[topgun_ssg]

A big hello to everyone. This is my first post in the forum, so please forgive me if anything is not up to the mark.

My buddy is purchasing a Porsche 911 in Bangalore, and I have been tasked with organising a two-day driving trip to a neighbouring place to enjoy the new purchase.

I'm torn between Pondycherry (better roads from Bangalore) and Sakleshpur (some twisties and nicer weather).

When it comes to driving something as powerful as the Porsche 911, we are both inexperienced.

As a result, I'd want to hear from experienced sports car owners about their impressions on these routes, as well as suggestions for a better route.

[GTO]

Good thing he's getting a relatively practical & useable 911 instead of an Italian. Just saying. When it comes to sports cars, it's best to err on the side of safety.

Make your first road-trip on the "good roads". Good tarmac, less bumps / broken patches...where you will have a lot of fun.

Come back & share pictures

[topgun_ssg]

Originally Posted by GTO

Good thing he's getting a relatively practical & useable 911 instead of an Italian. Just saying. When it comes to sports cars, it's best to err on the side of safety.

Make your first road-trip on the "good roads". Good tarmac, less bumps / broken patches...where you will have a lot of fun.

Come back & share pictures

Thank you for reply, GTO. Yes, I believe it's best to keep the car on flat roads for the first few weeks rather than bringing it to the mountains/hills.

I'll definitely post the photos.

[Suryendu87]

Originally Posted by topgun_ssg

I'm torn between*Pondycherry (better roads from Bangalore) and*Sakleshpur (some twisties and nicer weather).

No experience with sports cars but I do have some on the roads leading out of Bengaluru.

You can add couple of new locations (Yercaud, Koli Hills) to the mix. Both offer butter smooth highway and lots of twists on a good wide road. Although you would have less things to see at destination, but I believe it's the ride that matters much in this case rather than the destination

Yercaud - Less hairpin bends and well wide as well if you are going via Salem.

Koli Hills - Maybe at a later stage once you are familiar with the dynamics and power of the vehicle.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by topgun_ssg

A big hello to everyone. This is my first post in the forum, so please forgive me if anything is not upto the mark.

My buddy is purchasing a Porsche 911 in Bangalore, and I have been tasked with organising a two-day driving trip to a neighbouring place to enjoy the new purchase.

I drive my Mini Cooper S to Coorg and back at times.
Superb road all the way to Madikeri and from Madikeri to Virajpet and back too.

Bangalore- Mysore via Expressway.
Then right onto the ring road and further turn right to Hunsur. Hunsur to Coorg.

All the way the roads are butter smooth.
Well worth the drive.

The road to Sakleshpur is also lovely but there are places where some road works are going on.

If you would like to just do a nice long enjoyable straight drive then do Bangalore to Coimbatore and back. And then Coimbatore to Valparai and back (half day trip). Beautiful roads.

You can also do Ooty and back after you get a but of practice.

(You’ll need to use Premium High Octane Petrol OR add Octane Boost Additive if you fill regular petrol)

I wish you and your friend safe and enjoyable drives.
And I also envy you the opportunity to drive such a beautiful dream car.

Please post lots of pics for us common folk to enjoy.

[jkrishnakj]

May I also recommend ‘Hampi’. Superb roads all through. And great location for clicking some eye catching pictures. And it isn’t too far away either.

Wherever you go, please make sure we get to read and see the car. Look forward.

[topgun_ssg]

Originally Posted by Suryendu87

No experience with sports cars but I do have some on the roads leading out of Bengaluru.

You can add couple of new locations (Yercaud, Koli Hills) to the mix. Both offer butter smooth highway and lots of twists on a good wide road. Although you would have less things to see at destination, but I believe it's the ride that matters much in this case rather than the destination

Yercaud - Less hairpin bends and well wide as well if you are going via Salem.

Koli Hills - Maybe at a later stage once you are familiar with the dynamics and power of the vehicle.

Suryendu, thank you for the lovely recommendations. Yes, we should absolutely try visiting the twisties of Koli Hills, but only once we are comfortable with the dynamics.

I didn't give Yercaud much thought. Is there any property that you would recommend with decent approach roads?

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

I drive my Mini Cooper S to Coorg and back at times.
Superb road all the way to Madikeri and from Madikeri to Virajpet and back too.

Bangalore- Mysore via Expressway.
Then right onto the ring road and further turn right to Hunsur. Hunsur to Coorg.

All the way the roads are butter smooth.
Well worth the drive.

The road to Sakleshpur is also lovely but there are places where some road works are going on.

If you would like to just do a nice long enjoyable straight drive then do Bangalore to Coimbatore and back. And then Coimbatore to Valparai and back (half day trip). Beautiful roads.

You can also do Ooty and back after you get a but of practice.

(You’ll need to use Premium High Octane Petrol OR add Octane Boost Additive if you fill regular petrol)

I wish you and your friend safe and enjoyable drives.
And I also envy you the opportunity to drive such a beautiful dream car.

Please post lots of pics for us common folk to enjoy.

Thank you for these suggestions, Shankar. I haven't been to Coorg in a while and wasn't sure if the roads were in good shape. Thank you for explaining this.
Due to the busy summer season, most resorts in Madikeri are seem to be*booked. I'd appreciate it if you could propose a place to stay with good approach road.

Great suggestion on Coimbatore for the straight drive, however I've never been there before, so I'm not sure about good places for photo opportunities.

Thanks for reminder regarding the fuel grade. We have to ask the dealer about the additives that we need to carry, in case we don't get the right grade.

