More than 5,000 members of the UAE community participated in BMW Group Middle East’s ‘Stay Alert. Stay Alive.’ road safety campaign this month, exceeding expectations. Two Awareness Days were held at the Dubai Creek Park on Friday 09 April and on the Abu Dhabi corniche on Friday 16 April respectively; with the campaign continuing into BMW importers AGMC’s and Abu Dhabi Motor’s showrooms for the weeks following the Awareness Days.
Porsche Centre Dubai, Al Nabooda Automobiles LLC, will hold a Porsche Service Clinic from the 29th of April till the 1st of May 2010. This three day event is specifically designed for Porsche customers with cars three years or older. The Porsche Clinic is being organised at the official Service Centre in Al Quoz and is part of Porsche’s best-in-class after-sales service offering.
We’d been asking for the 2010 Nissan Maxima since October last year. For reasons unknown, our five requests were not taken seriously, while crappy magazines were getting to keep GT-Rs for months at a time. But finally someone took notice and let us have a Maxima for three measly days. I can’t say I was too enthusiastic about test-driving a rebodied Altima, but our readers had been clamouring for a real review of this car, and I’m now happy to oblige.
BMW has also decided to try its hand into the ‘four-door coupe’ market and released designs of the Concept Gran Coupe.
Porsche has recently launched a V6 model for the Panamera. Two models, the Panamera and Panamera 4, debuted at the Beijing Motor Show. The Porsche Panamera, which is already a super hit in this region, is sure to attract even more customers due to its lower price. Besides the engine, everything else is pretty much the same as the V8 models.
It’s been a busy week for the UAE Police, grappling with perennially inconsiderate drivers, suicidal road users, and all sorts of new crime.
The Cadillac CTS-V is simply obscene! It is so salacious that we believe it is banned in some neighbouring states for public indecency. Mothers cover their children’s eyes and other people stare when this thing passes by, even in places as lewd as that beach by the Dubai Marina. No European sports sedan has this much bling, short of a million-dirham Bentley. And the best bit is it outruns them all in power as well as price.
Mercedes Benz is planning to release the next generation CLS soon. Until then, the Mercedes Benz Shooting Break Concept has been revealed, to give an idea of the design cues it will sport.
The Renault Logan isn’t a car that people like me look forward to driving. Even at my poorest point in life, making Dhs 3000 a month while in college, my first car was an old Mercedes-Benz. With leather. And cruise control. And ABS. And a hood ornament. However, most people don’t think like me. For some unknown cosmic reason, they have to have a brand new car, even if it means taking a loan and risking jail if they can’t pay. And so, the local Nissan/Renault dealer thinks they have a hit on their hands, especially since they are targeting peeps making at least Dhs 3000.
It’s not everyday that I get a call to come down for a press event in Abu Dhabi, a couple of hours before the actual event. Normally, I wouldn’t bother, but this time it was a chance to drive, briefly, cars from the Rolls Royce range. The BMW-owned firm had two Ghosts and one Phantom lined up for a limited excursion around the streets of Abu Dhabi. While not a proper test drive, a Rolls Royce is still a Rolls Royce after all.