Tata Motors Sets 360 Records In #GearedForGreat Endurance Challenge
ZEST, BOLT and TIAGO completed the 50,000 km endurance mark in only 18 days
On April 1, 2016, Tata Motors announced a set of stupendous records in a 18-day, non-stop high-speed drive with its three cars – Zest, Bolt and the upcoming Tiago on the 4.2 km long NCAT (National Centre of Automotive Testing) high-speed test track at the Vehicle Research & Development Establishment (VRDE), a DRDO (Defence Research & Development Organization) facility in Ahmednagar. The new generation cars underwent the ultimate endurance run in scorching temperatures for the #GearedForGreat Challenge and achieved multiple record-breaking distances culminating at 50,000km each with an average speed of around 120 kmph, succesfully clocking a staggering 360 records in a single event, the first ever by any Indian OEM.
According to Mr. Mayank Pareek, President, Passenger Vehicle Business Unit, Tata Motors, “We are thrilled to have successfully achieved the 50,000km milestone, this indubitably showcases the technology and robustness of our new cars. The Geared for Great challenge offered us a tremendous platform to display our commitment to bring exciting, high-performance, category defining cars to our customers”. He added, “Our Revotron and Revotorq engines are built to endure extreme performance and deliver a new level of driving experience and we are now bringing these engines into our new upcoming car, Tiago. This Asian record run demonstrates how our engines are among the most advanced drive systems currently available in the market.”
About the challenge
It was conducted under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), the sanctioning body in India for the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile - the world body for motorsport). The #GearedForGreat endurance challenge was designed and developed in partnership with ZEEGNITION as an independent auto expert testing the cars, backed by the Indian Oil Corporation of India (IOCL) and JK Tyres.
Tata Motors embarked on a gruelling endurance and a mileage run from 14h March, 2016 with the cars randomly picked from its plant and put them to test to prove their capability. All four cars cars started strongly, first dispatching all existing records for 24 hours with the Bolt storming through to a new Indian mark of 3161km at an average speed of 131.7km/h. From here on it was all about setting new benchmarks on the tough 4.2 km high-speed circuit with all four corners featuring steeply banked curves of varying degrees that put the cars to the severest tests while also allowing them to run flat out. The basic structure of the cars coupled to their engineering design and build plus the efficacy of the suspension geometry greatly aided the ride and handling of the cars to enable their drivers to be both safe and comfortable as they drove at high speed lap after lap, day and night.
Apart from short pit stops every 2 hours for driver changes, fuel fill-ups, routine checks, and cleaning of the windshield/ headlamps, the 4 cars racked up the kilometers at a scorching pace of 130 -140 kmph. All four cars have completed the 50,000 km mark in record time, offering a remarkable validation of the new Tata Motors processes that are bringing these new-generation cars to the market. Each of the record-breaking cars covered more than 11832 laps of the NCAT circuit, testing the powertrain, suspension, electronic components and body structure to the hilt and beyond. Adding up the distances covered by all four cars gives an impressive total of 200,000 kilometres – which is 5 times the distance around the circumference of the Earth.
Efficiency test
Besides the endurance test, another four cars of the same description as the Endurance cars, also ran at a constant pace of 45-55 km/h until each ran out of fuel to establish a radical fuel economy figure. The Zest and Bolt clocked-in an impressive mileage of 29.89 kmpl and 28.32 kmpl respectively, monitored under the ideal conditions, to show what state‑of-the-art vehicle technology can achieve. Tata Motors will announce the Tiago fuel economy test results at the car’s launch event.
Tata claims that an individual normally covers a distance of 50,000 km, in 3-5 years and it is almost impossible for an average Indian automotive consumer to consistently achieve average speeds beyond 130km/h for a serious length of time. This record run is real testament to the durability, safety and performance of the new generation Tata cars in extreme conditions, way beyond what a normal driver would experience. The major records achieved are testimony to the perfect blend of pioneering technology and tremendous sporting ability at the wheel.
Records at a glance
| Cars | Completion time |
| Revotron | |
| Zest | 408hrs 50min 26.88sec |
| Tiago | 414hrs 59min 20.995sec |
| Bolt | 429hrs 53min 29.400sec |
| Revotorq | |
| Tiago | 418hrs 51min 26.801sec |
#GearedForGreat Tata Bolt
| Distance kms | Completion time |
| 3161 | 24hrs |
| 5000 | 37hrs 58min 58.137sec |
| 10000 | 76hrs 56min 15.136sec |
| 15000 | 118hrs 17min 15.376sec |
| 20000 | 158hrs 07min 5.565sec |
| 25000 | 198hrs 5min 21.456sec |
| 30000 | 238hrs 34min 49.235sec |
| 35000 | 280hrs 37min 15.095sec |
| 40000 | 322hrs 16min 14.183sec |
| 45000 | 365hrs 20min 4.996sec |
| 50000 | 429hrs 53min 29.400sec |
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