Video: The World of MotorSports in the Middle East

There's no doubt that the web and readers alike tend to be more interested in troublemakers and the darker or if you prefer, the more bizarre side of things in general. But as we all know, there are always two sides of a coin and the same goes for gearheads in all four corners of the world, be they in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas or in this case, the Middle East.
carsandtec reader Mousub S. wanted to remind us that the Middle East is not only about blinged-up supercars and gun-carrying Honda Accord drifters, which understandably gather a lot of attention, but also about the high-revving world of Motorsports with a video.
Over to you Mousub:
"I found this video for the Motor Sport in the Middle East, lots of people don't know that Middle East has 2 of the finest racing tracks in the whole world and that we do have lots of very important championships such as the Formula, Moto GP and GT championship etc.
I was hoping you could publish the video through your website so people around the world could know that Middle East is not a war zone and we do have many Motor sport activities going on."

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Nissan GT-R Smacks Ferrari 458 on the Highway

The Nissan GT-R is something like a poor-man's supercar – and there is nothing wrong with that in our book. It has beaten/embarrassed vehicles costing several times as much on more occasions that we can care to remember.
However, sometimes we tend to forget that being fast is as much about the car as it is about the driver. Case in point, a friendly road race between an SP Engineering-prepped Nissan GT-R and a Ferrari 458 Italia.
While the driver of the Godzilla has no problem tearing apart Maranello's V8-powered supercar in a straight-line duel on the highway, it’s a completely different story when the two cars enter a twisty side road… Watch the video for yourself after the break.

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Ferrari Brings F40 and 599 GTB Together for a Whimsical Duel

From time to time, automakers manage to overcome their crippling fear of being creative and actually produce something that's original and interesting for viewers. The video you're about to see is one such rare example.

Titled "Duel for the Crown – Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano", the short video, which is close to 4 minutes-long, shows Maranello's modern V12-powered gran turismo going up against the classic and still beautiful F40 that was built in limited numbers from 1987 to 1992.

Hop over the break to enjoy the clip and don't forget to power up the volume of your speakers...

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Video: Cadillac Challenges Mercedes-Benz by Pitting the Escalade Against the C-Class

We think most of you will agree with us when we say that, for the same reasons the Cadillac Escalade is extremely profitable, it also doesn't quite fit the brand's current image being sort of a throwback to the glory days of the classic American cruiserships.
But this didn't stop General Motors from raising the ante in yet another provocative commercial for Cadillac that follows the CTS-V spot featuring the Ferrari 458 Italia.
This time, the General took the Escalade and pointed its ammo towards Mercedes-Benz and its C-Class sedan. The video spot shows the big Caddy V8 beating the C300 on a straight line duel, and then…hauling back the Merc.
We're not going to say that we didn't enjoy the video nor that we don't get Cadillac's point, but it's somewhat an unfair comparo when the Escalade starts at $63,200, or about $25k more than the C300. Heck, even the almighty C63 AMG with is 451HP V8 is $5k cheaper than the basic Escalade…

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2012 Ford Explorer 2.0L EcoBoost, MT Slams Says: it's Slow, Clumsy, Pricey and Thirsty

Now here's a review that is bound to get the conversation heated up. Motor Trend's senior editor, Jonny Lieberman of former Jalopnik, The Truth About Cars and Autoblog fame, tried out the new 2012 Ford Explorer with the 2.0-liter EcoBoost turbocharged four that produces 240-ponies. And well, let's just say he didn't like it one bit.After testing the Explorer, Lieberman states, among other things, that the 2.0-liter model is "slow, clumsy, pricey, thirstier than we would have thought, and a packaging disaster".
But wait; there's more from where that came from and we're not only talking about Lieberman, but the other Motor Trend editors as well: "It's like driving a large overstuffed armchair," says Executive editor Ed Loh, while Todd Lassa notes that it "Handles like an oversize, overweight Volvo."
More or less, the entire Motor Trend team seems to agree with the assessment that the Explorer EcoBoost is a mediocre vehicle that's "hard to find anything good to say about".
You can watch MT's test in the video below, or follow the link to read the full review on the magazine's official website, and tell us what you think in the comments section below.
Story References: Motor Trend

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Video: New Maserati Kubang SUV

There's no doubt the Fiat Group has done a pretty good job revitalizing Maserati since it acquired the famed brand from De Tomso in 1993.And even though a much needed replacement for the Quattroporte sports saloon that has been on the market since 2004 has yet to be introduced, the Italians are already moving into new territory with the Kubang, the firm's first attempt in the SUV category.
Unveiled as a thinly disguised show car in Frankfurt earlier this month, the Kubang combines a Jeep Grand Cherokee-sourced platform with an Italian-styled body designed in Modena and an as-of-yet, unspecified engine that will be built by Ferrari in Maranello.
The new model, which will most likely be built in Detroit, is due on the market in 2013 – that is, if Fiat and Chrysler remains true to their word, as the Italian side of the group does have a tendency to constantly revise, delay or even in some cases completely scrap its plans.
Following its world premiere, Maserati has now published a new video of the Kubang. The promotional clip starts off with a little bit of history before it introduces the Kubang in digital form and under the sounds of an American song which says "we can do anything, we can be anyone, just close your eyes and try to see" - perhaps as a nod to current Jeep Grand Cherokee owners...
You can watch it in the video after the break.

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Nissan GT-R Takes on the Bugatti Veyron and the Porsche 911 Turbo S

Not to leave Motor Trend's recent speed challenge unanswered, rivaling car magazineRoad and Track brought the 2012 Nissan GT-R on the race track to see if it qualifies to enter the so-called "Two Second Club" which refers to vehicles that are able to break the 0-60mph (96km/h) sprint in under 3 seconds.

As pointed out by the magazine, few standard production cars can manage this feat - even the Corvette ZR1 fails to do so with a sprint time of 3.5 seconds, while the exotic Ferrari 458 Italia comes close, but does not make the cut at 3.0 seconds flat.

The 530-horsepower 2012 Nissan GT-R with a dirt cheap price tag (for this type of sports car) of $89,950, was put up against the Porsche 911 Turbo S, also with 530HP but with an MSRP of $160,700, and one of the most exclusive and powerful production cars in the world, the $2.8 million Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport with a mind-boggling 1,183-horses.

Scroll down to enjoy the speed test and have your say in the comments section below.

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New Disney Toy Cars Interact with Apple's iPad

Some of you probably grew up playing only with actual toys, while others (like yours truly) had the opportunity to play with both electronic games and real life toys in their childhood before technology cast its shade over the physical world introducing the next generations of kids to the sofa couch virtual wonders of gaming.
Now, Disney is trying to bridge the physical and virtual gaming worlds with a new range of toys called Appmates, which can interact directly with apps on Apple's iPad tablet. The new toy line allows kids to use the tablet's screen as a virtual play mat.
The boys are the first to get the new toys as AppMATes is launching with Pixar's Cars. The lineup includes the vehicle-characters from the Cars 2 movie.
"We have cracked the technology code in changing the way kids play with their toys," said Sunny Lauridsen, director of digital toys for DCP. "Kids will always use toys to play out their favorite Disney stories, but Disney Appmates now allows them to include technology which has become a way of life for them through a beautifully rich app."
The Disney Appmates toys will go on sale on October 1, with pricing set at $19,99 for a package with two vehicles, while the app will be offered as a free download through Apple's iTunes.
Photo Credits: Disney

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