Dubai - MENA Herald: McLaren Automotive and their retailer partner in the United Arab Emirates, Al Habtoor Motors, have opened the new McLaren showroom in Dubai on Sheikh Zayed Road. The new showroom for the British manufacturer of luxury handcrafted sports and super cars, is the most technically advanced McLaren sales facility globally and was officially opened on Monday 16th January 2017 by Andreas Bareis, Managing Director Middle East, Africa and Latin America Region; Jolyon Nash, Executive Director - Global Sales & Marketing, McLaren Automotive, and Ahmed Al Habtoor, Chief Exective Officer of Al Habtoor Motors – sole McLaren retail partner in the United Arab Emirates.
The opening comes nearly five years to the day since the first showroom in the Middle East was opened and the first delivery to customer was made of a McLaren 12C in the region, the super car which marked the start of the modern McLaren Automotive era, both of which took place in Dubai.
McLaren also confirmed that 2016 was a fifth consecutive year of record sales both globally and in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, with the region delivering over 200 cars to customers in a single year for the first time.
Performance from the McLaren retailer in the UAE, Al Habtoor Motors, was of particular note with sales development overall coming from the introduction of the Sports Series as well as sales of cars in the Super Series range that improved 28% over the previous year.
The result in the UAE also gives context to the investment of nearly AED4.47 million to build the new 647m2 showroom which will also support future models in the McLaren Track22 Business Plan revealed in early 2016. This reiterates the commitment from McLaren Automotive to continue building the world’s finest two-seater sports and super cars, along with industry-leading 20-25 percent of turnover invested in Research and Development for future products and technology.
Over the six-year Business Plan period, this represents an investment of £1 Billion. This will lead to the launch of 15 all-new cars or derivatives of which at least 50 percent will feature hybrid technology by the end of the Business Plan period. The company is also in the early prototype stages of the development of a Concept car with a fully-electric powertrain to evaluate its possible use in a future generation of an Ultimate Series car.
The first of the 15 new cars defined in the company’s Track22 Business Plan is the second generation of the Super Series, which will be first-ever replacement of a product family from McLaren Automotive and will debut on March 7 at the 87th Geneva International Motor Show.
THE NEW McLAREN DUBAI SHOWROOM
The new McLaren Dubai Showroom is the most customer focused and digitally appointed sales facility built to date, applying the same level of attention to detail, craftsmanship and technology which can be found in all McLaren sports and super cars, and is expressed in a number of new features.
These include two auditoria to highlight new McLaren models and those which have unique design features crafted through McLaren Special Operations, the department of McLaren responsible for all bespoke work on customer’s cars.
There is also a coffee lounge, a high-tech configuration suite that will allow customers to plan every aspect of their purchase virtually – from exterior paint options to interior trim – on a large, 4K-resolution screen in a comfortable, yet private, space and exceptional joinery and lighting from the world’s most renowned brands.
It is the first time that McLaren have specified and built many of the features in this showroom facility, almost all of which will go onto to be a design standard of any McLaren sales outlet globally.
Measuring 15.5 metres by 7.5 metres, the exterior LED screen will display bespoke McLaren content including historical footage through to the range of today’s sports and super cars. The screen is likely to ensure the new showroom becomes a landmark for the technology and engineering-led luxury brand.
Andreas Bareis, Managing Director of McLaren Automotive Middle East, Africa and Latin America, said of the new facility: ‘This new showroom further aligns the ambitions of Al Habtoor Motors and McLaren Automotive and is a strong foundation that will support with delivery of our Track22 Business Plan. It is also a testament to Al Habtoor Motors business that they have been able to establish the McLaren brand so successfully in a relatively short period of time and generate such significant loyalty from their customers to our brand.
Bareis continued: This is a very impressive new facility and one which will be a benchmark for any new McLaren showroom built around the world. It will allow us to exceed ever-increasing expectations from sports and super car owners in the Middle East during what we expect to be a new and successful, next generation for our business.
Ahmed Al Habtoor, Chief Executive Officer, Al Habtoor Motors, said at the launch: ‘We are delighted to be opening this brand-new facility with McLaren Automotive. Since we started our operations back in 1983, we have always embraced innovation and excellence, the new McLaren Dubai showroom we have unveiled today is testament to this and we look forward to welcoming our loyal McLaren customers, as well as many new customers, to what we truly believe to be a new benchmark in the automotive sales experience here in the UAE.’
The brand also recently celebrated the manufacture of its 10,000th car from the McLaren Production Centre in Woking, England. The 10,000th car, a McLaren 570S finished in Ceramic Grey paintwork from the McLaren Special Operations ‘Defined’ palette, rolled out of the Production Centre just over five years after the first car, a McLaren 12C, was completed.
The McLaren Production Centre has been the only location where McLaren cars have been built, from the initial 12C and 12C Spider, through to the 650S and 675LT in the Super Series, as well as each of the 375 highly-bespoke McLaren P1TM cars.
The McLaren Dubai showroom can be accessed via the Al Thanya Street exit of Sheik Zayed Road and is open every day except Friday from 09:00 to 20:00. The contact number is +971 4 382 7500 and website address is www.dubai.mclaren.com.