Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority is introducing a driving simulator for learner drivers. Apparently it is the first of its kind in the UAE, if not the GCC, and will be an additional learning tool alongside actual training on the road.
The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro has barely been released in the United States, and already it has been hit by a factory recall. It is a problem that causes the V8-powered Camaro SS to shut down, and a few American owners have experienced it. The issue is a battery cable that runs from the boot. Its insulation wears off from rubbing up against the starter and eventually causes a short, which ultimately causes the car itself to shut down.
Lingenfelter Performance Engineering, based in the US is known for tuning up GM sports cars such as the Chevrolet Corvette. They also beef up the exterior to give them a more aggressive look. They haven’t disappointed with the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro.
Ford is now offering a new Sport trim level in Europe that will be available on the three-door models equipped with the 96 hp 1.4-litre and 120 hp 1.6-litre petrol engines as well as with the 90 hp 1.6-litre TDCi turbo diesel.
Toyota recently announced the 2010 Toyota Land Cruiser is going to get a new engine and transmission option, retiring the long-running 4.7-litre V8 to replace it with a Lexus-derived 4.6-litre V8. The upgrade is only for the Japanese-market model currently but may spread to GCC and other markets later.
I first saw this exact red Infiniti G37 Coupe at its UAE launch in Dubai more than a year ago. Since then, magazine after magazine kept grabbing this press car from under us for their stupid comparison “tests” against the BMW 335i, until the red car became so “old” that we didn’t bother asking for it any more. Anyway, since my request for the Nissan GT-R was pushed even further away (as expected), I asked for a G37 Coupe to pass the time. It turns out that red car is still in press circulation, with 16,000 km on the clock,
VW-owned Czech carmaker Skoda has launched the sporty RS versions of the their facelifted 2009 Octavia.
The Porsche Cayenne is among the most common SUVs on UAE roads today. The people who buy them think they are buying exclusivity, but instead they end up having the same goofy-faced truck as their neighbours. So German outfit Gemballa, known for tuning Porsches, have unveiled their latest cure for the common Cayenne, in the form of the Tornado 750 GTS.
The Ford F-150 is the top-selling light truck in the United States. The latest redesigned 2009 version is available in hundreds of variants in America, even while GCC dealers are still trying to offload leftovers of the previous version here. Expanding the American line-up is the all-new 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor, a purpose-built high-performance off-road truck built by Ford’s SVT performance division. As Ford teeters on the brink of bankruptcy, it is a last hurrah for SVT before quietly winding down operations.
Volkswagen has just released a more aggressive-looking Tiguan model in Europe called the Volkswagen Tiguan R Line. It does not get any engine upgrades but it does add some flavour to the dull design.