On a lazy Saturday morning realised that it's been one month since we got home Fleet Admiral Togo Heihachiro.
And what a month it has been !
And so to celebrate how about a quick report full of photographs and facts ?
Coming up......
Hang on ! To celebrate I took the Admiral to the nearby Rethibunder (local lingo for sand port) hoping to test out his HL & LL ranges of the 4X4 in the sand and slush. Have never exercised those limbs of the Admiral. So never a better day for that than today - or so I thought.
The Bunder was quite empty thanks to the Mumbai HC's and gov't's orders to halt all sand mining. Yet a few chaps were at it, illegally though. And when I started taking snaps they were a little worried, I thought. And I was a little worried whether the Sand Mafia would chase me across the dunes typical filmi ishtyle.
Then it occurred to me that with the T-Fort I was the Sand Mafia ! And my looks complimented it perfectly as well.
So then like Alfred E Neuman would say - What me worry ?
Rise of the Fleet Admiral:
Spirit of the Admiral:
Cost of Purchase: (Why now ? Because some folks asked for it !)
(All figures in INR - not that they would have accepted any other currency !)
Ex Showroom: 20,95,520/-
Reg + Octroi: 2,01,833/-
(Thane)
Insurance: 76,494/- - No claim bonus being claimed now.
Handling: 4,500/-
Accessories: 42,261/-
(Listed earlier)
Total: 24,20,608/-
(Help me each time I write this I faint !)
Booking Advance: Rs. 1 Lakh.
No discounts (Toyota - Discounts ? What's that ? You pay us HG san ?), no freebies (Toyota - Of course we give you free excesso air in the tyres - 48 PSI ! Wanto more ?), no nothing (Toyota - Of course we adjusto/give backo advance ! No ?).
A view of the venue of the shoot:
Admiral has gravel for breakfast:
Expenses so far:
As of now have gone only for one service.
Paid Rs 298/-.
That was one bottle of coolant purchased as a standby victual for the long trip. Rs 205/-.
4 nut screws to additionally bolster the front bumper Rs. 80.
And the rest - taxes. Quite a bit of taxes innit ? Yeah, that's life.
Chewed up a few and looking for more tough sand dunes:
Odo Reading:
As of now the Odo reads - exactly 3725 KMs.
Bored of the dunes - The Admiral suddenly wanted to take a skinny dip !
FE Figures: (Based on tankful to tankful method)
Best - 13.51 KMPL - Running in period - highway.
City Best Av - Current: 12.1 KMPL.
Next Best City Av - 11.94 KMPL.
Worst Highway Av - 8.11 KMPL.
One can get a FE figure as high as 14.5 KMPL on the highway at a sedate 80-100 KMPH. But how does one run this behemoth at 100 KMPH on the highway ?!!
Bored of dunes The Admiral scoots off to flats:
And a Cormorant takes interest in the proceedings:
So why are you guys sniggering ? I know, I know the only wild life shot of mine is nowhere close to Nilanjan's. But I'll get there you'll see and then I'll wipe that silly grin off your faces.
OK, I confess, I have lousy photogrphic skills. But I am learning !
Other Points to Report:
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Getting to learn little things in the vehicle. Yes but there are just little things in the vehicle. Nothing fancy at all.
And it is almost the first vehicle I've owned other than the Zen where there have been no niggles at all. None at all ! What I thought were niggles initially just evaporated as something of my imagination or fearful past life.
Boats & Ghats:
And a rapidly vanishing mangrove !
On the way back The Admiral ran into another toughie - this from the Indian Air Force !
And the Admiral just keeps going on and on.
And yes even today I was not able to deploy the HL or LL range. The normal permanent AWD was more than enough.
And I swear I could hear the Admiral chuckling at my frustration !
And that's the way it is: Saturday, March 26, 2011. (with due credit to Walter Cronkite !)
PS: Shall be delighted to answer Q's (related to Admiral !). Please shoot !