Strict Zone

Bikers not allowed. This zone is strictly for those with a four-wheel crush. If you are a car-lover you have the license to drive in. Come, swap stories with fellow enthusiasts. Twenty-three year old Vir Raina is one of them. His red hot Toyota Celica is our centrefold this week.Vir has had the pleasure of owning some of the finest cars from early on. Not hard to guess why. Car-love runs in the family of this Delhi boy. “I think the passion for cars has been in my family for generations. It goes as far back as my grandfathers. Both had quite a collection. My maternal grandfather used to have Bentley, Rolls Royce, Mercedes, the works. Any car that was considered luxury he has had. My paternal grandfather used to have Buicks and a Rolls Royce back in the day which he bought on an auction from the King of Kashmir.”When Vir turned 21, his father, noted theatre personality M K Raina, decided to gift him something out of the ordinary – A Toyota Celica. Va-va-voom, talk of swanky wheels! For Vir it was everything he could ask for and more. “It’s just been great as it’s a sports car yet works like an everyday car. It has no issues, after all it is a Toyota, and Toyotas are the most reliable cars in the world. So I got performance, reliability and a great looking car,” he beams.Like most Toyotas, Vir’s Celica is a low, snazzy-looking, fast machine. The alloy wheels were turned black to add to the look. It has a classic four cylinder engine which easily burns up 240 BHP and the interiors have a slick leather finish.For the uninitiated, the Celica is one of the most popular sports cars from the Toyota stable. They have been around for six generations and have got the required makeovers. But one constant is the four-inline engines which power the cars.For Vir the Celica has morphed into his calling card. “I just think I’m extremely fortunate to have the chance to have a car like this. Nowadays you can get carried away driving fast and having a nice car. But as long as that is under check, I think everything will work out fine.” Well said Vir.