A Day At The Buddh International Circuit (BIC) Feat. Skoda Slavia Monte Carlo

My first time at a race track was nothing short of an eventful outing, with there being three different tests too aside from the laps on the BIC. How was it for me? Well read on to find out

For someone like me, who had never experienced the feel and rush of a race track ever before, the opportunity to drive the Skoda Slavia Monte Carlo special edition here was nothing short of a dream. This wasn’t just about the car, it was also about exploring my own capabilities behind the wheel in an environment where every curve and straight patch of tarmac is a test of nerve and skill. With my heart beating a million times like a high-revving engine at redline, I set on to find out what lay ahead of me for the day, with both excitement and a bit of nervousness taking over on the inside.

Before that, a short history lesson is necessary. It’s been 112 years since Skoda entered into the field of motorsport competition, in the Rallye-Monte Carlo in 1912 to be specific. In 1936, Skoda first got success in the championship with a second place in the under 1,500cc class that then led to Skoda introducing a special series of 70 popular cars with the Monte Carlo badge. In modern history, the badge returned in 2011, and since then, Skoda's sportier models have been referred to as Monte Carlo.

Closer home, we have had our taste of the special editions with the Rapid sedan and more recently, the Skoda Kushaq. After introducing the special edition of the SUV, Skoda has now given the same treatment to the Slavia. The Czech carmaker had recently invited us auto journalists for the reveal of the Skoda Slavia Monte Carlo and to experience it at…any guesses? Well, at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in Greater Noida.

After heading over from the hotel to the BIC, I got my first look at the Slavia Monte Carlo when a few units were lined up for some auto journos put in the first few batches. And if you are someone like me who has a soft spot for sedans, you will surely not be disappointed to see the red and black treatment (my favourite colour combo), thanks to the special edition.

If you have been anywhere around the Skoda Kushaq Monte Carlo, then you are already familiar with the way the carmaker does this edition. There’s plenty of black treatment on the outside, including for the grille, ORVMs, and the likes. The cabin has an all-black theme with splashes of red on the dashboard, seat and door upholstery, and even in the driver display. You can check out the Slavia Monte Carlo in our detailed image gallery.

Out On The Race Track

Coming back to the track experience, after the media briefing and refreshments were done, we were taken to the convoy with every journalist finding an instructor as a partner in the car. My instructor, Ojas, quickly walked me through the entire lap process we were about to embark upon. As mentioned in the earlier briefing, we were given the opportunity to take five laps around the circuit.

As a novice on race tracks, I paid close attention to everything Ojas explained before we set off and during the demo lap in the first round. Concepts like apex and trail braking were new to me, but thanks to Ojas, I quickly got up to speed with them (pun intended).

After the first lap was done, we hit the pit lane to swap positions and I finally got behind the wheel. While getting back to the track I was asked to keep it steady and up to 60 kmph but once we touched the race track, it was all in my control. Ojas was generous enough to let me try to push the car while ensuring we don’t go beyond the limits at any point in time (which honestly I wasn’t even thinking about given my inexperience here). I was so focussed on the track and experiencing the new sensations that I did not notice the speedometer but on the back straight of the BIC, I am sure we were over 180 kmph, which was the fastest I have driven in my life.

In the corners, I also experienced what it is like to skid off the line while being in a controlled environment, something that I couldn’t have experienced otherwise in my mundane life.

Skoda’s team has done a great job in trying to strike a balance between fun and comfort with the latest and sportier-looking edition of the sedan. The Monte Carlo edition that was available for us to sample was equipped with the larger 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine of the sedan, and was mated to the 7-speed DCT (dual-clutch automatic transmission). Skoda is also offering the smaller 1-litre turbo-petrol engine with the Monte Carlo treatment. Although the sedan with the larger engine is no slouch on the regular roads, the straight patches on the race track do leave you wanting for more.

Here’s a quick look at the specifications of the Slavia Monte Carlo edition:

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Three Other Tests

During the briefing, we were also informed that there will be three other tests to further explore the new Slavia Monte Carlo’s special nature: slalom, autocross, and moose. We were required to go one at a time for each of these tests, and the objective was simple and clear: to not hit the cones. Before I dive into how my experience was at each of them, here’s a short brief of what the three tests are all about:

A slalom is a winding or zigzag course designed to test a car's handling or a driver's reaction time. So it had numerous cones placed to create a zigzag course with enough room to drive through, without actually hitting any of the cones.

In autocross, drivers are required to navigate through a course defined by traffic cones on a large paved area such as a parking lot. The cones were well positioned to help even a newbie like me to manage the car on the said route.

The moose test was conceptualised to examine how well a certain vehicle can manage to evade a suddenly appearing obstacle. Since it was in a controlled setting here, it was only about evaluating the car and the driver’s quick response time to go through the set of cones placed on either side when given a sign from a flag-bearer at the well-visible and much shorter end of the test path.

Watch the video below to gain insight into each test:

Again, it being the first time for me, Ojas was prompt in demonstrating how the tests have been laid out. But somehow, after the thrill and exhilaration from the race track and these three back-to-back instant tests, I was feeling a bit dizzy. We took a short break for a few minutes and then I was given a chance to get into the driver seat, still a bit worried about all the heaviness in my head. Thankfully, though, my first go at the three tests was enough to drive the dizziness away. I am elated to report that I managed to not only give them a go two more times, but I did so without killing a single cone in either of the tests. Here’s where I really appreciated the precise handling of the car and smoothness of the steering wheel to make the quick manoeuvres.

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Wrapping Up

The entire activity was done in around an hour’s time and I was feeling nothing short of ecstatic at the end of it. The track experience, along with the three tests, were more than sufficient to satiate my automotive hunger. It has left me wanting for more thrill, while coming back to drive my daily driver through the city traffic.

Later that evening, Skoda launched the special edition of the sedan that is available in three variants. If you are looking to pick the Slavia Monte Carlo edition, it is priced between Rs 15.79 lakh and Rs 18.49 lakh (introductory ex-showroom pan-India).

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