Bahrain car review - Gulf Insider

4 years ago

Bahrain: The VW Golf GTI (Mk8) is in a League of its Own

Gulf Insider drives the car that, since its launch nearly 50 years ago, sets the standard for ‘hot hatches’. By Charlie Cooksey From picking up the kids, to carting around boxes, to driving just for the sheer fun of it… the Golf GTI is considered the daddy of hot hatches – a fast and practical car that will do just about anything you need. Now in its eighth generation (Mk8), a new 2-litre turbo four-cylinder engine provides 245 horsepower and a substantial 273 pound-feet of torque. Choose Sport mode and the car instantly becomes stiffer. An ultra-responsive throttle gets this car from zero to 100 kph in 6.4 seconds. VW has reworked the suspension for better performance and the steering feels good. Understeer is usually a let-down in front-wheel-drive cars, but the GTI is in another league. Further noticeable changes from the previous model include new rear hatch and taillight designs, a greater sloping bonnet, and full-width running lights below the bumper. Inside, a big difference from the previous model is the fully digital cockpit making the interior clean and uncluttered. There are no knobs and few buttons on the dash – whether this is a good thing or not is subjective. A 10.3-inch […]

4 years ago

Why is the Macan the World’s Best-Selling Porsche?

Gulf Insider drives the top of the range Porsche Macan GTS to find out. By Charlie Cooksey Porsche came in for a lot of criticism back in 2002 when they announced they were going to build an SUV; it just wasn’t something a company known for high-performance sports cars did at the time. But history reveals that they were just the first sports car manufacturer to do so, and most others eventually followed. The Porsche Cayenne was a massive success and became the company’s bestselling vehicle – until 2014 when they launched the Macan which many believe is not just even more fun to drive than the Cayenne, but has better value – which is why it’s now outselling the Cayenne. The 7-speed PDK shifts with lightning-fast precision and is hard to fault. It’s easy to see why this model is so well-liked, it’s an outright joy to drive – a premium crossover that puts a smile on the driver’s face. The GTS, which I drove, is the top-of-the-range Macan with a significantly more powerful twin-turbo V-6 engine than standard models. It has 434 horsepower and will go from zero to 100kph in less than 3.5 seconds. The latest model […]

4 years ago

A long Dubai weekend with a McLaren 720s Spider

Gulf Insider spends time with what’s been called “the world’s greatest supercar”. By Charlie Cooksey I remember visiting McLaren’s factory in Woking back in the summer of 2015 and being impressed with its beauty – spacious modern architecture on the edge of a lake set within the rolling hills of the English countryside. Everything was state of the art and spotlessly clean – you could, as the saying goes, ‘eat your lunch off the floor’. I felt the pride and innovation of the McLaren workforce and the great lengths the engineers go to improve every product for speed, lightness, safety, and to make the world’s finest performance machines. I have kept good relations ever since, to the extent McLaren kindly offered me a striking bright orange 720s Spider to use as my personal transport when they learned I’d be visiting the UAE over a four-day long weekend last month. It would have been rude to have turned down such an enticing offer so on arriving in Dubai, I went and collected this thrilling machine from the Dubai Autodrome. Getting into the 720s, silly me had forgotten this car doesn’t do ‘normal doors’ – it sports the gull-wing doors. Getting in […]

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 […]

Search Here

Recent Posts

India’s Coal Use Could Double By 2050

Trump Holds Off On Option To Seize Iranian Tankers, Fearing Sharp Oil Rise

Iraq Receives 5,000 ISIS Fighters From Syrian Prisons

US Forces Pull Out Of Syria’s Tanf Base, Hand Over To Jolani Regime

Search Here

Bahrain: The VW Golf GTI (Mk8) is in a League of its Own

Why is the Macan the World’s Best-Selling Porsche?

A long Dubai weekend with a McLaren 720s Spider

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

Recent Posts

India’s Coal Use Could Double By 2050

Trump Holds Off On Option To Seize Iranian Tankers, Fearing Sharp Oil Rise

Iraq Receives 5,000 ISIS Fighters From Syrian Prisons

US Forces Pull Out Of Syria’s Tanf Base, Hand Over To Jolani Regime

China’s Central Bank Keeps Buying Gold… And Dumping US Debt

India’s Richest Man Sees Company Shares Dip After OFAC Request On Iranian LPG Allegations

Useful Links

Subscribe to our mailing list

Online Magazine