Motors - Gulf Insider

4 years ago

The BMW i4 changed my opinion about EVs. Here’s why…

By Charlie Cooksey, Gulf Insider Reviewing this car involved me flying to Nice, on the stunning French Rivera, and staying at a beautiful 5-star hotel right on the seafront. Yes, I have a tough job. Looking out from my suite to the sea is breath-taking. The water is a beautiful azure blue and almost surreal. Interestingly, the colour of the sea is the same as the blue ring on the BMW badge affixed to every car in their EV (Electric Vehicle) range. Is this clever marketing from BMW, or coincidence? Anyway, before I talk about the car itself, let me say a few words on EVs. I’ve been test driving various EVs from several manufacturers for a couple of years now. But, until now I had only driven EVs for fairly short journeys on the roads of Bahrain and Dubai. Driving on the French highways enabled me to do some long-distance driving and I really got a feel for EVs and learnt how capable they are – in this case, the BMW i4. Two versions of this car are available: the eDrive40 and the M50. The entry-level eDrive40 is a rear-wheel drive with one electric motor which produces 340bhp, accelerating from […]

4 years ago

Audi in Saudi: Rally Adventure

Charlie Cooksey checks into Saudi Arabia for the Dakar Rally with Audi Middle East Recently, I was delighted to be invited by Audi Middle East to the Dakar Rally being held in Saudi Arabia. The Dakar Rally (formerly known as the “Paris–Dakar Rally”) is the annual, and greatest ever, off-road motor endurance event. Most events since the inception in 1978 were staged from Paris, France, to Dakar, Senegal, but due to security threats in Mauritania, which led to the cancellation of the 2008 rally, events from 2009 to 2019 were held in South America. From 2020 to 2022 the rally has been held in Saudi Arabia. From 2023, the rally is expected to take place entirely in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The rally is open to amateur and professional entries, amateurs typically making up about eighty percent of the participants. This was my first ever visit to Saudi Arabia and I was excited to see the country, after having lived in the Middle East for 5 years, and visiting for over 20 years. I was especially excited over the last few years to visit Saudi with its huge tourism development, the growth and buzz of Riyadh, and all the huge other events happening there. The energy and vibe of Saudi Arabia is […]

4 years ago

Protected: Tale of Two Electrics: IONIQ 6 v IONIQ 5

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4 years ago

BMW Group: Sustainability, inclusivity, and social responsibilities

Charlie Cooksey of Gulf Insider attends a roundtable by Ilka Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Human Resources and Labour Relations Director, and patron of the Intercultural Innovation Award (IIA) as she speaks about BMW and the IIA. The BMW Group is an international, intercultural company operating in 140 countries and has production operations in over 30 countries. Intercultural, mutual understanding, and respect are their key drivers for future cooperation, as well as climate change with their sustainability strategies and social responsibilities. The BMW Group and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) awarded ten organizations from ten countries with the Intercultural Innovation Award (IIA) at the Germman Pavilion at EXPO 2020 Dubai. The award honoured people and projects that promote diversity, tolerance, and inclusion in a creative way. Over 1,100 organizations from 120 countries applied for the award. Why hold the IIA in Dubai? Coinciding with the themed week on Tolerance and Inclusivity, and the International Day of Tolerance, it was the perfect place. I really liked the motto of the of the expo – “connecting minds creating future”. If you want to connect minds, you need to respect one another, therefore, I think it’s […]

5 years ago

First Ever “Icons of Porsche” Festival in Dubai

Gulf Insider’s Charlie Cooksey attends the region’s largest “car culture gatherings” in Dubai. By Charlie Cooksey Last month, I was lucky enough to attend the biggest public event held by any automotive manufacturer in the Middle East and the first of its kind in the region – a very special two-day event on November 19th and 20th at The Slab in Dubai Design District. When I entered the sea of cars, I was so totally in awe of what I saw around that I actually stopped listening to what the person I was with was saying to me and had to ask them to repeat themselves (sorry Anja). So, what was “Icons of Porsche”? Well, there were more than 1,000, mostly classic Porsches on show. Hundreds of classic car owners from across the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Oman made the journey to Dubai to display their own beloved – sometimes rare and customized – cars. Porsche also brought over many special models from their museum in Stuttgart, Germany. Some of the cars on display included Le Mans-winning racing icons such as the 911 GT1 or the 917 KH which celebrated the brand’s history of success in motorsports. […]

5 years ago

The BMW Concept XM – power and luxury beyond all

At Art Basel’s 2021 Miami Beach show, BMW M GmbH is presenting an expressive new vehicle concept on the global stage for the first time. The BMW Concept XM looks ahead to the most powerful BMW M car ever to go into series production, which is set to begin at the end of next year. At the same time, the BMW Concept XM shines the spotlight on standout aspects of the M brand. Electrification underpins an extraordinary driving experience which allows the driver to both glide along in near silence and enjoy the time-honoured pleasure of high performance, M-style. The BMW Concept XM provides a first glimpse of the new front-end design for BMW’s forthcoming luxury-class models. It will also introduce its audience to a highly progressive and distinctive take on BMW X model design and an all-new form of luxury and sense of space for the interior. The series-production model – the BMW XM – will be built from the end of 2022 at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in the USA. BMW M will therefore be introducing its first standalone vehicle since the legendary BMW M1 in the year it celebrates its 50th anniversary. The BMW XM will be available in plug-in hybrid form only and exclusively as an M model. With an all-electric range of up to 80 km, the newly developed M […]

