Aditya Patel, the Indian racing driver who represents Audi India Motorsport, smashed the previous record to smithereens after hitting a remarkable 332.2kmph in a stock Audi R8 V10 Plus. The prior record of 324.2kmph was set by Formula One driver Jaime Alguersuari at the Buddh International Circuit back in 2011 during the Indian Grand Prix.
In association with Autocar India, the 2-seater, mid-engined supecar Audi R8 V10 Plus was put on a five-lane, seven kilometer long stretch in Hyderabad’s Outer Ring Road, in a closed environment. The feat was possible due to the right combination of the ace driver’s skills and R8’s powerful 5-litre 602bhp, along with Audi’s trademark Quattro permanent all-wheel drive system.
Aditya outdid Audi’s claimed top speed of 330kmph on the first run itself, hitting the red liner in seventh gear to achieve the top speed in merely 5.1kms, leaving around 2kms of tarmac for braking. Aditya Patel, who hails from Madras, has participated in Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup, Polo Cup, Formula BMW Pacific and the 24 hours Nurburgring as well.
“With the right road and the right car, it was amazing how easy it was to achieve this speed in complete safety. No doubt, at speeds beyond 300kmph you feel very ripple on the road and all five lanes dramatically narrow to give you tunnel vision, the faster you go. I expected the R8 to move around a bit with so much wind buffeting the car but I was astonished with its stability and composure. It feels fabulous to be a part of this exhilarating record breaking experience” said the record breaker, Aditya Patel.
The record was ratified by the representatives from the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India, Ernst and Young and the Limca Book of Records.