Build it and they will come!

This long-held adage appears to have finally become the mantra for the Indian automotive industry – especially when it comes to performance machines targeted to enthusiasts.

Now we’re more than happy to test sensible hatchbacks, measure knee and elbow room and provide good consumer advice. But, truth be told, we got into this business to get our blood flowing and heart racing courtesy of bright blue performance machines, the likes of which you see on the cover of this issue. 

In this past month alone, we’ve tested three machines that satiate your need for speed – the Audi S5, the BMW M340i xDrive and the Mercedes-AMG A 35. And the best part is that all three have four doors, can be used every day and will cost you about as much as a traditional luxury sedan. The AMG and M340i are assembled in the country, albeit in limited numbers, and could even be considered value for money – relatively speaking of course, but just the fact that I can make such a claim suggests how far we’ve come as a market. 

Of course, machines like these remain niche, but that manufacturers can make a business case for assembling these models in the country suggests that demand for performance machines is growing – which is something that bodes well for those of us who consider vehicles to be much more than mere means of getting from point A to point B. 

Naturally, the hope is that this trend filters down into more mainstream segments of the market and machines that are fun-to-drive become more attainable. In the meantime, fire the chauffeur and enjoy any one of this trio from the German luxury triumvirate of Audi, BMW and Mercedes. 

Which should you choose? Well, each of them has north of 300 horsepower, does the 0 to 100km/h sprint in well under 5 seconds, and puts power down to all four wheels. So, it seems, you can’t really go wrong with any of the three. My only plea is to show them some love, so we see many more of their ilk in the Indian market in future…

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