Traveler Ashique Thahir carves a different niche in the world of explorers

Ashique Thahir

Ashique Thahir, an avid traveler and car enthusiast from Wayanad, talks about his show Car and Country. To keep both the passions burning, Ashique decided to work on a travel show with cars named ‘Car and Country'. He discussed the idea with his long-time friend Deepak Narendran - a hotelier in the UK who became the co-producer and co-host of the show.

"We have a long history of exploring places and cars since college. Even before the show, we traveled around Europe. We wanted to connect to others like us, audiences who share similar interests," says Ashique, also the host, and co-producer of the show ‘Car and Country'. The first episode of Season One was shot in Scotland and Wales. The thirty- minute-long episodes showcase the countries' culture, tradition, cuisine and people through the eyes of Ashique and Deepak. "The show is not scripted. Our emotions and responses to the experiences we have in each place are portrayed with utmost authenticity. Everything about ‘Car and Country' is natural. I think it works well because it is being executed by people who have known each other for many years," quips Ashique.

The show explores The United Kingdom and France from behind the wheels of the world's most exotic supercars including the 1962 Chevrolet Corvette (C1), Ferrari, Porsche 911, Lamborghini Aventador and Mercedes SLS AMG. The series also explores an automobile museum with a classic collection of Bugatti from around the world, at Mulhouse in France.

The duo's inner car enthusiastic selves blend well with their wanderlust to bring the best of both. "We don't discuss the technicalities of the cars much. We wanted ‘Cars and Country' to cater to the interests of a varied audience. We try to talk more about our tastes including places, landscape, wine, and drinks, people. We have also included discussions on the touch and feel of cars which we hire from different places," adds Ashique. During the first episode, Ashique was involved entirely behind the scenes. He started co-hosting from the second episode which was shot in France. "Cruising in France was the most memorable experience for both of us, as we shared the screen," adds Ashique. The show is about exploring cultures and building relationships while driving the best cars in the best locations in the world. ‘Cars and Country' was a show that was supported and backed by a very strong set of partners , both from France as well as India . Partners from France included Grasse , Eze , St. Paul de Vence , St. Tropez , Avignon Tourism , The Luberon and Alsace . From India they had partnered with ATOU FRANC. Emirates was the official travel partner of the show.

So what's next for the duo? Ashique and Deepak are gearing up to start the shoot of a new show. In the pipeline is a brand-new adventure travel series that's going to be worth the wait - all we know is that it will be more exciting and adventurous. There's not much revealed at the moment but what we do know is that joining them will be the professional racing driver Freddie Hunt, son of legendary 1976 F1 champion James Hunt. The show will be supported by the Scotland Government and Scotland Tourism.

Car and collectables

Ashique's passion for cars is beyond what the show can portray. He is the proud owner of an interesting garage which houses a wide range of sports and luxury cars. Ashique is a successful entrepreneur and runs a family-owned business - Team Thai based in Calicut. Ashique took everyone by surprise recently when the car enthusiast just wall-mounted a 911 Carrera and it's not his only Porsche! The Team Thai office in Calicut was already designed to catch the eye of those passing by the exteriors and interiors are unlike any other with the open workspaces, the wall - to - wall glass windows, the hanging conference room, the use of real car parts as decor, all meticulously executed. But just when you thought it couldn't draw any more attention, the office now has a Porsche 911 on its wall. The 911 was bought in 2010 and its claim to fame is the 1,00,000 km-plus figure on the odo. It has gone on several trips and been through several makeovers as well, including a sexy vinyl Martini wrap. Now 11 years is a long time and Ashique wanted to do something absolutely crazy with the car. It was around this time that Porsche had on sale limited- edition silhouettes of the 911 Turbo S. With only 30 pieces available in India, the frame was quite exclusive. It, however, didn't seem exclusive enough for Ashique.. With a Porsche GT3 now being his daily driver, he didn't see the need for two black Porsches and wondered what he could do with his 911. He arrived at a seemingly preposterous idea - to mount the car at the entrance of his office. In about five months, the idea was a step away from reality. A trial run was conducted, the strongest mounts were fitted and a cage was installed for safety, and it was done - The 911 was up!

About not getting to drive the 911 anymore, Ashique says he doesn't look at this as a parting.

He's driven it to his heart's content, and now he gets to see it every day. It's a fitting tribute - a far-out one surely - to the time he spent with his first sports car. Another idea executed, Ashique is on his way to push a few more boundaries.