Mostly when we see luxury SUVs like Range Rovers and Land Rover Defenders, we think that they are owned by a celebrity or a business tycoon. However, we rarely think that it could be a taxi, right? It is mostly true, but this particular Land Rover Defender 130, which was recently spotted on a highway, is actually a taxi. And who does it belong to, you may ask? Well, it belongs to the same barber from Bengaluru who owns a Rolls Royce and a Maybach.
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Recently, this video showing India’s first Land Rover Defender 130 taxi was shared on Instagram. It comes courtesy of Car Crazy Guy. The post shows a white Land Rover Defender 130 driving on a national highway covered in mud. The caption states, “Wrong answers only for the MOST EPIC cab I’ve seen in India.”
Who owns this Land Rover Defender 130 taxi?
As mentioned above, this particular Land Rover Defender 130 taxi is owned by Ramesh Tours and Travels. This is the same company that was started by Ramesh Babu after the death of his father. He bought an Omni for himself, which he later started renting out while cutting hair as it was his main business.
In one of his interviews, Ramesh Babu explained that in 1994, he saved up enough money to buy himself a car. He bought a Maruti Suzuki Omni and started giving it to other people on rent. It was 2004 and his Tours and Travels business was flourishing and till that time he had seven cars. He used all the cars for Tour and Travels business purposes only.
Following this, he slowly built his car rental business and today owns over 200 cars, including this newly bought Land Rover Defender 130. However despite this, even today you can go and have a haircut from him. For the haircuts Ramesh Babu charges Rs 100.
It can be noted that this particular car is finished in the dual-tone shade of Fuji White with a black contrasting roof. It can also be noted that it gets a yellow number plate with a VIP registration number of “0006.”
According to Ramesh Tours and Travels, this particular Land Rover Defender 130 is the first commercial Defender in India. If you are also interested in renting this car, the company is offering it at a price of Rs 3,000 per hour.
This particular car comes equipped with a black and tan interior. As for the powerplant, the one owned by Ramesh Tours and Travels is equipped with the 3.0-litre diesel engine (D300). This engine makes 296 bhp and 600 Nm of torque. It comes paired with mild-hybrid technology and a four-wheel-drive system.
Ramesh Tours and Travels: From Rolls Royce to Maybach
The main highlight of Ramesh Tours and Travels car collection is the Rolls Royce Ghost. Ramesh Babu was one of the first people in the country to offer a Rolls Royce as a rental car. This particular car is the first-generation Ghost and it is finished in a lovely shade of white.
Currently, the Rolls Royce Ghost can be rented for Rs 6,000 an hour. Ramesh Babu bought this sedan back in 2011 and he paid around Rs 3 crore for this luxury sedan at the time. It comes powered by a 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12. It produces 562 bhp of max power and a peak torque of 780 Nm. The engine is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Apart from this, Ramesh Tours and Travels has added a ton of other luxury cars to their fleet as well. The latest one being a Mercedes Benz G-Wagen. It is the G350d variant, which can be rented for Rs 5,000 an hour. Additionally, the company is also offering the all-new 2024 Toyota Vellfire.
This luxury MPV is available for rent at a price of Rs 3,000 an hour. Other cars that can be rented for the same price are the ultra-luxurious Mercedes Maybach S-Class, BMW i7, and a Land Cruiser LX200. The Mercedes EQS electric sedan is also available for rent at Rs 2,500 an hour.
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Ramesh Tours and Travels also recently bought three brand-new Mercedes Benz E-Class sedans finished in silver as well. Apart from these, the collection of cars from the company includes over 200 cars. It includes the likes of BMW 7-series, Mercedes S-Class, E-Class, Viano, a BMW 5 Series, a number of Volvo cars, Toyota Camrys, Honda Accords, and a few Honda CR-Vs.
The post India’s First Land Rover Defender Taxi Is Here: The Rolls Royce Barber Owns It first appeared on Cartoq.
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