I watch as an ancient, bouncing, chuntering VW Beetle finally finds a way past the Hoonitron. It’d been closing in for a couple of laps, and not slowly. A lusty cheer goes up. The Hoonitron, Ken Block’s 4WD EV monster, continues to slither, whirr and wheelspin around, but it’s floundering in the deep, slushy snow. Should’ve borrowed the Corvette’s spiked tyres. They’re the evillest things I’ve seen in a long time. More studs and spikes than a punk reunion.
This is the F.A.T. Ice Race. There’s not really any racing going on. There would have been if the temperatures had stayed colder, but a few days of warmth means the only things that manage to complete a lap at first are the piste bashers. After that it’s pretty much a free-for-all, more automotive mud wrestling than actual competition classes. No one cares: the music’s pumping, the drink’s flowing, the cars are slithering and everyone’s having a great time. There’s a hot tub, bar and firepits. It’s après-ski with added cars.
And it’s not a huge event. You might think it is because we’ve come here to report on it, it’s plastered all over social media and there are big-name brands involved. But it’s not. It’s a cool, little event. Provided you’ve donned a set of waterproof boots to wade across the puddles, you can walk from one end to the other in the interlude between DJ sets. If there are 5,000 people here I’d be surprised.
Denne historien er fra Annual Issue 2024-utgaven av BBC TopGear India.
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Denne historien er fra Annual Issue 2024-utgaven av BBC TopGear India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
THE PERFECT RECIPE FOR KARI FT. EUROGRIP
What happens when you do track days in the name of pushing the limits of a tyre
ROOKIE BLUES
Acosta Urged for Patience as KTM Chases Ducati
THE VALUE OF TIME
Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen
DJI Osmo Action 4
Being an automotive journalist, our job entails us to ride motorcycles of all kinds and not to forget, the life behind driving some exotic set of wheels as well.
WAR WORDS WORLDS
Indians might not have played a deciding role in the previous world wars but now, our participation is much more evident
XTREME MACHINE
Maserati's racing history is a patchwork of epic highs and long absences, so can the MCXtrema - a track only version of its latest supercar-bring back the glory days?
WET AND WILD
No doors, no roof, no boot, but at least there's a windscreen... Paul Horrell pulls on his waterproof trousers and takes the Nomad 2 for a spin
STREAM W0RKS
This is an MG. Yes, really. Turns out it's got form in streamliners too...just ask Stirling Moss
A map and a compass.
Dacia got a foothold in the UK with cheapness, now it wants toughness on its CV. Can the new Duster handle Morocco's heat and locate a Dakar team in the desert - no GPS allowed?
A RECKLESS DEVELOPMENT?
Farewell, V10, this is the new Lamborghini Temerario, a 907bhp V8 hybrid. A worthy Huracán successor, or a misstep from the Italian firm?