YOUR WEEKLY MOTORING FIXDH10 ISSUE 541 JULY 24 - 30 2015

WWW.WHEELS.AE

DRIVEN! RANGE ROVER SVR REFRESHED CAMRY

CAN THEMCLAREN

675 LONGTAIL LIVE

UP TO

ITS FABLED NAME

PLATE?

WE LET IT LOOSE

AT

SILVERSTONE

CAN THE MCLAREN

LIVE UP TO

EXCLUSIVEMIDDLE EA

STMIDDLE EA

ST

With a versatile interior featuring seating for up to 8 and 3,293L of cargo space.As well as a 5-star safety rating including an industry first Front Center Airbag, the

Traverse really is fit for any family.

2015 CHEVROLETTRAVERSE

Dubai: Sh. Zayed Road, Tel: 04 - 231 0800Dubai: Ittihad Road, Tel: 04 - 608 4666Ras Al Khaimah: Tel: 07 - 205 8333Fleet Sales: Tel: 04 - 231 0800www.alghandi.com

ace.the

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Abu Dhabi: Airport Road, Tel: 02 - 444 8888Corniche, Tel: 02 - 681 7781

Al Ain: Tel: 03 - 722 1555Fleet Sales: Tel: 02 - 479 9241

12,866 kmThunder Grey/Carbon Black6,000 km

Starlight Blue/Copper24,500 km 12,664 km 11,500 km

15,500 km

5Asparadoxical as it may sound, a great supercar isntmerely about cold, hard statistics. Zero-to-100kph timesand V-max are all well and good, but there are certainunquantifiable qualities that separate a technically capablecar from a memorable one. Take the R35 GT-R. There arefew machines on the planet that are faster than Nissanswondercar. It is an astonishing engineering achievementthat on paper rivals the likes of the mighty Bugatti Veyron.And your only takeaway after driving one is that it isbrain-scramblingly rapid thats it.Then there is the Lexus LFA, which is, in every tangibleway, not quite as good as a GT-R. Its slower, thirstier, pricierand, in my opinion, not quite as pretty in the flesh as peoplemake it out to be. Yet it is absolutely incredible. A memorablesupercar engages all your senses, which the LFA does waybetter than the GT-R.Its not surprising, then, that McLaren, a company thatis excruciatingly numbers-driven (who names their firstsupercar MP4-12C?), struggled to inject some soul into itsearly cars. However, that may finally have changed with thenew 675LT. Not only does it bring back an iconic name, it justmight be the car to alter McLarens image asa purveyor of proficient, but emotionallyvapid automobiles. We had the chanceto drive this remarkable supercar at itsglobal launch at Silverstone last weekand our Middle East exclusive featurestarts on page 30.Enjoy.

IN THIS ISSUE

It justmight be the car to alterMcLarensimage as a purveyor of proficient butemotionally vapid automobiles.

HEADVSHEART

AMIT BENJAMINGROUP MOTORING EDITOR

Al Nisr Publishing LLC trading as GNMEDIA

GROUPMOTORING EDITORAmit Benjamin

abenjamin@gulfnews.com

DEPUTY EDITORSony Thomas

sothomas@gulfnews.comFEATURESWRITERS

DEPUTY ART EDITORJohn Gomez

ENGLISH EDITION

EDITORFadi Takieddine

ftakieddine@gulfnews.comSUB-EDITORKinan AlhabbalDESIGNER

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PUBLISHED BYAl Nisr Publishing LLC, PO Box 6519, Dubai, UAE

These upgrades havemade this Toyotas mostconvincing attemptat infusing characterand liveliness into the

Camry.SONY THOMAS ON THE2015 TOYOTA CAMRY

Even as we passedthrough the spotless

centre ofWinterthur, witha population similar to

that of Fujairahs, therewashardly a car tobe seen.RICHARD WHITEHEAD:

ROAD WARRIOR

9ISSUE 541 JULY 24-30 2015

The650Swasthe lightestcar in itsclassbut that title isnowheldbythe675LT,weighing

inat 1,230kg.Thatsa full 100kg less.

COVER STORY

NEXT WEEK

ODDONEOUT?The low-down on Hondas revisedfamily favourite, the Odyssey J

Issue 542 out on July 31

30

16

COVER

PHOTO

PATRICKGOSLINGCO

VER

DESIGNJO

HNGOMEZ

DIGITALRETOUCHINGSO

HELLU

RRA

HMAN

STANG WITH MORE STINGApollo Edition Pony packs a mighty 627bhp

BACK TO LIFELegendary Shelby Cobra Daytona coup returns

COOL NEW TOYToyotas refreshed Camry.Now with added character

ORIGINS OF THE S-CLASSTheW111 started it all back in the Fifties

THE IDES OF MARCHJust two 721Xs were built. They werent very good50

38

1216

22

26 RAGE ROVER SPORTThe angry, 543bhp SVRdriven in Dubai

26

10

all sportscars like the 911, R8, AMG GTS,F-Type and the like are supposed to do at theend of the day.That makes the Bentley an overpriced butsuperb GT. But then again, as you said in thestory, exclusivity has its price.It is a lustworthy collectible, and Id definitelybe ready to welcome one into my garageprovided I had Dh1.4 million to stump up.

CHILLER X, VIA EMAIL

TAKING ITTOTHEMAXHi guys. I love the magazine and have beena fan since it launched all those years ago.The other day, I happened to spot this cardriving on Shaikh Zayed Road. It looked likethe newMaxima to me.Has Nissan already brought the car here oris this just a test model?

MAJID, DUBAI

Thats a good spot, Majid. It is indeed thenewMaxima. It is not on sale yet but oncethe new model is officially launched in ourmarket, were sure that it will sell like theproverbial hot cakes!

EVOQUECABRIO...Recently, on Dubai Al Ain Road, I spotteda heavily camouflaged Range Rover Evoque convertible. I guess it was undergoing hotweather testing here but I thought Id sharethe photo with you.

BOBBY KWON, VIA EMAIL

Land Rover has been teasing us with thismodel for sometime now (it was first seenat the Geneva motor show in 2012) andalthough its, frankly speaking, a weirdconcept, well have to see what the finishedproduct is like before we judge it.

NOTSPORTYENOUGHLast weeks cover star, the GT3-R, was nodoubt a sublime car but I feel that thereis one niggling problem with it.Bentley said that the car was born onthe racetrack. It would therefore be fairto assume that it is a bonafide sportscar.But from the review, it appears the GT3-Rdoesnt quite transform into a backstreetbomber when you need it to, which is what

LETTER OF THEWEEKLastweeks cover story about theContinental GT3-R was very enjoyable,as was the rest of the issue especiallythat Disco but is the Bentley worththe money? Dh1.4 million for this caris a bit much.I do like the car as it offers the best ofboth worlds (it is a luxurious grand tourerone minute and a powerful beast the next),but it is disappointing to see that it stillhas Volkswagen sourced components likethe gearshift surround and audio controls,despite its extremely high price. Also, for

a sportscar, it seems those shift paddlescould have been far better placed.Italian carmakers like Lamborghini andFerrari produce near-perfect modelsand these would still represent a bargainwhen compared to the Bentley.But despite its issues, I would stillwholeheartedly welcome a GT3-R intomy garage because of its looks, exhaustnote and everyday drivability if I couldafford one. Time to start saving thosepennies!

KARAN KHATRI, DUBAI

12

14

This ordinary 2015 FordMustang GT has been transformed into a 627bhpmonster witha lovable spirit its one of a kind and built for charity

WORDS: DEJAN JOVANOVIC

FORD APOLLO EDITION MUSTANG

OUTOFTHISWORLD

ord has quite a history of bringingout charity cars; Mustangs,specifically. Now there is a new

US Apollo spaceflight programme, whichhas stirred up Dearborns designers tocreate a one-of-a-kind 2015 Mustang fora charity auction. Over recent years Ford hasraised almost $3 million in charity auctionsales, so this latest special-edition Mustangwont go cheap.In fact its the eighth successive yearof unique aero-inspired Mustangs. Thisparticular Apollo Edition Mustang isa Fastback GTmodel, but with a differenceadded by team-leader and Ford designerMelvin Betancourt.The exterior is finished in a custom glossywhite and black paint thats not offeredanywhere else on Fords production line.Body bits that are kitted out in carbon fibreto match the contrasting paint are the front

F

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS WEEK: NEW CARS TRENDS SPYSHOTS OPINION QUICK CHAT

The Apollo Edition gets exclusiveperformance gauges, a modifiedinstrument cluster and special

trim panels and floor mats

13

Normally, it can last up to 18monthsormore, but depending on the projectwe canfinish the job in half the time.Michelins Pierre Chaput on developing bespoke tyres

WHEELS CHAT

16VUHL05COMINGTHISYEAR

NEWS

When Alan Shepard became the firstAmerican to go to space on May 5,1961, the first car he drove when hestepped back on planet earth was aChevrolet Corvette. Thats some productplacement. The Mustang was three yearsaway so Ford missed out on that oneShepard had in fact driven a Corvette

since the late Fifties during his spacemantraining, and Nasas finest always had nice discounts on Corvettes down the roadfrom HQ in Florida from a friendly, enterprising Chevy dealer.Carrying on the tradition of sweet lease deals, when moon-landing astronauts

on Nasas Apollo 12 space mission returned and ordered new 1969 Corvettes theyspecced their Stingray Coups identically, with 390bhp engines and custom blackand gold paint with obligatory red, white and blue detailing. Thats the right stuff.

splitter, rear diffuser and side skirts. Theunderbody lighting is a bit of a Nineties touchbut at least its LED underbody lighting.Thankfully Fords charitable team alsofocused on the performance side of things forthe Apollo Stang, and added nothing shortof a supercharger to eke out 627 horsepower,which is a fair bit more than the stock 435bhpfigure. For additional support there is also atotally new exhaust system, new suspension,six-piston Brembo brakes, some custom 21inwheels and similar treatment inside. Theinterior gets extra gauges and jewellery in theform of door sill plates and various other trimbits. In other words its fit for a spaceman.

