The last time a premium brand like Jaguar tried to go affordable a decade ago, we got a Mondeo-based oddball in the form of the X-type saloon. With the word “affordable” back in fashion, Jaguar is touting the C-X16 as a rear-wheel-drive two-seater coupe that you can actually afford that is to go head on with the affordable Porsche Cayman which, when we checked last time, wasn’t so affordable.
This prototype Mercedes-Benz was caught refuelling at a petrol station in Dubai. Mercedes-Benz prototypes have become a common fixture on roads in the UAE for hot-weather testing, which is probably a good thing considering how “well” European cars fair in the Middle East climate.
The Porsche Cayman R does not need to exist. It is merely a stripped-down Cayman S with 10 extra horses and tighter suspension. Maybe we need to correct ourselves — the Cayman R does not need to exist as a car that the general public can buy. What Porsche should do is slap on some stickers and sell it only as a professional track race-car.
Mercedes Benz has revealed their latest B-Class compact minivan-style hatchback “tourer” ahead of the official unwrapping ceremony at the upcoming 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.
So I racked up another 10,000 kms on my Mondeo, and it was time to visit the dealer again for a service -– a major one this time. The major-service interval for the Mondeo falls every 50,000 km; my car which has done a tad less than 40,000 km, has gone through the major service. For those who bothered to follow the previous long term reports of this car, the story behind doing a 50,000-km service despite car doing only 40,000 kms will be nothing new.
Ferrari expands its mid-engined V8 lineup with the introduction of the all-new 458 Spider, the first sports coupe exotic from the Italians to feature a retractable hard top, at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.
Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Black Series is the latest and hottest Merc, premiering to coincide with the German F1 Grand Prix.
The all-new Volkswagen Up, or as the marketeers have dubbed it, the “up!”, is VW’s attempt to make a vehicle that harks back to the original VW Beetle, a car for the masses. The up! will first be launched in the European market in December 2011. There are 3 versions for different budgets and needs. The “take up!” is the entry-level car, the “move up!” is the mid-range one and the “high up!” is the top version. At the car’s launch, there will also be 2 independent models based on the high up!, namely the “up! black” and the “up!
Early leaks had already revealed the unsurprising looks, but full details have officially been released for the 2012 Porsche 911. Dubbed the 991 generation, this version has actually undergone a heavy transformation under the skin. The initial launch includes the Carrera and the Carrera S.
It seems like just yesterday when the world proclaimed the Cayenne as blasphemous to the Porsche cause. And yet, the Cayenne became Porsche’s best-selling model as soon as it was launched in late 2001. The formula continues with the new-generation model, redesigned from the ground up, and much more in tune with the Porsche philosophy.