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AWESOME IMAGES FROM. Gulf Bike Week Dubai 2015 Now in its seventh year, the Gulf Bike Week is a premier motorcycle, music and lifestyle festival held in Dubai. Full story here 

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Ferrari California T. DRIVEN Enter the turbo era. crankandpiston.com takes a spin in Ferrari's first road-going turbocharged model since 1987. ​ ​​​Delve into the scarlet history books and the California – strange as it may seem – will emerge as one of the greatest Ferraris to roll off the production line. In a purely fiscal sense, of course. In the five years following its debut in 2009, the California solid some 10,000 units, 70 per cent of which went to first time buyers. Quite a change to the couple of thou of Ferrari's elite models normally up for grabs. ​ And yet, to Maranello purists, the California was far from a 'proper' Ferrari. Deviating from the time-honoured brand attributes set by old man Enzo himself, the California championed everyday civility over exceptional driving as a Prancing Horse available to the masses, rivalled the latest from Mercedes rather than the top bananas at Lamborghini, and retailed nearer the $200K mark as opposed to the quarter of a mill being asked for the range-topping 458 Italia. To many, the California was very much Ferrari's Porsche Cayenne.

​ It seems ironic that, as the second-generation California T arrives on the scene, the purists are once again up in arms, their angst this time aimed at that 'T' on the rear bumper. The first turbocharged road car since the lunatic F40 in 1987, the California T opens the doors to a brand new era at Maranello, little of which includes natural aspiration (the recently unveiled 488 GTB rubber-stamping this). Signs are though that the newboy is much more than the soft and ugly model heading towards the exit.

​ ​Read the rest of the story here: ​​http://www.crankandpiston.com/on-the-road/ferrari-california-t-driven/

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’79 Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am. DRIVEN Today’s muscle car is dominated by the Ford Mustang, the Dodge Challenger and the Chevrolet Camaro. But four decades ago, one car – and one film – proved the model to beat. And our deputy editor has been driving it Were you aware that Smokey and the Bandit was a secret guilty pleasure of Alfred Hitchcock? Or that The Bandit’s real name is only uttered once throughout the movie? Or that only Star Wars Episode IV grossed more at the theatres in 1977?Well come on. It’s a Pontiac Firebird. Did you really not expect me to make any reference to the Burt Reynolds classic? And yes, I’ll give you a second to stick on some Jerry Reed…Much like the DeLorean DMC-12, the Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am holds cult status today thanks largely to one hugely popular movie franchise, when truth be told, there’s much more to General Motor’s famous pony cars than that. In 1967 for instance, the Firebird made its debut based on the chassis of the first generation Chevrolet Camaro, just one of several affordable, high-performance models – including the Dodge Challenger, the Plymouth Barracuda and AMC Javelin – fascinating American audiences during the late 1960s, thanks largely to their striking, muscular designs and high power output (the original Firebird boasted an engine range encompassing everything from a 165bhp 230cu to a 325bhp 400cu V8). To homologate its entry in the SCCA road racing series, Pontiac also debuted the Firebird Trans-Am in 1969, an altogether flashier model with a dual intake hood scoop, fender vents, larger tyres and lowered suspension for improved handling. Read the full story here: http://www.crankandpiston.com/on-the-road/79-pontiac-firebird-trans-am-driven/

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Morgan Roadster 3.7. DRIVEN. Morgan meets the eye Fresh from his first experience of Morgan machinery in January, our deputy editor takes a second shot at quintessential British motoring with the Roadster 3.7. ​ ​A few months ago I spent time with one of the oddest and most enjoyable road cars I'm ever likely to drive, Morgan's aptly named 3 Wheeler. One of the reasons I enjoyed the experience so much was the sense of character and humour it conveyed, without adding a need to 'find the limit'. And so it was that, a few weeks later, as I busied myself twirling a contemplative pencil at the C&P Oval Office, I realised I was not ready to end my Morgan experience just yet.

But the 3 Wheeler was already in the bag: done, dusted, t-shirt in the post. It was time for something new. And by that of course I mean something retro. Something characterful but not in quite the same 'what the hell' manner as the 3 Wheeler. Something a little more refined. Several phone calls later and at a decidedly un-retro 5am, I find myself standing in the crankandpiston.com office car park scanning the 'almost-but-not-quite' British Racing Green machine that marks stage two of my Morgan adventure, the Classic Range-headlining Roadster 3.7.

