Went to Dubai for the day last weekend to test out the M6, which has had a few modifications made mostly to the suspension and a few other items. After a long road and arduous task they have finally completed this beautiful machine. The one problem with modifying a BMW is that the car has a lot of electronics, so you have to make sure you satisfy every sensor on the car after each modification and this is one sensitive car, if one thing is off the whole thing goes down the bin. So it took a lot of probing and testing to narrow down the main issue and develop solutions for it, on the way to that they fixed a few steering and intake issues I was facing and I still believe the V10 from BMW is there best creation yet.
I got a call last week from the guys at TAM saying my car is ready, and they asked if I wanted the suspension race tuned, I said yes please. So by Saturday it would be completed, I couldn’t wait to take it for a major test spin, and they were really prepping the car. They took it for a few test runs with each suspension tune, and took it to the track for a final test. When I got in on Saturday they tuned the car to my weight and asked how often I would have someone with me in the car to factor that in. Now this is the 2nd test run I have had since a few months back and I was worried it might but a little too stiff, but I was wrong it was perfect.
It was firm and perfectly stiff, comfortable to drive on the road and handled every horsepower it was spitting out. I finally got rid of that annoying body roll and fixed that understeer issue. The car turns when commanded, handles like a go-kart, and I was abusing it on the industrial area they had. The mechanic with me kept on telling me to go faster around corners, it seems he knows my car very well, he even complained about it being sensitive like a woman, I couldn’t help but laugh he knew my car well. I couldn’t have asked for anything better then what they have improved as well as other things in the car, then there was the other issues that they fixed. I am happy customer, and every time I went into TAM they have more impressive cars.
The Ministry of Interior really does have its work cut out for it, they seem to be getting worse and worse and the processes they setup for fees or giving out types of fines. I check on a monthly basis if there are any fines and I usually pay them right away, I have managed to stay out of the radar or in order for a while now, keeping it within limits of tolerance. Then I check last week to find three speeding tickets from past months and four parking tickets, with no specific dates. The speeding tickets seem very random, only two have the month date not even the day and one just say 2009. So basically they can give you any speeding ticket and you can’t even contest it, the funny part is two of the three speeding tickets were in cars registered in my name but are the home cars. All together with the parking tickets they added up to 100 KD, but the MOI guy told me that I will have points on my driving license and one more and I will have my license in Kuwait revoked for three months. I asked how would a father who usually registers all the cars in his name sort this out, his son is driving, his daughter, his wife, or the house driver. So basically they don’t have a solution for this and only fine the person who is registered to the car, in the US and the UK you would have a chance to prove that you aren’t the driver so you wouldn’t be the recipient of the points. They really didn’t think through all the possible situations, I really think that they make the system work in a way so that you have to talk to someone to get these dumb issues sorted out.
Tickets
- 136 in a 120 in June of 09
- 129 in an 100 April of 09(Mine)
- 122 in an 80 in 09
- 4 Parking Tickets
Note: This is the solution told to me from the MOI guy, that I do not know, is to get file for a replacement license and keep to driving licenses and when they want my drivers license for three months I just give them one of them and the request to pull my dirvers license will be revoked from the system and I can drive with the one driver’s license. And this is from a guy that I don’t even know, they really know how to make a very dumb system work.
Ferrari have been working a on a few new machines, and a lot of people’s eyes are on the Italian Manufacturer. The Ferrari CEO has come out and said what people have been waiting to hear, some cars will be replaced soon and some will be kept. There is a new supercar in the work for Ferrari, some sort of F50/Enzo type machine but it will be power by a V12 or V8 Twin Turbo. Ferrari has been working on some greener concepts but those engines won’t be ready for production soon, but I’m curious as to how they want to maintain performance with those green machines. Now the 612 is another story, I have never been too much of a fan of that car and it seems a lot of people haven’t so Ferrari will be replacing it as soon as 2012 with the new car. Now for the 599 it seems they have other plans for it, they have introduced the HGTE kit to make it more aggressive and that doesn’t include the limited production 599xx, so this car isn’t looking at replacement until 2015. As for the 458 it seems everyone wants a piece of it, and I’m a huge fan of the California, I really think its the perfect combination of sport and luxury, and who doesn’t like a hard top convertible.
Link: Autoblog
In Kuwait people seem to park the strangest of ways, and they don’t take any other person into consideration and they don’t mind banging the other car slightly either. Even though half these tickets would be beyond their comprehension, they are still entertaining. “Did you park like this or was there an earthquake?” “This parking job violates the law. Of physics.” and the last one to top it off “The way you pulled in makes me wish your dad had pulled out.”
Link: UnCrate
There has been lots of talk about the new Ferrari 458, if a picture is worth a 1000 words then I think a video can do a little better. Going to the track soon I know how some of those turns feels, but that machine is really looking good and at certain points its sending chills down my spine seeing how they are going around the corner and managing to drift that machine.
