[vasudhir]

Originally Posted by Guna

I am told Vijay Cawale (another noted bird photographer) uses (or used to) a customised (which includes jungle campflauge) Scorpio. ...Just a piece of information.

Hi Guna, I started my bird photography with him in 2003 and still go around with him regularly for photography. He used to have a regular scorpio (not modified) and now he uses a Terracan where the sliding sunroof has been added. The colour of the vehicle has been changed to dark green....no other modifications.



I TD is did of the safari was a very small round and I cannot conclude on it. I have asked for another round of TD today. Will update the post after that.

Rgds,
Sudhir

Note from the Team-BHP Support : Please note that it is now imperative for you to upload pictures directly to the Team-BHP Server. Goto Announcements section to view our simple help article on uploading pictures.

[raj_5004]

hi, my reply in bold:

Originally Posted by vasudhir

Raj,

Since you have both the vehicles, and considering that A.S.S is not my headache as it will be a leased vehicle (they take care of it), I would like to understand what the "niggling issues always present" is.

this is a very sensitive issue in here. safari fans dont take it lighly if a 'scorpio' owner says anything negative about the safari on a public forum. so maybe i can pm you the details. (i have not created my ownership thread about my safari in this forum for the same reasons!)

Also, when you say the ride quality of scorpio is not as good compared to safari, is it with the suspension or something else > because I will be using the vehicle for long rides with family.

its the suspension. not as good as the safari. when you TD the scorpio, you will feel the difference.

I TD the safari, looks good, comfortable and spacious. I plan on doing the TD of mHAWK scorpio tomorrow. Also I believe the safari is 140bhp and scorpio is 120bhp. Is this a big difference when it comes to power ?

yes, the difference is huge but scorpio is actually faster! because scorpio has a better power-to-weight ratio.

timings for your reference (which i think should not be of much concern for your use):

0-100 kmph:

scorpio- 14.88 seconds
safari - 15.16 seconds

in gear acceleration:

20-80 kmph in 3rd gear-
scorpio - 12.13 seconds
safari - 13.76 seconds

40-100 kmph in 4th gear-
scorpio - 14.61 seconds
safari - 15.96 seconds

this is what i meant when i said that the scorpio is better to drive. the safari 2.2 has a very poor bottom end response. infact, the car pulls strongly only after 2500 rpm unlike the scorpio which springs to life at as low as 1600 rpm. the older safari 3.0, though unrefined, is much better in this respect.

Originally Posted by Samurai

Hmm, this better not turn into one more Scorpio vs Safari slugfest...

i hope so too!

[razor4077]

Originally Posted by PAVAN KADAM

And my dear friend, M&M does not sell 4x4 Scorpios

Actually, they do - by special order. There is a waiting period though.

@sudhir: I know you are looking at leasing a new vehicle, but have you considered buying a used Gypsy, making it more comfortable and customizing it per your needs? Old Gypsys are not expensive at all - I have heard of decent specimens at under 1.5L. I still think a quiet petrol engine would be a more apt choice for wildlife photography. Food for thought

[vasudhir]

Originally Posted by razor4077

Actually, they do - by special order. There is a waiting period though.

@sudhir: I know you are looking at leasing a new vehicle, but have you considered buying a used Gypsy, making it more comfortable and customizing it per your needs? Old Gypsys are not expensive at all - I have heard of decent specimens at under 1.5L. I still think a quiet petrol engine would be a more apt choice for wildlife photography. Food for thought

hmmm...I believe the Gypsy is the best choice once you are inside the forest. The requirements are much more than just wildlife photography for self. During weekends I will be conducting photo tours where I will be taking around 4-5 photographers and teaching them how to shoot in the field, sometimes on foot and sometimes from the vehicle itself.

I am a bit inclined towards the safari as it has the 4x4 option in the EX/GX/VX series and also is very spacious.

The mHAWK is on its way to my home now for the TD. Will try it out and see.

Rgds,
Sudhir

['72 Bullet]

Originally Posted by vasudhir

hmmm...I believe the Gypsy is the best choice once you are inside the forest. The requirements are much more than just wildlife photography for self. During weekends I will be conducting photo tours where I will be taking around 4-5 photographers and teaching them how to shoot in the field, sometimes on foot and sometimes from the vehicle itself.

I am a bit inclined towards the safari as it has the 4x4 option in the EX/GX/VX series and also is very spacious.

The mHAWK is on its way to my home now for the TD. Will try it out and see.

Rgds,
Sudhir

Hi Sudhir,

Just read through the entire thread, was pretty informative. Don't mean to make decision making even more difficult for you, but since you've decided on the Safari or the Scorpio, may I suggest the Petrol variants?

Pros:

1. Quieter than Diesel and hence better than Diesel for your kind of usage (none of that turbo-whine that the elephants are allergic to either).
2. Similar to the above but the lower NVH characteristics means a more relaxing drive for you and your family on long trips.
3. Good power and very driveable even in the city, effortless cruising and acceleration on the highway. Also will not run out of steam while driving in the Ghats.
4. Petrol reliability (useful when you're deep in the boondocks, easily repaired by local mechanics <when compared to the crdi units the diesels have>)

Cons:

1. Comparatively expensive to run (should not pose a big problem as you will not be using it as a daily driver or for very long distances).
2. Resale value plummets (not a problem for you as you are just leasing it).

