Category: All About Wheels – Automotive (Cars, Car Clubs, SUV’s, RV’s etc)

The World’s most elegant convertible

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Bentley Mulsanne Convertible…delightful!


Its been a while since I checked out a Bentley…i reckon the last time I really went into Bentley’s new developments was at the Dubai Motor Show when NJD and I spent an entire weekend salivating looking at cars and loving the Ferrari lounge guarded by tall fierce looking security personnel who thought NJD was my sister :).

Since its debut in 2009 (long time ago), the Mulsanne saloon still remains a pure example of the Grand Touring Bentley, combining coach-built elegance and hand-crafted luxury with immense power and sportiness – its a mixture of a car that I would love to use when I want a nice evening out but also be seen near a race track just to prove a hoity toity point. (I should stay away from Brits and their expressions like hoity toity)

So… What got me writing on the Mulsanne Convertible Concept is because Bentley’s designers are providing a glimpse into the potential future of the marque’s flagship family. Appealing to automotive connoisseurs seeking the ultimate in contemporary design, prestige and exclusivity, the Mulsanne Convertible Concept will be the world’s most elegant and sophisticated convertible, providing a supremely powerful and refined luxury grand touring experience for four adults….how will they do this?

Perhaps they are banking on the graceful form of the Mulsanne Convertible Concept which is a fusion of sportiness and coach-built elegance with its sculpted lines and muscular haunches conveying a sense of power and movement.

The spacious yet intimate cabin design is inspired by luxurious, high-performance power boats. With its unrivalled combination of chic, contemporary design, sumptuous materials, painstaking attention to detail and supreme refinement, the Mulsanne Convertible Concept reinforces Bentley’s position as the undisputed benchmark in handcrafted automotive luxury….

I can’t help it but every time I hear handcrafted in the context of cars, I have the image of this amazing artist used by Rolls Royce who I met in Abu Dhabi during one of their celebrations… It was fascinating watching the artist carefully working away on a car with me thinking how I can ever achieve that much patience for anything.

I have a sketch of how the Mulsanne Convertible will look like (see above)….. Since Bentley has created an array of glamorous and desirable convertibles in the past, I can just visualise how cool this one will be.

Ferrari Red Power

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The masculine packaging that totally suits the fragrance

There is a new scent in town….this one combines my love for cars and passion for fragrances into one: The Ferrari Red Power perfume.

The complex scent imbues the soul of the Prancing Horse, appealing to confident connoisseurs with timeless taste…. I love the clean masculine edges of the bottle. Must learn to study the male species the way I was studying the bottle a little earlier 😉

Ferrari, the famous purveyor of Italian supercar heritage, has in fact launched Red Power – it is a new masculine fragrance encompassing the Prancing Horse’s affiliation with performance, excellence, and sheer adrenaline. It kind of reminded me of someone who has similar qualities.

The cost (125 ml) was 270 AED which is not much for a Ferrari fragrance…I recall paying more for the last one I got so its good value for money….enjoy!

Compact hatchback gets me nippy

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This green zesty Micra was my ride for a few days in Ramadan

I had fun this Ramadan…in terms of wheels. Normally you will see me checking out some SUV or top of the range sedan, driving down SZR with club music, windows down and smiling ear to ear. Well….i was in the same mode this Ramadan (minus the music) except that for the first time in years, I was doing this in a Nissan. Not just any big bold Nissan but the cute Micra, which is the car of choice of none other than Nancy Ajram, a fellow diva and an awesome musician from Lebanon.

The all-new Nissan Micra is undoubtedly the zippy and smart compact hatchback in tune with today’s urban lifestyle. With stand-out looks, class-leading driving dynamics and an interior design offering both comfort and convenience, the Nissan Micra goes beyond the regular compact hatchback offering… I can vouch for that. Man I love the front passenger seat as it has this cool feature that makes sure my bag stays intact as I rummage through it for my phone or make up at traffic lights.

While driving it, I looked onto fellow drivers and I reckon the Micra will strike a powerful chord with the young and trendy youth of the Middle East….most the younger drivers were looking – not sure whether it was the car itself or the bright green colour. I could find the car easily in Mirdiff City centre car park as well as in Dubai Mall which can sometimes be a task.

I also love how efficient it was – largest-in-class 1.5-liter engine, I did not even use half the tank in 4 days. My Fortuner just guzzles petrol and I can easily finish an entire tank in 2 days. The car had dual airbags and an Intelligent key & Push button ignition + power folding door mirrors. This was particularly good in my garage when I had to park 2 cars in one port allocated to Villa 7.

