When we got the call to come drive the “new” Rolls-Royce Phantom models in Dubai, I had to think hard to remember why they were calling them new models. Then it hit me that Rolls-Royce did launch “new” models of their Phantoms, if only with minor changes. The Phantom Series II may just be a facelift, but the new tech added brings the flagship up to modern standards.
The 2013 Infiniti JX 35 was just launched in the city of Abu Dhabi by Al Masaood Automobiles, the Nissan-Infiniti in Abu Dhabi.
Beware, motorists in Sharjah! Apparently reverse parking your car in a parking space can result in a Dhs 200 fine. Also Dubai Traffic Police plans to introduce new fines for motorists for several offences, including for wearing sunglasses at night.
The all-new Peugeot 208 was launched at an event in the UAE. The Art Sawa Gallery in Dubai played host to the 2013 model that will replace the 207, which was apparently a great seller for Peugeot in the GCC.
The all-new 2013 Nissan Altima has just been launched in the Middle East, at an event in Dubai. Available in 2.5-litre and 3.5-litre versions, the Altima is part of Nissan’s big plan to increase their sedan market-share in the GCC.
In 2008, Nissan teamed up with Sony PlayStation and started the Nissan GT Academy to see if a fast racing game player become a fast professional race driver in the real world. Over the past four years, the GT Academy has proved to be a unique and successful route to top flight motorsport for a select few around the globe. And now, GT Academy will offer entrants from the Middle East the chance to go from gaming to racing.
It isn’t everyday that media people get to drive a supercar. Well, in our case, we never get to drive a supercar. The closest we’d come before was the Nissan GT-R, but that’s stretching it. But then we finally managed to talk ourselves into the driver’s seat of one. We skipped secretive Ferrari, Lamborghini et al and went straight to the McLaren MP4-12C, the British carmaker’s first proper model since they redefined the meaning of “supercar” more than a decade ago with the McLaren F1.
A high ranking official at the Dubai Police said they could start impounding vehicles by just confiscating number plates instead of dropping them off at the impound lots.
Jeep showcased the Gladiator concept at the North American International Auto Show back in 2005. And although it was received well by the crowds, it didn’t make to the production lines due to Chrysler’s ongoing financial ordeal at that point in time.
For a little recap, the Audi TT in its current guise has been around in the GCC since 2007. The first generation was produced from 1999 to 2006, which impressed with its controversial shape, which while certainly different, was not to everyone’s taste. Still, several thousands were sold all over the world for the way it looked, if not for its notorious handling.