General News

Not quite. But Dubai has an unusually large population of Bugatti Veyrons, as published in a press-release-style article in Emirates Business newspaper. Out of 125 Veyrons delivered to customers worldwide, Dubai alone has 15. While the article simply mentions numbers, a simple calculation reveals that tiny Dubai has a massive 12% of the world’s Veyrons. Maybe a few of them will show up at the PrivatDrive Supercar Show in Abu Dhabi. Read on for more details about the show.

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The PrivatDrive Supercar Show is about to begin in Abu Dhabi at the Emirates Palace, from February 2 to February 4, 2007. The best part is the general public can enter for free, so all are invited. The event will be used to show off the Abu Dhabi numberplate “1” (in the Code 5 category), before it makes its bid to become the most expensive numberplate in the world.

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Usually I don’t freely advertise local aftermarket outfits, but the PR folks for Yellow Hat were kind enough to invite me to their opening ceremony, so I figured I’d give them my time. Yellow Hat is a Japanese superstore for aftermarket car accessories, and they have opened a branch store here in Dubai, at the Times Square Mall on Sheikh Zayed road.

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I briefly wanted to get a cheap so-called “hot hatch” so I could have some fun driving around town while I saved up enough money for a true sports car (since I refuse to take a bank loan). After selling off the Supra, I didn’t want to lose touch with a manual car. The ideal temporary-replacement used car I wanted had to be small, have decent power for its weight, have a manual gearbox, and be really cheap. This pretty much removed most reliable-but-slow-and-sloppy Japanese commuter compacts from my list sadly. So what I came across in my search were four Europeans and one Japanese.

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Speeding in Abu Dhabi may lead to jail-time and confiscation of vehicles as the Traffic and Patrol Division of the AD Police is apparently cracking down on reckless drivers. Warning that strict measures have been put in place to arrest such motorists, the police said some of the drivers go up to dangerous speeds of 200 kph. But more importantly, those caught driving dangerously will now have to spend one day cleaning the roads and another day cleaning a school. They will also spend one week in prison.

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According to an article in Gulf News, plain-clothes RTA officials have been going around Dubai fining people for simply sharing a car to get to the office. Basically, even if they see you picking up your buddy on the side of the road, you could be slapped with a Dhs 5000 fine. And I can bet you they are probably targetting people with economy cars. Like the trusty old Toyota Corolla that my family owns.

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I am currently being bombarded by press releases from carmakers touting their Something-Of-The-Year awards handed to them at a glittering ceremony by CAR Middle East magazine. And I am trashing them as soon as I receive them.

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A Dubai-based engine manufacturer today announced plans to be the UAE’s first mass producer of automobiles. Except that there isn’t really a market for its cars in this country.

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At the Dubai Motor Show, General Motors showcased their production 2-Mode full hybrid version of their full-size Chevrolet Tahoe. To clarify, a hybrid vehicle runs on petrol, but uses the movement of the vehicle to store electrical energy for use to run the vehicle when the additional power of petrol isn’t necessary, thereby saving fuel. Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) and GM have agreed to use 5 of these special Tahoes, as well as 5 Chevy Malibu hybrids in a trial run. Some 40 taxis drivers and 15 technicians will also be trained to handle these vehicles.

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Volvo has created a new entity in India to sell their top-spec cars in the country. Volvo Car India is opening its sales programme with the Volvo S80 luxury sedan and the Volvo XC90 Sports Utility Vehicle. Both models will be offered with three different engine alternatives: the 4.4 litre petrol V8, the 3.2 litre petrol in-line six-cylinder and the 2.4 litre turbocharged diesel in-line five-cylinder, the D5.

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