Let’s be honest, anyone who says that they haven’t considered the probability of a zombie apocalypse occurring is lying! We’ve built up different apocalyptic scenarios in our heads, but one question has remained constant, is it safer to travel on foot or in a vehicle?
People choosing to travel on foot are simply setting themselves up as a free for all-you-can-eat buffet for the hungry zombies, so this option is a definite no-go for us. As for the vehicle choice, one would need a means of transportation which is much more robust, and exponentially stronger than any other automobile on the road. With the Mahindra Marksman, we might be onto something.
The Mahindra Marksman APC Light Armoured Personnel Carrier has a B6 level ballistic protection level- which means that it can withstand 7.62×51mm NATO ball ammunition and 2× DM 51 grenades; zombies would barely be a nuisance. The floor is also armoured and it would outshine blasts of two DM-51 German ordnance hand grenades. The windows are made up of multi-layered ballistic glass and the fuel tank is also protected against any attacks. The vehicle does more than defending; it also has a cupola that can be used to mount a turret machine gun with a 270° traverse and protection. Forget having to defend, you can be on the offensive against zombies too.
It runs on a BS3 compliant 2.5L CRDE engine which delivers 105 bhp @ 3800rpm and 228Nm torque, and is capable enough to haul the 2600 kg unladen vehicle. It has a total seating capacity of 6 passengers and can carry max cargo weight of 600 kg.
The all-wheel drive APC is available in right-hand as well as left-hand drive configurations with a 5-speed manual gearbox. Facilities like air conditioning, sirens, intercom etc. come as standard options in the vehicle; and supplementary features like blast mitigation floor mat, tactical radio and laser range finer can also be added to it. Is the zombie vs you face-off getting too rough to handle? The 120 km/h top speed comes in handy while making a swift escape and the standard alloy wheels ensure than you retreat in style. Based on Mahindra’s famous SUV, the Scorpio, Marksman APC is used by the Carabineros de Chile of Chile and various Police Forces of India in counter-terrorist and conventional operations like patrolling, riot control and convoy protection.
Marksman Specifications:
| Engine | Engine Type (option) | 2.2 Litre, m-hawk CRDe, turbo charged intercooled DI | 2.6 Litre, turbo charged intercooled DI |
| Cubic Capacity (cc) | 2179cc | 2609cc | |
| Power | 120bhp @ 4000rpm | 115bhp @ 3800rpm | |
| Torque | 280 Nm @ 1800 – 2800rpm | 228 Nm @ 1800 – 2200rpm | |
| Transmission | Transmission Type | 5 Speed Manual (5 Forward, 1 Reverse) | |
| Suspension | Front (option) | Independent Coil Spring, Anti Roll Bar, Telescopic Shock Absorbers | Independent Torsion Bar, Anti Roll Bar, Telescopic Shock Absorbers |
| Rear | Multi Link, Coil Spring, Anti Roll Bar, Telescopic Shock Absorbers | ||
| Brakes | Front | Caliper, Ceramic Pads and Ventilated Discs | |
| Rear | Drum and Brake Shoe System | ||
| Steering | Steering Type | Rack and Pinion Power Steering | |
| Turning Circle Radius | 5,600 mm | ||
| Drivetrain | Drive System (option) | 4WD | 4WD |
| Fuel | Type | Diesel | |
| Tyres | Tyre | Specifications LT 245 / 75R16 | |
| Seating | Vehicle Capacity | 6 (2 Front, 4 Rear) | |
Favourite Car: '67 Camaro
Quote: Always focus on the front windshield and not the rearview mirror - Colin Powell
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