European Car News

So we finally put our money where our mouth is and bought a car that we recommended as an Editor’s Choice more than a year ago. That car happened to be the 2009 Renault Safrane V6, a midsize sedan that is badged as a French Renault, built by Korean Samsung, and designed by Japanese Nissan. That last bit was crucial in coming to our decision, for the Safrane shares a platform with the Altima and the Maxima, with various key components that are purely Nissan items. As luck would have it, the Safrane is not a resounding success, which means buyers can pick up brand new 2009 leftovers at nicely-reduced prices straight from the dealer.

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We were directed to this documentary video by a friend who lives in Saudi Arabia. Keen-eyed observers will realise that it was made in the United States, but while it delves on many stereotypes, it is wholly inaccurate on two counts — Saudis don’t dress like that, and Saudis wouldn’t ever want an Audi.

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So General Motors went bankrupt, and part of its effort to save itself was to sell loss-making Saab to any schmuck who’d buy it. Spyker came along and bought it, so now they have a handful of new models with GM platforms that the General had pretty much finished developing before selling off the brand. Now the Swedish firm is debuting the new 2012 Saab 9-4X, based on the Cadillac SRX platform, at next month’s 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show.

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Xenatec, the German car customiser and armouring outfit that recently set up an facility in the UAE, has unveiled a custom-built coupe version of the Maybach 57S.

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Better late than never. Launched late last year, we were offered a test-drive of the 2010 Land Rover LR4. The blocky 4×4 formerly known as LR3, and still affectionately known as the Discovery elsewhere, is now almost well-dressed enough to be called a Range Rover.

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BMW used the 2010 Sharjah Auto Show to launch the 2011 BMW 316iA in the UAE. The 316iA is a new base model for the wide-ranging 3-Series line-up, to offer “poorer” buyers a chance to buy a proper BMW sedan at an affordable price instead of being forced to squeeze into a 1-Series hatchback.

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German manufacturers Mercedes-Benz and Porsche have each taken home three awards at the first Middle East Motor Awards (MEMA) today. The awards were based on points issued by 13 judges for each nominated model. I was one of the judges.

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The 23rd of September 2010 marked the 75th anniversary of the Jaguar marque. To mark the occasion, a group of 75 individually-numbered, iconic Jaguars from across the years made a two-day journey from Coventry to Goodwood. This exclusive celebration drive, starting in Coventry on the 17th of September, commenced in London’s May Fair hotel, which is the site of the original Jaguar model launch in 1935, and finished at the UK’s largest heritage motor festival, the Goodwood Revival on the 18th.

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The new 2011 Volkswagen Passat has been revealed at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, in both sedan and wagon variants, with a choice of four petrol engines alongside a couple of Euro-centric diesel motors.

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The U.S. NHTSA safety agency has issued a recall for Bentley’s classic Arnage, Azure and Brooklands models manufactured between 2007 and 2009. The retractable ‘Flying B’ bonnet ornament may corrode to the point that it doesn’t retract in the event of a crash. The government agency is worried this could be dangerous for poor pedestrians when they get intentionally run over by owners.

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