11 minute read
NOFILTERDXB
THE FAST AND THE CURIOUS
The Dubai Motor Show returns as a supercar cruise with a green conscience
At first glance, the noisy petrol head crawls around Dubai’s more touristy locations make #NoFilterDXB look like a late-to-dinner Dubai resident’s worst Thursday evening nightmare, but peering through the fumes of the hyper-exclusive supercars you could find launches, debuts and a surprisingly long list of the latest and unreleased Electric Vehicle (EV) and hybrid models aplenty. Indeed, the region’s only and self-styled urban lifestyle and motoring festival arrived at the end of 2021 with a green conscience.
With the UAE progressing numerous Green Mobility initiatvies, including the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy and a Federal Government decree to convert 20% of public sector car fleets to EVs in-line with national aims to have 42,000 EVs on the country’s streets by 2030, the UAE currently boasts more than 250 charging stations for EVs – making the Emirates the world’s leading nation for EV charging stations per capita. #NOFILTERDXB – a redefined edition of Dubai World Trade Centre’s popular Dubai International Motor Show – embraced the automotive industry’s shift to sustainable practices with a showcase of the nextgeneration EV and hybrid vehicles that will contribute to national Green Mobility targets in the event’s ‘Go Electric’ showcase.
Bringing a major regional launch to #NOFILTERDXB, Arabian Automobiles - the flagship company of the AW Rostamani Group and the exclusive dealer for Nissan in Dubai, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates - is showcasing Nissan’s first-ever EV crossover, the Nissan Ariya, which is ‘likely’ to hit UAE streets in the middle of next year.
Michel Ayat, CEO of AWR Automotive, described the Ariya’s debut as part of the firm’s continuing mission to align with the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy to make public transport emission-free by 2050.
“It gives us great pride to leverage #NOFILTERDXB to showcase the Nissan Ariya, which seeks to deliver the brand’s
TAKING TO THE ROAD
Concieved as a rebrand and rethink of the Dubai Motor Show, #NOFILTERDXB was a much more party and community-focused event than its World Trade Centre predecessor.
promise of innovation and excitement that is accessible to everyone,” he said. “Dubai is exemplary in its vision of becoming a smart city, investing in infrastructure and providing financial advantages to EV drivers to promote electric mobility. As the pioneer that took electric cars to the global mainstream, Nissan is again breaking the mold in designing and building EVs with the Ariya.”
Elsewhere, BMW showcased the recently launched iX – the manufacturer’s battery-electric mid-size luxury crossover SUV. With dual BMW electric motors, fifth-generation eDrive technology and the latest electric all-wheel drive system, the new BMW iX offers a range of over 600 km while delivering sports-car levels of acceleration. With over 500hp, the BMW iX powers from 0 to 100 km/h in less than five seconds.
“Recently, we have seen the Government of Dubai taking further steps towards its Green Mobility Strategy, supporting the growing market demand for electric vehicles with an increase in electric charging stations around the city,” said Arsal Hassan, head of PR and Marketing, BMW AGMC. “We at AGMC are thrilled to be taking a part in progressing towards a greener, more sustainable future with the introduction of vehicles like the BMW iX.”
Mercedes-Benz was also at the event, displaying the all-electric EQS, the first premium saloon from Mercedes-EQ to be designed from scratch as an electric car. With a maximum range of up to 785 kilometres, the EQS is a complete reimagining of the S-Class sedan and is packed with advanced tech under the hood and in the cabin.
“We are excited to participate at #NOFILTERDXB and showcase our new entry into the all-electric car market – the luxurious EQS. Sustainability is becoming a central component of our brand philosophy and an essential aspect of our corporate strategy. The EQS meets the demands of today and is a perfect example of how the future of large electric luxury saloons will look like. At a time where the UAE is spotlighting both sustainability and mobility through
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the EXPO 2020 Dubai, we are excited to work with Dubai World Trade Centre to showcase the best in both of those fields at #NOFILTERDXB,” said Ivo Kapitzki, general manager, Gargash Mercedes-Benz.
