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Sunday, December 12, 2010

Gearhead Heaven (or Petrolhead Paradise)



The other day I went to the Abu Dhabi International Motor Show (ADIMS). This event happens every two years which surprises me considering the car crazy culture in the UAE. I figured it would be an annual event. The show was held in the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC).

I have always been an incurable Gearhead (US) or Petrolhead (rest of the world). At 3 years of age I could discern different makes and models of cars. It is a native ability which unfortunately is not a lucrative one.

Seems there is there is always something going on at the ADNEC but this was my first time there. I have to say I was very impressed with the facility. Easy access and parking in the garage. The venue was squeaky clean and the attendants and security personnel were pleasant and helpful.

 One of the first things I noticed was this:

A pool,table fashioned after a 1965 Mustang
This is a creation of a company called Classic Pride from Dubai. I have to admire their vision. This was nicely done and they do a lot of other stuff with classic car themes.

All the major automobile brands had a display in addition to some local vendors and customizers.






For A-L




And many others.

One of the most interesting cars was in the Mazda area. This vehicle was shrouded for a few hours and when it was unveiled, this is what emerged:








In my opinion, easily the star of the show. While it it a concept car and most likely will never see production it still is a good example of creative design.

Hyundai had an interesting car on display also. They have come a long way from the econobox they have been known for in the past.




Abu Dhabi's Finest were well represented also.







And then there are the dreamers....Yes that is $800,000.00


Nothing beats Detroit heavy iron. They may be crude but you can't beat the Bang for the Buck!!!!








As far as pure style goes, this is my favorite:


For a cruiser, this Jaguar would be my choice, but the guy picking his nose in the background kind of ruins it for me:



I saw this woman sitting in the black Ferrari convertible and I tried to get her to do a friendly wave. She responded as if I asked her to take her pants off. I shot the photo anyway. I had a media badge on too! Bitch!!


Speaking of which, most of the women hired to showcase the cars were acting badly. Sure, I was there early and there were not a lot of folks around at that time but I saw most of the models sitting around, drinking coffee and yawning. They were not promoting the cars at all. If it was me as their boss, I would have sent them packing! Bad attitudes and indifference don't sell cars!

These ladies were cool though!



Anyway, there was some activities outside, namely the white Prado obstacle course. You would think there would be nothing left to prove as most are seen doing 200KMH+ in the fast lane but here ya go! They can actually go slow too!




And then was the Go Cart track. The concessionaire made a big deal about changing into a race suit like you are an F1 contender. I have to admit that it looked like fun but at 150 DH a pop, I had to decline. The carts sounded like they had Briggs & Stratton lawnmower engines in them but the track was tight and suitable for the speed.



All in all it was a fun afternoon. I love things automotive and this scratched my itch. The facility is top notch and things were run well. However, I am left wondering why there were not more people there and why this event is held only every two years in this otherwise car-crazy country.





10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nothing beats Detroit heavy iron. They may be crude but you can't beat the Bang for the Buck!!!!

Actually they replaced the heavy cast iron block from the 2010 GT500 with a lighter aluminum one in the 2011.

Also gained 10 hp, 550 now.

So you showed off all Detroit muscle except for the dodge charger and challenger?

Tsk tsk.

We should have you over to the race track one day.

I stopped going to this event because the people showing the cars are ill informed morons. You ask one question about a car that is deeper than "How many doors does it have?" and they are lost.

Abudhabilist said...

Interesting though that there was no commercial representation from a stack of obvious brands...

Porshe, VW, Audi, and BWM to Name 4.

And while there was 2 Lambo's in attendance, there wasn't actually a Lamborghini stand.

You are right, for a country that is car mad you would think that there would be enough scope to put on a show every year.

But the reality is, like with many things - Apathy gets in the way of a good time, by both the public AND the car companies.

International motor show? Hardly.

Ace said...

@ultra[blue]I own a 2000 Mustang GT convertible back in the States that produces 270 HP out of the 4.6 L V8 and I am in awe of the HP they get out of the 5.0L now!
Notable No-Shows were Mopar/Fiat, Honda, BMW, Mercedes and Nissan.

I would be honored to be invited to the race track one day!

In an earlier life I used to sell cars and we were always recruited. for car shows to get prospects. That is why the guys don't know shit. They are salesmen and are not tech oriented.

@Abudhabilist... You are correct sir! Many of the iconic brands didn't bother to attend. It was kind of sad. In this country of money and automobile interest, I was surprised at the lack of attendance and enthusiasm. ADNEC is a world class venue and fan friendly. The only thing I wanted was to find was a beer at one of the cafes! But that is just me.

Chuck said...

Some very sweet rides there. I really liked that pool table as well although I imagine it would cost a pretty penny. I really like the looks of the new Camaro although I don't know if I'd ever buy one...new cars are just so damn pricey! But it is nice to have an eye-catching ride, I kind of miss that.

Ace said...

@Chuck....the way you admit to banging up your own car on occasion..best to stick to that, HaHa! When are you moving to ORD?

Chuck said...

Ha! My car looks pretty good for a 1996 model, if I do say so myself. Most of my bang-ups have involved flat tires. Current plan is to move in 2012, we will see if it actually happens then or not.

Ace said...

Wondering about all the flat tires, I haven't had a flat in decades....just funning with you!

I considered throwing my hat into the ring with CO until I saw the starting pay,that won't go far in ORD land. If $3900/month gross is the standard for majors now I may have to stay here for awhile longer.

I had a friend recalled from furlough to AA recently. Looks like the job market is getting better now. I am preparing for re-entry.

Chuck said...

Actually we just got a new contract, you should have seen the OLD pay scale. I think I'll be fine in ORDland but it would suck if you had a family, houses in areas with good schools are a long way from downtown and more than double what they cost here. As far as the wages we got the average or better of all the legacy carriers...and it tops out after 11 years higher than everyone except Delta and SWA.

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