Generation Speed was a celebration of anything and everything cars in one big pilgrimage at the Aamby Valley Air Strip
Words: Gaurav Davare
Photography: Kalidas M
Car culture in India isn’t a new concept, but getting enthusiasts from all corners of the country together for one spectacular pilgrimage isn’t an easy thing. That’s also why I’m envious of the biking community; especially when they have something like the India Bike Week. Well, Generation Speed is here to prove that it isn’t not only bikers that can have a festive gathering on a massive scale and, ironically, it’s from the same individuals that created India Bike Week. Sure, there were plenty of two-wheeled niceties around at Generation Speed, but a lot of the spotlight was on anything and everything about the car community, and boy, did we have quite the turnout over at the Aamby Valley Air Strip from 22-23 February, 2024.
There was no dearth of events to partake in and things to check out at Generation Speed. You really could call it a carnival for cars with some activities for the visitors. These included an off-road experience with the Land Rover Defender, riding shotgun in a drift machine with Tapaswi Racing, or even sitting next to 2019 INRC champion, Chetan Shivram, on the Speedway drag-strip. Škoda had the Kylaq around for enthusiasts and potential buyers to experience the driving dynamics of their new compact SUV.
Moving on to the juicy bits, let’s start with a lot of people’s greatest fantasies—especially for car enthusiasts—letting loose and looking cool while doing it. I’m talking about drifting madness with tonnes of burning rubber, a lot of happy faces, and a smoke-show that even filled the area and blocked all view for a few moments. The smoke-show wasn’t all for show either as there was a drift competition, judged by none other than Yousuf Al Herais of The Drift Home, Drifting Race Director of FIA, that had 15 entries with plenty of manic builds lined up, each of which showcased their sideways driving skill. All this culminated in five winners; who will attend the upcoming Red Bull Moto Jam Moto Clinic with a star drift expert from Red Bull.
Now, for those who aren’t that inclined to sideways thrills and get a greater kick out of speed, the Speedway drag-strip had that covered, complete with a little twist in the form of timed runs that involved a minor chicane rather than a straight quarter-mile sprint. There were plenty of notable showings such as race-spec Volkswagen Polos, multiple Lamborghinis, a tricked-out Audi RS 7, and even some wacky match-ups involving sky-high off-road builds. There was also the Formula 4 India championship car going up against the Wolf GB08 racer used for the Indian Racing League. Of course, how can we forget some of the outrageous drag-spec builds such as Imran Majid’s Wildchild Nissan R35 GT-R and Sean Rogers Pachigalla’s equally extreme Audi R8 drag racer, although we didn’t quite get to see their full potential due to the amount of dust being constantly kicked up on the drag-strip.
In the midst of all this high-octane action, I’d argue that the true crown jewel of Generation Speed would be the incredibly unique cars that made a presence. Sure, modern European exotics such as a Ferrari 488 GTB, Lamborghini Huracáns and Aventadors, as well as Porsche 911s, were a common sight, and there was every manner of car one could fancy.
Starting with the JDMs, there was quite a great collection of unicorn vehicles, especially from the likes of Joey Pastel’s collection, which included a Toyota MR2, a Subaru Impreza WRX STI Hatchback, a Nissan 240SX, a Toyota Celica, and even a Nissan 300ZX. There was also the cult-classic Toyota Supra Mk IV grabbing eyeballs, as well as a Mazda MX-5 with its compact open-top stature and classic pop-up headlights. It was however, a desi JDM that stole the show with a Maruti Suzuki 800 from SportTech that was turned into a rear-wheel-drive drift car, utilising a 1.1-litre “F10D” engine with a custom limited slip differential (LSD), and the iconic Initial D Toyota AE86-inspired livery. We even had it in action, going sideways effortlessly, to sweeten the deal.
What’s a car festival without some American muscle? Well, we had a full gang of muscle cars, with three Dodge Challengers and a Charger, showing up exactly like a typical American would—unapologetic, flexing unique liveries and, of course, being loud with their roaring V8s.
The unique collection continued with examples such as a race-spec BMW M3, a tricked-out Honda City, all the generations of the Škoda Octavia, including the soon-to-be-launched 2025 Octavia RS, as well as a manual-swap Octavia RS tuned by Mechanix Automotive and N2 Autotech making 320 hp. Another unique spot was rather the unlikeliest, the Hummer EV and the Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ Technology in the same space; two iconic rough-and-tough nameplates now in electric form.
Vintage beauties shared the spotlight at Generation Speed—and there were plenty—at Legacy Lane. Notable names were a pre-War Grand Prix style Fiat Corsa 501 S, an Adler Trumpf, a Mini Cooper, a Buick Electra 225, a convoy of Fiat Padminis, Hindustan Contessas, and a couple of cult-classics in the form of the second-gen Chevy Camaro Z/28 and the first-gen Dodge Viper. There was some motor sport royalty, too, with Vijay Mallya’s Black Beauty; a FIAT Padmini modified for the Group 2 category which raced at Sholavaram; becoming the first car from Chennai to beat the Coimbatore competitors. Another one, Vicky Chandok’s Kari Special: a Caterham/Lotus 7 replica that could’ve been a blueprint for something similar in India. Rounding off the vintage motor sport finds was a Formula 5000 Surtees TS 11—an F1 car from the 1970s—winning the UK F5000 title and races at Sholavaram. The cherry on top were the music performances from Suggahunny and Karan Kanchan which truly gave it all the environment of a festival.
As I coughed out the dust from my lungs, and shook the smell of burning rubber and the various petrol and diesel fumes off me, I left Generation Speed with a wide smile on my face. It wasn’t just about the high-octane drifts or drag-strip action, there was something for everyone. It was a beautiful reminder of the boundless car culture in India and I can’t wait for what Generation Speed could serve up next year.