Say hello to the SandRacer 500GT, a car that is the result of over two years’ worth of testing and mechanical improvements. From Zarooq Motors, who are based in the UAE, the first production model will be available with a price tag of AED 1.7 million.

The car, which has two seats and rear wheel drive, has gone big on luxury with the interior thanks to the luxury hand-stitched leather. Although it doesn’t have the appearance you’d normally associate with a supercar, the exterior of the SandRacer has been crafted entirely from carbon-fibre.

Those with decent memories will recall the initial design of the car was unveiled back in 2015 at the Abu Dhabi grand prix. The differences in appearance between the SandRacer and regular supercars show Zarooq Motors are clearly hoping to appeal to a broader range of car buyers. Zarooq believe there is a strong market for cars that have the power of a supercar, but are also practical. Zarooq executive Mohammed Al Qadi stated that most supercars aren’t designed with speed bumps in mind, before adding that the SandRacer 500GT has been designed to suit both ‘city commuting’ and ‘off-road’ terrain.

By appealing to fans of both supercars and luxury cars, Al Quadi believes the SandRacer is a highly versatile vehicle, suitable for both a ‘week-end track day’ and a ‘luxurious commute’ throughout the city. He even stated that the SandRacer is capable of tackling some of the ‘toughest dunes’ the Arabian Desert has to offer.

When it comes to the luxurious elements of the car, reports have stated that materials that have been used by both Rolls-Royce and Lamborghini were used in the design process for the SandRacer’s interior. New owners of the SandRacer can expect a digital dashboard and climate control as standard. Additionally, there’s CarPlay compatibility, and carbon fibre has been used in the seats and steering wheel. Performance wise, there’s a 6.2 litre V8 on board capable of 525hp and 660Nm, which has been designed to work seamlessly with the lightweight racing chassis.

If you’re interested in the SandRacer then you’re going to have to be quick, sales have already started. There are 35 first limited-edition cars in total, and those that have already been ordered are scheduled to be delivered by the end of the year.

In one of the most exciting pieces of transport news in UAE this year, we can reveal that Bentley’s latest run of vehicles have been crafted with the Emirates in mind.

The UAE has always had a soft spot for Bentley – the iconic motoring brand recently opened its largest showroom to date in the country – and now residents are set to be given exclusive access to a limited run of three vehicles, known as SZR by Mulliner.

Each of the vehicles have been designed by Bentley’s in-house luxury department and are based on the classic Bentley Continental GTC V8. The cars are finished in an eye-catching ghost-white paint job which contrasts with touches of orange flame on the hood and trims.

Luxury interior

No expense is spared inside each of the models, which feature a sumptuous tri-tone interior that perfectly and understatedly compliments the exterior.

Said interior is manufactured from an all-new trim, known as “sparkle carbon”, which is a combination of three fabrics – copper foil, carbon fibre and metal wire. These are combined and then meticulously polished, lacquered and cut down to size to provide a luxurious fascia, instrument panel and console.

As can be expected from Bentley, there’s no shortage of premium features for comfort and added enjoyment on the road. The cockpit features memory foam seats, ventilation, an intuitive multimedia system with touchscreen functionality for ease of use, and everything else in between.

The king of luxury cars: what’s under the hood?

As could be predicted, Bentley’s signature 4-litre twin turbo V8 petrol motor is the beating heart of each model, providing power to all four wheels. With a 520bhp rating, this UAE exclusive soft-top can reach speeds of 100km/h in just 4.7 seconds.

New cars in the UAE

When asked for comment, Stephen Reynolds, the regional director for Bentley in the UAE, said that the company wanted to do “something special” for its loyal customer base in the UAE, and that the custom Mulliner designs will cement the loyal relationship between Bentley and Emirates-based Al Habtoor Motors, which is regarded as one of Bentley’s most revered global partners.

There is a generation of car owners that simply don’t want to own the latest Mercedes, Audi or other big automotive brand. For those types who want something distinctive, the revival of the Borgward label by Chinese truck maker Foton might be of interest. Arriving in the UAE soon courtesy of a distribution deal with Union Motors, the historic German name could provide something a little different, certainly in the branding department.

Borgward was founded almost a century ago, and produced cars into the sixties with a focus on style and sporting excellence, along with a truck line, which is probably where the Chinese interest comes in. Famed for its Hansa and Isabella coupe models, the revived company was launched by a grandson of the founder and has an SUV model already for sale in China that will be the focus of sales in the UAE.

