Aircraft and boats are, on average, more expensive and presumably more luxurious than automobiles. But it is the car that most of the world’s rich use to flaunt their ostentatious wealth. Nowhere is this truer than in the monied countries of the Gulf, where spectacularly high and sustained oil prices have encouraged the region’s glitterati to go out and flaunt it.
BMW
Germany’s BMW has been a key player in the Middle East luxury car segment for decades, but uniquely the company chooses to use the term premium, rather than luxury. According to BMW’s regional managing director in Dubai, Phil Horton, the adjective more accurately describes the kind of “visceral driving experience” the brand represents. He added that BMW also focuses heavily on “the dynamic performance of the car. Whereas Mercedes, you could say, offers a softer, more comfort-orientated brand in terms of the driving experience.” The question then becomes, what is luxury? Certain drivers may see sinking into acres of plush leather as they slip behind a hardwood steering wheel the ultimate in luxury, while others see power and performance as the defining characteristic.
By any measure the BMW brand appears to be very popular with the region’s wealthy. BMW has shown excellent sales growth in Middle Eastern countries recently, in some places up to double-digit. Some of the most popular models are the X5 sports activity vehicle and the new X6 crossover vehicle. But choosing between the two should not be a problem for the increasing numbers of ultra-wealthy. According to Horton, “particularly in the GCC, the very high net-worth individuals are going to be running a stable of cars. So it’s certainly not unusual at all for a customer in that bracket to be running five, six, 10, or 15 cars.”
One thing to which the ultra-rich do not yet have access is the company’s numerous concept cars. “BMW believes that the premium customer is looking for constant innovation,” said Horton, which begins to explain one of the most radical automotive concepts ever unveiled. The Bavarian company’s GINA (Geometry and Functions in Application) concept car consists of a BMW Z8 chassis encased in a unique silver textile affixed to a flexible, hydraulically controlled mesh framework. The car can morph into a different shape at the push of a button. While it is unlikely the car will go into production anytime soon, the company hopes the vehicle’s overarching concepts will influence future designs in their own luxury car segment.
Porsche
Porsche has also seen significant growth in the region. Although it has only had a regional office in Dubai for ten years, the Middle East has become one of the biggest markets in the world for the German car maker. Strangely enough, the company’s staple sports cars are not what is in demand in the oil and cash rich Gulf. It is the more chunky, Cayenne sport utility vehicles that have received rave reviews. “Across the region, we sell 65% Cayenne and the rest are sports cars. And then within the Cayenne range, Cayenne S dominates at 60%, although with the advent of the Cayenne GTS those percentages are beginning to shift,” said Porsche’s regional head, Deesch Papke. Apparently, the rough and rugged scenery inspires buyers to seek out the more capable models, even though the vast majority of them will never be used off road. That said, very few luxury automobiles will ever be used off road.
That sentiment is especially true of Porsche’s Carrera GT, perhaps the company’s most prestigious and luxurious model. Only 1,270 GTs were produced between the years of 2004 and 2006, one hundred of which were sold in the Gulf. The 5.7 liter, double overhead cam, V10 engine was specially designed for the car and churns out 612 horsepower. This means that the GT is capable of 0 to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds and it gets to 160 km/h in 6.8 seconds. And if that kind of performance doesn’t say luxury, then the driver can revel in the soft leather interior, coddled in the carbon fiber monocoque chassis, and admire the beechwood gear shifter knob.
Bugatti
While BMW and Porsche are indeed makers of luxury automobiles, there are other production vehicles that simply blow them out of the water: namely the Bugatti Veyron. If you ever find yourself sitting in your Carrera GT, staring at the speedometer and thinking that 350 km/h just isn’t fast enough, then the Veyron is your car.
This automobile seems to have roared out of a science fiction film. Its retro-real styling and freakish performance figures evoke both fright and delight. The Veyron’s custom-built W16 engine (that’s two V8 engines conjoined), delivers 1,001 horsepower and 922 lb-ft of torque. Throw four turbochargers into the mix and you can hit 100 km/h in less than 2.5 seconds.
The car will happily drive up to 374 km/h without extra driver input. At 220 km/h the car automatically lowers into a more aggressive and aerodynamic posture, while simultaneously raising a rear spoiler. But in order to take full advantage of the Bugatti’s copious amounts of power, the driver has to come to a full stop. Once in park, the driver inserts the ‘top speed’ key into a special ignition slot. The car runs through a checklist for both pilot and driver. If all systems are go, the Veyron goes into launch mode by stowing the rear spoiler and dropping to 2.6 inches of ground clearance.
Whiplash inducing acceleration is followed by jaw dropping speed. Given space to stretch its legs, this car will reach 407 km/h, precisely one third the speed of sound. At this pace the Bugatti’s specially designed run flat tires will last 15 minutes. This fact is of little concern, however, as the Veyron’s 83 liter gas tank will run dry after only 12 minutes at full throttle. You will be relieved to know that it stops fast, too. The manufacturer claims the car will brake from 400 km/h to 0 in ten seconds with the help of the rear spoiler, which acts as an air brake.
And do not let the Veyron’s $1.3 million price tag scare you away. It certainly did not bother shoppers at the 2005 Dubai automotive show, who purchased all six cars on hand, including the floor models. Reportedly, over 220 cars have been sold worldwide and Bugatti has stepped up production to help meet the demand. It appears that the lure of luxury cars in the region is here to stay.
