VIDEO: Krishna, Porsche Boxster Spyder
WONYC: Tell us about yourself
Krishna: I'm Krishna. I was born and raised in Hyderabad India, a city that's based in the south. For as long as I can remember, I've always been obsessed with cars. One of the most important moments I remember is when my family acquired our first car, which is a Suzuki Zen. And I remember that entire day from the start to finish. Growing up, I started reading top gear magazine. My mom purchased that whenever we went to the supermarket and I just started to understand cars, get obsessed with them and start wanting them so much that it made me study harder, get out of India and come to the US to attend college.
I came to the US to study aerospace engineering so that I could one day work in the automotive industry. The folks that worked on the Bugatti Veyron inspired me because most of them were aerospace engineers, not mechanical engineers or automobile engineers. So I wanted to follow in their path. I attended university here. And while I was in university, I worked on different ideas, starting from frontal collision avoidance systems to potential engine management systems. Eventually, I moved to New York, purchased my Ducati monster 1100, and I started riding around with it just for fun. And eventually, in December 2016 was a critical moment when I had a very severe accident where my arm was split into two parts internally. And that's where I came up with the idea for a heads-up display that could help reduce distracted riding in motorcyclists. We build the heads-up display so people can see all the relevant information they need, like their GPS, their speedometer, and their rearview camera. So they never have to take their eyes off the road again, and they can control everything that they want to do like Ironman with voice commands.
WONYC: What car do you drive, and why?
Krishna: For my work on the smart helmet project, I was honored with the Forbes 30 under 30 nominations for the year 2021. And in order to celebrate it, I scoured the internet for a 987 Spyder. I've always wanted the Boxser Spyder. I knew I wanted this car because of how good the 981 spider was with an electric steering and so on. So this is hydraulic steering, a more raw experience. And I didn't want anything else I was driving.
I purchased this car in Chicago and drove it from Chicago to NYC in March 2021. And since then I put about 13,000 miles on the car. I wanna throw a lot more mileage on this car. I want this to be the highest mileage boxer spider in the world. I want to enjoy it. I want it to have scratches, dings, whatever it is. I drive cars for the smiles per gallon.
What I love about this car is the way that it's balanced. It's well balanced all the way around when I take it into the mountains, when I take it on a highway, anywhere I go, even in snow, it's perfectly balanced to a point where I can put my foot down and be confident about it. This is something that having driven a lot of supercars I cannot say is true with most manufacturers, especially with the Boxster and Cayman platform. This is the best, well, the most well-balanced platform that Porsche has ever made. I love driving cars that are confidence-inspiring, and I can say for sure that the Spyder is a confidence-inspiring car that also gives you the fizz of being on the edge.
WONYC: Do you love driving in general?
Krishna: Driving is almost a meditation for me as it is for some people, to get away from things, it's their vice. This is that when I drive at 70, 80 miles per hour and listen to my music on a highway, it's what calms me down. When I was depressed, that's what I did for most of my time. I just drove and it helped me get out of depression. It helped me get out of trouble whenever anything does not seem like it was going good or whenever things are going great. I always like to go for a drive. It's my way of celebrating.
WONYC: Thanks for sharing. That's great. What gives you drive in life?
Krishna: Getting more cars. <Laugh>. Eventually, I wanna get the 992 GT3. So I'm working towards that next. But this car will stay in my garage forever. This is never gonna leave it. And I want to enjoy all the cars that I have thoroughly, but I would say what gives me the drive is the future or the potential of acquiring another car. That's what my next goal setting is. It's my milestone.
WONYC: Owning a car in New York City, what's your take on it?
Krishna: New York City is a great city and you don't need to own a car in the city, except the luxury of owning a car helps me go away from the city and explore the beautiful countryside that otherwise people will never explore such as Hawks nest or Bear mountain. A car is such a critical experience that has enhanced my experience in the city. Something that is taken very lightly, I would say. So owning a car, and driving it in the city is not ideal, but driving it to explore, and getting away from the city. It's the greatest part. It is the most fun that I've ever had doing so.
