• Dummy's Guide
  • Tips & Tricks

Dummy’s Guide Episode 4: Is it cool to foil my car?

Remember a time, not so long ago, when everybody considered a matt black car, erm, cool? Mafia-like? Bad-ass? How did they get it done? Well, let’s give you the ins and outs of a little process called foiling your car. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Foil Class (@foilclass) on Oct 19, 2019 at 4:02am PDT The suave matt black exterior that you thought was a fancy paint job, is really just paper with adhesive. This is what is called a foil. It’s a great alternative to painting your car and completely reversible (well, mostly, but more on that later). So why foil your car? In simple layman’s terms – cool factor, bro!  Foiling has evolved beyond the basic matt black and other primary colors – we now live a world of fancy glossy foils, metallic foils, chrome foils, color-shifting foils and so on.  Foiling is a great way to freshen up your old car and gives you options well beyond the standard factory color palette.  You like baby blue and VW refuses to give you the option on your spanking new golf? No problem. Get it foiled. Always wanted that midas touch to everything you own?…

4 years ago
  • Car tech
  • Cars
  • PR

Inside the Chevrolet Captiva 2021

It may be one of the most affordable seven-seaters in its segment, but the Captiva 2021 delivers bigly (couldn't resist) when it comes to interior space and practicality. You probably spend hours flitting to and from work and other leisurely activities, which means it’s bums to leather for lengthy periods of time. That’s why it’s crucial to consider comfort, practicality and technology when choosing your next ride. It's all about the space Speaking of practicality, the Captiva 2021’s seats can neatly fold away into the floor, affording you extra cargo space to fit your buddy’s extra golf kit in for the long weekend getaway. All about dat space, bout dat space... And even with all seats intact, there’s still plenty of wiggle room, particularly around the middle seat, so folded or not, this Chevy’s definitely not cramping your style. Style meets substance As far as interior aesthetics go, the Captiva 2021’s boasts a stylish cloth interior with a blue denim dashboard in the LS trim, grey in LT and Premier. Who says denims only come in the apple-bottom variation? The latter also comes with a leather-wrapped, multi-function steering wheel, perfect for operating Cruise Control, audio and hands-free calling. Built for…

4 years ago
  • Fun corner
  • Greatest Of All Time

GOAT Episode 4: The OG Speed-king, McLaren F1

I’m going to summarize the McLaren F1 in three words – Gordan Murray, 3 seats, 386.4 kmph!  Yes, this was the undisputed king of speed all the way from 1992 to 2005. Until Bugatti brought out the Veyron to beat the record, which it did but not by much, and that too after 13 years!  Oh, and the Veyron needed 4 turbos to achieve this feat whereas the McLaren was au natural…-ly aspirated. A 90s tech-marvel We’re talking about a car that was way ahead of its time and continues to be cutting edge even today. In fact, the McLaren F1 was among the first to use material considered to be forged by the dark arts – carbon fiber, aluminium and magnesium.  You handsome thing! To put things into perspective, we had here a supersonic beast that weighed just 1,138 kgs! My E30, which I consider light, is still at 1,200 kgs after weight reduction modifications. The F1 boasted 618 ponies, thanks to a BMW V12 married to a 6-speed manual transmission (no fancy automated manuals or dual-clutches to the assist), to push this light frame all the way to 386.4 kmph. To keep the car on the ground at…

4 years ago
  • PR
  • Tips & Tricks

Continental offers safety tips for motorists in the Middle East

It looks like there’s finally light at the end of the long, dark tunnel that’s been COVID-19. Government restrictions are being relaxed, there are signs of the daily quotidian struggle with shops opening and the flow of traffic increasing. And with this shift in dynamic, premium German tire and technology brand, Continental, is looking ahead with its ‘Moving Forward’ campaign, providing some safety tips for motorists looking to ensure their cars are primed for on-the-road action. Tire Inspection It's tiresome, but you've gotta check them for pressure and signs of wear and tear! There’s no doubt your car’s been sitting in the garage or a safe storage space throughout the course of the lock down. This can lead to some unexpected issues. For example,  you might notice some flat spots on the tire because of the vehicle’s weight pressing down on them. It’s really important to keep tires properly inflated at all times, and inspect them carefully before getting back on the road. If you see any bulges, cracks or blisters on them, they’ll need immediate attention. Hop on over to our tire service page and find a trusted workshop near you. Tire Pressure So in relation to tire inspections,…

4 years ago
  • Fun corner
  • Unusual cars of the month

May’s Top 5 most Iconic and unusual movie vehicles

We ended April's edition of iconic vehicles with the Mystery Machine. That got us thinking: there are some truly awe-tastic cars in the cartoon world. Wouldn’t you agree? That’s why for the month of May, we’re taking it down a few pixels and presenting you with some classic cartoon rides. Fred’s footmobile Someone will tell you that Karl Benz invented the first ever car in 1885. Hanna Barbera begged to differ. It may lack the basic amenities of a modern car, air conditioning and power steering to name a few, not to mention it looks like something a bunch of boy scouts put together. Still, we’ll forever remember Fred’s furious feet kicking their way to the nearest joint for a delectable bronto burger. At least we know one thing for sure, Fred and Wilma never skipped leg day. Yaba Daba Doo! The Gadgetmobile What do you get when you cross the Delorean with a Bond car? You guessed right. The Gadgetmobile. Not only does it have a rad AI similar to KITT (any Knight Rider fans out there?), but it also had the ability to transform into a Police Van.  And that’s not all. The Gadgetmobile could also go on…

4 years ago
  • Dummy's Guide
  • Tips & Tricks

Dummy’s Guide Episode 3: Heats up, what makes up my car’s air conditioning system?!

