Category: Automotive

The Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmed causeway project is nearly complete and is set to open this coming April. Once it opens the bridge will be the world’s longest with a total span of 48.53km [Source].

Going by the drone footage in the two videos here, the drive will be very scenic over the Kuwaiti bay and take around 35 minutes from one end to the other. There isn’t anything on the other side to see yet but at least the road isn’t broken and full of potholes and little rocks flying around like every other road in Kuwait at the moment.

The new Suzuki Jimny is one of the hottest and hardest to get cars right now in the market. When it launched in Kuwait back in October the dealership sold out of the Jimny on the same day (65 cars is what I heard). The resale value of the car is probably the highest right now as well since whoever was lucky to buy one can sell it for basically the same price they paid for if not more. I’ve been wanting to try the Jimny ever since it launched and I was lucky enough to have a friend who lent me his to drive for a few days. Spoiler: It was a lot of fun!

The Jimny is a very tiny SUV that kinda looks like a mini Mercedes G-Class. It has a very boxy minimalistic design which I fell in love with ever since I saw the car when it was announced early last year. The car comes in 8 colors but my personal favorites are the Jungle Green and the Chiffon Ivory which is the color my friend luckily had and pictured in this post. There are no options for the interior color, all Jimny’s come with a black interior (thankfully). Locally, the car comes with practically no options other than powered windows. For some reason the GCC spec doesn’t include options like LED headlights or a stereo with a seven-inch screen and Apple CarPlay. The GCC spec also doesn’t include safety features like Weaving Alert and Lane Departure Warning. This isn’t the dealers choice, Suzuki just doesn’t offer these options for the GCC models right now.

As soon as I sat in the car I felt very comfortable and cozy. I’m 6’1 and there was lots of room for me, even in the back seat surprisingly. The car’s pillars are also fairly thin so there are no blindspots around the car and the large windows bring in a lot of light helping give the car a very open and spacious feel.

Driving the Jimny is a lot of fun, the small size and the fact you can see outside in every direction helps give you a layer of confidence you might not usually have when driving. Actually driving the Jimny reminded me of the Fiat 500 and my old Vespa since both of those were super fun and very easy to manage. You can tell what kind of mood the car put me in from the photos in this post, it’s not a serious car and so I wanted to have fun with it. But don’t get me wrong, the Jimny is still a very capable SUV, it’s actually why the older model had such a cult following. I took the Jimny out to the Mutla Ridge (pictured above) and it didn’t have an issue climbing up the ridges and even the deep sand wasn’t much of an issue since the Jimny is a fairly light SUV. It’s an off-road car as much as it is the perfect city car.

When I finally had to give the car back to my friend it felt a bit sad. Because its so easy to get comfortable with the Jimny, I quickly got used to it, and for the few days I had it, the car felt like it belonged to me. Thankfully the dealership doesn’t have Jimny’s for sale at the moment or else I might have been tempted to just pass by and pick one for myself. At only KD5,500, the Jimny is pretty much in impulse buy territory for a lot of people. But even if you weren’t looking for a fun second or third car, the Jimny would be a great primary one. The car is perfect for driving around in the city or areas like Shuwaikh because of the small size, but even on my drive to Mutla I didn’t feel like I was in a slow car and the ride was pretty comfortable.

If I didn’t already have an SUV I would buy one without hesitation. Plus, the amount of accessories and customizations available for the Jimny is just crazy. For KD5,500 I don’t think there is any other car on the market thats as fun to drive or as good of a deal.

Has anyone here imported a car into Kuwait before? If yes what company did you use to help you with the paperwork? I’m planning to import an old car from the UAE but since I’m an expat, I’ve been told that I need to bring the car in through a car import company. I was planning to pass by Sharq and ask the used car shops there if they offered the service but wanted to see if anybody could recommend a place first.

With the roads in such terrible condition at the moment, its such a relief finding a long stretch of highway that isn’t falling apart. Over the weekend I was testing out a new location for my GoPro mic in preparation for an upcoming track day, and decided to take the new highway the starts in Shuwaikh.

I’ve taken the highway before but always exited towards Jahra so was pretty surprised to find out the highway actually continued a good distance past my usual exit. If you’re looking for a nice strip of road to drive on, this is probably your best bet right now.

Here is the starting location on [Google Maps]

Does anyone have any insider information as to why none of the rain-damaged roads have been fixed yet? A lot of the roads look like the picture above which is usually how the roads look like just before being resurfaced, but I’ve never seen so many roads looking like that and for this long.

The road in the picture above at least is flat, there are some roads that are covered in potholes and bumps. Yesterday I noticed two very large potholes opened up on the Gulf Road, potholes large enough to cause flat tires or damage wheels.

