Engines roared, crowds cheered

The quiet Sunday air of Mohali was broken by a chorus of revving engines, the kind that rattles the chest as much as it excites the ear. The Origins of Speed Arena rolled into CP67 Mall with a roar, not so much a car show as a declaration — Punjab and Haryana’s love for speed has officially found a stage.

Forget sterile showroom floors; this was about spectacle. The morning began at Chandigarh’s Sector 8 with a convoy of supercars slipping through the still-sleepy city, coffee at Banur, and finally, an arena where Lamborghinis, Porsches, AMGs and Hayabusas gleamed in the sun. Controlled drifts drew cheers, exhaust notes echoed like battle cries, and for a few hours, CP 67 backyard was transformed into a petrolhead’s playground.

Vipul Kumar, the man behind the wheel of the movement, has been photographing cars for 15 years and nurturing this community for nearly half a decade. “We’ve met every Sunday for four years,” he explained, gesturing at the line of machines from Chandigarh, Patiala, Sangrur and Malerkotla. “This isn’t about vanity plates — it’s about our bond, our love for speed. Chandigarh has the enthusiasm, and the market is only growing.”

Sector 11’s Mansehaj Singh brought out his Lamborghini Gallardo Final Edition, a car once owned by actor John Abraham. “The LP550-2 is a pure rear-wheel-drive machine. Zero to 100 in under four seconds, top speed 320,” he rattled off. His collection also includes a Porsche Taycan, a 1993 Mini Cooper, a BMW M2, a 1967 Beetle and 21st century 2018 New Beetle-last edition. “But rear-wheel drive — that’s where my heart is,” he grinned, already eyeing a Porsche 911 next. Among his favourite route is driving up to Dharampur Starbucks on Express Highway.

In contrast, Paonta Sahib’s Devvrat Rana arrived with a sleeper saloon — one of only five Jaguar XFRs in India, tuned to 600 bhp. “I love cars that look understated until you put your foot down,” he said, noting it’s his first supercar, though his Harley Davidson Low Rider S, Triumph Street Triple 765 and a heavily modified Polo prove his garage is far from quiet.

Chandigarh’s Gursewak Singh, one of SEPH’s earliest members, showcased his Porsche Cayenne GTS and spoke about road trips to Goa and beyond. Meanwhile, Akshit Katyal turned heads with a freshly delivered Mercedes G580 — an all-electric brute that joined his Porsche 911 and MG Cyberster. “I’ve always liked being a little different,” he admitted, talking about colour customisations and airport road runs.

There was nostalgia too. Sector 18’s Rapsy Dhalla rolled in with his Mercedes SL55 AMG, relishing Sunday morning loops through Chandigarh’s 8–9–10 sectors. The car’s price tag is less discussed than its special number plate ending in 0055, a badge of pride he secured at an auction. Alongside it, his Porsche Carrera S and BMW Z4 add the European flair to his garage.

And then there were the bikes. Divyanshu Gulati, better known as Dishu Records, arrived on something rare enough to deserve its own spotlight — a Honda NM4 Vultus, the only one in India. Imported from the UK and nicknamed “Batman,” the bike is futuristic to the point of disbelief, all paddle shifters and long wheelbase. “It’s made for plains, not mountains,” he explained, though he’s ridden it across Jaisalmer and up the Himalayan Expressway. Dishu’s biker group, Busa Brothers, has been riding Hayabusas for over a decade, and this year he added a 25th anniversary edition straight from Bengaluru, breaking it in with a ride to Kanyakumari.

By the time the crowd drifted towards the post-event breakfast, the Arena had proved its point. This wasn’t about selling cars or making noise — it was about culture, camaraderie, and stories written in tyre marks and exhaust fumes. The engines may have cooled, but anticipation for the next ignition is already simmering.