They come from near and far. Cars, cars, and more cars. Modern classics, all of them: sports cars, limos, performance sedans, muscle cars, and SUVs. Real cars. With real engines, real performance and real muscle. Cars from Germany, Italy, Britain, Japan and the US. Performance icons, cars renowned for their styling, cars that adorned our walls. The good and great, all placed together. Row upon row of epoch-making cars, a veritable museum of auto delights. Around 120 modern classics are carefully placed on the green lawns of the Grand Hyatt Mumbai, each with its own story to tell and era to revisit.
- Modern Classic Rally 2025 opens with a 120-strong car exhibition
- Iconic muscle cars like the Dodge Viper, Ford Mustang, and Chevrolet Camaro are on display
- Sports cars from Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, and more also drew attention
Modern Classic Rally 2025 muscle cars
The cars that draw the biggest crowds are the muscle cars – outlandish designs with large bonnet scoops, air inlets and shaker hoods. Highlights include multiple Ford Mustangs (it was Ford that pioneered the mass-produced V8 engine), some with massive bus superchargers sticking out of the bonnet, Mach 1s, big 427s, and iconic fastbacks.
Gen 1 Dodge Viper also made an appearance
Also present are multiple Pontiac Firebirds, with even a few early small-block equipped cars, as well as others with the famous square headlight and flaming bird decals on the bonnets. There are also multiple Corvettes and Camaros from Chevy, and a Charger fastback and an 8-litre V10-equipped Viper, of course, possibly the pinnacle.
Modern Classic Rally 2025 JDM cars
From the US to Japan, and some delicious JDM cars. Honda’s game-changing NSX that taught Ferrari and Lambo how to make useable supercars, Nissan’s fabulous early GTRs that pioneered the electronic control of traction, and the outlandish Supra, with its near-indestructible 2JZ, which could easily be taken up to 800 or even 1,000hp with only minor mods.
Modern Classic Rally 2025 Italian cars
Ferrari, Lamborghini, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati cars galore
Italians, however, do it better, and we have a special treat this time. Not one, not two, but three special Ferrari V8s. The F430 Scuderia, with its track-focused upgrades, a 458 Speciale Aperta – the last of the great naturally aspirated V8s, and the 488 Pista, the twin-turbo special with 711hp. What a set, and they are all in red. We even have a Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera or lightweight that, despite its four-wheel-drive hardware and big V10 in the back, comes in at only around 1,500kg.
From Ferrari to Alfa, and half a dozen or so spectacular examples. From the sublime Duetto convertible by Pininfarina to the 1750 GTV designed by the master Giugiaro and a rare six-cylinder 2600. Also, Alfas sporting sedans, the Berlina and Super that actually also helped BMW define its brand. We even have three cool Maseratis: the Biturbo, the world’s first twin-turbo production car; the elegant 4200 with its timeless lines; and a more modern MC Straddle, with its Ferrari V8 engine and sharp front-engine handling.
Modern Classic Rally 2025 German and British cars
Also present in good numbers are BMWs, all the way from the E21 and E30s to M3s, with big V8s under the hood. And we even have early TDS diesels that still sound super smooth. Up ahead is the Mercedes SLs, the timeless R129, partly responsible for the Youngtimer or Modern Classic movement. We also have the tough-as-a-tank R107 SL and even a pair of SECs, which still have lines that look better than today’s coupes. Also, Porsche, from the first 356, an SC, to a 996 911, and a pair of 997s, one of them a turbo.
Rolls-Royce, Jaguar, and Lotus classic cars exhibited as well
Finally, from the UK, a quartette of Rolls-Royces, from the Silver Shadow onwards, all the way to the Phantom. Also in the mix are a pair of Lotus Elises, the lightweight bonded aluminium cars that rewired the sports car world, and a pair of E-Types, a convertible and a coupe with that rear door.
Modern Classic Rally 2025 Mumbai excursion
Day two of the Modern Classic Rally 2025 saw the participants take their stunning cars on a scenic drive through Mumbai’s streets. Not only was this the first iteration of the event to have held an open showcase to the public, it was also the first-ever rally to drive the entirety of the newly-opened Coastal Road.
The journey started at the Grand Hyatt Mumbai and continued through Bandra Reclamation, where thousands of onlookers gathered to catch a glimpse of the cars. From there, the rally continued along the Bandra Worli Sea Link, Coastal Road, and then finally Bhulabhai Desai Marg, where the cars executed a U-turn to begin the return leg back to the Grand Hyatt.
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