Embroidered elements in the cabin,special sill plates, a carbon fibrefront splitter and rear diffuser addto the cars unique looks

Proceeds from the sale willgo towards funding youtheducation programmesat the Experimental AircraftAssociation

Astronauts Dick Gordon, Charles Conrad,and Alan Bean with their matching Stingrays,bought with special astronaut discounts

HERES HOW SOME RECENTCHARITY-AUCTION MUSTANGS

FROM FORD HAVE FAREDUNDER THE HAMMER

2010: SR-71 BlackbirdMustang sold for

$375,000

2011: Blue AngelsMustang sold for

$400,000

2012: Red TailsMustang sold for

$370,000

2013: US Air ForceThunderbirds Mustangsold for $398,000

2014: First 2015 model-year Mustang GT sold

for $300,000

2015: Shelby GT350Rchassis number 001sold for $1 million

14

n theUAE you can buy justabout anything on two, four, sixor however many wheels you can

imagine, but blasphemously youre not ableto buy a Mexican supercar. Thats not on.The problem is soon to be resolved however,as the Mexican company Vuhl has justannounced its Mexican-built and developed05 model will officially be available in theMiddle East region through newly appointeddealers in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain,Oman, Qatar and the UAE, before the yearis out. The 05 retails in Europe and the USfor just short of Dh350,000. We wont besurprised if Middle East importers are addingthe customary 20 per cent markup.Anyway, Mexicos ambitious 05 is alightweight track-biased supercar that stopsthe scales at just 695kg. A mid-mounted285bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

from Ford powers the rear wheels via asix-speed manual box for a 0-100kph sprinttime of 3.5 seconds and a top speed of over250kph. Only last week Dearborn announceda $2.5 billion (Dh9.2 billion) investment intoengine manufacturing in Mexico, so the linkmakes sense.The 05s chassis is an aluminium tub withsteel subframes, but to save a further 30kgin weight customers can also spec a carbonfibre body instead of the standard glass fibre.Braking is by Brembo, wheels by Sparco, andtyres by Michelin. The 05 additionally comesfitted with an electronic dash including dataacquisition for your Autodrome and YasMarina track nights (or just to fiddle withas you inevitably cruise down Beach Road),plus a built-in HD camera and even optionaltitanium bolts. God forbid you should showup at the valet without them titanium bolts.

MARHABA,HOMBREAll theway fromMexico, please say hola to the latest

supercar to enter theMiddle Eastmarket

VUHL 05

The car, which hit headlines during the 2013Goodwood Festival of Speed, will reach theMiddle East in the last quarter of this year

I

THE HITS AND MISSES OFTHE TUNING WORLD

SR AUTO HELLCATThe Challenger SRT Hellcatis a ferocious performer, ofthat there is no doubt. Butsome would argue that itdoesnt quite have the showto match the go. Well, thatsall changed. And how.SR Auto Group took thatoutrageous Liberty Walkwidebody kit and stuckit on the 707bhp Dodge.The outcome may not beeveryones cuppa, but it sureis an attention grabber. Thekit features the biggest wheelarches weve seen in a long,long time and it gives theHellcat a seriously wide andaggressive stance.The Canadian tuner didntstop there; were sure fansof those tuned Toyotas andHondas will appreciate theslammed look courtesy ofan AirRex air suspension kit and those deep-dish,20in gold PUR wheels thatfinish it all off nicely.

CUSTOM NEWS

The kit consists of Liberty Walksfamed wide fenders with exposed bolts

PRESENTING THE BEST OF THE WORSTFROM THE ARCHIVES

There is one golden rule toremember when you are thinking

about tuning your muscle car: avoidthe colour pink. But KC Trends

chose to ignore this solid piece ofadvice. Unsurprisingly, their take

on the Challenger SRT-8 looked likea bad joke. Adding ridiculously big24in wheels and a custom bodykitthat made the back of the Dodgejut out didnt exactly help matters

either...

PAST OFFENDER

RIVALS LOTUS EXIGE S ROADSTERWith a Toyota-sourced 3.5-litre V6 the Lotusmakes much more power than the Vuhl, in fact

60bhp more, but it also weighs a surprisingly heavy1,100kg and comes with typical Lotus ergonomicsand build quality, which means that nostalgic smellof glue The Exige S Roadster is available from

Lotus UAE with a price of Dh292,500

KTM X-BOWwheels has driven the Austrian KTM X-Bow KTMs first foray into four-wheeled trackfun extensively and we love its sturdy

Teutonic quality, no-nonsense turbochargedVW Group engine, and infinite set-up

options (ours, for example, was too front-light). Youll need about Dh400K for one

KC TRENDSCharges: Pink paint was

bad enough. But 24in

wheels on a muscle car?

GET THE BEST CAR RENTALDEALS IN TOWN!

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16

ALL-NEWFORTUNERThe Fortuner has been a hugelysuccessful model in this market, despitethe fact that Toyota did nothing muchto hide its not-so-glamorous Hiluxpick-up roots. Along with MitsubishisPajero, this capable ladder-frame off-roader has held the fort well against theonslaught of car-based unibody SUVs.This week, Toyota has launcheda completely redesigned second-generation Fortuner, which is aradical stylistic shift from the previousgeneration. Sporting decidedly morelines, the Fortuner has also grown insize marginally with an overall lengthof 4,795mm, width of 1,855mm, heightof 1,835mm and a 2,745mmwheelbase.It rides on double wishbones at thefront and a five-link, coil-spring set-upat the rear, while front and rearstabiliser bars quash body roll. It alsofeatures a trailer sway control feature,which kicks in if a towed vehiclebecomes unsettled by crosswinds,uneven roads or sharp turns. A lockingrear differential and hill-start assistround off the features that add to theFortuners off-road prowess.

While details of a turbo diesel have beenannounced theres no word on the second-genFortuners petrol drivetrains yet

Audi has always been good at filling niches where noneof the other premium brands offer a model, the A5, theA1 and the A3 saloon being examples. Now, the Germancarmaker is working on a crossover that does not have adirect competitor from any of its traditional rivals either.The photos you see here are those of an Audi Q1 prototype,which will probably go on sale late next year.Although its based on the A1 subcompact hatch, its likelyto be underpinned by the MQB platform rather than thecurrent A1s PQ25 architecture. Despite the fact that itsheavily camouflaged, its easy to guess that the Q1 willfollow the styling cues of the latest Q7, a design that will

AUDIQ1CROSSOVERSPYSHOTSINCOMING CARS YOU SHOULDBE EXCITED ABOUT

The Q1s rivals will include non-premium crossoverslike the Renault Captur and the Nissan Juke

reat news for everybody whodoesnt have $10 million(Dh37.7 million) to spend on

a Shelby Cobra Daytona Coup! ShelbyAmerican, the official Carroll Shelby outfit,is now offering one from Dh660,000.The company is building 50 limited-edition Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupcontinuation examples to celebratethe 50th anniversary of its 1965WorldSportscar Championship title. That year,at circuits such as Daytona, Monza,Spa-Francorchamps, the Nrburgring,

Le Mans and Sebring, Shelbys Coupbeat Porsches and Ferraris.Pete Brock, the Coups designer, workedwith test and race driver KenMilesto develop the original, while masterfabricator Phil Remington shaped thebody in Shelbys California workshop,which produced just six cars. Today ShelbyAmerican will release another 50, albeitrecreations, available in fiberglass oraluminium. Sorry, aluminiumWhile the former starts from Dh660K,the aluminium car is Dh1.3 million about

LEGENDREBORNShelby American is celebrating 50 years since the

Daytona Coups 1965 championship title by recreatingthe car in 50 limited examples

50TH ANNIVERSARY SHELBY COBRA DAYTONA COUP

G

The photos you see here are those of an Audi Q1 prototype,

Although its based on the A1 subcompact hatch, its likely

17

QUICK CHAT

We sit down with the manufacturer fromthe very beginning, before any work is done,and together we decide on the targets forthe car. In France our tyre engineer and ourtest driver begin work immediately, but theywork with the car manufacturer together asone team. It is not at all like a consultationor a partnership; it is all like one team.

How does the process of developing abespoke tyre for any sportscar work?

When we developed a bespoke tyre for theGT3 RS, we took the same tyre from the918 Spyder. We have a long relationshipwith Porsche, with 911, going back manyyears, and we understand very well whatPorsche wants. So in the case of thePilot Sport Cup 2 we were able to developone side of the tyre for grip and the otherside of the tyre for feel.

Can you elaborate on the developmentof the GT3 RS tyres?

The dimensions of the tyres in the 911and the 918 are exactly the same, but wedid have to change the tyre compounds.As you know, the 911 is a totally differentarchitecture, rear-engined, and the 918is mid-engined, so we had to change thecompound to compensate for this weightbalance. For the front we needed to reduceundersteer so the compound was alsochanged a little bit for that reason. Thedimensions of the front and rear tyres aredifferent from each other, 20in in the frontand 21in in the rear, but the compound wascarefully changed so it works for both thefront and rear tyres.

But how does the same tyre work on carswith very different architecture?

WITH PIERRE CHAPUT,MICHELIN TYRE DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER,

ON HOW TO DEVELOP BESPOKEULTRA-HIGH-PERFORMANCE TYRES

see its miniaturised application in the next-genQ5 and the Q3 as well. However, from the shots,it appears that it keeps some characteristics ofthe A1 intact, like the sloping roofline that leadsup to a boot-mounted lip spoiler.Our snapper couldnt manage to get closeenough to take a shot of the interior, but the Q1is likely to get the digital dashboard technologythat weve seen in the new TT and Q7.The Q1s powertrain line-up is expected to be

the same as A1s, which will include a base 1.0-litre petrol engine and a bigger1.4-litre unit. While these engines will be coupled with a six-speed manual in othermarkets, the cars coming here could be equipped with a new 10-speed (yes, ten...)DSG automatic gearbox.

The anniversary coups will stay faithfulto the Sixties blueprint for design

and specifications

the same price as that Bentley ContinentalGT3-Rwheels tested last week. Each carwill be badged as a 50th-anniversarymodel and, most importantly, each carwill receive Shelbys famous chassisnumber starting with CSX. Since theoriginal six cars were handmade and handformed, they all differed slightly, so for thecontinuation cars, Shelby American tookthe measurements of the original car theythought to be best, and worked from those50-year-old blueprints for the newmodels.As it was back in the day, the 50th-anniversary Coups get leaf springsuspension and a tube chassis, plusthe authentic wooden steering wheel.However, customers can choose from arange of exterior paint options, as well asopt for disc brakes, premium leather, ora reinforced frame. The alloy-block V8makes around 500 horsepower, so thecontinuation Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupwont be short of breath.

Normally, it can last up to 18 months ormore, but depending on the project wecan finish the job in half the time, like wedid with the Pilot Sport Cup 2 designedfor the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, because ofthe experience we had with the previous-generation tyre.

How long does bespoke tyredevelopment take?

see its miniaturised application in the next-gen

18

ROAD WARRIORAVID TRAVELLER AND CHRONIC

PETROLHEAD RICHARD WHITEHEAD HASDRIVEN IN MORE THAN 50 COUNTRIESDRIVEN IN MORE THAN 50 COUNTRIES

Could the personwho took all the carsfrom Switzerland please put them back?That thought stayed in my mind lastweekend as I sped through some incrediblelowland scenery on a train from Zurich toKonstanz, just across the German border.The countryside might have been straightfrom a chocolate box lid or a jigsaw puzzle,and it had just a touch of North Korea aboutit. It was all beautiful and pristineandalmost entirely carless. It was also verydisconcerting. On such a balmy late Fridayafternoon, anywhere else would have beenstuck in choking gridlock, but there waslittle sign of that in northern Switzerland.Instead, as we pulled out of the countrysbiggest city under a vivid blue sky that wouldstay that way until well after 9pm, when thesun sets in central Europe, the latticework ofgrey highways that criss-crossed the greens,browns and yellows of the countryside wasspookily unsullied by cars and trucks. Evenas we passed through the spotless centre of

Winterthur, with a population similar tothat of Fujairahs, there was hardly a carto be seen. Intrigued to find where all thevehicles had gone, I reached for my copyof Google, which brims with answers tosuch questions. I was surprised to find thatonly six other European countries hada higher proportion of cars per head ofpopulation than Switzerland, where overhalf the people own one. It didnt mentionwhere the Swiss put them all, so I askedthe train conductor, whose lilting Swisstones made his response sound like pureHelvetian poetry. How would I know?he shrugged, Im always on this damntrain. His point was well taken.This really isnt natural, I thought asI gazed out at a tourist poster picturing theMatterhorn above valleys full of edelweissand cowherds. It may be beautiful, butgive me an autobahn any day. I wasrelieved when I descended into somereal traffic in Konstanz.