Something is definitely up, my guess is the government is looking for a new contractor since the last one did such a terrible job.

A friend of mine is putting together a cars and coffee event this weekend called Caffeine & Wheels. If you’ve got a nice or interesting car, or if you’re simply into cars, then pass by and check the event out. There will be a bunch of coffee shops taking part as well as the Nomad Kitchen food truck. I’ll be there obviously and there should be a ton of great and rare cars showing up. For more info click [Here]

PASS App is a new app and service that recently launched and it has me excited because it’s a service I would so definitely use. I don’t like carrying around cash but I tend to do so mostly because I need cash to pay for parking. PASS App solves that issue by allowing me to pay for parking without the need to have cash.

The way it works is simple. You download the PASS App and set up an account. I added my two cars to the account and also added some money. Next time I visit 360 Mall (the only location where PASS App works right now), a camera that is installed at the gate will read my car plates and recognize me as a PASS App user. When I’m done shopping, I head to the exit and another camera will read my license plate and open the gate for me. The parking fee gets automatically deducted from the funds I have in my PASS App.

Such a simple idea but one that is so useful. Right now PASS App only works at 360 Mall, but once it gets installed in more places this is going to be such a practical service. If you want to try PASS App you can download it from [Here]

Also, check out their instagram account since they have videos explaining how the service works @get.pass

Last week Porsche launched the all-new Porsche 911 and the Porsche Kuwait website already has been updated with the ability to build and price one out.

The new 911 Carrera S starts from KWD 37,300 while the Carrera 4S starts from KWD 39,600.

I really wish more car dealers in Kuwait allowed us to build and price cars on their local websites like Porsche does. I know I love building and pricing cars just for fun and I know other car guys love doing it as well. If you want to build and price the new Porsche 911 then click [Here]

The local CityVan service by CityBus rebranded and relaunched a few days ago as GoCity. GoCity now has two services that fall under it, the first is GoCity Van which is what CityVan used to be while the second service is new and called GoCity Cab.

GoCity Cab is basically our local version of Uber and allows you to book a cab via the app. I haven’t used them yet but I did download and set up the app just to get a feel for how it works and so far my first impressions are good. The app is well designed, easy to use and easy to set up. I’m home now so I set my location in Salmiya and then put my destination as Avenues and got an estimate of KD2.800 as the ride fee and 6 minutes as the wait time for a cab. The app had options for an SUV and Premium car but both weren’t available for me when I was testing the app out.

I don’t know whats the hold up with Uber coming to Kuwait, there has been talk about them entering the market for years but nothing has come of it. I personally use Q8 Grand Limo whenever I need a cab and I really like the service and experience. But, Q8 Grand Limo is pricey and only makes sense for me since I don’t take cabs often. If I had to use cabs all the time then GoCity would make more sense.

Right now they have two promos running, one is a 25% discount if you use the code “GO25” while the other one is a 100% cash back as credit into your account if use the code “JUSTGO”. If you end up using the service let us know in the comments what you thought of it and also what were the conditions of the cars.

To download the app click [Here]

Update: iOS users can find the app in the Apple Store, just search for GoCity

In the past month I’ve taken three generations of Ferrari convertibles out, the Ferrari California, the Ferrari California T and most recently, the brand new Ferrari Portofino. I loved the experience except for the fact that I had to give the cars back at the end of the day. The Portofino was the best of the bunch but its also newer and more refined so giving it back was also the hardest. I don’t know why I do this to myself, I should test drive cars I dislike that way I don’t feel upset when I have to give them back.

The Ferrari Portofino was launched earlier this year as a replacement to the California T which I test drove a couple of weeks back. Like the previous two California’s, the Portofino is a hardtop convertible which makes it extremely suitable for Kuwait’s weather. After driving and loving the California T, I was really curious to see how much further Ferrari would be able to improve on such a great car. Turns out quite a bit.

When I parked my car at the dealership and spotted the Portofino outside waiting for me I got super excited. The car looked incredible and I couldn’t wait to get the keys and drive off. The lines on the car are very sharp, the front lights now resemble the latest Ferraris and the rear end I think had the biggest improvement with a much more aggressive look. The interior also got a major facelift and now looks very similar to the GTC4Lusso which I also test drove a few months ago. Like the GTC4Lusso the center screen is now huge and uses Ferrari’s updated infotainment system that also includes Apple CarPlay. It’s very slick looking and gives the interior a very futuristic feel.

