ZR Auto - Grand Opening

Zahir Rana, owner ZR Auto. Photo by Ewan Nicholson Photography Inc.

ZR Auto: Canada’s Finest Sports and Exotic Car Care Facility Story by Mary Savage

ZR Auto Grand Opening

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ahir Rana’s passion-turned-business for fast cars is but a dream for most people. He drives the fastest Ferrari Enzo in the world, yet he has never raced professionally. Simply put, he loves to drive fine cars – fast and hard, and he lives life with no limitations.

Rally race car fans watched Rana drive a highly-modified Enzo into the North Atlantic last September during the Newfoundland Targa Race. He participated in the event for two reasons: to raise the profile of his business and to raise funds for the Autism Society. On the second last day of the race and after banking a narrow corner, he hit a patch of gravel, the car spun around and within seconds he was headed for the ocean. As he stood on the shore – without injury from the accident – he watched a crew of men hoist the $2-million car from the ocean.

The turn of events did not shake Rana’s passion, in fact it was quite opposite: he wanted to modify the car again – making it faster and better – and this circum-

stance gave him the perfect opportunity. The car was shipped to Germany and has spent the last year in the shop – undergoing a transformation that will make the Enzo even quicker!

ZR Auto caters to people who have the same passion for driving. “We do extreme car modifications: we transform cars from 500 to 1,500 horsepower. We make crazy modifications that suit the car, but nobody else undertakes this type of work,” explains Rana, owner of ZR Auto. “We have a niche in the market because I’m one of those guys that doesn’t want a normal car. It has to be better, quicker and faster, and my customers want the same thing.”

Recently opened in its new location a few blocks west of Barlow Trail on 32 Avenue NE, ZR Auto specializes in enhancing exotic and sports car performance. In addition to modifying performance, they also provide the finest detailing services found in the city. “ZR Auto is the only business of its kind in Canada – the work we do is extreme,” says Rana.

In addition to modifying performance, they also provide the finest detailing services found in the city.

“ZR Auto is the only business of its kind in Canada – the work we do is extreme,” says Rana.

Photo supplied by ZR Auto

ZR Auto Grand Opening

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Photo supplied by ZR Auto

The new ZR Auto service department caters both to clients who are in need of basic maintenance and service work and to those seeking a complete transformation of their automobile.

The new 16,000-sq-ft. facility is a car enthusiast’s paradise. It includes a lifestyle boutique that carries all of the newest clothing, accessories and novelty items from Ferrari and Lamborghini, an expansive showroom and a service department that includes top-of-the-line equipment for servicing fine automobiles. The new ZR Auto service department caters both to clients who are in need of basic maintenance and service work and to those seeking a complete transformation of their automobile.

“A year ago we modified a Lamborghini LP640 for a client giving it the power of an LP750 with a body kit, wheels, tires, brakes and suspension modifications. He spent $350,000 on this modification and has since given us his Maserati for a $600,000 modification. He loves the performance of his Lamborghini and it gave him the confidence to undertake a similar modification on his Maserati,” Rana explains. “He has already put 20,000 miles on the Lamborghini since the modification and is very happy with it,” he adds.

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Rana’s customers seek the best. “My clients never argue over price, but they want five-star service, honesty and integrity. We are always under pressure to do the very best work otherwise they will not come back,” he says. “My clients love their cars and for those who want extreme modifications, they want to be able to drive their cars hard and I deliver what they need.”

For exotic car lovers, owning a Ferrari or Lamborghini is the ultimate dream. “Italian cars are the best cars in the world and to own one is a dream. They drive nicer than they look: when you sit in an Italian car that’s fired up, it will give you goosebumps before you leave the driveway!” he asserts with a selfassured passion.

“Now, when you make them quicker and better, there are no words to describe that level of pleasure. It’s like any dream: you have to create the dream and follow the vision to get to the destination. I’ve done that my whole life,” he adds.