With Micra, this was easy!

Micra’s visual appeal is further enhanced by the broad range of fashionable colors available – ten in total including three character colors: Spring Green, Night Veil Purple and Sunlight Orange. I drove the Spring green 🙂

Inside Micra was a unique ‘twin bubble’ shaped cockpit that gives a secure feeling for both driver and passengers with convenient stowage compartments and generous headroom. The arched lines and warm curved surfaces on either side of the instrumental panel create a distinctive bubble-shaped interior space that enhances driving pleasure.

There was no shortage of places to safely store my music player and both phones with pockets and cup holders conveniently placed throughout the interior. User-friendly storage spaces include an instrument panel under box and glove box and despite the size, Micra had two front cup holders….one for my FIJI water and one for my Hagen Daz coffee…and the boot had 15 pairs of shoes, gym bag and beach bag space. Should I be driving something smaller from now?

Ten months of double digit growth for Mercedes-Benz

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Yum! The M-Class exudes strength and class

Just heard from the awesome performers at Mercedes Benz – it seems the Olympics was not the only event for record-breaking performances in July. Mercedes-Benz Middle East & Levant have clearly taken the gold in a flurry of best ever sales results. New records include a marathon 10 consecutive months of double digit regional growth, with year to date (YTD) sales up 16% on 2011. Regional distributors in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar also celebrated from the top of the podium with best ever July country sales as well.

I agree that I have not yet tested the bigger cars in the Mercedes Benz line up but the new records are testament to the success of Mercedes-Benz Middle East and Levant’s ‘Year of the SUV and AMG’ 2012 sales strategy, building on the success last year. SUV sales increased 25% over July 2011, led by 50% month on month (MOM) growth from the newly launched M-Class – pairing performance with sophistication….cool aye! I’m told the evergreen G-Class continued to assert its dominance in the segment, with 19% more customers lured by the resilient icon’s rugged charm.

That’s not just it though – The fires of Affalterbach were given a high octane sales boost, with July sales for the precision Mercedes-AMG performance division turbo charged by 178% over the same month last year. Feeding the flames of Affalterbach’s success was an astronomical increase in demand for the bi-turbo AMG version of the fashionable CLS 63 AMG four door coupé… I need to make time to check this one out!

The beast in a business suit (E 63 AMG executive saloon) increased 20% YTD, with five times more people buying the newly launched 0-100km/h in 4.7sec ML 63 AMG. Still refusing to rest on its laurels, the relentless success of the G 55 AMG grew sales 65% MOM, together with its newly launched G 63 AMG and G 65 AMG variants. I can just see the Merc team looking at Frank Bernthaler, Director, Sales and Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Cars, Middle East & Levant for a night out as reward.

Now I wonder if I can get some tips and pointers from the Mercedes Benz team in reaching the right premium audience for our products and exhibitions.

Spinning the Volkswagen Touareg

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Absolutely loved my time with the Touareg…my shoe rack stayed intact all through the week

After my short tryst with the Phaeton 2 weeks ago, I magically landed the new technically innovative Volkswagen Touareg at my disposal for a week to spin around on Dubai streets and found to my delight that it is longer, lighter, sleeker, safer, and roomier than its predecessor.

The completely redeveloped flagship petrol engine of this Volkswagen sport utility vehicle offers comfortable dimensions of a luxury sedan and the dynamic attributes of a sports car….diva likes 🙂

I also loved the sexy bi-xenon headlights ( This camera-based continuous main beam headlight actually “sees” oncoming traffic and automatically adjusts the main beam to eliminate unwanted glare….how cool is that?)

Also awesome was the Dynamic Light Assist, and the standard 8-speed automatic transmission, not forgetting the multi camera operated Area View safety system, Lane and Side Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) plus Front Assist, automatic tailgate, and proactive occupant protection….hey, I am a woman – I get distracted so these features really help!

To the uninitiated, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) autonomously controls the safe distance to traffic ahead of the vehicle – a cruise control that not only accelerates but also brakes to a stop in an emergency. The space in front of the vehicle is monitored by two radar sensors. I absolutely loved this feature , especially on Al Khail road where you come across at least one erratic driver per journey.

