[Rehaan]

The first time I saw a big blood-red ‘RAGE’ sticker plastered across the side of a funky looking off-road buggy, I wasn’t sure what exactly it meant. As I looked at the picture of it going sideways through the dirt, I thought to myself: perhaps the driver has anger management issues?

A few years later, I have an email in my inbox asking if I wanted to check out a 70 BHP off-road buggy that was now being manufactured & assembled in India. I took a look at the picture and connected the dots. The manufacturer was Rage Motorsport.

One week later, I’m on a flight to Rajkot, Gujarat where the newly developed ‘Cyclone’ is being built. Rage, a UK based company, was started in 2000 by two car-crazy teenagers. Since then, they’ve built up quite the reputation within the motorsports fraternity. One of the highlights was Colin McRae's hands-on help in test-driving and developing the Rage buggies. His team later used the vehicle as their weapon of choice for the Dakar rally as well.

If you want to jump straight to the action, check out this 2-minute video I put together:
(Video unavailable on mobile due to YouTube's music licensing)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUO2d6A4GCo

[Rehaan]

What you'll like:

• Rear-wheel drive, 540 kilos & 70 BHP (130 BHP / tonne)
• Brilliant suspension setup lets you charge across extremely rough trails
• Tried, tested and continually developed for more than a decade in Motorsports
• Most parts are available easily in the market, while custom parts are priced reasonably & stocked here in India

What you won't:

• Hard to get in & out of. Lacking essentials such as basic seat adjustment, headlights, brake lights etc.
• Priced @ Rs. 11.83 lakhs ex-GJ (VAT is extra, no registration charges though)
• CVT causes a noticeable delay in acceleration. Also, stubborn chirping sound when decelerating
• Not (yet) road legal in India, thereby limiting the usability for most potential buyers



The Cyclone is built on the same chassis as Rage’s existing Comet and Hurricane models. It's a fairly compact vehicle, though the flared out bodywork does a good job of giving it more of a “trophy truck” look from the front. From the side, you’ll see that it's more of a small buggy, with a relatively short wheelbase and an almost square footprint. This makes the Cyclone very versatile on narrow trails. The wide bodywork and fenders help keep bushes and stones from hitting you in the face.

Getting into the buggy is a bit of an acrobatic exercise for most people, as you have to step through the frame and into the bucket seats. Once seated, you need to strap yourself down tight in the 4-point harness. It’s a lot more convenient than a 5-point harness, as there are only 2 sides that need to be connected together (vs 5 individual straps). You’re cocooned in metal tubes, there’s no windshield in front of you, and all-round visibility is excellent.

Power comes from the Maruti-Suzuki K10 engine (A-Star configuration with a waterproof ECU). Fire it up, and the 3-cylinder 1.0L motor comes to life in a much louder fashion than you’d expect. Although the engine block is completely stock, the exhaust is an after-market stainless steel unit that adds to the drama of the whole Rage Cyclone experience. The engine is mated to a CVT transmission. It might not be the ideal choice for hardcore enthusiasts, but it does allow you to concentrate entirely on throttle, steering and weight transfer...important when driving on dirt.

For our first run, Neville Poonawalla (remember his tricked out white Mustang from the Speedrun days?) was going to show me what the vehicle is capable of. He is the owner of 'Rage Motorsports Performance' in India, and has clearly spent a lot of time developing & obsessing over every single nut and bolt of the vehicle. In addition to that, he is also very familiar with the testing trail; Neville made full use of that when demo'ing the buggy. If you want to see what I mean, watch the video in the post above.

Next thing I know, we’re going 80 kph down a narrow path with 12-foot tall cacti on either side - drifting sideways at times!



The first thing I noticed (especially as someone with a bad back) is that the suspension is truly spectacular! There is 12.5” of travel at the front and 13.5” at the rear for the double-wishbone suspension all-around. In addition to that, the fairly large tyres run on small-ish 14” wheels at only 10 psi of pressure. This adds an additional layer of cushioning to the ride. Despite hitting the broken dirt trail with no mercy, the suspension didn’t bottom out even once. It didn’t make a single sound of complaint either. Right at the very start of the drive, we drove onto a 2-foot wall with just one side of the vehicle, and then drove off it. It was an incredibly cushy landing.



