[Guderian]

For sometime now a few T-Fortuner owners, all TBHP members were discussing as to how visually stirring the sight of seven T-Fortuners would be on the road and just parked about.
(Pssst - Nevermind the fact that there were supposed to be eight and one blighter decided his Sunday sleep was more precious - and anyway Eight Samurai would have sounded odd !)

And so it was decided that on Sunday a few T-Fortuners would gather and try to raise a soul stirring spectacle on the roads. And that Sunday happened to be today.
And thus seven TBHPians - Ahmed (all the way from Aurangabad), MonaroCV8(Pune), Venkat _Iyer(Pune), Karan561, kedarwalke, Manish & Yours Truly - aka Guderian- (all from Mumbai/Thane) decided to check out the spectacle for themselves. 7 - 4X4s.
Decided to keep it very simple. Breakfast meet. Have a short drive. Take snaps. Compare vehicles. Talk Fortuners, Fortuners & Fortuners. And in the end everything and more from the list was ticked off.
Weather was simply superb. Cool breeze blowing all through. Traffic delightfully missing. And a wonderful drive.
Oh yes the drive. The drive was to Pawna Dam.
The troop started at 6.00 am from Mumbai/Thane/Pune. And before anyone else suggests the cliche let me do it - Ummm... let the snaps do the talking eh ?

The cast off time at Thane:


Initial Bonding: Ahmed and Karan.


Ahmed's Megalodon:



The posse forms outside Jui Nagar Railway Station, New Mumbai:


At Kamat's Khandala: Clockwise from left - Karan, Kedar Walke, Ahmed, Manish, Venkat.

And someone joins them:


MonaroCV8 drives in:


Breakfast done and paid for - time for some snaps.
Venkat's Met Blue beauty:



Clasping before the drive:



And the drive:





Venkat shot:


The line up:




Scouted around for a photo-op spot and the usual spot was usurped by a rusted old bus. And then this delightful spot was spotted far below the road. Decided the route down and plunged downwards.

There was a debate whether it was Pangong Tso or Tso Moriri. Debate inconclusive:







Meanwhile another debate breaks out. "We can down fine. How the heck do we get back ?"
Venkat advises. He was declared as - 'Still sleepy'.


Karan pensive. Kedar unconcerned.



Ahmed suddenly turns a pro - snapper.


Meanwhile poor Ahmed receives a call. From his wife. The sheepish grin hides the words. "You, Mr Ahmed, come right back. Do you hear me ?"


To be continued...end of snaps upload limit !

[Guderian]

That call from Mrs Ahmed did it. Everyone and his uncle suddenly had to get back home route up existing or not. Married or not.
Monaro decides to walk it back leaving his Fortuner at the water's edge.


Manish explaining a point on buying a new Fortuner - to Monaro.


"Bicep - aap ka naam ka hai ?"


The look says it all - route found !


The route up. Which was the same as the one down.




Forming up before the drive back. Handshakes, hugs and promises to do it again...and it's time to get back.



Total KMs on reaching Thane:


And the time:


A delightful time indeed.
Next time - a proper and pucca OTR expedition. Really.

And yes - Seven Toyota Fortuners on the road or in the wilds is indeed a soul stirring sight !

And now request my co- conspirators to upload the snaps from their cameras here.

[v&v]

Nice shots and report.
Seven fortuners, this an awesome sight.
One query - Then fender mirror , is this a OE fitment ? I see 2 of them does not have one.

[karan561]

Thanks for the thread GUDERIAN,

Some pics from my side of the cars heading in for the plunge and out;





& on when we left, also do note the sight in my rear view mirror

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by v&v

Nice shots and report.
Seven fortuners, this an awesome sight.
One query - Then fender mirror , is this a OE fitment ? I see 2 of them does not have one.

Hi v&v,
Thank you.
The fender mirror is not an OE. After market - but the Toyota ASC tries to force it on you graciously. Which I refused equally graciously.

[Octane_Power]

How I wish I owned a Fortuner too. Great write up and great pics Sir.
It must be a sight watching a convoy of 7 Fortuners going past zoop-zoop-zoop!

Originally Posted by Guderian

The fender mirror is not an OE. After market - but the Toyota ASC tries to force it on you graciously. Which I refused equally graciously.

Haha Nice one !

[venkat_iyer]

Here are a few more frames.

The "Convoy"




The Photo shoot



The "Classic" Fortuners


The "New" Fortuners


Busily clicking


The "pros" discuss angles, light, angles etc


Last Man Standing (Ahmed)

[kedarwalke]

Thanks HG & Monarocv8 for planning this wonderful drive!
It was great meeting Bhp,karan561,venks.
Looking forward for the upcoming slush fest!!
Some pics coninued....

[swiftnfurious]

Nice snaps! The sun right above managed to screw up some of the pics I guess. Am sure you guys had a blast! Thank you all for those lovely pics!

The white 8888 new Fortuner some some cosmetic additions and look nice too! Took a while to understand the fogs are same and the surrounds are different. Does this car has an angel eye too? Whose car is it between?

[parsh]

Guys, Superb outing. Reminds me of stint there just sometime back. Thanks for sharing. I think I got the an approximate idea from where you must have got down to waterfront. Just can you map it on GMAP Sat to show the point and route?

[kedarwalke]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Nice snaps! The sun right above managed to screw up some of the pics I guess. Am sure you guys had a blast! Thank you all for those lovely pics!

The white 8888 new T-Fort some some cosmetic additions and look nice too! Took a while to understand the fogs are same and the surrounds are different. Does this car has an angel eye too? Whose car is it between?

Hey you are right the sun was bummer, but overall the drive and meet was fantabulous.The convoy of fortuners on the expressway was a spectacular sight. Thanks, I have added these drls to the stock fog lamps.The head lamps are stock.Recently I changed the stock Tail lamps to these....

[F150]

Wow ! That is an envious club you guys have got there. Nice idea and all the Fortuners share brotherhood.

@ General Guderian, Nice mushy !!

Rahul tomahawk and his modded Fortuner didn't make it ? or Seven was a sacred number :P

[esteem_lover]

Nice photos. Must have been a head turning sight seeing 7 in a row. Guderian, how about tagging names in those group photos so that all can know who is who.

[Monaro CV8]

Guderian's initiative paid off well.
What more do you want on a Sunday morning ?
Great weather : 23 degrees at 10.30 am.
Fortuner territory : roads less travelled.
&
T-BHP pals.

Now that's what I'm talking about !
A day well spent..

Few pics taken from the phone cam.

[bhp]

Regrouping before the express highway