On Paper

Clash of the titans | both, the LC & Patrol are strongly embedded in the GCC markets and we had a tough time doing our job.

This is surely the Middle East’s ultimate battle. Both the Patrol and Land Cruiser are icons in the region, having traversed the dunes of GCC countries for the best part of 50 years.

As we head into 2011, Nissan has the recently launched Patrol while Toyota’s latest incarnation of the Land Cruiser has been with us since 2007.

The Patrol is powered by a 5.6-litre V8 engine with 400bhp, while the Land Cruiser has a new-for-2011 5.7-litre V8 that makes 362bhp. The Nissan weighs in at 2,785kg while the Toyota tips the scales at 2,600kg.

Elsewhere, things seem pretty evenly matched. Both vehicles are large and heavy at well over 2.5 tonnes, both have full time 4×4 systems and both will seat up to eight, depending on the specification. The Patrol is the larger of the two, however.

The manufacturers have also catered for the demands of modern customers with plenty of technology too, with leather seats, high-end sound systems, DVD players and power cool boxes under the centre arm rests.

Both vehicles also tout their off-road credentials, coming from their rich heritage of dune-bashing n the Arabian deserts. More on that later.

In the Metal

2011 Toyota Land Cruiser is easier to handle due to its smaller size as compared to the Nissan Patrol

The Land Cruiser looks the more reasonably proportioned of the two to us – the Patrol is simply massive and no amount of curved surfaces will hide that bulk. However, it does look the more contemporary of the two with its clear rear lights and chrome accents.

Inside, the Patrol feels the more premium of the two. Nissan has taken great care with its materials and soft touch abounds. The ambience in the cabin is closer to what we expect from Infiniti, Nissan’s premium brand. In comparison, the Land Cruiser feels well screwed together but some of the materials, particularly the plastics, feel on the cheap side.

Both machines are very spacious and no one should feel cramped, but the Patrol feels the roomier of the two thanks to its larger size.

On The Move

Ride and interior of Patrol outshines that of the Land Cruiser

The Patrol continues to feel absolutely massive in comparison with the Land Cruiser. Both have a high, commanding driving position but the Patrol really gives you a feeling of lording it over other cars on the road.

The Patrol, as established, is the larger and bulkier of the two, yet it takes first place when it comes to on-road driving. Although the steering is too light and numb for our liking, it feels more nimble and stable around corners. The ride is excellent for on the tarmac, more wafty than the Land Cruiser, which struggles to disguise its weight through the bends but gives more information on the road surface through its wheels.

As far as engine performance goes, neither car is slow, with solid acceleration whatever the speed from their V8s, but the extra power in the Patrol gives it the edge, feeling more urgent and macho.

Off-Road

Although both are extremely capable off road vehicles, the Nissan Patrol impressed our team for its ride and handling in the sand dunes.

We took both machines into the UAE desert and gave them a damn good thrashing. Let us state immediately that both vehicles are very good in the sand, and fans of weekend dune-bashing will not be disappointed by either.

However, while the Patrol makes traversing the sand seem effortless thanks to its higher ground clearance and ample power, we actually had more fun in the Land Cruiser. The feedback through the steering wheel is better, giving you a clearer idea of what’s happening at the front of the car and a general feeling of involvement. That’s lacking in the Patrol, which seeks to detach and insulate you from all the fun.

The Nissan’s clever technology means all you need to do is turn a dial on the centre console to Sand and point the car at the nearest dune, while the Land Cruiser requires a bit more finesse, although it does have its share of tech too – Crawl Control is a sort of off-road cruise control that will modulate the wheels and power to tackle particularly tricky surfaces.

Against the clock

Despite of being heavier, Patrol scores high on acceleration and braking tests

Subjective analysis is all very well, but we wanted to see how our two behemoths fared in quantifiable performance tests. So, using our V-Box, we conducted a series of acceleration and braking tests to see which was the most athletic.

We ran each test three times with each with our testers – Pankaj, Phill and Fadi. The results here  are the average times from all nine runs, but we’ve put the full results at the bottom. All the tests were done with all three of us in the car on the same stretch of road.

Clearly then, the Patrol is the machine to go for if you like bragging rights over performance. Its 400bhp V8 is too much for Toyota’s 362bhp and the Nissan is almost two seconds faster to 100kph than the Land Cruiser despite its extra weight.

Verdict

2010 Nissan Patrol took the overall lead.

Overall victory in this test has to go to the Nissan. It’s newer, nicer inside, more powerful and more comfortable on the road.

If we were only venturing off-road, we’d prefer the Land Cruiser however. It doesn’t disgrace itself in any area and is a more than worthy buy, although it’s too expensive at 273,000AED for the top-spec VXR-i, versus 260,000AED for the Patrol LE. But up against a heavyweight bruiser like the Nissan, the Toyota must settle for a valiant second place.

Image Gallery

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Related posts:

1. Road Test | 2010 Patrol vs 2011 Land Cruiser
2. 2011 Land Rover Discovery 4
3. Toyota launches 60th anniversary edition Land Cruiser

The S60 really impressed us in both looks and driving

AT A GLANCE

FOR

• Sharp looks
• Great handling
• Premium feel

AGAINST

• Sat nav display screen could be bigger
• Disappointing sound system

SUMMARY

The S60 is our nomination for Surprisingly Impressive Car of 2010. It snuck up on us quietly and then wowed us by being an absolute cracker. The mid-size executive sedan, which we drove in T6 AWD form, is really great, with sharp, dynamic looks, a powerful engine, superb interior and great handling. There’s very little that we don’t like about it.