Now that GulfRun is coming up I’m really looking forward to test driving my car after the modifications that have been made. TAM have been great in updating me with the tasks, there have been complications but luckily they are professional and have the expertise to complete the tasks at hand.
I took the car out for a fast spin, fast being above certain legal limits, and I have to say that Dubai roads are very wide and I do enjoy those big round abouts when you have so much traction. Then I took the car back after the successful test run, I didn’t have a chance to wait to see the dyno numbers but I’m going to get that by email.
The one thing I do enjoy is every time I visit there are always a different combination of cars, from classics, to muscle cars, Italian cars, and Japanese monsters. All these machines are extremely unique and are in safe hands, I’m amazed at this strange combination and I’m always curious what modifications they are working on, some are simple and some are very extreme.
We really liked the GR ad and decided to come up with a parody! No offense intended. We really appreciate your hard work and effort. Good Luck to all GR5 drivers may the best win ;)
I laughed my head off after seeing this, I think its a couple of girls who put together this very funny Paradoy of the GulfRun video. I think the footage was done in a school parking lot, loved the baby powder and the music choice is great.
Now this is making things a little more interesting, the first GulfRun 5 trailer is out and this is the first time they have put a trailer like this together. I got the email with a link to their post and a picture attached, now I’m really gonna enjoy this upcoming event and I wonder how that camera didn’t melt at the exhaust pipe. There isn’t anything that sounds better then the roar of an engine such as this. Good job NegativEffects with this edit and putting it all together, now I just hope you guys have more videos on the way.
Link: GulfRun
I always know that its going to happen at some point and it good to be prepared but your never really prepared for it. I had a flat on Sunday night after the family dewaneya while heading home on airport road getting on to the 6th ring road, the way it happened was probably the most annoying. A pick up truck cut in front of me with some junk in the back, it crossed to big white soccer balls so it jumped and something fell out the back, I was in a low sports car so I was far from it, I didn’t see what fell but I tried to veer around it, and I heard “clank” and felt a shake at the steering wheel and the tire pressure sensor went off. The only thought in my head was “DAMN IT”, I was so close to home and all I wanted to do was go watch some TV shows and got to sleep early, but that wasn’t going to happen tonight.
The bad luck though is that I had to pull over inside an exit on to the 6th ring road, to the right going to Jahra and straight to Miseela. I put my flashers and got out of the car, called up the tow truck of the dealership and called my friend. I was calling again and again waiting for the guy to pick up, luckily I had a few other phone numbers. My friend kept calling me every 10 minutes to check on me and said that he was on the way but there was a hell of a lot of traffic which he had to get around. I was standing behind my car outside for at least 25 minutes before the tow truck showed up, in 65% humidity and heat.
Of course stopping on the side like that and in a location which has no side to stop in is a complete spectacle for people driving by and two lanes of cars merging into one. I think I backed up all of the airport road at 11 pm to 11:45 pm, I kept waving to people to go into the other lane and a lot of people shouldn’t be driving, I didn’t want them hitting my car and I looked at the flat and the was from the metal piece that stuck into it from the side. I had temporary spare but there was no way in hell I’m going to change a tire wearing a dishdasha, its asking for trouble and I had a 90% chance of being hit if I was standing beside the car, while standing behind it I almost got it with flashers and really slow moving cars, there are a lot of idiots on the road. There was one woman who was extremely rude and opened her window while driving and shouted “FASHLAAAAAAAA” and drove off fast, meaning “How Embarrassing!!!”, people just don’t have manners. But one thing did surprise me, at 8 cars stopped and asked if I needed a ride or help, they were decent people. Then the police came before the tow truck and stopped behind me while flashing their lights they at least moved traffic away, one police car was belonging to the central police station and was black and white, then another one came which was blue and yellow. They were very decent and I will give them the benefit of the doubt, I’m assuming wearing a dishdasha really does help, I spoke to them and they asked if I needed a ride but I thank them and said I would be off soon.
The tow truck loaded up the car, my rim was scratched from that damn metal screw but it could have been a lot worse. Hamdilla it was only this, it could always be a lot worse, and so I took my car to the dealership and dropped it off. My tire needs to be replaced and my rim needs to be fixed, I’m hope its fixable because the lip was bent a little. What a night, at least I got a decent suhoor waiting for me and my friend and I got to watch an episode of Eureka.
I have been waiting for this for some time now, I got a text message and I saw the update on my google RSS Reader. GulfRun 5 is coming up in January 2010, that does give me enough time to plan out a few modifications I have in mind. They also mentioned a few different things coming up, I’m curious to see what else is going to be coming. I really want to rip that track apart again, and I have a few ideas in mind, I’m anxious to get behind the wheel and go nuts, getting it all out on the track is perfect, and I’m also curious about the people coming in this year. Last year the Mitsubishi Evolutions were the scary monsters, they were anything but civil, Auto Cross, Drag, Inner Circuit, and GP Circuit they were always on the top 10 or top 5. Just even remembering the whole thing it was a hell of a lot of fun.
Link: GulfRun
(Picture stolen from GulfRun Blog!)