make till date, it is said that only 499 La Ferrari’s will ever be made. This car boasts of being the first-ever production car to be equipped with the F1-derived hybrid solution — the HY-KERS system — which combines the power of an electric motor producing over 150 constant velocity (CV) with the most powerful incarnation yet of Ferrari’s classic V12 engine. The 6262CC V12 produces 800 CV and can clock a maximum speed of nearly 350 km/hour. 

The feline exterior of the car looks like a streamlined Spanish sea bird with its tapered sides and dazzled the assembled spectators. This masterpiece by Ferrari costs around ₹30 crore, according to senior officials at the event. Singhania says, “Ferraris are not meant for potholed and bumpy roads; they have a soft disposition. You would enjoy driving them if you hit the broad, empty avenues in Europe or North America.” For now, thanks to the show, many people got a rare chance to get up, close and personal with the vehicles, which have so far been only figments of their imagination.