Things have come full swing and GulfRun is around the corner, today is the car wash event that I do enjoy so much. A ton of different kinds of machines coming around this time of year and some of them are really modified and ready for the track, everyone is taking this seriously and each year the caliber of cars and drivers just keeps going up. The car show is always entertaining at 360 Mall especially so many machines are on display especially the ones that are supposed to be indoors.

Kuwait:
Thursday, Jan 12th: Al-Falah Carwash

• 6:00pm – 10:00pm |Stickers placement

Friday, Jan 13th: 360 Mall

• 10:00am – 10:00pm | Car Show

Saturday, Jan 14th: 360 Mall

• 10:00am – 10:00pm | Car Show

There have been a few changes to the track, and I’m really looking forward to checking out Outer Circuit, I have never done that before. As for the Karting, Bahrain International Circuit have the best Go Karting circuit in the world which is going to be very cool to try it out.

Bahrain:
Thursday, Jan 26th: Bahrain International Circuit

• 8.30am – 7:00pm | GulfRun7 Day 1 (Outer Circuit / Inner Circuit / Karting)

Friday, Jan 27th: Bahrain International Circuit

• 8.30am – 7:00pm | GulfRun7 Day 2 (GP Circuit / Autocross Competition / Quartermile Drag)

This was a bit of a different type Wednesday night full of car fuel and lots drivers and some very cool machines. There were even PS3 Racing Units in the back from XCite that people were driving the F1 tracks on and taking it very seriously. This is GulfRun’s Seventh event and it just keeps on growing, they showed us a few different events that they have planned for Bahrain not including whats coming up in the car show. Again the best part was eating the shawarma in the chilly weather, it really warmed you up.

I loved seeing all the familiar faces and also meeting a lot of new people, its like a get together of a lot of good people. Then there was the lovely collection of cars, as usual the star of the show is the Porsche 993 Gemballa which is a gem to see, then there was the Ferrari 599, a CST-V out front, and a very very interesting 700+ horsepower Hennessy Camaro. Always something interesting to find out especially about the new machines joining this year which honestly have me scared out of my wits because of what they are capable of. The GulfRun 360 Mall Car Show is taking place on the 13th and 14th of June which is going to have the very interesting line up. GulfRun 7 takes place in Bahrain International Circuit on the 26th and 27th of January, it really is around the corner. You could feel your adrenaline rise while you are in that warehouse everybody was talking cars, parts, tools, garages, and what they need to do to prepare.

Pictures Stolen From BrakeBanzeen

I was passing by Shuweikh the other day and decided to pass by Audi to check out the S8 only to spot an Aventador parked in the lobby. So I walked over to the other side to see a mean Stealth Grey Aventador parked right in front of me, I always thought it was a beautiful machine, but pictures do not do it justice at all, it is a completely different creature when you see it in front of you.

It is extreme in its design and its performance, uncompromising in its standards and technology, and unmistakably Italian in its style and perfection. This machine looks like its speeding while parked in that showroom, then I got a sneak peak to see one getting prepared for his owner, Mashalla mashalla I was in awe. I loved the machine in both Stealth Grey and the lovely hue of Orange.

Is 0-62 Mph in 2.9 seconds fast enough? Well thats what the Aventador can do and thats even faster then a lot of bikes. And when I sat inside that cockpit I felt like I was about to go to warp speed, so after Lamborghini builds these machines they will build the Star Trek Enterprise, when your sitting inside the vehicle you feel like you are inside a Jet Fighter which is ready to fly into space. Technology has been infused into this machine perfectly the driver digital display feels like something out of Minority Report, completely digital and changes to what you need, all I needed was to start the turbines, adjust the flaps, and I fly out. And yes I started the car and I was about to drool, I was already mesmerized by the way it looks and the sound just took it to another level.

If cars and bikes give you a high, then you can now expand the flavor into your home as well. France-based Racing&Emotion crafted by Anthony Jannarelly and Benoit Fraylon, are now out with a range of chairs that have been inspired from racing icons around the globe. These include Ayrton Senna’s crash helmet and liveries from Martini, BASF and Gulf.

These types of chairs are very cool to see but not the most comfortable to sit in for a long time, but these in my opinion are display pieces, perfect for the right office. I don’t think this would be in a lot of homes, they would be in a high end office and so many of them are ridiculously cool. With the LeMans Prosche blue and orange looking amazing in the right setting, and these are expensive pieces. They range from $3000 to $5000 depending on the design you pick but damn they are nice.

