Back in the late 80s and up till the late 90s, Ford offered a tasty hyper-tuned version of their best-selling sedan in America, calling it the Taurus SHO, and powering it with Yamaha-tuned “Super High Output” engines that came from Japan. It died out later, but with the proper revival of the Taurus comes the rebirth of the Taurus SHO, this time powered by an in-house 3.5-litre turbocharged EcoBoost V6.
The current Spark is a goofy thorn on the side of Chevy’s otherwise respectable line-up. However, the all-new 2010 Chevrolet Spark, making its world premiere at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show in March, may infuse some style into this market segment, if squishy little cars are your thing.
When Lexus first came out, it was nothing more than a cheaper copy of a Mercedes-Benz when it came to looks. Still, Lexus is now known as the dullest luxury brand in the market, and a substandard attempt at taking on the Europeans. And now, a new generation of Infiniti models, while still building their brand, have already managed to surpass ever-desperate German stylists in terms of looks. It is hard to believe that the uncreative Japanese have beaten the Germans at their own game. And the Infiniti FX50 is the crowning glory of that achievement.
| The Good: – Great handling – Turns a few heads – Unique interior design |
The Bad: – Too pricey for its size – Limited rear legroom – Harsh ride quality |
| The Good: – Tough handsome styling – Very muscular engine – Great handling for its size |
The Bad: – A bit twitchy at low speeds – Firm ride quality – No low-range gearing |
| The Good: – Premium cabin materials – Decent rear legroom – Fairly good handling |
The Bad: – Not quick enough – Limited rearward visibility – Very pricey with options |
Another day, another Bentley. This time it is the Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed. At Dhs 950,000, it costs more than I’ll make in a decade, but apparently, it is cheaper by Dhs 200,000 in the last 6 months due to the weak British Pound.
| The Good: – Sleek design – Interesting interior – Great “manual” mode |
The Bad: – Goofy headlights – Some buggy gadgetry – Awful “automatic” mode |
| The Good: – Beautifully sleek styling – Useful cabin space – Great handling |
The Bad: – Shallow cargo area – Tight rear seat access – No proper handbrake |
| The Good: – Aggressive styling – Excellent cabin materials – Decent ride-handling balance |
The Bad: – Limited rear legroom – Limited cargo volume – Limited off-road ability |