captain

Drove up to Khasab in Oman on the weekend. Beautiful road for the last 30 miles - just a drag driving for 2 hours at 120 kph to get there. Mind you, with petrol at 10 quid for a tank in Oman it was a cheap date.

The car is so good that even after 6 hours of driving non-stop we got out feeling fine. The road from the Oman border to Khasad is great with sheer mountains on one side and the ocean on the left with the drop to the sea protected by a 4-foot concave concrete wall. Crap if you want to look at the view but mind blowing sound when you go over 6,000 revs and the sound is bouncing around. However, driving flat out in 45 degree heat with the windows open is not something you can do for more than a few minutes without getting

Here's the route and a couple of snaps i grabbed. Next time I'll take the Go Pro.

Great choice. Seriously considering this exact option for my next car. Unfortunately can't get the PP here in Dubai, just the 5.0 GT Premium. Might have to wait for the GT350 which should be here soon.

Sorry, did I just read "leaf spring" on a car thats challenging a GT3?

 

Price difference goes a long way to help that and it looks sooooo good as well

The review is very good:

http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=497408

And judging by the standard Stingray with "only" 450 hp, it's going to sound amazing too.

Cars are cheap here it was 32-400 quid......... lol

Just about to pay the rent - 25,000 for the year - one cheque in advance

Good looking beastie in white

Indeed it is but saw the green one and my wife loves the colour so bought it within the hour. Cars are cheap here - it was 32,400 quid for a 2012 high-spec with 37,000 on the clock.

This is on the radar for the autumn:

2015 Corvette Z06 (in Z07 trim)

Check out the performance figures online and the Evo review where it makes the 911 GT3 sit up and take notice.

Unfortunately about 65,000 quid in the USA but 90,000 quid here in Dubai!!

All sold out for 9 months so taking orders here for early 2016.

Forming a (dis)orderly queue.

So OP- did you get one??

I've had my Cayman S for 9 months now and recommend one 100%. I have a Porsche warranty on mine so if you are concerned about all the horror stories on the internet maybe thats the way to go? Also I'd have to completely disagree with the comment made about the head turn factor compared to the Zed, at least around here anyway.

OP if you have any questions feel free to ask

 

Mine:

 

Bonus points if anyone recognises where it was taken!

They didn't let me take it home after the above test drive.

Can be fun. Turn everything off and this happens if you're not that good a driver:

[

]

 

What happened there? Downshift at too high revs and the rear axle locked up, or just weight transfer from the gear change mid corner? Thought i would have been more well balanced than that.

Ha - no idea. All of those and probably the wrong line and some very hot/worn tyres. Don't forget everything turned off.

Also speed. The apex on the left is about 185 kph and I'm doing the same speed as i pass 100 metres and then still around 100 kph at 25 metres.

I have a Cayman R 2012 like this:

It's an amazing car and on a different planet handling-wise to 370Z. Everything about it is "perfect" for a second/track car. I've owned it for a few months but only take it out for a weekend away or on the track. If your my age and unfit it is not something to live in for several hours a day.

I would say that it is not that quick as well. I recently tracked it against a friend's Golf Type R and we were exact times lap after lap.

Can be fun. Turn everything off and this happens if you're not that good a driver:

[

Consequently I stick to this for daily use:

Whilst we're in Jag Club...

 

What's the XF model to go for? I'm thinking dark pump drinker, presumably the 3.0? What's the difference between Luxury and Premium?

I've got an XF SV8 Portfolio

4.2 supercharged V8. Quick as you could possibly want from a luxo-barge and handles well. Loving the chilled seats - it's about 45 today outside. So hot that I only got 17 holes in this morning - had to give the last one a miss before I fainted. And that was at 11:45 am.

Is that a cruise liner?

 

Yep. A 420 bhp cruise liner that will do 0-60 in 5 seconds.

 

Nice, my XFS is lowered on eibachs looks just the part

 

I have a spires XFR exhaust on too, doesn't make a nice noise being a derv but looks nice. Not much slower than your SV8 but a bit cheaper to run over here

 

 

Sent from the golf club...

Have you got a link to the springs? What did you pay for them? Spires do their own for 300 quid. 12-20mm lowering.

Is that a cruise liner?

Yep. A 420 bhp cruise liner that will do 0-60 in 5 seconds.

XFR? Lovely place to be

Close. SV8. Love it to bis but needs some nicer rims and lowering a bit. Also a Spires exhaust would be nice:

Sorry for a tedious practicality question, but can you fit two fully grown humans in the back seats?

Only if they were Douglas Bader.

Looks fab and enjoy it!! Have a thought for the rest of us who are paying x5-10 what you are for fuel

I know. Just filled it up with Premium for 22 quid. Mind you, i usually get a speeding ticket every month which is 120 quid and about 60 quid a month on tolls so it evens out a bit.

mmmmm……chilled seats. So needed when it's 50 outside. The interior is just amazing and mine looks identical to the one in the piccie. I'll post some exteriors soon.

I await with interest

Why wait?

The GT86 and it's Subaru twin has one fault. Not enough power. Many 50 mpg diesel hatchbacks accelerate quicker and that is criminal in a sports car however good it handles.

