Bellyflop

There’s an unmistakable presence about a hopped up Thar and Mahindra’s customisation arm has made a habit of it. Is it any good though?

- Debabrata Sarkar

Listen to the birds as they flap their wings and take flight over the rock face. Watch the colony of ants go scavenging over boulders for their next meal. Feel the wind caress your face as it plays along the surface of the little pond. It is quite a spectacular spot, I must admit, as did Rajeev, the man with the little box equipped with a shutter. It’s a little corner, hidden away in plain sight, at a place I wouldn’t tell you about. Much unlike the beast of burden that got me there though, about which I will tell you plenty. Mahindra’s customisation wing needed something to follow up the Daybreak, that had been showcased at the previous edition of the Auto Expo. Having already delved into the world of raw offroad cred, they saw fit to add a little bit of finesse to the Thar – the original vehicle that allows them these modifications. Off came the covers to reveal the Wanderlust. There is still a hefty sampling of off-road modifications, like they had for its predecessor; combined with what could qualify as the practicality of an RV along with a generous helping of a super luxury limo. This is a Thar that you can drive beyond the end of the road and then crack open a bottle of bubbly drink, while you sit back on a leather-wrapped couch and sip on it as natural life wafts around you.

Or so the brief would have been.