The Middle East consists of countries in Western Asia and North Africa, with other countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Caucasus, and Central Asia also have ties to the region.
For those of us fortunate enough to live in the U.S. or U.K., we are all aware that there is no such thing as a debtor’s prison, regardless of what some overzealous collections agent trying to hit their monthly bonus number might say. Well, in Dubai things are a tad different, as people who cannot pay their debts get thrown into the slammer.
This results in expats that fall into debt problems in Dubai fleeing the country and leaving their indebted property to bake in the not-so-pleasant desert sun. That is exactly what happened in the case of this $1.6 million Ferrari Enzo. The British expatriate purchased this machine and, according to reports, ran into issues with traffic citations that he couldn’t afford, so he fled the country, leaving the Enzo to bake for about 20 months in a parking lot.
Dubai authorities finally found the vehicle and impounded it faster than it can hit 60 mph. Now this million dollar supercar is heading off to the Dubai police auction, along with 23 other luxury cars, and will like fetch a nice sum of money for the Dubai authorities. The other 23 cars have fines attached to them ranging from Dh98,300 to Dh100,000 ($26,766 to 27,229), meaning the highest total the fines can be is $626,267. It is more than likely that the Enzo alone will sell for enough scratch to cover that amount. Sounds like a sweet business move, huh?
How can they do this? Well, in Dubai, the police have the right to seize and auction any car that is abandoned for six months. Chances are, they focus mostly on luxury cars, leaving rotting and sunburned econo-boxes to continue to take on more sand and sunlight. But, who are we to judge?
So, if you would like to snag up a sunburned and sandblasted 1-of-399 Enzo, just head on over to Dubai and get a 30 day visitor’s visa (free for U.K. and U.S. passport holders), pay the Dh110 ($29.95) fee to get into the auction, and bid away.
UPDATE 04/30/2012: Sorry, folks, but this dusty Ferrari Enzo is NOT for sale. Dubai police have spoken to Emirates 24/7 and have stated that the cars "have been seized as part of evidence from various crimes such as robbery, and are not for sale."
Known computer hacking and vigilante justice group, Anonymous, has struck again. This time it is pulling directly at our horsepower sensitive strings. With the upcoming Formula 1 race in Bahrain, an area that is currently in civil unrest due to the actions of its government, Anonymous has decided to nail F1 where it hurts, Interwebz traffic.
Last year F1 was forced to cancel its Bahrain races, due to similar unrest, but this year the race was and still is scheduled to go off without a hitch. This latest attack is an attempt by anonymous to force F1 to cancel the race out of protest, and it just might give the racing group the excuse it needs to pull out.
Anonymous is also calling for all viewers and spectators of F1 to ignore all television broadcasts of the race, as well as not buying tickets to the event. The vigilante hackers also are attempting to coax the drivers to not leave the starting line when the green flag drops.
Anonymous also took down F1 fan site, F1-Races.net, and leaving just a message on its landing page regarding the Bahrain situation.
As we typed this up, the Formula1.com came back live, so it appears that the Anonymous attempt to keep the site down through the race was unsuccessful, and there is no announcement about the attack or cancellation of the race. We will keep you updated as more news, if any, comes about.
Click past the jump to read Anonymous’s press release
Way back in 2008, Pininfarina – a custom coach builder – took a look at the $400K Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe Convertible and simply thought it just wasn’t good enough. So Pininfarina took this nearly half-million-dollar machine and created a one-off custom vehicle out of it. The maker then dubbed it the Hyperion, which was taken from an Ancient Greek Titan.
Much like its closest competitor, Bentley, Rolls-Royce has always been one of those car companies that you either loved or hated, mostly due to their gaudy exteriors and even more outlandish pricing. For those that love them, but just need a little something extra, there is no shortage of custom car builders that will customize them to your liking.
Despite the number of custom car builders modifying these ultra-luxury cars, none can touch the uniqueness and flashiness of the Hyperion. Pininfarina took special care to closely integrate a vintage look – taking styling cues from the 1930s and 1940s – with modern technology and feel.
