In positive car news for UAE drivers who need to renew their vehicle’s registration or their driving licence, a Customer Happiness Centre on Wheels may be coming your way.

The initiative has been instigated by the RTA (Road Transport Authority) and consists of a smart bus, which from January 1st to 10th was situated on Al Khawaneej’s last exit. In the bus, you will find a number of useful services such as vehicle reg, licence renewal, and parking cards.

Making life easier

The plan is for the bus to be in service for ten days out of every month, from 4-11pm, travelling throughout different regions in Dubai. Keep an eye on the RTA website and social media platforms to see when the bus is coming near you.

The idea behind the scheme is to make services related to vehicle ownership that little bit more convenient for communities and groups. For example, senior citizens, who may have found other renewal methods to be confusing or impractical.

The bus contains self-service machines to guide users through the process of renewing their driver’s licence or vehicle registration. There will be help and guidance available from employees on the bus, for anyone having difficulty or requiring help.

The Smart City initiative

The service forms a part of Dubai’s Smart City initiative, which seeks to take a proactive approach to making essential services more convenient for UAE residents.

The initiative is already in place, for example, there are Smart kiosks available in the Dubai Smart Police Station which offers its services around the clock. Dealing with people on the phone can be difficult and time-consuming, the transition to more Smart options for essential services both saves time and increases convenience.

The goal is to make it as easy and intuitive as possible to make sure drivers and their vehicles are kept properly licensed and registered. The systems have been designed to be as easy as possible to use, so should provide no barrier to users of any age.

Look out for the RTA bus in your local area, to renew your driver’s license or vehicle registration.

Car Collection Motorsport has claimed victory in the Hankook Dubai 24 Hours, taking the chequered flag after the 47 laps which represented the season opener in the 24H Series in 2019.

The Dubai showpiece ushered in another year in the testing motorsport series, which has won accreditation as an official FIA International Series. It is organised by Creventic, who also run the Touring Car Endurance Series.

But while the Car Collection Motorsport team led through every lap of the race, the team – which drove the new Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo – told the Sportscar365 platform that the victory was hard fought.

Driver Christopher Haase said: “I think maybe it looked easy, but we were pushing each lap on max attack. We had a bit of slight contact that I have seen on the car, but it was just a little bit of bodywork and that’s it. I have to say, Car Collection Motorsport did a great job, strategy-wise, which was for sure the main point. We had no troubles, which is always good in a 24-hour race!”

The Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo had already undergone a successful run out in the region late last year in the Gulf 12 Hours. The Dubai 24 Hours took place at the Dubai Autodrome, which is 25 minutes from downtown Dubai. Its combination of technical corners and high-speed straights has seen it named as one of the most challenging circuits in the world. The circuit is comprised of six different configurations, one of which enables three smaller circuits to be used concurrently.

VIPs at the event were treated to a spectacular setting from which to enjoy the race. From their private suites, they could take in the action from close quarters, with the cars passing just metres from them.

Over 70 teams took part in the event, in which the MS7 by WRT team finished second in their Audi R8 LMS, meaning that the German manufacturer was able to take both of the first spots on the podium. In third spot was the Scuderia Praha Ferrari team, which finished four laps behind the winner.

When it comes to a sporty looking car that gives plenty of power and awesome visuals, the 1.6 Turbo Renault Megane GT is hard to beat. With its eye-catching design and sleek lines, it has been a favourite of car lovers globally since being released. Big transport news in UAE for 2019 sees this superb car being available to buy in the region from Arabian Automobiles. This is the exclusive Renault dealer in the UAE and is found in Dubai, the Northern Emirates and Sharjah.

But what does this compact hot hatch have to make it worth a drive?

Genre-defining performance

Renault sells a few different hatchback models, but the Megane is perhaps the most popular of the lot. This latest model carries on that fine tradition and will surely sell well to motoring enthusiasts in the UAE. In simple terms, it is a real driver’s car that offers mouth-watering performance.

Boasting a brand new turbo-charged 1.6 litre petrol engine, 205hp is produced to allow it to get past 100kph in a little over 7 seconds. The top speed rests at around 230kph to deliver all the acceleration and driving thrills you desire.