LIMITEDVISION

astweek I road-tested theBentley Continental GT3-R(a Dh1.4 million, 300-unit-only

low-volume special) and it promptedme to ponder the whole limited-edition-vehicle lark.Is it a ploy by car manufacturers to gougepunters on the occasionally misguidedpremise that their sizeable extra spendis gaining them an exclusive and/orsignificantly better vehicle?Or do these limited-edition specialssometimes have genuine merit andcollectable status that justifies the heftywallop they inflict on the wallet?In the case of the Continental GT3-R,I wasnt convinced the Dh400K premiumover the Conti V8S on which its basedwas commensurate with what the formeractually offered low-volume statusor not but I may be proven wrong indecades to come if the GT3-R becomesa highly sought-after collectors car

OPINION

that trades hands for much more than itsshowroom price. While this may be thecase, I suspect there are other contemporaryvehicles built in relatively small volumes thatoffer greater investment potential, not tomention a more visceral driving experience.The first example that springs to mind is theFerrari 458 Speciale, which followed last year

in the wheel tracks of the 430 Scuderia and360 Challenge Stradale.Although not a limited-edition special in thetrue sense (as Ferrari has never officially set aproduction cap), rest assured the scintillatingcoup will escalate in value.The 360 Stradale and 430 Scuderiaalready command a fat premium overtheir price when new, and Id be willing towager my right arm that history will repeatwith the 458 Speciale.

Similarly, Porsches cracking 911 GT3and GT3 RS are bound to be gilt-edgedinvestments in years to come, as buildnumbers of this duo are unlikely to gofar beyond 2000 units each.Low-volume 911s have always been greatcollectables and, as prime examples, theNineties 993 RS, Turbo S and GT2 are now

worth the equivalent of a small mansion each.If money is no object, you could look at themultimillion-dirham Porsche 918 Spyder(capped at 918 units), Ferrari LaFerrari(499 units) andMcLaren P1 (375 units),although youd now need to source a second-hand one as theyre officially sold out.Each of this trio is already trading hands foraround double what they cost when new, sothe proverbial wheels are already in motion.Place your bets, gentlemen.

Id bewilling towagermy right arm thathistorywill repeatwith the 458Speciale.

Do limited-edition specials offer genuine valuethat justifies a huge investment in them?

L

G-FORCEGAUTAM SHARMAGAUTAM SHARMA IS AN INDO-AUSSIE MOTOR NOTER IS AN INDO-AUSSIE MOTOR NOTERWITH A LEAD FOOT AND DUBIOUS SENSE OF HUMOURWITH A LEAD FOOT AND DUBIOUS SENSE OF HUMOUR

THIS WEEKTHIS WEEKSWITZERLAND

SUBSCRIBE TODAY@mags.gulfnews.com

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In every issue youll nd

41

TITLE The Volkswagen Golf Story:40 years of the second peoples carWHERE www.amazon.comPRICE Dh250RATING

Its hard to believe that the Golf is 40years old this month.Launched way back in 1974 as the

successor to the original peoples carthe Beetle, over 30 million have beenproduced.This, the second peoples car, is still

at the top of the sales charts and tocelebrate four decades of the ever-popular Volkswagen, author RussellHayes has written a meticulouslyresearched 288-page book charting the

cars history from its beginnings to thepresent days seventh generation.The Volkswagen Golf Story:

40 years of the secondpeoples car is a fabulouscelebration of the little car inthe fullest detail.With more than 300

photographs and loads oforiginal material, this book isa fitting tribute to a motoringicon.

Every chapter puts each generationof Golf in the context of its time and

in relation to the otherVolkswagen bestsellers the Passat, Polo andScirocco.With new interviews

with key Volkswagenpersonnel and with everykind of model covered, thisis a must-have for all Golfaficionados.

1. PORSCHE DESIGN SHYRT SERIES Craftedfrom high-quality Italian leather, the new Shyrtluggage series from Porsche Design comprisesbags in more than 20 designs, characterised bystraight, simple lines. The shoulder bag costsDh1,765, while the High Grain 24h bag comesfor Dh5,029 at www.porsche-design.com

2. OFFICINE ALFIERI MASERATICOLLECTION Thinking of ordering theravishing new Alfieri coup?While you waitfor your car to be ready, why not order a fewaccessories from the Officine Alfieri Maseraticollection? The cotton polo is inspired byfashion trends from the Fifties, so is themlange cotton flannel shirt with a two-sidedcollar. Add to the list a silk tie with polka dotpattern and embroidered with classic cars,and youre set. Dh385, Dh750 and Dh358respectively at www.maseratistore.com

3. FUJIFILM XT-1 If individuality anduniqueness are what drive your carpurchase decisions, your choice of camerato shoot your exquisite set of wheelsshouldnt be any different. The FujifilmX-T1 with its retro design and cuttingedge mirrorless technology is the one tohave, then. The worlds fastest real timeviewfinder and a shutter lag time of just

0.005 seconds are only a couple of featuresthat you can brag about to your DSLR-

wielding friends. And its a steal at Dh4,999 forthe body and Dh6,999 with an 18-55mm lens.

TO FEATURE YOUR PRODUCTS ON THIS PAGE, CALL 04 406 7505OR EMAIL GEARBOX@GULFNEWS.COM

NOT THEIRFINEST HOUR

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COOL CAR STUFF CLASSIC CORNER LONG-TERM TEST MY WHEELS

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Lamborghini Huracn

THE RAGING BULL OF BOLOGNA UNLEASHES ITS ALL-NEWV10 SUPERCAR. THE HURACN LP610-4 HITS THE SWEET SPOT,

BUT IS IT A FERRARI 458 ITALIA BEATER?WORDS: GAUTAM SHARMA

YELLOWFEVER

42

lthough theAutoAvioCostruzioni 815 was the firstcar designed and built by Enzo

Ferrari after he set up his own company,it was the 125 S that bore the Ferrarilogo for the first time. A pure racing car,it brought Ferrari many wins during itsshort lifespan. It was followed by the 159 S,another track car, but soon Enzo realisedthat in order to keep his racing ambitionsafloat, he needed funds from road cars andtheir sales to private individuals.The 166 was the first such car developedto be suitable for both road and track.

CLASSICCORNER

FERRARI 195Ferraris second road-legal car played a big role inmaking the brand

popular outside racetracksWORDS: SONY THOMAS

Encouraged by the interest the car drew fromthe deeppocketed elite clientele in Europe,Enzo commissioned a larger car with a biggerengine. Thus was born the 195, which wasbasically an upgraded version of the 166. Itshared its Aurelio Lampredidesigned chassiswith the 166 and the 125 S, while the V12engine designed by Gioacchino Colombowas bored out to displace 2.3 litres, producinga healthy 130bhp in the 195 Inter streetversion.At 2,500mm, the 195 Inter also had a longerwheelbase than the 166, which freed up spaceinside the cabin. The 195 S or Sport offered

more power at 160bhp and was built byMilans Touring using its Superleggeramethod of lightweight and aerodynamicconstruction. A number of other coachbuilders created their own designs usingthe 195 chassis, but the most popular ofthese allaluminium coachbuilt versionswere the ones by Ghia and Vignale. Therewas also a Pininfarina version available.With its great looks, trackbredmechanicals and abundant power, theFerrari 195 soon established itself as oneof the most exclusive grand tourers inpostwar Europe. Although its the secondstreetlegal car by Ferrari, the 195 isconsidered the first desirable road car madeby Ferrari, starting a tradition of street carsfunding the firms racing commitments.Considering the very limited number ofthese produced, it is extremely difficultto find one for sale nowadays, except atauctions. Even if you find one, expect to shellout anything upwards of Dh2million.

FEELING RICH? DH150MILLION+Ferrari 250 GTO DH4MILLION+Ferrari F40 DH40MILLION+Ferrari California Spyder

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Lamborghini Huracn

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With audacious plans to sell 75,000 cars a year by 2018, the greenlighted-for-productionAlfieri couldmake up half of those sales for Maserati

WORDS: IMRAN MALIK

MASERATI ALFIERI

Maserati is saving the V8s for its biggerGTs and saloons not that werecomplaining; the most potent V6 availablefor the Alfieri will have 520bhp. Blimey!

NUMBERSGAME

MASER SIXBANGERS

Maserati isnt suddenlyadopting a new trendof fitting its cars witha V6; its been doingit for years. Backin 1972, the Merakwas introduced as alow-cost alternativeto the V8 Bora. Itsfree-revving, quad-cam 3.0-litre V6 had187bhp while the

Biturbo that followed in1981 had, yep, a twin-turbo V6. The 2.8-litrepacked as much as

250bhp. Then in 1992came the Ghibli II almost identical tothe Shamal with a2.8-litre twin-turbo V6producing 284bhp.

Wehave given a lot of thought to theUrus concept. Now is the time towork on it.StephanWinkelmann, Lamborghini president andCEO

WHEELS CHAT

17AUDIR8:NOWWITHADDEDLASERS

NEWCARS

16

aseratis recent product surgeis a bit like the old adage: you waitfor a bus for ages and then all of a

sudden, a bunch of them turn up. Thankfully,were not getting a bus. Were getting thestunning Alfieri.Having fed us nothing but slightly differentvariations of the Quattroporte and GranTurismo for way too long to remember, theModena carmaker finally realised that itsfaithful were starving for newmodels. To befair, it did get back to the drawing board androlled out the newgeneration Quattroportetwo years ago and more recently, the Ghibli

our Car of the Year, no less. More is on theway; Maser is just warming up.Joining the current lineup will be theLevante (formerly known as the Kubang)SUV in 2015, which will give the Cayennea serious run for its money. But before that,another Porsche that the Italian carmakerhas firmly in its sights is the 911. And to giveit, and the Jaguar FType, some sleeplessnights is the confirmedforproductionAlfieri. Scheduled for launch in 2016, itspart of the we want to sell 75,000Maseratisby 2018 spiel that weve been hearing a lotof lately. According to Masers CEOHarald

Wester, the carmaker is already getting 3,500orders per month thats three times morethan last year meaning they should sellaround 42,000 units this year. We encouragethe bullish talk because by the looks of theupcoming new twodoor, Maser has its mojoback. That 75,000 figure suddenly doesntseem so daunting.Having made its debut in Geneva in March,the tridentbadged sportscar showcases thebrands new design language and theresno doubt about it, its very impressive ifa tad too close to the 2009 Infiniti Essenceconcept for comfort. That was a looker and

so is this; we love the aggressive fastbackstyle (inspired by the Pininfarinapenned1954Maserati A6 GCS53) bold grille, whichhides under that extended nose, those sharpbixenonLED headlights and that rear endfeaturing those hardtomiss side air ducts.Finished in Steel Flair and lashings ofMaserati Blue trim, the Alfieri to be builtin both coup and convertible body styles(the droptop is planned for 2017) will beoffered with a choice of three V6s. A 410bhpV6 rearwheeldrive variant will be the basewhile upping the ante will be a midlevel450bhp with allwheel drive but the rangetopper will have a monstrous 520bhp at itsdisposal, again with allwheel drive. Theexterior looks production ready but thesame cant be said about the interior; it is toundergo some serious modification.If all that wasnt exciting enough, the V6Alfieri means theres still room for a V8 GT inthe range, so we expect a new GranTurismo and GranCabrio to be with us by 2018.Ah, sweet music.

