2011: That was the year that was
Shahzad gets all introspective about what turned out to be a momentous 12 months
By Shahzad Sheikh
So how does one go from running what was regarded as one of the Middle East region’s best (if not THE best) motoring magazine, to having to start all over again from scratch? And in a tumultuous year filled with sensational highs and plunging lows, what were the key headlines? Here are some excerpts from the non-fictional ‘Diary of a Dubai-based Car Journo’.
It’s been open for over a year now, but I still haven’t got around to visiting Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, much less ride its famous roller coasters, but then 2011 has been a of year of blasting high and plummeting down, looping back, sometimes going around in circles not getting anywhere very fast and occasionally getting a pummelling from forces beyond my control. Who needs roller coasters anyway?
January
The Pagani Huayra is revealed and everyone is so busy trying to figure out how to pronounce that name that nobody notices that it ain’t half as dramatically cool-looking as the perfectly named Zonda.
The Ferrari FF is revealed and everyone is so busy hating its ‘bread van’ looks that few realise this is the most sensible and practical car ever to wear a Prancing Horse and could have been designed with the Middle East in mind. Still haven’t driven one myself yet, hope to remedy that in 2012 and report back if it still drives like a Fezza.
Dubai Ford dealer, Al Tayer Motors, announces it’s officially selling a road-ready Roush Mustang dubbed The Shamal. I get a brief ride and can’t wait to drive it. Even from the passenger seat I can tell this thing is rather special.
Ever since I joined CAR Middle East (third issue onwards) readers have occasionally mooted the possibility of having some kind of a gathering or event. I wanted to do something in November 2011 to mark the magazine’s fifth anniversary, a brilliant milestone, but the idea got no traction.
Until Imthishan Giado (the deputy editor on CAR ME) and I decide to have our own little gathering – our first Car Meet. Good friend Gaurav Dhar puts in a good word with Fat Burgers in Jumeirah and we fix a date and put out an announcement on our Facebook page. Even with the help of our great buddies at the JACCK (Jebel Ali Cool Car Klub) we figure maybe five or six ‘mates’ will turn up and join us for a burger.
Arriving on Jumeirah Beach Road on the afternoon of 28 Jan, at exactly the time the ‘Meet’ is about to start, a real shamal blows in from the sea. I get stuck at a set of traffic lights furiously hitting the roof-up button on our long-term Infiniti G37 Convertible. Road furniture is blowing about, and people are calling me up telling me their car just got lifted and moved by the wind, whilst others have dived into car parks for cover.
It’s a disaster. But people are already at the venue, and as the weather starts to settle down, more turn up, eventually we have 25-30 cars and are sitting outside on the deck tucking into a well deserved late lunch. It’s so successful that we’ve overwhelmed the place’s car park and in future they tell us not to come back. Oh.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AofT7pMQrNo?rel=0Meanwhile I attend Lotus’ test of the 125 pseudo racing car (essentially an F1 car you buy and have delivered to race tracks around the world to drive at your pleasure) where I get to spend some more time with Jean Alesi (who is such remarkably friendly guy) and meet my boyhood hero – Nigel Mansell. Pair of legends.
February
The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is announced, the fastest production Camaro ever. But we’re still waiting for it today, it didn’t even put in an appearance at the Dubai Motor Show. C’mon GM bring it over!
The BMW X3 arrives in the Middle East, but all their customers still prefer the X5 and X6, meanwhile the Mercedes C-Class loses two doors and turns into a svelte coupe.
We’re the first to cover the electric Superbus, meant to be a cross between a supercar and inter-city transportation system. We later meet the designer and make a short video on it – which becomes one of the highest viewed on the CAR ME YouTube channel. Not quite sure how – in truth it’s a novel but quite barmy idea.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBQkxlN0EYk?rel=0Another great movie involving Nicolas Cage and cars is released, but the abiding memory of Drive Angry is the image of Amber Heard in Daisy Dukes sitting in a mean black Dodge Charger forever burned into our memories.
