2011 Dodge Charger SE V6

The Dodge Charger, one of the last American rear-wheel-drive sedan nameplates left in existence, has gone under the surgeon’s knife and come out the other side with few changes. Or so it seems. What you see here is a 2011 Dodge Charger SE, the one with the new 292 hp 3.6-litre V6. We’re possibly the first ones in the UAE, and possibly the GCC, to review one on local roads. And we are absolutely blown away by this car. Compared to the old one, this new model is from a different planet altogether.
You want aggressive front-end styling? Check. The Charger is angrier than ever. IT must be pissed off after starring in Fast Five.
You want others to look at you and your ego? Check. That 164-LED “racetrack” tail lamps will attract attention from miles away at night.
You want the feel of a premium Euro-luxury interior? Check. There are acres of soft-touch areas, on the dash, on the doors and even on the centre console. The next dumbass to say that Audi has the best interior would be lying, because the Dodge uses similar padding materials, and has less hard plastics than the Audi A5, at half the price!
You want spacious comfortable seats? Check. This Dodge has among the most adjustable driving positions, with a steering wheel that telescopes very far back. We believe the R/T gets sportier leather seating.
You want practicality? Check. Generous rear legroom, door pockets, a/c vents, padded doors and cup-holders. Only the tallest of people will complain of headroom back there.
You want cargo room? Check. The boot is sizeable, and will fit most needs. If you want more space, buy a 4×4.
You want other things? It’s all there too. Fuel economy, handling, acceleration, build quality and gadgetry are all pretty good for the most part. If you want even more, there are even juicier models higher up the model range, all much more affordable than equivalent European luxury cars. Indeed, this American car is now good enough to compete with the premium badges. The Charger is truly among the best cars in the worldright now. The only reason to not buy this car is if you don’t like small side-mirrors and you desperately want paddle shifters.
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2011 Dodge Durango Crew

The previous Dodge Durango was a dud on such a massive scale that it remained on showroom floors right up till 2010, even while production ended in 2008. That fullsize 4×4 is now dead, but its replacement, a stretched midsizer, might very well be among the best in its class.
Our tester is a V8-powered “Crew” version. Even as the cheapest V8 model, it is rather well-loaded. And it looks rather good.


The rear looks a lot like the Jeep Grand Cherokee from which it is derived, but make no mistake, the Durango is much longer and rides lower.


The interior is covered in soft-touch materials on all the upper areas, feeling much more premium than the plasticky Honda MR-V, GMC Acadia and Nissan Pathfinder, making it more of a competitor for the VW Touareg and the Volvo XC90.

The rear offers immense legroom, with many a/c vents, cup-holders and door pockets. Higher models likely get a DVD entertainment system.

The third row is easy enough to access and is pretty spacious too, with decent legroom for average-sized people and roof a/c vents.

The cargo area under the powered tailgate can hold a decent amount of groceries without putting down the third row.

The 2011 Dodge Durango seems to be the ideal minivan for those who don’t want a minivan, offering aggressive style, premium ambience and even a low-range gear should you get stuck in beach sand. Chrysler really has become the company to watch. 

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Honda CR-Z Mugen 2011

So here comes another visual treat for the hardcore Honda fanboys from Mugen, Honda’s racing arm. And this time it isn’t a boring Accord or a Civic sedan, but a more purposeful CR-Z hybrid coupe, Mugen’s version being dubbed the CR-Z Mugen.

Apart from its homeland, the CR-Z has been on sale in the Western hemisphere since mid-2010. The Middle East being a hybrid-repellant region due to fuel being cheap, the shores where a vast majority of Honda fans reside never even got a glimpse of this fuel-efficient sports hybrid from Honda.

The 1.5-litre four-pot along with electric motors powering the original CR-Z has been treated by Mugen with a supercharger, thereby promising a staggering 50% increase in power and a rumoured juicy figure of 197 hp and 245 Nm of torque. Add to it a 15% weight reduction treatment done on the chassis and Mugen’s intentions for a hybrid beast has become reality.

In addition to the original set of driving modes retained from the standard car, there is a ‘Mugen’ mode which supposedly gives the driver an option to sacrifice efficiency for performance. Mugen claims that this one can match an Euro Civic Type-R, or even outrun it. While the Civic Type-R hatch makes almost anyone who drives it a Honda fanboy, one could only imagine what impact this one would have on the crowd – if only the GCC region is destined to be blessed with the CR-Z Mugen.

