This week is turning out to be hectic. After returning the CSV CR8, we drove to a GM/RTA press conference halfway across Dubai in evening traffic in my manual BMW, only to find out it was cancelled and no one told us. Wasting the whole of yesterday night, we had to wake up early today and run around town to pick up two cars. One is the long-awaited Honda Accord V6, and the other is the exquisite Jaguar XF.
I’m just guessing, but this is probably the first Middle East report you’ll see of the 2009 Infiniti EX35, considering all the rags seem busy with the G37 Coupe. Due to tight scheduling competition with all the magazines, we only managed to snag it for 2 random days, but this also happens to be a very busy week for me, so testing was done hurriedly. We’re going to try to get it again later, assuming my moronic PR guy (who probably won’t read this) doesn’t try to aim for a hard-to-get weekend date to show off this car to his weekend date.
BMW, Hyundai and Hummer all have new GCC-spec cars lined up for the latest model year.
The 2009 Mazda 6 has finally been launched in the United States. It is interesting to note that the American version is actually a bit longer compared to the GCC model, with unique front and rear designs. Even better are their engine choices.
Ask and ye shall receive! After repeated requests from our readers, asking me to review the old Aurion, I finally caved in and asked Marwa, Toyota’s friendly PR lady, to arrange one for me, even though it is a year old now. She threw me this Sharjah-registered tester for two days, setting up the car for me within a week of my request.
We have a familiar car over here, but only from the driver’s seat. The cabin is shared with the Altima sedan, with the exception of an actual handbrake replacing the sedan’s parking foot-brake and three front cup-holders, so Coupe buyers only have two cup-holders up front. Other differences include cramped rear legroom, a manual passenger seat for quick rear access, possibly less headroom, and very interesting exterior styling, even if a bit bloated-looking.
The American-built 2009 Honda Pilot has been unofficially unveiled in the United States. To be called the Honda MR-V in the GCC, it is definitely not a looker. It seems like Honda’s original design team went on vacation after the Civic redesign back in 2005, and hasn’t returned ever since.
At the Chinese Auto Show in Beijing next week, Hyundai is going to unveil the 2009 Elantra.
Nissan has been testing a quicker prototype version of their new GT-R sports car at the German Nurburgring racetrack. The standard GT-R is already faster than the Porsche 911 Turbo, at 7:38 minutes for one lap, and Nissan had promised to beat the exotic Carrera GT in the future. It appears Nissan has done the unthinkable. The quicker new version, called the GT-R V-Spec, has been casually timed at 7:25 minutes.
The original tiny Nissan Qashqai seats five people at most. To address an extended market, Nissan of Europe has unveiled the extended Qashqai, with seating for seven, simply calling it the Qashqai+2.