Meanwhile Jaguar releases the XKR-S – the fastest XK ever – which is now here, and we hope to bring you a drive of it soon. What I do get to drive is the Cadillac CTS-V coupe and the Lexus IS-F – out of which I love them both. They are alike, but quite different, both are completely unrepresentative of the brands traditional perceptions, but both will embarrass junior supercars and will give European greats like the M3 a serious run for the money. The Caddy is ferocious, shocking even and awesome – ah that old shock and awe American tactic.
The Lexus is surprisingly subtle, perhaps too subtle, and needs working hard to get the best out of, but the handling balance both on the road and on the track is extraordinary for an exec. And quality is a given. The Caddy though is cheaper. Which to buy? Try both and decide which puts a bigger grin on your face.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwjsjAFaaQE?rel=0Talking of Lexus we also try the CT200h hybrid (like a luxury Prius), which I don’t like – too green! In fact we take part in an economy challenge which we vow to come last in, and ending up winning. On the other end of the scale though, I get to drive the fabled LFA for a few laps at Yas Marina circuit and am totally smitten. It’s just so manageable and driveable at speed. Shame it’s so hideously expensive and is set to become an instant rarity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zLRl59fZO0?rel=0Al Ghandi’s mad Falcon Silverado wins MBC’s Battle of the Garages TV show, and we later become the first magazine to try out the beast. We’re also the only regional motoring title to be invited to attend the Kuwait Concourse.
Getting on the flight with a little scepticism we get the royal treatment on arrival, and then are utterly bowled over by the calibre of cars and the organising and judging committee involved in the event. It’s a proper classic car event with participants from all over the world, a great atmosphere, proper car folk and the right attitude. Can’t wait to get over there again in 2012.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoGSDLqBEG0?rel=0I attend the Drift D1 championship event at the Yas Marina and decide that this is probably the most entertaining form of motor sports ever conceived!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
March
Porsche announces that the 918 is now officially on sale, although we haven’t seen one on the road here yet, and Mercedes ramps up the excitement by presenting the C63 AMG Coupe – looking forward to driving that one.
Alfa Romeo’s 4C might be aping the Lotus Elise, but adds Italian flair and beauty – hope they build this one and make it a frisky little bugger. Also at the Geneva Motor Show, the months of teasing ends with the revelation of the Lamborghini Aventador– now THAT’s how a supercar should look.
We pull off a world exclusive with the only twin test of the Roush Ford Mustang Shamal and the SLP Chevrolet Camaro ZL575 – apart from the longest names, they’re also the top modified muscle cars of all. The little behind-the-scenes vid we produce for the feature is loved and hated in equal measure, but people ask us about it even today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNQ0sQvIuo0?rel=0For my part, I fall madly in love with the bad and rad Roush. It’s my favourite drive of the whole year, and despite knowing that owners regularly get pulled and fined for that outrageously loud exhaust, I harbour a deep desire for that car even today. I’ve driven faster, better, more sophisticated and more technically clever cars, but The Shamal reached out to me on a visceral level, it had the go to match its mouth and surprisingly for a Pony car, it could do a pretty mean dance in the mountains too.
April
So April arrives with our world exclusive announcement of the Dhabyan – an amazing new environmentally friendly supercar being developed right here in the UAE. The Dhabyan is named after a famous racing camel, and has been wholly designed by a team of pan-Arab stylist and engineers, plus its mighty 550bhp V8 runs exclusively on camel milk. Sounds fanciful? Well it was 1st of April 😉
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eb-vUgfcTKU?rel=0We’ve found a new location for the CAR ME Car Meets – The Pavilion in Downtown Dubai on Emaar Boulevard just opposite the Burj Khalifa and in view of that glorious cityscape we have a great second meet with around 35 cars and over 50 people, including the debut of the Maserati Gran Turismo MC Stradale.
Meanwhile Volkswagen forces us to rethink our perception of the reborn Beetle with a completely new version that looks less toon-town and more hunkered down. Sadly they are still not sure about whether they’ll bring it here. When it comes to the Beetle R – we have an answer for them: ‘Bring it’!