Agile handling and a nippy feel

One of the real secrets that Renault uses here is the same as in their other well-respected hatchbacks: you do not need masses of power if the car is light! This 2019 Megane GT Turbo clocks in at only 1,329kg which gives a truly agile and responsive feel when behind the wheel. The wide base sees the wheels pushed out into the corners of the bodywork to help here as well. When you add in the option of four-wheel drive steering with this version of the Megane and a forgiving suspension, it is a truly beautiful car to drive.

Jaw-dropping design

Car buyers in the UAE will naturally wonder how this car looks as well as how it performs. After all, you need to look good when cruising around the region! Renault have done a great job here with 18-inch wheels giving it a sporty, feline look. The interior is spacious and comes with the option of Alcantara or fabric wrapping. The flowing curves of the bodywork also make it look much better than the last version of the Megane released in UAE.

If you love your cars then it may be worth going to your nearest Arabian Automobile Renault dealer to have a look. Be quick though – with limited numbers for sale, they may well go fast!

Today, Dubai car sales have rocketed, with the city being seen as one of the bonafide automobile capitals of the world. From the expos and film shoots, to the array of desirable motors which one can spot every day on the streets of the metropolis – cars are a part of the Dubai lifestyle, but it hasn’t always been that way.
You don’t have to go back that far when cars were virtually unheard of in this beautiful desert landscape – just to the 1960s, in fact.
According to the Khaleej Times, in 1966 there were only about 30 cars on the roads of Dubai, and they included Mercedes, Land Rovers and Bedford Trucks. Air conditioning was yet to be invented, and exhaust pipes had a very short life because of the salt in the air.
But when paved roads did start to appear, they engendered more enhancements. Chairman of the Arabian Construction Company, Ghassan Merhebi, told the news platform: “The roads made a lot of change. At last you could open shops, people could come to you, whenever somebody was driving you didn’t have dust all over you. Life quality improved with the paved roads. I got the first car after they were paved. I couldn’t have a Toyota Crown until the roads were paved.”
Al Wahda Road was one of the first streets to be built in Dubai, and it connected the city to Sharjah. This transport route has had a major upgrade in the last decade, which has eased traffic problems. Part of it now has a double decker section, and there are also underpasses and bridges to address congestion.
The other original Dubai byway was Al Seef Road. This also bears little resemblance to the four-lane structure which we see today. Back in the 1960s, Al Seef Road was a narrow, single lane affair, with cars having to circumnavigate the donkeys which also used it. Running along a strategically important route, Al Seef Road goes by the oldest building in Dubai – Al Fahidi Fort.
So next time you are cursing in a Dubai traffic jam, think of the city as a ‘late bloomer’ which is making up for lost time as far as automobiles go. And be glad you have air conditioning!

A major UAE investor is behind the release of a new Soviet-inspired luxury car from the state-owned Russian car manufacturer Aurus. UAE based Tawazun Holdings has put up 460m AED in the development of the vehicle, with the hope that they can make inroads into the luxury car market in the UAE.

A glamorous presentation was delivered at the Moscow motor show, with audiences getting a first look at the Aurus Senat sedan and the luxury Aurus Senat limousine.

The designers of the new vehicles took inspiration from the Russian-made ceremonial cars that leaders of the Soviet Union appeared in at high profile events. At the time, the luxury vehicles that have inspired the new cars were only manufactured for high ranking officials.

Vadim Pereverzev, the head of the design team, claimed the car manufacturer is hoping to make inroads into the share of the market that is currently occupied by Rolls Royce and Mercedes-Benz.

The announcement from Aurus comes only days after the arms manufacturer Kalashnikov made waves with its announcement of a new electric car with a retro Soviet-inspired design.

The design of the Aurus Limousine, featuring a very large front chrome grille, has been influenced by the ZIS luxury vehicle that was made specifically for Stalin.

The Russian state enterprise NAMI, the major stakeholder in Aurus, has worked with Russian automotive giant Sollers to design and manufacture the new vehicles. Funding for the project from the Russian taxpayers has reached around 12 billion roubles.

Aureus has initially targeted wealthy Russian citizens, but is hoping to compete with western luxury vehicles in the international market.

The price of the vehicles have yet to be announced, but is believed to be slightly more expensive than Mercedes-Benz and cheaper than Rolls Royce.

Tawazun Holdings was created in 2007 and is based in Abu Dhabi. The company was founded to forge strategic industrial partnerships and investments to help improve the manufacturing industry in the UAE. The focus of the company is spread across the automotive, defence, technology, and the aerospace industries.