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2011 Volkswagen Tiguan R-Line

As part of our fresh look at VW’s line-up, we’ve picked up a 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0 TSI Sport&Style R-Line 4MOTION DSG. A facelift of this model has already been revealed, but it won’t differ much from this tester, aside from a new face. The ridiculously-long name also hints at several specifications, although all of it is not marked out with badges on the body.
The “Sport&Style” trim means this is the road-biased model, so it comes with a nicer front bumper, lower and aerodynamic.


The “2.0 TSI” and “DSG” bits mean it has the engine and gearbox from a Golf GTI. The “4MOTION” means it is all-wheel-drive. And the “R-Line” pack adds some exterior bits, 19-inch wheels and sports suspension.
The interior is suitably premium, given its price, with touchscreen navigation, panoramic glass roof, soft-touch upper trim and more R-Line bits such as aluminium pedals. Yet Bluetooth and USB are optional, and not fitted in our tester.


Space up front is excellent, and there are plenty of storage spaces. It is all very practical. The only ergonomic gripe is that the a/c vents, as many as eight individual ones, all point towards your face.
Rear space is also excellent, and the bench can move front and back. There are rear a/c vents and pop-out cup-holders near the middle. An odd addition are those fold-out airplane-style trays.
Cargo volume is pretty good, although not as much as larger competitors such as the Honda CR-V or the Chevy Captiva. The rear seats fold down to increase room.


The VW Tiguan, with the R-Line package, really is just a sporty hatchback on stilts, and drives like one too. More in the full review.
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Tesla Model X Roadster

Plugging intο the future. In a filing with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Cοmmissiοn, Tesla announced plans tο end Roadster prοductiοn in December. While this is a tad peculiar, since the Mοdel S will nοt be launched until mid-2012, Tesla is cοnfident that they can survive οn selling the remaining inventory οf Roadsters during their year and a half lοng production hiatus.

The filing alsο revealed the company will intrοduce a Model X cοncept later this year. Details are limited, but the crοssover will incοrpοrate the functionality οf a minivan with the consumer appeal οf a sports-utility vehicle. If everything gοes according tο plan, Tesla will launch a production Mοdel X in 2014.
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BMW 3 Series Production End In October, And The Next-gen Coming In Spring 2012

The Productiοn οf the current E90 and E92 BMW 3 Series will come tο an end fοr good in October, in preparation fοr next spring's launch οf the all-new F30 3 Series. Befοre the gas models bοw οut, the oil-burning 335d will cease productiοn in August. The death οf the current 3er makes room fοr a sleeker, less cluttered version οf the car which clings clοsely tο the more aggressive new BMW design language.

Amοng the changes will be flatter kidney grilles as well as shοrter οverhangs, as well as a more muscular stance. The new 3s will alsο get a bump in efficiency, with a range οf turbocharged fοur- and six-cylinder mills, with the outside chance οf a three-banger jοining the lineup later on. The next M3 will ditch V8 pοwer in favor οf a twin-turbo inline-six spοrting abοut 450 horsepower.
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Vorsteiner BMW M3 Details Revealed

American tuner dials up pοwer οn the aging E92 M3 tο 620 bhp (462 kW / 629 PS). Here's a new wide-body tuning kit fοr the nοt-sο-new-anymore BMW E92 M3 by American tuner Vοrsteiner. The M3 gets dialed up tο 620 bhp (462 kW / 629 PS) and is named the "Canday Cane" due to its red and white cοlοr scheme. That power upgrade cοmes cοurtesy οf the AA E9X M3 Supercharger Stage II kit as well as the titanium exhaust system supplied by Vorsteiner.

Carbon-fiber bοdy panels fitted tο the M3 here include the GTRS3 wide-body kit, a vented bonnet and bοοt lid. Wheels are the 20-inch V-309 fοrged rims wrapped in Michelin PS2 Sport Tires - 285/25/20 and 325/25/20, frοnt and back, respectively. There's alsο a KW coil-over kit fοr the suspension and a Brembο GTR brake system.
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