And with free seven years servicing from now on thrown in with every new Ferrari the FF and its kin begin to sound even more practical and logical – now where’d I put my bank manager’s number. By the way, Mr Al Tayer, I’d like my 458 Italia in red please. I’m so unoriginal.
Fortunately I know it’s brilliant to drive, because I get to test it on local roads, and for an added twist we borrow Tariq and Imtiaz Shaikh’s classic Ferrari 328 GTS to do an old vs new feature. I’m bowled over by the new car, but have to confess it’s the golden oldie I want to take home with me.
May
Mercedes drive us crazy by announcing the CLS 500 and CLS 63 is on sale – that’s one handsome car – and reveals the SLS Roadster. As nice as it is though, without the Gullwing doors, I just don’t get the point.
Aston Martin reveals the V12 Zagato – which isn’t particularly handsome, and frankly the V12 Vantage it’s based on is perfection anyway. Jaguar announces it will build the voluptuous C-X75 concept car for real. Hurray. But it won’t have those amazing little range extender miniature turbines. Boo.
The best looking Maybach ever, the Exelero, a one-off designed and developed for tyre manufacturer Fulda, is finally sold – to Birdman. No, he’s neither an Ornithologist nor a superhero, but a rapper who’s managed to blag something one local dealer has been advertising for years as available for sale (with typical UAE trader optimism).
I’m well into my long-term test of the Jeep Grand Cherokee and it’s great to know that we were right in giving this the family car of the year award at our last handing out of the gongs (which would indeed be the last for CAR ME).
Even more versatile, though not quite as desirable, is the new Dodge Durango which gets introduced this month. Way more interesting is its new sibling, the new Dodge Charger. It looks sensational – especially those rear bank of LED lights, is superbly well appointed and inviting inside, has a pretty decent motor and goes well too. This car should be a winner, and it is.
This month I also get to drive some of the fastest cars of my career – the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport and Grand Sport and the Lamborghini Aventador. The former two live up to their reputation: breathtakingly quick, utterly superior, staggeringly efficient, totally docile, and better handling than you might think given all that mass and potentially colossal momentum. Thing is though, whilst I come away stupendously impressed, I am most certainly not enamoured. Glad to have enjoyed the privilege of being granted time with these rarest of automobiles, but I find them irrelevant and beyond my comprehension.
The Aventador on the other hand, I totally get. Mad and bad, mean and mighty, and a little bit fighty. After multiple on-track high-speed laps, I find it’s so much more driveable (hard) than its predecessor with incredible handling and astonishing sure-footedness, despite that massive lump of a motor slung over the back. The electronics do an amazing job, the four-wheel drive remains faithful, but the sense of drama, or theatrics and a sense of the more-than-slightly unhinged, remains intact. The flip-up starter button cover alone would have done it for me. I love this car.
Another absolutely epic drive this month was taking a pair of Maseratis including the new GranTurismo Stradale to Musandam to drive along the sensational and specatcular coastal road. If you get a chance to head out there, do not miss it, this road and the sea-scape is well worth the trudge up there and getting through the border points.
For our third CAR ME Car Meet, we hit Jumeirah Beach Walk at the worst time on a Friday afternoon and cause absolute chaos and havoc, but in a very satisfying style indeed. Hosted in association with Burger Fuel, Farah proved the perfect host fixing it with the authorities to let us get away with the mad parking for our participants, and Tarek did an amazing job orchestrating the extreme parking. And of course it was just great to see so many of you guys turn up with your awesome rides.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8s3RzapK1QY?rel=0June
Mini reveals the Coupe version – I just drove it (read here) and it’s great, but I’d rather have the regular hatchback still. BMW reveals the all new M5 and I’m invited on the launch, unfortunately I get my days mixed up and miss the flight – Doh! Indisputably one of the dumbest things I’ve ever done. No matter, I’ll try to get at the top of the queue for when the car gets here. Except that BMW’s demo car is sold at the Dubai Motor Show in November when it finally does arrive as soon as it goes on display [insert appropriate foul language of your choosing here].
