To My Dearest Readers (all 5 of you)

As you know, I am an aspiring Motoring Journalist. This Blog is my means of electronically saving everything I write, and it also gives other people the opportunity to read my work too.

During this process, I have needed to adapt and change my views on numerous occasions. Either because I have been proven horribly wrong, or because it is what the situation asked of me. With regard to the way I view cars, I have often needed to hold my tongue. You see, I write motoring reviews for small town newspapers, and if I were to shot down a vehicle a manufacturer was trying to sell, I’d probably cost the newspaper their advertiser…and me my job. Luckily, during this whole process I have been looking around for more ways of having my work published. And a couple of days ago I stumbled across a great opportunity. A web-based magazine, driversa.co.za has agreed to publish some of my work. They encourage their writers to be honest…

So, up to now all the articles I have published on my blog have been sugar coated, well to an extent. Okay wait, I haven’t driven any really awful vehicles, matter of fact, they’ve all been really good…until about two weeks ago when I got behind the wheel of a Mahindra Thar. This is what I really thought of it…

Mahindra Thar – I can’t think of anything horrible enough for the heading!

The Thar, Mahindra’s take on the classical Willy’s Jeep, has been named after one of the largest deserts in India. I find this incredibly fitting, because you are going to want to abandon this vehicle smack in the middle of it, and leave it to erode away.

I live in a small town in the middle of Mpumulanga, which means I am part of the stereotypical crowd which descends on the coast every time someone mentions the word ‘holiday’. To us, 4x4s and bakkies are religion, and rank as high as biltong and beer in priority. So I was really impressed when I found out about the Thar. I thought here a manufacturer has seen a niche market, and they are going to have it all to themselves. I mean the only thing that comes close is the Jeep Wrangler, and that starts at just under R300 000! Sadly though, they botched it royally!

Firstly, the dealer didn’t have the vehicle ready for collection when I got there, and had to get it off the floor. A floor that was packed to capacity, and while getting the Thar out, they managed to prank two of their brand new bakkies. What followed was a sudden case of Turrets…aimed in my direction! How was this my fault!?

Finally I was handed the keys and told to just go. So I did. I can tell you that I wanted to like this vehicle, but it was horrid. Let’s start with the roof, which comes off in a mere hour, give or take, and only needs a blowtorch to be removed. It is attached to the body by means of screws, and Velcro strapping keeps it attached to the roll cage.
When have you ever heard anyone say they love their convertible, but unscrewing the roof was a bit of a pain!
It gets worse, there are gaps everywhere which I image turns the damn thing into a great big parachute, talk about useless aerodynamics. Luckily, the one they gave me to drive already had the roof taken off.

There is no interior, and they’ve had to bend the gear lever back, so you don’t put a hole through the dash when changing into 1st, 3rd, or 5th. This also means changing into 2nd and 4th almost entails climbing through to the back just to find the gears.
The suspension set up has been stolen off an ox wagon, and makes the whole thing creek and feel really uneasy off road. On the road, it just sort of flops about. The 2.5 liter diesel engine produces 78kW and 247Nm. There’s no turbo lag, the turbo is either on or off, and if you are busy cornering, the back will spin out and send you plummeting down an embankment to your death. Oh, there is no ABS, there are no airbags, matter of fact, there is nothing…so you will die.

And the final nail in the coffin, the price. This bag of miserable, preempted death will set you back R170 000. If I were Jeremy Clarkson, I would have blown it up, and sent the bits back to Mahindra with a note that read, “Look, I made it better.”