The 2012 Toyota Camry is finally on sale in the UAE. The much-anticipated new model is a major upgrade of the outgoing one rather than a full redesign, and still hails from Australia. There is also a major shift in the trim levels.
Bridgestone has officially launched their Potenza Driving Lesson course in the Middle East with former Formula One driver and Bridgestone ambassador, Stefano Modena. The course introduces drivers to “the key forms of proper sports driving and gives them a true driving experience” while using cars fitted with Bridgestone Potenza tyres. The first Potenza Driving Lesson was held in the Dubai Autodrome racetrack as a part of activities at the Potenza Performance Challenge held in the second week of December.
The Jeep Jamboree is an annual event held in various parts of the world, where Jeep owners get together and go offroad over the course of a day. The UAE edition, of course, involves a whole lot of sand, and we were one of the few media peeps invited for the 2011 run, us being actual Jeep owners notwithstanding. While the general public had to bring their own Jeeps, we were given a factory-fresh 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, the one with the new “Pentastar” 3.6-litre V6. We were really looking forward to driving that one, and we were getting to do it straight where it belongs.
Al Futtaim Motors, in collaboration with Arctic Trucks, officially introduced the expanded Xtreme product range during the recent 2011 Dubai Motor Show. Alongside the 2012 Land Cruiser Xtreme, there are now the FJ Cruiser Xtreme and the Hilux Xtreme.
| The Good: – Stylish inside and out – Good ride and handling – Class-leading engine |
The Bad: – Pricey with options – Average rear legroom – Noticeable road noise |
Our 2012 Volkswagen Passat CC long-termer came back last week, having spent a few weeks at the dealership getting its front fender repaired after a hit-and-run incident. It looks new again, and with a broken-in engine, it drives even better.
Take your car for a luxury detailing, including 6-step paint polishing, interior cleaning, engine detailing and headlight polishing, at Farba Guard, worth Dhs 950, for only Dhs 333. That’s a massive 65% discount! Update: Offer extended to 25th December.
BMW’s Dubai dealer held this year’s “M Meets X” event a couple of weeks ago. Seemingly open to BMW owners, this free event is used as a platform to promote new models with various driving activities at the Dubai Autodrome.
The 2012 Toyota Land Cruiser will receive a minor facelift. Japanese brochure images of the facelifted 4×4 have been floating around for a while now.
There I was, letting my Jeep collect dust as I tested various other cars. Then I hear from a friend of a friend about a new detailing shop that he’d opened in Dubai recently, and was looking to make his mark in the industry. The place is called Farba Guard, and after speaking to Mohsin, the owner, and seeing his passion for detailing cars, I figured I could give the new place a shot and hand over my stagnant Jeep for a complimentary full detail for this story.