The June-July period in my part
of the world is one where once the monsoon sets in, transforms the area
all around the western belt of Maharashtra into a lush green playground.
I use the term playground because the myriad possibilities of tackling
diverse terrain, whether on foot or horseback, not just to take in the
terrain and the exercise but also experience the joy of soaking in the
stunning vistas of countryside is unparalleled. However what is even
more intoxicating for petrol heads like us all, is the sense of
adventure once the rains thunder in gets magnified and you do want to
get off the road and tackle the rough and tumble countryside, hill and
dale, stream and rivulet.
Mahindra's Great Escape at
Lonavala last month was a major catalyst in steering me towards doing
more than the official escape from the humdrum regular. Held in the lush
game park slam bang in front of the high profile Aamby Valley, it was
all about hitting the forest trails with the rains pouring down, making
it ultra slippery on rocky terrain and slushy in the muddy sections
while also deep and dangerous in streams which had transformed into
raging rivers. Ideal situation tailor-made for dedicated off-roaders
armed with a variety of Mahindra’s - Scorpios, CJs of various hues and
also of course the ubiquitous Thar.
My former colleague Bijoy Kumar Y who now heads the very successful Mahindra Adventure
outfit tasked with putting the company's hardy vehicles in environs
conducive to their intended application for lay persons to experience
had been badgering me to really get off the beaten path. He not only
promised me a most adventurous sortie out into the wilds where the rain
is one of the heaviest there is in the country but just as importantly a
very involving experience with a properly sorted out Thar. Now I had
driven the Thar quite extensively at the time of its launch and while I
had found it capable to get off tarmac, I had found it rather harsh and
not too comfortable for the daily grind in the urban jungle.
I was therefore surprised when
Dilip Desai and myself trooped into the Great Escape boot camp at
Lonavala and Bijoy was there with a butch and beefy Thar, obviously
breathed upon and looking its part, not just with its day-glo orange
paint job but also because of the big boots it wore, the substantial
roll cage it sported along with other off-road accessories. Now I have
seen and experienced many Jeeps and off-roaders from other makes with
just this sort of cosmetic makeovers so I was not about to burst into
applause, simply for the fact that if not thought out the car’s handling
deteriorates and is a liability instead of an asset over the rough and
the difficult. However, to further brighten my spirits on a day with
dark clouds and the rain steadily beating down, this orange Thar was the
only open-to-the-sky vehicle in the Great Escape, I knew Bijoy has that
impish sense of humour and who better to lay it on then yours truly!
All worries about handling or
the lack of it along with heavy and cumbersome steering effort all flew
out of the reckoning when the engine fired up and the Thar started to
show what it was capable of. Ever since this vehicle had been
re-invented in the mind so to speak by the product think tank within
Mahindra, the back to basics approach of a honest mechanically activated
4 x 4 system has brought back the capability of such a frugal simple
vehicle for the outdoors. A capability which was honed first on the
battlefronts during World War II and then applied to more enjoyable and
less violent pursuits like sport and pleasure.
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