Without the helmet on, the engine is very loud, especially since the CVT tranny means that it will usually be running high in the RPM range. As you let off the accelerator, you hear a loud chirp from the CVT's rubber belt. The aluminum radiator and its twin fans are right behind your head, but the fans rarely come on when the Cyclone is in motion. They only whirr up when the car has been idling at a standstill for a while. The helmet does a good job of reducing the noise levels, and it is an essential part of the safety kit when traveling in a car with a roll-cage (protects your skull from hitting the metal tubes).

Below 20 kph is the only time when the ride has a bumpy edge, but once you speed up, the suspension flattens everything out. It's incredibly easy to touch speeds of 70 - 100 kph down an uneven dirt track on which a regular road car wouldn't dare go above 15 kph.

70 BHP isn’t a lot of power by today’s standards. However, combine it with a 540 kg dry weight, versatile chassis and an experienced driver, it’s more than capable of delivering thrills by the gallon. Acceleration itself isn’t blistering (unlike some of the other higher-powered sequential-shift Rage models), yet we've been told the Cyclone should manage the 0-100 kph sprint in around 10-11 seconds. Braking too, is at the mercy of traction and on most dirt surfaces; and there won’t be much of that. There is no ABS, no ESP, no power steering - heck, no windshield either. You got to stay well within your limits, especially on dirt where technique and weight transfer govern your driving abilities. For novice drivers on the dirt, it will be a fun learning process. For others, the Cyclone’s true capabilities are just brilliant. If you are considering this vehicle, be sure to experience it in the hands of a seasoned driver.



This paints a better picture of exactly how compact the buggy is. The front view makes it look a lot bigger than it actually is:


The magical suspension doing its work through some ruts. Minimal body roll, maximum articulation:


Carrying huge speeds down a dirt road is a breeze:


In its natural habitat:


Getting some tail-out action is super easy, thanks to the RWD set-up, limited-slip differential and low traction surface:

[Rehaan]

One of the cool things about the Rage Cyclone is that pretty much all the wear-and-tear items & essential components (e.g. battery, fuel pump, air filter, fuel filter) can easily be sourced at any auto parts shop in India, due to the mainstream cars the Cyclone shares its parts bin with. This helps to keep running costs and downtime relatively low, unlike many other imported vehicles that can be expensive to repair, and take weeks for the parts to arrive. For the parts that are custom made (e.g. suspension arms, driveshafts etc.), the Gujarat factory maintains a stock of them, and they appeared to be reasonably priced too.

Most of the custom made components are laser cut, CNC-milled or water-jetted. All of the pieces for the tube chassis are laser-notched, so that they fit together with millimeter precision. They are then welded together in the UK, after which the completed chassis is shipped to India. Parts like the uprights (where the suspension arms connect on the wheel-side) have been forged. This allows them be significantly stronger & lighter, than if they were billet machined. In the Dakar rally, where even the significantly strong billet machined parts had to be reinforced, the forged uprights performed perfectly well, with no reinforcements necessary.

The dashboard is basic. A speedometer + MID + essential warning lights sit in the center, alongside a MOMO steering wheel. Note that the lever in the center isn't the gearshift, it's the handbrake


Rear view mirrors are Zonda-esque. They need to stick out far enough to get around the wide bodywork:


Racing seats with easy to get into 4-point OMP harnesses are standard. Elbow room is tight, but given that the driver's hands will be on the steering all through, it's not an issue when driving:


The seats are somewhat adjustable for position. Since this is a common mounting base used across different models, not all of the visible holes are usable on the Cyclone. If you're between 5'6" to 6' tall, you should be able to find a usable seating position:


Being a CVT automatic, there's no clutch. The driver gets enough foot room, and left-foot braking is made easy. The passenger's side however is a squeeze, and the footwell is off-center too:


With the handbrake placed dead center, the transmission shifter is located on the right of the driver. You only need to shift it between Forward, Neutral and Reverse:


Accelerator and brake pedal assemblies have been CNC-machined out of single pieces of aluminum. An additional extension is bolted on, to form the wider pedal area (rather than having to start with a larger aluminum block, and mill away the excess as waste). Self-lubricating brass washers are used at the mounting points:


Disc brakes at all 4 ends. The protective metal plate seen behind the brake disc is to prevent small stones from jamming up the braking system:


The well-known Suzuki K-Series (K10B) 1.0L engine. Running the A-Star configuration with a waterproof ECU. Euro-4 compliant too:


Unlike the engine's typical FWD placement, it sits at the rear in the Cyclone and powers the rear wheels:


A massive all-aluminum radiator sits above the engine. The 2 large fans rarely come on whilst you're in motion. It's only when you're at a standstill that they whirr up:


Another view of the business end of things:


The CVT gearbox (made by CVTech Canada) can be tuned for 3 levels of 'smoothness vs acceleration':


The fuel tank sits high up at the rear. The fuel pump, fuel & air filters and several other parts are available off the shelf in India, as they are a mix of OEM Maruti and Hyundai supplies:


The exhaust is a full stainless steel unit. It brings the necessary sound to match the looks of this buggy:


Intrax 'NAS' shocks play a big role in the brilliant suspension. Interestingly, the car we drove had them only about 90% set up. Upcoming fine-tuning is supposed to improve the suspension even further:


Custom designed and manufactured steering rack. Note the attention to detail below: There is a thin rubber strip between the cross-tube and sheet metal to prevent rattling:


The hydraulic handbrake assembly. Interestingly, during our drive, there was rarely ever a need to use the handbrake to induce oversteer:


14" alloy wheels with 27 x 9.0 offroad tyres at the rear, running merely 10 psi of pressure! The rims are fairly tough too. You can see this one has taken a bit of a beating and is still doing okay:


The battery is an Exide 20 Ah, 12 volt unit:


An OBD2 port sits below the battery, which can be used for fault checking et al. Just like your standard production car:


3D stickers denoting the power output. We're told the few extra BHP for the otherwise stock K10 come from the modified exhaust:


Clean underbody with massive ground clearance:

[Rehaan]

Rajkot factory is clean and organized:


Here's what the Cyclone looks like without the fiber bodywork:


In various stages of assembly. Notice the thick metal bash-plate at the front:


A clearer look at the long suspension A-arms, leading to the ~13" of travel!


Every newly developed part is tested on the prototype vehicle (that we drove) before making it to production:


Ready stock of replacement tyres:


A collection of all the custom parts, stocked neatly until the time they're required:


Disclaimer : Rage Motorsport Performance invited Team-BHP for the Cyclone test-drive. They covered all the expenses for this driving event.

[alpha1]

Purrfectly "mouth watering" vehicle.
I would love this to become street legal!
Why is the machining welding done at UK? (edit: woops, this is a Brit company, but still my point is valid)
Doing it in India would reduce the cost significantly, also I believe the customs duty on parts would be much lower than the custom's duty on the full package.

Actually this is a perfect vehicle for the indian roads too.

[Scorcher]

Good one, Rehaan.

Chuffed to see recreational vehicles starting to be a thing in India. High time.

I think they have bagged a good set of dealers too. Racetech and Pete's being two. Peter showed me the brochures of the Rage when I was there last day. The figures did look promising and your video confirms its potential.

Three cheers to Neville!

[harishF1]

@ Rehaan: Super write up. High time the RTO gets these machines to be street legal; looks sturdier than the A Star and the Nano!! With a toughened windshield + basic creature comforts, I would love to own one. Only wish if it was made in India with the specs from UK; should be less than half of the asking price.

[seanr]

Rehaan, Exciting and Beautiful coverage. Your video was awesome compared to the manufacturer's on their website.

