[offroad_maniac]

Originally Posted by Samurai

I am not very technical, but isn't NGT530 a gearbox and not T-case?

LOL.. I also dont know.. I thought NGT* means other T-Case that Mahindra has. Never mind, must be the Gear Box then.

OT: Here is a link that will somehow clarify the conditions in which what is used when, Traction/Power/Torque/WheelBase/Weight etc all technical stuffs, ITS THE DRIVER !...

YouTube - Hummer vs. D90

(Hummer climbs the incline in one go where lighter Defender 90 struggles)BTW, There are other videos as well which shows lighter Jeeps smoking SHAME on mighty Hummers.. So the Weight v/s Traction issue is simply in THAR Thread

[testdrive]

Here's the latest reply on Twitter from Anand Mahindra on this topic...

Tweet 1:
@anand_motorhead: when is the THAR coming to reality?
@anandmahindra: LHD version launching in Europe right away.Wrkng on RHD fr India

Tweet 2:
@S11ddharthArora: give us a swb jeep with the God Awesome looks of the AXE. A local+9 wrangler.
@anandmahindra: checkout stinger&Thar!


------------------- *** ----------------------
PS: Selling my MM550 4x4 - PM if interested

[MileCruncher]

Originally Posted by Samurai

I am not very technical, but isn't NGT530 a gearbox and not T-case?

Originally Posted by offroad_maniac

LOL.. I also dont know.. I thought NGT* means other T-Case that Mahindra has. Never mind, must be the Gear Box then.

The NGT530R is a Gear Box that M&M uses on the Scorpio and the Bolero VLX and thats what the THAR is going to be coming with.

@testdrive: Had seen these tweets. Now the only hope is Thar is affordable.

[dhrishikesh]

The Mahindra Thar Adventure that has been shoecased @ Auto Expo is the customised version from Mahindra Customization.
Still looks good. Any guesses on the price of regular That that will be soon available in showrooms ??

[DirtyDan]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Ken, the hardtop got to have glass on both side and rear. We are not asking for a coffin top here.

Yeah, but a lot of these hardtops look good from the outside style-wise but the windows turn out to be too high, too low, to be functional to the occupants. That was what I was trying to say. So, beware of skulking, seedy hardtop walahs you meet on the street. Coffin walahs, too. Both often put their windows in the wrong place.

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by DirtyDan

Yeah, but a lot of these hardtops look good from the outside style-wise but the windows turn out to be too high, too low, to be functional to the occupants. That was what I was trying to say. So, beware of skulking, seedy hardtop walahs you meet on the street. Coffin walahs, too. Both often put their windows in the wrong place.

Hi,
Over the years, I have had the pleasure of getting wet (asymmetrically), drenched, frozen, caked in dust and grit etc. On a regular basis. Even when I choose not to.
Even worse is when paperwork gets wet, or when your softtop strolly gets wet and leaches colour onto your packed clothes or when .....

A hardtop option is a must.

On another topic, seeing an interesting discussion regarding the merits/ demerits of weight. My experience is mostly limited to mudplugging rather than wadi bashing or rockcrawling. And with pleb machines like CJs and Gypsies, not exotics.

The Gypsy normally skims over the surface, rarely sinking in. But if it did sink in appreciably, you were in trouble.

The CJs would sink in. We would actually prefer the thinner 600x16 tyres. These would normally sink in straight away, and then get purchase on something firmer. As long as it did not sink upto its axles, it would keep going. Required gobs of power.

What the Gypsy did with finesse, the CJs did with torque. If it did not get stuck, the Gypsy was the first home. By far. But in really tough conditions, the jeep would get stuck less often.

I know what I want for mudplugging: light, powerful, very linear throttle.

Also had a Jonga. Petrol. Not something I'd recommend.

Sutripta

[GTO]

You guys do know that the official Thar website is up and running right? Linky

Totally SUCKS not to see India in the country list!

[foby.sebastian]

Originally Posted by GTO

You guys do know that the official Thar website is up and running right? Linky

Totally SUCKS not to see India in the country list!

GTO , thank you for the linky

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Dear all - let me begin by introducing myself before I comment on one of my pet projects, Thar. Here I will also tell you how the germ of an idea called "Thar" got born.

I work as General Manager (Vehicle Development) in the Research & Development Centre of the Automotive Sector of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd in Nasik. I would like to say very clearly that I am extremely fortunate and proud to be part of one big M&M family. Yes, all of us in M&M are one big family. In our family of Mahindraites, "Auto Passion" is officially regarded as a necessary capability and it is very effectvely recognized. I am known to be one of the most "Auto Passionate" employees of the Automotive Sector. I have been part of various teams that have initiated and completed many key assignments in M&M, all related to various M&M products that you see on the roads today. It is always a team that delivers a product, never an individual. Therefore, it is my Thar team that has delivered the Thar, not me, all congratulations due to them.

As part of my job, it becomes natural that driving becomes part of my everyday activity. Driving is my passion. Therefore, I also took up vehicle testing assignments. I just love night driving. As a professional test engineer, I have the best job in the world. I firmly believe that there is a very distinct difference between fast driving and rash driving. You can drive as fast as you want provided you are not rash. I see numerous rash drivers on the roads who are not fast at all. When we overtake a car and go, we are long gone before people realise that something went. Our mantra for performance is - "smooth and silent surge of power".

