Generation Speed A First Look at India's Premier Motoring Festival

For decades, India's love for cars has been shaped by influences from the West. But the next generation? It's being forged right here-on the highways, backroads, garages, and racetracks of the subcontinent. And now, for the first time, there's a place built to celebrate it

- By Sharan Sanil

A few years ago, I had a moment that cemented my love for motorcycles and all things that go vroom—watching a heavyset man launch his equally heavyset Royal Enfield off a ramp, straight through a ring of fire, hurtling toward me and my erstwhile colleague. That was my first India Bike Week (IBW), the Goa-bound pilgrimage to all things two-wheeled, and it's been a staple of my winter travel calendar ever since. While I may no longer have the patience to road-trip like the thousands of fellow bikers who ride in every year, IBW 2024 brought an unexpected revelation: the festival's makers had something big brewing —a full-blown car festival.

That anticipation set the stage for Generation Speed 2025, held at Aamby Valley Airstrip between the 22nd and 23rd of February. The inaugural event transformed the venue into a vibrant hub of automotive passion, bringing together enthusiasts from all corners of India. The event's mastermind, Martin da Costa, had been toying with this idea for years. “We've been doing IBW for a decade now, and about 2-3 years ago, we thought, ‘Wouldn't it be great to do something similar for cars?’”

Bringing Generation Speed to life, however, was no small feat. “We were crisscrossing the country, looking for the best cars, the world’s best tuners, the real core of this culture,” Da Costa stressed.

The result? Walking through the festival grounds felt like navigating a labyrinth of automotive wonders. Each turn unveiled a new surprise—from rare JDM classics like the Nissan 300ZX and Toyota Supra to modern muscle cars, supercars, and everything in between. The atmosphere buzzed with the symphony of revving engines and animated conversations, embodying the essence of a true motoring Disneyland.