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3 years ago
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. […]
3 years ago
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 […]
3 years ago
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 […]
4 years ago
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 […]
4 years ago
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 […]
4 years ago
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 […]
4 years ago
Charlie Cooksey from Gulf Insider drives the new Ferrari F8 Spider. The F8 Spider is a mid-rear-mounted two-seater that provides jaw dropping performance with reputedly the best 8-cylinder engine in the world. It offers intense driving pleasure, unprecedented handling, and superior ride comfort. Luxuriously stitched leather seats hold you in secure comfort no matter how hard you drive this car. Every element of the dash, steering wheel, door panels and tunnel is beautifully designed. It was a beautiful April day – not too hot, and while waiting at the Al Hawaj traffic lights, I remembered this car becomes a convertible at the touch of a button… So, I activated the process, by which, the blue sky opened up for me. The conversion to an open top sports car takes a dozen or so seconds and is mechanics as an art form. I realized all eyes from within the other cars around me were watching with fascination as the car changed. The F8 Spider was designed in parallel with the F8 Tributo – the most powerful, fastest, and lightest Ferrari for its type. They replace the 488 GTB and 488 Spider and have been significantly improved to provide even better control […]
4 years ago
Review by Charlie Cooksey I remember attending the EuroMotors launch of the new Ferrari Roma at the Bahrain International Circuit in late 2019 or early 2020 (pre-Covid days). The theme was La dolce vita (“the sweet life”), the iconic 1960 Italian movie directed by Federico Fellini that came to symbolize Italian style and attitudes for over a generation. It was a fun evening held outdoors in the Paddock area and we were treated to delicious Italian cooking, music, and there were lots of posters of Italian movie stars from long ago. Of course, the star of the night was the Roma. It was not for driving that evening, just for admiring. I remember looking forward to getting the chance to get behind the wheel, I just didn’t think it would take so long – over a year. The Roma, though understated compared to other Ferraris, is a beautiful car. I personally loved this particular car’s grey paintwork – the car I and everyone was admiring at EuroMotor’s La Dolce vita launch was this same rare colour so I’m guessing that this is the same car. So where does the Roma fit into the Ferrari family? I suppose it could be […]
4 years ago
Just recently, we spoke to David McGoldrick, the General Manager of BMW Group in Bahrain to know more about their plans ahead of the year. What were the greatest challenges BMW, and the motor industry in general, faced in 2020? The challenges can be defined in two areas: pre-Covid and post-Covid. The pre-Covid challenges were focused on the changes in people’s mobility requirements in the modern world. This includes issues on sustainability and environment as well as the costs associated with the research and development of new products. Post-Covid, would be the economic impact that affects the supply and demand of cars. Were you able to resolve these problems? In terms of dealing with Covid, we had to be agile. It’s not something that any of us have encountered before and we at BMW are continuing to react quickly to the circumstances each day posed. We have innovated the way we operate and offered our services. We have pioneered in an online showroom (for new and used cars), reduced consumer touch points and made our digital offerings more visible and seamless. Our customer service has been elevated – an example of that would be our car service and repair at […]
4 years ago
2020 has been a difficult year for a lot of industries, automotive included. How has Porsche dealt with the issues regionally and what effect, if any, has it had on the business? It has been a year unlike any other, but I’m pleased to say we’ve dealt with it head on. Naturally, the safety and well-being of our employees was at the forefront of our decision-making. Thanks to flexible business plans, fast support measures, creative ideas and above all, the great support of our Porsche partners across the region, we can be proud of what we achieved. We started the year off well and reported a 5-per cent growth in new car deliveries in the first quarter of 2020. Following the lockdown in the second quarter, which unsurprisingly affected our business, we had the best third quarter results over a 5-year period. What would you say have been the most significant moments and milestones for Porsche throughout the Middle East in 2020? Despite COVID-19 presenting a challenge on a scale which we have never seen before, we took big steps throughout the year that will continue to impact our operations positively in the years to come. What I found most […]
1 hour ago
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