I am also an avid 4*4 enthusiast, because I have worked on the development of the complete range of M&M vehicles, right from the CJ3Bs to the CJ4As, the CJ500Ds to MM540s to Armadas to Commanders to Marshals to Boleros to Scorpios. I was part of the very first Great Escape which was held in Kasara (120 kms from Mumbai) in January 1996 and never looked back. I used to drive a yellow CJ340, MH01P2540. I have done some 30 odd Great Escapes todate. The CJ340's offroad capability was legendary, as you all know. I took on the assignment of pulling out any vehicle which was stuck. In 1998, between my CJ340 and a Commander Hard Top 4WD equipped with a winch, we pulled out 30 vehicles stuck within a span of 400 metres. THIS EXPERIENCE OF 1998 WAS THE STARTING POINT FOR THAR. The idea to have an M&M 4WD vehicle as I would want it was always dormant in my mind, till about a year back.

I was quietly waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, till I got the driveline I wanted. I wanted at least 100 BHP and at least 25 kgm with vehicle dynamics to suit it. Then we made the Scorpio and suddenly I had access to an excellent package. My idea clicked into place.

Gentlemen, so that's the Thar for you - THE THAR IS ESSENTIALLY A SCORPIO IN DISGUISE. IT WILL DRIVE LIKE A SCORPIO, SOUND LIKE A SCORPIO AND HANDLE LIKE A SCORPIO. IT IS LIGHTER THAN A SCORPIO. IT WILL GIVE YOU EXCELLENT HIGHWAY CRUISEABILITY TO COVER THOSE HUGE DISTANCES THAT YOU NEED TO TRAVEL ON ROAD TO REACH YOUR OFF ROAD DESTINATIONS AND ALSO PROVIDE YOU MORE THAN ENOUGH GRUNT TO ENJOY YOUR OFFROAD ADVENTURES WITH EXCELLENT OFFROAD ABILITY. I TOOK THIS ROUTE AS IT OFFERS THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS.

You will note that I started the thread in December 08 because I wanted all of you to connect so that you would actually experience M&M's commitment towards "CUSTOMER CENTRICITY" firsthand. I am very thankful to you all for your excellent responses.

So,that's how the Thar started. There is a long way to go. Please continue to give your comments as always. I will give my ideas for you to toss around so that the final product shall be exactly what you as customers want at the price at which you shall finally buy the product. Finally, I want this vehicle to actually sell in huge numbers and not just discuss in a thread.

Please accept my best personal regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[DirtyDan]

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

.....
I work as General Manager (Vehicle Development) in the Research & Development Centre of the Automotive Sector of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd in Nasik.....

Sure, sure, that's nice, Mr. Dhabhar. But I have been having trouble with the channel selector on the radio of my 1951 Hudson. Can you help me? You are supposed to know something, right?

PS. Congrats on that other thing.

[simply_sunny001]

mr dhabhar

any idea of the proposed launch timeframe of the thar in india ? and shed more light into cost and variants also if posssible.

thanks

[dhiman]

^^ +1 to sunny. Launch timeframe, cost, variants, Locker or LSD?, hardtop?, airbags? - please

[Samurai]

Ah Behram, looks like the time for secrecy is over. Until now nobody knew everything, all of us knew bits and pieces. We were like 7 (or 700) blind men trying to understand the elephant.

Questions:
1) Hardtop may be available as a factory option, is it true?
2) Thar comes with A/C as a factory option, is it true?
3) How far are we from actual Indian launch?
4) Indian Thar will be a 7 seater, is it true?
5) Will the Scorpio or Xylo middle seat a straight fit in Thar?
6) Is there a full-floating rear axle that will be straight fit in Thar? (let's make Arka happy too )

There are many more questions, but these will do for now.

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

I work as General Manager (Vehicle Development) in the Research & Development Centre of the Automotive Sector of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd in Nasik.

I do not want to sound frivolous, but on answers.yahoo.com, somebody is asking for your colleauge's salary. :-D

You can find it here

Home >Cars & Transportation >Car Makes >Mahindra & Mahindra > Resolved Questions

You may need to login with a yahoo ID.

So,that's how the Thar started. There is a long way to go. Please continue to give your comments as always.

Means?? We have to wait again?

And a slightly unrelated request - can you create a thread about the vehicle testing requirements in India?? And how this process is different in other countries??? I am sure that quite a few of us will be interested to know that.

4) Indian Thar will be a 7 seater, is it true?

But that will make it a LWB, right?

And a "supplementary" question to Behramji on that. Why is it that we get same vehicle with 5 and 6 seater configurations? Is there a taxation element to it? (Excise, vehicle classification, etc?)

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

But that will make it a LWB, right?

And a "supplementary" question to Behramji on that. Why is it that we get same vehicle with 5 and 6 seater configurations? Is there a taxation element to it? (Excise, vehicle classification, etc?)

Aren't Gypsy/MM540 8/7 seaters? I believe the WB will remain the same. And CMVR won't allow the 2-seater configuration of Thar in India.