Some things are inevitable. Death and taxes, growth and change, and getting stuck behind a slow driver who seems to be headed to the exact same place as you are. And whether they’re driving a Malaise-era Oldsmobile or a baby boomer’s Buick, in today’s world every car you see has an enthusiast community behind it. I’m talking about guys (and girls) who make strange modifications, people who can tell you the thread pitch on the water pump bolts and the lift and duration of a stock camshaft without skipping a beat, people who try things most normal people wouldn’t dream of doing.
Such is the case with the Mahindra Roxor and its Indian forefather, the Mahindra Thar. The Thar has a leg up on the Roxor when it comes to its modding community – naturally, since it’s been out for a decade now – but the Roxor is quickly catching up, and there are some big names in that world that are making all the difference.
This is Roxor Weekly.
Take a Tour of the 2019 Mahindra Roxor
As we often do here on Roxor Weekly, we’re starting with a video which introduces the Mahindra Roxor to anyone who’s not up to speed on what the Roxor is all about.
As a lifelong motorhead and longtime resident of the Black Hills of South Dakota, Abby Carter knows a thing or two about internal combustion. She’s here today to talk about the Roxor, Mahindra’s newest model and one of their first roadgoing vehicles to ever see the United States and Canada. I use the term “roadgoing” loosely, because while it’s easy to make a Roxor street legal they don’t come that way from the factory.
In this video, Abby walks us through the 2.5-liter turbodiesel engine, five-speed transmission, and heritage styling that make the Roxor one of the most unique UTVs ever made. With standard features like a multipoint roll cage and a Warn off-road winch, the Roxor is the most Jeeplike vehicle to come out of Detroit in decades.
Because the soon-to-be-hybrid Jeep Wrangler has long since departed from the spartan off-road Jeeps of yesteryear, short of restoring a vintage Jeep the Roxor is the best place to find that old-school, can-do attitude.
Man Gets Stuck in Every Vehicle He Owns (and Some He Doesn’t)
It’s his first on-camera appearance without a hat. He’s still wearing Crocs though, so it’s definitely him.
In this installment of Red, White, & Roxor, Ryan is on a mission to get every vehicle in a two-mile radius stuck in the mud on his Louisiana property. Like many things, this epic debacle had humble beginnings. Ryan originally set out to make a video showcasing Project Woodrat’s off-roading capabilities, with its massive BKT mud tires and extensive suspension upgrades. Woodrat has yet to meet an obstacle it can’t overcome, but as many people have inevitably realized, some mud is too thick for even the most badass off-road machines to traverse.
Let the games begin.
The first thing any seasoned off-roader would do is break out the winch. That’s what it’s there for, after all, and Ryan immediately sets about a self-recovery using the Roxor’s Warn winch and a vintage International Cub tractor as an anchor. But no dice – the mud was just too thick and the Roxor kept digging in.
He then broke out the big guns: a Cummins Ram, which promptly got stuck. Then the Cub got stuck too.
Fresh out of vehicles to get stuck, Ryan enlisted the help of a friend. The duo located a hitch-mounted winch and battery setup to attach to the back of the Roxor. With Crocs at the ready, Ryan trudged through the field to affix the new winch setup to the Roxor and initiate another self-recovery using a nearby tree. But after nearly flipping the Roxor on its side, that method was soon scrapped.
I’m not gonna tell you how this all ends – you’re going have to see that for yourself – but I will tell you it involves a Lexus sedan, a whole lot of mud, and a tractor lifting the Roxor into the air by its front bumper. Crazy, right?
It’s worth noting that a standard Roxor wouldn’t have gotten that far. Project Woodrat has additional clearance thanks to a RXR Performance Front Bumper, Hattiesburg Cycles 4” Lift Kit, a set of massive BKT mud tires, and front and rear shackle lifts. We’d wager a set of locking differentials would have gotten the ol’ girl free in no time.
This Modified Thar Looks Insanely Cool
In terms of looking awesome, Project Woodrat’s closest rival is a world away.
It’s called a Mahindra Thar, and it’s the Roxor’s Indian-market cousin that’s street legal from the factory. This one belongs to one of the most popular Thar YouTubers in the world, Banks Custom, and needless to say it’s far from stock.
From the outside, this is flat-out one of the most aggressive-looking vehicles we’ve ever seen. From the moment you see the custom eyelids and grill surround, all sprayed in grungy off-black paint, you know it’s ready for the apocalypse. There’s a huge intake on the hood, a massive snorkel on the side, and meaty 35” tires underneath. LED headlights and tail lights add to the effect, but it’s the spare tire carrier and military-style roof cap that complete the look.
The interior is what really separates the Thar from the Roxor we have in North America, and this one has been customized to the same level as the exterior. As a street legal model, the Thar already offers luxuries that the Roxor does without, but this red and cream quilt pattern takes the luxury to another level. From headliner to carpet to door panels and dash, there’s leather everywhere. We’re not too jealous of all that, to be honest. If you need massage seats and a leather-wrapped dashboard, go get a Range Rover and drive down Hollywood Boulevard.
With that said, could this Thar’s aggressive exterior be a sign of what’s to come for the Roxor enthusiast community?
We sure hope so.
