The 45th Mahindra Great Escape: Coorg 4x4 Challenge

Samurai · 2nd October 2008, 09:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by kingoftheroad

a lot of successfull offroading depends on the tyres,and i guess a lot of guys wouldnt have needed those winches if they were runninn on geolanders or somethin than regular nylon tires.

I would say lot more depends on drivers. All the marshal Jeeps (Armadas/Legends) from Mahindra were running on highway tyres, and they were doing all the winching, after getting across first without needing a winch. Imagine that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by princezahed

Btw just wondering,did the GV scrape out the bottom while you returned from the estate?saw 2 scrape marks on the mud.

I think the skid plates took the impact, so I didn't even bother with it.

maddy42 · 2nd October 2008, 11:20

Well samurai the roads from your place to coorg is itself a nice OTR(on the road) experience. Your GV is a nice catlogue for the good roads. All are lucky as many didnt venture to south coorg. There is no road at the moment.

Roshun · 2nd October 2008, 17:54

I've had the most off-road fun in Coorg. I guess that's what's left me obsessed with 4x4s. It's genetic I suppose.

Samurai's pics and report are making me homesick.

Cheers,

KVS · 2nd October 2008, 20:54

Samurai,

Excellent pictures and wonerfully written (as usual)!!

Do you think Safari 4X4 or GV 4X4 would have successfully covered this track? The track seemed narrow at some places..

Thanks for the write-up and making so many readers virtually cover the trip.

Cheers

KVS

Samurai · 2nd October 2008, 23:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by KVS

Do you think Safari 4X4 or GV 4X4 would have successfully covered this track? The track seemed narrow at some places..

I think Safari could have done it just like the Scorpio did. The GV however could have done it only with mud tyres, but not with OE highway tyres. I know this since I have driven GV in slushy inclines, and it doesn't have the torque to rip the ground into shreds and force its way through like Safari/Scorpio. Just my opinion, I could be wrong.

RacingForIndia · 3rd October 2008, 11:46

Thanks for the excellent insight into offroading. I had seen a sticker on te read of a Gypsy and it read "You can go fast but I can go anywhere". I know now what he meant by "anywhere".

sandeepbhatk · 3rd October 2008, 13:08

Well I was drivin that Red 340 and had good time at the GE

whitemm550 · 17th October 2008, 18:12

hey samurai, nice post. although i was there in Coorg for the great escape, i relived the experience thanx to you. but we must deplore the fact that the organisation for the event was indeed substandard.

Samurai · 17th October 2008, 18:40

It is a large event involving many departments of Mahindra, I guess that led to the confusion. Any offroading in Coorg is purely 4WD, but the people who were accepting the entires didn't care or were not informed about it.

whitemm550 · 17th October 2008, 19:55

yea i do agree, but then the guys on 2wd should have been stopped at the entry level itself. i was one of the guys with 4wd in the Goa group. we had not even the faintest idea that the track would be so treacherous, we wouldnt have allowed our 2wd collegues in, in fact they were not supposed to join till the last moment, but then we faced a very hostile track and to top it all, the local heroes, are, who claim to be avid jeepers, do not have any helping soul in their so called 'big hearts', shame, you guys out there from coorg, who call yourselves jeepers, should come to Goa, and call for help when in trouble and see the goan helping hearts for yourselves.

Samurai · 17th October 2008, 20:17

Boss, you are mistaken. I know many locals Jeepers who spent the whole day helping stuck vehicles out of trouble. I have talked about them in my report. I do agree that many of them got tired of rescuing 2WD Jeeps which were not supposed to be there. And there was local politics simmering under the surface, but such things can't be avoided in such a big mela.

Besides, there was no question of stopping 2WD drives at the last moment since they had come all the way. They would be all up in arms.

anupmathur · 17th October 2008, 22:07

At the end of the day, what needs to be stressed is that this has been EXEMPLARY coverage of the event!
Congrats, Samurai, and many thanks!!

whitemm550 · 22nd October 2008, 18:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samurai

Boss, you are mistaken. I know many locals Jeepers who spent the whole day helping stuck vehicles out of trouble. I have talked about them in my report. I do agree that many of them got tired of rescuing 2WD Jeeps which were not supposed to be there. And there was local politics simmering under the surface, but such things can't be avoided in such a big mela.

Besides, there was no question of stopping 2WD drives at the last moment since they had come all the way. They would be all up in arms.

yea i do agree that some guys did help my stranded mates, but then we were also subjected to abuse by the local jeepers, i mean, is that the way to treat a fellow jeeper, just because he dosent belong to your area? i thought that jeepers were a international race.

whitemm550 · 24th October 2008, 11:27

Alright, it is a MM550 modified to have a complete aluminum body, built by some vintage car restorer in Indore. BTW, the tall gentleman in the driver seat turned out to be ace rallyist Hari Singh, which I found out later that day.

yea samurai, that 'strange looking vehicle' is a mahindra Qadro 4x4, with a XDP engine and borgs wargner shift on fly 4wd mechanism, it was available in Goa in 2003 for a princely sum of 5.5 lacs, from what i heard fron Hari singh is that the vehicle is made to tackle the worst of OTRS

whitemm550 · 24th October 2008, 11:59

Looking up the slope I saw this Classic facing down the cliff.

Attachment 54096

Since I knew the cliff was 100ft at least, I was very concerned and puzzled at the same time. How did it stay there?