Handling and performance are excellent on the 300bhp T6 version

PERFORMANCE

The T6 engine is a 3.0-litre, turbocharged straight six putting out a refined and smooth 300bhp. It’s superb, with power available anywhere in the rev range thanks to plenty of low-down torque and barely a trace of lag from the turbo.

Acceleration is great thanks to the four-wheel drive, reaching 100kph in just over six seconds, and the gearbox is silky smooth and quick shifting.

HANDLING AND RIDE

Handling in the S60 is crisp, whether the chassis is set to Comfort or Sport mode. The steering is perfectly weighted and very quick and direct, giving an athletic feel to the car. It turns in really beautifully on a balanced chassis and has lots of grip. All these factors combine to make it genuinely fun to drive – not something we expected from Volvo, but very welcome indeed.

The interior is simple, stylish and very well put together

The ride is brilliant. A rear seat passenger even remarked during our test drive how smooth it was, which is particularly impressive given the dynamic qualities of the suspension.

COMFORT

The interior is fairly standard Volvo fare, which means pleasantly simple Scandinavian design. Some nice chrome swoops and other touches to give it a sporty air, which in our test car consisted of some swanky brushed aluminium.

The floating centre console is very cool, with a storage area located behind the air conditioning controls.

Everything feels really solid and expensive and build quality is on par with anything else out there. All the switches are nicely damped, there’s soft touch material everywhere and the plastic don’t feel brittle or cheap.

Simple, but effective

The driving seat is very comfortable and nicely supportive.

PRACTICALITY

There’s a good size boot on the S60 and plenty of room front and back for up to five occupants. Storage wise, there are door bins in the front and rear, two good-sized cupholders up front and space under the centre armrest for storing things.

FEATURES

The S60 comes loaded with some excellent features, including one of the best adaptive cruise control systems we’ve tried. It’s very smooth when slowing and speeding up, unlike some competitors, although we would like to be able to adjust the target speed in 1kph increments rather than 5kph.

The Blind Spot Information System is very useful and works well, flashing a light by the wing mirrors if a difficult-to-detect vehicle is lurking. An HUD-style red warning light turns on if you’re too close to the car in front and flashes if the in-car computer thinks you’re in danger of hitting the car in front. Fail to react and it’ll brake for you. Clever.

In case you hadn't realised, we really like the S60

We like the full iPod integration with an easy to use interface, although the sound from the stereo in our test car was disappointing. Even after fiddling with the settings, it was too bassy and lacking in mid-range.

The sat nav is also intuitive via the crisp if slightly small display. It’s not a touch screen, which for us wasn’t a problem but may reduce boasting rights for the tech-conscious.

SAFETY

Volvo is renowned worldwide for its safety and the S60 is therefore predictably crammed full of kit, including an advanced electronic stability control, corner traction control and a new pedestrian detection system that will automatically brake the car if someone steps out in front of it.

Driver Alert Control will sound an alarm if it detects the driver falling asleep at the wheel while the Lane Departure Warning system alerts the driver if the car wanders out of its lane. Front, side and curtain and knee airbags are also included.

Volvo's have always had a reputation for safety and the S60 is aptly equipped

COSTS

The S60 range starts at 113,000 AED for the 1.6T, while the top-of-the-range T6 we drove starts at 149,900 AED. In comparison, the 3.2 V6-powered Audi A4 is 185,000AED and has less power, while the 300bhp BMW 335i is more than 200,000AED. This makes the Volvo something of a bargain in our eyes.

The official combined fuel economy for the T6 is 9.9 litres per 100km, which gives it a theoretical range of around 680km from its 67.5-litre fuel tank.

Volvo offers a three-year, unlimited mileage warranty on the S60.

2011 Volvo S60

Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged straight six cylinder
Max power (bhp/rpm): 300/5,600
Max torque (Nm/rpm): 440/2,100-4,200
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Driven wheels: All-wheel drive
Kerb weight: 1,711kg
Price (AED): 149,900

Related posts:

1. Road test: 2011 Lexus LX 570
2. Road test: 2011 Renault Fluence
3. First drive: 2011 Volvo S60

The LX 570 is based on the Toyota Land Cruiser

AT A GLANCE FOR

• Comfortable and practical
• Good off-road credentials
• Five-year warranty

AGAINST

• Unremarkable on-road
• Expensive
• Not as premium as we’d like

SUMMARYThis full-size SUV is based on the Toyota Land Cruiser and is exactly what you’d expect from Lexus’ interpretation. It’s very similar in looks but gets upgrades in interior quality. This is no bad thing, with the Toyota renowned for its off-road performance and holding a huge fan base in the Middle East. On road we found it unremarkable – comfortable and well made but not as premium an offering or as technically adept as the Range Rover. The LX 570 is perfectly solid in all areas, but not great – it’s a Lexus by numbers. For most people, a more luxurious Land Cruiser will be more than enough but we were hoping for a fraction more.

The LX 570's 5.7-litre V8 makes for brisk progress

PERFORMANCE The 5.7-litre V8 engine is powerful and refined but not as creamy as the 5.0-litre offering from Land Rover. It’s certainly not bad though, with plenty of boot to it and six-speed automatic gearbox that reacts quickly when you put your foot down. Acceleration isn’t scintillating when compared to the Range Rover or the Nissan Patrol, but it’s brisk enough for everyday use. HANDLING AND RIDEThe handling isn’t bad when looking at the LX 570 on its own merits, but again it’s put in the shade by the agile Range Rover. It’s big and heavy and feels it. The steering is a good weight and gives a good idea of what’s going on at the front wheels and it will go around corners well for its size.

