[offroad_maniac]

Originally Posted by ex670c

Hi John,

My views. Since the Target audience is the MGE Type Off-Road enthusiasts.
Users POV.
Advantages of IFS
1)Better Handling
2)Better Steering Feedback with Rack & Pinion Steering
3)Better High-Way speeds, lesser fatigue.
4)Better Dirt Road/Bad Road Handling, Speed & Comfort.

Manufacturers POV.
1)Minimal Inventory – Scorpio/Bolero STORM & Thar will use the same Front End.

2)Engineered weak link = frequent servicing depends on OTR usage
i)2 Universal Joints in the Front Axle -
ii)Rack & Pinion Steering cannot take lateral loading i.e tyre stuck in rocks and you try to steer. IIRC famous H3 Video

3)Modifications = M&M Customization
i)The IFS needs expensive lift kits to raise the suspension.
ii)So tyres cannot be very Tall i.e Heavy as the steering will get stressed
easily.
iii) Only the Manufacturer can "modify" the vehicle.

4) DIY & Shade Tree mechanics cannot do much to the IFS or Rack & Pinion Steering, or the Front Diff. so all maintenance has to go to M&M’s A.S.S.

Regards,

Arka

PS - Let see if the Indian Army opts for this vehicle.

That will be cleared out in Bangalore I guess..

I think you are comparing the Thar directly against post 2004 Army 550 XDBs (NGCS) (Pls. pardon me if not. ).
In that case we have both the options, Euro 4 compliant Thar (With IFS) right off the showrooms & in 2 years we will be getting Army surplus 550 NGCS & also MPFI Gypsies. So I guess Thar specs are well thought out considering the above two cases.
Consider if Thar is launched with SFA, then M&M might face competition against their own Army 550XDBs. People would think "So, both have same specs. Why spend more money on Thar, lets get some Army550 & restore to our likes". May be that Thar (SFA) will appeal to some in terms of relaibility & hardcore offroading, but what about the other masses who will also be M&M's future customers.

As far as weaker joints & steering is cocerned, may be that is already tested out offroad. As there were few Scorpios that did the same trails as the Jeeps. may be they lost due to Electrical shifting glithces, but nothing broke beacuse of IFS.

Customization option may be limited but atleast there is one Indian company who is willing to provide customization as per the Buyer's choice, that way it wont void the warranty. Its definately not the case that ONLY Manufactures can do the modifications, it can be done by others as well (Numerous restoration threads on MM540/550 where some nice modifications are done like Body design, bumpers, bull bars, roll cages, seats etc so only SPOA is rulled out due to IFS, but really how many jeeps are SPOAd). but those changes are done on old/ army vehicles so there was no issues regarding Warranty.
Now consider you have to do some modifications w/o voiding your warranty, here Customizing dept helps you. Its totally on Buyers choice...

Regards.

[hellletloose]

well i am son of a colonnel & a major & i belong to upper kinnaur in H.P.,THAR will be a great hit with the likes of me,who didn't make it to the army & still breathe fire & with the people of kinnaur,who are die hard mahindra fans.i am looking forward to buy the base model from the army canteen.

[Blue Thunder]

Originally Posted by hellletloose

well i am son of a colonnel & a major ....

, that is one hell of a confusing statement, hellletloose, would you mind clarifying please?

Originally Posted by hellletloose

...& still breathe fire ...

Wow !!!

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Blue Thunder

, that is one hell of a confusing statement, hellletloose, would you mind clarifying please?

May be his mother is a Major, while the dad is a Colonel. Although, one would expect the son to know how to spell dad's rank. I guess he was in a hurry.

[Parm]

so today we will have updates about the Thar from Bangalore OTR?

[4x4addict]

@hellletloose:

Do you mean Mahindra Major?

[DirtyDan]

Originally Posted by Samurai

May be his mother is a Major, while the dad is a Colonel. Although, one would expect the son to know how to spell dad's rank. I guess he was in a hurry.

I knew of a captain whose wife was a major(doctor). I have not incurred an infraction yet so I will not tell you the jokes that we came up with to cover military courtesy at moments of extreme marital intimacy. Always at the end of the joke there would be a chorus of the militarily correct "Thank you, ma'am."

And, yes, in H.P.'s hinterlands, Mahindra is much respected.

[trrk]

Hi folks,

Originally Posted by hellletloose

well i am son of a colonnel & a major

Could the above be:

My father is a colonel and I am a major.

Just a thought.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by trrk

My father is a colonel and I am a major.

Just a thought.

He did say he didn't make it into the army.

[offroad_maniac]

Originally Posted by Parm

so today we will have updates about the Thar from Bangalore OTR?

I think its a 2-day event, so probably more information will be revealed on late 25th or on 26th Jan.

[Jaggu]

Thar Desert - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Thar Desert (Hindi: थार मरुस्थल), also known as the Great Indian Desert, is a large, arid region in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent. With an area of more than 200,000 km2.,[1] (77,000 sq. mi.) it is world's 7th largest desert and also Asia's 3rd largest desert. The Thar desert along with the Sahara desert of Africa, Arabian peninsula desert, and Cholistan desert in Pakistan are part of the same desert formation.[2] It lies mostly in the Indian state of Rajasthan, and extends into the southern portion of Haryana and Punjab states and into northern Gujarat state. In Pakistan, the desert covers eastern Sindh province and the southeastern portion of Pakistan's Punjab province. The Cholistan Desert adjoins the Thar desert spreading into Pakistani Punjab province.

Well this is not "The Thar" we got to See & Feel today. So to start with i though i will post couple of pictures of the machine, which i had a chance of shooting.

A man who is always ready for an Adventure.


and i already hear a faint voice from 10 kms away telling me "Jaggu cut the crap and get to the point!". So Ladies and Gentelmen i present to you M&M Thar that we all have been drooling for sometime.


First of all Team-BHP and Jeep Thrills members would like to thank M&M for this great initiative from their side, who took the effort to truck the Thar from Mumbai to BLR just to be displayed at the Jeep Thrills Annual OTR which started today morning. We saw her being unloaded near the highway while on the way to our OTR spot, and she made a silent entry and was parked amidst us, before being whisked out to the safe parking at the camp site.


Your truely and many other oggling at her, yeah we had to leave our breakfast midway


So lets get to the heart of the matter for now.





If the heart is at the right place, then foot is also placed on level grounds for now.



So we take a sneak peak on to the other side,





See she is show girl, so kindly excuse the BLING!






Something to keep the foriegners happy i guess.




So what about the room, with a view.







But then good times come to an end.

[JayD]

Yikes! Thay brought the same ugly toad from the expo? I was expecting the proper thar to be displayed here! What a disappointment! Also, i hope the indian version is not coming with these interiors(carried over from the armada grand i think), they look horrible.
Thanks for the pix jaggu!

[Jaggu]

Yes this was already informed earlier that the Show Thar will be the vehicle that will be displayed.

Two things which i would like to point out:
1) With bling also, one can figure out to a great extent, on how the real thing would look like.
2) Customization job has many area where it could improve, especially since its being done up as a Show car, that will be displayed world over!

Final configuration of the vehicle is not yet frozen yet, that much reliable info is available with us for now.

[saintsinner]

nice.. but too many shortfalls!!!

[Samurai]

Jaggu, so far you haven't told us anything new. I think we are all aching to hear the expert previews from the Jeep Thrills heavy weights.