 

I suppose if 0-60 times interest you that may be true. I have no idea how the Toyota compares to other cars in this respect. Nor do I care. All I know is that point to point it is a very difficult car to shake off, whatever you are driving. In 8 months of ownership I raced against everything imaginable around the streets of Dubai and not a single car disappeared from my view. Most memorably a brand new F-Type convertible which I chased for about 5 miles and at the end of it he was the same 40 yards ahead of me as when we started. This doesn't mean I'm a driving hero or that he wasn't trying. It means in the real world you can have one hell of a lot of fun for 14,000 quid which you wouldn't be having in the diesel hatchback you cite.

 

I agree with the whole principle of what you are saying I love the whole idea of rowing a car along at 90% using anticipation, momentum and technique to overcome raw power.

Thanks - you're going to like my new car based on your sig,

As an aside, I would not work in Dubai for £3,000 a week. Nor Qatar Those places are full of false promises, crazy rules and stupid heat.

Nor would I. This week was 7,000 quid. Besides that, you're right.

Hi Simon, Good to see you are still about. So does a big Yank car or GTR once again enter the fray?

Hey bud, good to hear from you. Hope all is well.

Nope - car is - gulp - UK!!

The GT86 and it's Subaru twin has one fault. Not enough power. Many 50 mpg diesel hatchbacks accelerate quicker and that is criminal in a sports car however good it handles.

I suppose if 0-60 times interest you that may be true. I have no idea how the Toyota compares to other cars in this respect. Nor do I care. All I know is that point to point it is a very difficult car to shake off, whatever you are driving. In 8 months of ownership I raced against everything imaginable around the streets of Dubai and not a single car disappeared from my view. Most memorably a brand new F-Type convertible which I chased for about 5 miles and at the end of it he was the same 40 yards ahead of me as when we started. This doesn't mean I'm a driving hero or that he wasn't trying. It means in the real world you can have one hell of a lot of fun for 14,000 quid which you wouldn't be having in the diesel hatchback you cite.

Sold the car yesterday so I thought some people would be interested in a review.

I loved every minute of driving the car. The handling and grip are amazing and after 18,000 kms of pretty much foot to the floor driving I only managed to lose it once and that was on the track with everything turned off. And this was my error going too fast and too wide in to an uphill left-hander - touched the rumble strip with the offside rear and spun a full 360 and then backwards in to the gravel. no harm done.

The seating position is perfect and everything internally that counts (pedals, wheel, gear stick) are exactly in the right place. My earlier suspicion of the gearbox was wrong. I had just forgotten how to change gear after 20 years of auo boxes. I'm sure it would be perfect for heel and toe but I'm not skilled enough for that. The interior is cheap and cheerful and the only real complaint was the stereo. The worst I have ever heard.

Looks wise I still can't see a single line or curve that in my eyes is not absolutely spot on. Lowered on the Oz Racing 18" rims I think it is perfect.

I have seen people complain about the engine noise being piped in to the cabin. TBH I didn't notice anything but I'm sure the Miltek exhaust helped. Really nice sound and loads of clients who follow me when going on appointments have commented on how good it sounds from the rear.

Of course the main talking point about this car is performance. Does it need more BHP? Firstly, on the track I went twice to the Dubai Autodrome on the small twisty circuit and it really took a much more expensive car to open up large gaps, and that was only on the straight. Through the bends it held its own against everything and hounded many cars 2 or 3 times it's price. There is a noticeable flat spot until about 4500 revs but this can be solved with a chip and tune. I raced a guy who had this done and I would say it was 2 seconds a lap quicker as a result. On the road it is difficult to say because in Dubai it is impossible to drive fast for more than a few seconds. The speed limit ranges from 60 to 120 kph and there are speed cameras literally every few metres. I am sure that if I was on an open country road in the UK I would want more power but that can be easily solved if you want.

Overall I would say this is a great car and I wouldn't hesitate in recommending it. But maybe not if you are 50 and getting fatter by the day. That's the reason I'm selling it really. Not the car's fault that I make "ooof" noises every time I get in and out and I ache a lot. In my job I'm in the car a lot either driving or waiting for ignorant bastards to turn up for appointments "I am coming Mr Simon. I will be 5 minutes Inshallah" I need something bigger and more comfortable. Something with a good sound system, comfy leather seats, a a 420 bhp supercharged V8.........watch this space.

Lucky bastard living there

 

 

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No luck at all. Just took the leap and now I'm here, work 60 hours a week and most days off as well. Planes fly here from most good airports if you want a piece of the luck.

60 hrs a week with most days off :a you must work really long hours on the days you work then, and I didn't mean it like that I mean it as in your lucky to be living there not its luck how u got there

 

 

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Aaaarrgghhh!! Luck does not pay any part of me coming to, working in or living in Dubai. As you can tell, this riles me. I had to be good at what I did to get offered a job here and then have the balls to get on a plane to a job with no salary that I know i would have zero income for 3 months in one of the most expensive cities in the world. i then needed to work like I never have in my life to keep afloat and even now, after 16 months, every day is fraught with tiredness, pressure and stress. (I didn't sell a house in November so no money coming in over the next 2 months)

I have looked up "luck" in the dictionary. Not even close.

Property is it not el capitain?

Yep - real estate. No salary. 50% commission. 100% stress.

Lucky bastard living there

 

 

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No luck at all. Just took the leap and now I'm here, work 60 hours a week and most days off as well. Planes fly here from most good airports if you want a piece of the luck.