First UAE made sports car delivered, Land Rover 4 x 4 challenge for schools on Monday, Porsche GT3 Cup completes 100 races and Gulf 12 Hours race next weekend

First UAE made sports car finds first owner

Chassis number #001 of the Jannarelly Design-1, an open-top, two-seater sports car designed and manufactured in Dubai was handed over to Classic car aficionado, Gaurav Dhar yesterday. The excited owner described the feeling as “almost like me taking the first delivery of the very first Lotus.

“Inspired by sports cars of the 1950s and ’60s such as the pontoon-shaped 1957 Ferrari Testa Rossa and the iconic 1962 Shelby AC Cobra, designer Anthony Jannarelly submitted himself to the mission of bringing pure, open-topped fun back into motoring – by building a sports car deliberately stripped of advanced driver aids and touches of luxury.

The car is driven by a Nissan-sourced, 3.5-litre, V6 engine mounted behind the driver, delivering 310bhp. Made of fibreglass and carbon fibre, the body weighs just 810kg. Jannarelly was earlier behind the stunning style of the Lykan and Fenyr Supersport supercars of W Motors. The Design-1 has been developed alongside the composite materials expert, Frederic Juillot. The duo is behind the upcoming, off-road vehicle, Zarooq Sand Racer.

Priced from AED 230,000, ex-Dubai, the Design-1 attracts attention and, according to its creators, delivers the thrills of cars twice its price. “This is the perfect Dubai car, something I can taketo the mountains during the day and cruise Sheikh Zayed Road at night,” he said. The keys were handed over at the second annual Gulf Concours at the Burj Al Arab. The international launch is scheduled for February in France.

Land Rover 4×4 Challenge for Schools world final at Yas Marina

Bright young engineers from 16 countries will compete at the Yas Marina Circuit in the third Land Rover 4×4 in Schools Technology Challenge world final – the first time it is being held outside the UK. The two-day competition sees teams of 13-19-year olds from 16 countries take on a series of driving challenges using miniature remote-controlled four-wheel drive vehicles they have themselves designed, built and tested for the competition – similar to the F1 challenge. The finalists will have to face a surprise challenge at the end that will test their teamwork and how they work under pressure. A team of five talented students from Repton School in Dubai will represent the United Arab Emirates – codenamed ‘Project Ram’, the team is led by captain Paula Hautvast, 17.

The Land Rover 4×4 In Schools programme is aimed at young people aged 11 – 19 years old and involves four to six team members. It envisions better awareness, interest and enthusiasm in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) through the practical application of these subjects.

The teams have to design and build a remote-controlled scale-model four-wheel drive all-terrain vehicle capable of negotiating a tough test track complete with challenging road surfaces including water dips, a rope bridge, and rocks. Besides proving their vehicle’s ability on a bespoke Land Rover track, the teams have to present their work and knowledge of 4×4 vehicle design to a panel of judges.

The global competition sees the brightest young engineering minds compete in regional and national rounds of competition to reach the world finals. The contest supports classroom education, and underlines Land Rover’s desire to recruit the next generation of engineers, who will design and develop future electric, connected and autonomous vehicles.

Porsche GT3 Cup marks 100^th race

The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East celebrated its 100th race at the Dubai Autodrome as part of the UAE National Day series this weekend. The spoils of the 99th and 100th races were split among Omani driver Al Faisal Al Zubair, Great Britain’s Tom Oliphant and Germany’s Wolfgang Triller. A solid drive from Al Zubair put him in first place in race one, 4.670 seconds ahead of Oliphant, while the more competitive Race two saw Oliphant emerging victorious, only 0.707 seconds ahead of Al Zubair. In both races, Triller completed the podium honours.

This victory is Oliphant’s second in the four races so far and places him 6 points above Al Zubair. Oliphant remarked, “I’m really pleased, and to win the 100th race in the championship is a real honour. We now move on with the championship lead going into the winter break and hope to come back to Dubai in the new year just as strong!”

The championship will return to Dubai for Round 3, before visiting Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit for Round 4. In a thrilling conclusion, the final two rounds will be held in Bahrain, as an official support race for the 2018 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix. Now in its ninth season, the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East has evolved in international reputation, attracting European stars to the Middle East seeking top-class competition during the winter months.

Coming up: Gulf 12 hours endurance weekend

The seventh edition of one of the most exciting races in the region – the Gulf 12-Hours will return to the Yas Marina Circuit on Saturday, 16th December. The Circuit will host qualifying rounds on Friday 15th December, with the big race happening in two rounds, each lasting six hours and featuring both daylight and floodlit races In true endurance spirit. (Race 1: 9am to 3pm / Race 2: 5.45pm to 11.45pm)

Some of the most luxurious GT3 cars, including the AMG Mercedes, Lamborghini Huracan, Ferrari 458 and Aston Martin Vantage will battle the curves and corners of Yas Marina Circuit, while seen for the first time would be a host of classic Formula 1 cars. Besides the headlining Gulf 12-Hours event, the weekend will be further charged with the round three of the thrilling Yas Racing Series, featuring the TRD 86 Cup together with the Formula 4 UAE Championship and MRF Challenge.

Tickets start at 195 AED for food and soft drinks and 295 AED for food and hops, and are available online at www.yasmarinacircuit.com or through the Yas Marina Circuit Call Centre (800 927) or +971 (0) 2 659 9800.