Whip Flash
When it comes to the city’s supercar culture, there’s no shame in showing off
Despite the falling price of oil, luxury lines the streets, and valet queues – at the Mall of the Emirates, the Burj Khalifa and elsewhere in the city – often resemble scenes from The Fast and the Furious, with rare rides on full display for all to ogle. The Emirati don’t believe in keeping their treasures tucked away in garages, reserved for special occasions. In Dubai, air flaunting is ostensibly a competitive sport.
“Cars are a social status, and nowhere is this more true than in Arabic cultures,” says Neil Slade, president of Aston Martin, Middle East. “This point is critical in Dubai; this is not a place where it is frowned upon to show your real wealth – in fact, it’s quite the opposite.” The phenomenon began 10 years ago, says Slade, “when Dubai reached the global stage as a hotspot for the super rich, and of course, ears are one big item that demonstrate just that.”
Dubai’s auto-obsessed culture reached a fever pitch during the economic boom in the early aughts. But when the financial crisis hit in late 2008, many drivers found themselves with supercar loans they couldn’t afford. Since Sharia Law states that failure to pay debts is a punishable crime, people took matters into their own hands: They abandoned their cars and fled the country. Which explains why, to this day, you’ll find airport parking lots piled high with exotic whips – like a limited-edition Ferrari Enzo worth over $600,000 – literally collecting dust.
Not to be outdone by these “supercar graveyards,” the police themselves cruise around town in the world’s most over-the-top patrol cars. There are no Crown Vies here – Dubai’s police fleet includes a Bentley Continental GT, an Aston Martin One-77, a Lamborghini Aventador and, the jewel in the crown, the Bugatti Veyron, one of die fastest street-legal cars on the road. Though truth be told, the cars aren’t for chasing down criminals – they’re mostly considered public relations tools.
While car enthusiasts will find plenty of eye candy just by roaming the streets, the city also plays host to a number of high-profile events, like the Dubai Motor Festival, sponsored by the Crown Prince, which takes place every November. The festival’s Motor Village and Grand Parade, led by the police fleet, showcase the widest collection of rare luxury cars in the Middle East. Coinciding with the 2017 festival is the Dubai International Motor Show, during which more than 600 cars are on display for the roughly 100,000 gearheads who show up to fuel their fetish. In recent years, the Motor Show has hosted vehicles like the Aston Martin DB10, the Jaguar C-X75 and the McLaren P1.
With so many exquisite cars around town, visitors and locals are often itching to get behind the wheel – and the Dubai Autodrome is happy to accommodate them. Its 3.3-mile circuit is a combination of high-speed straights and technical comers that make for one of the most challenging courses in the world. Choose from a McLaren, a single-seater or an Audi R8 v10 – or if you’d rather watch, the track hosts races like the Porsche GT3 Cup ME, the Formula Gulf 1000 and the TRD 86 Cup, during which professional and amateur drivers go head-to-head. A private instructor will help you tackle drifting, navigate course configurations and master wings and slick tires.
Just an hour south of Dubai, on Abu Dhabi’s man-made Yas Island, there’s Ferrari World, an indoor amusement park for auto lovers. Brave the planet’s fastest roller coaster (it hits 149 mph in 4.9 seconds) or toy with a state-of-the-art simulator like Driving With the Champion, which puts you in the trainee seat on the Fiorano track with an F1 pro. You can also drive the island behind the wheel of a Ferrari California.
Though Dubai is a haven for all things shiny and new, the Emirate still has a deep respect for vintage automobiles. Each March, 350-plus classic cars take center stage at the Emirates Classic Car Festival. It’s a spectacle that makes one thing very clear: In Dubai, cars are king.
