Words Abhay Verma
For decades, Porsche’s engineers have been turning grown-up men back into boys with their evocative, irresistibly engineered sportscars. The 911, often regarded as the best sportscar in the world, has always been the piece-de-resistance, but has never been the only Porsche to make us go weak in the knees. And to get a chance to drive Porsche’s entire line-up together, at the Buddh International Circuit, is a day petrolheads would give an arm and a leg for. But that’s exactly what the Porsche World Road Show is all about. And the 2025 edition of the PWRS, as Porsche likes to call it, was extra-special.
We were split into batches at the start of the day, and the driving experiences were split into four different ones. Obviously, I was looking forward to driving on track, as that would give me an opportunity to lap the Buddh International Circuit in cars like the new, 992.2 generation 911 GTS T-Hybrid, the 911 Carrera and of course, the 911 GT3 RS! We were rushed into one of the pit garages for a quick briefing, though turned out, we were to drive the Macan EV and updated Taycan on track first.
Umm… Can’t say I was looking forward to these over the 911s, but what’s to complain when an EV has the Porsche coat of arms on its hood? Both cars impressed on track, though a limitation was that we were to drive in a formation, without overtaking the driver ahead. So yes, we were getting to go flat-out, but with a slower driver in front I was forced to back off around several corners. Admittedly, two laps is not a lot of seat time either, but the experience of getting to push EVs around an F1 circuit was quite an engaging one. Especially since the said EVs were Porsches, and can out-do a lot of performance cars around the BIC when it comes to lap times. I was also impressed with how responsive the throttles felt in the Macan EV and Taycan both – there was a very likeable feel to the responses, besides which the steering was offering precise feedback.
Next up was a slalom run in the 718 Spyder, which looked smashing in red, with golden-hued wheels. Importantly, we were being timed and even hitting a cone invited penalties. I was able to ace the slalom and even managed to set the quickest time in my batch! I was also smitten by the 718 Spyder’s manoeuverability and ease of driving, and can imagine how much fun it would be as a daily driver. Next up was a 0-100-0 dash in the Taycan Turbo GT, with a Weissach Pack. I’m someone who likes going fast around corners than in a straight line, but the purple-hued Taycan Turbo GT looked stunning and we were told it out-accelerates Formula1 car. What’s not to like? A 0-100kmph time of 2.2 seconds is something I could not say no to after all. For the record, we’re talking a four-door luxury electric sedan putting out 1,108PS. This makes it the most powerful car I’ve driven, putting the Taycan above the 1,000PS Toyota Supra Mk IV and the 750PS, naturally aspirated V8-engined 2012 Renault F1 car I’ve driven previously! Acceleration was neck-snapping to say the least, as the car the propelled itself to triple digits like a projectile, though the run was too quick to even absorb into my senses!
We then drove the Porsche Cayenne off tarmac, on a specially-created off-road track, which the SUV had no trouble going across. And then, finally, it was time to strap myself into the new 911. I was a little disappointed to see the analogue central tachometer gone, which has been a hallmark of all 911s across generations, but the new digital display does manage an impressive job of simulating the real one. The GTS T-Hybrid felt effortless and seriously quick and I was only wishing I could get more seat time in it. I’d saved the best for the last, the GT3 RS and it was everything I’d imagined. As journalists we avoid using superlatives like the plague, but the GT3 RS is perhaps the ultimate and most grin-inducing track-bred sportscar money can buy you today. Heck, I even managed to get it sideways, exiting one of the slower left-hand corners, after stepping on the gas too early. And boy, it felt so good! As we pulled back into the pits I glanced at my instructor, who was right in front of me when the GT3 RS had gone sideways. He smiled at me, seeing me get out of the car grinning from ear to ear. Yes, the Porsche magic is real!
