General News

The Romanian highway patrol is currently testing Seat Leon Cupra hatchbacks for use as police cars in the Eastern European country.

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American automaker General Motors has filed for bankruptcy. As analysts have known for months finally got confirmed, the largest car manufacturer in the world filed for “Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection” on June 1, 2009 in a New York court, declaring US$ 82 billion in assets and US$ 172 billion in debts. However, General Motors Middle East claims that they are unaffected.

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Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority is introducing a driving simulator for learner drivers. Apparently it is the first of its kind in the UAE, if not the GCC, and will be an additional learning tool alongside actual training on the road.

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For years, sub-compact cars have been shunned by snooty people who chose to drive a big car, citing concerns over safety. While their reasons probably have more to do with image than safety, the Insurance institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), an independent American agency that crash-tests hundreds of cars every year, say that the snooty people were actually right. While many sub-compact cars such as the Honda Jazz and the Toyota Yaris scored full marks in standardised crash tests against a stationary barrier, their downfalls became obvious when they were slammed against a midsize Honda Accord or a Toyota Camry.

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The respected American Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has launched a new roof strength rating system to help consumers pick vehicles that will help protect them in rollover crashes. Twelve small SUVs were the first to be put to the test. Only 4 earn the top rating of good. The Subaru Forester and even the Jeep Patriot, among others, have the strongest rated roofs, while the Kia Sportage has the weakest among the 2008-2009 models evaluated. A report like may be enough reason for some consumers to keep shunning Korean cars. But the Honda CR-V and the Ford Escape only did slightly better.

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A year-old club in the UAE called Emarat 4×4, in association with the Dubai Offroad Club, regularly arrange off-road trips for members, and last month they organised a “ladies drive” for women who wanted to try dune-bashing.

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An outfit called OffRoad-Zone, based in the Al Quoz area of Dubai known for off-road modification services, is now offering a new set of activities for 4×4 owners, allowing people to safely try out different types of off-road driving situations.

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In what is being billed as the region’s first ever dedicated bike exhibition, the Gulf Bike Expo 2009 show will take place at the Dubai Festival City from 19th to 21st March 2009. The event will showcase the latest in bikes, ATVs, apparel, accessories, custom-designed bikes and motorcycle-related products from major international brands from Europe, the USA, Canada, Italy and Japan.

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The Porsche World Roadshow is a 10-day event that is held in various cities around the world, usually reserved for Porsche customers, and usually for a fee. The Dubai stopover was from February 4th to the 14th this year. Attending the event itself involves a single day of various activities held from 9 am to 4 pm, using the latest Porsche machinery at the Dubai Autodrome. One of these days was reserved for the media, and I was invited for the first time.

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Our product partner, Yellow Hat, is having a semi-sale this winter, with discounts on various selected products.

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