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQUR0y8Ysbg?rel=0Driving the Dodge Charger proves it’s still very much American in personality, but it’s fit enough to hang with a Mustang on some tortuous twisties – as we find during our attempted homage feature to the Bullitt car chase sequence. I know – it’s the wrong place, the Mustang’s the wrong colour and we ain’t going that fast. But at least we tried… and in weather so hot it cooked the photographer’s camera.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vlRXlvcNo4?rel=0I fly over to Kuwait again because, believe it or not, it’s the only place where I can get hold of a working Jaguar E-Type which we need to shoot for our very special supplement on the legendary British sport car’s 50th Anniversary. It’s a lovely, very original V12 roadster and of course barely an hour into the shoot when I decide to take it for a very brief drive, it immediately breaks. It soils the ground and the brakes seize, and we end up doing a lot of ‘creative’ shooting till the mechanics arrive to fix it. It’s also the first time we’ve done a iPad App – which is still available here.
Our fourth CAR ME Car Meet is, in my own opinion, a bit of a damp squib, after the social highs of the first three. Sure we get a whole load of readers into a free premiere of the fabulous Cars animated movie sequel, but there’s no engagement and no actual readers’ cars. That’s what you get for letting the marketing team get involved.
July
We were the first to go live with images and videos of the new 2011 Honda Civic when Imthishan stumbled on its out in the desert late last year – and it caused quite a storm. Most were in denial about the images insisting the new Civic couldn’t be that bad and that we were wrong. Some even accused us of faking the whole thing.
When the Civic is finally revealed we are vindicated. But we’re also saddened, because it genuinely is a disappointment. And all the early drive reports coming out of the States are not entirely glowing either. Honda Middle East keep offering me the car to test and I keep turning it down.
You know what, can we just forget about this one and look ahead to the next gen, I have a soft spot for the Civic, and don’t want to tarnish my feelings for the car too much.
Time to get away from it all and a vacation in my home city of London is in order. Of course I can’t help mixing these things with work, so I try a Range Rover Sport diesel whilst I’m there, and seriously ponder if we in the Middle East are missing out by ignoring diesel motors – they really are that good now.
I also head up to the McLaren HQ Woking to take a look at and grab a quick drive in, the McLaren MP4-12C (probably the first Middle East journalist to do so in fact). It’s hard to judge it in a Middle East context though as we blast along tiny B-roads fearing cameras and the occasional patrol car.
The roads are very lumpy and bumpy but I still take away several abiding memories: it feels staggeringly quick, staggeringly stable, and rides staggeringly well for a hard-edged sports car. And when you hit the brakes that massive spoiler comes up at the back and you have no idea of what wiped you out from behind, cause you’ll never see it. Also there is something missing, I was awed by its competency, but didn’t fall in love. A longer test on our own roads here is what’s needed, hopefully we’ll bring that to you soon.
The car I drive to Woking and back home on the other hand, puts the biggest smile on my face of any BMW I’ve driven in recent memory (apart from the classic M635 CSi). The 1-series M Coupe, or 1M as we prefer to call it, is very old school (manual, proper steering, few electronics settings). It reminds me of my old E30 325i coupe I used to bomb about London in, during the 1990s. Absolutely loved the 1M, shame it’s so pricey and so rare (limited edition) – please BMW, make more like this. I even take it down to a meet at the famous Ace Cafe (where I meet a guy from Bahrain with his Ferrari) and it’s an instant hit.
I also take the opportunity to check out the London Motor Museum – something I’d never heard of but which turns out to be an absolute treasure trove of classic, weird and wacky cars. If you’re in the UK any time soon – don’t miss the opportunity to go dekho. Another not to be missed is the Goodwood Festival of Speed – brilliant if a little over-crowded.
August
The all-new much awaited Porsche 911 (991) is revealed and… gasp… it looks exactly like the current one. Well mostly. It’s longer, wider, lower and the interior is giant leap forward taking cues from the Panamera. Even without driving it I know it’s gonna be better in every way yet again, and it will be sure fire hit. Actually I’m driving it very soon, so can’t wait to report back to you right here on MME.
