The new-generation Mini John Cooper Works GP was exhibited at the MINI United Festival in France. The specific power and torque figures have not been revealed but the car is claimed to race around the Nurburgring in 8 minutes, 23 seconds, which is a 19-second improvement over the last official time.
The 2012 Ford Ranger pickup was officially introduced in the GCC at a “Ford Built Tough” event held in the UAE while showcasing the carmaker’s entire range of trucks. Displayed alongside the larger American-built F-150, the South Africa-sourced Ranger will the be the entry-level work-pickup model for the GCC market.
BMW’s M Division have extended their range of performance parts to the 2012 3-Series and 5-Series sedans. The M Performance kit was already available for the M3, 1 Series M Coupe, X5 M and X6 M earlier.
Land Rover rolled out the 300,000th Land Rover LR2 off their production lines at the Halewood Operations in Merseyside.
Oman’s Team Qadiroon, comprising of Azzan Abdul Amir Hameed, Faisal Fadhil Mahmood Al Bakri and Issam Abdullah Said Al-Kharusi, won the Ford Focus Rabaa Inter-GCC Rally challenge last Sunday, part of a marketing stunt to promote the Ford Focus.
Renault has officially unveiled their new sub-compact SUV, the Duster, in the Middle East. It made its first appearance on GCC soil at the 2011 Dubai International Auto Show.
Korean carmaker Hyundai have added the 2013 i30 hatchback to their range of cars available in the Middle East.
The 2012 Toyota Aurion, essentially a redone version of the 2012 Toyota Camry, but fitted with a V6 engine and better interior appointments, is now available in the UAE. It has already been on sale in other GCC countries like Bahrain and Saudi Arabia since late last month.
Jaguar has officially unveiled the special-edition XJ Ultimate at the ongoing Beijing Auto Show in China. This is just another indication that China is one of the most sought-after markets for luxury carmakers.
For 2013, Audi have given their Q5 crossover a mid-life facelift. The styling updates are subtle, so are the interior enhancements.