Though production of the Roadster is only 11 years old (the two-seater replaced Morgan's well-established Plus 8 in 2004 following the latter's 36-year production run), you'd be forgiven for thinking the Roadster had fallen straight out of a classic car auction. Unlike its contemporaries, Morgan insists on working with wooden frames on top of which sits a steel chassis (don't go looking too closely for weight saving aluminium). The design is all curves, with not a garish 'sharpened' bodyline to be found and wing mirror stalks and windscreen wipers – all three of them – that look so delicate, you'd think a light breeze would rip them from their moorings. Likewise the running boards are aesthetically pleasing but the idea of actually standing on one sends a shiver down my spine. Which is ironic since, given the effort required to get in, is enormously tempting. ​ ​Full story here. http://www.crankandpiston.com/on-the-road/morgan-roadster-3-7-driven-morgan-meets-the-eye/ ​​

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Audi RS7. DRIVEN. Ultimate driver’s toy? Our man takes on the Audi RS7 for crankandpiston.com. And is in for a surprise. Ho. Lee. Crap. Usually I’m not one for launch control during road tests, since a) it tends not to be particularly conducive to everyday driving, b) the idea of launch control I’ve always thought a bit loutish, and c) the potential bollockings from local PR teams ‘who rather we don’t use it’ would be herculean.On this occasion though, with a stretch of completely deserted and bullet straight tarmac in front of me (and the peer pressure of the crankandpiston editorial team still ringing in my ears), I’ve weighed up the pros and cons, and figured ‘meh, sod it’. As such, you find me at the driver’s seat of the ‘new’ (read ‘updated’) Audi RS7 Sportback, selecting Sport +, turning off the traction control, pressing the brake pedal hard down, and raising the revs with my right foot into the mid 4/5000rpms. A 3-2-1 countdown from my colleagues through the windscreen, I lift the left foot, and we’re away. Ho. Lee. CRAP! Read the full story here: http://www.crankandpiston.com/on-the-road/audi-rs7-driven/

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Geneva ’15. Porsche 911 GT3 RS Now it’s Porsche turn to lay claim to the 2015 Geneva Motor Show with the new 911 GT3 RS. Following on from the internet breaking Cayman GT4, Porsche’s brand new RS builds on the already formidable GT3 base to produce one of the fastest and most dynamic to ever roll off the Stuttgart assembly line. The now customary Nurburgring laptime for Porsche’s latest is even faster than the Carrera GT supercar, 7m 20s to the latter’s 7m 29s.With new initials come new oomph, the 4.0-litre six-cylinder – the largest displacement of any production 911, just FYI – spitting out 500hp and 339lb ft of torque, which when mated to Porsche’s excellent PDK transmission, equates to a 3.3 second 0-100kph time and a 0-200kph time of 10.9 seconds. We’re not quite into Lamborghini Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce turns of speed but the new Porka still has a few tricks up its carbon sleeves. Read the full story here: http://www.crankandpiston.com/on-the-road/geneva-15-porsche-911-gt3-rs/

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Geneva ’15. Honda Civic Type-R Honda’s most extreme Type R model yet is here – nearly – as images of the new Civic Type-R are released ahead of the model’s Geneva Motor Show debut. As well as the aggressive styling – which I’ll come back to in a second – two performance figures in particular stand out, namely the 5.7-second 0-100kph time and the 269kph top speed. Both are derived from the all-new 306bhp 2-litre VTEC four-cylinder under the bonnet, peak power from which appears at a lofty 6500rpm. Purists beware, it is also the first ever Type R model to feature a turbocharger. To ease the ‘pain’ though, the new 295lb ft of torque figure – more than double that of the previous model – is now available much lower down than the outgoing Civic Type R (2500rpm vs 5600rpm) for more brutal acceleration off the line and the fastest 0-100kph time of any front-wheel drive hot hatch.Peel back the skin and you’ll find four-point adaptive dampers for more controlled – yet still pretty lunatic – cornering capability, Dual Axis strut front suspension reducing torque steer by up to 50 per cent over the standard Civic. Hurrah, Honda has also opted against an automatic gearbox in favour of the faithful six-speed manual. Of further particular note though is the much-anticipated ‘R+’ button, which increases throttle response, reduces power assistance to the steering, and increases the Adaptive Damper System’s damping force by 30 per cent. Full story here: http://www.crankandpiston.com/on-the-road/geneva-15-honda-civic-type-r/

