NIGHT CURFEW! LOCKDOWN! IN the midst of all these restrictions, I managed to reach Mumbai airport to catch my flight for Dibrugarh in Assam. With all safety guidelines in place, I landed at Dibrugarh and headed via Asia’s longest bridge, the Bhupen Hazarika Setu, to Bomjir where my journey to explore Arunachal Pradesh commenced. The drive had been curated for journalists to explore the state from behind the wheel of what is perhaps the perfect companion for such journeys — the Mahindra Thar. Even better, rallying legends Hari Singh, Sudev Barar, Lhakpa Tsering, Gaurav Gill and Garima Avatar were joining in on the drive.
WE WERE SUPPOSED TO TAKE THE HIGHWAY BUT... FOUND IT SHUT
At Bomjir, I was handed the keys to a Mahindra Thar diesel manual, part of a long convoy of Thars and Scorpios. Hari Singh briefed us about the day’s plan and then took the lead in a petrol automatic Thar. We headed first to our lunch stop Ramku village and then towards the town of Yingkiong to reach our destination for that day, the town of Geku. It was a 172km-long drive, with a perfect blend of smooth tarmac, off-road trails and slush. Driving the Thar there was an absolute joy, and the view outside was spectacular. The cool breeze, the drizzle and the company of enthusiastic journalists with their relentless banter on the radio kept spirits high.
Denne historien er fra May 2021-utgaven av evo India.
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Denne historien er fra May 2021-utgaven av evo India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
FAST STEAD
This Skoda Octavia RS 230 is fast enough to blow your mind but not its engine
Ford Fusion
Practical, great engine and dynamics, but weird styling ensured buyers stayed well away
Mahindra Bolero Neo
Armed with an iconic badge, a fresh face and a mechanically locking differential, the Bolero Neo could just be the compact SUV you’ve been looking for
RISING FROM THE ASHES
The third generation Suzuki Hayabusa is one of the fastest production motorcycles in the world, and a bike that truly deserves to be ridden flat out at the High Speed Track at NATRAX
BIJOY KUMAR Y
Bijoy is quite looking forward to what the recent space launches could mean
DOA: HSV HRT 427
This racing-inspired 7-litre Holden Monaro garnered more than enough interest for its limited production run to sell out. But sadly the sums didn’t add up
Mini Cooper S Convertible
Mini gives the Convertible a more modern front end, more technology on the inside and a very bright paint scheme
VW Taigun GT
Good news! With two GT variants, Volkswagen are set to make the 1.5 TSI motor even more accessible to us enthusiasts
THE DOCTOR CHECKS OUT
As Rossi decides to hang up his boots after 26 seasons, we take a look back at his journey through MotoGP
“IF THE RATING IS DONE, NATRAX COULD BE ONE OF THE TOP THREE PROVING GROUNDS IN THE WORLD”
Speaking to Dr N Karuppaiah, additional director and centre head, NATRAX
