With several automotive
companies in India promoting motorsport activities in the country, including
off-road events, a pure thoroughbred off road vehicle is the need of the hour.
The Rain Forest Challenge to be held in Goa in July 2017 will see one such
vehicle that goes by the name of Scorpion.
Subsequently, the Scorpion
will be made in India by IronScorpion HMV, a company that was formed in January
2017 after several years of efforts between Jaskirat Singh Nagra and William
Dwaine Jungen. In a communication to Motown India from the US, Dwaine
said that “IronScorpion HMV will offer an Indian constructed Scorpion All
Terrain Vehicle, and will become India's provider of quality extreme use
off-road vehicle components and modification services.”
IronScorpion HMV is a
partnership between Preferred Chassis Fabrication Inc, a US based company that
is the manufacturer of the Scorpion All-Terrain Vehicle, and Sarbloh Motors, an
Indian company based out of Chandigarh, which specialises in off-road and
expedition vehicles.
The Scorpion to be made in
India will initially have a power plant from US — a gasoline powered 5.7L General Motors OHV V/8 engine with a
General Motors Turbo Hydramatic automatic transmission. The engine delivers 290
hp @ 5100 rpm and a peak torque of 442 Nm @ 3750 rpm. These engines are
equipped with electronic throttle body fuel injection. “We are also talking
with Cummins India on the 4BT and ISF four cylinder diesel engines. These
Cummins diesel power plants should be available in the later production units,”
said Dwaine Jungen while giving details of this new off road vehicle to be made
in India.
Jaskirat Singh Nagra told Motown India that the “patented suspension
design of the Scorpion while making it an extremely capable off-road vehicle,
allows the vehicle to be extremely nimble, agile and comfortable on-road as
well. Scorpion would be India's first true All-Terrain vehicle”.
Dwaine noted that the “Scorpion
that is to be constructed in India will be a true All Terrain Vehicle with the
goal of acquiring road use certification. This version of the Scorpion will be
fabricated with Indian talent and use locally sourced raw materials. The major
chassis drive-train components will be provided from the US in component part
"kits" for Indian final assembly and installation in the locally
fabricated chassis”.
“The Indian off-road market is
showing the need for new vehicle technologies and capabilities. As shown by events
such as the Rain Forest Challenge - that has its fourth annual event this year.
Vehicle technology is ever evolving, and pushing the limits of vehicle
capabilities creates opportunities. These upgraded vehicle technologies will
fill a gap in the Indian off-road market,” he added.
According to Dwaine,
IronScorpion HMV is actively working on cost analysis of Scorpion Vehicle
construction in the Indian market. By the 3rd or 4th quarter of 2017, the
company will be announcing the price of the vehicle. “The India Scorpion
prototypes should start construction within the next two months. The initial
low rate manufacturing is targeted for two units per month once the
manufacturing process, facility and supply chain is in place,” he informed. Currently
the company is actively working towards putting the supply chain in place and
to finalise the logistic channels.
The company will also be
applying for the Type Approval from ARAI for the Scorpion so that it could be
road legal too. “The Scorpion, being a true All Terrain Vehicle, is very road
friendly as well as extremely capable on special tracks and extreme off-road
terrains,” said Dwaine.
Meanwhile, Jaskirat Singh
Nagra stated that the all-terrain competence of the Scorpion makes it very
suitable for varied applications such as Military Operations, Search and
Rescue, Law Enforcement, Recreational
and daily use. “Besides bringing the unique Scorpion All-terrain Vehicle
to India, IronScorpion HMV will also be bringing in specialised off-road
equipment e.g., winches, axles, lockers, transmissions to name a few,” he added.