Jaguar reveals the C-X16 Concept – a sort of baby XK and we all desperately want them to build it asap. Ferrari reveals the 458 Spider – now with added noise, yum! And I get to run the CLS 63 for a few weeks. It turns out to be even better than I thought, comfy, calming, yet meaty and potent. Plus all that style, and those tear-drop rear LEDs. I make it Esquire Middle East Car of the Year. A fitting champ.
The CAR Middle East team, despite six years of building the best motoring media brand in the region, capturing a legion of fans and followers (16,000 fans on Facebook) and leading the way in innovative, exciting, authoritative and quality print motoring journalism, gets a left hook in the face, a kick in the gut, and a knee in the groin as the announcement is made to close the title.
Times are tough and we all have to face economic realities, but we had something great going here, so this hurts, professionally, personally, emotionally. The reader reaction is strong and sincere, and Imthishan and I end up feeling even worse because it seems like we’re letting down our readers – you guys.
You all demand one last Car Meet to say farewell, we give in and set a date at The Pavilion – the same evening we will close the final issue of the magazine.
Despite the hot muggy weather and the dark night, we pack out the place. We’ve got our brave faces on, beaming our best smiles, but I have to confess to the occasional quivering lips and lump in the throat as the tributes come thick and fast from fans, colleagues and even our rivals in the media. It’s touching, it’s heart-warming, it’s overwhelming. One young lad has flown over from Saudi Arabia just so he could be with us for the last meet. Told ya it was overwhelming.
What an amazing night. You and us, we did this. How can we let this end?
We do our last twin test for the magazine – a world exclusive getting both the Rolls-Royce Ghost and Bentley Mulsanne together and Imthishan drives the Lamborghini Gallardo Performante – well might as well end the magazine in style.
September
Our last ever issue of CAR Middle East dated September-October is on the shelves, and we unceremoniously switch off the website and the Facebook.
But we start a new Facebook page – Motoring Middle East – and the response is amazing. We’ve become known and recognised as one of the leading proponents of social media when it comes to motoring news and content, and you seem to like what we do, so we’re going to keep on at it!
I drive the new facelifted Bentley Continental GT and find it to be just ever so slightly better in every way, particularly the interior, which was starting to look a bit tired, though still can’t match the fabulously crafted Mulsanne cabin.
I team up with long-time CAR ME contributor, friend, colleague and off-road guru, our own sage, Fraser Martin to produce an off-road guide in association with Jeep to be distributed in magazines like Charged, Men’s Fitness and Middle East Golfer. Actually Fraser does all the writing, we just put it together. But it’s a great little book, and an example of the amazing stuff we could have continued to achieve with CAR ME.
Got to get over that!
October
Buoyed by the encouragement and support we’re getting from you guys, Imthishan and I decide to launch our own motoring blog – www.MotoringME.com.
I drive the Porsche Panamera Turbo S which is like the regular Turbo but slightly quicker and so completely irrelevant as the regular edition is quick enough. Plus these looks are not growing on me at all. Impressive engineering though, no doubt.
I’m equally less than overwhelmed emotionally but just as impressed mentally by the Audi A6 which is just a great all-round car and a solid place to put your money in should you be looking for a comfy exec saloon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLQR-ajc56c?rel=0An evening at Yas Marina thrashing Mercs proves that the CLS63 is a still awesome and that the C63 is a proper driver’s tool, plus that I should have had my belts on even tighter whilst riding in a wild race-ready SLS (watch the vid).
And another evening is spent at a race track, this time the Dubai Autodrome. It all rather more sedate though, trying out the all-electric Rolls-Royce Phantom 102EX – that may be an absurd notion, but experiencing such serene motivity is perhaps what a Rolls should be all about?
A press trip to Jordan to drive the new Range Rover Evoquereveals that Jordanian’s are really nice people and their country is absolutely fascinating historically and in terms of its architecture; driving there is interesting; they got some great old Japanese cars still running around; and the Evoque’s one impressive vehicle, on road and off it. Still question whether it’s priced to sell in this market though, but it does look stylish.