Since there was rain in the forecast and the sky was getting darker, I decided to get some photos of the car before the storm hit. The dark clouds ended up adding a lot of drama to the shots and because the car was so photogenic, it didn’t take me long to get my photos before I got back out on the road. I had some errands to run in Shuwaikh again and one of the things that keeps surprising me about these new Ferraris is how well they handle the inner streets with all the potholes and imperfections. They’re so good I actually ended up googling information on them and turned out Ferrari uses “magnetorheological dampers” which is a suspension system that’s controlled by magnets and software. It’s very impressive in real-world use because on flat roads at high speeds, the suspension is fairly stiff, but then a few minutes later you’re in Shuwaikh traveling over bumpy horrible roads and the suspension eats up all the imperfections giving you a super comfy ride. Their software controlling all this is super smart and makes me wish I had a similar setup in my violently rough Lotus.

Once I was done with my errands I headed to the Gulf Road. The weather was still good at that point so I was enjoying the drive and the much-improved sound system. The Portofino felt considerably faster than the California T even though on paper that shouldn’t have been the case since performance-wise, they’re supposed to be pretty close. My theory is the Portofino feels a lot faster because the exhaust note is now louder and more aggressive sounding while the gearbox is more responsive. Even when it started raining later in the day and I had to close the roof I still continued to enjoy the car since it was easy to drive and didn’t mind the road legal speeds we were traveling at.

The only two negatives with the car I could think of is that I had to give it back, and that I can’t afford one even though the starting price is a very reasonable (in Ferrari standards) KD 68,000. That price can quickly go up depending on the options you add, but even with the base model, it’s not like you’re getting any less of a car. If you can afford it and are looking for a convertible that’s fast, extremely comfortable and great looking, you need to check the Portofino out if you haven’t already done so. It really is one of the best looking convertibles on the market.

The local Ferrari dealer is located on Instagram @ferrarialzayanikuwait and their website is alzayani.com/ferrari

As I mentioned in my last Ferrari post, in the lead up to my Ferrari Portofino drive, the local Ferrari dealer and I decided I’d test drive the two previous models first, the Ferrari California, and the Ferrari California T. I wasn’t really excited to drive the California T after driving the California because I assumed they would be too similar. I didn’t think there would be much to write about but I couldn’t have been more wrong.

I was lucky enough to pick up the car on Thursday last week when the weather was still perfect. It was going to rain that evening but it was clear during the day and the sky was really beautiful which really helped my shots come out great. Actually, the color and the lines of the car also helped with that as well. The California T looks similar to the previous California at first glance, but there are some defining differences. On the exterior, the biggest change would be the front lights and the slightly more aggressive styling on the side. While on the inside, the biggest change would be the updated entertainment system and the steering wheel. In my last California post, I mentioned how one of the things that made the car feel normal was the lack of buttons on the steering wheel. In the California T, the buttons that control the turn signals, lights and wipers are now all back and located on the steering wheel. Definitely overwhelming at first but you quickly get used to it and then wonder why other car manufacturers don’t do this as well.

But, the biggest change with the California T takes place under the hood. The T stands for turbo and the California T has two of those connected to a V8 engine producing 553hp and a 0-100km time of just 3.6 seconds. The car felt a lot faster than the first generation California and handled a lot better. The car felt a lot stiffer during turns but yet somehow still managed to eat up potholes comfortably. Really the only issue I could think of if I was being picky is the exhaust sound, I wished it was louder at normal cruising speeds. The car was a lot of fun to drive and while with the first California I dropped it back to the dealership earlier than I was supposed to, with the California T I actually wanted to keep it for the weekend.

The next Ferrari I’ll be taking out is the newer Portofino so I’m pretty excited about that. I saw the car on display at the dealership and it looks even better than the California T so can’t wait. The car I drove in this post is actually a 2016 model and listed on their for sale on their pre-owned website for KD59,000. But the dealer does have one starting at KD43,000 and you can check it out along with the one I drove and the rest of their pre-owned lineup [Here]

As I previously posted, starting January 1st, Al Mulla Group will be the new distributors for Mercedes-Benz in Kuwait. There has been a lot of talk on where their showroom will be but this current rumor seems to be the most plausible one.

Volkswagon just moved to a new showroom in Al Rai (pictured above), so the rumor is that the Acura dealership will now move into the old VW showroom, leaving the current Acura showroom for Mercedes to take over.

To me, this makes the most sense since the Acura lineup is fairly small, and I don’t think is doing so well in Kuwait, so the old VW location should help cut down on their overhead. The current Acura location is actually pretty nice and spacious so should be enough for the full Mercedes lineup, at least until they build them a new larger location.

Update: Looks like the above isn’t a rumor anymore. A short while ago Acura sent a message to their customers informing them that the dealership is moving to the old VW showroom (including their service center).