Mahindra Launches Thar Adventure Edition in South America
While we’re talking about the Thar, the latest factory edition looks and feels the part of a proper wheeling machine – but before you get too excited, we’re not getting it in North America.
The Mahindra Thar Adventure comes equipped with a bevy of off-road goodies. There’s a beefy front bumper with a brush guard, pod lights, shackle mounts, and a generous approach angle. There’s a pair of rugged side steps that double as rock sliders. There’s even a snorkel if you fancy getting a little wet on your next wheeling adventure. It’s all optional, of course, except for the Adventure’s signature single-cab design that reminds us of a Jimny or Blazer from back in the day.
Being a street legal model, the Thar Adventure has all the creature comforts of home to boot – air conditioning, power steering, power brakes, and cupholders – so you can drive to the trails, do some hardcore wheeling, and drive home without switching trucks.
If you live in South Africa, that is. Mahindra doesn’t have any plans to bring the Thar Adventure to North America.
Four-Wheel Drive Vehicle Gets Stuck on Slight Incline During Blizzard
Here’s your weekly reminder that despite what the calendar says, it’s still very much winter in most of North America, which means it’s entirely possible to see a situation like this in your own life.
Watching this Thar struggle to climb a slick approach reminded me of all those mid-Missouri winters where my friends had two-wheel drive and I had four-wheel drive. It might sound like a dream, but like your one friend with a truck who everyone assumes will help them move heavy things, whenever it so much as sleeted my phone started ringing. It was close friends needing a ride to work, estranged acquaintances dying of boredom, and complete strangers looking for a ride to Taco Bell. Meanwhile, I couldn’t miss work if I wanted to. I tried to tell my manager that cutting snow donuts and posting them to Facebook was way safer than being around other people on snowy city streets, but he wasn’t having it.
I have to say though, the Thar in this video shouldn’t be having that much trouble. Unless there’s a layer of ice under that snow, my guess is those all-terrain tires are really holding it back.
Not to mention, the driver appears to be part of the Mahindra Adventure Snow Escape event, a 7-day, $1300 per person excursion into the some of the remotest high-altitude backroads in all of India. He should know better 😉
Delete Airbnb, Sleep in Your Mahindra Instead
I’m not saying it’s the Ritz-Carlton, but this guy has car camping down to a science.
This enterprising gent has converted the back of his Mahindra Thar to a sleeper. The spare tire carrier and tailgate hinge outward to reveal a large canopy system, and there’s a multipiece foam bed that fits together like a puzzle. It’s large enough to fit two mid-size adults and includes a full enclosure that doubles as a rainfly and bug shield. You can erect the whole thing in about five minutes flat. That’s a new record.
The enclosure and all the mattress parts stow away when the sleeper is disassembled, and we suspect the rearmost part of the enclosure can also be used as a freestanding canopy for when you want to hang out in the shade on a hot day.
It’s the perfect setup for weekends at the trail, nights on the beach, and mid-road-trip naps in Wal-Mart parking lots.
Here’s a Street Legal Mahindra Roxor in the United States
We’ll end this Roxor Weekly with a video from American soil.
The outdoors and off-grid enthusiasts behind the YouTube channel Bear’s End Productions enjoy their Roxor so much that they’ve made it street legal. It’s not a hard process in most states, and in their home state of Montana it’s even easier thanks to the lax UTV regulations there.
This Roxor is also chipped, meaning its top speed has been raised from 45 MPH (for 2018 models) to “as fast as you want” according to the narrator, though they also mention that anything over 55 will remind you that the Roxor was definitely purpose-built as an off-road vehicle. If you’ve ever driven an older Jeep on knobbies, you know what I’m talking about: road noise, wind noise, and a brisk breeze hitting your face and body at all times.
With that said, RPMs stay low around town and handling is very responsive. You even get the Jeep wave from actual Jeeps (which happens about halfway through this video). There’s no word on fuel economy, but with a turbodiesel and a five-speed it’s safe to assume mileage is somewhere between a Humvee and a Tacoma. And while it might seem weird to drive such a rugged vehicle on a regular basis, cars like the Roxor make every drive an occasion.
Take it from Bear’s End:
“This is literally the best vehicle I’ve ever driven. It’s the most fun I’ve had in a vehicle!”
We can’t help but agree.
Dreamy Roxor on a 3” lift | Dirt Legal on Instagram
New Videos Happen Every Week
That concludes this edition of Roxor Weekly, brought to you by Dirt Legal.
If Bear’s End Productions inspired you to hit the open road, Dirt Legal can help. We’ll get you a title, license plate, and registration to help make your Mahindra Roxor street legal anywhere in the United States. You’ll receive a title in your name, registered to your home address, all in a matter of weeks. No inspections and no trips to the DMV. Click the button below to learn more.
Want to go wheeling like the Woodrat and those Thars? Check out the awesome aftermarket Roxor parts in our Roxor Store.
Follow Roxor Weekly
You can follow our blog through the Dirt Legal Facebook page, and be sure to tag us in your Mahindra Roxor pictures and videos for a chance to be featured in upcoming articles.
Cover image courtesy of @ArlingtonMotorsports
Let’s explore the philosophical implications of calling the Mahindra Roxor a Jeep.