Land Cruiser heritage gives the big Lexus some serious off-road credibility

The suspension is soft and veers towards the wallowy side, with more pitching and yawing than we’d like. It’s absolutely fine for everyday around town use and soaks up bumps beautifully, but don’t go throwing it into corners, even if the in-cabin dial is twisted from Comfort to Sport. Sporty it ain’t. We didn’t have the chance to try the big Lexus off-road, but we’d be confident that it would be as able as the Land Cruiser is. It’s equipped with crawl control (a sort of off-road cruise control) COMFORTThe interior is a pleasant design and has a premium overall feel to it, but there are patches of grey plastic that drag things down a bit. The leather, wood and the build quality is all excellent though.

The interior is spacious and comfortable, but not as premium as we expect from Lexus

The seats are very comfortable and we’d have no concerns about racking up the kilometres in them. PRACTICALITY The LX 570 is a very large car, so there’s loads of room inside for up to seven, with five main seats and some jump seats in the boot. With the jump seats folded there’s a good amount of boot space and the second row folds flat for extra transportation space if needed. There’s lots of space to keep things, including a fridge under the centre armrest in the front, cupholders and door pockets. FEATURESThere’s a decent amount of tech in the LX 570, including an auxiliary input socket for MP3 players and a good sat nav system. We reckon Lexus make some of the more useable systems available today and we particularly like the ‘breadcrumbs’ feature than lets you leave a visual trail of where you’ve been – very useful when off-roading.

The cool box in the centre armrest is great for chilling drinks when in the desert

Variable ride height enables the suspension to be raised or lowered for off-road use. Other features include a sunroof, cooled seats (and heated, if you like) and a DVD player, as well as front and rear parking sensors, dynamic cruise control and a hardcore climate control system with a mammoth 28 separate air vents in four passenger zones. SAFETYThe LX 570 comes as standard with ABS, EBD and Brake Assist, as well as VDIM (vehicle dynamics integrated management) which comprises traction control, vehicle stability control and electronically controlled brakes. It also comes with front, side and curtain airbags, as well as knee airbags for the driver. No crash test information for the LX 570 was available at the time of writing.

The Lexus seems pricey when compared to its rivals

COSTS Starting at 357,000AED, the LX 570 is considerably pricier than the top-spec Land Cruiser (264,000AED) upon which it is based. It’s also more expensive than the Infiniti QX (310,000AED for the top-spec model), which is based on the Land Cruiser’s big rival, the Nissan Patrol – a machine that we think is superior to the Toyota. With that in mind, the LX 570 starts to look rather pricey. It’s slightly more expensive too than the Range Rover HSE (335,000), which is a better performing vehicle, but not as big. The official fuel economy figure for the LX 570 is 19.6 litre per 100km in the city and 13l/100km on the highway. It has a 93-litre fuel tank. Lexus offers an impressive five-year, unlimited mileage warranty on the LX 570. 2011 Lexus LX 570 Engine: 5.7-litre V8 Max power (bhp/rpm): 383/5,600 Max torque (Nm/rpm): 547/3,600 Transmission: Six-speed automatic Driven wheels: Four-wheel drive Kerb weight: 2,717kg Price (AED): 357,000

Related posts:

1. 2011 Lexus RX350
2. 2010 Lexus LX570
3. 2010 Lexus GX460

The Sandero is based on the Logan, although we think it's the better looker

AT A GLANCE

FOR

• Cheap
• Easy to drive
• Practical

AGAINST

• No ABS as standard
• Noisy, thirsty engine
• Unrefined

SUMMARY

The Sandero hatchback is based on the Logan sedan, which we didn’t particularly rate when we tried it a few months back. It’s slightly more upmarket and is similar to the Logan in many ways, but feels better put together and we think it has the edge when it comes to lokos.

There’s nothing particularly offensive or impressive about the Sandero, although we do have issues with the lack of ABS as standard. The noisy powertrain is a shame, but aside from that it does the job its intended to do of transporting people around in relative comfort for a modest budget.

Acceleration is fine, but the engine is noisy and unrefined

PERFORMANCE

The Sandero hustles along at a decent if unrefined pace, courtesy of its agricultural 104bhp, 1.6-litre engine, which is both loud and whiny in tone. Insulation levels are low inside the cabin and you can hear the engine noise coming through the dashboard. The gearbox is a pretty rudimentary four-speed automatic, which gets the job done but no more.

HANDLING AND RIDE

The Sandero’s handling isn’t too bad – it’s entirely enjoyment free, but easy to drive and nippy through traffic, if devoid of steering feel.

The suspension soaks up the bumps well and the ride is fine. Generally it’s a car that is adequate for everyday use as long as you don’t try and push it.

The interior is plasticky, but well laid out

COMFORT

The interior is composed largely hard plastics. There’s some decent texturing on some of the materials and the equipment is on offer is laid out well and easy to use. It’s fairly unremarkable and utilitarian inside but certainly not offensive.

The seats felt a little strange. They’re not particularly adjustable and we couldn’t get a position we were totally happy with. It wasn’t uncomfortable, just not ideal. The steering column adjusts up and down but not in and out.

PRACTICALITY

There’s some good-sized door pockets in the front of the Sandero and a handy cubbyhole at the bottom of the centre stack. There are also two cup holders. No such luxuries in the back though – door pockets and cup holders are absent for those in the second row. The boot is not as large in volume as in the Logan but offers the practicality of a hatchback tailgate and its bigger aperture.

For 46,500AED, don't expect a long feature list. Or ABS

The rear is large enough for two and maybe even three adults to sit in comfort – not bad for the size of car.

FEATURES

The Sandero is an entry-level car, but features include a trip computer on the dashboard displaying fuel information and range, and an aftermarket-style Blaupunkt stereo that allows the playing of MP3s from CDs, but doesn’t have a auxiliary input socket for iPods and the like, which is a shame.