ZR Auto Grand Opening

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“I work with the best tuners in the world to twin supercharge Ferraris and twin-turbo Lamborghinis.

When I tell my clients this, they question why the factories never do this sort of work themselves,” explains Rana. “I tell them that the factories cater to the average driver; on the other hand, I cater to drivers who are a little more extreme and passionate about their driving experience. I am partnered with the best tuning companies in Germany – they are the experts.”

When Rana talks about his business, his aura exudes passion, but he is also humble. His dream has come to life because he followed his vision – not because he was born into a world of elitism. His father was a local merchant and their life growing up in East Kenya was far from glamorous.

At the age of 16, Rana moved to England to attend automotive school, became a technician and five years later, moved to Canada wanting to become a mechan-

ic. By now, his father had immigrated to Canada and encouraged Rana to do the same.

“When I came to Canada, I brought an Austin Mini (racing Mini) from England. The car was dropped in Montreal and I drove it across the country in three days,” recalls Rana. “I drove to Vancouver and was hired as a pump jockey, making $3 an hour, because no one would hire me as a mechanic – given the misperception that my skills weren’t transferable because of the notoriously small cars I worked on in England.”

Between shifts, Rana would sneak into the garage in order to learn more about North American cars and his determined spirit impressed the boss. Eventually he was taken off “pump-duty” and worked in the service department for five years, learning the trade as it is practiced in Canada.

In 1983, Rana bought his first Ferrari – when the television show, Magnum P.I., hit the airwaves – and he

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Extreme Modifications and Five-Star Service From small modifications to extreme, ZR Auto is the only shop in North America to offer the best of both worlds. The list of exotic cars that have rolled in and out of Rana’s shop come from all over Canada – a 1500 BHP Lamborghini, the fastest Ferrari Enzo in the world with 950 BHP and the only street legal MC 12 Corsa, in the world, with 860 BHP. Rana has sought the best partners the world over in the tuning business and they include: Super cars Ferrari/Maserati - Edo Competition (Germany) Ferrari - Novitec (Germany) Lamborghini - IMSA (Germany) and Heffner Performance (Florida) Mercedes - Brabus (Germany) Porsche - Techart (Germany) BMW - G-Power (Germany) ZR Auto also provides regular service and maintenance on European models that include Mercedes, Porsche, BMW and Audi. All work comes with a one-year warranty, and he offers the finest in detailing packages from exterior body kits to interior custom finishes like carbon leather, Alacantra and embroidery. Under the hood, ZR auto specializes in suspension and brakes, exhaust sound power, ECU upgrades, superchargers and turbochargers to mention a few.

In addition to service and maintenance, ZR Auto offers 3M full-body stone guard, laser and radar installation and bodywork.

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ZR Auto Grand Opening

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ZR Auto Grand Opening

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The new 16,000-sq-ft. facility is a car enthusiast’s paradise. It includes a lifestyle boutique that carries all of the newest clothing, accessories and novelty items from Ferrari and Lamborghini, an expansive showroom and a service department that includes top-of-the-line equipment for servicing fine automobiles.

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ZR Auto Grand Opening

Photo by Ewan Nicholson Photography Inc.

ZR Auto Grand Opening

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ZR Auto’s Car Club takes a “road trip” to a seemingly surreal level. “We usually ship the cars to the starting location and from there we’ve gone to the Maritimes, New Orleans, Montreal – all over North America. We often log more than 2,500 kilometres on a trip like this,” explains Rana, “where your average exotic car owner barely clocks that amount in a year.”

“Before these trips, we have organized track events where the drivers can get some instruction on how to drive their car so that they are safer on the road. This is important so that they can become comfortable with the power and handling of their cars in a safe and controlled environment. We also make sure the cars are properly serviced and safe before the trips, particularly when it comes to tires and brakes.”

As Rana has noted, these exotic cars can do anything because they are so well balanced and experiencing a road trip with ZR Auto’s Car Club is beyond exhilarating. “It’s a lifestyle choice because these people love to drive.”