See that tiny tree, it stopped the light Classic from continuing down the cliff. It couldn’t have stopped a Scorpio.

Attachment 54097

yea samurai, that jeep belnged to a goan, he braked trying to avoid a jeep in front

, and the jeep slid off and thank god for that tree otherwise the jeep with four guys would have plunged deep down, see for yourself.

2nd October 2008, 11:20	#62
maddy42 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Coorg Posts: 2,187 Thanked: 1,650 Times View My Garage	Well samurai the roads from your place to coorg is itself a nice OTR(on the road) experience. Your GV is a nice catlogue for the good roads. All are lucky as many didnt venture to south coorg. There is no road at the moment.
	() Thanks

2nd October 2008, 17:54	#63
Roshun BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Delhi Posts: 151 Thanked: 41 Times	I've had the most off-road fun in Coorg. I guess that's what's left me obsessed with 4x4s. It's genetic I suppose. Samurai's pics and report are making me homesick. Cheers,
	() Thanks

2nd October 2008, 20:54	#64
KVS BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Pune Posts: 91 Thanked: 0 Times View My Garage	Samurai, Excellent pictures and wonerfully written (as usual)!! Do you think Safari 4X4 or GV 4X4 would have successfully covered this track? The track seemed narrow at some places.. Thanks for the write-up and making so many readers virtually cover the trip. Cheers KVS
	() Thanks

3rd October 2008, 11:46	#66
RacingForIndia BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Pune Posts: 483 Thanked: 36 Times View My Garage	Thanks for the excellent insight into offroading. I had seen a sticker on te read of a Gypsy and it read "You can go fast but I can go anywhere". I know now what he meant by "anywhere".
	() Thanks

3rd October 2008, 13:08	#67
sandeepbhatk Newbie Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: mangalore Posts: 2 Thanked: 0 Times	it was a real thrill..... Well I was drivin that Red 340 and had good time at the GE
	() Thanks

17th October 2008, 18:12	#68
whitemm550 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Margao goa Posts: 370 Thanked: 111 Times	hey samurai, nice post. although i was there in Coorg for the great escape, i relived the experience thanx to you. but we must deplore the fact that the organisation for the event was indeed substandard.
	() Thanks

17th October 2008, 18:40	#69
Samurai Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bangalore/Udupi Posts: 26,013 Thanked: 49,868 Times View My Garage	It is a large event involving many departments of Mahindra, I guess that led to the confusion. Any offroading in Coorg is purely 4WD, but the people who were accepting the entires didn't care or were not informed about it.
	() Thanks

17th October 2008, 19:55	#70
whitemm550 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Margao goa Posts: 370 Thanked: 111 Times	yea i do agree, but then the guys on 2wd should have been stopped at the entry level itself. i was one of the guys with 4wd in the Goa group. we had not even the faintest idea that the track would be so treacherous, we wouldnt have allowed our 2wd collegues in, in fact they were not supposed to join till the last moment, but then we faced a very hostile track and to top it all, the local heroes, are, who claim to be avid jeepers, do not have any helping soul in their so called 'big hearts', shame, you guys out there from coorg, who call yourselves jeepers, should come to Goa, and call for help when in trouble and see the goan helping hearts for yourselves.
	() Thanks

17th October 2008, 20:17	#71
Samurai Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bangalore/Udupi Posts: 26,013 Thanked: 49,868 Times View My Garage	Boss, you are mistaken. I know many locals Jeepers who spent the whole day helping stuck vehicles out of trouble. I have talked about them in my report. I do agree that many of them got tired of rescuing 2WD Jeeps which were not supposed to be there. And there was local politics simmering under the surface, but such things can't be avoided in such a big mela. Besides, there was no question of stopping 2WD drives at the last moment since they had come all the way. They would be all up in arms.
	() Thanks

17th October 2008, 22:07	#72
anupmathur Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: New Delhi Posts: 3,095 Thanked: 311 Times	At the end of the day, what needs to be stressed is that this has been EXEMPLARY coverage of the event! Congrats, Samurai, and many thanks!!
	() Thanks

24th October 2008, 11:27	#74
whitemm550 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Margao goa Posts: 370 Thanked: 111 Times	Alright, it is a MM550 modified to have a complete aluminum body, built by some vintage car restorer in Indore. BTW, the tall gentleman in the driver seat turned out to be ace rallyist Hari Singh, which I found out later that day. yea samurai, that 'strange looking vehicle' is a mahindra Qadro 4x4, with a XDP engine and borgs wargner shift on fly 4wd mechanism, it was available in Goa in 2003 for a princely sum of 5.5 lacs, from what i heard fron Hari singh is that the vehicle is made to tackle the worst of OTRS
	() Thanks

24th October 2008, 11:59	#75
whitemm550 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Margao goa Posts: 370 Thanked: 111 Times	Looking up the slope I saw this Classic facing down the cliff. Attachment 54096 Since I knew the cliff was 100ft at least, I was very concerned and puzzled at the same time. How did it stay there? See that tiny tree, it stopped the light Classic from continuing down the cliff. It couldn’t have stopped a Scorpio. Attachment 54097 yea samurai, that jeep belnged to a goan, he braked trying to avoid a jeep in front, and the jeep slid off and thank god for that tree otherwise the jeep with four guys would have plunged deep down, see for yourself.
	() Thanks