The manual air conditioning works well and kept the car pretty cold with ease – something that not all of its rivals or even cars costing considerably more can boast during Arabian summers.

SAFETY

The safety aspect is our major problem with the Sandero. We understand that Renault dealers in the region are marketing the car as a budget option and as such it doesn’t come with ABS or electronic stability control, as such features would add to the price.

Plenty of room in the back of the Sandero

We believe all cars should come at least with ABS these days. It’s a pretty fundamental technology to have and in our view manufacturers and dealers alike have a safety responsibility to their customers, even in regions where dealers don’t believe safety sells.

We spoke to a dealer that said he could order a car with ABS – it is available from the factory – but wouldn’t have any such cars in stock. Driver and passenger do get frontal airbags, however.

The Sandero scored a disappointing three out of five stars in the EuroNCAP crash tests in 2008.

COSTS

The Sandero we drove was 46,500AED although a less powerful 86bhp version is available for 39,500AED. That’s a bit pricier than the less powerful Chevrolet Aveo5, which starts at 43,000AED, or the Hyundai Getz, which comes in at less than 40,000AED. Also worth considering is the Kia Rio, which is 37,500AED.

The official combined cycle fuel economy figure is 8.3 litres per 100km, but we averaged around 12.7l/100km, which isn’t great for an engine this size. If you can hit the official figures, you should get a range of around 600km from the Sandero’s 50-litre fuel tank.

Renault offers a three-year, 100,000km warranty on the Sandero.

- Photos for illustration only and local specifications may vary

2011 Renault Sandero

Engine: 1.6-litre four cylinder
Max power (bhp/rpm): 104/5,750
Max torque (Nm/rpm): 148/3,750
Transmission: Four-speed automatic
Driven wheels: Front-wheel drive
Kerb weight: 1,090kg
Price (AED): 46,500

Related posts:

1. 2011 Renault Sandero
2. Renault launches the Sandero hatchback in the UAE
3. Renault plans new Middle East launches throughout 2010

The Mediaboltz team. Apart from Khaled, who took the picture, and Gautam, who was having breakfast

I’ve done plenty of 24-hour kart races in recent years, with varying degrees of success.

Sure, the latest round of the Motorcity 24 Hours was going to be tough. Traditionally the most popular event of the Dubai Kartdrome Endurance Challenge series, the temperatures in December were not going to be as extreme as in October or April, but with teams travelling to the UAE from across the world, and some bona fide professional racing drivers, the competition was stiff.

Still, I had high hopes. As captain of the Mediaboltz team I had assembled perhaps the strongest line up of media professionals yet seen on a kart track. As well as myself – a veteran of plenty of 24-hour races and two seasons of SWS sprint races, our team consisted of ageing but experienced magazine editor Gautam Sharma and similarly experienced TV man Kinan Moussa. Additionally, we had freelance car photographer extraordinaire Khaled Termanini and motorsport website girl Amelie Antonetti Sinapin. And just to be cheeky, we also had experienced karter Franz Simon as our ringer.

With 20 teams starting the race, we were hoping for a top-ten finish. Our practice sessions in the week leading up the event had been promising, with all of us registering good times on the 1.4km track that we all knew well.

Phill holds the kart for Franz during the Le Mans-style start to the race

And then the bombshell dropped – the organisers announced that this year’s event would be run on the reverse circuit, one none of us had driven before and would not be able to do until the day of the race.

We weren’t too worried though. It’s the same track, after all, just in a different direction. What could be so difficult?

The morning of the race arrived and we met up at the circuit for the 8.30am driver’s briefing, which was a who’s who of local and international racing. Look, there’s UAE GT driver Mohammed Al Mutawaa. Oh, that’s top female karter Fabienne Lanz. Hey, isn’t that F1 reserve driver Andy Soucek?

Briefing over, pit garage set up with chairs, mattress and tent for sleeping, we applied liberal amounts of decorative yellow tape to the kart before practice began and we had our first chance to try the new track configuration. I didn’t find it too bad, but we only had 10 minutes each to log all 16 corners in our minds. I continuously missed my braking point at the end of the back straight and couldn’t figure out the best way to take turn 15, which leads back onto the start-finish straight. A good exit from there was crucial or much time would be lost.

Khaled goes defensive on the start-finish straight

Franz was the quickest of us in practice, so we decided that he would qualify and 20 minutes later he’d logged a time that put us in 13^th place for the start.

The start, incidentally, was a recreation of Le Mans 24 Hour race starts of old. The karts were lined up at one side of the track, the drivers at the other and at the wave of a flag there was a sprint to get seated and accelerate away. Franz was our starting man and he leapt into the kart and embarked on what would become more than 1,000 laps.

The first stint went well, as Franz held position and after an hour handed over to me. An hour gave me a lot more time to get to know the circuit and with the kart handling nicely, I was pleased to be challenging for 11^th and 12^th.

Franz prepares to take over from Amelie

But then came the first fuel stop and things started to go wrong. With maximum stints of an hour and a recommendation that refuelling happen every two hours, pretty much the entire field pitted for fuel at once. And with only two pumps, our third driver Khaled ended up in a queue for at least a lap. It was incredibly frustrating and, two hours later, the same thing happened again. Clearly a new strategy was needed, so I decided to refuel a stint early, with the thinking that carrying the extra weight of a full tank would be made up for by not risking a third lap stuck waiting at the pumps.

Sadly, that wasn’t the end of our problems. As darkness began to fall, we lost another minute when the kart seat adjustment mechanism got stuck during a changeover. And then our own mistakes began to creep in, and cost us dear.

