A few years ago, the possibility of a Mahindra racing day seemed bleak, but today the Formula E M2Electro and the Moto 3 bike, the MGP3O put on a stunning show of their capabilities and wowed the crowds with a drag race, burn outs and some hot laps.
At the event, Anand Mahindra, chairman, Mahindra Group, stated clearly that racing is a serious business for Mahindra and one that they intend to leverage on to further their technical prowess. While Pawan Goenka, executive director, Mahindra & Mahindra, quipped that the company has come a long way from making vehicles with a zero to sixty of 5 minutes to under 5 seconds now.
Moving over to the machines. The M2Electro is Mahindra’s entry into the FIA Formula E Championship in which stock cars are given to teams, who can then tweak the powertrain if required. Mahindra is one of the few teams to have done so. The M2Electro features a motor, inverter, transmission and rear suspension built to Mahindra-spec by partner Campos Racing. The electric car can sprint from 0 to 100kph in under 3 seconds.
The MGP3O motorcycle is the Mahindra contender in the Moto 3 class Championship. What’s interesting is Mahindra will supply the MGP3O to a works team and three other teams for the 2016 championship, and also to the Peugeot team who will run their version of the MGP3O. The bike boasts an impressive 0-100kph time of 3.1 seconds powered by the class-defined 250cc, four-stroke, single-cylinder engine.
While the donuts and burn outs by the machines were a treat for the spectators, the drag race between the Formula E car and the Moto 3 bike clearly showed just how quick the electric racing cars are off the line.
Mahindra also brought in two of their rally XUV500s and a host of road XUV500s, while also giving visitors a chance to ride shotgun. The Formula E racing simulator and a 270deg video experience was also set up.
It was a fun day at the tracks and the fact that it was all about Mahindra brought about some national pride. The highlight of the event for us, however, was an exclusive hot lap in a Reva E20 with Nick Heidfeld behind the wheel.
Sergius Barretto