MOTORING
MOTORING NEWS ETIHAD AIRWAYS
Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates, has just signed a major three-year sponsorship deal with the Ferrari F1 team, current holders of the Formula One World Championship. It follows a separate three-year deal where Etihad becomes a title sponsor of the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, starting with the inaugural event in 2009. The F1 sponsorship came into effect from the opening race of the season in Melbourne. The deal comes in line with the on-going association Ferrari has with the Emirate, including the construction of a USD 600 million branded Ferrari theme park in Abu Dhabi. Aimed at families and Ferrari enthusiasts alike, ‘Ferrari World’ will have a range of 24 different attractions, offering unique experiences from the first ever F1 branded twin roller-coaster to a 70-metre tall G-Force tower. www.etihadairways.com
SALON PRIVÉ TOP MARQUES MONACO The annual luxury super-car show Top Marques Monaco takes place at the Grimaldi Forum between 24-27 April; which sees a whole host of new additions to its roster of new launches. The exciting exotics on show this year include the 224-mph Gumpert Apollo, which boasts so much downforce and aerodynamic efficiency; it can be driven upside down on the roof of a tunnel! A new category has been added to the roster, which can be labelled as the ‘Supercars of the Sea’; and they include the XSR48 by XSMG, which is referred to as the ‘Bugatti of the sea’. Combining the performance of a supercar and detailing of a superyacht, this powerboat runs on Bio-Turbo Diesel engines, producing an impressive 1600hp.
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The UK Motor Boat of the Year award winners Sunseeker, will also be showcasing their range of luxury powerboats and yachts. Staff will be on hand to offer expert advice and guidance with everything from choosing the right boat and maintaining it to sourcing the right crew and insurance. www.topmarquesmonaco.com
Our very own luxury supercar show Salon Privé is back at the Hurlingham Club for the third year (2-4 July 2008). Building on the strength of the exotic marques on show, the three day event sees some of the best known names presenting the newest additions to their stables. We’ll be running a full feature highlighting some of the new launches following the event in July. Watch this space… www.salonprivelondon.com