The Thar. A name so powerful that it brings a flurry of emotions gushing into you. One of India's most powerful SUVs that was launched in 2010, the car continues to enjoy a cult status among the off-roading and the Punjabi community in India.
The Jawa. A beloved classic that was gone too soon yet still remains in the hearts of millions. The long lost love of an entire nation that even Mahindra and Classic Legends themselves underestimated.
It's really no surprise that Jawa was fixated on having a Thar accompany them on their brand's bike ride events.
The two were simply meant to ride together and no other car and bike pair comes even close to sharing the same soul as these two. They wanted a legend to accompany another, simple.
But why did Jawa want a car to accompany them? The vehicle was built as a special purpose unit for the 'Punjab ride' and curated as a ride specific mascot vehicle. These were to be used to carry VIP's and media during the brand's bike ride event.
The main idea and philosophy behind the composition of these modified off-roaders was to build vehicles with certain riding-terrain and region-specific inputs integrated into their design.
So Jawa went and knocked on the doors of Performance Auto owner Raj Kapoor and asked him if he could build a Thar apt for their brand's event rides.
Also See: Exclusive: 2020 Mahindra Thar To Sport CEAT Czar AT Tyres
Performance Auto thus set off to built two special Mahindra Thars for Jawa Motorcycles' Ride Events. The first one was built for the Ladakh ride, hence it was a long-distance touring vehicle, while this specific Thar was an open-top SUV inspired by the legendary Punjabi open-top Jeep.
When you look at the finished SUV, you simply can't keep your eyes off the massive and rugged light truck (LT) tyres by Giti. These are Giti 4x4 AT70s that have been used in the stock size of LT 235/70 R16.
The new Giti4x4 AT70 pattern joined the AT100 in 2017 as a part of Giti's 4x4 lineup and is designed for complete driving freedom, allowing SUVs and 4x4 vehicles to handle both highway and poor off-road conditions.
While the AT100 is designed for a 70%/30% on-road/off-road mix, the AT70 is for users who have stronger demands for the off-road functionality.
With an innovative crown block style tread design inspired by tanks, the tyre is specially built to take on the toughest of conditions with safety and durability in mind. The AT70 also features an enhanced casing and 5mm thick sidewall, as well as a “chain” curbing block design to prevent upper sidewalls from being damaged.
In particular, its strong durability, attractive design, and high-functionality on various road conditions are cited as strengths that are easily noticeable when trying the tyre.
Coming back to the Thar, the SUV was customized with a lot of after-market fitments and accessories to transform the brand new 2019 Thar into a 'wind in the hair' open jeep styled SUV. It has got a 2.5-inch body-lift, the vertical silhouette of the SUV has been trimmed and it gets refurbished A and B pillars with industrial design roll-cage integrated into B-pillar. The off-roader also gets new low-height doors with rock-sliders and footrests for effortless ingress and egress.
Other new fitments include a foldable windscreen panel, offset steel rims with updated all-terrain tyres, front and rear offroad bumpers, aluminium two-inch spacers to enhance rear-track width, dedicated chassis anchored spare wheel mount system with rear-door sync, luggage racks over the rear wheel wells, spades with mounts on each side, sand channels with mounts, and two-hooks & D-shackles that have been integrated into the bumpers.
So tell us what you felt about the open top Thar and the tough Giti tyres its equipped with. Do you think Mahindra should start producing such 'wind in the hair' versions of the Thar?
Courtesy: Performance Auto By Raj Kapoor
