What a love I have for the automotive industry. It’s something that cannot be described by words but is easier to accomplish by acts. Back when I was young, I used to play with miniature cars known as “matchboxes” while living in Montreal, Canada. While in New York this past March, to attend the auto show, I was able to stop in at the Times Square “Toys R’Us” to buy a couple of miniature cars to complete my modest collection.

From the end of March and throughout April the auto industry has been on fire. We’ve been on the move every single week for a drive, either globally or locally. There are lots of things to talk about in our May issue, and is fully jammed with the hottest vehicles!

As promised in our last issue, we bring you something that can be talked about even after this month. It’s the amount of $1 million USD that our friend Mr. Bond has put into his pocket for the unveiling the all-new Range Rover Sport in New York City. We covered the whole auto show in New York, there in body and soul.

Honestly speaking, the 2013 year has kicked off with many events, launches and test drives. January and February were two unusual months that showed off an active automotive industry. This is the month of the Geneva Motor Show, plus we are going to cover the New York Auto Show live this year; you will be able to check out our huge review in April’s issue.

Spring arrives on March 21, which may sound a bit weird as in the Middle East region, as it can only be felt in the Levant such as Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Palestine.

February is the month for lovers as it is well acknowledged; the 14^th of February is with no doubt Valentine’s Day. I will not be in Lebanon to celebrate it, but will be somewhere in the North Pole with a couple of penguins driving on an ice track! You will get the report in the next issue, I promise!

On a personal side, at the beginning of the year I acquired a brand new Chevy Camaro RS from IMPEX, official dealer and distributor of Chevrolet in Lebanon. It’s definitely a daily driver for me and I am enjoying the ride to work every day.

Happy New Year ArabWheels readers!

The New Year is like a birthday in the sense that it seems like a much bigger deal than it actually is. Does the difference from 2012 to 2013 sound huge? Is today that much different from yesterday? For us, yes! Last month we celebrated the 10^th anniversary of ArabWheels. Time has passed by so quickly. This issue has something special about it as January 2013 coincidentally fall on our 100^th issue of motoring… I’m not bragging, just look at the spine to spot the number “100”!

“The celebration begins here!”

Lamborghini Aventador, Porsche Panamera Turbo S, McLaren MP4-12C, Mercedes SLS AMG, etc… All of these vehicles have been tested by the ArabWheels team. December is well known for its extraordinary occasions, starting with Christmas and the amazing gifts to New Year’s Eve on the 31^st of December. I suggest you to leaf through our 96-page celebration issue of the greatest moments we have had over the past 10 years!

It would take someone with an uncanny imagination, such as he who created the cartoon character Inspector Gadget, to have predicted the disastrous super storm “Sandy” that hit the east coast of the United States of American on October 29, and whose aftermath hasn’t even been totally unveiled yet.

Among the areas most hit is Manhattan, and the southern parts of the city are flooded. We, at ArabWheels, express our condolences to the vehicles engulfed by Sandy… What a pitiable sight to witness such expensive cars swimming in the streets!

What a privilege for ArabWheels! I attended the World Premiere of the launch of the all-new Range Rover held at the Royal Ballet School in Richmond, London, on the 6^th of September. Celebrities were gathered all around wearing their finest suits and tuxedos. I fit into the stream!

This last quarter of the 2012 year has definitely started in favor of all automotive aficionados. Paris Motor Show opened its door for the public on the 29^th of September and will last until the 14^th of October. As for us, all the launches happened in the two days before the public opening. Check out our coverage.

Summer has come to its end and Fall will kick in on the 21^st of September. I have now completed the first year here at the editor’s desk!

September will start in a promising way with the Paris Motorshow, to be held for the press on the 27^th and 28^th and for the public starting September 29^th till the 14^th of October.

The summer is back again! And as you can see, at this time of the year the automotive industry is sleeping and will kick up again in September for the Paris Motor Show. In the Middle East, the “Holy Ramadan” knocked earlier than last year and will last until around the end of August.

I personally will be celebrating my first year as Editor-in-Chief for the magazine and would like to thank you all for the kind support from family, colleagues and close friends.

In this combined issue of ArabWheels, we bring you the best of the best! You just need to surf around our pages and check our lifted and improved layout: new specification sheets and rating cards for each vehicle we test drive. We need your opinion about it.