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Geneva ’15. Bentley EXP10 Speed6 Bentley has unveiled its own rival to the Porsche 911 in concept form, the new EXP10 Speed 6. Smaller and more compact than the Crewe company’s existing, images of the new EXP10 were revealed ahead of this year’s Geneva Motor Show on a specially dedicated VW Group night.While elements of the Continental remain – most notably about the headlights – the overall design is amongst the most radical we’ve seen from Bentley in some time, since the similarly named EXP9 concept that eventually morphed into Bentley first ever SUV, the Bentayga. In keeping with Crewe’s concept history is a front grille reminiscent of the Hunaudières design that eventually spawned the Bugatti Veyron under the VW group umbrella. Designs at the rear though are more simple, the EXP10 sporting simple taillights and quad exhausts. Read the full story here: http://www.crankandpiston.com/on-the-road/geneva-15-bentley-exp10-speed6/

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Lotus vs Lotus. Generation Game ​The first series Elise changed the game for Lotus at a time when its star was in the decline. More than 15 years later, with the Exige S, its lineage can still be found. ​ ​Can you remember a time before social media or a device beginning with 'i'? With technology and expectations moving ever faster, it's all too easy to take technology's lineage for granted. Take the Lotus duo you see above for instance: separated by 15 years, the difference in design between our '99 Racing Green Elise 111S and '14 Ardent Red Exige S Roadster alone is pretty striking. Appearances though can be deceptive. Peer beneath the bodywork and you'll find underpinning on both that – quite remarkably – date back to 1952 and the birth of Lotus.Colin Chapman started building racing cars for a sole purpose: to win. Post-war Britain meant money was in short supply, but certainly not ideas: it's what Chapman did with basic materials that got his innovative designs noticed. Local club races soon progressed to international championships, and Lotus ultimately went on to win almost everything it entered, including the prestigious Indianapolis 500 at its first attempt in 1963 and even rallying, a Lotus-badged Sunbeam taking the World Rally Championship for Talbot in 1981. Over a 15-year period the company bagged seven Formula 1 Constructors Championships (including six Driver's titles) and became the first team in F1 to score 50 Grand Prix victories, the Lotus road car division footing the bills throughout. Not bad for a British privateer Enzo Ferrari referred to as 'garagistas'.Even after Chapman's premature death, the innovation continued despite corporate turmoil. Up to the mid-1990s, most road cars – as they had been for most of the century – had been made from steel welded together. The boffins at LotusEngineering however had other ideas, experimenting with extruded alloy sections bonded together to form a chassis for the purposes of greater stability and, more importantly, significant weight saving. It was through this that the Series 1 Elise was born as a mobile test-bed, but so focused was Lotus on its new bonded chassis technology that it completely underestimated demand of the Elise, original production numbers of 600 rocketing to 3000 – per year – as petrolheads grew fascinated with this 'back-to-basics' roadster. ​ ​Read the full feature here: ​http://www.crankandpiston.com/on-the-road/lotus-vs-lotus-generation-game/ ​

