Dubai Motor Show Teases Toyota GT-86 Sedan with Amateur Photoshop, Which Then Vanishes…
All it takes is an amateur photoshop (we wouldn't be surprised if the above rendering was actually made with MS Paint…) and a Facebook posting for some to come out with grabby titles containing the words "official" and "confirmed".
Case in point, the Facebook page for the Dubai International Motor Show that posted the photo you see along with the claim that the Toyota GT86 Sports Sedan will have its "regional unveil" at the event held from November 5 to 9.
Needless to say, there's some BS going on here beginning with the photo that's a badly done digital render of the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show Toyota FT-86 Concept and continues with the "regional unveil", which would mean that the car has already made its world premiere somewhere else…
Funny thing is that, the post disappeared altogether today from the event's FB page.
Like we said in another posting about the same issue regarding a purportedly insider report on the Toyota GT 86 / Scion FR-S / Subaru BRZ sedan, while the Japanese automaker might be considering such a model down the line, one should always question these reports and separate those that are made for grabbing headlines and clicks by using fictional information (purposely or not), from those that are based on cold, hard facts.
By John Halas
Story References: Autoblog.com , Autoguide , Worldcarfans
Scoop: Is This The 2014 Nissan Patrol Facelift?
As the sixth generation of the Nissan Patrol (related to the recently renamed Infiniti QX80 which was previously known as the QX) approaches its fourth year in the market, it's only to reasonable to expect that the Japanese company prepares some updates to keep consumer interest high in its flagship SUV.
A member of the Nissan Arabia forums scooped these photos of what appears to be next year's updated version of the Patrol loaded on a transport truck in Dubai.
We only see the parts of the profile and rear end of the large SUV, in which we detected newly designed tail lamps, alloy wheels and possibly side trims.
If this is indeed the lightly revised Patrol, we wouldn't be surprised if Nissan unveils the car at next week's Dubai Motor Show (November 5 to 9).
We tip our hats to Saif for the heads up!
Porsche Proves That The New Macan Can Do Sand Dunes
To show people that its upcoming baby SUV is not an asphalt-only vehicle, Porsche has released a video that depicts the Macan tackling sand dunes in the United Arab Emirates.
Judging from the footage, the Macan should be a pleasure to drive on sand dunes and people living near deserts will no doubt notice that. It’s probably the main reason for which Porsche released this video, as rich customers from the Middle East will be important for the SUV’s commercial success.
The video shows the Macan accelerating through sand dunes in temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) during the car’s development process. It’s a fun video to watch, especially since it allows us to hear the nice sound of what is likely the twin-turbocharged V6 engine that will power the Macan Turbo.
As you probably already know, the Macan will be unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show next month, when the SUV will finally get rid of the Cayenne-imitating camouflage.
By Dan Mihalascu
Range Rover Sport to Cross Arabian Desert’s "Empty Quarter" as Fast as Possible
Land Rover will take the new Range Rover Sport to the Arabian Desert where it will attempt to set the fastest time for a standard production vehicle crossing the “Empty Quarter”, one of the harshest and most challenging desert environments on the planet.
The route will start in Wadi Adda Wasir, Saudi Arabia, and will end on the border of the United Arab Emirates, a distance of over 1,000 km (621 miles) – further than the length of France.
The Range Rover Sport will be driven by Moi Torrallardona, a 47-year-old Spanish off-road racer who has competed ten successive years in the Dakar Rally, with a best finish of 6th overall.
It will be no walk in the park for the Range Rover Sport, as it will have to tackle temperatures of over 50 degrees Celsius during the day and sand dunes stretching 850 feet (259 meters) into the air. So how will a production vehicle get across a terrain where usually only specialist sand vehicles are found? I have no idea, but Land Rover has a lot of confidence in the off-road capabilities of the Range Rover Sport, which will be tested to the limit.
Nevertheless, it’s an interesting choice of vehicle for this test, as the Sport has traditionally been more oriented to on-road performance than off-road trails.
By Dan Mihalascu
Brand New Aston Martin One-77 Can Be Yours for $2.04 Million / €1.48 Million
Although many limited edition supercars are reported sold out even before the start of deliveries, there is still hope for those who have enough money to splash on a very expensive and rare machine.
With the 499 units of the Ferrari LaFerrari already sold out and the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder on track to be out of stock too, the only hope for someone willing to spend an obscene amount of money on a rare supercar is to check out the classifieds.
How about an Aston Martin One-77 with 0 kilometers or miles on the odometer? This rare British beast (only 77 were built) exists and awaits its future owner in a Dubai luxury car dealership. Painted Pearl White and with a matching interior and blue dashboard, the left-hand drive One-77 was built in 2012 and is available for 7,500,000 AED ($2.04 million/€1.48 million).
That’s around half a million dollars more than the car’s original price when it rolled off the Aston Martin assembly line. Still, the One-77 looks mesmerizing and is from a traditional breed of supercars for which the words downsizing, turbocharging or electrification has no meaning whatsoever.
The most powerful and exclusive model from Gaydon is powered by a naturally aspirated 7.3-liter V12 engine developing 750 hp (760PS) and 750Nm (553.2 lb-ft) of torque. The One-77 sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in under 3.7 seconds and reaches a top speed of over 354 km/h (220 mph).
By Dan Mihalascu
First Arabian Supercar, the Lykan HyperSport, to Debut in Production Trim at Dubai Show
It's been a long time since we last heard of the Arab world's first ever supercar, the Lykan HyperSport from Lebanese-based W Motors, which was displayed as a concept at the Qatar Motor Show in January, but today, we received word from the company that it will be revealing the production version at the Dubai International Motor Show, held from November 5 to 9, 2013.
W Motors may be a completely new and for the most part, unknown to masses name in the supercar scene, but it's sure making some pretty bold claims about the Lykan, such as that it will be "the most luxurious, exclusive and technologically advanced hypercar in the world".
Only seven examples of Lykan will be built, each priced at $3.4 million (about €2.5 or GBP 2.1 million), which is twice as much as a Bugatti Veyron, and almost nine times the price of a Lamborghini Aventador, the styling of which it slightly resembles from some angles and details.
Power comes from an unidentified (but possibly sourced from Porsche), mid-mounted twin-turbocharged flat-six engine rated for 750-horsepower and 1,000Nm (737 lb-ft) of peak torque that drives the rear wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, for a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 2.8 seconds and a top speed of…395km/h (245mph).
According to the company's release, it also features the following items:
"A one of a kind holographic display with interactive motion and tactile interaction, an advanced ID4Motion dashboard and a uniquely developed reverse mechanical doors system. Adding a touch of modern luxury, the “Lykan” comes with Diamond encrusted LED lights, gold--‐stitched interior seats, a 24h/24h elite concierge service lifestyle and a unique patented design Cyrus Klepcys watch dedicated to “Lykan” owners only."
