CarWale Track Day 2021: Leaderboard

Introduction

The CarWale Track Day returned this year (after a year of hiatus owing to the global pandemic) with all its guns blazing. We saw many practical yet exciting cars hit the track in this fourth edition of the CarWale Track Day. When we reached the MMRT race track in Chennai, we had a simple funda in mind, to have fun with everyday heroes. The cars at our disposal might not have gazillion horsepower or missile-controlling electronics gizmore. Instead, these cars are those modest workhorses that you and I will buy as our everyday pride and joy. These cars are seen on the streets going about their day-to-day excursions through city commutes, long hauls on the highway pegging away as everyday family cars. Yet we saw in them a sporty demeanour that could perhaps bring joy to the ones who love to drive. You have already seen these everyday heroes – if not, here’s the link to get a complete report of all the action.

Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza Right Front Three Quarter

Here, we are going through a recapitulation to see what lap times our everyday heroes cracked at MMRT with our very own modest everyday hero Sagar Bhanushali at the helm.

Tata Nexon – 2 minutes 20.58 seconds

The most unlikely car you can find on a race track is a practical, spacious and family-oriented sub-four metre SUV. But aren’t unconventional always fun? So there we had it, the Nexon, with its second appearance at MMRT at the 2021 CarWale Track Day. With its modest three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, the Nexon does have the necessary firepower. But it’s also heavy, with driving controls not exactly engineered for blistering lap times. Its lap time of 2 minutes 20.58 seconds might not impress you but the Nexon was sheer fun behind the wheel and also for the onlookers. Take a look at some of the pictures and the Nexon has one of its wheels in the air for the great visual drama. Who would have thought a stubby yet compact SUV like the Nexon would be so rewarding to push around a race track?

Hyundai i20 – 2 minutes 17.65 seconds

In its newest avatar, the Hyundai i20 definitely packs a punch. Apart from being a looker, the new i20 has got what it takes to be called an everyday hot hatch. It’s equally practical as it is fun – a combination we haven’t seen in a long time. It fills the void left by offering a punchy performance from its turbocharged direct-injection three-banger and a well-rounded chassis balance. On better tyres, the i20 could have left a better mark in our records. But more than that, the bigger fly in the ointment for the i20 was its indecisive DCT gearbox. Despite the ESP and automatic gearbox baulking down its time, the i20 Turbo DCT managed a respectable time of 2 minutes 17.65 seconds. We think that with grippier tyres and a stick shift the i20 could have put down an even better lap time. Nonetheless, the i20 still emerged as one of our favourite ‘everyday heroes’ at the 2021 CarWale Track Day.

Honda City – 2 minutes 16.78 seconds

If you are a firm believer that sedans are the best heroes to experience a track – the Honda City is here to prove you right. Even though it’s bigger, longer and much heavier than before, the traditional City traits aren’t lost in the transition. On a contrary, they have grown furthermore. And to add to its ‘everyday practicality, we got ourselves an oil burner. We know that the trick of hooting a diesel car around the track is more of maximising torque utilisation to keep your momentum rather than outright grunt. And the City with its sweet ergonomics, sensational pull from the diesel engine (especially in the mid-range), and a lower centre of gravity courtesy of it being a proper sedan, managed to register a respectable time of 2 minutes 16.78 seconds. There’s not much that you can ask for from your daily driver.

Maruti Vitara Brezza – 2minutes 15.46 seconds

Now there’s no denying the fact that the Vitara Brezza flies off the shelves faster than hotcakes. But over the years, this sub-four metre SUV has subtly become our favourite among the lot. Take a look at the diesel version we drove in the previous editions of CarWale Track Day. This year, the VB returned with a new heart and managed to win back our hearts all over again. With a time of 2m 15s, the Vitara Brezza’s good ol’ four-cylinder naturally-aspirated petrol engine shone the brightest. Its free-revving nature with linear power delivery makes you appreciate its simplicity on a race track. Combine it with fantastic chassis balance, its lightweight and predictable steering, and the Brezza comes across as an incredibly fun car to drive despite its mundane perception.

Volkswagen Polo – 2 minutes 13.99 seconds

Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza Right Rear Three Quarter

If you need anything to swear by, consider this – the Volkswagen Polo. It has been around for almost a decade – the oldest car of our lot if you look at it that way. But at this 2021 edition of CarWale Track Day, the Polo enters after a major heart transplant. Case in point, out goes the old naturally aspirated four-cylinder TSI and in comes the newest 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged TSI. More importantly, you can swear by the Polo owing to its perseverance. There’s no other car on sale that comes close to the Polo’s superior chassis balance, handling characteristics and the sheer supply of fun it has in abundance. It’s been a driver’s car for the past decade that you don’t have to shell out a bomb to own. And a quick lap time of 2 minutes 13.99 seconds is yet another proof that despite the downsized engine, the Polo remains to be the finest hatchbacks to drive – be it road or track.

BMW M340i – 2 minutes 00.05 seconds

In automotive say, a ‘Sleeper’ is a car that has high performance and an unassuming exterior. That perfectly sums up the BMW M340i. Although it’s not a full-blown M car despite the M in its name, the M340i is breathtakingly fast in a straight line and an absolute demon when shown some corners around a race track. As gorgeous as it looks standing still, the M340i can raise some hell with all the weaponry in its arsenal – a 382bhp turbocharged straight-six, quick-shifting auto ‘box and xDrive AWD system. Don’t believe it? Here’s a figure for you to wrap your head around – the M340i clocked 176kmph on the long back straight and took corners C5 and C7 at 85kmph and 95kmph respectively. A flat 2 min lap was the fastest time of the day at this year’s CarWale Track Day and we are sure the M340i is capable of an even quicker time in the hands of a professional racer. Nonetheless, the M340i is a kind of Sleeper that you can hoot around a race track with three of your friends and their luggage on board.

Volkswagen Motorsport Polo Race Car

To wind it up, this one is something special. Although we didn’t record a lap time of the Race-spec Polo, rather gained first-hand experience of what the Volkswagen Motorsport’s ‘Arrive and Drive’ programme at the MMRT is like. Simply put, under the Arrive and Drive programme you shell out Rs 9,000 to book yourself a slot and find yourself in a pro race car driver donning a race suit for the 25-minute session on the MMRT race track. There’s a race-spec Vento also available as a part of the programme, but the Polo is an absolute hoot in our books for more reasons than one. Check out the detailed experience report from our seat time in a race-spec Polo over here.

Pictures by Kapil Angane and Kaustubh Gandhi