KUWAIT: McLaren Automotive, the world’s newest sports car manufacturer, has opened its first showroom in Kuwait, the latest step in its program to establish a retail network spanning the world’s most prestigious locations. The new McLaren Kuwait showroom opened its doors on February 8 with a special event for select VIPs and media.
The event was hosted by Mark Harrison, McLaren Automotive’s newly appointed Regional Director for Middle East and Africa, and Fahad Al-Ghanim, Managing Director of Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive Company, McLaren Automotive’s retail partner in Kuwait. Located on Airport Road, the new McLaren Kuwait showroom is the centrepiece of the Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive Company state-of-the-art showrooms which house all of the company’s luxury brands.
Visitors to the showroom will have the opportunity to see McLaren’s first ‘pure’ high-performance sports cars, the award-winning MP4-12C. The 12C features innovative technologies that enable the car to deliver performance above even competitors at twice its price; it features a one-piece, molded carbon ‘MonoCell’ chassis, a compact, lightweight, and highly efficient 592bhp V8 twin turbo engine, and an innovative Proactive Chassis Control suspension system that ensures ultimate track performance and great comfort on the road.
Mark Harrison said: “The launch of McLaren Kuwait is an exciting development for us as we build momentum around our expansion across the Middle East. The showroom, our second in the region, is a state-of-the-art facility and fully represents the McLaren Automotive brand. In the Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive Company, we are working with a partner that is well established and highly respected in the Kuwaiti market. At McLaren, we have strong views on future growth – to offer great cars and an exceptional customer experience; I know our partners in Kuwait share a similar view and I welcome Ali Alghanim & Sons into the McLaren family.”
Also on permanent display within the McLaren Kuwait showroom will be an important piece of McLaren’s racing heritage. Customers will be able to get up close to the MP4/8 Formula 1 car, driven by three-time Formula One world champion Ayrton Senna. Raced throughout the 1993 season it was the car in which he won his last ever Formula 1 race. Senna is widely regarded as one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all time, while the MP4/8 produced five victories for the McLaren Formula One team.
Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive Company is one of the initial 35 retailers worldwide being appointed by McLaren Automotive to sell and service its range of high-performance sports cars, starting with the ground-breaking MP4-12C. Founded in the 1960s, Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive Company is well known for consistently providing the highest levels of service to its customers, and is expected to be a key part of the success of the British company in the GCC region. With McLaren’s 50th anniversary on the horizon in 2013, a combination of over 75 years of experience, pedigree and success lies at the heart of this exciting new automotive venture in Kuwait.
Yousef Alqatami, General Manager of Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive Company said: “We are delighted to add the McLaren Automotive brand to our collection of luxury and sports automobiles. The launch of the showroom is the centrepiece of our collection and we look forward to growing the business with McLaren Automotive.”
The Middle East is a key market for McLaren Automotive. In addition to the two showrooms now open in Kuwait (Ali Alghanim & Sons) and Dubai (Al Habtoor Motors), the company’s full regional network will include retailers in Abu Dhabi (also Al Habtoor Motors), Bahrain (Al Ghassan Motors), Qatar (Dana Motors) and Saudi Arabia (Al Ghassan Motors). There will also be a service centre in Lebanon (Saad & Trad Sal).
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