SLIDING IN

On a hot, sunny weekend, we get a taste of what it's like to bake delicious donuts on a drift-spec racecar

- Saurabh Gamare

When I sat shotgun in Mudit Grover's stripped-down drift-spec BMW E46, and as a force of habit, I tried to reach out for the seat belt, and Mudit goes, This has no seatbelts!'. I sheepishly smiled back at him and started thanking my medical insurance agent, who sent me countless reminders to renew it. And Mudit floored the BMW out on the drift track, meanwhile, I am bracing for my dear life. Within seconds, the Beemer was dancing to Mudit's tune as it carried fast drifts from one corner to another. It was absolutely sensational to witness Mudit drift with such finesse. All this while, I had only watched people do crazy drifts on TV, and now to get a chance to experience it first-hand was beyond special.

By the way, make sure you always roll the windows up because if you're asthmatic or prone to dust or muck, you're not going to enjoy this drifting joyride. My navy blue pullover that I had worn now had a grey pinstripe design on it, thanks to the bare-bones E46 drifting over a puddle full of water. Once again, in the middle of a drift Mudit politely goes, 'Sorry about that!' It took me only a matter of seconds from thinking, 'I should have probably let somebody else go first,' to This is Brilliant! Where can I learn to do all that?' Heck, I was getting a kick from all that! Of course, Mudit is exceptional at drifting. After all, he's the record holder for India's Longest Drift that he set in his custom-prepped Mercedes C200 W203. He held onto a drift for 19 minutes and 20 seconds at the Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida. Exceptional.