The Borgward range

The Borgward BX7 SUV crossover looks pretty much like most European SUV models, featuring all-wheel drive, hybrid power, driver safety assistance and seven luxury seats, but with the distinctive Borgward badge on the front. A base model features a 2.0-litre engine producing 221 horsepower. For variety, there’s the Touring Sports model and a smaller version, the BX5, starting off with a 4-cylinder turbo engine, could be on the market next year. Importantly, while lots of Chinese-built cars do not meet European and global safety standards, the Borgward range is designed to meet these, making it a more likely choice for the safety conscious.

Of more interest, and recently shown off at the Shanghai Auto Show, is an all-electric BXi7, featuring the company’s e-PROPULSION electric drive platform, offering a range of around 500 kilometres with the ability to reach 80% of charge capacity within half an hour at the growing number of fast-charging stations in the region.

With an international design team at the helm of Borgward’s studio, the company could soon be making inroads into sales of the traditional SUV players. It is partnering with a number of European component firms to produce innovations in seating design, audio integration and other areas that should help it stand out in the crowded market.

Over the last two or three quarters, the transport news in UAE has all been about continuing low car sales, right across the Gulf region.

Many industry analysts and media outlets expressed hope that the first quarter of 2017 would be the start of a recovery in car sales. But consultancy Auto Data’s figures for that quarter showed instead a drop throughout the region of 22.9% compared with the first quarter of last year.

Nowhere seemed safe – Qatar showed a 26% drop and Saudi Arabia, 27%. It’s affecting sales of new and used cars alike, with new car sales showing a 21.45% decline in the UAE.

The knock-on effects of these lowered sales figures have been difficult for car sales outlets to cope with. Dealers have had to cut deliveries from manufacturers because to avoid the costs associated with securely storing unsold cars. Manufacturers have also been pushing out cars faster than the dealers can sell them, exacerbating the stockpile situation, and the US dollar exchange rate hasn’t helped either.

But car buyers in the UAE can take advantage of this situation.

As dealers become ever more desperate to shift their inventory the incentives are getting better and better. If you’re thinking of buying any car or upgrading to a new or nearly-new car in the UAE, you could not have picked a better time.

But as you’ve probably already got another car, you’ll need to trade it in, and dealers aren’t too happy about adding to their stocks of cars at the moment.

That’s where Simply Car Buyers comes in. If you’re selling a car in UAE right now, why not take a look and see what you could get for it?

Selling to Simply Car Buyers means that you can go into a dealer’s showroom as a cash buyer – the sort of customer every dealer loves. That cash means a simple deal for the dealer and you can use that to drive the price of your new car down to rock bottom.

To take advantage of the current lull in new car sales, get your free valuation at Simply Car Buyers today.

In May, the UAE government announced a new automotive plan that aims to see at least 10% of federal vehicles replaced with electric cars. The goals of the fleet upgrade scheme are to reduce the government’s own greenhouse gas emissions and to encourage others to adopt green vehicles. That’s both locally, and the government hopes that other GCC nations will follow suit.

This news comes as car makers increase the green options available in the UAE. Telsa will open its first UAE store this summer and is encouraged by the news, offering the Model S sedan for AED275,000 as it continues to push electric and self-driving cars across the region. For those looking for a more affordable option, Renault will launch its Zoe40 model later in the year in the UAE, offering a single-charge range of between 300km and 400km for around AED125,000.

With many more electric models hitting the world’s showrooms in 2017 and 2018, more will soon be available in the UAE to provide greater choice as local businesses and car makers improve the number of public charging stations available. Tesla is already building nine new stations, with many already installed in neighbouring emirates. Most car park operators are installing, or plan to install, charging points.

Charging points offer around 100 miles of travel per hour of charging, but most owners can happily manage a day’s driving on a single overnight charge. Another key benefit of electric cars is the vastly reduced maintenance costs as there are no complex engines to service and fewer moving parts that can age or fail. Figures show that an electric car costs about a third as much to maintain as a petrol car. That and the general move to more environmentally friendly transport are great reasons to consider an EV as your next model.

If you are planning to upgrade to an electric vehicle, with BMW and Jaguar bringing new EV models to the market soon, you can sell your old car to us directly. The process takes less than half an hour and you can see what you can get for your model here at Simply Car Buyers