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Audi A8 L. A sense of speed. Management Fleet Expecting us to wax lyrical on the Audi A8’s comfort? Think again… The speed. Dear Lord, THE SPEED. When we welcomed Audi’s flagship (read ‘premium’) A8 L onto The Management Fleet, we assumed the first ‘how’s it going’ report would concern the ride comfort, the 700km-plus fuel range, or – at a pinch – the ambient cabin lighting. There’s three options to choose from and everything. Focus on luxurious sofa-to-office cruising however leapt almost gazelle-like out the window when we first put Audi’s 4-litre V8 to the test on a lengthy and surprisingly empty stretch of road. A 0-100kph time of 4.6 seconds in today’s automotive world may not seem all that impressive, but make absolutely no mistake. Audi’s flagship premium saloon is properly quick. The pull of those 3993cc from the off is phenomenal: slide the eight-speed Tiptronic into Sport (cue those faster shift times), plant the right moccasin, and you’ll be surprised just how violent this premium barge can be, and not just in the low revs. Flick down a couple of gears (tut tut Audi, those plastic wheel mounted paddles continue to let you down) and the pull is dramatic, even at cruising speeds. Be warned though, cruise control in this instance is crucial: the ride is ridiculously comfortable, the lack of wind or cabin noise negating almost all sense of speed at pace. Peer down at the speedometer and don’t be surprised to find yourself cantering towards the double ton without realising. No tickets yet fortunately. Read the full story here: ​http://www.crankandpiston.com/on-the-road/audi-a8-l-a-sense-of-speed-management-fleet/ ​

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Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster. DRIVEN Our deputy editor takes a spin in ‘the most potent and fastest-accelerating series production roadster’ from Aston Martin yet. And can’t quite get his head around it… ​I'm torn by the Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster.On the one hand, it's an Aston Martin. It's British and therefore characterful, it's beyond gorgeous, and it's the last of a dying breed: you can count the number of contemporary V12-powered maniacs on the road on one hand. Of course on the other hand come a few Aston-typical foibles. THAT stupid seven-speed automatic gearbox for instance may be derived from the brand's motor racing arm, but unless you enjoy being hurled with great momentum – forehead first – towards the windscreen after every gear change, it's not something you can live with on a daily basis. Ditto the very plasticky windscreen wiper and indicator stalks and an air conditioning system that battles Middle Eastern temperatures at the height of summer as effectively as a broken fan.And on another hand still, we have the proverbial large grey mammal in the room: the fact that this is 'the most potent, fastest and fastest-accelerating series production roadster' from Aston to date.And I'm having trouble seeing the significance. ​ ​Read the full story here: ​ http://www.crankandpiston.com/on-the-road/aston-martin-v12-vantage-s-roadster-driven/

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TEASER. Honda Civic Type-R This is the all-new Honda Civic Type-R that will hit this year’s Geneva Motor Show…sort of… So far all we’ve been shown is the front bumper, the driver’s side alloy, the racey red instrument screen and – if you browse the below teaser clip – the now hallowed ‘+R’ button. People, we’re inching closer and closer to the unveil of the hot hatch macdaddy that Honda has been hanging over our heads since last year’s Paris Motor Show.Details are still being kept under a tight leash, although we do know that under the bonnet will be a 2.0-litre direct injection VTEC TURBO capable of 270kph and producing ‘in excess of’ 275bhp, consequently making the 2015 incantation the most extreme Civic Type-R yet. We imagine then that the already radical styling as seen on the conceptwill remain appropriately batshit. For performance, the Type-R is equipped with a wide front splitter and deep side skirts for greater aerodynamacism, and a high performance Brembo brake package with some massive 350mm discs at the front. The 19-inch wheels you see above will be exclusive to the Honda Civic Type-R, which will be unveiled in Honda’s aptly optimistic Championship White. Watch the teaser video here: http://www.crankandpiston.com/on-the-road/teaser-honda-civic-type-r/

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Alpina B6. DRIVEN Fans of fast Beemers may be interested to know that M-Division isn’t the only solution as crankandpiston.com tests the Alpina B6. When it comes to high performance BMWs, the ball is not always in M-Power’s court. Alpina would certainly agree, the Buchloe-based company’s cooperation with the BMW Group stretching back to the early 60s. And though the two may share the same BMW badge on the kidney grilles, there are some subtle differences. While the M-Powered lunatics of this world are known for sideways hooning, Alpina-badged Beemers tend to be less showy, offering as they do more power than the Beemers on which they are based but with a greater sense of refinement: where the Alpina for instance is a medium-rare fillet mignon with some spicy pepper sauce for added oomph, the M-Power BMW adds a few extra chillies to truly assault the senses.It’s no different with the Alpina B6 you see above. Updated and released in early 2014, the B6 is Alpina’s version of the M6 Series Gran Coupe, and as expected, there are some parallels to draw. The biturbo-ed 4.4-litre V8 under the hood for instance delivers 540bhp, just 20bhp less than the M6 but offers 37lb ft more (538lb ft to the M6’s 501lb ft). The B6 – all 2030kg of it – is built on the xDrive format, which in the BMW dictionary means ‘all-wheel-drive’. Read the rest of the story here.

