There are machines whose brochures must rightfully read like poetry. The café racer and the convertible are at the very top of that list. The former was born in the 1950s, an inevitable product of raging hormones, fast motorcycles, and tight budgets; the latter is as old as the automobile itself, probably even older when it was dragged around by live horses instead of those generated by internal combustion. These two are the purest fluctuations of their respective tunes, their rhythm found in the beat of automotive hearts around the world. And neither does well in India despite its appetite for motorcycles and cars.
As the Mini Cooper S Convertible’s soft top comes up, its 18-second span tells more than a century’s worth of embarrassing stories that happened to people sitting in open-top cars. Dust, rain, litter, dive-bombing birds and, in the Indian context, the possibility of being showered with just about anything imaginable. Then again, the sheer highs of open-top motoring are bound to their lows. As I contemplate this, my eyes fall on the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650. It looks like bliss, even though its muted colours look like rigor mortis against the Mini’s lovely white striped bonnet. The most affordable café racer and convertible in India stand together, waiting for the rain to stop.
This story is from the October 2019 edition of Motoring World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 2019 edition of Motoring World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
STRENGTH TO STRENGHT
What's New for 2024? We dive deep into the redesigned Mercedes-Benz GLE 450
BUILDING BLOCKS
Harley-Davidson takes us on a tour of the Hero Motocorp garden factory plant in Neemrana
PRACTICALLY SMART
The Jupiter 125 was already a comfortable and practical family scooter; what has changed this time around?
SEDAN CHIC
The Mercedes-Benz A200d has style and function and makes a compelling case for sedans
SOFT LANDING
City slicker by day, off-road warrior by weekend: Land Rover's Discovery Sport tackles it all.
MORE IS MORE
And less is a bore seems to be BMW's philosophy with the iX. Does it work?
BAVARIAN BOOST
The BMW iX1 offers thrilling performance and luxurious comfort in a compelling all-electric package
URBAN SPRINTER
From school trips to boardroom meetings, the Force Urbania reimagines the van experience with surprising comfort
N LINETENMENT
Pardon the dad joke, but the Creta N Line is worthy of its price tag, even if doesn't quite take you to motoring nirvana
THE ROADS AHEAD
Volkswagen India's Annual Brand Conference revealed what's in store for India this year.