Category: Automotive

I posted a video of the Aston Martin Rapide in Kuwait before but here is better footage. I can imagine they would have a hard time explaining to hotel security what the box with all the wires in the trunk is for. [YouTube]

Update: Here is an article to go with the video above that talks about the testing that went on in Kuwait. [Link]

With the hottest part of the day approaching and temperatures now exceeding 50 deg C, the next test involved leaving the car parked outside in the intense midday sun for an hour – typical of an everyday lunch stop.

Sixty minutes later, the team measured what’s called the solar load placed on the car during the break using a device on the roof. To give an idea of how hot the sun in the Middle East can get, a typical solar test in a factory is usually limited to 1,000kW/h, as values higher than this rarely occur in habitable climates.

But after returning from lunch, the laptop was reading a peak value of 1,100kW/h! [Source]

Thanks AndyQ8

I’m back in Kuwait finally. Just an update about the Jeep garage they never ended up emailing a cost estimate since they ended up repairing the a/c at no cost. This is the email I got the day before yesterday:

Dear sir,
At the ouset, I would like to wish you a very good day. I would like to inform you that we have completed the service of your vehicle & also we repaired the a/c of your vehicle. We cleaned your a/c system & we road tested your vehicle & it is working fine. Also I washed the vehicle & kept for ready for delivery. The total repair charges coming to 58.00 KD/-.

Also assuring you our best of services always.

Thing is the problem with my a/c was that it was making a very loud sound and it would let in the smell and air from outside even if I had it to circulate internally. Not too sure what a cleaning would do but I guess will see tomorrow if that fixed the problem.

Update: Picked up the Jeep, its perfect! They did end up fixing my AC and it now finally sounds normal. They also did a pretty good job of cleaning it, the interior is spotless. Not bad, wasn’t expecting this.

I have a problem with my Jeeps AC in that it sounds like a jet engine when at full blast. So, I took the car to the dealership to get it checked since I will be in Lebanon for the next few days. While there the service guy suggested I do a full checkup since my cars millage is 75,000km. He then suggested since I am going to be out of the country he could email me a detailed cost estimate and I could reply back to him telling him what to fix and what to leave.

For a minute the guy must have thought I didn’t know what the Internet was because I kept asking him questions like:
“You have internet?”
“On this computer here?”
“So you will email me yourself and I can reply to you?”
“Do you check your email?”

I am not a fan of the Jeep’s dealership and I’ve made that clear before but the ability to receive a detailed cost estimate on my BlackBerry while I am in Beirut just made up for all their previous fuck ups. I’m impressed.

I had to go do the yearly car test and renew the papers today and they wouldn’t pass my car. Last year I installed the lift and large tires on my Wrangler and I didn’t know what to expect during the car test since I couldn’t find any proper information regarding the legality of car lifts.

I got to the check up area and the inspector took a look at the car and wrote something down on the paper. He then called a second inspector over and told him that I have a lift and large tires installed. The other inspector told him whats it to you let the guy install whatever he wants and pass him. The first inspector then told the second one that he had already wrote on the paper that I had large tires installed. They discussed it among themselves for a few seconds but since he had already wrote there was a problem there wasn’t much that could be done. I asked them what the problem was and the second inspector replied back in very fluent English that the problem was that my tires were sticking out from the side of the car and that I should go over to the other inspection area on the other side and see what they would have to say there.

So I drove to the second inspection area where a guy came up to my car and told me I wasn’t allowed to install different rims and tires on the car. According to him the only way he would pass me is if I install the original wheels and go back to him. So now I need to see if the garage that installed my lift still has my original tires. If not I guess will have to pass by the scrap yard and see what I can find.

Henry Surtees, 18, the son of motorsport legend John Surtees was killed in a “freak” accident during a Formula Two (F2) race. You can see the accident in the video above, a car crashes into a side barrier and one of the tires flies off and bounces towards the track and hits Henry in the head while he was racing. If he was just a bit faster or just a bit slower the tire would have missed his head and hit the car. Extremely unlucky and very very sad. [YouTube]

Wow this is pretty cool. Seems like the new unreleased Aston Martin Rapide 4-door was spotted testing here in Kuwait. Car manufacturers usually test cars in severe climate conditions like extreme heat and cold before the car is released to make sure it can handle the weather conditions. The Rapide is expected to be introduced early next year and to compete with the likes of the Maserati Quattroporte and Porsche Panamera. [YouTube]

360Dewan posted this messed up video that was shot here in Kuwait of a pickup truck dragging a car behind it. When I first watched the video I thought the car in the back was pushing the truck but then I realized the car in the back had the brakes held down most of the time. By the end of the video it turns out the pickup truck somehow crashed into the car (probably reversed into it) and then tried escaping but the car got attached to the truck and was being dragged alone. In the end a woman comes out of the car screaming asking people to help her out. [YouTube]

via 360Dewan

360Dewan uploaded the video above onto YouTube of a Nissan Patrol Land Cruiser on two wheels at a traffic intersection. Best part of the video is when the Patrol gets chased by cops at the end. [Link]

Fake? Doesn’t look like it. [YouTube]

[flashvideo file=”video/fire.flv” /]

Nat shot this video earlier today on her way to the gym. She arrived to the scene just as the fire trucks did so she managed to capture some pretty decent footage. The car flipped over and caught fire just opposite the Flex gym on the Istiqlal Highway. According to a cop on the scene, the driver made it out before the car caught fire.

There was a horrific accident on the Gulf Road today. The car was completely crushed and the car was lying upside down. I hope the driver made it.

I can never get enough of these videos. [YouTube]

I’ve seen a lot of accidents on the Gulf Road but I think this morning was the first time in which I saw two cars actually end up on the Gulf Road median. Luckily none of the cars hit a lamppost but I still believe that the Gulf Road would be much safer if they installed collapsible lampposts (Video below).

The New BMW Z4, originally uploaded by mr.alsultan.

Didn’t know the new Z4 was out in Kuwait already but turns out it is and is being displayed at the Avenues.

Update: There are only two new Z4’s in Kuwait, a 2.5 liter champaign colored one thats selling for around KD16,000 and a 3.0 liter red one pictures above selling for around KD17,000. There is also a 3.5 liter version on the way and that will be selling for around KD20,000.

Looks like they were caught filming for the new season with a Lamborghini SV, Bugatti Veyron, Mercedes SLR 722 and a McLaren F1. [YouTube]

Thanks Yo_ghurt!