We’ve all seen it. It’s a dummy sitting in a car with slow-motion cameras mounted around it, hurtling towards a barrier at a respectable speed. That’s crash-testing in a nutshell. However, it turns out it is not just that when it comes to protecting your lives by rating car safety.
This week’s motoring news round-up includes one of Nissan’s UAE dealers winning an aftersales service award, Valvoline launching a GCC-spec engine oil, the Porsche GT3’s Dubai race conclusion, and Bridgestone’s new air-free tyre.
Hot on the heels of the first edition of the hugely successful Jumeirah Cruisin’ was the second show, held last Friday afternoon at the Biker’s Cafe. Attendance was by invite only, making for an exclusive event comprising a rich collection of exotic supercars, classic metal and superb custom bikes. For spectators, there were no entry restrictions.
It’s not often that we update our Recommended List of road-tested cars, but when we do, we’ve noticed that it’s becoming increasingly harder to pick the best of the best, especially since every carmaker seems to have improved so much over the years. It was much easier this time around though. The three 2014-model-year cars we’ve added are perennial public favourites.
A redesign of the popular Mitsubishi Pajero is long overdue. Selling in big numbers as a cheap alternative to the Toyota Prado, the Pajero has carved a niche for itself in the UAE and elsewhere. But it seems Mitusbishi is busy experimenting with what direction to go in with the next-generation model.
The 2015 Mercedes C-Class has been revealed, with a complete redesign that looks like a miniature S-Class.
Subaru has this thing for showcasing hot concepts for their existing nameplates at auto shows. However, in production form, they end up being, shall we say, a bit different. In any case, Subaru has shown the new Legacy Concept at the Los Angeles Auto Show last month.
The Maserati Levante 4×4 crossover started life as the Kubang concept in 2011. Expected to be Maserati’s cash-cow in the near future, we had a chat with a Maserati Middle East rep about their next new model that is coming in 2015.
The 2015 BMW M3 sedan and the BMW M4 coupe have been revealed. The M4 is the replacement for the previous-generation M3 coupe.
Nissan has officially re-entered the Saudi Arabian car market, with Alissa Auto becoming the sanctioned dealer for the brand in the country.