For the answer proved that when it comes to cars he is as hopelessly
in love with them as all the rest of us.
Sachin Tendulkar is one confused soul!
Did anyone say that’s scandalous? But it’s true. Still don’t believe it? Well,
here’s how to find out. If you are among the elite few who gets to talk to him,
ask him this question: “Which is your favorite car?” and the sentence that
follows will include everything from a Mercedes-Benz to a Ferrari, from a
Porsche to a BMW, from a…
Honestly, we were not surprised. or
dismayed. For the answer proved that when it comes to cars he is as hopelessly
in love with them as all the rest of us. He carries the ‘caste and creed no
bar’ thing a bit too far. For
many, the love for these shiny objects of beauty is a way of life. So it is for
Sachin. And it all began when he first visited a drive-in theatre.“My craze for
cars started at a very young age,” recalls the Superman of batting. “There is
this drive-in theatre very close to my previous house where I could see cars of
different shapes and sizes. I kind of liked that setting because it was the
only place where one could watch the movie without leaving your
car.”Considering his quick foray into international cricket,
it wasn’t long before he could manage to go there in his own car. “My first car
was a Maruti 800 – the old-shape one,” he revealed. “Of course, I don’t have it
now,” he adds quickly. Who
would? Considering the kind of machinery that he
Could
lay his hands on in the coming years, there was no point punting around an 800. While his first car was obviously owned by default, the
ones to come later weren’t. But by default, they all had a couple of things in
common. “It’s the zippiness of a car that appeals to me most,” notes Sachin.
“It has to be quick, and comfortable. “Usually, I like to go quickly from zero
to say around 80kph after which I kind of settle down around 100, depending on
how the traffic is. I’m not the kind of driver who’ll go around at breakneck
speed anywhere and everywhere. It’s just that initial surge that I enjoy.”
Uncanny! Isn’t that very much like his batting style? When it comes to stretching his right foot when
on the driver’s seat, Sachin does most of it abroad. “I have driven a lot in
England. It’s quite an experience with their kind of roads and autobahns. The
closest I have come to anything like that in India is on the Mumbai-Pune
Expressway.” But not everything is lost. Sachin does manage those occasional
bursts of speeds within our boundaries as well. “The road conditions in India
are not that healthy but there are some places where you can let out some
steam. Something is better than nothing – I look at it that way.” And it’s not
just the driving angle that excites him about a car. “I like to drive cars but
it’s also important to look after them. I find that aspect a lot interesting as
well.”
Being a natural car lover and the most
sought-after brand ambassador of this era, it wasn’t long before he endorsed
one. A regular face on all Palio adverts, we suspect one reason for the Fiat deal would be its proximity to
Ferrari. The legendary Prancing Horse is
high on the list of Sachin’s favorites – “I’d love to drive the 360 Modena with
that Formula 1-style gearbox”.
Talking of F1, Sachin who commands billions of fans
worldwide is a big Formula 1 fan himself. “I follow F1 very closely.”
Obviously, when one follows F1 so closely, the favorites have to be Ferrari and
Michael Schumacher. “I have always been a big follower of Formula 1 and I have
always supported Ferrari from the bottom of my heart. It will be a great
experience to meet up with the man (Schumacher) himself. “Of course there are
no plans right now, but it’s my dream to get into a Ferrari F1 car.” Knowing the favorable
odds he commands at realizing his dreams, there seems to be a good enough
chance for that to happen as well. But Sachin quickly points out that the
Ferrari angle is the farthest shot on the Fiat deal. “Fiat makes some of the
best cars in the world. That’s something very special. And to be associated
with a company like Fiat is one of the best things to happen. “The
Palio is a fantastic package. It’s got power, it’s robust, it’s got character.
It is one of the best offerings from the Italian marquee.” The Palio is thus the latest
addition to the Tendulkar family, where it stands alongside the likes of a
Mercedes-Benz C36 AMG and the formidable 600SL AMG. The latter, easily, is his pet
subject. “The SL is a mighty powerful machine. You can easily burn rubber with
that V12 engine. It’s the most exotic car I’ve ever driven.
You know, it’s been tuned to give 480bhp…”, he goes on and on. This one’s going
to be a longer innings. P.S : This was Sachin interview given in
2002 Auto Car.
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