According toMasers CEOHaraldWester, the carmaker isalready getting 3,500orderspermonth. Thats three times

more than last year.

M

The Giorgetto Giugiaro-designedMerak was built

from 1972-83

Produced from 1981-94,the Biturbo didnt havethe greatest reputation...

Available from 1992-97,the Ghibli II was as fast asit was luxurious very

Bellissimo indeed. The tin-top Alfieri issublime, but just imagine how good the

convertible will be ...

Liked the concepts interior?Well, tough!Maserati will redesign the cabin from top

to bottom for the production version

The 911 and F-Type rival will be based on anadapted version of the platform underpinning the

Ghibli and Quattroporte

NEW CARS CUSTOM NEWS TRENDS SPYSHOTS OPINION QUICK CHAT

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Its got a new name, but Stuttgarts replacement for themid-sizeM-Class SUV is still oneof the sturdiest andmost capable offerings in its segment

WORDS: MATT KIMBERLEY. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

ASOLIDBET

y now, all of you should be familiar with Mercedes-Benzs new naming convention, which has been realignedto something more straightforward. If it starts with GLthen its an SUV, while the suffix (C, E or S, mirroring thesaloon range) defines the size. Simple.With this shift comes a new GLE thats actually halfthe old ML, with the chassis, parts of the bodyworkand the suspension carried over. But a new interior andlower emissions, plus a plug-in hybrid option add newdimensions to consider. Avoid pale colours and you cantlose. Theres a slight awkwardness to the upper-rearbodywork between the C- and D-pillars thats hidden bydark blue, for example, and thats always a classy choice.

The GLE looks bulky without being flabby, muscularwithout the roid rage and classy without being boring.As for image, a new naming structure takes time to settleinto consumer consciousness but the GLE is one of theless ostentatious and in-your-face SUVs you could buy,though that means some of the standard wheel designsare a bit dull. With five seats in place theres a whopping690 litres of boot to play with, which rises to morethan 2,000 litres with the 60:40 split bench seat folded.Theres a mountain of legroom for rear passengers, too,and only the longest-legged drivers will spoil that.The cabins cup holders arent positioned in the mosthelpful place but its probably not a deal-breaker. Whats

MERCEDES-BENZ GLE

B

ALL THE NEW CARS THAT MATTER TESTED AND RATED

Sharper front-end styling includes slightly largerair dams, chunkier grille and sculpted fenders

21

RANGEROVERSPORTSVR

DRIVEN The675LThas a provokable playfulnessthat is extremely addictive and totallyconfidence inspiring.JamesDavison, contributingwriter, on theMcLaren 675LT

COVER STORY

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SPECS &RATING

MODELGLE 400ENGINE

3.0-litre V6 turboTRANSMISSION

Nine-speed auto, AWDMAX POWER

328bhp @ 5,500rpmMAX TORQUE

480Nm@ 1,400rpmTOP SPEED245kph

0-100KPH6.0secLENGTH4,900mmWIDTH2,003mmHEIGHT1,731mm

WHEELBASE2,915mmWEIGHT2,180kgON SALE

September, 2015PRICENA

OVERALLRATING

8HIGHS

Good to drive, practical,capable off-road

LOWSRide quality isnt the bestin models without air

suspension

RIVALS BMWX5The X5 continues to be a benchmarkfor luxury mid-size SUVs

AUDI Q7Spruced-up Q7 is much improved anda stronger contender in this class

of much greater import is the sense of size on theroad, which some people will actively want and othersjust wont get on with. A test drive will tell you whichcategory youre signed up to.The 3.0-litre turbo petrol V6 in the GLE 400 servesup 328bhp and 480Nm, which aided by the smoothnine-speed auto box does a great job in lugging thetwo-tonne SUV along.For the eco-conscious, theres the GLE 500e hybrid,which combines the same petrol V6 with an electricmotor, emitting just 78g/km of CO2 while packingin more punch.

Body control is good through corners, but withoutthe high-spec adaptive air suspension theres a noticeablejiggle to the ride quality. If you can bring yourself to liftoff the throttle (very) early when slowing for hazards,and to use momentum control to help smooth outshort inclines, this GLE can actually record decent fueleconomy. The figures experience some bad times if youjam your foot into the carpet.The GLE has a lovely sense of solidity about it thatmakes you feel youre getting a quality product. Thatgoes a long way to justifying the price, but at the sametime the options list is long and tempting. List prices arerarely left unmolested on models like this, so prepare tobudget for add-ons. An obvious target buyer is the safety-minded parent who wants that height and size on theroad combined with a level of premium feel not found incheaper cars. No doubt plenty will crop up in mall valetparkings and JBRWalk, but the GLE does harbour a secret and deeply impressive off-road ability that will appealto those of you who like taking on the wilderness.

The GLE gets a mid-cycle refresh that includes a revised instrumentpanel design and new trims compared to the M-Class it replaces

Body control is goodthrough corners, butwithout the high-specadaptive air suspensiontheres a noticeable jiggle

to the ride quality.

22

henToyota replaced its rear-wheel-drive Coronain 1983 with the aim of getting a bigger slice of the USmarket, rival Honda had already been setting the saleschart ablaze with its Accord saloon. But it took the Camryonly a few years to topple the Accord from the pedestal ofAmericas bestselling car, a position it holds to date.The recipe for its success was simple; robustbuild quality, bullet-proof reliability, incredibly lowmaintenance costs and high residual value. While thesewinning attributes have been retained unfailingly acrossgenerations, Toyota has often been panned for notdevoting as much attention to the Camrys looks. Itsthis gripe that the worlds biggest carmaker is seeking toaddress with the new 2015 version of the saloon, which isevident from the timing and scale of this update.The Camry has always followed a generational update

sequence of five to six years, so it came as a surprise whenToyota announced this refresh barely three years afteran all-newmodel had been released. And as mid-lifemakeovers go, this is one of the most comprehensiveweve seen from Toyota, with a claimed 2,000 parts thatare new or re-engineered, including an all-new exteriordesign and brushed up interior. Apparently, its only theroof that stands in the way of this being an all-new Camry.The changes are obvious from the first glance, withthe thoroughly revamped front fascia sporting a moreprominent Lexus-like spindle grille thats also verysimilar to the one seen in the larger Avalon, as well assleeker, redesigned headlights and daytime runninglights. These, along with the sculpted profile and thesmoother rear with an added dash of chrome andrestyled taillamps, give the car a bolder, more refined and

A completely redesigned face with a larger grilleand sleeker headlights adds more character to theCamrys looks

BOLDFACEOFRELIABILITY2015 TOYOTA CAMRY

Toyota says its bold new Camry is a significantly better driving car than previousmodels.We take one for a spin around town to verify this claim

WORDS: SONY THOMAS. PHOTOS: GRACE PARAS

W

23

contemporary look compared to the 2014 model.The changes inside are not as sweeping but theoverall quality of the cabin appears to have beensignificantly improved with soft plastics andperforated suede-like material used in the dashboard,door trims and other upholstery with red contraststitched finishes.The controls for the climate and entertainmentsystems also feel more upscale than before, sensibly

designed and ergonomically laid out. As it has alwaysbeen, the Camrys cabin remains one of the mostspacious among all cars in this segment, with ampleroom for four relatively tall adults to travel in comfort.The eight-way power adjustable drivers seat is easyto settle into and offers a great mix of support andcomfort, while the redesigned steering wheel feels

Asmid-lifemakeoversgo, this is one of themostcomprehensiveweve

seen fromToyota,with aclaimed2,000parts that

are either neworre-engineered.

Better quality materials lend the Camrys cabina decidedly more upscale look than before

24

The Camry remains one of the roomiest and mostcomfortable saloons in its class

25

more agreeable in your hands than before. Meanwhile,the dual-zone air conditioning systemmakes quickwork of cooling the cabin of the car even when itsbeen parked in the summer heat for hours. Completingthe overall upmarket ambience is a 10-speaker JBLsurround system, which offers a remarkably betteraudio experience than previous iterations.Realising that sharper looks mean nothing ifnot translated into sharper dynamics, Toyota hasgiven the new Camry a stiffer body structure withadditional spot welds to increase rigidity, and a tunedsuspension with MacPherson struts up front and amulti-link set-up at the rear. These, together withrecalibrated electric power steering and a tweakedtwo-stage brake-booster system, make for a betterdriving experience, with improved responses to driverinput and a much more poised, assured demeanouraround corners. However, even as these changes areremarkable for a Camry, they arent enough to placethe cars driving dynamics a notch above that ofa Mazda 6s or a Volkswagen Passats.

This being a facelift, Toyota has kept the drivetrainunchanged, with the 2.5-litre four-cylinder enginecarried over, still making 178bhp and 235Nm of torquecoupled to a six-speed automatic gearbox. The four-pot has been around for a while now, but still hasenough juice in it to haul this mid-size saloon aroundwith ease. Upon acceleration, it feels livelier than thesimilarly powered unit in the Honda Accord, whichis now only available mated to a CVT. And even athighway speeds, its easy to agree with Toyotas claimthat added insulation has made this the quietestCamry ever.One gripe we had about Toyota here was that eventhe top end variants of certain models werent offeredwith the full list of safety features. Its heartening tosee that at least the top two trim levels the Dh95,900SE+ and the Dh105,900 Limited now come with10 airbags and other safety features like enhancedvehicle stability control, anti-lock brakes, electronicbrake-force distribution, Brake Assist and Isofix childsafety systems, all of which have helped the newCamry achieve top-notch results in crash safety tests.The 2015 model year upgrades have made thisToyotas most convincing attempt at infusing characterand liveliness into the Camry saloon. Add theaggressive new styling, and a driving experience thatsdifferent from the forgettable dynamics of the past toits legendary reliability record, and the new Camryis sure to appeal to a new set of buyers who wouldnthave considered it an option previously.

Toyota has given thenewCamry a stiffer bodystructurewith additionalspotwelds to increaserigidity, and a tuned

suspension.