This monster of a luxury car originally debuted at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. It then made an appearance at the 2008 Geneva Auto Show before going off to its rightful owner, Roland Hall.
Let’s take a look at how the 2008 Pininferina Hyperion stacks up.
At one point I really wanted an RX8, almost to the point of doing whatever it took to get the money for one. Well, after a promotion, I managed to get one and was sorely disappointed by it. Well, an Egyptian man decided to put the words “I’ll do anything” into action in an extreme way.
In Egypt, as with many developing countries, vehicles are very expensive and even more so when considering a luxury ride like a BMW 1M. With a $150,000 price tag in Egypt – more than triple its U.S. price – this wise fellow decided that the 1M was not in the cards for him now. Instead of giving up altogether, he decided to build something better than his dream car.
He began his quest with a stock BMW 120d, which once boasted a 161-horsepower 2.0-liter diesel engine, and completely stripped it down. He then pulled an S65 V-8 monster from an M3, which pumps out 414 horsepower, and dropped it in his 120d. Well, “dropping” the engine in included some motor mount and ECU modifications.
This young man then installed the M3’s suspension onto the 120d, added 1M body panels, slapped 19-inch wheels on it, and last, had a custom exhaust and driveshaft fitted to it. In the end “hatembmw,” as he goes by on a popular BMW forum, invested about $45,000 to modify his 120d into a monster that would likely annihilate a 335-horsepower M1. As detailed as this process is, this entire project took him just eight weeks to complete – three to four weeks on mechanical stuff and four weeks on the body.
All we can do is tip my hat to hatembmw… Good show, my friend, good show indeed. Enjoy the videos, we know we certainly did.
We all love the sport of motor racing and enjoy all the thrills, spills, and spectacles that come along with it. But for every one of those racing teams to field competitive race cars, there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes preparations that go on to ensure that these races are as action-packed as possible.
In this video, we take a look at the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East and turn to one team that’s set to compete in the series. Lechner Racing is one of those teams and team principal, Walter Lechner, takes us on a four-minute look at what happens in the crucial days leading up to the green light.
From bringing the Porsche cars in trucks, emptying them, parking them in specifically-allocated garages, and everything that goes on afterwards, Lechner describes the painstaking job that goes on in preparing for a race and how this preparation manifests itself in time for qualifying and the race itself.
The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East consists of 12 rounds of racing spread out across the Middle East. Since it’s inception in 2009, the series has already established itself as one of the best one-make series in the region and going on its third season, the competition is set to become as hot as the weather in that part of the world.
The highly-talked about Aston Martin V12 Zagato has been a source of great interest from all four corners of the auto industry since it was first revealed last year.
Now it appears that we’re headed closer and closer to the production version’s official world debut at the Kuwait Concours d’ Elegance this coming February 15. While it appears curious for Aston Martin to pick Kuwait to reveal their new supercar, such a decision was made in large part because it’s the only event of its type in the Middle East, which is a burgeoning market for Aston Martin.
"We are excited to show the new V12 Zagato for the first time in production form at the Kuwait Concours d’Elegance," said Dr Ulrich Bez, CEO of Aston Martin.
"Over 50 years since the introduction of the iconic DB4GT Zagato, Aston Martin and Zagato have collaborated to create this modern interpretation which remains true to the original focus of craftsmanship, performance and exclusivity."
Aston Martin has yet to announce any modifications - if there are any - for the production version, so you can expect it to be as awesome as the dynamic concept seen in May 2011 which packed a walloping 6.0-liter V12 engine that developed 510 horsepower and 420 lb/ft of torque.
Only 150 units of the carbon and aluminum supercar will be built with an expected price tag of around £330,000 - that’s about half-a-million greenbacks - making it a hefty purchase for even the most financially-endowed auto enthusiast.
Check out Aston Martin’s press release after the jump.
