What it is like to go Sky Karting at Smaaash

Just yesterday, Sachin Tendulkar unveiled a multi-level electric go-kart track called Sky Karting at Smaaash, Lower Parel, Mumbai. The go-karting track here is the first one in India to have an artificial gradient road and electric go-karts. Sky Karting also features spring barriers which help absorbs the impact. So we lost no time in testing the track for you. Here’s a bit about the experience.

The karts

The environmentally friendly lightweight karts are by Sodikart. The company is based out of France and are one of the leaders in terms of electric karts. RTX is what it’s called and it features an electric motor backed by Lithium ion batteries. The karts are lightweight and feature a balanced symmetrical chassis. The karts come with an adjustable seat, steering wheel, pedal position which means the karts can accommodate people of all shapes and sizes.

The track

The track is set outdoors, measuring 430 metres. The length is not the only thing the track has going for it, there is also a gradient incline and decline of more than 12 feet. The road surface is made up of concrete sheets which are well laid which means there are no undulating gaps between them. The barriers at the turn are ‘spring barriers’ which not only absorb the impact but push the kart back on to the track. The track also features an advanced lap-timing system and LED lights. Yes, that does mean you will be able to go-kart after the sun goes down.

The experience
It started with a quick safety briefing which quickly went on to putting on a DOT rated helmet and a neck brace. The karts were unplugged from their chargers and we were asked to get in, initially the RTX felt much larger in size compared to the petrol-powered go-karts we have seen in India. We were asked to slowly exit the charging station and head towards the grid. The operator left us in the restricted power mode for the initial half of the first lap to get familiar with kart. Once he gave us access to all the power, the Sodi RTX had a surge of acceleration which is expected from battery power. The track being full of corners meant there was no stretch to experience the top-end of the power band. What made up for that was that the karts were slide friendly. Accelerating out hard on the corners meant you would have to oversteer to get it back in line.

Pricing
Weekday pricing starts at Rs 400 for 3 minutes and goes up to Rs 700 for 8 minutes, weekend prices start at Rs 500 and go up to Rs 900. The timing for Sky karting are from 11 am to 1 am on weekdays and 7 am to 1 am on weekends.

Conclusion
In conclusion, the twisty track and the quickly-accelerating karts go hand in hand for a great environmentally friendly go-kart experience, we recommend a visit after sunset.