The third edition of Thar Fest was held in Kochi this year. Adding to the excitement of the event was the fourth edition of the Mahindra Adventure ‘Club Challenge’ where the top 11 off-roading clubs from across the country, competed for off-roading honours. The event is aimed at celebrating the camaraderie between the off-roading community and 4×4 enthusiasts. Naturally then, thrilling off-roading activities and Thar related contests kept the participants captivated throughout this day-long festival. Activities like the Thar Parade, a 4×4 Experience Zone, Heritage Mahindra Display, Customized Vehicle Display and Live Music performance kept fans of the off-roader engaged all-day long.
For the Club Challenge, participants from 11 off-roading clubs from across India fought to win the coveted title of ‘Best Off-Roading Club’ in India. The obstacles focused more on teamwork rather than on individual performances. The Challenge included night stages from 6:30 PM till midnight and between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM on the next day.
Some of the obstacles were the famous ‘Demolition Derby’, an event where the off-road vehicles had to negotiate a path over a pile of junk vehicles. Another long-standing obstacle was ‘Pass the Baton’ where all classes of vehicles run a relay format of driving and have to pass the baton from one vehicle to another and cross the finish line. After a tough battle which was fought for over two days and 8 obstacles, the overall winner trophy was presented to Kannur Riders and Off-Roaders Club (KROC). The first runner up title was won by Bangalore Off-Road Driver’s Association (BODA), while Northern India Off-Road Club (NIOC) bagged the second runner up title. Other than KROC, BODA and NIOC the other participating clubs this year included Team Ejamsa, Extreme Riders Motorsports Club of Meghalaya, Kerala Adventure Sports Club, R&T Autocatalyst, KTM Jeepers, Kannur Jeepers and Team Flywheel.
As you read this, the next-gen That is currently being tested. It will be powered by a new engine and will be wider and bigger in dimensions than the outgoing example. It will also feature changes which will make it comply with all upcoming regulations and we expect it to be just as much or even more capable than the existing Thar which is quite a tool off the black stuff.