Cool Jeeps You Can't Have - Mahindra of India

[jscherb]

Back to the title of this thread - this is a cool jeep you really can't have, because these are only concept images, not even done by Mahindra. These were done by Bimble Designs, an independent designer not connected with Mahindra, so these don't represent an official view of the future unless Mahindra picks up this design. But it's a nicely executed design and might look good on a future Jeep.

Bimble Designs appears to be the name a 21 year old mechanical engineer in India post his designs under, he says "I make automotive concept artwork with the help of 3d modelling tools and software."

 

[jscherb]

Land Rover has "Experience Centers" in many places around the world where you can get guidance from experienced instructors: Land Rover's Vermont center: https://experience.landroverusa.com/vermont/index.html

Mahindra is getting into the act as well; they've set up an SUV Proving Track near Chennai. It's adjacent to their vehicle development and testing center there:

A recent post on the Indian Team BHP Forum describes one person's experience at the center. A few photos from that post:

I only showed a few images from the test track post, the full post is here: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test...ti-bmw-m340i-mahindra-thar-3.html#post5345321

Looks like fun. Maybe I'll look into doing it sometime when I'm in India.

 

[jscherb]

Mahindra King Cab

The King Cab was intended to be able carry some high value goods safely & securely hidden in the back of the cab as well as carry normal goods in the open cargo box. It wasn't in production for long and was soon discontinued. I don't know if the rear doors were openable or not; it appears that the doors are hinged but they don't have outside latch releases.

A what-if Gladiator version

 

[AmericaOverland]

Thank you for posting up this thread. I now live in India (4.5 years now), and I'm getting back into this. I miss it, and now, I have the money and the time to do this full-time, overlanding this famous, fabled ancestral homeland of mine. I'm going to start with a Mahindra MM 550. I'm going to read this thoroughly.

 

[AmericaOverland]

In the U.S. we'd call this a "garbage truck". This PikUp is in trash collection service in the town of Simla in the Himalayan foothills. A larger vehicle for this service wouldn't be able to negotiate the twists and turns in the town, which clings to the slopes of the mountains and has many narrow, switchbacked roads.

This is how it works, as I used to live in a society (what you call a subdivision). You have to listen for these trucks on designated days when they come through. THEY don't collect the garbage. You dump the garbage or give it to a person sitting or standing inside the bed with the door by the "8" opened. They don't always call or use a megaphone to alert you, so you can end up missing them (if you are deaf like me). Exceedingly frustrating when you need to get rid of trash before the monkeys come and scatter it in search of food. This looks like a clean, brand-new truck because, ugh...

 

[AmericaOverland]

@jscherbThe Mahindra trucks and the Hindustan Ambassador are the longest running production vehicles in India. It is sad that the Ambassador is not produced any more. For kind of traffic and road conditions that were, and some places are, these were the only 2 brands of cars & trucks that could withstand all the abuse that you could put them through. More than this, maintenance and service of these 'pre computer controlled' mechanical wonders was cheap and easy. A street mechanic on a 2 wheeler carrying a small bag of tools could get your vehicle fixed and back on the road even in the middle of nowhere. We did n't need 2/4 post lifts to work on them. We didn't need fancy diagnostics and air powered tools.

Jī, the whole idea behind the older vehicles is that pretty much everyone would be able to work on them, particularly out there.

 

[AmericaOverland]

Gotcha, thanks. So it won't work on a "regular" tourist visa.
Hmmmm.

-Dan

I was told by members in a 4X4 group here in India that I could do it, as long as I had ID and proof of residence here (lease agreement)

 

[jscherb]

Thank you for posting up this thread. I now live in India (4.5 years now), and I'm getting back into this. I miss it, and now, I have the money and the time to do this full-time, overlanding this famous, fabled ancestral homeland of mine. I'm going to start with a Mahindra MM 550. I'm going to read this thoroughly.

I stopped posting in this thread because it didn't seem like there was enough interest in it to keep up the posts. If there is interest there's more I can post.

I used to spend several months a year in India but I haven't been there since the pandemic started, it didn't seem like a wise idea to spend any time there during the worst part of covid. But I'm going back in a few weeks and it'll be the first time entering the country with my OCI card instead of a visa. An OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card is roughly the Indian equivalent of a U.S. Green Card although it looks like a passport instead of a card.

Since I've last been there, the new Thar has become very popular, I'm looking forward to seeing those in person. Also may do a little shopping for a Savari, for years I've been thinking about importing one and putting it on a stretched LJ chassis...

 

[AmericaOverland]

I stopped posting in this thread because it didn't seem like there was enough interest in it to keep up the posts. If there is interest there's more I can post.

I used to spend several months a year in India but I haven't been there since the pandemic started, it didn't seem like a wise idea to spend any time there during the worst part of covid. But I'm going back in a few weeks and it'll be the first time entering the country with my OCI card instead of a visa. An OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card is roughly the Indian equivalent of a U.S. Green Card although it looks like a passport instead of a card.

I wish I had one of these! I'm currently trying to see if I can get permanent residency through MEA because of my situation and my lifestyle here (Hindu). I have been making visa runs for 4.5 years except during the plandemic, when I was locked in the country.

 

[Zeep]

What power train is Mahindra using in the Savari?

 

[jscherb]

What power train is Mahindra using in the Savari?

Most are diesel and a good percentage of those have turbochargers.

The 59hp 2.5L normally aspirated diesel is adequate for road conditions and travel in India, road speeds there aren't too high, especially in rural states like Rajasthan where the Savari has served well in group taxi and tourist service.

 

[AmericaOverland]

There's a thread on the Indian Team-BHP forum that may interest people who are thinking about sleeping in their Wrangler, or people who just want to build a drawer system for the back: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/diy-...ehicle-budget-storage-sleeping-area-thar.html

I built beds for my Wrangler LJ:

 

[AmericaOverland]

What they build in tiny shops on gravel parking areas beside the highways in India is mind boggling.

They do any and everything here. I've been here for 4.5 years as a resident, so what I have seen is a TINY fraction of what the OP has seen.

 

[cj-10]

I miss this thread. Keep it going! It makes me want to import some of the various models

 

[Dan Grec]

Please keep the updates coming, especially if you get photos of more vehicles over there!

Cheers,
-Dan