The Front Assist helps to avoid collision accidents. It initiates appropriate protective measures well in advance of a critical situation. It builds up sufficient pressure in the brake system and preconditions the hydraulic brake assist. In case of acute danger, the driver is then made aware that action needs to be taken to defuse the situation by visual and acoustic warnings and a brief pulse of the brake pedal…i didn’t try this but am told its super effective.

If the driver brakes expected at this moment, the Touareg automatically generates as much brake pressure as is necessary to avoid a collision. Under optimal constraints (activation time, driving situation, road grip) it is possible to avoid a front-end collision. If the driver decides to avoid the obstacle by steering, the vehicle’s dynamics are improved by stiffer damper tuning (on vehicles with air suspension).

The entertainment system was awesome too…I cruised diva like on a Friday morning down SZR and it was a pleasure.  What was more awesome was that the car accommodated my shoe rack with 45 pairs of shoes for the week plus my gym bag and my beach bag as well as my stash of magazines….i didn’t miss my Fortuner once throughout the week!

I also like the elegant appearance of the Touareg – timeless, sporty and in beautiful form. Diva was content for a week – I’m hard to please when it comes to cars but the Touareg was faultless!

Pleasantly surprised by The New Phaeton

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How cool is this 🙂

The first ever car I owned was a funky Volkswagen Polo which was super nippy and in the end saved my life because of its safety features. Since then, I always wanted to owned a VW but decided to go for another SUV as I felt safer in them purely based on size but the brand i selected was more for my shoe rack space than anything else. So when the awesome girls at VW called me to see if I wanted to test drive the new Phaeton for a few days including the weekend, I couldn’t say no. It was a superb experience, one that I would love to repeat again.

We all know that Volkswagen produces one of the world’s highest quality, exclusive automobiles and the quality, style and travelling comfort of this saloon was certainly above standard. I enjoyed the abundance of new technical features that included a light Assist plus a camera-based, dynamic main beam control system being introduced in a saloon for the first time.

The navigation system in this awesome car can integrate online data in the map display upon request. The optional front camera in the Phaeton “sees” traffic signs; speed limit signs are visualised in the instrument cluster (multifunction display) and the central touch-screen of the centre console.

I loved the interior of the Phaeton – its elegant and comfortable, the styling is linear and timeless but I am so missing the seats with award-winning ergonomics. Then there is the current generation radio/navigation system with 8-inch touch-screen control, form one functional unit with the climate control and multimedia controls.

The luxurious new saloon offers superb exclusivity, and totally matched the standards I am used to in luxury cars. I was so thrilled about the car that I got offered another test drive of the Touareg the following weekend and I cant wait to share how impressed I was with the VW brand. Watch this space!

Irresistible Designs of Walid Atallah

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An evening with Walid Atallah

I reckon we are super lucky to live in a city that has amazing fashion designers and Walid Attalah has to be one the leading ones not just regionally but Internationally. Afterall he is internationally known for his exquisite evening and bridal designs, and for his skillful use of diamonds, precious stones and Swarovski crystals – remember that beautiful wedding dress worth U.S. $ 1.2 million that created waves in the fashion industry (I think that’s when I first really noticed his work).

We are both born in 1973 so I totally admire the fact that Walid has reached so much higher success than I could ever do and love listening to him about his journey to where he is in the fashion scene today as inspiration. Thanks to Ashraf and his impromtu coffee timings, I got to spend an evening early last week with Walid for a tour of his shop and got a sneak peek on what’s coming next and what drives him creatively for his awesome collections.

Walid was born in Beirut in an affectionate family who were inspired by beauty and style. He naturally followed his heart, studied fashion designing and graduated from University of Chicago. I was fortunate to watch him work as he flitted through his base in Dubai looking, touching and contemplating his designs in progress. Walid chose Dubai to launch his fashion-design career using fascinating designs mixing the charm of the East with the West. He was the first designer to add diamonds in his collection – every woman desires his outfits, which makes his final ensemble very irresistible.

Today Walid has made his mark in the to fashion capitals of the world by introducing numerous collections of dozens of memorable fashion pieces at his shows which have been a success throughout the Arab world, Italy and France, where he received the International Design Excellence Award of the Association of French Fashion Designers. He has made two appearances at the Couture Fashion Week in New York two years in a row with a favorable and enthusiastic response from the audience and peers in the fashion industry. He has also done shows in London and Toronto that he is very proud of.

