Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury

The Dodge Charger, one of the last American rear-wheel-drive sedan nameplates left in existence, has gone under the surgeon’s knife and come out the other side with few changes. Or so it seems. What you see here is a 2011 Dodge Charger SE, the one with the new 292 hp 3.6-litre V6. We’re possibly the first ones in the UAE, and possibly the GCC, to review one on local roads. And we are absolutely blown away by this car. Compared to the old one, this new model is from a different planet altogether.

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The second edition of the Middle East Motor Tuning show is in full swing at the Sharjah Expo Centre. Running from the 12th of May to the 14th, it is a short event showcasing various locally-based tuners from Dubai and Sharjah, such as Al Ghandi, Liberty Motorsports and West Coast Customs, as well as showcasing a variety of classic cars. Also on display are various cars modified with ridiculous sound systems for the audio contest. And te show marks the first public display of the Korean Spirra supercar. Tickets cost Dhs 25, so it is advisable you go at night to catch the Arab version of drifting.

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Nominated new car models have now been announced for the 2011 Middle East Motor Awards. Vice President of the FIA and President of the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE Mohammed ben Sulayem has offered his full support to the region’s largest motor awards, which are set to take place on November 3rd later this year at the Sharjah Expo Centre. I am a member of the judging committee, although my influence on this list was limited, considering there are 18 judges this year!

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You may have heard by now that Audi has launched their Mini-wannabe model, the A1, in the UAE. Armed with a 122 hp 1.4-litre “TFSI” engine, women and girly-men are being lured by various promotional activities for the A1, including product placements around malls, big billboards on the streets, and overly-positive “reviews” in local magazines. If you really want this front-wheel-drive supermini though, you can wait for this one. Caught by one of our readers, Nabeal Malik, it looks to be a higher-spec Audi A1 model.

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This is the 2011 GMC Acadia Denali. It is the Denali version of the Acadia. The Acadia is a stretched midsize crossover that debuted in 2008. The Denali nameplate signifies a more luxurious variant of a GMC. That ought to cover the introductions.

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The heavily-revised 2011 Dodge Charger and the totally-new 2011 Dodge Durango were launched in the UAE, at a media event held in the underground parking lot of the Festival City Mall in Dubai, followed by a free premiere screening of The Fast & The Furious 5 movie, which prominently features the new Charger.

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Kia has come such a long way in such a short time. Once the maker of unreliable tin cans that wouldn’t sell even though cheap, now they are among the best carmakers in the business, with class-leading build quality, ground-breaking styling and still keeping it all relatively cheap. Their bestseller in the UAE is obviously the Kia Sportage. Out since late last year, the 2011 model is already a common sight on Dubai roads. So when we picked up this white tester, we knew we weren’t going to come up with a convincing review. Many people were already convinced.

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Al Tayer Motors, the Ferrari and Maserati dealer for the UAE, has re-opened their Dubai showroom after an extensive refurbishment and expansion. It was unveiled during a media event last week.

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Choices for sporting two-door coupes are limited in the GCC market if you’re on a budget. There’s the Hyundai Genesis Coupe that is saddled with badge-perception issues and a dealer reluctant to import manual ones. There’s the Ford Mustang, which is built like a Ford Mustang. There’s the Chevy Camaro, whose interior is about as pleasing as an airplane toilet. There’s the Honda Accord Coupe and the Nissan Altima Coupe, neither as sporting as they’re expected to be. There’s the VW Scirocco, a fake “coupe” that really is a photoshopped Golf. And now, there is the Peugeot RCZ. And it takes budget coupes to a whole other level.

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