Jaguar is one of the few brands that often sets up track days for potential as well as existing customers, to show a side of their cars that wouldn’t be apparent in a regular test-drive. Their latest event was held at the Yas Marina circuit a couple of months ago, and the media was invited to have a go at their range of cars as well.
It was in 2009 that the Rolls-Royce Ghost joined the British uber-luxury carmaker’s line-up to finally give some company to the larger Phantom. If it were a lesser brand like BMW, they’d be preparing an all-new model already. But the “new” Ghost Series II has simply received a subtle update for 2015. We spent an entire morning trying to figure out exactly what those changes were, in a media drive around the UAE.
We were on the lookout for a smooth rental highway runner on a restrained budget, but something with more poise than a regular Camry. The cheapstakes in us intentionally never looked beyond a basic Dodge Charger or a Ford Taurus, but what ultimately and least-expectedly came our way was something cheaper and more premium — a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E300.
Let’s face it, the Audi Q3 is not a big seller in the GCC. We never even drove one before either. But we went all the way to Munich, Germany to try out the facelifted 2015 model. And to be honest, it’s a pretty nice car. Especially in RS Q3 form.
While German luxury carmakers created the small premium crossover segment with half-hearted attempts like the BMW X3 and the Mercedes-Benz GLK, it was the Range Rover Evoque that blazed a path by showing that these things can actually be desirable rather than just be dull-looking wagons for soccer moms in Europe, considering the German early-birds never caught on in the GCC. Later attempts like the overpriced Porsche Macan are much more style-conscious, and the Americans are now trying their hand at this game too. This here is the 2015 Lincoln MKC, and it’s now on sale in the UAE.
Lexus continues its transformation for a luxury brand known for conservatively-styled comfortable cars to aggressively-styled sporty cars with the RC Coupe, essentially a 2-door version of last year’s new IS 350 sedan. And following the demise of the IS F, there’s the RC F Coupe debuting in the UAE as well.
There’s nothing more painful than attending an international launch event where you get to drive yet another slow crossover or copy-paste luxury sedan on some of the world’s best driving roads. We give these cars fair unbiased reviews in the interest of those who are interested in such cars, but the truth is we always yearn to drive something more special on such roads. Lo and behold, we found ourselves in Washington D.C., right around the corner from the White House, on a quest to drive two of the wildest sedans on the planet — the 2015 Dodge Charger SRT 392 and the Charger SRT Hellcat.
The all-new 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class is probably the most desirable model in its class at the moment, not least because it looks like a mini S-Class if seen from a distance. We drove the C 250 version for a night, so got a brief look at if there’s any substance beneath the skin.
Unlike Ferraris, which have life-cycles as long as Toyotas, Lamborghinis have a much longer shelf-life. The Gallardo ran from 2003 till 2013. Some of its older brothers ran for even longer with minimal changes. The latest entry-level Lamborghini, the Huracan LP610-4, will likely have to remain fresh for the next decade. Which means that, right now, it’d have to be far more advanced than anything else in the market. We checked out a fresh example of the future, right here in Dubai.
The Lotus Evora has been available in the UAE for the past year now. And it’s been around in Europe since 2009. Then what’s new about the two Evora S cars we’re piloting here? Nothing really. Given our unfamiliarity with the British brand’s products, we asked for our first experience, and the local dealer obliged. The yellow one is an automatic, while the white one is a manual. Yep, manual.
