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Khaleej Times
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- Khaleej Times
UAE: Meet 6-year-old Emirati racer who wants to become next Lewis Hamilton
At just six years old with the spirit for speed and adventure, this young Emirati racer is not only passionate about kart racing but also has a deep love for cars, inspired by his father's enthusiasm for motorsports. Yousef Al Khayat is from Ras Al Khaimah, living in Abu Dhabi, whose passion for speed and mechanics is nothing short of inspiring. Growing up in a family with a deep-seated love for cars, speed, and mechanics is as infectious as it is inspiring. "I am a karting racer and grew up in a car-loving family. This passion started with my grandfather, then passed to my father and uncle, and now it's my turn to continue the journey," says Yousef. Yousef draws inspiration from the legends of the racing world. "I aspire to learn and take something unique from each one," he says, admiring Lewis Hamilton's determination, Max Verstappen's bravery, Michael Schumacher's leadership, and Ayrton Senna's passion. He dreams of blending their skills to create his own unique style, aspiring to leave his mark on the racing world. When it comes to cars, "My favourite car is the Dodge Viper... the car my father owns," he said. His father's Viper holds a special place in his heart, not just for its thrilling design and engine sound, but for the bond it represents. "I might even know it better than him!" he jokes, already plotting to race and one day beat his dad. "My big goal? To race against my dad... and beat him! But calmly... so he doesn't get upset." Nawaf Yousef Al Ali, Yousef's father, is more than just an engineer at the Emirates Nuclear Energy Company; he's a guiding force in Yousef's journey. "Yousef's attachment to cars was clear... whether through his toys or by observing my cars and his grandfather's cars. I could see his passion when he sat next to me in the car, asking about its parts, types, and mechanical details," Nawaf explains. He ensures that Yousef receives the emotional and technical support needed even if his work doesn't allow him to be with him always, mentioning his mother's big role, 'she has always been a pillar during my absence'. Although karting requires a lot of time and effort, Yousif's parents always ensure to organise a balanced daily schedule that allows him to focus on school without affecting his training or participation in races. Yousef also enjoys swimming, fitness, and football, which has helped him build fitness and improve his focus in karting. Racing teaches Yousef more than just speed. "Winning is not the only goal," Nawaf emphasises, focusing on persistence, effort, and passion. Yousef has already faced mechanical challenges and unfair race scenarios, yet he remains undeterred. His decision to finish a race despite a broken arm one time stands as a testament to his unwavering dedication. Yousef's ambitions reach far beyond the track. "When I grow up, I want to be a professional race car driver," he said, with dreams of representing the UAE on global stages whether in Formula 1, endurance racing, or any sport involving cars and speed. Every race offers new lessons, and Yousef embraces each one with enthusiasm. Nawaf instils in him that true champions are defined by resilience and learning from setbacks. "Losing is a natural part of any path to success," he said. "I remember his first race where he came in third place... although it was an excellent achievement for his start, he cried at the time and was not accepting the result." That was the first real moment for Yousif's father when he began teaching him that the first place doesn't come easily and that hard work, persistence, and development are what lead to it.
The Drive
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
Dealer-Built Shelby Dodge Viper Becomes One of the Most Expensive Ever Sold
The latest car news, reviews, and features. Finally, a near record-breaking auction that is actually deserved. The one-of-19 Shelby-themed Dodge Viper crossed the auction block to the tune of nearly $200,000, making it one of the most expensive Vipers ever. Carroll Shelby is synonymous with performance. So, when a vehicle carries his name, it's either good or blasphemous. Thankfully, it's the former with regard to the 'Carroll Shelby Limited Edition' Viper, a collaborative work of art between Shelby and Fitzgerald Motorsports. And of the 19 built, only two wore a white-striped blue suit. One of those rare blue beauties was sold via Hagerty Marketplace for $197,950, including the buyer's premium. That figure deserves a 'whew,' but it's no record in terms of Dodge Viper sales. Though it's very, very close. According to Hagerty , the distinction of priciest Viper goes to a 1998 Viper GTS GT2 Championship Edition. Sold through Bring a Traile r, its final sale price was $198,000 when including the $5,000 buyer's fee. Not as scarce as the Shelby, the GT2 Championship Edition is still a limited-run in its own right. The BaT example was number 90 of 100 produced and had just 1,900 miles on the odometer. Based on the Hagerty Valuation Tool, a standard 1996 GTS in 'concours' condition is worth $127,000. Given the exclusivity of both vehicles, however, scratching $200K is not a stretch. If anything, the auctions prove that the Viper—at least those that have been taken care of—can command a bidding war and garner solid six figures. Got a tip? Email us at tips@ Beverly Braga has enjoyed an eventful career as a Swiss Army knife, having held roles as an after-school teacher, film critic, PR manager, transcriber, and video producer – to name a few. She is currently a communications consultant and freelance writer whose work has appeared in numerous outlets covering automotive, entertainment, lifestyle, and food & beverage. Beverly grew up in Hawaii but roots for Washington, D.C., sports teams.
