News

So we went on a whirlwind tour of various ad agencies last month in a bid to get sponsorship for this “little” website, which happens to be the biggest English car portal in the region. After wasting all that time, all we’ve got are lame excuses and clueless rejections, while our smaller competitors enjoy the fruits of a good income. I have come to the conclusion that I will not waste this much of my own time any more, and will concentrate on my other income sources. Oh, but DriveArabia is going to continue as is, and every review I write will be a favour to the manufacturer,

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The first Gulf Bike Expo 2009, which ran from the 19th to the 21st of March, turned out to be an interesting affair, with up-close bike stunts and a variety of customised motorcycles. The entry tickets for Dhs 30 was steep (although we went in for free), so we are unsure about the value of the small show for Dubai Festival City visitors. But we really were surprised at how many ways something on two wheels can be customised, sometimes by adding a third wheel.

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Terrafugia, a new aircraft company, announced the first test flight of their Transition Roadable Aircraft, where it flew a few metres up in the air for a brief period. They are not exactly calling it a “flying car,” but the two-seater Transition aircraft is designed to take off and land at local airports and drive on any road. Transforming from plane to car takes less than 30 seconds by folding up the wings. The Transition cruises up to 720 km at over 184 kph, can drive at highway speeds on the road, and fits in a standard household garage.

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The Lincoln MKZ, while never a bestseller even in its home country, let alone here, has still received a makeover for the 2010 model year instead of being killed off outright. The upgrade comes in line with the redesign of its mechanical sibling, the 2010 Ford Fusion.

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An outfit called OffRoad-Zone, based in the Al Quoz area of Dubai known for off-road modification services, is now offering a new set of activities for 4×4 owners, allowing people to safely try out different types of off-road driving situations.

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Our BMW M Roadster soldiers on, having spent more than one year with us, racking up only 3000 km since we bought it at the beginning of 2008. Driving a hardcore-tuned sports car in daily traffic isn’t easy, so we fell back on our other automatic cars for city driving. Even then, costs came up during the year, some involving expected repairs, some just general maintenance, and some because BMWs have the durability of ice cream in the desert.

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In what is being billed as the region’s first ever dedicated bike exhibition, the Gulf Bike Expo 2009 show will take place at the Dubai Festival City from 19th to 21st March 2009. The event will showcase the latest in bikes, ATVs, apparel, accessories, custom-designed bikes and motorcycle-related products from major international brands from Europe, the USA, Canada, Italy and Japan.

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I wasn’t planning to ask for the 2009 Honda City, but when Honda ME called me up and suddenly offered it to me this weekend, I agreed as usual. The previous Honda City was a cartoon-mobile that was embarrassing to be seen in, but this new one looked interesting from the day that spy shots started appearing last year, enough for me to dedicate posts to it.

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Adding to the exhaustive portfolio of Murcielago variants, Lamborghini has unveiled the limited edition Murciélago LP 650-4 Roadster, with a chopped-off roof and an upgraded engine.

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Porsche is unveiling the 2009 versions of the Boxster and the Cayman around the GCC. Already revealed in Bahrain and some other countries, the UAE reveal will take place in Dubai next week. Improvements include a facelift, upgraded engines, retuned suspension and steering and new wheels. New available features include optional launch control, optional PDK automanual gearbox, PCM multimedia system and PSM stability control. As seen in European markets, a slight price rise is expected.

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