We were using a stopwatch to ensure we didn’t go over the maximum one-hour stints, and a slightly unreliable radio to communicate with the driver. Unfortunately, as we were preparing for Kinan to come in from his stint, the radio failed and he didn’t hear the message. A pit board with the word “in” on it was frantically waved but by the time he arrived in the pits, the damage was done – he had been nine seconds over the hour and we were given a black flag, which meant the next driver, Franz, had to drive through the pit lane and sit in the penalty box for a minute. That wasted the best part of two laps.

Gautam catches a snooze as the race wears on

Then, into the night, we mistimed another pit stop and went under the minimum one minute fifteen seconds in the pit lane (a rule brought in to stop dangerous speeding). Another black flag.

So as the early hours of the morning kicked in and the temperature plunged, we found ourselves down in 16^th place, two laps behind our nearest competitors.

I was determined to reclaim those places, so jiggled around the order slightly in an effort to claw it back. Franz, Amelie and Gautam were our quickest drivers, so I put them out for an extra stint each, which started to pay dividends, especially after the technical stop where we received new front tyres.

I also made sure that our stint times were such that we would finish the race without having to log an extra stop due to maximum stint times. Looking at our rivals pit times, I wasn’t sure they would do the same.

Gautam hits the track. Note the sorry state of our livery...

The sun came up and we were on the same lap as our nearest rivals and catching them. As the morning went on we swapped position, as we would catch them on the track, but then different pit strategies would see us behind again. It would all come down to how many stops we had left.

At just after midday on Saturday we had our final fuel stop, and thanks to our earlier change of strategy our rivals would still have to fill their tank, losing them time. It also became clear that we had just one pit stop remaining, whereas they had two. As Gautam jumped in the kart for the final stint, we were several seconds ahead of our nearest rivals in 14^th place, and when they pitted for the last time we extended the gap to more than a lap.

If someone had said we’d have finished 14^th at the start of the race, I’d have been disappointed. But after the disastrous start we had, I was very pleased and proud with the way that we’d come up with a recovery strategy and stuck to it. But we’ve really got to get our timing right for 2011.

Related posts:

1. Emotional win for Batelco at Dubai 24 hours
2. Racing community lets off steam
3. Ice racing… in Dubai?!

The XJ continues the Jaguar look established by the XK and XF

AT A GLANCE

FOR

• Feeling of class and quality
• Balance of performance and comfort
• Crammed with tech

AGAINST

• Cheap plastic gear paddles
• Interior metal gets very hot
• Fiddly sat nav/entertainment system

SUMMARY

Jag’s new large sedan is extremely good and a great halo for a brand rich in luxury but with a sporting heritage. We like almost everything about this supercharged Portfolio edition, save for a couple of touches that feel a bit cheap. Overall though it has performance, comfort and style in a premium package and we rate it very highly.

The XJ is powered by the same engine found in other Jaguars and Land Rovers, and it's a treat

PERFORMANCE

The 5.0-litre supercharged V8 is the same that sees service through Jaguar and Land Rover’s ranges. We’ve enthused about its quality before and nothing changes here – with 470bhp it’s a beautiful bit of kit with power, smoothness and class. Acceleration is rapid but never savage or violent, merely high-speed wafting when cruising or overtaking.

The gearbox is similarly good and is operated by the now-trademark metal dial on the centre console. We can’t really imagine why you’d want to use the manual mode – despite its dynamic prowess, the XJ is a cruiser at heart and the automatic mode is seamless enough for us. We’re also disappointed by the paddle shifters behind the wheel – they’re made of a cheap, flimsy feeling plastic and with the quality elsewhere they should really be metal.

We reckon the XJ strikes a good balance between sporty and comfortable

HANDLING AND RIDE

The XJ is not just designed for drivers, it’s a machine in which to carry people and be carried, so the ride is soft and supple. Handling however is very nippy and communicative for a car of this size and type, with a very sporty and responsive feel when pushed. You can also slide the back end if you want, such is the power through the back wheels, especially when engaging the Dynamic mode. It’s spirited and full of character, not just a big wallowy barge. You can have fun driving the XJ, while resting assured that your passengers will be comfortable.

COMFORT

As befits the character of the XJ, comfort levels are good all round, although our test car gave us some cause for concern as the massage function in the seat appeared to have gone wrong and clunked annoyingly when cornering. Assuming that’s a mere unfortunate blip however, we felt cosseted and relaxed on a couple of long journeys. There’s loads of space for driver and passengers and the interior design is beautiful, with wood panelling running around the cabin and some B&W speakers that don’t just sound good, they look great too with their distinctive yellow cones. The air vents at the side and in the middle are really stylised, almost art-like and leather abounds.

The interior is beautifully design and reeks of quality. Except for the paddle shifters, which feel cheap and plasticky

One not of caution – the amount of metal in the car, particularly the dial for changing gear, gets really hot in the Arabian sun, which is something to keep in mind if you’re likely to park outside for any length of time.

PRACTICALITY

The XJ we tried was the long-wheelbase version, which comes with huge amounts of space in the back for passengers.

Storage-wise, there’s space under the centre armrest for CDs and two very good cupholders that keep cans and the like very snugly in place. The glovebox is a decent size, if not massive, and there are reasonable door pockets in the front.

The boot is suitably large at 520 litres and has a powered tailgate for ease of access.

Plenty of space in the back

FEATURES

There’s loads of technology in the XJ. The most striking, and our favourite, is the digital dashboard which consists solely of a screen with no analogue instruments. It looks fantastic. We were concerned that with sunglasses on or with the sun shining directly on it, visibility would be a problem, but we found it crisp and clear at all times. It’s a great representation of the usual array of dials, but being virtual it means Jaguar can be creative – warning messages can replace dials temporarily, option menus scroll up and down. Select the Dynamic mode and it turns the dials red. Very cool and it gets us excited about future possibilities and customisation.

