Hours after smashing his fourth century in this season’s IPl, Indian Test captain Virat Kohli was at the Hosur aerodrome to launch the next generation Audi R8 V10 Plus. Virat, a self-confessed Audi fan looked fresh as a daisy and despite his hand being taped up due to an injury was keen to put this 610PS supercar through its paces.
“I love driving fast cars in a controlled environment, like this track”, he said during a short interaction with the media. Virat spoke out strongly against drunken driving as well saying that it was “stupid”. Alongside Virat, Joe King, the head of Audi India said that Virat was a champion sportsperson and espoused Audi’s values. “It was Virat’s people who approached us, because he already owned an Audi and really loved the brand.” Virat who owns an Audi A4, Q7 and a R8 has been a long-time fan of the brand and after a short period endorsing the Toyota Etios is now contractually an Audi man although King clarified, “We don’t have a brand ambassador, Virat is a fan of the brand and we work together.”
Talking about his stellar form of late, Virat denied that he had any secret, just saying that he worked really hard on the field and had focus. Advising youngsters he said, “keep your focus, there are a lot of distractions in the world. When I was younger I also used to get distracted very easily but with age and experience I have realised the virtues of focussing on my game. There is always time to enjoy and drive nice cars.”
The R8 V10 plus showcased at the Hosur aerodrome is the second-generation of the super car that Audi has launched in India. It is India’s best-selling super car with over 100 sold, and the new car already has a long wait list. While Audi did not officially announce a price of the car, it is considered India’s most ‘affordable’ supercar.
And what was the automotive experience that Virat really wanted after he blasted the R8 down the runway. “I want to take a driving trip across Europe, no flights, just a fun driving vacation.”