There is no better off-roader than Thar

Kirti Patil

LONAVALA: Thar 4x4, the quintessential off-roader from the Mahindra stables proved it mettle to emerge as the most rugged vehicle in the category even as swankier XUVs and Scorpios struggled to navigate the terrain in the 139th Mahindra Great Escape at the 19 Degree North in Lonavala recently.

Pouring rain and ensuing slush was too much for a XUV in particular as it lost total grip after spinning all wheels in the trail route. The wench was called for and when the rescue car pulled ahead XUV reversed to first get a position to manoeuvre before going all the way in reverse through a water-logged ditch.

Like every other year, this escape to provided a host of stories as the participants went through the challenges laid out for them through boulder strewn terrain over the Sahayadri hills.

Held under the Mahindra Adventure umbrella, this was the first Great Escape of Season 7 at a location that is almost equidistant from Mumbai and Pune.

There were two types of participants--one who opted for the competitive Off-Roading Trophy competed for the ‘Mahindra Off-Roading Trophy 2018’ finals to be held next January at the Mahindra Adventure Off-Road Training Academy in Igatpuri, and the other who went through a trail across the 400-acre property.

Krishna Bhobe won the Stock Class after more than 100 4-wheel drive vehicles from the Mahindra stable took the challenging route laid out by the experts from the Mangalore-based Indian Motor Sports Club (IMSC).

In the Modified Class, Daulat Choudhary cleared the route and picked maximum flags to earn most points to the class, in the event that saw participation from Lonavala, Pune, Mumbai and neighbouring areas.

The trail wrapped in a blanket of green with gurgling streams and rolling hills, attracted a few women competitors too and Vani Parmar withstood all the slush and boulders to emerge victorious.

Earlier, the rally was flagged off from 19 Degree North at Lonavala by 2013 Asia-Pacific Rally Champion, Sanjay Takale.

The event saw participation from the entire gamut of Mahindra vehicles.
This year, the competitors got a chance to demonstrate their off-road driving skills by tackling four obstacles, including off-roading over rock boulders and maneuvering their way out of slush pits.

RESULTS:
The winners:
Ladies Class: Vani Parmar
Stock Class: Krishna Bhobe
Modified Class: Daulat Choudhary
- The winners from Lonavala Great Escape will join winners from the other upcoming Great Escapes like Ahmedabad, Goa, Sakleshpur, Dehradun, Wayanad, Chandigarh, Bhopal and Shillong to compete against each other for the trophy at the finals to be held in Igatpuri.
- The final champion will  win a brand new 
Mahindra Thar CRDe 4x4.

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