Kasaragod: A brand-new Mahindra Thar SUV, yet to be registered, was gutted in a fire when the driver performed a doughnut stunt on a public ground in Kasaragod's Kumbla on Thursday, December 12, 2024. According to Fire and Rescue officials, the young men in the SUV were creating reels for social media. They narrowly escaped without injuries, the officers said.

A doughnut (or donut) is a driving manoeuvre where a vehicle spins in circles, leaving circular skid marks on the road. The friction may also cause the tyres to emit smoke. Rescue officers suspected that the intense spinning of the vehicle could have overheated the engine, leading to the fire.

The car was owned by a young woman from Hosdangadi near Manjeshwar. A group of young men brought the Thar to the Pachambala public ground. During the stunt, smoke started emanating from under the hood. Within moments, flames engulfed the car.

Firefighters from the Uppala Fire and Rescue Station arrived and extinguished the blaze. But the vehicle was gutted. No formal complaint has been lodged with the police, said Kumbla Station House Officer - Inspector K P Vinod Kumar. The young men were from Uppala, he said. "As of now, it is just a fire accident. The owner may come to us for a statement to claim insurance," he said. The Motor Vehicles Department is looking into the incident.

Last month, Anand Mahindra, chairperson of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, shared a stunt video on X featuring the newly launched Mahindra BE 6e SUV. Ace rally driver Gaurav Gill performed doughnuts, spinning up serious smoke with the electric car at the Mahindra SUV Proving Track (MSPT) in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. Mahindra added a word of caution with the post: "Don’t try this without supervision! 🙂" It seems the boys in Kasaragod missed the memo.