Ultra expensive supercars roar into Dubai International Motor Show

A host of new cars from McLaren, Rolls-Royce and Bentley accompanied the official opening of the show yesterday.

Chris Goodwin, the chief test driver for McLaren, at the Dubai International Motor Show held at Dubai World Trade Centre. Pawan Singh / The National

DUBAI // They can cost nearly Dh 13million, have a fuel consumption of just a few miles per litre and shatter speed limits in a matter of seconds – but that’s why they are called supercars.

More than 100,000 people are expected to queue to admire – and in some cases buy – the world's most expensive sports cars this week at the Dubai International Motor Show.

A host of new models from McLaren, Rolls-Royce and Bentley accompanied the official opening of the show on Tuesday.

Among the famous and ultra high end vehicles up for sale was the lesser known, but just as pricey, Lykan HyperSport, the first car to be made by Dubai-based company W Motors.

The HyperSport will sell for Dh12.8m and comes complete with diamond-encrusted headlights, and only seven will be produced.

W Motors chief executive, Ralph Debbas, said the car was designed specifically with the UAE in mind.

“It’s a car that was created for the local market,” he said. “It’s part of a dream to create a new generation of cars from the Middle East.

“We’re moving our factory next year to the UAE and we wanted to get all our manufacturing done here, locally.

“The number seven is special, it represents the seven emirates. We wanted to create a car that represents the UAE.”

Another big draw for car fans is the McLaren P1, a hybrid that can accelerate from 0-100 kmh in just 2.8 seconds.

“There were only 375 made, and of those only a handful are left,” said Ian Gorsuch, regional director for McLaren. “The remainder is on a first come, first served basis. The handful that are left could go today, or could go tomorrow.”

As many as 17 people from the region have already placed orders to own a P1, with the first Dh5.1 million vehicle due to be delivered next week.

Chris Goodwin, the chief test driver for McLaren, said it is suited to city driving by way of its electric motor, or racing when using the petrol engine.

“It will be the quickest road car you could ever drive around Dubai Autodrome,” he said.

Other super rare speed machines on show include the Venom GT, which has 1,244 horsepower and accelerates from 0-300 kmh in 13.6 seconds.

Only 10 of the cars will be made and two unnamed buyers in the UAE already own Venoms, as well as Steven Tyler, the lead singer with American rockers Aerosmith.

The fact that so few will be used on the road helps add to demand, particularly in the Arabian Gulf, said Don Goldman, the chief executive of manufacturer Hennessey Performance Engineering.

“They like fine automobiles in this region,” he said. “It’s not only the horsepower, but also having the unique, hard-to-get, very special cars.”

Bentley also showcase a UAE-specific variant of its popular Mulsanne model, called the Shaheen. It is worth Dh1.3 million.

Geoff Dowding, the regional director for Bentley, said the car was a limited run of one, built for the specifications of a single customer, but was an example of the level of customisation the company is willing to accommodate.

“We get a lot of bespoke inquiries from this part of the word,” he said. “We just want to show something that was a bit of a one-off, just to demonstrate and showcase the capabilities we have at the factory in terms of customisation.”

Another car launched for the first time in the region was the GTA Spano, unveiled with a Dh3.9 million price tag.

“There is a limited run on this model,” said communications manager Victor Fuster. “Even if we receive 200 orders, we will only make 99. Once they’re sold, they’re sold.”