Launch Control 8.0 - High-Speed Hangover

I don’t quite know what the official record for the most horsepower gathered at one place in India is, but if I were to hazard a guess, I’d say Launch Control India is very likely the reigning champion. Now in its eighth edition, Launch Control has grown into the country’s largest supercar and sportscar meet, and without doubt the go-to event for hardcore enthusiasts who actually drive their high-performance machines the way they’re meant to be driven. Why, you ask? Because it’s arguably the only car meet in the country where you can push your thoroughbred to its absolute limits – drifting, drag racing, or hammering around the Buddh International Circuit for hot laps, Launch Control has all the bases covered.

Launch Control India 8.0: Supercars, Hyper Builds & Drag Strip Chaos

autoX has participated in several Launch Control editions over the years, but for some reason or the other, I’ve always managed to miss them. This year, I wasn’t going to make the same mistake!

And with the mighty Audi RS Q8 Performance – fresh off winning the ‘Best of 2025’ Performance Car of the Year at the autoX Awards – at my disposal, I had even more motivation to not skip the event.

Launch Control 8.0 was split across two days – Day 1 for drag races, Day 2 for track sessions.

Running on the sidelines on both days were drifting sessions, where you could go sideways all day long, provided you’ve got the skill and a spare set of tyres (or two). Since my big-burly RS Q8 wasn’t exactly a drift weapon, I decided to skip that part and soak in the action as a spectator – and honestly, it was spectacular viewing.

Day 1 saw me line up for a total of 14 drag races. The RS Q8 Performance ran like clockwork every single time – 0–100 km/h in under four seconds across most runs, and quarter-mile times in the low 12s. All GPS-verified.

I managed to outrun a handful of heavy hitters – the Lamborghini Urus, Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen EV, BMW XM, plenty of modified M340is, and even an Audi RS5. But I was quickly humbled when I lined up next to Jasmehar’s (@jxzzy_22 on Instagram) Stage-2 G82 M4. Rated at 800bhp and 950Nm, his M4 is a rocket ship. It runs quarter-miles in under 10 seconds. Calling it insane would be an understatement. And the thing is – Jasmehar’s M4 wasn’t even an outlier. At Launch Control, most cars are equally mental, if not more. If you show up in a stock supercar, then you might probably be the odd one out.

Speaking of mental, Sean Rogers (@srpdrive on Instagram) brought his ludicrous 1,700bhp twin-turbo, flame-spitting Audi R8. It currently holds the title of the fastest-accelerating car in India, having clocked an 8.86-second quarter-mile. Unsurprisingly, it was the showstopper.

I ran into other wild builds too – Prateek’s (@gtpotomotivindia on Instagram) M2 with a full carbon-fibre package and close to 650bhp; Silas’ (@brutal_rs5 on Instagram) 700bhp RS5 that embarrassed many supercars; and Devesh’s (@m4sterdd on Instagram) Ironman-spec Stage 2+ M4 putting out 877bhp and 965Nm.

Launch Control 8.0 at BIC: Track Sessions, Lap Times & Flat-Out Battles

For day 2, I returned with the RS Q8 Performance, while Dhruv joined me in his BMW M2. We squeezed in a good amount of track time with both cars – even managed to shoot a quick lap-time comparison video between the Audi and the BMW to see how a super-SUV stacks up against a petite sportscar.

The video will be live on our YouTube channel soon. While our laps were fairly quick, there were faster cars out there. By the end of the day, Sumat’s heavily modded M2 topped the leaderboard with a blistering 2:10 lap.

To sum it up, Launch Control 8.0 was one of the most adrenaline-fuelled weekends of my life. If you’re a car lover, the speed, the sound, and the sheer spectacle are unmatched. But what stands out the most is the camaraderie – win or lose, everyone’s there for the love of cars.

As for me, I’m still nursing a post-Launch Control hangover. And no, that doesn’t mean I’m giving up on my latest addiction.

See you next year, Launch Control!