This is just a suggestion, I think it makes sense for your kind of usage. Further, I think the petrol variants are cheaper than the diesel, so you can get a model with more toys .

I strongly suggest you look out for a 4X4 though. It just takes one cloud-burst at the wrong time to get stuck, and wishing for 4WD after that is no good.

Have fun and take care

[akhilesh51]

Get the Safari...

It is one wild beast you would love to take to jungle...

[Samurai]

Safari EXI 4x4 Petrol with ABS is probably your best option.

[PAVAN KADAM]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

hi, my reply in bold:

Scorpio is faster than Safari, because its got better weight-power ratio.

!

Originally Posted by razor4077

Actually, they do - by special order. There is a waiting period though.

Yes i heard about it, but now they dont do it, i've confirmed.

Originally Posted by '72 Bullet

Hi Sudhir,
Pros: [list=1][*]Quieter than Diesel and hence better than Diesel for your kind of usage (none of that turbo-whine that the elephants are allergic to either).[*]Similar to the above but the lower NVH characteristics means a more relaxing drive for you and your family on long trips.[*]Good power and very driveable even in the city, effortless cruising and acceleration on the highway. Also will not run out of steam while driving in the Ghats.

Buddy, the 2.2 DICOR, is much quiter than any petrol cars present.

Originally Posted by akhilesh51

Get the Safari...

It is one wild beast you would love to take to jungle...

True a beast of the Jungle you can say.

Originally Posted by Samurai

Safari EXI 4x4 Petrol with ABS is probably your best option.

Well can be a better alternative, but do consider the FE. Even the 2.2 DICOR is quiter persently.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by PAVAN KADAM

Well can be a better alternative, but do consider the FE. Even the 2.2 DICOR is quiter persently.

Not quite, not Jungle quiet. A guy who is seriously enough to buy 500mm f/4L IS for better birding wouldn't mind the petrol FE for a quieter ride through the jungle.

[vasudhir]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Not quite, not Jungle quiet. A guy who is seriously enough to buy 500mm f/4L IS for better birding wouldn't mind the petrol FE for a quieter ride through the jungle.

I have moved away from the 500mm f/4L IS and now take photographs with the mighty and powerful Canon 800mm f5.6 L IS.

I had the TD of the Scorpio VLX y'day. First impression is "Awesome power and pick-up". The satisfaction I got from the scorpio TD is far better than the TD experience I had with the Safari last week. Of course, the TD of safari was limited to 10 mins around the showroom which was not a great experience.

- The Safari feels very huge for driving, that was not the case with Scorpio.
- The pick-up of scorpio was definitely better than safari.
- When I did the TD of safari, I fealt that I should retain my fusion for city driving.
- After the TD of scorpio, I feel there is no need for Fusion.

I will be doing one more round of TD of the safari on open roads for a longer duration to judge it better.

Any inputs on what to look out for during the TD is welcome.

Rgds,
Sudhir

[amitk26]

If you are serious about wildlife photography you need a 4X4 and gear ratio suited for jungle. What feels better to drive in city is secondary.

Remember low 1st and 2nd gear in 2WD mode may not suit in city traffic but are of great help in gravel . You may not need 4WD normally but it is a great asset if it rains and the jungle trail becomes mud.

here on T-BHP people make right kind of noise for Trax Gurkha so you may want to try that ( I have never driven it personally) , otherwise Safari 4X4 is your choice for jungle photography.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by vasudhir

I have moved away from the 500mm f/4L IS and now take photographs with the mighty and powerful Canon 800mm f5.6 L IS.

Ahem, so you switched from $6000 lens to a $11000 lens.

Originally Posted by amitk26

If you are serious about wildlife photography you need a 4X4 and gear ratio suited for jungle.

Is his seriousness still under question?

Originally Posted by amitk26

here on T-BHP people make right kind of noise for Trax Gurkha so you may want to try that ( I have never driven it personally) , otherwise Safari 4X4 is your choice for jungle photography.

As far as ride comfort is concerned, Gurkha beats Scorpio & Safari. Ok, it even beats GV, I am not ashamed to admit it. But it can be a handful on the maintenance front. Also, getting a Gurkha is not easy these days.

[Guna]

Originally Posted by vasudhir

I have moved away from the 500mm f/4L IS and now take photographs with the mighty and powerful Canon 800mm f5.6 L IS.

Just curious if vibration is also a major consideration with this kind of lense. Another factor to tilt in favour of Petrol? I would also worry about the ride quality with such expensive pecision equipment.

[shankar.balan]

i would still recommend a petrol driven vehicle - much less noise, much less vibration and 4x4
frankly - to me, the hard top gypsy king Hard top MPFI brand new makes the best sense for this particular work - its compact proportions, light weight,near silent engine plus go anywhere ability make it uniquely positioned for this purpose. Acquisition cost also is not high - less than 6 lacs OTR BLR. Only you have to wait about 3 months for delivery. And you may need to see about the colour options available nowadays.
Of course you can change the seats etc once you buy it, if you dont like them. You can also create a first class, lockable secure compartment in the back. And you can certainly create the "submarine hatch" concept on its roof so you can even use a periscope lens for bird photography if you have to.

[trrk]

Hi,

Originally Posted by vasudhir

Also, when you say the ride quality of scorpio is not as good compared to safari, is it with the suspension or something else > because I will be using the vehicle for long rides with family.

Take your family for your TDs.