The first batch of Suzuki Jimny’s sold out in Kuwait overnight so a lot of people missed out on them. But, I just found out the dealer is getting their second shipment at the beginning of next month. The manual gearbox version was priced at KD5,200 while the automatic version was KD5,500. If you really can’t wait till next month for some reason, there is a car dealer in Sharq selling the green one pictured above for KD6,700 which is over a thousand more than the dealership. Crazy..

When it comes to Ferrari convertibles, I’ve had a bit of bad luck. The first time I took out a Ferrari convertible to drive, it was the Ferrari 458 Spider, a beautiful car that I happened to take out during a terrible dust storm. I did end up with some eerie desert shots of the car, but still, I would have loved to have driven the car up and down the coastal road on a beautiful day. I was later offered the Ferrari California, but it was in the summer and I had to pass on it, then again this past summer I was offered the new and gorgeous Ferrari Portofino to test drive, again I was super tempted but had to pass since it was too hot to drive with the roof down.

But, recently while talking to the Ferrari team, I brought up the Portofino again. I really wanted to take the car out but turns out their test drive vehicle was in Oman for an event and wouldn’t be back in Kuwait for a couple of weeks. So we came up with a cool idea, I’d do a heritage drive of a sort. While waiting for the Portofino to arrive to Kuwait, I’d take out the older Ferrari California, and then the newer Ferrari California T before finally taking out the Ferrari Portofino. Three Ferraris, obviously I wasn’t going to say no.

I ended up picking up a red (Rosso Corsa) Ferrari California last week on a beautiful day. The sky was blue and the weather was cool so first thing I did was drop the roof before leaving the dealership to run a few errands. People have a love and hate relationship with the California with most of the hate coming from Ferrari enthusiasts. Now that I’ve driven a few Ferraris I can understand where the misunderstanding of the California comes from. While all the Ferraris I’ve driven have been pretty aggressive and intimidating, I found the California to be fairly chill. As soon as I sat in the car I felt comfortable, mostly because the controls were similar to other non-Ferrari cars. With the Ferrari’s I had previously driven, the steering wheel contained all the buttons for controlling things like turn signals, wipers, lights etc.. It’s a bit overwhelming at first to see all these buttons when you’re used to having levers behind the steering to control these things. It takes a bit of getting used to but the California had a fairly normal steering wheel with just a Start/Stop button and the ride control switch. It felt more like a normal car and I think it’s little things like this that put off the Ferrari enthusiasts.

Driving the California didn’t feel scary either. The California wasn’t crazy fast and felt very manageable and friendlier than say the Ferrari 488GTB. The ride wasn’t harsh, and the car didn’t look aggressive nor did it feel like it was trying to get your driving license revoked. It felt like a beginners Ferrari which is why the car appeals a lot more to women. In fact, when I posted pictures of the car on my instagram, all of the positive comments I got that included heart eyes emojis came from my female followers, while all the puke emojis came from guys.

The California is a car you could use daily, it clears speedbumps easily, it has back seats which are fairly usable and it has a folding hard top which I always prefer over the soft ones. Would I buy one? No I wouldn’t, if I was to buy a Ferrari it would for sure be the GTC4Lusso or the older FF. Actually, if we’re being hypothetical here and talking about convertibles, then the Ferrari convertible I’d want is the Ferrari 488 Pista Spider. But that’s not gonna happen.

The Ferrari California I drove was a 2014 model and is part of their pre-owned collection. All their pre-owned cars are approved and certified by the special Ferrari Approved Program so you’re pretty much buying a used car that’s as good as new.

The car I drove is listed on their website for KD35,000 and you can check it out along with the rest of their pre-owned cars [Here]

The Suzuki Jimny has always had a cult following so when a completely new redesigned Jimny was released, it instantly became a huge hit. I’ve personally been waiting for it to arrive to Kuwait for months now just so I could check it out in person and possibly take one for a test drive. So, when I found out Suzuki launched the new Jimny in Kuwait yesterday, I headed to their showroom to check it out.

I passed by in the evening and they only had one Jimny on display out back behind the showroom. The showroom was fairly busy and I barely could get the attention of a salesman to ask him a few questions about the car. Everybody there was there for the Jimny and they were all buying it. When I left last night all the automatic gearbox versions of the car had been sold out and they had a few manual versions left in limited colors. I don’t think the Suzuki dealership in Kuwait ever experienced this much foot traffic or sold that many cars in a day. That probably has to do with the fact the new Jimny looks great and is very affordable. KD5,200 will get you the manual version while KD5,500 will get you the automatic.

So if you’re hoping to get a new Jimny or at least check it out in person, you’re going to have to pass by their showroom asap before they completely sell out. [Link]