In The Fast Lane

What do you do with a sports coupe that can notch up 100 kmph in less than four seconds and has enough horse power under its hood to rival the combined power of four ordinary SUVs? If youre in Delhi ,you lock it away in your garage.

What do you do with a sports coupe that can notch up 100 kmph in less than four seconds and has enough horse power under its hood to rival the combined power of four ordinary SUVs? If youre in Delhi ,you lock it away in your garage. It is impossible to drive such cars in Delhis traffic, says businessman Varun Jain,who owns a white Lamborghini Gallardo 560-4 (560 bhp and a 4-wheel drive). Now,owners of several luxury cars in the Capital have come together to form a club that would allow them to do what they love drive out on wheels that can swallow the miles in a trice. Called the Cannon Ball Club,the group was formed in October 2009 and boasts 50 sports cars and several fast SUVs from Ferrari,Lamborghini,Porsche and Aston Martin besides a Maserati GTS.

The club can be seen in action on one Sunday every month,when the cars roar down the roads of Lutyens Delhi. There are many people with super expensive cars scattered across the city. Unfortunately,one person does not know about the existence of the other. I thought of bringing these people on a common platform so that they can drive as a community, says Paritosh Gupta,26,from the Cannon Ball Club.

Membership is by recommendation only and the group comprises mostly businessmen between 25 and 45 years of age.

All sports cars above 400 bhp and a few SUVs above 350 bhp are included in the club. Though an SUV does not qualify as a super car,we have made exceptions for a few models with engine capabilities rivalling that of a sports car, adds Gupta,who,ironically,does not own a super car.

Entrepreneur Ankur Aggarwal,28,calls himself the ultimate sports car freak and drives a suped-up Range Rover HSE. With ivory leather seating,four exhale outs and super sports edition suspensions,Aggarwals black SUV is a multi-crore monster. I always wanted an SUV than performed like a sports car, says Aggarwal,who also uses the club to network with other SUV owners. We share information about cars and talk about various brands. I learn new things about other SUVs each time we meet, he adds.

The meetings are day-long affairs,which are clubbed with lunch after a drive. We plan to go on long drives to places like Shimla in a few months, says Gupta.

He adds that the club obeys road rules strictly. This is important because it is tempting to over-speed with sports cars, he explains. Gupta is enforcing a challan system where a certain amount is deducted from a members security deposit if he violates traffic rules. The money might not pinch,but the fine is a deterrant against breaking rules, he says.

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For Prateek Madan,26,who owns a Porsche 911 Carrera S,with plush red leather seating,19-inch turbo wheels and sports chrono launch control like an F1 car,the club also serves as a platform for business networking. I am able to catch up with other sports car enthusiasts and understand their tastes. Since the members are mostly high net worth individuals, says Madan,who also owns a Porsche Cayenne GTS.

With a Mumbai division opening next month,the club is gearing up for a super car marathon on April 23. The event will see super cars from Mumbai and Bangalore joining us in Delhi, says Gupta.

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In The Fast Lane

What do you do with a sports coupe that can notch up 100 kmph in less than four seconds and has enough horse power under its hood to rival the combined power of four ordinary SUVs? If youre in Delhi ,you lock it away in your garage.

What do you do with a sports coupe that can notch up 100 kmph in less than four seconds and has enough horse power under its hood to rival the combined power of four ordinary SUVs? If youre in Delhi ,you lock it away in your garage.