This week is turning out to be hectic. After returning the CSV CR8, we drove to a GM/RTA press conference halfway across Dubai in evening traffic in my manual BMW, only to find out it was cancelled and no one told us. Wasting the whole of yesterday night, we had to wake up early today and run around town to pick up two cars. One is the long-awaited Honda Accord V6, and the other is the exquisite Jaguar XF.
We never get any invites to Mercedes-Benz car launches, and haven’t had any test-drive cars made available to us in years. However, their commercial vehicles division operates independently, and they invited us out-of-the-blue to the local launch of the Sprinter workvan. What caught our attention was the venue — Dubai Autodrome. We just had to go to this one.
Saab has announced that the new upgraded version of the 9-3, dubbed the Turbo X, will go on sale in the Middle East this June, available in very limited numbers. Specialties of the Turbo X include a 280 hp 2.8-litre turbocharged V6 and all-wheel-drive.
We are not sure if the name is correct, but these photos are of the real “baby” Ferrari that is due to be unveiled in the coming weeks. It is suggested that the car will most likely be called the Ferrari California, although earlier reports suggested an F149 model designation.
The updated 2009 Mercedes SL has been touched by Brabus. The upgraded cars get upgraded engines, a dressed-up exterior, new light-alloy wheels with diameters of up to 20 inches, suspension tuning and custom interior design.
Just when poor old VW thought they held the crown for world’s fastest car after a decade of near-bankruptcy-causing development, a whole host of smaller companies outdid them to the title. Joining the ranks of Saleen, SSC, Koenigsegg and Ultima is an unknown Swiss manufacturer called Weber Sportcars, claiming to have built the world’s fastest street-legal car. It is called the “WEBER SPORTCARS faster one,” if you can believe that.
BMW showed off a new concept version of their former M1 supercar at the Concorso d’Eleganza supercar show at Villa d’Este. The BMW M1 was in production from 1978 to 1981, with a 273 hp 3.5-litre inline-6 engine, created as a road-going version of the M1 racecar. Since then, BMW hasn’t had a true supercar in their line-up, even though they are arguably the most sporting manufacturer of passenger cars ever.
BMW, Hyundai and Hummer all have new GCC-spec cars lined up for the latest model year.
The compact Audi Q5, designed to go against the BMW X3 and the Mercedes-Benz GLK, has been unveiled at the Auto China show in Beijing. While it brings absolutely nothing original to the table, initial unconfirmed reports suggest it will be built in China as well as Germany.
The awesome new Opel Insignia sedan is all set to replace the aging Vectra in Europe by this summer. Opel is sort of an abandoned nameplate in the GCC, as even parent company General Motors Middle East doesn’t bother mentioning Opel in their list of brands any more. Too bad, because this new model has to be the most stunning interpretation of a midsize sedan yet.