SPECS &RATING

MODELCamry Limited

ENGINE2.5-litre four-cyl

TRANSMISSIONSix-speed auto, FWD

MAX POWER178bhp @ 6,000rpm

MAX TORQUE235Nm@ 4,100rpm

TOP SPEEDNA

0-100KPHNA

LENGTH4,849mm

WIDTH1,821mm

HEIGHT1,471mm

WHEELBASE2,776mm

WEIGHTNA

ON SALENow

PRICEDh105,900 (as tested)

OVERALLRATING

7.5HIGHS

Looks better,drives better

LOWSStill not the sportiest

in class

26

act: the RangeRover Sport SVR is the fastest and mostpowerful Land Rover ever produced. Not a convincingenough opening salvo? OK then, the following numbersshould hammer the point home a little better: 543bhp.680Nm of torque. 260kph top speed. Impressed yet? Youshould be, given that it can hit 100kph from rest in just4.7 seconds. This thing weighs almost 2,500kg, remember.Not that youd ever notice.Its the first LR product towear the new high-performanceSVR badge and, boy, does it deserve it. Its 5.0-litresupercharged V8 has been poked and prodded to produce40bhp and 56Nmmore than the RR Sport and its blessedwith a much meatier ZF eight-speed automatic andimproved four-wheel-drive chassis to cope with the extrapower. The results are sublime. What you have here is

an SUV ready for the track. Im not kidding. It lapped theNrburgring Nordschleife in eight minutes 14 seconds one of the fastest times ever recorded by a standardproduction SUV. How did it manage such a feat? Well,it built on the success of the RR Sports all-aluminiumarchitecture, but its that revised V8 that deserves specialpraise. With its cast-iron cylinder liners and cross-boltedmain bearing caps, its still a very refined mill but thechaps at Land Rovers Special Vehicle Operations havedialled it up a notch by tweaking the ECU and retuningthe superchargers electronic bypass valve. So, whenyou step on the throttle and it feels like youve left yourstomach behind, you can thank the SVO boffs for that. Itsacceleration is effortless. But the smooth ZF plays its parttoo and with the eight ratios closely stacked, shift times

are 50 per cent quicker. Its exceptionallysnappy too; flick the paddle shifters behindthe steering wheel in Dynamic mode andthe gear change is immediate. Youll befiddling with the paddles all the time just

A choice of colours is available, including Estoril Blue,exclusive to the Range Rover Sport SVR

EXTREMESPORTRANGE ROVER SPORT SVR

Jaguar Land Rovers SVO team gets their hands on the Range Rover Sport.The results are breathtaking, if a little questionable...

WORDS: IMRAN MALIK. PHOTOS: STEFAN LINDEQUE

F

It lappedtheNrburgringNordschleife ineightminutes 14secondsoneof the fastest times

ever recordedbyastandardproductionSUV.

27

Unique sports seatsensure occupants areheld securely in placeduring spirited driving

An electrically controlledtwo-stage active exhaustprovides a racecar-inspiredsoundtrack

28

to hear the roaring exhaust crackle and pop on theoverun. Its addictive stuff and best enjoyed with thewindows down, but this model isnt just restricted tostraight line speed and a racecar-like exhaust. It haspermanent four-wheel drive and a fully independentdouble wishbone front and an advanced multi-linklayout at the rear (the four-corner air suspension hascontinuously variable magnetorheological dampers buthas been reprogrammed to trade some ride comfort forgrip), which gives it real agility in the bends. And it hasa two-speed transfer case, a best-in-class wading depthof 850mm and six Terrain Response settings (includinggrass/gravel/snow, mud/ruts, sand, and rock crawl),which means its as capable off-road as ever. Not that Ibothered to off-road it because 0-100kph in 4.7 seconds,remember!It looks as good as ever, if not better; that iconic boxyexterior has been enhanced with a new front bumperwith larger air intakes, new grille, side mouldings,prominent SVR badges, a pronounced spoiler at the backand a gloss black diffuser, all of which signals the Rangiessporting intent but nothing does that better than thesix-piston Brembo brakes; theyre huge (20in calipers)and ensure optimal stopping power.The interior has been dressed up and features distinctiveleather sports seats finished in luxuriousWindsor leatherwith ribbed, quilted centres that do offer better support

LR says the SVRs fuel economyis unaffected by the extraperformance and still gets a claimed12.8 litres per 100km, just like theV8 Supercharged derivative

21in alloys withsticky ContinentalSportContact tyrescomplement thedriver-focusedchassis

29

SPECS &RATING

MODELSport SVRENGINE

5.0-litre supercharged V8TRANSMISSION

Eight-speed auto, AWDMAX POWER543bhp @ NAMAX TORQUE

680Nm@ 3,500rpmTOP SPEED260kph

0-100KPH4.7secLENGTH4,872mmWIDTH2,073mmHEIGHT1,780mm

WHEELBASE2,923mmWEIGHT2,495kgON SALENowPRICE

Dh619,000OVERALLRATING

8.5HIGHS

Exceptional performance,exhaust note

LOWSRide quality has beencompromised a tad,

sky-high price

during spirited driving, but getting into them in the firstplace is a challenge, as is stepping out. The rear seatsget the sporty treatment too (however, the SVR is onlya four-seater the third row option isnt available dueto fear that it would overload the rear axle) but drop thesecond row and you get 1,761 litres of load space. Thatsa lot of groceries.Our Estoril Blue test car came swathed in carbon fibretrim from the door panels, centre console and dashboardto the steering-wheel bezel and it looked very tasty.If thats a bit OTT for you, then, as standard, the SVRhas a turned aluminium trim, which, come to think ofit, would stand out quite a bit too. But then you dontbuy one of these to blend in. Its loaded with kit (anti-lock braking system, cornering brake control, dynamicstability control, hill descent control and my favourite a switchable active sports exhaust are just some of thehighlights) and it also packs goodies such as a Meridiansurround sound audio system with 19 speakers, 8.0intouch screen and a TFT virtual instrument cluster.Theres a lot of competition out there (the M, AMG andQuattro divisions spring to mind as does a sporty SUVshootout feature...) and even though a Cayenne TurboS is faster, it isnt as fun to drive as this SVR. JLR canbe sure its own in-house skunk works team has createda rip-roaring monster thats equally adept on road,off-road and now as strange as it may sound on thetrack. But vehicles of this ilk beg the question, and itsa rather pertinent one at that: Does your SUV have tobe as fast and as expensive as a supercar? It doesnt but the SVR is so much fun that Id have mine with theoptional 22in wheels, thanks. This thing is mad in avery good way.

The quad exhausts help differentiate the SVRfrom other Range Rovers

IS THE LIGHTER AND SLEEKER MCLAREN 675LTALL THAT ITS CRACKED UP TO BE? WE FIND OUTAT SILVERSTONE HOME OF THE BRITISH GPWORDS: JAMES DAVISON. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

EVOLUTIONOF THESPECIES

30

y brain, already frazzledfrom a sleepless overnightflight from Dubai, has enoughto contend with today withoutthrowing some rain into the

mix. But, hey, this is England andthe beautiful clear blue sky of this

morning has been replaced by dampgrey drizzle in a typically changeable

British summer fashion. Under normal circumstances, the wetstuff doesnt bother me so much, but this is far removed fromnormal circumstances. This is probably the only chance I willever get to drive the exclusive McLaren 675LT and rain couldquite literally dampen the experience.Limited to just 500 units, all of which have already been sold,the 675LT is the most track-focused, road-legal McLaren seriesproduction model to date and comes equipped with tyresdeveloped in collaboration with technical partner Pirelli.These high-performance Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tyres have astiffer internal structure and offer up 6 per cent more grip thana P Zero Corsa. Which is great. However, evenMcLaren admitsthat they probably arent the best choice in cold or wet weather.Add to this mix that we are at Silverstone which may be thehome of British motorsport but is a circuit I have never driven

31

McLaren675LT

32

the lead Longtail came second overall separated from the muchfaster winning LMP car by only one lap.The 675LT is the result of application of this McLaren ethosto the already fantastic 650S and has seen every element thatcould be improved either modified or completely replaced withnew components. A total one third of parts has been changedcompared to the 650S to improve handling, performance or aidin weight reduction and the attention given to each and everycomponent can only be described as obsessive. I mistakenlymade a joke earlier in the day stating that the glass must be theonly item shared on both models, only to be informed that itisnt. The windscreen is 1mm thinner, saving approximately 3kg,the bulkhead glass is 0.5mm thinner saving 500g and the 675LThas a louvred polycarbonate engine cover. Total weight savingsin glazing alone combine to 4.7kg. Yup, that shut me up.This obsessive weight saving permeates every aspect of the675LT. From new titanium wheel nuts shaving a few grams toa massive 35kg saving from using carbon fibre body panelswith practically the whole rear section from the B-pillar backnowmade of the stuff. The 650S was the lightest car in its classbut that title is now held by the 675LT, weighing in at 1,230kg.Thats a full 100kg less. Well, as long as you didnt tick theno-cost option of air conditioning, which steals back 11kg

and the decision to have a spot of lunch and wait until thetrack is dry is an extremely logical choice to make.The nomenclature of the 675LT is a little bit misleading andalso perhaps an understatement of howmuch development hasbeen poured into this latest Woking wonder. This isnt just a650S with a bodykit and 25bhp more power masquerading assome sort of advancement of the species and, to best understandthis, the designation LT needs to be dissected and analysed.Yes, the 675LT is a little bit longer. About 38mm longer. ButLongtail? Really? Surely that extra length is the result of itsjutting carbon fibre front splitter and the large rear airbrakerather than it actually, you know, having a longer tail?The LT/Longtail designation has everything to do withMcLaren heritage and very little to do with physicalproportions. The philosophy behind the development of the675LT is that trademarked attention to detail and pushingengineering envelopes that sawMcLaren take the alreadypotent F1 GTR and completely re-engineer it from the groundup to produce the most track-focused derivative of the F1. Theresult was the 1997 McLaren F1 GTR Longtail that, amongother notable achievements, came first and second in class atthe 24 Hours of Le Mans, nearly 30 laps ahead of the nearestGT1 competitor. What is perhaps even more impressive is that

33

McLaren675LT

The engine is another case of engineering obsession andany assumption that the extra 25bhp has been extracted byslapping a chip on the ECU needs to be dropped. Over 50 percent of engine components in the 675LTs 3.8-litre twin turbo V8are unique, validating a new designation for the unit M838TL.More efficient turbo chargers with a machined-from-solidcompressor wheel rather than cast have been strappedon and everything from the exhaust manifolds to the fuelpump and delivery system has been upgraded. So whathappens when you combine all these incremental changes,100kg of weight saving and an extra nudge of performanceand combine it with 40 per cent more downforce and a wholehost of other fine fettling?With an almost dry Silverstone circuit, the decision ismade that it is best getting on with proceedings before theBritish summer has another wobble and it decides to snow orsomething. Donning helmet and climbing on board, its the firsttime I have paid any attention to the interior and, initially, it isa familiar place similar in most respects to the 650S and theMP4 12C that preceded it. But there are notable differences.Lightweight Alcantara and carbon fibre is in abundance andthe seating position is much lower in the carbon fibre racingseats with deep side bolsters bracing my frame. Its on start up,though, that the true realisation that this is a bit different tinglesthrough your senses. Carpet and sound-deadening materialshave been largely sacrificed for further weight-saving gains and,combined with the pleasantly raucous titanium exhaust system,there is an undeniable feeling of being closer to the drama withthe burbling engine note filling the cabin, the noise immediatelyfocusing the senses in preparation for whats to come.Fortunately, McLaren hasnt been too stingy with the amountof time we have on track and I take the sound advice of usingmy first three or four laps for familiarisation of the circuit

