Dubai: The UK sportscar brand McLaren has switched dealerships in Dubai – and confirmed plans to have its first representation in Abu Dhabi in the “second-half of 2022”.
Performance Tuning llc, part of the Khalifa Juma Al Nabooda Group, will represent the brand in Dubai, which will be bolstered through a new showroom on Shaikh Zayed Road – by the end of March next - and a service centre. Al Habtoor Motors had hitherto been representing McLaren until now.
“The Middle East is one of the global hotspots for the brand – our focus now will be on the Artura, which is the first car of our second decade in operations,” said Mohamed Fawzi, Market Director at McLaren Automotive Ltd..
The Artura comes with some heavy credentials, as the first ‘hybrid supercar’. It represents part of a 400 million pound investment McLaren is pumping into developing a new architecture as well as all the bells-and-whistles that come with it. First deliveries are scheduled for the second quarter of the 2022. Prices for the model – which was unveiled in February last - start at $225,000.
The Artura's coming
As with McLaren launches of past years, the UAE and Gulf markets will have contributed heavily to the bookings. This represents the third hybrid the manufacturer had brought out, starting with the P1 in 2013 and 2018’s Speedtail.
It has been a good 10 years for McLaren in establishing itself as a supercar brand combined with its heritage on the race tracks. As Fawzi said, the UAE has been one of the global hotspots for each new launch. In fact, when it comes to bespoke services – all of the trims and additions placed on the core model – the UAE ranks as the top market for McLaren Special Operations.
More supercar makers are going full out on hybrid and all-electric options, reckoning they stand a better chance than volume carmakers in winning sales.
Abu Dhabi plans
On appointing a dealership in Abu Dhabi, Fawzi did not let on much, apart from saying that a decision is likely towards the later part of 2022. He also did not reveal whether there were any interested parties that have been shortlisted.
On the Dubai move, he said: “The Al Nabooda Group has the credentials to be a successful retailer of McLaren. The new showroom will be one of the biggest for the brand, hewing to the latest and best corporate visual elements.”
