There weren't many cars to get excited about while growing up in India during the Eighties, were there?
You had three choices really — a Padmini, Ambassador, or if you were lucky, a Maruti.My father managed to buy the latter back in 1983. I was only seven years old then andI remember my brothers and I were all over it as there were very few cars around like it back then in India.
Having one of those at that time was considered a pretty big deal. That is how my love of cars actually began.
And your love continued to grow…
Yes, once I qualified as a chartered accountant I could afford a car of my own and my love for them soon became a passion. The first car I bought was a Fiat Palio in June 2002 which was all the rage in India when it was launched. So much so that I actually paid a cash premium to get it as soon as I could. I took delivery of it on my 25th birthday. I got a job offer in Dubai a few months later and left the car in the hands of my brother.
When you moved here and were looking for a car, what were you considering?
I was looking at either a Toyota Corolla, Ford Mondeo or a Honda Accord. But, my wife and I fell in love with the new-generation Mazda 6. In our eyes it was the most beautiful car in its class.
When my wife started working, we needed another car so I bought a three-door Toyota Prado. The next year, we sold the Mazda and bought the new-generation Toyota Avalon, which I hadn't even test-driven. I soon realised I'd bought a boat, not a car! The ride was smooth but the handling wasn't the best. I flogged both Toyotas and got a BMW X5.
Good choice. It got you hooked on the brand didn't it?
Yes it did. The X5 was awesome. It had great power and handling. Everything about it from the engine to the interior was just perfect — apart for the temperamental AC.
But, that wasn't the end of your wheeler-dealing, was it?
No, soon after buying the X5, I bought a Suzuki Swift. My wife chose it for herself but once she drove the Bimmer, she never touched the Swift so I was the one stuck behind the wheel. It handled great but lacked power and this bothered me so I sold it and replaced it with a Mercedes-Benz SLK 350. But then the global financial crisis struck and I had to part with it in return for a company car, a Lexus IS300.
But you kept the X5?
No, I sold that too. Once the warranty had expired it started giving me a lot of trouble so I upgraded it for a used 2009 model.
This was the first time I had bought a used car and it was a great decision. It had more options than my previous X5, had done only 8,000km and was almost 30 per cent cheaper than what a new one would have cost.
How did you come across this M3? And such a rare one at that?
Well, even though the IS300 was probably the best-handling Japanese saloon that I had ever driven, it was also quite boring so I returned it to the company.
Then one day, my boss dragged me to the Premium Selection at the AGMC showroom in Dubai to check out some good deals for himself and I just happened to spot this 2011 M3 Coupé Frozen Black Edition. I immediately fell in love with it and put a deposit down. The rest is history. It was launched in June this year and only 20 were produced.
I'm still not sure how this one landed here in Dubai. It had just 800km on the clock and was virtually brand new.
It has to be one of the coolest looking E90 M3s ever built…
It's a real head-turner and exceptionally quick. For a start, it comes with the Competition package, the M-DCT dual-clutch tranny and the award-winning 4.0-litre 414bhp V8. It hits 0-100kph in just 4.5 seconds and redlines at an ear-destroying 8,400rpm.
Sweet music! We love that matte-metallic black finish. It gives it a sinister edge…
It does, and the red brake callipers and gloss black 19in M3 GTS alloys also set things off nicely. It has also got a black Novillo leather interior with intricate red stitching on the seats, door inserts, centre console and door pulls. It makes for a great combination.
You've changed cars almost every year. But, you'll hang on to this for a while, right?
This is a collector's car and will be worth quite a lot some day, so for now, there are no plans to sell it.
You've been busy snapping up some hot deals back home too…
That's right, I have been quite active in buying cars in Delhi. In 2005, I bought a Suzuki Grand Vitara as a gift for my parents and then again in 2011 I got them the new Skoda Superb.
What's the dream?
My dream ride or rides, I should say, include the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, Aston Martin Virage, Bentley Continental GT, Porsche Panamera Turbo S, Jaguar XK-R and a Ford Mustang 5.0.
Bio
- Name Kapil Kapoor
- Job CFO
- From India
- Wheels 2011 BMW M3 Coupé Frozen Black Edition
- In the UAE Nine years