The virtual dials are very cool

Other features include adaptive cruise control and a rear view camera for ease of parking. The blind spot warning system is very useful but the touchscreen sat nav system seemed a bit unresponsive and laborious to use. Jumping between navigation, audio and other settings would be better using a button rather than a digital menu system. A feature we really like on the screen though is that a passenger can watch a DVD while the driver sees the sat nav display on the same screen. The future has arrived!

SAFETY

As well as an aluminium body construction that Jaguar claim is safer than steel in a crash, the XJ comes as standard with front, side and curtain airbags. ABS and Emergency Brake Assist are also included, as is a tyre pressure monitoring system and electronic stability control with traction control.

No crash test information was available at the time of writing.

The XJ stacks up well against its competitors

COSTS

At 459,000 Portfolio model we tested is towards the upper end of the XJ range, which starts at 349,000 for the non-supercharged model. In comparison, the new Audi A8L starts at 358,000AED – a price that will doubtlessly rise according to options selected. The Audi comes with a 4.2-litre V8 engine with only 372bhp, but a snarling 6.0-litre W12 will be available in 2011.

BMW’s 750Li, with a 402bhp, 4.4-litre V8, costs 455,000, which makes the XJ seem well priced with its style and extra power.

Jaguar claims a combined fuel economy of 12.1 litres per 100km, giving it a theoretical range of around 680km from its 82-litre fuel tank.

Jaguar offers a three-year, 125,000km warranty on the XJ. Servicing is due every 8,000km and will cost from around 1,500 AED to 2,300 AED at the time of writing.

2011 Jaguar XJ

Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Max power (bhp/rpm): 470/6,000-6,500
Max torque (Nm/rpm): 575/2,500-5,500
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Driven wheels: Rear-wheel drive
Kerb weight: 1,915kg
Price (AED): 459,000

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The Turbo S looks like most other 911s, but it's one of the craziest

AT A GLANCE

FOR

• Monstrous power
• Fantastic handling
• Very well made

AGAINST

• Too clinical?
• Front wheel ingresses into footwell
• More power than is usable on the road

SUMMARY

In 2010 Porsche decided that the 911 Turbo just wasn’t powerful enough, and so came up with the Turbo S. It’s an absolute beast of a machine; beautifully engineered with a superbly powerful engine, and brilliant handling. It’s also very, very fast and we’re struggling to find things not to like about it. Our one consternation is that it’s so well put together than it’s almost lacking in involvement and character. But not quite – 530bhp guarantees emotion.

It’s impossible to get a real idea of what this car can do on the road. It has more power and grip than you can possibly use. We felt like we only used a fifth of its potential during our day-long test drive and we’d love to take it to a track if Porsche will let us. Perhaps the much-cheaper Cayman S is a more rounded sports car for the road, but it’s much less of an event than the Turbo S.

The engine in the back of the 911 Turbo S has a huge 530bhp

PERFORMANCE

The 3.8-litre turbocharged flat six is a monster in the best possible sense. It boasts 530bhp and although you can feel when the turbocharger kicks in it’s relatively smooth in its delivery as it rockets you to 100kph in just 3.1 seconds. There’s a noticeable surge under hard acceleration but it’s entirely manageable and predictable. The redline comes quite soon at around 6,800rpm and we sometimes found ourselves bumping off the rev limiter; so intoxicating is the acceleration that you won’t want to interrupt it to change gear.

This is a machine that requires you to have your wits about you when driving it hard – it can catch you out with the amount of speed it can attain in a short space of time. Thankfully the brakes are well up to the task of slowing it down – we had to brake very hard to avoid a goat that wandered into the road during our test and the stability was remarkable. It feels absolutely sorted.

The Turbo S is superbly set up and handling is astoundingly good

The gearbox is a seven-speed dual clutch PDK and is made even better than usual by the decision to use the traditional paddle arrangement – left for down shifts and right for up – rather than the silly push-pull affairs that Porsche has been trying to foist on us lately. It works really well.

HANDLING AND RIDE

Handling is amazing with prodigious amounts of grip around corners. The 911 turns in beautifully and holds on without even a shake of the tail under power when coming out of a corner. It feels absolutely planted. If you like to provoke the back end, good luck – there’s so much grip that you’d have to really throw it into a slide, which we wouldn’t fancy doing on public roads. The car, with its all wheel drive system, is designed to keep you held on to the tarmac and blast you out from the corners, and it does it fantastically well, feeling amazingly stable at all speeds.

Despite its huge power, the 911 Turbo S is very easy to drive

Buttons inside enable Sport or Sport Plus mode, which firm up the suspension, loosen the electronic stability control and change the gearbox shift patterns and basically make the car even more hardcore.

Even with none of the sport options enabled, the ride is pretty stiff – drive across a bumpy surface and you’ll know about it. The resultant comfort level is towards the end of the scale of what would be tolerable for everyday use, but still within the limit.

Overall, the 911 Turbo S is very easy to drive, as long as you have your wits about you for the amount of speed it can achieve in a very short space of time.

COMFORT

The driver’s (optional) sports seat is very comfortable and supportive enough to keep you in place when you drive hard. Because the cockpit in the car is so far forward, thanks to the 911’s trademark rear engine configuration, the left front wheel well ingresses somewhat into the driver’s footwell. It pushes your legs towards the middle of the car, which is a minor complaint but still a bit annoying. Other than that, the driving position is pretty much perfect.

The steering wheel is uncluttered by volume controls or the like

Build quality is really excellent, with everything exuding a feeling of class.

