Amphibious cars take to waters off Palm Jumeirah

Dubai - The first-of-its-kind performance was one of a series of events taking place during the 12-day Dubai Motor Festival.

Two high-speed, custom-built amphibious cars took to the waters off Palm Jumeirah on Tuesday afternoon in what organisers have billed as the world's "first amphibious supercar performance."
During the event, the two cars - both of them owned by the office of Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai - raced through the water near the Waldorf Astoria and performed a series of high-speed manoeuvers in front of a crowd of surprised beachgoers and members of the local media. "To use the car, you basically switch over from the gear box to the jets," explained Michael Rall, one of the drivers. "It's really no different from driving a boat, or a car."
"When we transition with the car into the water, we raise the wheels up, tuck them in under the car, and then basically it turns into a giant jet ski," he added. "On land it drives more like a car, and in the water it drives more like a jet ski." The vehicles reach 55 kmph on the water.
The first-of-its-kind performance was one of a series of events taking place during the 12-day Dubai Motor Festival.
It was organised by the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing) and the organisers of the festival, with the support of the Waldorf Astoria hotel on the Palm.
"We strive to find the most unique activities each year at the Dubai Motor Festival, and I think with this amazing spectacle, we've set the bar pretty high" said Jin Chwen Ong the Director of Dubai Motor Festival.
Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment CEO Laila Mohammed Suhail said that the event is just the latest in a long series of high-profile events that have placed Dubai on the world stage.
"This is another milestone in our journey in the festival industry that started back in 1996 ... we have sensed the overwhelming passion for motoring events in the UAE and the region," she said.
"The Dubai Motor Festival is steadily becoming another success story of Dubai," Suhail added. "This is evident from the great response and participation of the many private sector entities that have opted to use (it) as a platform for creating innovative events and promotions."
Suhail also noted that the happiness of visitors to Dubai festivals is an important measure of success for the Emirate.
"The events we do are focused on families, with different activities and plans for the kids," she said. "We include happiness as a measure. It's not just about the economic impact, or how many visitors, or how much they spend in retail outlets. It's important to measure how satisfied the visitors are, and the happiness index has to be included in our measures."
The Dubai Motor Festival will end this weekend at the Meydan "Motor Village" with events including a Marques de Elegance competition and an award for the best National Day decorated car.
Additionally, a massive "Grand Parade" of more than 600 supercars from 48 countries will drive through the streets of the Emirate.
bernd@khaleejtimes.com

• Amphibious car speeds on waters off Palm Jumeirah in Dubai

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