5 years ago

Ferrari 812 GTS — a mighty work of art powered by a herd of horses

Charlie Cooksey drives the world’s most powerful convertible… in Bahrain. The Ferrari 812 GTS is the most powerful production spider there is, and I had the chance to drive this mighty car last month on a special Ferrari “Lifestyle Drive”. Its amazing 6,496cc V12 engine, capable of a top speed of 340 kph, can accelerate the car from zero to 100 kph in a blistering 3 seconds – and to 200 kph in just 8.3 seconds! I first enjoyed a pre-drive coffee and chat with Ferrari Bahrain’s General Manager, Matthew Morgan. He’s passionate about the brand and we spent an hour discussing Ferrari in general, and the 812 GTS in particular. Then it came to the drive… The car was waiting for me outside the showroom and was gleaming in classic Ferrari red. It looked beautiful – like a work of art, which I guess it is. It was a perfect late October day with temperatures in the mid-late 20s, so I decided to drive in convertible mode. The retractable hard top artfully opens in just 14 seconds at speeds of up to 45 kph. I appreciated the meticulous work that went into ensuring driver and passenger comfort with the […]

5 years ago

Adamas Motors operates the new Lotus Bahrain showroom

Charlie Cooksey interviews Karl Hamer, CEO, Adamas Motors on the newly launched Lotus showroom in Bahrain. You describe the new Lotus Bahrain showroom as a “world first”. What do you mean by that? Bahrain’s market is not the biggest in the world, we all know that. Although it’s a conservative market, people here love their cars. Our business is in the Asia Pacific and Middle East only so when we had the chance to go into Bahrain, I jumped at it. Motor retailing has changed and now it’s all about giving lifestyle experiences. I wanted to build the world’s first department store for cars in a high-end fashion in the center of Manama’s financial district. The Bahrain showroom is the first in the world to display Lotus’ new retail identity. Where does the name Adamas come from? When I was forming the company, I didn’t want it to be in my name. I wanted a brand of our own so that when you hear it across Asia Pacific and the Middle East, you’ll immediately know it’s synonymous to luxury. The name Adamas was inspired by its Latin origin of a diamond – unbreakable, indestructible and invincible. We understand that Bahrain […]

5 years ago

The BMW X3 is no average SUV, here’s why

Charlie Cooksey drives the BMW X3. The BMW X3 might look pretty much identical to the previous model it replaces, but it’s packed with lots of improved technology that make it easier and more relaxing to drive. It’s also a lot sportier than the average SUV. It’s lighter, more efficient, and drives beautifully as you’d expect from a BMW. This roomy family car is quiet and comfortable thanks to its suspension that expertly irons out the bumps that can be found in many Bahrain roads. There’s generous space in the front for both the driver and the passenger, and enough room in the back for three adults. There’s also lots of boot space. The BMW X3 is actually bigger than the original BMW X5. That said, I was surprised just how easy this car is to park in tight spaces thanks to excellent visibility and technology. Interior design is stylish, with funky controls and choices of cool ambient lighting. The quality of materials used by BMW for the interior are first class. Almost every piece of trim on the dashboard and center console feels soft to the touch. There’s a 248-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and rear-wheel drive. All-wheel […]

5 years ago

What does luxury mean to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars?

Charlie Cooksey interviews Cesar Habib, Regional Director of Rolls-Royce Middle East & Africa. Rolls-Royce as a brand is known to be the pinnacle of luxury. What is “luxury”, and what defines a luxury car? I believe that luxury is not just a product. Luxury is a journey and a lifestyle that somebody has to experience. Every Rolls-Royce is a piece of art; from the engineering to the smallest of details and what makes Rolls-Royce luxurious is the Bespoke capabilities and service level it entails. When a customer starts a journey with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, he becomes a member of our family. How do the demands of Middle East clients differ from other clients? Our clients are global citizens. With that said, they know what the trends are globally. They are open minded, they are passionate about luxury, and more importantly, they like to share. Our customers may differ in demographics, but their mindset and what they regard as important are the same: they want luxury and service. They want to be proud of what they own. In short — there’s not a big difference. They’re very, very, similar. Are there any defining characteristics that makes Rolls-Royce unique? No two Rolls-Royces […]

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The BMW i4 changed my opinion about EVs. Here’s why…

Audi in Saudi: Rally Adventure

Protected: Tale of Two Electrics: IONIQ 6 v IONIQ 5

BMW Group: Sustainability, inclusivity, and social responsibilities

First Ever “Icons of Porsche” Festival in Dubai

The BMW Concept XM – power and luxury beyond all

Ferrari 812 GTS — a mighty work of art powered by a herd of horses

Adamas Motors operates the new Lotus Bahrain showroom

The BMW X3 is no average SUV, here’s why

What does luxury mean to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars?

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