PRACTICALITY

There are seats in the back but they’re very small and bucket-like. These are for kids only – abandon any hopes of getting adults in the rear of the car. Even children will be pretty cramped back there.

For storage, there are fairly small door pockets big enough for a phone or wallet and a small storage area under the centre armrest that also houses the iPod socket. Another mobile phone-sized cubby hole sits in front of the gear lever and there are some cool fold-our cup holders on the passenger side, which could hold a can or bottle of drink. The back is fairly bereft of such features however.

Although the 911 Turbo S is performance focused, the interior is well made and comfortable

Being a rear-engined car, the Porsche’s boot is in the front and is roomier than we expected. Don’t expect to fit a big suitcase in, but a couple of holdalls for a weekend away should be accommodated without much problem.

FEATURES

The interior of the car we drove had lots of leather and the optional carbon package, and speaking of options, it’s worth that a lot of the features available on the 911 are ones for which you have to pay extra. Our test car had some 48,000AED of extras on it, so bear that in mind when consulting your finances.

Considering the amount of money that the car costs, the feature list might seem a little sparse, but this reflects the driving focus of the 911, as does the lap timer in the middle of the dashboard. Having said that, the quality of the interior is testament to the luxury angle that Porsche delivers and it’s hardly spartan. There’s an excellent Bose stereo and satellite navigation, as well as cruise control and a trip computer in the very cool five-dial instrument panel.

We haven't taken the 911 Turbo S on a track. But we want to

There are no controls on the steering wheel, leaving it free of volume controls and the like for hindrance-free enthusiastic driving. We do like the little displays within the wheel spokes though, which lets you know when Sport or Sport Plus mode is engaged.

Our options included the sports seats, floor mats, leather roof lining, rear parking sensors and 19-inch alloys.

SAFETY

The 911 comes as standard with ABS, traction control, electronic stability control and front, side and curtain airbags as standard.

No crash test information was available at the time of writing.

530bhp requires big brakes

COSTS

With prices starting from 595,200AED, the Turbo S is expensive, and the car we drove, with various extras thrown in, was 643,000AED. That’s a more than 100,000AED rise on the standard 911 Turbo, which starts at 488,000AED. Is the S, with its extra 30bhp, worth that kind of cash? We hadn’t driven the standard Turbo at the time of writing, so we couldn’t say, but it seems a heck of a price hike.

However, 530bhp and some of the best handling in the world places the 911 Turbo S well into supercar territory. Compare it to the Ferrari 458 Italia (910,000AED) and the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 (749,000AED) and it doesn’t seem so pricey, although the Audi R8 V10 (525,000AED) is still cheaper.

Fuel economy is surprisingly good for a car of this type. We managed less than 14 litres per 100km on the motorway and even after a 40 minute thrash the average went up only to 17l/100km. The official combined figure is 11.4l/100km, but you’d have to drive it rather granny-like to achieve it, we think. Still, if you manage it you’ll get a range of around 590km from the car’s 67-litre fuel tank.

Porsche offers a two-year, unlimited mileage warranty on the 911 Turbo S.

2010 Porsche 911 Turbo S

Engine: Bi-turbocharged 3.8-litre six-cylinder
Max power (bhp/rpm): 530/6,250-7,250
Max torque (Nm/rpm): 700/2,100-4,250
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Driven wheels: All-wheel drive
Kerb weight: 1,585kg
Price (AED): From 595,200 (643,000 as tested)

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The Pilot Super Sport is Michelin's new top-of-the-range road tyre

Gary Guthrie, Michelin’s vice-president of marketing, doesn’t mince his words when he talks about the company’s all-new top-of-the-range tyre.

“The Pilot Super Sport is the fastest and safest tyre ever built for road cars,” he tells the assembled journalists brought in from across the world to Dubai for the launch of the French company’s new performance rubber.

A bold statement, but Guthrie and his team of tyre experts will proceed to go to considerable lengths to back up their claims. The Pilot Super Sport, he says, was born from the world of endurance racing, and longevity is another one of the company’s key claims.

“These three performances might seem contradictory, but they are brought together by Super Sport,” Guthrie says.

The 458 Italia had incredible grip, but how much was the car and how much was the tyres?

“Performance wise, we can say this is the fastest road tyre in the world because it was tested independently by TUV SUD against five competitors. They concluded that it’s the fastest tyre around a circuit and offers the best dry handling.

“For safety, Super Sport offers the best road holding on dry roads. In wet conditions it brakes three metres shorter than Pilot Sport 2 [the tyre it replaces] and that tyre was the reference tyre for the world’s fastest cars.”

As regards longevity, Guthrie says Super Sport can manage 50 percent more laps on a racetrack than its competitors.

“This tyre is a direct descendant of 13 consecutive victories in the Le Mans 24 Hours,” he says. “Earlier this year one set of Michelin tyres did 627km at an average speed of 243kph. Compare that to Formula 1, that’s four times further. We also set three new records at Le Mans in 2010; the highest speed, the longest distance and a reduced number of tyres in the whole race – 11 sets rather than 14.”

Round and round and round we go. Audi TTs were used to test lateral grip

The Pilot Super Sport is aimed at enthusiastic drivers of sports cars that want performance both on the road and on the track. Therefore, Michelin sought help from Porsche, Ferrari and BMW’s M division while developing the tyre.

The secret to how the Super Sport performs so well is, frankly, really complicated. But a lot of it is due to the use of a material called Twaron in its construction, which is five times stronger than steel and means that the tyre doesn’t deform under load.

