Saturday, April 14, 2007
On board the Chevy Optra
This epoch making event in the history of my progress from a greenhorn to a master when sitting behind the wheel happened quite some time back. Yes, I took the wheel of a Chevy Optra. And scared the living daylights out of the numerous happless cyclists and walkers and many a stray dog and the odd ox and the occasional panther ( which was trying hard to stay a blip on my rear view mirror) which frequent IIT Roads.
Truth be told, it was a bit different- my performance might actually not have drawn appreciative nods from Alonso and co. My previous experince spans across a rickety auto, a puny 800, another puny but slightly more respectable Santro. So the elementary mistake I made in the intitial part of the drive was going up the gears at much lower speed than required- causing that thudding vibration which is a clear mark of a driver new to the wheels he is driving. In the 800, 1st gear can take you to maybe 15 kmph and 2nd will create a great racket by the time it lets you reach 25. Whereas in a brute like the optra, u go to second at 25 and stay there till 35, i suppose.
However, quick learning is a mark of genius, and i went past this learning curve and many a sinuous cirves of IITB with poise and elegance. You see, Quick learning is mark of genius, and quick driving is mach of genius. Towards the latter half of the drive I enjoyed the heady feeling of more than 100 horses in front of me, as I let fly. I once sat in a BMW, and the noise and vibration insulation in these high end cars (Optra to a lesser extent) is nothing short of stunning. Once in the cabin, you have absolutely no idea whether the engine is running or not. And from outside, the sound of the engine is a gentle purr- music to the ears.
Truth be told, it was a bit different- my performance might actually not have drawn appreciative nods from Alonso and co. My previous experince spans across a rickety auto, a puny 800, another puny but slightly more respectable Santro. So the elementary mistake I made in the intitial part of the drive was going up the gears at much lower speed than required- causing that thudding vibration which is a clear mark of a driver new to the wheels he is driving. In the 800, 1st gear can take you to maybe 15 kmph and 2nd will create a great racket by the time it lets you reach 25. Whereas in a brute like the optra, u go to second at 25 and stay there till 35, i suppose.
However, quick learning is a mark of genius, and i went past this learning curve and many a sinuous cirves of IITB with poise and elegance. You see, Quick learning is mark of genius, and quick driving is mach of genius. Towards the latter half of the drive I enjoyed the heady feeling of more than 100 horses in front of me, as I let fly. I once sat in a BMW, and the noise and vibration insulation in these high end cars (Optra to a lesser extent) is nothing short of stunning. Once in the cabin, you have absolutely no idea whether the engine is running or not. And from outside, the sound of the engine is a gentle purr- music to the ears.
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