Lightweight Alcantara trim with contrast stitchingis standard throughout the cabin

The lightweight carbon fibre racing seats, first seen onthe McLaren P1, save a combined 15kg

34

SPECS &RATING

MODEL675LTENGINE

3.8-litre V8 turboTRANSMISSIONSeven-speed auto,

RWDMAX POWER

666bhp @ 7,100rpmMAX TORQUE

700Nm@ 5,500rpmTOP SPEED330kph

0-100KPH2.9secLENGTH4,546mmWIDTH2,095mmHEIGHT1,188mm

WHEELBASENA

WEIGHT1,230kgON SALE

NAPRICENA

OVERALLRATING

8.5HIGHS

Incredible performanceLOWS

Want one? Too late theyre all sold outThe bespoke exhaust doesnt just improve airflow

it optimises engine sound too

Ultra lightweight10-spoke forged alloys,finished in silver, arefitted as standard

100kg weight saving makes the 675LTthe lightest in its class

TheM838TL comprises morethan 50 per cent new components

35

McLaren675LT

and working my way up through the Normal, Sport and Trackmodes. It also allows me the added assurance that the track hasindeed dried.On the first few familiarisation laps the 675LT is of secondaryimportance. Im taking things rather sedately and trying to learnthe track. I also have the added benefit of aMcLaren test driverin the passenger seat guiding my efforts and, like a live actionsatnav, keeping me from becoming at one with the scenery.Witha finite number of laps at my disposal, however, there comesa time when you just have to man-up and get on with the job.Stepping things up a gear is where the 675LTwants to be and itis only when you start properly attacking that the true nature ofwhatMcLaren has succeeded in producing becomes tangible.The car feels much more lively than a 650S from thecombination of a little extra power, radically changed torquedelivery and the shaving off all that weight. And whereas the650S and, to an even greater extent, the 12C have the abilityto fill you with confidence in infinite grip right up to the pointwhere an advanced save is required to prevent you fromfacing the opposite direction, the 675LT is so communicativeand progressive as it gently breaks into oversteer that youintuitively start provoking it to tighten steering angle.Now, I am not talking about great swathes of drifting aroundevery corner Silverstone has to offer, but the 675LT has aprovokable playfulness that is extremely addictive and totallyconfidence inspiring.Added into this mix of optimised aerodynamics, a 20mm-widened track and visibly noticeable nose-down rake increasingfront-end downforce is the fastest steering rack ever fittedto a McLaren. The cumulative effect of all these incrementalchanges somehow seems to add up to more than the sum oftheir parts and leads to a palpable awareness that the 675LT hasuppedMcLarens game considerably. Gearshifts are up to twiceas fast as previously offered and utilise technology developedfor Formula 1, including Ignition Cut and Inertia Push, which,

despite having been explained to me twice by McLaren boffins,I still am not going to pretend to totally understand. The resultsdo, however, speak for themselves. Upshifts are fast andviolent, and accompanied by a fistful of torque and an aurallypleasant soundtrack.As my time on track runs out, I suddenly lose the ability tocount and sneak in one more lap. My professional McLaren test-driver companion seems not to be too bothered and has beengradually reducing his aural instructions throughout my timeon the circuit. But every single time at the end of the HangarStraight he chastises me for being too early on the brakes.My last sneaky lap is probably my cleanest and fastest yet andI leave braking to the last possible moment to try to claim back atleast some credibility. But there he is again saying too early onthe brakes and shaking his head. As we pit and change placesit is time for him to put his shoe into his braking point and offerup a hot lap for my recalibration of the 675LTs ability. Which hedoes a good 10m after my braking point while carrying morespeed. He is also back on the power much sooner through Stowewith the 675LT controllably squirming on exit while he chucklesto himself like a man who thoroughly enjoys his job.Following the adrenalin-fuelled time on track is a brief roaddrive. Im handed a 675LT and scoot off on my own through theEnglish countryside on a sedate 45-minute loop down narrowbumpy country lanes, through quaint villages and a brief blipon a motorway. The 675LT feels a tad wide for some of theroute but otherwise is as easy to drive on the road as any otherMcLaren. With regular speed cameras peeking over hedges andhiding around corners I simply flick it into auto and cruise. Theride is a bit stiffer and cabin noise a bit more prominent thana 650S, but thats a worthy trade for all those little, incrementalchanges that somehow combine to make the 675LT one veryspecial car. McLaren, always at the forefront of engineering,now has something that engages with the senses.The 675LT is an evolution of the species.

LET THE NUMBERSDO THE TALKING

Keep following us for the most talked-about stories, pictures, videos,polls, reports and everything else that has the world talking.

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OVER A MILLION FANS

OVER A QUARTER MILLION FOLLOWERS

37

1. MOTORING TEES One of our favourite motoringapparel creators at www.importbible.com has anew design that needs hardly any introduction its called Legend and the tee comes in five sizes,but only one colour combo at Dh99 a piece

2. LEGOMERCEDES Daimler teamed up withLego to build a Technic scale model based on theMercedes-Benz Arocs 3245 truck, and it evencomes with the trucks fancy frame, suspensionsystem and lifts. It has 2,793 components andits one of the most complex Lego models yet,measuring a massive 310mm high and 540mmlong. For more info, visit www.lego.com/technic

3. MUSTANG BELT This product comes with awarning dont use the Ford Mustang seat beltbelt as a seat belt. Head to www.merchandise.ford.com to buy this neat belt for Dh90, and dontworry, it goes around a 38in waist

4. MOPAR TOOLBOX This awesomely cool (read,ridiculously kitschy) Mopar toolbox is actuallyalso a refrigerator, because lets face it, its mucheasier to work with a cold wrench than a hot one.Its made of stainless steel and cools down to-10 degrees. Head to www.wearmopar.com ifyoure interested and set aside Dh1,650

TO FEATURE YOUR PRODUCTS ON THIS PAGE, CALL 04 406 7505OR EMAIL GEARBOX@GULFNEWS.COM

2

4

NOT THEIRFINEST HOUR

MARCH721X50

COOL CAR STUFF CLASSIC CORNER LONG-TERM TEST MY WHEELS

TITLEMarkWebberAussie GritWHERE www.amazon.comPRICE Dh75RATING

Everyones been waiting inanticipation for Mark Webbers tell-all, mainly because the Australiantends to actually tell it all. FormerF1 driver and now Porsche workssportscar racer, the Aussie has finallyfound time to sit down and talkcandidly about the many ups anddowns of his career.Naturally, everyone wanted the

goods on the infamous Red Bull beeffrom the get-go, but Webber talks

throughout most of his book of thedays leading up to Red Bull, rightfrom his beginnings in rural Australia.So well have to be patient until hetruly becomes himself and lets rip.In the meantime there are snippets

peppered throughout the bookoffering his unique insider anecdotes,such as the episode in 2005 aboutthe shambolic Grand Prix at Indy.A lot of the pages morph into anelaborate score sheet, with Webber

rattling through his earlier F1 seasonsby merely listing some results.But the plot thickens, and the whole

relaxed casualness of the book reallydoes make a read-through feel like achat with Webber.During his book tours Webber

warned us he was really havinga go at his teammate in theautobiography, however, surprisinglythe villain doesnt really end up beingSebastian Vettel.

BOOK REVIEW

3

1

38

he epochal S-Class nameplatereally begins in the Fifties, andthe great Grand Tourer we know

today as the S-Class Coup was back in itsday known as the SE. More precisely, theW111 series, or W108 or E112 dependingon what youre looking for.From 1961 to 1971, for a full decade, theMercedes-Benz 280 SE in tin-top or drop-top form remained the greatest boulevardcruiser in the world, perhaps rivalled onlyby Lincolns Continentals and maybe a fewCadillacs. TheW111 two-door was stilla car for the privileged few, and Stuttgartfound a little short of 30,000 buyers forthe straight-six engined SE Coup.There were lesser models available, butthe final run-out 280 SE 3.5 is perhaps the

CLASSICCORNER

MERCEDES-BENZ280SEFrom an erawhen even Bentley or Rolls-Royce couldnt make a finerGrand Tourer and boulevard cruiser, theMercedes-BenzW111 280 SErepresents a bargain for one of the finest cars to wear a silver tri-star

WORDS: DEJAN JOVANOVIC

most desirable one. With a 3.5-litre V8 enginethe car more than matched its AmericanV8 counterparts, and even today drives likea modern vehicle. These are some of thebest-engineered, best-built Mercedes modelsof all time, so provided theyre maintainedregularly they dont go wrong. That ultimateV8 version was rated at 200 relaxedhorsepower, but an open 300 SE is rare; only708 were produced, however Mercedes builtslightly more 300 SE Coups between 1962and 1967, finishing the run with 2,419 cars.You would do little wrong with the 2.8-litrestraight-six cylinder because Mercedes M130series engine is a long proven and reliablemotor. It was essentially the final evolutionof a 2.2-litre workhorse that dates back to1951, so it had lots of years for refinement

and development in time for its 280 SEswansong. The later V8s have a reputationfor durability as well, and they featuredin facelifted post-1969 cars referred to asflat-radiator models; the distinct Mercedesgrille was designed wider and lower.Manufacture of all models ended inmid-1971 with a total production of37,000 cars the entry-level 220 SEbCoup accounted for the largest slice,finding 14,173 buyers.You can get started with the localclassifieds, though current cars andconditions listed vary in price betweenDh50,000 and Dh200K. Top concourscars abroad are a couple of hundredthousand dollars, but your selection isvast and there are good cars with mileagesin the 100Ks, for around the Dh100,000mark. The 280 SE is a year-round classicthat will only appreciate in value, as theinternational classic car market has shownsince January this year when an excellent280 SE averaged at Dh140k as opposed tonow, six months, later when the same carsvalue is Dh190K.

W111 VARIANTS FOUR-DOOR SALOONThe first model in the seriesconsisted of the 220b, 220Sb,

and 220SEb

TWO-DOOR COUPStyled by Paul Bracq, the

coup boasted many class-leading optional features

T

39

lthough theX4 has been in thewheelslong-term garage for the past five weeks,Ive only just got the chance to get behind its

wheel. If you remember, Amit said in his opening reviewthat he was not a fan of the X4s styling. But Ill haveto disagree with him on that, as I find the X6-inspireddesign language very attractive. In fact, Ive always been abig admirer of the X6, and the fact that this is a miniatureversion of the coup SUVmakes it a good-looking carby default. However, its a shame that the white exteriorcolour on our long-termer doesnt exactly flatter theX4s otherwise sharp lines.But as is the case with the X6, the X4s dapper lookscome at a price. The sloping roof and the rising beltlinemean rear-seat occupants could feel claustrophobic,making it a less attractive proposition for buyers lookingfor practicality when compared to rivals like the Audi Q5and Lexuss great new NX crossover. But if the comfort

and well-being of rear passengers isnt a concern for you,then the X4 trumps every other competitor hands down.None of the other cars in this segment drives better thanthe Bimmer and the 3.0-litre turbo six is possibly oneof the best mills in its class. Add to that the customaryAbu Dhabi Motors special goodies such as Alpinaspoilers, M Performance enhancements and Kellenersexhausts, and this is one extremely well-equipped car.While most of those extras are of more cosmeticvalue, adding no perceptible difference to the drivingexperience, the sport exhausts are an exception. The deeprumble that emanates from the quad pipes definitely addsto the overall feeling of fun behind the wheel, making it abox worth ticking when you spec yours up.

