The Fiat 500 is a supermini that marked the return of the marque into the Middle East after nearly a decade. While the Fiat 500 did not seem to get enough attention in this part of the world, out in the European nations, it seems to be a hit. That probably is the reason why Fiat has decided to stretch the 500 to make a larger version, calling it the Fiat 500L – the ‘L’ stands for “Large”.
We knew it was a station wagon. We knew it had big “Emirates Gas” stickers on the sides. We knew it was going to get no respect on Dubai roads. But we specifically asked to drive this car — the 2012 Volkswagen Passat Ecofuel Variant. Because this is the only Euro-spec 2012 Passat in the country. But more specifically, it runs on CNG as well.
The “viral” video that shows the Nissan Juke-R in action is finally out. Seen here “street-racing” with a Ferrari, a Lamborghini and a Mercedes-Benz, the filming took place at the Dubai International Marine Club, around a closed course. It is easy to guess which car “won” the “race” and why we are using a lot of “quotation marks” in this piece.
BMW has updated its X6 for 2013, though good luck spotting the changes. The BMW X6 still comes in three petrol-engined variants, two of which get an optional power upgrade to go with the facelift.
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.
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,
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.
The Porsche Boxster has undergone comprehensive changes for the 2013 model year, even though it looks largely the same to the untrained eye.
There isn’t much to report on our 2009 Renault Safrane, the car that we’ve owned from new, and driven by my father. It was my top pick for a reliable car to replace his old 1997 Toyota Corolla. And so far, my decision is proving to be right.