Volkswagen took the wraps off their latest generation Beetle, affectionately known as the Bug, at the 2011 Shanghai Motor Show a few weeks ago. First introduced during the Mesozoic era, Beetle is one of the very few nameplates which has survived a long timeframe and still manages to be a favourite of many.
Our long-time readers might know that our VW coverage bordered on farcical since 2006. However, things change over time, and we were pleasantly surprised to receive an invite to the GCC launch of the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta in Dubai. The new Jetta is the car VW expects to crack the compact segment with in the GCC.
The Maserati Trofeo one-make racing championship was launched this week for the GCC region, at an event in Dubai. The series is backed by the Maserati factory in Modena, Italy and will feature up to 16 mechanically-identical Maserati GranTurismo MC Trofeo race cars battling it out over 12 races across the Middle East.
The current Chevrolet Malibu made its appearance in Dubai not so long ago. And here we have the redesigned version already which has been unveiled as a 2013 model at the 2011 Shanghai International Motor Show.
The Dodge Charger, one of the last American rear-wheel-drive sedan nameplates left in existence, has gone under the surgeon’s knife and come out the other side with few changes. Or so it seems. What you see here is a 2011 Dodge Charger SE, the one with the new 292 hp 3.6-litre V6. We’re possibly the first ones in the UAE, and possibly the GCC, to review one on local roads. And we are absolutely blown away by this car. Compared to the old one, this new model is from a different planet altogether.
At first it was the Chinese Chevy Sail, then the new Hyundai Elantra, and now there, I’ve spotted the all-new 2011 Chevrolet Spark. Looks like I hit a hat-trick with ‘spotting’ new cars.
Jaguar’s pricey grand tourer, the XK, has received some minor, but refreshing, aesthetic alterations for 2012. The facelifted XKR was unveiled at the 2011 New York Auto Show, alongside a new XKR-S model.
Jaguar, the British luxury carmaker and wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Motors, have introduced their facelifted XF model for 2012 at the 2011 New York International Auto Show. Resembling the C-XF concept design which debuted in 2007, more than ever before, the new XF looks promising enough to attract a fair share of popularity.
Nominated new car models have now been announced for the 2011 Middle East Motor Awards. Vice President of the FIA and President of the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE Mohammed ben Sulayem has offered his full support to the region’s largest motor awards, which are set to take place on November 3rd later this year at the Sharjah Expo Centre. I am a member of the judging committee, although my influence on this list was limited, considering there are 18 judges this year!
The heavily-revised 2011 Dodge Charger and the totally-new 2011 Dodge Durango were launched in the UAE, at a media event held in the underground parking lot of the Festival City Mall in Dubai, followed by a free premiere screening of The Fast & The Furious 5 movie, which prominently features the new Charger.