Are you surprised? We’re not! Especially after we have reported that Shelby Supercars has managed to sell an impressive 10 Tuatara during the 2011 Dubai International Motor Show. Compared to that the Lamborghini Gallardo Super Trofeo Stradale is a bargain.
The first unit from the 150 to be produced found its way home. And what a home! The first unit was bout by the Galadari family in Dubai. And if you don’t know them, don’t worry. But you really need to know what other cars you will see in their garage: a Lamborghini Aventador recently bought, a one-off Gemballa MIG-U1 Enzo, one-off Brabus Stealth and a Jaguar XJ220. Among many others of course.
Refresher: this special Gallardo is powered by a V10 engine that delivers a total of 570 HP and a peak torque 398 lbs-ft at 6500 rpm. It will make the 0 to 60 mph sprint in just 3.4 seconds and will go up to a top speed of 198 mph.
Bugatti has decided to honor one of its biggest markets with three special Veyron Grand Sport models especially for the Middle East market. These three models have been revealed at the 2011 Dubai Motor Show and come in three different colors: yellow, blue, and green. The yellow Grand Sport is priced at 1.58 million euros ($2,150,000 at the current rates), while the other two are priced at 1.74 million euro ($2,373,000 at the current rates) each.
The first Veyron Grand Sport Middle East Edition combines a bright yellow body with black carbon insertions and black-tinted wheels. The interior shares the same color combination with yellow leather seats with black stitching and a black carbon console, while the dashboard, steering wheel, and gearshift are encased in black leather with yellow stitching.
The second Grand Sport model features a two tone exterior with blue carbon framed in polished, anodized aluminum. This model is highlighted with a special set of wheels in an aluminum polished and Diamond Cut two-tone finish, aluminum insertions on the front grille, and air intakes. The interior combines tangerine leather with dark blue Indigo leather or exposed blue carbon fiber.
The third - and final - special edition Veyron Grand Sport features a newly developed green carbon fiber exterior combined with polished aluminum on the rims, rear-view mirrors, and the EB-logo. The interior also combines green and silver to seal the color combination.
Everyone knows - or at least should know - that getting behind the wheel carries with it a serious responsibility for your life and the life of anyone else in the vehicle. However, it seems that there are some "adventurous" and more or less moronic people out there with little regard to other people’s safety. Take these drift-crazy asswipes as an example.
Cars like the Honda Accord, the Hyundai Sonata, and the Toyota Camry are typically produced as people pushers, some guys in Middle East have found another way to enjoy their family vehicles.
The drivers in this video simply ignored the heavy traffic and started showing off their crazy drifting skills. Take your eyes off of the drifting madness and you can see all kinds of cars, including trucks, around these maniacs. Some people just shouldn’t be allowed to get behind the wheel.
Italian automaker, Maserati, is getting ready for the inaugural season of the Trofeo JBF RAK Middle East, a one-make racing series that will feature 12 races spread across the Middle East competed by 16 cars of the same kind. For this race, Maserati has announced the use of the new GranTurismo MC Trofeo JBF RAK Race Car, which will be used by the racers while being maintained and managed by Maserati themselves for the entire 12-race calendar. For the GranTurismo MC Trofeo JBF RAK Race Car, Maserati is outfitting the rear-wheel drive race car with a 4.7-liter V8 engine that produces 488 horsepower.
The season is set to kick off on November 11, 2011 and will feature races in venues across the Middle East, including the Yas Marinas F1 circuit in Abu Dhabi, the Bahrain International Circuit in Bahrain, the Dubai Autodrome in Dubai, and the Losail Ciruit in Qatar. Those interested in driving the GranTurismo MC Trofeo JBF RAK Race Car will have to fork over an entry fee of $135,000 to $145,000, which, in addition to driving the car, will also come with logistical management of the car, technical assistance at the circuit, a Maserati Trofeo race suit, and VIP hospitality for driver and guests.
It’s hard to find that kind of money lying around, but if we did have the funds for it, we’d jump at the opportunity to be part of this new Maserati racing series.
