Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
The girls wanted something sophisticated, something luxurious, something cool - a carriage to take them in style to the ball.
"And dad," my 11-year-old daughter Immy instructed me, "we want YOU to drive."
"And dad," my 11-year-old daughter Immy instructed me, "we want YOU to drive."I felt like Parker in an episode of Thunderbirds under firm orders from Lady Penelope. I had the suit, I had the tie ... all I needed was a chauffeur's hat ... and the car.
I called my contacts in the motor trade and fortunately my friends at Euro Motors came up with the ideal set of wheels to take six little princesses to the special Year 6 end-of-term party to officially mark their transition from the St Christopher's Saar junior school site to the big secondary school in Isa Town in September.
Immy's friends Katie Bonar, Eilidh Nicoll, Katherine White, Michaela Sandy and Chloe Macphail arrived at our home for cocktails (Shirley Temples) and strawberries dipped in chocolate before stepping into the brand spanking new silver grey Land Rover LR4 HSE.
This is a seriously cool car and I can fully appreciate newly-appointed brand manager Syed Mohammed Rizwan's remarks that once you drive a Land Rover you'll be smitten.
The interior of the new LR4 offers supreme luxury and class-leading flexibility by offering lush-leather covered stadium seating and second and third rows of seats that can be folded independently of each other.
The LR4 is so 'user-friendly' particularly when it comes to adjusting that seating, a helpful hand indeed for the driver dad making sure every one of his party is safely on board and comfortable.
It has so many fine features; it even boasts a button to press to lower the height of the vehicle so that ladies can delicately step out in a dignified fashion, a dream addition when you have a car full of schoolgirls with little legs dressed to impress.
It goes up and down by command and in normal mode the view of the road is amazing. And, it's as good for the passengers as it is for the driver.
Horses sweat, men perspire and to ensure these little madams did nothing more than glow they were able to chill out with cool drinks kept perfectly cold in the little fridge near the armrest.
We made the short journey along Saar Avenue to the Dilmun Club's flagship restaurant Candles accompanied by the final tunes played on Krazy Kevin's Radio Bahrain drive-time show and I parked with ease assisted by the clever camera-reversing aid.
When the children were safely dancing the night away I was able to further inspect and sample the delights of the vehicle.
Although instantly recognisable as a Land Rover, this model features a new progressive, more contemporary exterior. It's a fresh attitude that gives the new LR4 a more refined, more modern presence on-road. And off-road. The 'Terrain Response' control is easier to reach in its new, more prominent position at the base of the centre console.
Door casings have also been redesigned for added practicality. And, there are those small, practical details that just get better and better - storage space around the centre console is extra generous, the useful door pockets are improved and this HSE model benefited from their own dedicated lighting.
Other strikingly fabulous features include the new LR4's two-piece, asymmetric tailgate design. The lower section can be used as a seat with the upper section providing a canopy - how cool is that when you're off on a desert spin?
Under the bonnet is just as impressive. The new LR-V8 petrol engine harnesses the very latest technology for outstanding overall performance. For instance, it includes a torque actuated dual independent variable camshaft phasing system, shared with the new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, to make the vehicle more reactive to driver inputs and driving conditions.
The children had a ball and so did dad driving the LR4. The only let down was that I couldn't find a cap like Parker's although a friend who works for air traffic control, who knows a Gulf Air pilot, failed miserably to convince him to loan it to me for the night.
The lack of a chauffeur's hat may have been a let down but the Land Rover proved to be just the ticket, so much so that Immy asked me to take her to school in it on the following morning.
At a price starting at BD19,950 I wouldn't be surprised to spot a growing number of LR4s on the school run in the near future.
For further details contact EuroMotors on 17459500 or visit the Land Rover showroom in Sitra.