Attending the Mini Festival at the Dubai Autodrome gives me a chance to meet my stunt-driving hero, Russ Swift and to get a picture with him. He can still make cars do the dance too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZhfXsXasfY?rel=0November
This month is all about the Dubai Motor Show, we’re doing the daily newspaper for the show, so Imthishan and I are roped into produced it. We’re flat out for a couple of weeks but show is one of the best I’ve seen in the UAE so far, the car industry is clearly back on form and maybe it’s not bluffing about having a good end to the year after all.
Being in attendance at the show every day, means that Motoring Middle East provides the best coverage of the Dubai show both through Facebook and its website (see it here). It’s great to meet some of you at the show too.
It’s my birthday this month, so decide to have a party, dressed up as Car Meet – our first Motoring Middle East Car Meet.
We’ve no idea how many of you might turn up, so we figure once again that like the first one it will be a few of us sharing a birthday cake (that resolutely doesn’t look anything like the car it was meant too, despite supplying the bakers with multiple images and info – ho hum).
And of course, because you guys are so awesome, this ‘first’ MME Meet is as big (if not bigger) than the last CAR ME Meet. Fortunately there’s enough cake to go around, and we get some great cars in and make yet more new friends.
I’ve also been researching a lot into the change trends of media in general and automotive media in particular. Seems that print will soon be history, and digital is inevitably the way forward – read my findings here.
December
UAE National Day Celebrations and lots of cool car stuff going on across the UAE, and we lead the way with before and after coverage – our website figures sky-rocket! We’re reporting live from the Emaar classic car show, and it’s the best one of the four so far (I still think they need to move it off the road and closer to the fountains though), plus we tag along with the National Day Parade. Facebookers are loving it and our website visitors are lapping up the images and coverage.
Jumping in the facelifted 2012 Jaguar XK, it immediately feels like home, but it now looks even sharper and goes so well you almost wonder why you’d need an XKR – almost, you understand though, almost. The Mercedes C350 Coupe is similarly highly desirable, and also makes one wonder why the need for a C63 – almost, I emphasise, almost.
In reality the fact that both these cars are so good in these forms, just makes me salivate at the prospect of how much more yummy the true performance versions will be.
We do the only twin-test between the new Toyota Yaris and the Chevrolet Sonic, it’s a close-fought battle and the Chevy takes it – just (thanks to its superior showroom appeal). But the Yaris has impressed us with just how much fun it is to chuck around, so we’ll be getting a little more time with it to really put it through its paces: watch this space.
And because our first meet went so well, we keep the momentum up with another MME Car Meet. And once again are totally overwhelmed by your response. With some truly amazing cars: a Viper, Countach, the new McLaren and even the Aventador makes a late night appearance, whilst all sorts of other enticing metal appears, from Herbie to the Fast and Furious crowd. One guy even drives all the way from Bahrain!
The good news is that thanks to your enthusiasm and the support of our friends like the JACCKers, we are determined to keep these going. The bad news is that we’ve already outgrown the Pavilion – we need more space. Any ideas for a new venue would be welcome (inbox MME@MotoringME.com).
This month I also get nasty with the Flying Lady – although ‘chucking’ a Rolls-Royce Ghost around on a track is just the height of absurdity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBLgGL06kUw?rel=0We join the Jeep Jamboree in the 2012 Wrangler and explore the very extremes of my off-roading incompetencies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWKdS7FmwT0?rel=0And finally, the last test drive of the year, I try out the new Toyota Camry and discover that it’s has an excellent stereo!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wbd90tsMs2c?rel=02011 bit of an Annus Horribilis then?
Well not quite an Anus (sic) Horribilis, there were some awesome cars and great experiences interspersed with some heart-breaks. But the best part of all has been you guys – your support, your encouragement and your friendships.
We’re proud to have served you as CAR Middle East, but now that that grand title is firmly dead and cremated, from the ashes, yes like the proverbial phoenix, rises Motoring Middle East. And we’re doing this because of you.
So stick with us in 2012 – it’ll be yet another roller coaster, but in a good way.
You ain’t seen nuthin’ yet!
Does this section of road still exist? I travel through PA and it would be an interesting stop.