While the green launches caught the eye, it was the Dubai Supercar Parade which proved the city’s insatiable appetite for glamour and amazing lifestyles remains as strong as ever today. Featuring a sensational multi-million dollar motorcade of more than 200 supercars, motorbikes, and custom cars it snaked its way through Dubai Harbour, JBR and JLT on the final day of the inaugural #NOFILTERDXB.
The Dubai Supercar Parade was held as part of nation-wide celebrations leading up to next week’s 50th UAE National Day. Tapping into the country’s forthcoming Golden Jubilee celebrations, Gargash Motors led the convoy with the all-new Mercedes-AMG G 63 UAE GOLDEN JUBILEE Edition – one of only 50 ever made – that launched at #NOFILTERDXB earlier this week.
“It was really exciting to lead the Parade in the Mercedes-AMG G 63 UAE Golden Jubilee Edition to commemorate the UAE’s 50th anniversary. With the Parade capturing the spirit of the nation’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, this was the perfect car to head the amazing convoy of supercars,” said Alen Bedrossian, marketing manager, Gargash Mercedes-Benz.
Khalid Al Mulla, the founder & president of Group 63 – one of the world’s largest AMG clubs with over 198,000 members, and a major exhibitor of super and custom cars at
BMW CELEBRATE AT #NOFILTERDXB
A 67-strong convoy of BMW cars, including a 1970s copper-coloured BMW 2002, rolled into #NOFILTERDXB, as the BMW Club UAE threw its support behind the city’s newest super trendy urban lifestyle and motoring culture festival.
“We’ve been waiting for #NOFILTERDXB since it was first announced because we saw it as a great opportunity to get our members together and celebrate our BMW family at a motoring community event close to our hearts,” said Mohammed Wazif, president & Co-Founder of the BMW Club UAE.
Parade see some of the world’s most sought-after supercars rolling through the streets of Dubai Harbour, JBR, and JLT, before returning to #NOFILTERDXB for public viewing.
#NOFILTERDXB – piloted an iconic red Jannarelly D1 Trofeo through the Parade.
“It’s truly amazing to be part of #NOFILTERDXB. What an unbelievable fleet of cars and the November weather was perfect for a morning cruise. If I had to pick a favourite car from the Parade, the matt black Bugatti Chiron would be my choice – it’s gorgeous,” said Al Mulla.
With the Parade fleet driven by members of local automotive clubs and private owners, Noor Daoud, the Middle East’s first female drift racer, sprinkled girl power on proceedings by flagging the convoy off at Dubai Harbour, before jumping in a white Lamborghini Aventador to join the Parade.
“I am very blessed, happy and grateful to be here. It is my first time to flag off a Parade and it means so much that #NOFILTERDXB had their trust in me. Dubai is well-known for luxurious supercars, but how they managed to line up this huge number of cars and bikes was unbelievable. You will never find this in any other country in the world,” said Daoud.
Local automobile clubs came out in their droves to support the Parade, with a dozen owners from the Dodge Viper Club GTSs, SRTs, and GTS-Rs to the fold, while the Porsche 9ers Club joined in with a series of 911s, GT3s and GT3Rs.
“We had over 30 of our members here for the Parade. I drove a 911.2 Turbo S and had my wife along for the ride. What #NOFILTERDXB has done is amazing, bringing the city’s car community together outside in the beautiful November weather was so special. People were seeing cars they would never normally see; a Bugatti Chiron Sport 110 just crept by – it’s incredible and a bit surreal, even for us petrol heads,” said Adnan Malik, a British national who founded the “coffee and cars” focused 9ers in 2019.
With thousands of spectators lining the Parade route to get up-close to the throng of super and high-performance cars by MercedesBenz, Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Lambourgini, McLaren, Porsche,
REBRANDING AND REDEFINING MOTOR EVENTS
The organisers described the event as the most fabulous motor cars and urban lifestyle festival of the year creating a unique event in car-crazy Dubai.
