We check in with Sub Zero in Dubai’s Al Quoz industrial region to find out how the region’s biggest performance workshop came to be. And what plans they have in the future. In a region developing as fast as the United Arab Emirates, the race to be ‘the first’ of anything is a hotly contested [...]

Let’s make something clear from the outset: BRABUS is a manufacturer. It’s tempting, given the heritage the brand has developed since its establishment in 1977, to see BRABUS as a carbon fibre specialist, bedfellow to fellow Germanistas Mercedes-Benz, and – considering the team’s facility lies in the heart of Dubai’s industrial zone – ‘just’ another [...]

crankandpiston gets the low-down on the Dakar Rally, competing in the Cross Country Rally World Cup, why horsepower on the sands is nothing without the proper suspension, and why a Nissan Juke makes the perfect off-road vehicle. It’s difficult not to be in awe of the F-150 I’m standing next to and it’s not just [...]

crankandpiston heads to Living Classics in the Al Quoz region of Dubai, UAE, to discuss classic cars, restoring classic cars, ‘the right attitude’, and why Segways are doing their bit to save the world. “We weren’t looking to be different or to compare ourselves with anybody else in particular. We set up Living Classics just [...]

Anybody who has met Frederik Faidhi will know that he likes to talk. And I know he won’t mind me saying this. Take, for example, my phone conversation with the man recently. Normally an introductory phone call for a crankandpiston Garage Visit runs along these lines: “Hello, my name is James…it’s very nice to speak [...]

Not too long ago crankandpiston was grabbing a quick chat with the guys at Alpha Logic, discussing this, waxing lyrical on that and trying very hard not to trip over – or get in the way of – everything else. Every so often though as I spoke with Alpha Logic owner Ali Albeshir and Hally [...]

Any of you lucky devils who happen to own a Porsche Cayman S will already be all too aware of its performance capabilities. If we take a quick peek at the basics, we’ll find a 3.4l flat-six boxer engine, 320hp, 0-100kph in 4.9s, and a 277kph top speed. All off which means this two-seater’s likely [...]

Looking at these pictures, it’s fair to assume that this particular tuning company was Nissan GTR exclusive. And actually, you’d be wrong. Granted a lot of Alpha Logic’s recent work has focused on the many GTRs and occasional Chevrolet Corvettes that have rolled through the shuttered door. Even as we speak, a fleet of Nissan’s [...]

Nestled in a warehouse in Dubai‘s Al Quoz district, Panda Performance was born out of a passion. Well, a passion and a hobby. Owner Moosa Swaidan trained as a civil engineer and started to forge out a career in construction. But fast forward a few more years and the young Syrian, together with his small [...]

It only took a couple of phone calls before crankandpiston wangled an invite to Performance Motor Spares in the Al Quoz area of Dubai for a nose around and some practice with the lenses. Plus there’s just something about the squelch of oil underfoot and the sound of a welding torch putting the final touches to [...]

‘Personality’ is a big part of being a petrolhead. Yes, speed, style and – let’s be honest – a bit of extravagance is always good. But above all else, a car needs charisma. Judging by some of their latest creations, Chrome & Carbon believe so too. Based in Dubai since being established in 2007, Chrome [...]

There’s an old saying I used to get (verbally) beaten into me as a kid: ‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness’. Now having spent a lot of time in Europe and having a fascination for all things automotive, I have had the pleasure of sticking my head through the doors of some pretty exceptional looking workshops [...]

We had the pleasure of visiting (sadly only short) the awesome workshop of the NFS team a couple of days ago. It’s always nice to poke your nose around the doors of the workshops in town, for a couple of reasons. Firstly we like to catch up with the guys that keep the scene ticking [...]

The first visit on my recent business trip to the USA was to a label printing company about 3 hours drive from New York City, and all I was expecting to see was a bunch of printing presses. How wrong I was. I guess when the company owner’s surname is Carr, I should have ‘expected’ [...]