DRIVEN BY FADI STARTMILEAGE 1,820KM RECENT COST FUEL AVERAGE FUELECONOMY 16 LITRES PER 100KM

HIGHS SHARP EXTERIOR DESIGN, GREAT ENGINELOWSWHITE ISNT THE BEST COLOUR FOR THIS CAR

The X6 has always polarised opinion atwheels towers. Now, BMWs smallcoup SUV alsomanages to divide the team into two camps

WORDS: FADI TAKIEDDINE. PHOTO: MIKAIEL SERABIAN

HOTORNOT?LONG-TERM REVIEW BMW X4 xDRIVE 35i

WEEK 5

ATHE

PROGRESSWEEK 4

The first blip in ourlong-term test with theX4 crops up when one ofthe electric folding mirrorsrefuses to budge. While itsnapped back into placeon the second attempt, itgot us worried that this

could be a sign of an issuewith the electric motor.

HIGHSCollision warning and

prevention system workslike a charmLOWS

Temporary snag withelectronic wing mirror

WEEK 2

Over the Eid weekend, the Lexus became my best friend.Thats because I ended up spending quite a lot of time in thecar going to various places such as malls, or to friends andrelatives houses, and I grew accustomed to the layout of theinterior and its many functions and features.It doesnt take long to feel at one with the RC 350 as the

infotainment system is quite intuitive. However, Im not a fanof the touchpad mouse controller as it is a little too sensitive.I do like the materials used in the cabin; from the plush and

comfortable leather seats to the soft-touch dash (althoughthe door card trim could be a little better) but all in all itsa lovely place to sit and while away the hours if yourestuck in traffic, as I was in Sharjah. Thats thanks in largepart to the sheer amount of kit the car has. With a freezingcold dual-zone AC, lane-departure warning system and aparticularly impressive reversing camera (even at night itssharpness is incredible), to mention a few the Lexus iskitted out to the max. My only other gripe is with the lackof rear-seat space; its fine for small children, but I doubtadults would want to squeeze into the back. KH

LEXUS RC 350 F SPORT UPDATE

40

TYPE PRICEBHP/NMENGINE TRANS TYPE PRICEBHP/NMENGINE TRANS

DISCLAIMER Although we take utmost care to ensure that prices and specs in this Buyers Guide areaccurate, dealer prices may vary depending upon specs and trim levels.

DISCLAIMER Although we take utmost care to ensure that prices and specs in this Buyers Guide are

DEALER INFOName and contact

details of thedealership

UPDATED INFOAll new modeladditions and

pricing updates arehighlighted in yellow

PICK OF THEBUNCH

The most noteworthymodel from themanufacturer

159 SALOON 3.2L/V6 260/322 6A 157,000MITO HATCH 1.4L/4-CYL 135/230 6A 85,000

GIULIETTA Alfa Romeos latest hatchback is an outside choice, perhapscross-shopped with rival models such as the Peugeot 308 and Opel Astra.The Alfa offers just one engine, a 1.4-litre 170bhp turbo unit, that gives the cara litheness in its ride, handling and performance response. Its also gorgeous.

ALFA ROMEO Gargash Motors: Dubai 04 340 3333

120I CABRIO 2.0L 170/210 6M/A 140,000125I CABRIO 3.0L 218/270 6M/A 150,000135I COUPE 3.0L 306/400 6M/A 165,000135I CABRIO 3.0L 306/400 6M/A 210,000320I SALOON 2.0L 170/200 6A 155,000320I COUPE 2.0L 170/210 7A 210,000

M5 Sure, BMW has to pipe engine sound into the cabin, and the naturallyaspirated tradition is dulled by two turbos, but the 4.4-litre V8 M5, 552bhp,is still the benchmark in performance saloon-acy. Its hugely expensive, buttry justifying it by getting rid of your other cars. Its worth it.

BMW AGMC: Dubai 04 339 1555, Sharjah 06 544 1111, RAK 07 235 5666Abu Dhabi Motors: Khalidiya 02 681 1700, Umm Al Nar 02 507 5800, Al Ain 03 766 8282

DB9 The DBS has made way for the new Vanquish, but the DB9 remainsin noticeably improved form. The Aston best mixes GT performance withsportscar agility, and its dated, thirsty, but free-revving and beautiful-sounding 6.0-litre V12 is still a gem. Issues? Some weird ergonomics...

ASTON MARTIN Aston Martin: Dubai 04 452 1222

VANTAGE N430 COUPE 4.7L/V8 430/490 6M 525,000VANTAGE N430 ROADSTER CABRIO 4.7L/V8 430/490 6M 565,000VANTAGE N430 COUPE 4.7L/V8 430/490 7A 540,000VANTAGE N430 ROADSTER CABRIO 4.7L/V8 430/490 7A 582,000VANTAGE COUPE 4.7L/V8 420/470 6M 505,000VANTAGE ROADSTER CABRIO 4.7L/V8 420/470 6M 545,000VANTAGE COUPE 4.7L/V8 420/470 7A 515,000VANTAGE ROADSTER CABRIO 4.7L/V8 420/470 7A 555,000VANTAGE S COUPE 4.7L/V8 430/490 6M 540,000VANTAGE S ROADSTER CABRIO 4.7L/V8 430/490 6M 580,000VANTAGE S COUPE 4.7L/V8 430/490 7A 550,000VANTAGE S ROADSTER CABRIO 4.7L/V8 430/490 7A 590,000VANTAGE V12 S COUPE 6.0L/V12 565/620 7A 840,000VANTAGE V12 S ROADSTER CABRIO 6.0L/V12 565/620 7A 890,000VANTAGE GT12 COUPE 6.0L/V12 592/NA 7A 1,650,000DB9 COUPE 6.0L/V12 510/620 6A 810,000DB9 VOLANTE CABRIO 6.0L/V12 510/620 6A 875,000DB9 CARBON COUPE 6.0L/V12 510/620 6A 855,000DB9 CARBONVOLANTE CABRIO 6.0L/V12 510/620 6A 920,000RAPIDE S SALOON 6.0L/V12 552/630 8A 915,000VANQUISH COUPE 6.0L/V12 568/630 8A 1,180,000VANQUISH VOLANTE CABRIO 6.0L/V12 568/630 8A 1,269,000VANQUISH CARBON COUPE 6.0L/V12 568/630 8A 1,241,000VANQUISH CARBONVOLANTE CABRIO 6.0L/V12 568/630 8A 1,330,000

RS 4 AVANT With the market all to itself, the RS 4 Avant is safe for a handfulof discerning buyers a year. Those who know, will love the fact that this isan R8 with four doors and a tailgate, with the 4.2-litre V8 engine retained infavour of the new biturbo. Amazing bit of kit

AUDI Al Nabooda Automobiles: Dubai 04 378 4444, Abu Dhabi Ali & Sons 02 665 8000

A1 HATCH 1.4L/4-CYL 122/200 7A 90,400A1 HATCH 1.4L/4-CYL 122/200 7A 103,500A1 HATCH 1.4L/4-CYL 185/250 7A 131,000A3 SALOON 1.4L/4-CYL 122/200 7A 92,000A3 SALOON 1.4L/4-CYL 122/200 7A 99,500A3 SALOON 1.8L/4-CYL 180/250 7A 109,500A3 SALOON 1.8L/4-CYL 180/280 6A 119,500S3 SALOON 2.0L/4-CYL 280/380 6A 147,500A4 SALOON 1.8L/4-CYL 120/230 CVT 116,300A4 SALOON 1.8L/4-CYL 170/320 CVT 139,700

A4 SALOON 2.0L/4-CYL 211/350 7A 160,300A4 SALOON 3.0L/V6 272/400 7A 177,400RS 4 AVANT ESTATE 4.2L/V8 450/430 7A 290,000A5 SPORTBACK SALOON 1.8L/4-CYL 170/320 CVT 165,400A5 SPORTBACK SALOON 2.0L/4-CYL 211/350 7A 184,000A5 SPORTBACK SALOON 3.0L/V6 272/400 7A 209,600A5 COUPE 1.8L/4-CYL 170/320 CVT 175,500A5 COUPE 2.0L/4-CYL 211/350 7A 196,000A5 COUPE 3.0L/V6 272/400 7A 224,700A5 CABRIO 1.8L/4-CYL 170/320 CVT 195,500A5 CABRIO 2.0L/4-CYL 211/350 7A 214,000A5 CABRIO 3.0L/V6 272/400 7A 239,700RS 5 COUPE 4.2L/V8 450/430 7A 315,000RS 5 CABRIO 4.2L/V8 450/430 7A 365,000A6 SALOON 2.0L/4-CYL 180/320 CVT 164,300A6 SALOON 2.8L/V6 204/280 7A 192,300A6 SALOON 3.0L/V6 310/440 7A 240,000S6 SALOON 4.0L/V8 420/550 7A 301,000RS 6 AVANT ESTATE 4.0L/V8 560/700 8A 450,000A7 SALOON 2.8L/V6 204/280 7A 238,500A7 SALOON 3.0L/V6 310/440 7A 265,700S7 SALOON 4.0L/V8 420/550 7A 337,500RS 7 SALOON 4.0L/V8 560/700 8A 475,000A8 L SALOON 3.0L/V6 310/440 8A 325,000A8 L SALOON 4.0L/V8 435/600 8A 384,000A8 L SALOON 6.3L/V12 500/625 8A 550,000S8 SALOON 4.0L/V8 520/650 8A 478,000TT COUPE 1.8L/4-CYL 160/250 7A 140,500TT COUPE 2.0L/4-CYL 211/350 6A 169,600TT COUPE 2.0L/4-CYL 211/350 6A 179,600TT ROADSTER CABRIO 2.0L/4-CYL 211/350 6A 180,000TT RS COUPE 2.5L/5-CYL 340/450 7A 247,000Q3 CUV 1.4L/4-CYL 150/250 6A 121,000Q3 CUV 2.0L/4-CYL 170/280 7A 127,000Q3 CUV 2.0L/4-CYL 211/300 7A 136,000Q5 CUV 2.0L/4-CYL 225/350 8A 169,900Q5 CUV 3.0L/V6 272/400 8A 209,300Q7 SUV 3.0L/V6 272/400 8A 219,000Q7 SUV 3.0L/V6 333/440 8A 250,000Q7 SUV 4.2L/V8 340/800 8A 279,500R8 COUPE 4.2L/V8 430/430 6A 405,000R8 COUPE 4.2L/V8 430/430 7A 430,000R8 COUPE 5.2L/V10 525/530 7A 530,000R8 PLUS COUPE 5.2L/V10 550/540 7A 595,000R8 SPYDER CABRIO 4.2L/V8 430/430 6A 455,000R8 SPYDER CABRIO 4.2L/V8 430/430 7A 480,000R8 SPYDER CABRIO 5.2L/V10 525/530 7A 580,000

