[DKG]

Originally Posted by fazalaliadil

That's something we can try, Madame Indira Gandhi was solely responsible for the success of project tiger and the Rajiv Gandhi did his bit, since then there is a blank in the conservation aspect with the consecutive PM's and governments. We will be redirected to the MoEF should we go to him.

Okay here's the plan. We gift him a Thar done up like Salil's rendering, make friends with him at OTR events and eventually get him to protect India's forests and wildlife !

[fazalaliadil]

Originally Posted by DKG

Okay here's the plan. We gift him a Thar done up like Salil's rendering, make friends with him at OTR events and eventually get him to protect India's forests and wildlife !

Lets involve him in conservation and take him around in a Thar, which ever combo is better.

[ex670c]

Originally Posted by DKG

If the quantum of sales can justify the cost of having it cleared at ARAI we could persuade some vehicles being released for civilian use. Only problem is what number do you forsee for a new 550? 35 max 50? that too over three years?

Hi DKG,

I don't know how many MM550XD's in Civilian Attire will sell, but the the Civilian MM550 will definitely sell 10-15 times more than what is being expected of the Thar.

Regards,

Arka

[DKG]

Originally Posted by ex670c

Civilian MM550 will definitely sell 10-15 times more than what is being expected of the Thar

You know wars are won by soldiers who remain loyal beyond logic and reason. You would make an awesom army commander !! The enemy would shudder encountering General Arka !!

[headers]

Originally Posted by DKG

You know wars are won by soldiers who remain loyal beyond logic and reason. You would make an awesom army commander !! The enemy would shudder encountering General Arka !!

Now, just imagine the plight of his boys doing the OTR with him in command!

[codelust]

I have been following the various Thar threads (yes, you guys are to blame for extreme dip in productivity!) and been sitting back and taking in the free education. Thank you all.

The degree of passion this yet-to-be-released product has generated is insane. There has been enough energy on these threads to put even the shootout at O.K. Corral to shame. I am considering picking up one of these and reading through the pages I shift from 'I am buying it yesterday' to 'No way, Jose'.

And I do think you have to hand it to MM for being receptive to all the feedback and trying to do their best to bring out something that will be to everyone's liking.

That said, it is unfortunate that there is much energy spent on predicting how it may fare - which it may well wind up being a disaster or an overwhelming success. I'd say it is reasonable to wait up until the first ownership threads are up and the photos start piling up of the OTRs with the Thar in it after it is out in the market.

For someone like me - who is not Jeep-head and owns a modest but well-travelled Swift - this is an interesting option. But what I do understand is also that neither me, nor the hardcore OTR crowd (doing a head count per city should give us an idea of the addressable market on that front) represents a target group large enough to make it a mass market product if we were the only ones who'd want to buy it.

At the higher end, I don't see the Thar taking on the market that buys the bazillion Scorpios and Safaris out there and at the lower end I don't see it appealing much to the Bolero/Name-your-5-7L-Mahindra crowd.

Also, I don't know why anyone would think the Thar would come, in stock form, with engineering that is seen on vehicles modded specifically for OTRs. Even if we assume that it can be done, just looking at the total number of participants at each OTR would give us a good idea of how much a vehicle like that can sell.

Put together a compromise vehicle (decent off-roader with great road manners at an OK price) and sell ten thousands or put together an all out niche vehicle (absolute stonker of an offroader with great road manners and an untouchable price) that will sell maybe a few thousand a year? If I were running a business, I'd pick the former.

Practicality aside, I do still hope and dream that it will massacre our expectations in the right direction and a year down the line nobody remembers the acrimony and will be busy climbing rocks and splashing mud in the middle of nowhere in their Thars and whatnot

[Torque-ative]

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Dear Deepak - MM540 came with the Isuzu petrol engine sometime in 1995. But the best news that you will love was that in 1984, we had made 1 MM540 brown coloured vehicle with Mitsubishi 4G54 petrol engine, Mitsubishi transmission and 4.88:1 "semi floating" (if you please!) axle 4 wheel drive for our ex Prime Minister. That car was a bomb. I used to pull 120 kmph in 3rd gear. Fuel consumption was atrocious but it was a very special car for a very special person. I was there when he took delivery in Delhi.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

Mandeep, AKA renegade had this very same rarest of rare MM440 from Rajiv Gandhi's fleet till a year back,..........!!
The engine was later replaced with a 1.8 isuzu as the Mistubishi spares were very hard to come by. The best part is even after the swap @renegade managed to retain the same gear-box and it still does service with another jeeper from NIOC in brilliant blue form.

