Porsche in Dubai

[r_rich]

Hello all

I have recently moved to Dubai and I'm interested in getting a 911 (prob 996). Could anybody recommend any decent Porsche specialists in the region or anybody that provides an pre purchase inspection service?

Thanks

Rich

[equinox_uk]

Good luck and remember never to give the finger to anyone while you're driving, even if they're tail gating you, flashing their lights and making hand gestures towards you.

I learnt that at my expense last week on holiday there!

[Harris_I]

Welcome to Dubai, Rich. Check out the Middle East section of PH and also I recommend Gulf Petrolheads which has a lot of useful info and local motorsport chit chat (especially UAE Touring Car Championship which has a few Porsches competing).

Talk to Alex Renner re getting a PPI. www.armotors.ae

Then once you have the car, join the Porsche Club UAE and come to the track days at the Autodrome. See you there!

Harris

[forza whites]

r_rich said:

Hello all

I have recently moved to Dubai and I'm interested in getting a 911 (prob 996). Could anybody recommend any decent Porsche specialists in the region or anybody that provides an pre purchase inspection service?

Thanks

Rich

Am sorry to hear that

[graeme36s]

not a place I would choose to live or even visit. Good luck though,

[98C4S]

I was there a few weeks ago, the economy is in clear turmoil.. empty buildings, halted building work, empty properties...

Some lovely cars though...

[hog 1]

You might be lucky enough to pick one up for free........... business friend of mine told me yesterday that Airport Departures car -park has many cars abandoned there with the keys in the ignition. Lease deal cars left behind by people getting out because of the financial melt-down and keeping up a lease agreement is the least of their worries!

[will_968]

Ignore lots of the negative talking down of Dubai at the moment. Including some of the above posts - they simply aren't true.

Plenty of Porsches. Alex Renner, House of Cars and Reem Auto are obvious places, but there's also a big auto market at a place called Al Aweer. It's well worth checking out. I presume you've already found the Porsche Dubai official site? Cayman S for 204k AED is where my money's going, just as soon as they release the Club Sport version.

Good luck, and feel free to drop me a PM if you have any specific question. Only been here 6 months, but settling in well.

Edited by will_968 on Sunday 19th April 06:35

[urban_alchemist]

98C4S said:

I was there a few weeks ago, the economy is in clear turmoil.. empty buildings, halted building work, empty properties...
.

And millions of dumped, duped, disenfranchised migrant workers in appalling conditions.

Let it burn.

[Harris_I]

A chap asks for some info in a Porsche forum and gets a lecture from people who have not visited the place but prefer to rely on hysterical tabloid journalism.

What a curiously British response.

[Paracetamol]

hog 1 said:

You might be lucky enough to pick one up for free........... business friend of mine told me yesterday that Airport Departures car -park has many cars abandoned there with the keys in the ignition. Lease deal cars left behind by people getting out because of the financial melt-down and keeping up a lease agreement is the least of their worries!

Ahh..that old wives tale again...

[Mattt]

Paracetamol said:

hog 1 said:

You might be lucky enough to pick one up for free........... business friend of mine told me yesterday that Airport Departures car -park has many cars abandoned there with the keys in the ignition. Lease deal cars left behind by people getting out because of the financial melt-down and keeping up a lease agreement is the least of their worries!

Ahh..that old wives tale again...

Exactly, the Police only found 3 cars didn't they!

[Mattt]

urban_alchemist said:

98C4S said:

I was there a few weeks ago, the economy is in clear turmoil.. empty buildings, halted building work, empty properties...
.

And millions of dumped, duped, disenfranchised migrant workers in appalling conditions.

Let it burn.

Expert are you?

FWIW we've got X000 workers in camps - and they're not bad. Not 5*, but compared to their homes they are at least comparable or better.

More tar for your brush?

[r_rich]

Thanks for the responses guys - some useful pointers.

I'd rather leave a debate regarding the morality/financial state of Dubai to other forums.

However, I've been here 2 weeks and am loving it - its nowhere near as bad (financially or morally) as the Daily Mail would have you believe!

[batphink]

Hi Rich

I looked at buying a Porsche here (in Dubai) for a while and decided its a minefield. Be very wary of the dealers at the automarket. That place is incredible dont get me wrong - petrolhead heaven there's pretty much one of everything there - but the cars can be of questionable history to put it lightly. Locals dont look after their cars, rag them stupid for 6 months then upgrade to whatever the latest thing is. Be very careful buying anything second hand.

Got to the specialists mentioned already - I've dealt with House of Cars and they seem pretty straight up. Again, do your own research because I took my 968 clubbie there for an check over and they offered me a 4 A4-page list of things they said needed doing. My brother and I inspected it and it needed less than half the stuff doing.

Last words of advice and that is to avoid US cars unless its got bulletproof history and is very reasonably priced. US spec cars are not set up for the heat, parts are often very expensive (when different from Euro or Gulf spec) and they are more often than not stolen and shipped to the Middle East!

Hope you find what you're looking for. It certainly is a buyers market at the moment.

Ben

[r_rich]

Harris, Batphink, Will

Do either of you know the laws regarding the age of cars over here? I was originally potentially interested in a 993 but a couple of people have told me that its soon going to be impossible to register a car over 10/15 years old?

Thanks

Rich

[Mattt]

Last I heard was that rule has been put on hold - how long for though I don't know.

[will_968]

r_rich said:

Harris, Batphink, Will

Do either of you know the laws regarding the age of cars over here? I was originally potentially interested in a 993 but a couple of people have told me that its soon going to be impossible to register a car over 10/15 years old?

Thanks

Rich

Yep - I do - as I bought myself a W124 E500.

They were going to introduce a law stopping you transferring the ownership of cars over 10 years old and also banning car's from the roads that are over 20 years old. Both rules would have exemptions if the vehicle was categorized as "classic". When asked what constituted a "classic" I read a quote from someone at the RTA stating "something like 40 or 50 years old maybe". Obviously completely useless.

However they didn't bring the rule in, so at present, there is nothing stopping you buying or registering older cars here. There's still rumors that the new law will be introduced, but no specifics as to when.

I personally have taken a view that is the car is sought after enough that it's collectible by the rich arabs, then it'll be exempt. So I'd guess a 993 would be. You'll have to decide yourself if you think that's correct or not.

The other safety net is to try and buy something that's worth more back in the UK or Europe than it is in Dubai. That way if they do change the rule and you want to sell, you can export it somewhere else and make a few ££.

[Harris_I]

Sound advice from Will.

I'm currently in the process of buying a 15 year old Lancia and have taken the view that if the law does get passed, and the traffic authority in their infinite muppetry deem a six-times WRC winner not to be a classic, I can always send it back home to the UK.

Same goes for the 993 - in fact I get the impression air-cooled Porsches are getting rarer out here as owners are exporting them to Europe where they will be better appreciated and are worth more.

[will_968]

Harris_I said:

I'm currently in the process of buying a 15 year old Lancia

Not the Red 'Gerale that's been knocking around Al Aweer for a while? Looks in great condition. Price seemed rather steep when I inquired though...