What happens when the superhero of Bollywood meets the superhero of cars?

You know the unique thing about this feature? Well, it involves a celebrity and a car marque, and it isn't a plug! Makes you suspicious, doesn't it? But it's a fact. When we came to know how much of Porsche ran through actor Hrithik Roshan's psyche, we couldn't but help ask him to pose next to the superstar of sportscars. And surprise, surprise, he agrees without batting an eyelid. This, after the successful Krrish, which has once again confirmed his status as a demi-god for more than a billion moviegoers.
So we lined up a black Cayman S (courtesy Porsche) to sit squat next to our own Indian superhero. Which brought me to the question on why our desi superhero doesn't have a supercar? Yes, flying around is obviously the easiest thing to do but “chicks love the car” as Batman Val Kilmer put it to Nicole Kidman.
“It's because Krrish is still fighting his own battle against the wrong done to his family. I guess, when he dons the mantle of fighting for the world, which will happen eventually, the gizmos, gadgets and cars will happen,” says Hrithik with a sly smile. There you go movie buffs, Koi Mil Gaya Part 3 story preview. You can thank me for that, later…

For many years, the Mitsubishi Pajero was the most preferred mode of transportation for Indian movie stars. But that seems to be fading out soon with the arrival of the Porsche Cayenne. Hrithik for one believes that, because he's among the first buyers of the Cayenne in India. It's been with him for some time now, alongside a Jaguar S-Type which he thinks is 'fragile on our roads' compared to the Cayenne. And yes, he drives it a lot. “Everytime I'm going home from a shoot, I drive,” admits Hrithik. “It's only while going to shoots that I don't as I am concentrating too much on the work ahead.”
But think of Porsche and the first thing to come to mind is the 911. And although Hrithik would love to have one, the Cayenne love story happened.
“I first saw the car in London and I was just so glued to it,” he says. So back in India, when he was offered one, there was no hesitation of hoisting himself in.
Now Hrithik isn't exactly a techno freak but cars have always been an area of special interest. It's the driving experience and speed that drives him. So even though he has that 3.2-litre 250bhp V6 under the hood he is more enthralled by the fact that it is also capable of 214kph and a dash to 100 in just 9.1secs.
But there’s a word of caution.
“It's very easy to be fast but the important thing is to be smooth.” His close aides swear that if you were to close your eyes sitting next to him in the car, there's no way you can feel the speed.
So what's the fastest he's driven? It's close to 250kph (nopes, it wasn't a Porsche but a three-pointed star). Where? “You want me to reveal that in print?” Nevertheless, we'll give you a hint. It was a modern highway and he stays in Mumbai! Okay, so there are no prizes for guessing the answer. “But you got to understand that the idea is to be within the limits of yourself and the vehicle you are driving.”
Now the Cayenne isn't exactly about speed, but Hrithik says he felt it was the most practical choice among Porsches.
“It looks solid, has good ground clearance and I can even raise the suspension height to get over a bad bump. Perfect.”

GETTING DOWN TO THE
shoot with the Cayman S, and I can't help but notice a change in demeanour. He let's out a “now that's a car” as he approaches the black beauty. Quite instinctively he reaches for the door only to realise that the doors locked and the camera crew ready for him. A few flashes later he can't resist himself and enters the cockpit. A couple of more flashes and everyone is distracted to the photographs popping up on our snapper's laptop screen.
Suddenly, you hear a gurgling noise moving as ripples on a calm lake surface. Away from everyone's prying yes, Hrithik had brought the 3.4-litre beast to life and you could see the glee on his face… the grin getting wider… just like a toy in a child's hand.
Again, quite instinctively, he flexes his right foot. The ripples are getting bigger and you anticipate the 295bhp monster to emerge out of Lake Placid any moment. Just as he flexes his right foot a bit more, the cars rear does a slight jig much to Hrithik's delight who does one of his own. From then on there's no directing him. The poses come naturally.
“So how fast does this go?”
275kph.
“That's a 0-100 figure of…?”
Around 5.4s.
“Really! How much?...”
You probably guess what's going on in his mind. Maybe, just maybe, we could have contributed to Porsche's annual India sales. Forget Batmobile. Krrishmobile anyone?