Sports coupes and drop-top convertibles are all very well when you are in your 20s and 30s. After all, you only need one passenger seat for the girlfriend, right? Inevitably, though, as you hit your 40s, there’s now the wife, kids, parents, and the in-laws demanding to be driven around, and they don’t care much about a bright red, two- seater, low-slung coupe that’s hard to get in and out of. You now need something with four seats, and preferably four doors as well. Have no fear; the Germans and the Italians build some truly mind-altering fast sedans and GT cars, in which the entire family can travel at triple-digit speeds. Here’s a selection of some of the best such cars that you can buy in India right now.
AUDI RS 7 SPORTBACK
Launched in India in July this year, with an ex-showroom pricetag of Rs 1.94 crore, the Audi RS 7 Sportback in definitely not for the faint-of-heart or the weak-of-wallet. What it is, is a full-blown supercar that just happens to have four doors and seating for five. The RS 7 is powered by a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 that belts out 592 horsepower and 800Nm of torque. This brute of an engine is housed in equally brutish, an wedge-shaped bodywork that screams aggression. Big wheels, flared wheel arches, massive grille up front, LED laser headlamps, twin exhaust exits at the back, and rakish styling executed by some bloke who loves the UFC and who has posters of the 1970s Lamborghini Countach on his bedroom walls — that’s the RS 7 for you.
As you might expect from a modern, high-performance Audi, the RS 7 has the shove to match its swagger; with an 8-speed Tiptronic transmission pushing power to all four wheels, zero to 100kph comes up in 3.6 seconds, and top speed is an electronically limited 248kph. And it’s also designed to keep you ensconced in sheer luxury at all times; the seats are upholstered in a combination of leather and Alcantara, fit and finish is impeccable, and Audi’s MMI infotainment system is class-leading among all luxury car brands.
BENTLEY FLYING SPUR
Launched in Europe in mid-2019, the all-new Bentley Flying Spurrecently made its way to India carrying an ex-showroom price tag of Rs 3.41 crore. Built in Crewe, England, and billed as ‘the world’s most advanced luxury Grand Touring sports sedan’ by Bentley, the Flying Spur is powered by a 6.0-litre, twin-turbo W12 (yes, that’s 12 cylinders, arranged in a ‘W’ formation), which produces 626 horsepower and 900Nm of torque. With power going through an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, the Flying Spur accelerates from zero to 100kph in 3.8 seconds and is capable of hitting a top speed of 333kph.
Riding on massive, 22-inch alloy wheels, the Flying Spur boasts smooth, beautifully sculpted bodywork. From its cut-crystal effect LED matrix, to its sumptuous leather and wood interiors, this car is simply in a different league when compared to the competition.
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