The cost of 11L seems way too high esp. compared to about 5L for a commuter car in the same range with a lot more parts and sophistication. But nonetheless, it will be fun to own one.

[neville1507]

Originally Posted by harishF1

@ Rehaan: Super write up. High time the RTO gets these machines to be street legal; looks sturdier than the A Star and the Nano!! With a toughened windshield + basic creature comforts, I would love to own one. Only wish if it was made in India with the specs from UK; should be less than half of the asking price.

Dear Harish,
They are priced at 1/3 the prices in UK, once you calculate import duty and freight. We have introduced this at 70BHP using tried and test Suzuki engine technology available in india. All parts for the vehicle are available from us through dealers all across india.
Thanks for your interest.

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by alpha1

Why is the machining welding done at UK?
Doing it in India would reduce the cost significantly, also I believe the customs duty on parts would be much lower than the custom's duty on the full package.

I would guess that the chassis construction & welding is done in the UK because of the following reasons:
1) They already have the required machinery and processes set up in the UK
2) Volumes for India are unknown, hence not sure if its a worthy investment to set up the chassis manufacturing process here

Originally Posted by Scorcher

I think they have bagged a good set of dealers too. Racetech and Pete's being two.

Yep! There's also Kaizad Engineer (Pro Street Performance) taking care of Maharashtra & Goa.

Originally Posted by harishF1

High time the RTO gets these machines to be street legal; looks sturdier than the A Star and the Nano!!

I think they are trying to get the vehicle certified for road use, but given how things work who knows how long that might take - or if it will happen.

Originally Posted by harishF1

Only wish if it was made in India with the specs from UK; should be less than half of the asking price.

Not sure it would become 'less than half the price' though. Also keep in mind that a lot of the components are already sourced in India (from cars like the Swift, A-Star etc).

Originally Posted by seanr

The cost of 11L seems way too high esp. compared to about 5L for a commuter car in the same range with a lot more parts and sophistication. But nonetheless, it will be fun to own one.

It's definitely not cheap. I think if it was road-driveable, it might be slightly more inviting to buyers - since they could drive it from their holiday homes / farms to the market and stuff like that, rather than just bashing the dirt all the time.

cya
R

[SmartCat]

Rehaan, any idea how this buggy will perform when the track/road is wet, as in during or after rains?

With just 10 psi in the tyres, I would've expected it to look "saggy" when loaded. I guess the sidewalls are very hard.

[Arch-Angel]

Its nice to see a review come out with soemthing new like this. Also, a buggy review isnt something i was expecting. Thanks for the review Rehaan! The price is slightly high in my opinion. But as neville said earlier, as far as off-road enthusiasts go, i think they might be drawn to this.
PS: on a lighter note, i think these need to be made road legal, with our current road conditions, these seem to make a bit more sense now... .

[veyron_head]

Looking at the way it swerves on all directions, I don't know if it should even be made street legal in Indian roads.

[neville1507]

Originally Posted by veyron_head

Looking at the way it swerves on all directions, I don't know if it should even be made street legal in Indian roads.

Hi, Just for your information and knowledge, Driving on at high speed on Dirt, one has to keep the vehicle in a Oversteer situation (drifting) going round corners which is totally the opposite of driving on a tarmac racetrack. The swerves you mentioned are intensionally induced for going round corners fast to maintain speed. Your love may be track racing which is why you find this probably funny and weird.

[karthik123]

Wow, nice to see this! I like it without the body panels though. It must be a blast to drive around! I guess that 10 psi for tyres is okay, I've seen ATV tires with even 7 psi.

Neatly built, I just have to ask, is the hub made from aluminium alloy? How is the hub locked to the spindle?

With 13" of travel, I know a problem with double wishbone suspension, they don't get much droop per tyre before the upper wishbone touches the rim, so most of the said travel will be in bump, so how much of this travel is droop? during your test did you notice any such happening of the wishbones clashing with the rim?

Ps: The video is amazing!