41

TYPE PRICEBHP/NMENGINE TRANS TYPE PRICEBHP/NMENGINE TRANS

SPARK HATCH 1.0L/4-CYL 68/93 4A/5M 37,900SONIC SALOON 1.6L/4-CYL 115/155 6A/5M 48,900SONIC HATCH 1.6L/4-CYL 115/155 6A/5M 55,900CRUZE SALOON 1.8L/4-CYL 141/176 6A/5M 55,900CRUZE HATCH 1.8L/4-CYL 141/176 6A/5M 65,900MALIBU SALOON 2.4L/4-CYL 170/217 6A 68,900MALIBU SALOON 3.0L/V6 260/290 6A 107,900IMPALA SALOON 3.6L/V6 305/358 6A 98,900CAPRICE SALOON 6.0L/V8 355/495 6A 129,900CARPICE ROYAL E SALOON 6.0L/V8 355/495 6A 174,900CAMARO COUPE/CAB 3.6L/V6 323/377 6A/6M 126,900CAMARO SS COUPE/CAB 6.2L/V8 426/567 6A/6M 185,900CAMARO ZL1 COUPE/CAB 6.2L/V8 580/754 6A/6M 243,900CORVETTE COUPE 6.2L/V8 430/575 6A/6M 295,900CORVETTE 3LT COUPE 7.0L/V8 505/637 6M 328,900CAPTIVA SUV 2.4L/4-CYL 169/216 6A 88,900CAPTIVA SUV 3.0L/V6 264/300 6A 112,900TRAVERSE SUV 3.6L/V6 281/359 6A 111,900TAHOE SUV 5.3L/V8 320/452 6A 174,900SUBURBAN SUV 5.3L/V8 320/452 6A 179,900

CAMAROZL1 A cut-price Corvette, the ZL1 proves muscle cars can handlelike the best of them, also hammering away at every straight with a blown6.2-litre V8 worth 580bhp. Fuel economy is atrocious, but Chevrolet has paidmore attention to the cabin. Driving position is still bad though.

CHEVROLET Al Ghandi Auto: Dubai 04 231 0800/04 608 4666, Liberty Automobiles: Sharjah 06 533 1777,Fujairah 09 224 4188, UAQ 06 766 6997, RAK 07 205 8325

ATS SALOON 2.5L/4-CYL 202/258 6A 137,000ATS SALOON 3.6L/6-CYL 321/372 6A 188,000ATS COUPE 3.6L/6-CYL 321/372 6A 205,000CTS SALOON 2.0L/4-CYL 272/400 6A 175,000-205,000CTS SALOON 3.6L/6-CYL 321/373 6A 225,000XTS SALOON 3.6L/6-CYL 304/355 6A 245,000SRX CUV 3.6L/6-CYL 308/358 6A 167,000-210,000ESCALADE SUV 6.2L/8-CYL 420/621 8A 345,000ESCALADE ESV SUV 6.2L/8-CYL 420/621 8A 355,000ESCALADE PLATINUM SUV 6.2L/8-CYL 420/621 8A 365,000ESCALADE ESV PLATINUM SUV 6.2L/8-CYL 420/621 8A 375,000

ATS This European-influenced saloon is perhaps Cadillacs finest hour wecan remember, with the ATS Nrburgring-honed chassis particularlyexemplary even next to the F30 BMW 3 Series. Its great value and thecabin is above par, but the engine range lets the car down.

CADILLAC Liberty Automobiles: Dubai 04 341 9341, Sharjah 06 533 1777, RAK 07 235 6100,Fujairah 09 224 4188, Liberty Abu Dhabi 02 558 9988, Al Ain 03 722 2926,

200 LX SALOON 2.4L/4-CYL 173/220 A6 82,900200 TOURING SALOON 2.4L/4-CYL 173/220 6A 94,900200 LIMITED SALOON 3.6L/V6 283/352 6A 108,900300C SALOON 5.7L/V8 340/528 5A 162900300C LIMITED SALOON 3.5L/V6 250/340 4A 139000300C SRT8 SALOON 6.1L/V8 425/569 5A 189900300C SRT8 SALOON 6.1L/V8 425/570 5A 199900GRANDVOYAGER MPV 3.8L/V6 283/353 6A 111900

200 Facelifted and with an improved chassis and interior, the Chrysler 200is available with either a 2.4-litre four-pot or 3.6-litre V6. Both are mated to asmooth six-speed auto while front airbags, side-curtain airbags, ABS, stabilitycontrol, alarm and a tyre-pressure monitoring system come as standard.

CHRYSLER Trading Enterprises: UAE 800 4119

CHARGER SE STD SALOON 3.6L/V6 250/340 8A 104,900CHARGER RALLYE PLUS SALOON 3.6L/V6 292/360 8A 126,900CHARGER R/T SALOON 5.7L/V8 370/535 5A 121,900CHARGER R/T PLUS SALOON 5.7L/V8 370/536 5A 139,900CHARGER R/T ROAD TRACK SALOON 5.7L/V8 370/537 5A 144,900CHARGER SRT8 SALOON 6.4L/V8 470/637 5A 187,900CHALLENGER SE COUPE 3.6L/6-CYL 306/363 5A 119,900CHALLENGER RALLYE COUPE 3.6L/6-CYL 305/363 5A 149,000CHALLENGER SRT8 COUPE 6.4L/V8 470/637 5A 199,900CHALLENGER SRT8 COUPE 6.4L/V8 470/637 5A/M 204,900DURANGO EXPRESS SUV 3.6L/6-CYL 290/366 5A 119,900DURANGO CREW SUV 5.7L/V8 360/530 6A 146,900DURANGO CREWLUXE SUV 5.7L/V8 360/531 6A 174,900DURANGO CITADEL SUV 5.7L/V8 360/532 6A 199,900

DURANGO The third-generation Durango that launched in 2011 representeda vast improvement over its predecessor. A recent mid-life update introducedan eight-speed auto, LED taillights and a new steering wheel with paddleshifters, boosting what was already a strong-value package.

DODGE Trading Enterprises: UAE 800 4119

MATERIA STD MPV 1.5L/NA 76/138 4A 52,000MATERIA H/G MPV 1.5L/NA 76/138 4A 55,000SIRION H/G HATCH 1.3L/NA 67/120 4A 42,000SIRION EL HATCH 1.5L/NA 76/138 4A 42,000SIRION H/G HATCH 1.5L/NA 76/138 4A 44,000TERIOS DX SUV 1.5L/NA 77/140 5M/4A 62,000TERIOS SX SUV 1.5L/NA 77/140 5M/4A 67,000

TERIOS If youre in the market for a pint-sized SUV, youd do well to add theperky Terios to your shortlist. With a willing 1.5-litre engine and underpinningssourced from the second-gen Toyota RAV4, the little Daihatsu is a competentlight-duty all-terrainer at a wallet-friendly price.

DAIHATSU Al Yousuf Motors: Dubai 04 339 2223

320I CABRIO 2.0L 170/210 7A 240,000325I COUPE 3.0L 218/270 7A 235,000325I CABRIO 3.0L 218/270 7A 265,000328I SALOON 2.0L/4-CYL 240/260 A 180,000330I COUPE 3.0L 272/320 7A 235,000330I CABRIO 3.0L 272/320 7A 275,000335I SALOON 3.0L 272/320 6A 240,000335I COUPE 3.0L 306/400 7A 280,000335I CABRIO 3.0L 306/400 7A 305,000M3 COUPE 4.0L 420/400 6M 345,000M3 CABRIO 4.0L 420/400 6M 375,000M5 SALOON 4.4L/V8 552/680 A 615,000520I SALOON 2.0L/4-CYL 204/270 198,000523I SALOON 3.0L 204/270 8A 220,000528I SALOON 3.0L 258/310 8A 250,000535I SALOON 3.0L 306/400 8A 285,000550I SALOON 4.4L 407/600 8A 340,000BMWGRANTURISMO ESTATE 3.0L 305/400 8A 270,000BMWGRANTURISMO ESTATE 4.4L 407/600 8A 410,000630I COUPE 3.0L 272/300 6M/A 315,000630I CABRIO 3.0L 272/320 6M/A 345,000640I CABRIO 3.0L 320/450 6M/8A 410,000650I CABRIO 4.4L 407/600 6M/8A 510,000640I GRAND COUPE COUPE 3.0L/6-CYL 320/450 8A 360,000730 L I SALOON 3.0L 258/310 6A 300,000740 LI SALOON 3.0L 326/450 6A 360,000750 LI SALOON 4.4L 407/600 6A 455,000760 LI SALOON 6.0L 544/750 8A 660,000X1 XDRIVE 18I CUV 2.0L 150/150 6A 160,000X1 XDRIVE 25I CUV 3.0L 218/206 6A 200,000X1 XDRIVE 28I CUV 3.0L 258/228 6A 215,000X3 XDRIVE 35I CUV 3.0L/6-CYL 306/398 A N/AX5 XDRIVE 35I SUV 3.0L 306/400 8A 280,000X5 XDRIVE 50I SUV 4.4L 407/600 8A 340,000X5M SUV 4.4L 555/680 6A 465,000X6 XDRIVE 35I SUV 3.0L 306/400 8A 315,000X6 XDRIVE 50I SUV 4.4L 407/600 8A 390,000X6M SUV 4.4L 555/680 6A 470,000Z4 CABRIO 2.5L 204/250 6A 185,000Z4 CABRIO 3.0L 258/310 6A 205,000Z4 CABRIO 3.OL 306/400 7A 240,000

C-ELYSEE ATTRACTION SALOON 1.6L/4-CYL 115/150 M 49,000C-ELYSEE ATTRACTION SALOON 1.6L/4-CYL 115/150 A 52,000C-ELYSEE CONFORT SALOON 1.6L/4-CYL 115/150 A 55,000C-ELYSEE EXCLUSIVE SALOON 1.6L/4-CYL 115/150 A 59,000C3 EXCLUSIVE HATCH 1.6L/4-CYL 120/160 A 72,000C4 CONFORT HATCH 1.6L/4-CYL 120/160 A 72,000C5 CONFORT SALOON 1.6L/4-CYL 160/240 6A 99,000C5 EXCLUSIVE SALOON 1.6L/4-CYL 160/240 6A 120,000DS3 SO CHIC HATCH 1.6L/4-CYL 120/160 A 79,500DS3 ULTRA PRESTIGE HATCH 1.6L/4-CYL 120/160 A 99,000DS4 SO CHIC HATCH 1.6L/4-CYL 156/240 6A 99,000DS5 SO CHIC HATCH 1.6L/4-CYL 160/240 6A 125,000DS5 SPORTCHIC HATCH 1.6L/4-CYL 160/240 6A 135,000BERLINGO FGL2 N1 VAN 1.6L/4-CYL 110/NA 5M 53,900BERLINGO N1 VAN 1.6L/4-CYL 110/NA 5M 56,900JUMPER VAN 2.2L/4-CYL 130/NA 6M 112,000

C4With a 408-litre boot, six airbags and electronic stability control withtraction control, the C4 is one of the most practical and safest cars in itsprice range. And with a 120bhp, 1.