This jeep was a very very capable machine,..I do recall @renegae spending a lot of top $$ importing spares before he gave up and opted for the 1.8 isz engine.

I was even offered this vehicle before I embarked on the CJ3B journey.
I should have jumped at the opportunity when i had a chance.


Here are the before and after picture.
Does this bring back old memmories @BD

[FourWheelDrift]

Renegade had posted one of these images to a thread I had started ... the decrepit vehicle in the picture above seems to match with the picture of the vehicle in all it's glory at http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...ml#post1698017

I'm surprised ... it was a Mahindra all along.

[jyobeb]

The picture of Rajiv Gandhi's jeep brought back bad memories of Mahindra's body building abilities. I used to own a MM540 stationwagon (a silver colored monstrosity) "hand built" (!!!!!) at the Mahindra factory.
This vehicle use to rust everywhere and would end up like the brown jeep every 30 months!!!

[beejay]

Originally Posted by jyobeb

The picture of Rajiv Gandhi's jeep brought back bad memories of Mahindra's body building abilities. I used to own a MM540 stationwagon (a silver colored monstrosity) "hand built" (!!!!!) at the Mahindra factory.
This vehicle use to rust everywhere and would end up like the brown jeep every 30 months!!!

We had one too. It was an annual affair to build and paint.

We sold it here in Coonoor and I must say that it is still lovingly been taken care of.

[Kandisa]

Originally Posted by Torque-ative

...Mandeep, AKA renegade had this very same rarest of rare MM440 from Rajiv Gandhi's fleet till a year back,..........!!
The engine was later replaced with a 1.8 isuzu as the Mistubishi spares were very hard to come by.....

This jeep was a scorcher and i dreamt about it day in day out for few months after seeing the vehicle 1st time in real life. With the Mitshubishi engine, it was bomb but even with 1.8 ISZ (whichi is not considered a suitable engine for jeeps by few offroad gurus!) it is hell of a performer on & off-road, not to mention it is one of the best looking rebuilt jeeps in India. With performance header & magnaflow free flow exhaust, it has become even better. Riding in that jeep with someone like Mandeep driving is some experience!

[SPIKE ARRESTOR]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

If its just the 4WD, then we're talking at most a 20k difference.

Do you really think that someone will pay 20k less and take a Thar without the 4WD? Do you think the kind of people who buy the Thar will gripe about 20k?

Venky, its not a 20K difference.

Originally Posted by fazalaliadil

Hi Red Liner,
The difference will be somewhere around a lakh between a 4X4 and a 4X2, and not 20k. One of the most expensive component is a 4X4 front differential in a vehicle.
Regards,

Rightly said.

Originally Posted by DKG

Would you prefer it with a Bolero front end mated to a 540 rear? considering the Invader rear was not smart?

Ahem ahem..

Spike

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by SPIKE ARRESTOR

Venky, its not a 20K difference.



Rightly said.



Ahem ahem..

Spike

But still...I missed out on the IFS thing. You say its a Manual TC. How can a Manual TC + Front differential be more than 20-30k? Especially when economies of scale come into play for a company like M&M?

Lets say I want to purchase these two things in the open market for a front IFS set-up vehicle today. How much will these two parts cost?

[Rasputin]

Any idea if Thar would be launched before July mid. Will soon be in the market for a personal transport and am all excited by what i have heard about Thar.

Current drive a saloon(Octavia) and have always been excited by a rugged , 'dent- resistant' ride.

[SPIKE ARRESTOR]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

But still...I missed out on the IFS thing. You say its a Manual TC. How can a Manual TC + Front differential be more than 20-30k? Especially when economies of scale come into play for a company like M&M?

Lets say I want to purchase these two things in the open market for a front IFS set-up vehicle today. How much will these two parts cost?

Venky, economies of scale will never cover the basic material costs, if that was the case components produced in large quantities would come dirt cheap (e.g. Tires).

Costs of the above components are on the higher side. Its not just the Borg/Divgi Warner TC even the T-18 despite all ammortization comes at a cost.

Spike