The Drive
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
Super Rare Shelby-Themed Dodge Viper For Sale Is a Special Edition Lost to Time
I know what you're thinking—what's so rare about the iconic blue-and-white color scheme on a Dodge Viper? Isn't that the most ubiquitous and desirable color scheme for the second-generation, V10 sports car? Well, kind of. On paper, 1996 was the first model year for the second-generation Viper, but reality wasn't quite that cut-and-dried. As production of the updated, fixed-roof GTS came online, it overlapped with assembly of the first-generation RT/10 roadsters. If you bought a coupe, you got the revised chassis and more-powerful engine, rear exhaust outlets (with side pipes still hiding beneath that fiberglass rocker panel, mind you), and the signature Viper Blue paint with white stripes. But if you opted for the open-top model, you missed out on the upgrades and had to pick between Viper Red, White, or Black. Unless, of course, your name is Carroll Shelby. The charismatic Texan did more than help Ford develop the GT40 that eventually beat Ferrari at Le Mans. His open-top Cobras were already giving the Italians fits by the time Ford got its big win, and Shelby's 1966 427 Super Snake is the defining example of the original formula. The same expertise that gave us those hotted-up ACs went into the development of Dodge's new roadster, making the GTS Blue finish offered in 1996 a perfect fit. If you're a true Viper geek, you're probably already familiar with Fitzgerald Motorsports. This prominent Connecticut Viper dealer was fond of juicing up its inventory, offering various performance packages and other upgrades to customers over the course of the car's run. The one you'll encounter most frequently will be some variant on the Snake 530 package (aka 'Edition 530,' 'Millennium Snake,' et al), which packaged a Corsa exhaust, some mild engine upgrades, and a tune intended to push (you guessed it) 530 horsepower at the crank. Considering later GTS models put out 460 stock, it was a fairly tame bundle. But this 1996 Carroll Shelby Edition listed for sale by Hagerty is an entirely different animal. Since it's still based on the first-gen Viper, Fitzgerald had less to work with, and it appears the dealer compensated for that by throwing a lot more at the bundle. Only 19 of them were produced, and only two were in GTS Blue. Each received custom body work (including a Cobra grille and a striped composite removable hardtop), many Fitzgerald- and Shelby-specific parts (steering wheel, floor mats, wheels, emblems/badges) and a nice collection of power upgrades (good for 35 horses on top of the factory 415) and an overhauled suspension with a new sway bar, revised shocks and a unique bump steer kit. The RT/10 is still the most affordable path to Viper ownership, but this one won't go cheap. Bidding has already topped $30,000 (about what you'd pay for a well-worn driver) with a week still to go. Six-figure RT/10 sales are few and far between, but this one looks like it has some potential. Byron is one of those weird car people who has never owned an automatic transmission. Born in the DMV but Midwestern at heart, he lives outside of Detroit with his wife, two cats, a Miata, a Wrangler, and a Blackwing.
Auto Express
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Why did they call it that? The worst car names in history
Whether a car name is good or bad is a matter of personal opinion to an extent, but there are certainly some names where the majority view seems to coalesce around the latter viewpoint. These are the world's worst car names. Let's be clear that car makers don't have it easy when it comes to naming cars. They must find a title for their latest creation that seduces buyers and speaks to the model's market positioning, while running the gauntlet of different connotations and meanings that words inevitably have in different cultures around the world. They also can't use anything that's already been used or trademarked by a rival car brand, or any other company that might object for that matter. Anything that sounds similar or could create confusion with an existing name is also out. With all this in mind, you can understand how some of the stranger car names we've seen over the years come into being. There is, however, no excuse for the most obvious crimes against car naming that we'll delve into below. Why did they do it? Sometimes these things are best left as a mystery but it doesn't make the names themselves any better… Whether it was chosen by AI or a life coach, BYD (also known as Build Your Dreams) is a rather silly name for a car company, and the firm's models don't fare much better. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below While some cars are named after animals to great effect, such as the Chevrolet Impala or Dodge Viper, BYD wasn't able to generate the same emotion when it called its smallest EV the Seagull, after what is in essence a seaside pest. Anyone could be the source of a better name for this electric SUV from Honda – and we mean that quite literally; the e:Ny1 is supposed to be an approximation of 'anyone', meaning it's an accessible EV for all. The Honda's lofty price tag aside, the e:Ny1's name is the least accessible part of it, at first glance looking more like a clumsy and random combination of numbers and letters. It may appear heresy to include a Ferrari on this list (especially a model as highly regarded as the LaFerrari), but the name seems like a bit of a cop-out. Yes, we realise the car is known as LaFerrari because it was, at the time, supposed to be the brand's definitive model, but we think simply calling it the F70 would have tied it in with older halo models and have prevented people accidentally calling it the Ferrari LaFerrari. The Japanese firm has a knack for concocting weird and wonderful car names (we're looking at you, Mazda Titan Dump) and this list would be a lot longer if we included all of them. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below So representing the bonkers thinking of the Hiroshima company is the Bongo Friendee – a small camper van for the domestic market. If the Friendee's name is a bit too friendly for you, Mazda now offers the latest model in commercial Bongo Brawny guise. A car name should be punchy and memorable – things the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupé 63 S E-Performance Carbon Edition isn't. Even without the Carbon Edition trim level adding a further five syllables, the four-door super-saloon still sounds rather ridiculous. These days, car branding teams employ experts fluent in different languages to ensure no car ever makes it to market with a rude or offensive name, and the Mitsubishi Pajero is a prime example of why. The rough-and-tough 4x4 actually shares its name with the Spanish word for… well, let's just say it's too rude to write here. As you've probably noticed, Japanese car names don't typically translate well for the European market, and the same applies to those from China, too. When it launched a few years ago, the Ora Funky Cat was derided for its name. With the brand suspecting lacklustre sales could be linked to this, Ora later rebranded the electric supermini as the Ora 03 which, while not quite as silly, does strip the car of some character. With a name like Bipper Tepee Outdoor, Peugeot's van-based MPV sounds more appropriate for a product from Little Tikes rather than a fully fledged car company. Fittingly, when Auto Express reviewed the Peugeot more than a decade ago, we found the interior quality to be just as plasticky as that of Little Tikes' own Cozy Coupé, despite costing an awful lot more. The marketing team at Volkswagen may have been a tad understaffed on the day the Type 181, also known as the Trekker in the UK, was dubbed the VW Thing for North America. We must admit, though, that while it is one of the poorest excuses for a car name in history, it does manage to accurately reflect the bare-bones nature of the model it adorns. Are these the worst car names ever? Head to the comments below to have your say and tell us any we've missed...... Find a car with the experts Ford Fiesta set to return? Icon could be reborn with a little help from Volkswagen Ford Fiesta set to return? Icon could be reborn with a little help from Volkswagen The Ford Fiesta could be coming back from the dead, and our exclusive image previews how it might look New Renault 4 2025 review: as good as the Renault 5 with the bonus of extra space New Renault 4 2025 review: as good as the Renault 5 with the bonus of extra space The new Renault 4 takes everything that's good about the Renault 5 and adds extra cabin and boot space Kia EV6 now cheaper than ever thanks to new entry-level model Kia EV6 now cheaper than ever thanks to new entry-level model The new Kia EV6 Air Standard Range can cover up to 265 miles on a single charge, and starts from just over £39k
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
An Epic Time-Traveling Drag Race of All Dodge Viper Generations
⚡️ Read the full article on Motorious Are you suffering from Viper withdrawal since Dodge yanked the plug on it in 2017? Well, brace yourselves for an antidote—every generation of the Dodge Viper lined up for a clash of titans in a drag race so epic, it makes "Fast & Furious" look like a soapbox derby. For all its muscle, early Dodge Vipers were quite the rebels; think of them as the American muscle cars that snubbed the 'helmet and kneepads' of modern times. No ABS or launch control here—just you, the road, and a gas pedal that demands respect, not a tap dance. From 1991 to 2017, the Viper evolved but never strayed far from its recipe for glory: rear-wheel drive and a naturally aspirated V10 engine. Over time, Dodge has tinkered with its power and aesthetics, but why fix something that's not broken? Mat Watson of CarWow had one question on his mind: which Viper can slither to 60 mph the fastest? And though he only revved them up to that modest speed, the 30+ minute video spectacle gives us a rich tapestry of each Viper's vital stats, including horsepower, torque, and the time it takes to make your heart skip a beat. The video also takes us under the hood, as owners of each generation dish on what makes their Viper the bee's knees—or should we say, the snake's fangs? You get a deep dive into why each generation of Viper owners has developed a potentially unhealthy attachment to their cars. Whispers about a new Viper generation have been slithering through the grapevine, but given Dodge's recent pivot to electrification and federally-mandated regulations, it seems that a turbocharged V10 Viper is about as likely as a vegetarian cobra. However, never say never—an electric Viper could be lurking in the tall grass of the future. So, whether you're a Viper aficionado or simply a fan of things that go 'VROOM,' don't miss out on this drag race that spans decades. It's a spectacle that can only be summed up as "sss-spectacular!"