Link: LuxuryLaunches

Slide ‘N Glide‘s first drift event will be held at BIC (Bahrain International Circuit) located in Sakhir on Saturday, October 22nd 2011 starting at 9 AM until 5 PM. the event will be divided into 3 sessions:

• Practice session 1 (Slide ‘N Glide staff will ride with you)
• Practice session 2 (On your own unless you want someone with you)
• Competition (No pressure, it’s just for fun!)

I have always been a fan of Drifting, I have watched a lot of Formula D over the years and seen what some of these guys do during GulfRun and its impressive. I for one lack skills to keep the car going sideways but with more Drifting events such as these I can probably get better at it. The best part is people can participate and they can learn from the professional guys from SlideNGlide. The event is taking place in Bahrain International Circuit on the 22nd of October anyone can join, and it would be a lot of fun to watch, and a portion of the proceeds goes to Steps Rehabilitation Center, you can find more details on their website.

Link: SlideNGlide

I haven’t been to Reem Circuit in Saudi Arabia so this is the first time I see from this footage but it seems they gave Vaughn Gittin Jr and his Formula Drift Mustange free reign over the track and anything around it. Formula Drifting is one of the coolest sports to watch and the amount of skill it takes to control the vehicle at high speed is over the top to say the least. And it seems Gittin enjoyed himself on the track with a few close calls.

Both of these machines are race bred for the track with only speed and grip in mind, very agressive and very intimidating, and I love when they pit them against each other on the track. They can both handle themselves around the track and the bike doesn’t always win against four wheels but its always nice to see a challenge. Its known that a car can always brake later then a bike into a turn so it carries more speed but a bike can accelerate much faster out of that turn, I just love seeing the dance between these two machines.

Recently I had the chance to get my hands on the Ferrari Italia 458, I wasn’t expecting to find it in the Exotic Racing line up in Las Vegas. As soon as I saw I had to get my hands on it, I booked it for as much as possible around the track. Last time I was there I drove the F430 Scuderia and I was impressed with that car, I didn’t know what to expect with the 458.

As soon as I got behind the wheel I saw that bright and lovely digital dial with so much information being presented and one big RPM. The instructor sitting to my right gave me the details of the car and told me what to do to get the most out of it. At first he had me driving in normal mode so the car won’t slip too much. A few laps around the track and he said I said driving it a bit too soft, I could push it on the corners, turn harder, it will hold. I tried going faster and faster, that car held really well, my blood got pumping around a few tight corners where I carried the speed really well. At one point the grin on my face was stuck and I was on a high, that car is amazing, the Italia was performs as good as it looks. It sounds so good as you throttle out of the corner and it hugs the corners so well, I had a few close mishaps but luckily the car did well even on the sportier setting. I still had traction control on and I loved driving it around the track, its a lovely experience for anyone. Italians know how to breed them.

Fantastic job Mubarak and the RedBull Drift Competition this weekend! He came in 3rd place, and the first two spots went to professional racers, so on that scale Mubarak is number one on my scale. I would hope that he could participate in the race in Lebanon but that only goes to first place. Lets hope that Mubarak goes on to bigger and better competitions so he can show skills. Thanks to GulfRun, HuperOptik Kuwait, and Abdulmohsen Abdulaziz Al-Babtain Co fo sponsoring him and supporting him in this endeavor. I hope more events such as these take place in Kuwait, and I hope better venues start popping up in Kuwait for events like these.

Thanks to 7ajieDude for the video coverage! Thanks to HisHersQ8 for the great coverage! Loved seeing the photos!

Link: GulfRun

This is a little more then it seems, at the launch of the Diavel there was some exciting news about AMG and Ducati collaborating on a few porjects. At first I thought it was just for marketting reasons but after reading A&R’s article below it seems that Mercedes has interest to buy Ducati but they are feeling things out before proceeding. Ducati has had a spectacular 5 years with the debut of the 1098, they have really worked on the quality of their products and slowly expanding their product line. Ducati have had a bit of rough time earlier but these days they are on top and it seems that Mercedes has noticed, but they don’t want them because they are on top. They want them so that they have another arm of their business which is in direct competition with BMW, with an established product portfolio and distribution line, Mercedes wants to take on BMW. But what Mercedes and Ducati are trying to do is to see how they fit together, they each don’t want to alienate their customer and fan base, and Ducatiests are known to be loyal to the brand and don’t want any interference. I wonder how this would work out? Would they share their technical knowledge? Would distribution lines be streamlined? Would you start seeing Ducaties at Mercedes Dealerships? It is a shocking development and I’m not sure if its a good or bad thing, and it seems to Mercedes that there is a lot of good to take Ducati but they have to do carefully or a lot of damage will be done to either brand.

Link: AsphalyAndRubber