TASK 2 HILL CLIMB

Alright, the Gypsy had the advantage in this round thanks to its off-road spec tyres. Ibrahim tells me the Thar, with its heavier clutch, minimal overhangs, and torque would definitely fare better if it were shod with the right kind of tyres. In its current state, the Thar evenly matched the Gypsy, except for one bit where the former simply lost traction and kept spinning its wheels, with one absolutely petrified driver (I’m not saying who) hanging onto the steering wheel for dear life. Oh, and we’re talking about climb angles that aren’t too different from scaling walls. For someone who had limited faith in how much a car could be pushed off-road, this was an eye-opener. Of course, all of this needs a certain degree of discipline to be maintained – you can’t just point at things and jam the throttle – before it gets anywhere close

to rewarding.

Result: Thar’s got the torque advantage, Gypsy’s got the stiffness. Better tyres on the Thar, though, will make a world of a difference.

MORE ON PAGE 4>>