Originally Posted by jkrishnakj

May I also recommend ‘Hampi’. Superb roads all through. And great location for clicking some eye catching pictures. And it isn’t too far away either.

Wherever you go, please make sure we get to read and see the car. Look forward.

Hampi is an excellent recommendation. Thank you
Yes, the drive*and the photographs will be the focus of this trip. We considered bringing a photographer, but logistics didn't work out, so we'll be doing the photography ourselves.

Could you kindly recommend some suitable spots in and around Hampi for photographing the car with interesting backdrops?

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[itwasntme]

Off-topic but do consider PPF on the front bumper, bonnet & roof. The stone chips thrown up by heavy vehicles are risky for a low slung 911. Totally avoid tailgating or closely following such vehicles especially if they are tipper trucks.

[androdev]

Congratulations to your friend - and to you as well!

"Need for speed": Bangalore - Pune road, but you have to go all the way to Belgaum to enjoy some fantastic roads. Bangalore - Belgaum - Hampi - Bangalore. Bangalore - Hampi - Bangalore if you don't have time for a longer route. No other route from Bangalore is "faster" than this.

Hospet tunnel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTKolkg30cY

"Country roads": Bangalore to western ghats (reachable via Mysore, Coimbatore, Kunigal) but you will have to venture a bit deeper beyond the national highways - gorgeous scenery. Check out travel posts by @Dr.Ad on this forum.

If you wish to go East, I would say skip Pondy - hardly worth the trouble. The highways are crowded, interior roads have a lot of speed humps and Pondy as a destination itself is meh. Go to Dhanushkodi instead, a worthy destination even if the route is a bit dull.

Would be great if you can get another car/friend to tag along for company. Sometimes it's more fun to drive along a 911 than to drive one. Best to drive leisurely and choose your moments.

Precautions:
Tire damage risk is VERY high. Err on the side of caution if you don't have a clear view of the road ahead. Do think about your course of action in case there is a breakdown (helps to have company).

Don't engage in racing duels with other drivers on the road - you'll come across so many drivers wanting to race a fast car.

You will have to ensure to get a safe parking spot - or use a car cover to be less conspicuous.

Check availability of XP95 along your route (Use Indian Oil One app + Google maps reviews to locate popular outlets, call in advance and confirm the availability). You can also carry octane booster additives - but XP95 is widely available these days.

[jkrishnakj]

If a ‘Fast Burst’ drive experience is on the agenda, then, the Chitoor-Tirupati road is one such option as well. While roads from KR Puram till the turn off to Tirupati is just about ok, the stretch till Tirupathi is lovely.

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by jkrishnakj

If a ‘Fast Burst’ drive experience is on the agenda, then, the Chitoor-Tirupati road is one such option as well. While roads from KR Puram till the turn off to Tirupati is just about ok, the stretch till Tirupathi is lovely.

Oh yes, that Chittoor to Tirupati is blissful asphalt, mostly straight or with long curves and with clear views all around .

Here is a short from 2021 (video is speeded up):

https://youtu.be/NXQFgEx7rGQ

[suhaas307]

BLR - Hampi is a fabulous route if you want to enjoy the car.

BLR - Ananthpur is also a good option.

BLR - Hassan can also be considered. However traffic has increased significantly on this route.

BLR - Sakleshpur is a bad idea. The roads after Hassan to Sakleshpur are only fit for a SUV. Even low slung sedans should be avoided on this route.

BLR - Chikkamagalur is worth considering.

Please share with us pictures of this 911! Would love to see what we’re dealing with!

[paragsachania]

If low GC is a concern, remember that there are quite some "tall & wide" speed breakers on the diversions between Bellur Cross to Hassan on the Bangalore-Mangalore highway. So please bear this in mind when heading towards Sakleshpur/Hassan/Chikmagalur.

If you are looking for a long fast route, nothing beats Bangalore Hubli section. It is 6 lane and that means plenty of opportunities to overtake without reducing your speeds which you can't do on the Chitradurga Hampi section which is 4 lane and has quite frequent median openings to constantly keep your speeds under check. With Hubli route, you choose a strategic day of the week and time so you will also witness least traffic (Private and local) unlike Bangalore - Krishhnagiri - Sireperumbudur section.

Hyderabad route is best avoided. It has way too many speed breakers to regularly slow you down, some even large in size till Kurnool.

[salluks]

Bangalore to Chitradurga (onwards to hambi) or towards dharwad both are a dream to drive.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by topgun_ssg

Due to the busy summer season, most resorts in Madikeri are seem to be*booked. I'd appreciate it if you could propose a place to stay with good approach road.

Great suggestion on Coimbatore for the straight drive, however I've never been there before, so I'm not su
[/b]

Madikeri has quite a few home stays. Summer is almost done and the monsoon will hit. And there are some ‘en route’ as well. Here is one such http://www.victorianverandaz.com/

The Coimbatore road has some great scenic backdrops especially around Krishnagiri and around Thoppur and all. The road up from Coimbatore to Pollachi en route Anamallais (valparai) is fully concreted. At Pollachi it is slightly roundabout to get to the Valparai road. Be a bit careful there with your tyres and underbody. Once you hit the road to Aliyar and then the hill road with the 42 hairpin bends it is sheer bliss.

(See pics)

Plan your drives in this particular car between Early December and Early May to make the best of the bright weather and sunshiny days and nice hot asphalt roads which will help with your tyres ‘grippiness’.