URBAN COOL
The experimental event celebrated the motoring experience but it also wanted to showcase all things urban cool; from yachts to fashion, culinary and sports.
an eye-popping collection of motorbikes by Aprilla, BMW, Ducatti, Harley Davidson, Honda, Hyabusa, Indian Motorcycles, KTM, Motot Guzzi, MV, Royal Enfield, Suzuki, and Yamaha, were a hit with two-wheel fans.
“I love cars, but I am definitely a bike guy. I drove up from Abu Dhabi this morning to be here, we left at 6am, so it’s great to see a really diverse collection of the two-wheelers included,” said Rajiv Mukhi, a 32-yearold Indian national who works in I.T.
Also joining the Parade was Porsche owner Karim Khalaf, a resident of Dubai for over 16 years: “I am here with my nine-year-old son Rami, who is more of a petrol head than me. Getting together like this and seeing all these amazing cars is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It is not every day you get to celebrate the UAE’s 50th Anniversary in such spectacular fashion. The Parade summarised Dubai in one parking lot. Beautiful cars, shiny mechanics, people from all over the world in harmony, getting together and celebrating what they love.”
Other vehicles in the Parade included a 10-plus Abarth 595s and 695s, two Audi R8 V10s, several Chevrolet Corvettes, a 1966 Chevrolet Chevlle, a Dallara Stradale, a Dodge Charger Hellcat, a Ford Mustang Classic, a KTM X-Bow, a Lotus Evora S, a Maserati MC Stradale, a Mitsubishi Evo 8, a Rolls-Royce Ghost, and a Tesla Model 3, amongst others.
Tim Johnstone, 47, a British Expat living in Dubai who watched the Parade from the Dubai Harbour start line, said: “This is one of those ‘wow’ moments that Dubai is known for; the collection of cars, the Marina backdrop, the weather, the views – this lifestyle is something you simply don’t get anywhere else.”
Lola Chakravarty, an Indian national and long-time resident of Dubai Marina, was another spectator at the start line: “My husband and son were pestering me all week to come, and I wanted to watch from our balcony. For once they were right, I’m very glad we came to the start. The line-up of vehicles is very impressive, it’s like a scene from a movie.”
Amir Baderkano, a 14-year-old Dubai resident from Russia, added: “The Parade is amazing, it is very special to see so many supercars in one place – my favourite is the Lamborghini Aventador and I have seen two already. I am going to have a lot of fun editing all my photos – and yes, no filter needed!”
Trixie LohMirmand, Executive VicePresident of Events Management at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), the organiser of #NOFILTERDXB and the Dubai Supercar Parade, added: “The Parade has united the city’s motoring community for an amazing celebration of what makes Dubai so special. We had over 200 cars in the convoy, with drivers from all over the world, but they all spoke the same languages: cars and lifestyle. We want to thank the drivers for taking part, and our partners at Dubai Police, the Roads & Transport Authority, Dubai Ambulance, the General Directorate of Civil Defense, and Dubai Events Security Committee for their efforts and energies in delivering another amazing spectacle for the city.”
INFINITE HOSPITALITY
INFINITI Middle East exhibited its two newest premium SUVs – the all-new QX55 and next-generation QX60 – in a Japanese lifestyle-themed concept during the rebranded Dubai International Motor Show, #NOFILTERDXB. Taking place at the Dubai Harbour, every element of the INFINITI display aimed at expressing ‘omotenashi’, a concept of Japanese hospitality, which means “to wholeheartedly look after guests”.
Guests were greeted with a subtle, yet striking conceptual representation of the cherry blossom tree centerpiece – a ‘delicate’ steel and LED-light fixture, blooming with hanging origami. The Japanese art of origami is a special inspiration and key component to the brand.
“It can be seen in the iconic grilles of INFINITI models and is also one of the artistic components used in the next-generation QX60 as part of its reimagined and premium design language,”said INFINITI.