With temperatures in the UAE soaring into the 40s, proper maintenance of your air conditioning system becomes particularly important. Unless you’re the kind of person who’s got nobody to meet and likes to use your car as a sauna to sweat it out in (ME!). #carsauna anyone? Anyway, today we talk about what components make up the air conditioning system in your car, common faults and a few preventive measures to make sure your tushie is nice and cool this summer (so, no #carsauna?) Say NO to #carsauna? Courtesy: Spanjaard The Air Conditioning System Basics Your car’s air conditioning system is a combination of the following key components: A compressorA fanCondensing CoilsEvaporator CoilsExpansion ValveDryer BlowerRefrigerant PipingDuctsThe refrigerant itself! Quite a lot of things that could go wrong, eh? Well, not quite.  Apart from the compressor, fan and blower (called rotating components because things… errr… rotate), most of the components are non-moving components.  The chances of failure in rotating components are generally higher than in non-moving components, because of the friction, heat and movement in them. The only thing that can go wrong with the non-moving components are leaks! And by leaks, we mean loss of the refrigerant that is used to…

4 years ago
  • Fuel prices
  • News

UAE’s Fuel Prices for June 2020

UAE's fuel prices for June 2020 have been announced. We are in for a spell of repetition as the prices continue to remain unchanged. The fuel prices saw a big drop in April, with an average drop of about 10%. Since then things have remained stagnant with the price remaining same all through May and now extending over through June. Here is a refresher on the prices: Super 98 price remains at AED 1.91/litreSpecial 95 price remains at AED 1.80/litreDiesel price remains at AED 2.06/litre We are happy that things are easing up in terms of lockdowns and restrictions on movement. We hope everyone is staying safe and still practicing social distance. https://twitter.com/MikanikiDXB/status/1266707905513914369 With COVID-19 affecting everyone, we hope you and your families are safe. Please do stay at home and maintain social distancing. As usual here are some tweets of the fuel price: https://twitter.com/ADNOCdist/status/1265997314755366912 The fuel prices are applicable across all the 7 Emirates. This includes Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain. It still remains a good time to fill up your car and ensure that it is running smoothly. Make sure to take the right precautions if you are not using…

4 years ago
  • Motorsport

On the road with Formula E photographer Shiv Gohil

Sitting back in a comfortable chair in his home studio, a smile of satisfaction playing across his lips, lock down has been kind to virtuoso photographer, Shiv Gohil. Extending to us a warm digital welcome, we're given a rare glimpse into his electric world as he reflects on a whirlwind of a career that's taken him from glamorous wedding ballrooms to the gritty Formula E race track. A family enterprise Photography has been a part of my family since the 1960s when my grandfather owned a photo studio in Kenya. Most of the time the most rewarding shots are the most difficult to capture.  As a photographer, you’re always trying to improve & blow the competition away and the most technically difficult images are the ones you want to hang up and show off!  Sometimes you’re just in the right place at the right time and you capture an accident or a driver portrait in the perfect light.  I just have too many to choose from! My dad introduced me to motorsport. He watched a lot of Formula 1 while I was growing up.  Over the years I have always admired the iconic images captured by the greatest motorsport photographers…

4 years ago
  • Fun corner
  • Greatest Of All Time

GOAT Episode 3: M for… E46 M3

The year is 2005. The game: Need for Speed Most Wanted. A silver car with blue decals adorns the CD cover. It would go on to be the best game Electronic Arts would bring out for the too-young-to-legally-drive petrolhead. The car on the cover? The E46 M3! And that’s us for GOAT episode 3. Who remembers this? Millennials? E46 M3: A jaw-dropping delight The car would have kids like me drool over its sheer might. I remember driving around the city of Rockport for hours, visualising the smooth maneuver and absolutely loving the machine. By the time I could legally drive, the E9X M3 had replaced the E46 M3 and somehow it didn’t make my jaw drop like the silver car in the game. And so, alas, I lost interest in the Ms and BMWs. Fast forward to the mid-2010s, a time when the BMWs of the yesteryear were becoming popular and gaining value quickly – especially the very first M3, the E30 M3! They have become, and remain, quite the investment pieces. And my interest in BMWs has been restored once again. Changing the formula: Enter E46 After meeting quite a lot of BMW enthusiasts, I find myself behind…

5 years ago
  • COVID-19

COVID-19’s effect on the automotive industry so far (May 2020)

COVID-19. A matter not for the faint hearted, and certainly one that’s dealt a heavy blow to a world that had only just recovered from Liam Payne’s offensive 2019 release ‘Both Ways’. And the automobile industry has had to really dig deep and think out of the box to deal with a crumbling economy. Today, we’re looking at COVID-19’s effect on the automotive industry so far. No Liam. Just, no. COVID-19's effect on the automotive industry - the bad Disrupted supply chains More than 80 per cent of the world’s auto supply chain is connected to China. Which means disruptions in these supply chains has had a massive negative impact on global automakers. Production lines had halted during the first two months of the crisis The closure of most production plants, especially in regions like Hubei, demarcated the months of January and February, bringing sales down to zilch. This is not considering the fact that February usually isn’t a good month for China, where sales and manufacturing are concerned, what with most people celebrating the Chinese New Year (those dragons are SO cool). And it’s not just China, but Italy too, two of the places the virus hit worst in…

5 years ago