While walking around looking at his gowns, I also discovered that Walid has his own line of luxury jewelry made of diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, blue pearls from the sea and Tahiti, and fine watches. Not only that, this talented and versatile designer has also launched a Ready-to-wear line called “W”, which includes jeans and tops for women in fashion and modern today.

It was also interesting to see beautiful shoes as I walked around looking at Walid Atallah’s dresses and he tells us how after the shoes and jewellery, his next venture will be to do a perfume. Naturally his passion for always spending time sketching as a hobby has paid off. Initially he was designing dresses for his sister, including once making a dress for her from a blanket and then did costumes for theatrical productions at school. He knew he had made the right choice when he felt immense joy after seeing the end product of his dress made out of diamonds and emeralds.

Walid who is married with one daughter and two sons is delighted that his daughter is showing an interest in the fashion design industry. He feels more inspired now to continue his expansion plans to other Emirates as well as Qatar, Saudi and Oman. And although Walid feels he has become more moderate with his designs, its only because he wants to concentrate more on the creation of originals which reflect different types of femininity. He is inspired by beauty, by dreams, flowers, nature, gold, birds and other elements of nature and he feels the variety is reflected in his new collections.

My first introduction to Walid and his beautiful wife was at a fashion show that Walid specifically worked on for Mercedes-Benz. Since then, he has done various unique shows, all very commendable with Rolls Royce, which I thoroughly enjoyed in Abu Dhabi and with LG and Philips. To make the optimum use of his time, Walid likes to focus on work during his most productive and creative hours. If this comes at 5am, then he will get up and sketch instead of keeping to the usual working hours…. I am a strong believer in this way of working after talking to so many successful people in the creative industry.

Walid hopes now to continue to expand his business with more branches in UAE, Qatar, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Libya and is looking at other vibrant markets….I know he will make it happen!

My tryst with the Infiniti QX56

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The Infiniti QX56 I had so much fun with all of last week 🙂

I’m having withdrawal symptoms….normally when I get a car to be seen around in, it’s usually a sporty little number worth half a million or something that is top of the range for Millionaires but still at sedan level. And if I do get lucky and get a SUV sent to me, it never fits my shoe rack properly and if it does, there is no space left to organise my gym bag, evening bag, beach bag, magazines etc in such a way that I don’t have to do a major clean up after a dune bashing session.

So naturally when Infiniti sent me the nice big Infiniti QX56 on a truck last week, I kinda expected yet another SUV experience but once inside, even I was overwhelmed by the size….its HUGE! It’s fantastic  for buyers who need seats for eight although I would have preferred a seat for 5 and then use the rest of the space for the many things a diva can’t do without in her car….i was able to fit in about 45 pairs of shoes on the rack once I rolled the seat over plus all my bags which has never happened before….normally I have to ration what I put into the cars I get to check out.

The QX56 is Infiniti’s super big SUV and I like the posh interior, the gracefully styled dashboard and the small touches on the exterior that makes it stand out as an Infiniti. It looked like it has very rugged capabilities but as usual I am never comfortable taking cars off-road that does not belong to me…I like the comfort of knowing that if something happens, its my car and I am solely responsible for it.

As a petrol head, I love the Infiniti’s 5.6-liter V8, 400 horsepower and 413 lb-ft or torque funnelled through a seven-speed automatic that gets the throttle to the max. The Infiniti promises a 0-60 mph time of about seven seconds, gas mileage and although people tell me that QX’s independent suspension does a fine job of controlling its ride quality, I had to put in some power into my arms/hands to control it in tight corners….maybe it’s just my delicate built but it was fun none the less.

Needless to say, the car is very spacious, with big front chairs and little Diva (NJD) had lots of fun playing at the back and for once she reckons, she didn’t have to bump into the ‘junk’ I normally throw in the back or shoes to fall over. She even reclined the back seat for a nap and showed me some cool features I was not aware of.

The car had all the usual power features; navigation option, DVD audio, a moon roof, a power tailgate, Bluetooth with audio streaming, pushbutton start, USB connectivity for audio players and so much more…if you have a big family or like big SUV’s, this is definitely a car for you.

Little diva NJD enjoys the space and reclining seats at the back

NJD reckons she is ready to drive … 5 more years to go!

Ford Explorer – Reinvented

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I really loved my time with the Explorer - didn't have time for dune bashing with it but I get to do that with my Fortuner anyway

After listening to my story on the reasons why I drive a Fortuner (cos of that famous space between the boot and the back seat that perfectly accommodates a shoe rack), big Brother decided to give me a top of the range reinvented Ford Explorer for a week to see if it fits a diva’s needs.

