Top 21 Stories on MME in 2013
Here are the biggest stories of the year that grabbed the most readers on our website
By Shahzad Sheikh
[UPDATE! – Top top 5 most viewed videos, reviews and stories we did in 2014]
[Also click here to read my ‘best of 2013’ recap!]
[And Fraser Martin’s best bits of 2013]
[Read The Imthishan Awards for 2013]
1 – The Car Stars of Fast & Furious 6
400 cars including some genuine classics got crashed, crushed, thrashed and mashed for the last installment of the hit franchise, that sadly lost one of its main stars later in the year.
2 – We drive new Jebel Jais Mountain Road
We revealed the UAE’s best kept secret and one of its very best driving roads, which is not even open yet. We tried it in three completely different cars: a McLaren MP4-12C, a Toyota 86 and a Mini Paceman JCW. Which was the best on the day? The result might surprise you.
3 – 2013 Honda Accord Review
Accordingly in accordance with accordant accord – here’s our definitive verdict on both the new saloon and coupe. This was the most read single car review of the year!
4 – 2013 Ford Focus ST Review
The hottest hot hatch in town is a performance bargain. It was also the second most popular review on MME this year. Who says nobody’s interested in hot hatches in the Middle East?
5 – Twin Test: Toyota 86 Vs Nissan 370Z
Are we crazy?! One is pricier and more powerful than the other. How can this be a fair twin test? Apparently it was. And our readers agree, making it the highest performaning group test review on our website.
6 – 2013 Toyota RAV4 Review
Compact family SUVs or Crossovers – call them what you will. The RAV4 was the original. We asked if it was still the best. A lot of you were interested in finding out too, making this the highest viewed 4×4 review on our website.
7 – Dubai Motor Show 2013
Many have complemented us on our breadth and depth of coverage from this year’s biggest regional car show. And the traffic numbers both on the MME website and our social media (Facebook.com/MotoringMiddleEast) testified to the fact. Check out the most comprehensive coverage at this link with text, pictures and videos.
8 – Dubai Police Supercars
No one could believe it when the pictures of the amazing Dubai Police supercar fleet first started making its way onto the internet. We headed down to the Dubai travel show to photograph some of the most stunning, including the Aventador, Mercedes SLS and of course the Aston Martin One-77. Check out our pictures and videos.
9 – 2013 Aston Martin Vanquish Review
We billed this as the ‘last honest review Aston Martin review you’ll ever read’. And you clearly appreciated our candour, making this the highest ranking supercar review on MME. We were able to see past that gorgeous extrerior and reveal its true failings. Quite pleased with my pictures on this one too!
10 – 2014 Volkswagen Golf GTI
What was I saying earlier about the region not liking hot hatchbacks? Seems a bit of a myth – with this the second hot review in our top ten stories of the year. The new car has been honed and refined to be the best of the breed so far. Which would you have – this or the Focus ST?
11 – We go dune-bashing in a VW CC
We love doing crazy stuff on MME. And you like us doing crazy stuff too. So we took a brand new luxury sports saloon into the dunes – and got it stuck! No matter, with off-roading legend Fraser Martin at the wheel we drove it out again, and it emerged remarkably unscathed and having impressed everyone who’d seen it do the seemingly impossible.
12 – 2013 Range Rover Review
Road, rocks and sand, all conquered in Morocco by the all-new bid daddy Range Rover. A superhit success and quite possible THE SUV of the year for the region. Read what this amazing Rolls-Royce of the off-road world is like.
13 – 2013 Honda Civic Review
From hero to zero – and back? Well at least back in the game. Second Honda review in our top articles – this was our lengthy drive and verdict on the born-again Civic. Had it recovered from the panning it had originally received?
14 – 2013 Hyundai Sante Fe review
Nice one for larger families. This is possible the best value SUV on the market. Packed with kit and seven seats from AED83k. Now wonder it was viewed so many times.
15 – MME Meet 13
Our spectacular Meet back in March was a huge success and lots of fun. Unsurprisingly the page giving all the pre-event info on the Meet was bit hit for the website. But we suggest you now hit this link to read the review of the event.
16 – 2014 Lexus IS350 first drive
We went to Japan to drive the all-new baby saloon from Toyota’s luxury wing. Where better to sample the new IS? Click through to find out what I thought of it. Loads of other people did!
17 – Walk through Paul Walker’s fantastic car collection
After the tragic death of Fast & Furious star, Paul Walker, some of his private collection of cars was revealed and it became clear we has lost a true petrolhead champion. Click through to see a video and you’ll also find a link there to Imthishan’s touching tribute to the actor.
18 – 2014 Peugeot 301
Spanish built, French design baby pug causes a fracas at MME! Such was the disagreement over this car between Imthishan and Fraser that you got not one by two reviews for your price of one click! The underlying message here was that we’re passionate about cars, and we don’t always agree, and don’t expect you to agree with us either. But we encourage coherent debate and discussion.
19 – 2014 Chevrolet Impala review
From the very first drive of the all-new Impala we new we were onto a winner. This could well be the best new large saloon car currently on sale in the region, and a massive step up from Chevy’s of old.
20 – 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Review
Considerably more than just a mid-life update. The refresh confirms this as just about the best current large family SUV with genuine off-road ability you can buy today. It’s one of our very favourites and it got even better. Check it out.
21 – Project car Ferrari 348 TS
Not exactly a new story for this year, because Noel’s epic story of finding and bringing back to life an unloved Ferrari 348 has been running since 2008. But there were a couple of fresh updates in this ongoing story – and readers are clearly enthralled by the perserverance shown in this project.
you guys seem to be BIG fans of American cars!
[Shahzad] Not too many American car stories in this top 21. But you’re not entirely wrong. We love all cars (that’s why we do what we do) but especially the good ones, and most of all those that have real charisma and soul!