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ZR Auto Grand Opening

The Enzo Versus the CF-18 Jet Two years ago, Rana received a call from a colleague with an intriguing opportunity: to race against a CF-18 jet at the military base in Cold Lake, Alberta. The event, Race the Base, was a fundraiser and it was an offer he simply couldn’t refuse.

As the plans started to come together, the response was overwhelming. They had 83 participants, most of whom drove their cars to the military base. It was a rare sight to see a convoy of exotic autos rolling north on Alberta’s highways en route to Cold Lake. “On race day, we had 83 cars on the runway and everybody was going top speed,” Rana says.

In the end, the CF-18 won – even the world’s fastest Ferrari Enzo was no match for the jet. The jet’s top speed is about 2,000 km/h, so the car took the lead off the mark, but it wasn’t long before the jet was out in front. They raised approximately $100,000 for the four charities involved and according to Rana, they are planning another Race the Base fundraiser in late August 2012. “The Air Force has given me the opportunity to try and beat the jet again and not everyone gets the opportunity to race a CF-18 jet,” he says. “We want it to be a worldclass event.” This year, the funds raised will go to help families in the military.

The Enzo will be ready in time for the race – better than new and the fastest Enzo in the world. But that’s not all; he is also modifying a Lamborghini to beat the jet. The Lamborghini’s top speed will be 436 m.p.h. “This is retribution – I need to redeem myself from the 2010 race!” he says with a grin.

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Continued on from Page 6... has never looked back. Today, when you walk around the ZR Auto showroom, the collection of exotic fine cars is akin to a movie set.

The showroom boasts an Enzo FXX and a Ferrari F40. The F40 is classified as a “super car” and is considered very rare with few left in the world. There is also a highly-modified, twin-turbo 1,500 BHP Lamborghini Gallardo, capable of a top speed of 436 km/h.

Rana focuses on building his business and that means earning the trust of his customers. “Who is going to leave their million-dollar car with me to fix? They love their cars and don’t want anyone to touch them, let alone work on them. But over time, we have developed trust and I never let my customers down,” he adds.

The Targa Rally accident raised the profile of Rana’s business well beyond Western Canada, which has always been ZR Auto’s primary market. “I now have customers from all across Canada because of this new exposure,” Rana explains. The media coverage was worldwide and the video capturing the accident received over 2.5 million views online.

“When I travel, people recognize me from the accident,” remarks Rana. “I always take the time to stop and talk to these people. We talk about the accident, but I also tell them I’m crazy and that I love beautiful things – things that most people only dream of. These are all ‘dream-things’ but I make it happen and I turn dreams into reality.”

ZR Auto

2219 32 Avenue NE Calgary, AB 403.207.0233 • www.zrauto.com

Congratulations to ZR Auto - we wish you many years of continued success!

650, 444 5 Ave SW Calgary, AB T2P 2T8 Ph. 403 262 0006 • Fax 403 920 1110 • oculustransport.com

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ZR Auto Grand Opening

Congratulations to ZR Auto on their Grand Opening!

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Photo by Ewan Nicholson Photography Inc.

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Congratulations to ZR Auto on their Grand Opening!

We are looking forward to working with Zahir and his team for many years to come.

Owner/Operater Gerry Scalise 215 - 40 Avenue N.E. Ph. 403.230.8900 • Fax. 403.230.8750 www.maranelloautorefinishing.com

ZR Auto Grand Opening

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Congratulations ZR Auto on your Grand Opening!

Congratulations ZR Auto on your Grand Opening!

22220 Twp Rd 514A, Sherwood Park, AB T8C 1H4 Phone 780.922.7007 • Fax 780.922.7050 • Toll Free 1.888.879.2476

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Congratulations ZR Auto on your Grand Opening!

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CONGRATS ON THE NEW LOCATION ZAHIR!

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We wish Zahir and his team at ZR Auto many years of continued success.

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ZR auto Grand Opening