2015 Tata T1 Prima Racing Truck review, test drive

Eventually, I got my bearings and got down to the business of testing the T1. Which meant “launching” the truck. The gear to do it in was the 3^rd, so as to avoid rowing slowly through the first two gears. Strapped into the racing seat, I had to accustom myself to the splayed out pedal layout. Instinctively, the right foot goes for the clutch only to find the steering shaft. The race steering wheel feels surprisingly small in a vehicle of this size, but the effort required to steer was very ordinary.  So while that felt normal, the wheel spin, from the four massive tyres caught me off-guard. And there was wheel hop from the rear axle too. Then I had to avoid hitting the rev-limiter at a lofty near 2,200rpm red. Then there was the step in the gearbox from 4^th to 5^th (or was that 6^th to 7^th? ).  Basically, you had to heave hard at the gear lever, flounder around a bit, until the gearbox relented. This cost precious time and also let the revs drop, trimming momentum.

Nonetheless, the T1’s 0-100 time of 23.88 seconds was better than I had expected. More impressive was the willingness with which it kept steaming ahead from the 80kph mark into triple digits. Then there was the matter of slowing the T1 down from over 100kph for the U-turn ahead. Powerful bite from the brakes made sure only a gentle foot was needed to get the job done. The T1 also turned in quicker than expected, and the JK Tyres race rubber gripped the tarmac well! While there was body roll to contend with, it wasn’t overwhelming. An over active sense of self preservation held me back from exploring the T1’s race-track worthy abilities. As I returned, the T1 to its rightful owners, despite the initial bewilderment and the ensuing floundering, I really would love to meet the T1 on its home turf, the race track.