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Nissan 370Z. The Management Fleet. New arrival crankandpiston.com welcomes a newboy to The Management Fleet in the shape of the Nissan 370Z GT Edition Back in 2008 the 350Z was still up for grabs, it delivered crazy numbers in terms of sales, with almost 162,000 models selling in the USA alone. Since then its proven something of a phenomena – and a fanboy favourite – on-track and in the world of tuning. It wasn’t too surprising then when, in 2009, Nissan made a new Z boasting a bigger displacement engine and completely different ‘racey’ suspension/chassis setup, all while keeping the original 350Z ‘character’ intact.The then-new 370Z proved particularly popular in my native Jordan (or would have done if the import tax wasn’t so ridiculously high), where affordable, rear wheel drive cars that are easy to customize and take on-track without embarrassing themselves are always top of the shopping list for petrolheads.So when Nissan Middle East was kind enough to lend us one for three months, we didn’t have to consider our answer for long. Read the full story here.

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Goodbye Ferrari 458. The 488 GTB is here The new V8-powered Ferrari 488 GTB will get its debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month. Ferrari has released the first pictures of the 488 GTB, a new V8-powered sports car that replaces the 458 Italia. Due to be unveiled in the metal for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show next month, the 488 GTB comes 40 years afterFerrari‘s first mid-engined V8 model the 308 GTB.Ferrari says that the 488 GTB builds on the 458‘s considerable prowess by incorporating knowledge from the XX program, which makes lunatic track-only cars for very rich customers to drive. It also acts as a test program for new technology. Read more here.

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VIDEO. ‘Super Series’ and new McLaren 675LT New ‘Super Series’ from McLaren to debut at the Geneva Motor Show with the 675LT, a tribute to the F1 GTR ‘Longtail’

McLaren fans gearing up for the P1 GTR’s debut in Geneva later this year may also want to check out the brand new 675LT, the fastest model in Woking’s newly formed ‘Super Series’ that will also make its global premier in March.

Lining up alongside the existing 650S (and, in Asia at least, the 625C), the 675LT will sit above the recently teased Sport Series in McLaren’s range. Like its nominally named brethren, the 675LT will – presumably – be powered byMcLaren’s established M838T 3.8-litre twin turbocharged V8, the ‘675’ denoting the anticipated power output.

The ‘LT’ half of the name draws influence from McLaren’s legendary ‘Longtail’ model that first appeared in 1997, a development of the 95’ Le Mans winning F1 GTR. Significant for the extended bodywork compared with its road-going counterpart (though the pair continued to share a chassis), the Longtail competed in the FIA GT World Championship under the BMW Motorsports banner courtesy of its 6-litre V12 BMW powerplant. Against the formidable Mercedes CLK-GTR, the partnership that took five wins from 11 races during the ’97 season before McLaren pulled its factory support.

Few details have been revealed, despite the teaser clip here. McLaren’s claims though that the new road-legal 675LT will ‘embody the Longtail ethos’ mean it could be…well, long.

Watch the teaser clip here.

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Lexus RC F. DRIVEN. The game changer?

crankandpiston.com takes the Lexus RC F for a spin to see if the follow-up to the ISF and LFA really has what it takes to be a game changer.  

I’ve been waiting with impatience for a second drive in the Lexus RC F, since my first did not go well. Designed to lap, at pulverising pace, the legendary Fuji circuit – Lexus’ primary testing facility, hence the ‘F’ moniker – the RC F would surely decimate the Dubai Autodrome on its regional launch. A convoy system, temporary chicanes and a helmet that wouldn’t allow me to sit up upright taught me only one thing: that driving the new RC F – Lexus’ answer to the BMW M4 – whilst effectively lying on my back wouldn’t cut it. I needed a more suitable venue. Hence the Jebel Jais shots you see above and below… Read the FULL story here.