FUEL OFF-ROAD WHEELS & MRF WANDERER A/T TYRES
ON THE ROAD, OUR THAR NOW LOOKS EVEN MORE PURPOSEFUL
`1.25 lakh Fuel Off-road wheels (set of 5) `15,045 MRF Wanderer A/T tyres www.fueloffroad.com www.mrftyres.com
THE MAHINDRA THAR IS DEFINITELY one of the more desirable SUVs out there, but given the increasing number of examples that we’re seeing on the roads, our long term test Thar was starting to feel a bit too plain Jane. The situation has been remedied however, as we have slapped on a set of tasty-looking Fuel Off-road wheels on our long termer.
We’ve got ourselves a set of anthracite grey Fuel Vector wheels with a matte finish. The design of the wheels is very striking, particularly with the centre-cap which has the Fuel logo on it. These alloy wheels are manufactured by Wheels India, one of the best names in the business, and are exported primarily to the USA.
Our Thar is far from a garage queen and since we did not want to mess with the on-road dynamics, we stuck to the 18-inch wheel size while also swapping out the tyres for a fresh set of 255/65 MRF Wanderer A/T tyres, having logged in a considerable amount of kilometres on the earlier boots. Unlike the earlier Ceat Czars, the MRFs get a sidewall with a more curved profile. And with MRF Wanderer lettering prominently visible in white, our Thar now turns many more heads than it used to. Our assistant Ed even likened it to one of those pimped-out Thars which are a frequent sight in Punjab!
Fitting the wheels and tyres was a straightforward affair, with only a specific valve needing to be installed in order for the TPMS system to work. On the road, our Thar now looks even more purposeful, and it rides better too but the difference is very marginal. We also took the Thar off-road, pitting it against the Force Gurkha, and the new wheels and beefier-looking rubber made the Thar appear completely in its element when we performed some massive slides in dusty quarries. And when we drove it back to base after an entire day spent shooting, it felt as comfortable as ever on tarmac.
Mahindra themselves refer to the Thar as a canvas of creativity on which owners can apply their touch of individuality, and with a simple addition such as new wheels and tyres, our long term Thar looks truly badass. Get out of the way folks! ⌧
Rohit Nalawade (@rohitnalawade_)