Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
There are two quietly-spoken, well-mannered men I know, who, when they walk in a room, simply ooze an inner-strength and aura of pure presence.
It’s remarkable to observe them and, apart from being successful businessmen in their own right, they have one other thing in common, they both happen to be a multi-black belt-holding martial arts sensei.
No doubt that unsung confidence may have something to do with the fact that they could kick the proverbial backside if anything was to go amiss.
It’s a shame you can’t bottle up the ingredients and turn it into cologne so us mere mortal males could spray it all over and enjoy a similar inner swagger.
That might be an impossible dream but the reality is that you can still command the same respect behind the wheel of a mighty Dodge Charger 5.7 V8 Full House on the menacing highways of Bahrain.
I’ve always been a great fan of this marque and picked up my first Charger around eight years ago and when it came to choosing a replacement, after a series of test drives of other makes and models, I remained smitten on the perfect beast.
It’s big and powerful and for some reason the irritating lane-hopping lunatics who love to buzz around Bahrain just behave a little better in the presence of it.
They obviously appreciate the fact that I could leave them in my dust should the mood ever take me.
One auto reviewer neatly summed it up: “Whereas the previous Charger was more about muscle than manners, the new one is remarkably refined and tech-savvy, yet it still has that edgy performance and attitude that made the old one so endearing.”
Sam Yacoub, Behbehani Brothers’ brand manager for Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram, as well as Fiat and Alfa Romeo, summed it up by saying: “It’s indeed a very nice car – combining power and comfort.”
The Charger is built upon the previous model’s best qualities – rear-wheel drive, plenty of space, high-performance Hemi engine and reasonable pricing with added world-class interiors, impressive technology and improved styling. Quieter, quicker and more fuel efficient, the critics say the Charger had become ‘worthy of its legendary name’.
And, as an added bonus, the boot is large enough to fit two full sets of golf clubs inside as well as your packed lunch and briefcase.
Under the bonnet the R/T uses a 5.7-litre Hemi V8 that cranks out 370hp and 395lb-ft of torque. The classy inside, as mentioned, is on par with luxury limos carrying exorbitant price-tags. There’s an excellent 8.4-inch touchscreen plus keyless entry/ignition (ideal for hot days as you can start the engine from a distance and let the air-con kick in), dual-zone manual climate control, cruise control, bluetooth connectivity and voice-command capability among some of its many desirable attributes.
Other features include power rack amd pinion steering, power windows, power 8-way driver seat, power 8-way passenger seat, outside temperature display, as well as six premium 276-watt amplifiers.
Celebrating 100 years of power and performance, there are special deals to be had in the Sitra showroom on remaining 2014 stock, including five years’ service and warranty thrown in for good measure and an on-road price tag of around BD14,300.
The Dodge Charger comes with standard stability control, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes and seven airbags (front, front-seat side, side curtain and driver’s knee). The independent US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rated it as ‘good’ – the highest possible rating – in every category.
I love it and the good lady wife Kathryn loves it too because it’s coloured red.
Check out Behbehani Brothers on 17459955 for more details.