What he didn’t tell me is that this reinvented sport utility vehicle offers an unmatched combination of convenience, capability and technology which I loved not to mention the V6 engine, the clean, modern exterior design, flexible interior with clever storage solutions, three rows of flexible seating and room for my on the move 65 pairs of shoes and boots. Basically I plucked my rack from the Fortuner and dumped it into the Explorer….although it wasn’t a perfect fit, it still held up for the 7 days without getting the shoes all over the boot area.

I particularly liked the Explorer’s EPAS system that gives assistance based on speed, turn-in and direction….the optimized steering feel plus optimum manoeuvrability in parking situations was awesome. The optional active park assist technology scans for a suitable spot, calculates the trajectory and steers the vehicle…diva likes.

Also new for me was Ford’s terrain management system. Rather than using four-high, four-low and auto settings, Explorer terrain management is selectable by situation. The settings on the shift-on-the-fly include normal, mud and sand. Terrain management also includes Hill Descent Control, which provides engine braking to increase driver confidence and control when descending a steep incline…my sand dune adventures have led me to loads of trouble before so this feature is super welcome.

Overall I had loads of fun with the Explorer…took a couple of colleagues in it for a spin as well. My daughter thought it was huge and like me, enjoyed the extra space the car provided. Diva approves!

Super spacious for all of diva's clothes, shoes, magazines, beach stuff and like!

All-New 2012 Ford Focus

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NJD enjoys the sun roof while waiting in the Focus - it was the first car in the line-up at DWTC as we wait to kick-start the Dubai Peace Drive

The last time I drove a Ford was during University and it was a perfect car to go to classes in especially during weekends when the better half was off work but I had classes. The first time I ventured on my own, I landed the Ford in a drain….i was traumatised – the Ford came out unscratched so I was sold on the robustness of the brand. So when Tareq gave me the latest All New Focus for a week promising a new experience with its new good-looking design (the man knows diva has discerning taste), refined driving dynamics and with ample technology to keep me gadget happy, I jumped at the opportunity.

The All-new Ford Focus comes in three body styles: sporty 5-door hatchback, sleek 4-door sedan and stylish 5-door wagon. As I am a spoilt Island chick, the advanced technologies includes Active Park Assist and Torque Vectoring Control. The new Focus has a modern, cockpit-style interior, with the stylish centre console wrapped around the driver and providing outstanding access to the vehicle’s major controls….even little diva NJD was able to reach from the back and change stations while waiting for me to load the car with my shoe rack and portable wardrobe. Which brings me to the boot space.

Anyone who knows me and the drama queen of a Fortuna that I drive knows that my preferred car needs to accommodate all my latest magazines, at least 30-40 pairs of shoes, 2 gym bags, I beach bag, 1 bag for boots and one emergency vanity case for the on the way home Moroccan baths. Well….Tareq is my witness because he watched me incredulously as I packed the boot of the Focus and transferred all my girly stuff from the boot of the Fortuna to the Focus and vice versa.

Then I checked out Ford’s latest generation Human Machine Interface (HMI) system, used within the cockpit, with twin five-way toggle switches on the steering wheel controlling the two main vehicle displays…not bad.  I agree the interior does combine outstanding functionality with outstanding craftsmanship. The cabin’s bold and contemporary graphics, the sculptured shape of the soft-touch instrument panel and the choice of superior trim materials all help to give occupants the feeling that they are travelling in a premium-class car.

I do like the Active Park Assist….no comments here about me needing it – at least I park with panache which is more than you lot can boast about!!!! And its nothing to do with the new Electric Power Assist Steering system….its my style that makes a statement (I wonder if I can patent my parking style – the front wheels are always turned an angle which is my trademark)

The new Ford Focus’ powertrain range delivers spirited performance and offers outstanding fuel economy and CO2 emissions… I like that. Plus the fuel economy is enhanced by the availability of a new six-speed dual dry-clutch PowerShift automatic transmission, providing the responsive performance of a traditional manual transmission with the convenience of a user-friendly automatic. Low-friction dry clutches are employed, combined with six well-spaced gears to provide drivers with responsive acceleration from rest, smooth transitions between gears and optimized fuel economy when cruising….NJD loved the sunroof option as well…awesome.

The All New Focus is certainly an exciting new chapter in the Focus success story…check it out and let me know what you think!

Interior view of the All New Focus