POWER!!
Something that car/speed-freaks like me crave for. Time is yet to come when we Indians start seeing supercars with massive V10 or V12 engines on our roads. But right now for us, anything over 100BHP is 'awesome'.
A decent 118BHP at 6600revs for disposal at the right foot is exactly what our New Honda City offers. Any power enthusiast would floor the throttle at every chance he gets to feel that rush of adrenaline through his body. One fine afternoon, a Honda City is cruising at 120kmph in 5th gear on the Mysore-Bangalore highway. It is barely 3 months old and the engine is still running in. It has not been revved much before and to sum up all the treatment that it had gotten until then, there is only one word – SMOOTH.
Suddenly, the driver hears a honk behind. He glances at his rear-view mirror and sees a car asking for room. He makes way thinking, "Who the hell wants to overtake a car at 120?", and gazes in admiration as a beauty overtakes him. It is a Mercedes Benz SLK 200 Kompressor.
"I want to keep up with the Merc", is the ONLY thing running in his mind right now. Everything else is a total blur. He downshifts by two and starts chasing the SLK but is only losing ground. Fortunately, after a few hundred meters, the Merc gets stuck behind an 800 and the City makes its way nearer to the supercharged wonder.
The road clears up now and the Kompressor starts to unleash its 165BHP on the flat tarmac again.
"Now is the time", he thinks. “I will touch the RED LINE for the first time!”.
In second gear now, tacho is reading 2100 and speedo 20. He thumps the pedal to metal with full force and the City springs into life. He glances at the speedo and the needle is rocketing up like there is no tomorrow. He is pushed back in his seat, the car roaring with increase in revs and his Dad and Mom astonished by the sudden surge. The car is flooded with 118 horses of incredible power at 6600revs later reaching 100 in 2nd at 7000revs. He clicks the right paddle to upshift and continues further to touch 130 in 3rd.
Back on the road, the Merc has not raced away. A Honda was able to compete with a Merc and it did better than expected. The City is now powering its way on the road chasing the Kompressor, doing nearly 150. Suddenly, he is shot back to senses saying, “Oh God! This is crazy!”, and the City then slows down.
He now looks at the odo and it is reading 1472. He thinks, “1028 until I do it again!!”. :)