All this talk is very well, but actions speak louder than words. The demonstration begins with three laps of the Dubai Autdrome’s national circuit in a Ferrari 458 Italia, courtesy of chief Michelin test driver Jerome Haslin. He flies us around at a prodigious rate of knots, with the 458 hanging on beautifully, except when Jerome flicks it into a series of perfectly executed, progressive slides. Great, except having not driven the 458 I don’t know how much of its performance is due to the car and how much to the tyres.

Pick a car, any car...

So, time for us to have a go. We head to a purpose made wet surface area on the other side of the Autodrome, where two identical Audi TTs await. Identical, that is, except for the tyres. One has the Michelins, one has Continental Sport Contact 5Ps. We’re invited to drive around in a circle, gradually accelerating until grip is lost due to centrifugal force. We get to 61kph on the Michelins and only 59kph on the Continentals. The Super Sports are also more progressive when they lose grip, giving you plenty of warning that you’re about to slide.

Next up is the wet braking area and a pair of BMW M3s. We accelerate to 60kph, turn on cruise control and hit the brakes hard. An in-car GPS diagnostics machine records how far it takes to stop. Once again the Michelins emerge triumphant, this time against Pirelli P Zeros.

Flying 911

Not much call for wet handling in Dubai, so the acid test for me was the dry handling circuit, in yet another corner of the Autodrome where four Porsche 911 Carrera Ss sit, shod in Michelin, Dunlop and Bridgestone rubber. We thrash them around the track back-to-back and are left to draw our conclusions.

Predictably, the Michelin feels the best from a practical and logical point of view. Slides are again more progressive and the grip through the range of corners is better. Having said that, I had more fun on the ‘lesser’ tyres, simply because the car was more of a handful. From an entertainment point of view then, the rivals win this one, but with my more sensible head on, and thinking about road use, the Michelins would once again seem the obvious choice.

The tyres go on sale in January 2011

There followed some more fast lapping, firstly in an Alpina B5. It was probably the wrong choice for track work, but I was too slow off the mark and the Lamborghini Gallardo and Audi R8 V10 were both already taken. I found the car very impressive if not really suitable for the race track, but once again the tyres felt great – all grip and predictability. I felt like I could instantly put my faith in what they were capable of, which is extremely important – there’s no point having loads of grip if it suddenly and unexpectedly runs out and you can’t safely work out the limits.

The test day was organised by Michelin and so obviously the tests were geared towards making their tyres look good. In fairness however, the presence of a man from TUV SUD made the process transparent. He took us through all the independent tests they carrier out – and there were a lot of them – and Michelin didn’t come top in all categories. But the Pilot Super Sport certainly performed the best overall and based on that and our experience on track, we’d be hard pushed not to recommend them.

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The Ginetta of Raed Hassan and Bassam Kronfli was victorious in the UAE GT Championship

The first UAE National Race Day at Yas Marina Circuit saw a dominant display by Dubai-based MSW Racing.

The team’s distinctive yellow and green cars scored an overall win and two class victories in the UAE GT Championship as well as a triumph in the UAE Touring Cars. There was also action on the day from the UAE Sportscars and the Suzuki Swift Cup.

The headline UAE GT Championship mini-endurance race saw the previously dominant TAM/House of Portier Corvettes toppled for the first time.

In the GTA class, the Corvette of Karim Al Azhari and Fabien Giroux took pole position and led for the first half of the race, but a puncture soon after the compulsory pit stop dropped them to second, leaving the way clear for Bassam Kronfli and Raed Hassan to win in the MSW Ginetta. There was heartbreak for Julian Griffin in his Dodge Viper, as fumes in the cockpit forced him to retire from a potential top three finish.

Robert Cregan and his Maserati were victorious in the GTC Class

In the GTB class, Jon Simmons and Phil Quaife scored a dramatic win in the MSW Porsche, with Quaife overtaking the Corvette of Mohammed Al Mutawaa and Jiri Skula on the last corner of the last lap to also take third overall.

Robert Cregan scored another victory in Class GTC in his Gulfsport Maserati. The Irishman can in part consider Yas Marina as his home circuit – his father Richard is the CEO of the track. Khaled Al Mudhaf and Jan Vanmeerbeek were second in their Ginetta, while Saad Salman and Jordan Grogor claimed third in the Sayel Racing KTM X-Bow. (See update at bottom of page)

In the UAE Touring Cars, race one saw a win for championship leader Khalid Bin Hadher and his Class 1 SEAT Leon Supercopa, who finished with a big lead over the Class 2 Hondas of Mohammed Al Owais and Aslam Moola. Pole sitter Andre Ramdhanny finished fourth overall and second in Class 1 in his MSW SEAT after losing power during the race.

Andre Ramdhanny (leading) lost out to Khalid Bin Hadher in race one of the UAE Touring Cars, but won race two

In race two however, it was Ramdhanny that scored the win after fuelling issues left Bin Hadher stranded at the apex of the final corner. The Emirati managed to get going again, but finished down the order in fourth. Mohammed El Arishy was second overall and in Class 1 in his BMW 330ci after a long duel with the Golf GTi of Simon Dennis. In Class 2, Al Owais triumphed again with Umair Khan in second.

The UAE Sportscar Championship races saw a titanic battle between the AUH Motorsport Radical of Jordan Grogor and British driver Rob Barff in the NFS Racing Juno. It was a delighted Grogor that emerged triumphant in race one, with Barff in second, but the Brit managed to switch the positions for race two to clinch victory ahead of the Radical. Bob George was third in both races.

Klaus Kresnik won two of the three Suzuki Swift Cup races (race one and race three) while Costas Papantonis took the chequered flag in race two.

Update: Early race reports from organisers classified Humaid Al Masaood in fourth place in the GTC class of the UAE GT Championship. This was a technical glitch and Al Masaood was actually second, with Al Mudhaf and Vanmeerbeek in third.

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