The show-stopper at the Mahindra Adventure 4x4 Experience Zone at the recently conducted Autocar Performance Show 2018 was the Mahindra Thar Draco, a heavily customised version of the company's popular lifestyle SUV.
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The Mahindra Thar Draco is a thoroughbred off-roader and looks the part. It features a metallic blue exterior paint with 'flame' graphics on the hood, front fenders, and doors. The bold stance is courtesy of the larger wheels shod with off-road tires. A custom metal bumper characterises the front-end with two red tow-hooks. An electric winch is mounted atop the front bumper and is flanked by a LED lightbar. The original grille and the headlamps have been retained, but the front fenders have been updated to support the higher wheel travel.
In the side profile, you'll be quick to notice the exterior roll cage and the plastic snorkel. Other highlights are the high-placed custom rear fenders and the rally-spec steel wheels. At the rear, the original bumper has made way for a custom unit with a red-painted tow hook. The radiator has been repositioned to the back of the vehicle to minimise the risk of damage from mud or water splashing inside the engine bay via the radiator fan. This modification must have warranted re-routing and updating the fuel & cooling lines, and water & fuel pumps.
Details of the performance upgrades aren't available at the moment. That said, it's clear that the Mahindra Thar Draco features a heavily reworked suspension for enhanced off-roading capabilities. Moreover, it's likely to have gained at least a handful of performance upgrades for additional grunt.
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The factory-spec Mahindra Thar is powered by a 2.5-litre CRDe turbocharged diesel engine that outputs a maximum power of 105 bhp at 3,800 rpm and a peak torque of 247 Nm at 1,800 - 2,000 rpm. The engine comes mated to a five-speed manual transmission.
