It’s hard to believe that the R35-generation Nissan GT-R has been around for almost a decade. So long, in fact, that it’s creator Kazutoshi Mizuno has already retired and chilling on a beach somewhere. But development of the car continues, as a new version debuted late last year. We finally got a chance to get behind the wheel of the latest version, if only briefly, at the Dubai Autodrome.
Porsche has a history of creating cars that cause a negative reaction, even if only temporarily. Aging enthusiasts will remember the 914 from the 70s. Millennials will remember the first Cayenne. And more recently, there was the Panamera, the German carmaker’s first ever sedan which was actually a stretched hatchback. But while derided when launched, all three went on to become bestsellers, much more so than the iconic 911. For 2017, there is a new Panamera hitting the streets, but no one can say any more that the styling is found wanting.
Volvo is riding high on accolades for the Volvo XC90, and they implemented the same DNA used to create their successful SUV on to their all-new luxury sedan offering, the Volvo S90, which we got a chance to drive in Oman.
Maserati, the brand best known for building cars that Ferrari didn’t want, has finally dipped their toes in the hugely-profitable SUV segment. While you may never see a Ferrari SUV, Maserati’s new Levante is as close to that as you may get, assuming you ignore the lack of a V8 option. We got our hands on one during a recent trip to Oman, as they seem oddly hard to come by in Dubai.
If you’ve read our previous reviews of Mercedes-Benz’s AMG cars, you’ll realise that we don’t particularly find them impressive, specifically anything that seats more than two. All of their beefed-up sedans and coupes are rocket-fast, but when it comes to corners, it’s either severe understeer with the ESP in ‘sport-plus’ mode, or complete oversteer with the ESP fully off. Their rear-wheel-drive four-seater models are rather unbalanced cars compared to BMWs, held in line only by electronic nannies, which is why many of them now come with all-wheel-drive. The only car they currently have that’s truly an engaging drive is the AMG GT sports car.
The last Kia we drove was the latest Kia Sorento. It was an impressive crossover in every possible way, except one — it was pretty darn boring to drive. Still, it ended up on our recommended list because it at least handled decently. Every Kia we drove before that was even worse in terms of driving dynamics. Kia has been constantly improving over the past half-decade, and the latest Optima looks like it could finally be up there with its Japanese and American rivals. So it was with great anticipation that we got behind the wheel of a turbocharged 2017 Optima GT for a quick spin while we were in Oman as judges for the 2016 Oman Auto Excellence Awards,
If you’re a regular reader, you may have caught our Ferrari 488 GTB reviews which, if you read between the lines, would realise that it is probably the best supercar today, barring those ultra-expensive limited-production hypercars. However, we never drove it on a racetrack before, which is exactly why we decided to attend Ferrari’s Passione Rosso customer event at Yas Marina Circuit last weekend, which had a little corner reserved just for us media people.
The current generation of the Jeep Grand Cherokee has been around for half a decade now, with a second facelift debuting for the 2017 model year. Changes are minimal, and there is no reason to change it anyway, considering what a fine product it continues to be even now. However, a new Trailhawk model has been added to the line-up, and we got the chance to try it out in and around the city of Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Chevrolet Malibu burst onto the local midsize sedan scene back in 2010 after being absent for almost a decade. I still remember it because we trundled around in one for a month and actually enjoyed it, as it drove like a car that was aiming higher than it needed to, with excellent handling, two-tone interiors, a huge wheelbase and luxury-grade ride quality. Unfortunately its lifespan was cut short as it was replaced by an inferior product with a shorter-wheelbase Opel chassis, longer overhangs and much less character, although we never actually drove it. Now the new generation is here,
Infiniti raised a few eyebrows when they suddenly launched a 400 hp version of the Infiniti Q50. Featuring an all-new turbocharged motor, the Japanese premium carmaker finally had something to brag about when pitched against the Germans, all of whom have had boosted engines for a decade already. We were invited to try out the Infiniti Q50 S Red Sport 400, as it’s called, at the Dubai Autodrome for the GCC launch.
