The all-new 2012 Volkswagen Passat sedan has finally debuted in the GCC, at the 2012 Qatar Motor Show. Unveiled alongside the facelifted VW “Passat” CC from Germany, the actual Passat for this region will now be the U.S. version, which is built in the state of Tennessee and is a bit larger than the European version.
When we first read about the Nissan Juke-R, we dismissed it as a publicity stunt. Built by race engineering shop RML in the United Kingdom with the blessing of Nissan Europe as a one-off project, we figured they’d never put to use the two cars they built. But then we hear they did some track-testing in Europe. And then we hear that they were bringing the cars to Dubai to use as a pace car for the Dunlop 24-hour race in Dubai. And then we hear they’re filming a viral video as well as flying in international journalists to drive it here.
Video interview with Keiichi Yoneda, Deputy Chief Engineer for the 2012 Camry in the Product Planning Group at Toyota in Japan. Topics include development of the Toyota Camry, concessions made for the GCC version, and how it stacks up compared to the competition.
The Big Boys Toys event, previously held in Abu Dhabi, is all set to open in Dubai for 2012, from the 9th to the 11th of February, the first day being reserved for VIPs. The apparent theme of the show is to cater for the man who ‘wants it all’, so it features everything from clothes to yachts, with a few cars thrown into the mix. The 2012 edition will be held at Atlantis The Palm in Dubai and will play host to a number of exclusive regional and global product launches. They sent over info on some of the most automotive-oriented exhibits,
It’s rather surprising what an effect we have on the popularity of certain models. While we haven’t bothered to put up an update on our 2008 Mitsubishi Galant GTS in a while now, we’ve been getting requests asking us more about the car. It seems some people are starting to consider the Galant as a viable alternative to the Japanese regulars, thanks to our endorsement.
When was the last time Rolls-Royce built a sports car? If they did, our automotive knowledge does not stretch back that far, grandpa. In more recent times, they are now building a smaller Rolls-Royce called the Ghost. Of course, “smaller” is still a subjective term, considering the Ghost is bigger than even the BMW 7-Series it is based on. But does it belong on a racetrack any more than the Phantom does?
It’s been a while now since the new 2012 Porsche 911 was unveiled to the world a few months ago, so the changes are already obvious to all but the casual observer. Longer, wider and lower than before, it is a completely new model. And yet, when we laid eyes on it at the GCC launch event in Abu Dhabi, it looked like a facelift of the previous generation. But then again, so has every other 911 since 1963.
GM’s comeback has been been successful through two main methods. One method was getting rid of some of their highly-criticized brands. The other was to improve their cars. Since their resurgence, they have upgraded most of their cars. While the looks have undergone interesting improvements, the base engines have been just about average.
The Porsche Boxster has undergone comprehensive changes for the 2013 model year, even though it looks largely the same to the untrained eye.
Suzuki has unveiled a concept SUV that hints at a future model. Dubbed the XA-Alpha concept, the design was unveiled at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo.