Okay, so it is impossible to compare a Honda Accord V6 with a Jaguar XF V8. But both are midsize sedans, both are redefining their genres and both happened to be parked under my place at the same time. So why not?
The rumours of a baby Phantom are true. Rolls Royce just sent us this preliminary design sketch of a new model, dubbed the RR4, to be slotted in under the Phantom.
This week is turning out to be hectic. After returning the CSV CR8, we drove to a GM/RTA press conference halfway across Dubai in evening traffic in my manual BMW, only to find out it was cancelled and no one told us. Wasting the whole of yesterday night, we had to wake up early today and run around town to pick up two cars. One is the long-awaited Honda Accord V6, and the other is the exquisite Jaguar XF.
TAG Heuer just signed up local hero Mohammed Bin Sulayem to endorse their watches in print ads. The interesting bit is that Sulayem said he will donate all the money he makes from the deal to charity.
Around town, unregulated diesel prices have gone up to Dhs 17 per gallon in Dubai, and expected to go higher. Meanwhile, ADNOC in Abu Dhabi continues to sell diesel at Dhs 8.6 per gallon.
In other news, in an attempt to appear commuter-friendly, Dubai’s RTA has announced that they will “allow” people to carry passengers to work or wherever,
We never get any invites to Mercedes-Benz car launches, and haven’t had any test-drive cars made available to us in years. However, their commercial vehicles division operates independently, and they invited us out-of-the-blue to the local launch of the Sprinter workvan. What caught our attention was the venue — Dubai Autodrome. We just had to go to this one.
We spent the entire morning today at the Dubai Autodrome, driving around in the most unusual vehicle, at a German manufacturer’s launch event. But we will talk about that drive later, because we came home to have a new unrelated test-drive car delivered to our doorstep. And that new tester is the CSV CR8, which belongs at the track, but just to clarify, it’s not the car we drove at the track. As tired as I am, I took the CR8 for a 2-minute spin before typing out this note. And I am already sold on it. It is the most pleasurable driver’s car I’ve had the opportunity of piloting in the past year.
I’m just guessing, but this is probably the first Middle East report you’ll see of the 2009 Infiniti EX35, considering all the rags seem busy with the G37 Coupe. Due to tight scheduling competition with all the magazines, we only managed to snag it for 2 random days, but this also happens to be a very busy week for me, so testing was done hurriedly. We’re going to try to get it again later, assuming my moronic PR guy (who probably won’t read this) doesn’t try to aim for a hard-to-get weekend date to show off this car to his weekend date.
Saab has announced that the new upgraded version of the 9-3, dubbed the Turbo X, will go on sale in the Middle East this June, available in very limited numbers. Specialties of the Turbo X include a 280 hp 2.8-litre turbocharged V6 and all-wheel-drive.
Having previewed our two Bluetooth handsfree kits, as provided and installed by Yellow Hat, we used the Nokia and Parrot systems over the course of a month.
We are not sure if the name is correct, but these photos are of the real “baby” Ferrari that is due to be unveiled in the coming weeks. It is suggested that the car will most likely be called the Ferrari California, although earlier reports suggested an F149 model designation.