Cars & Autos | Thursday 12 February, 2015 12:08 am |

Held under the patronage H.E Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior of the State of Qatar, the 5th annual Qatar Motor Show (QMS) was considered a remarkable success. Inaugurated by H.E Mr. Jassem Bin Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti, the Minister of transport of the State of Qatar and H.E Mr. Issa Bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi, the Chairman of Qatar Tourism Authority, the exhibition proves to be one of the prominent motoring events in the region and worldwide.
Qatar Motor Show 2015 that took place in the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) from February 6 to February 10, 2015 has been extensively contributing to the national economy of Qatar and has aided in boosting the image of Qatar as a global hotspot for world-class events.
Hosted by Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), and co-organized by the q.media Events and Fira de Barcelona, the show covered an area of 15,000sqm where some of the most prominent international carmakers showcased their latest models, technology and auto trends.

The Commercial Bank of Qatar reputed for its attractive auto-finance packages and the exclusive Marriott Marquis City Center Doha Hotel as well as Qatar Insurance Company (QIC) were present as the official retail bank partner, the official hospitality partner and the official insurance partner of the Qatar Motor Show.
The five day-long event left visitors spellbound by a glamorous line up of high-end brands and many more surprises and fun activities. Special visitors included dignitaries and ambassadors who came on an unofficial visit to the show.
For this year, organizers enhanced the registration system by introducing an online registration option that helped visitors to avoid queues. Transportation facilities were also provided to take the visitors from the parking area to the exhibition hall.

Apart from premier launches, people were throughout entertained with the auto-related activities carried out by the exhibitors on all days. Various interactive games and exciting contests were conducted on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram where participants bagged some attractive prizes like digital cameras and goodie bags. Besides, viewers were regularly updated on the latest happenings during the event in the form of columns, pictures and interesting videos posted in the official Facebook page of Qatar Motor Show 2015. The number of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram fans increased as compared to the previous year.
The exhibition hosted over 35 notable and international car and motorcycle brands that showcased their latest luxury, sport, mid-size and SUV segments. Highly esteemed brands that participated included: Bugatti, Volkswagen, Porsche, Bentley, Renault, Lamborghini, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Infinity, Nissan, Toyota, Lexus, Chevrolet, Cadillac, BMW, Mini Cooper, Maserati, Jeep.

Legendary French automotive luxury brand, Bugatti, presented the iconic Veyron 16.4 Super Sport – the world’s fastest production car at this year’s Show. The car’s technical data are impressive: The Super Sport’s 8-litre W16 engine generates an enormous 1,200 hp and an unparalleled 1,500 Nm torque at 3,000 to 5,000 rpm. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h can be done in just 2.5 seconds. The Super Sport on display at this year’s Qatar motor show is one of a limited World Record edition that came off the production line with the actual record car’s configuration. Its powerful dual-colour scheme in black and orange perfectly translates its inner qualities into its exterior appearance.
Volkswagen is erasing the boundaries between the virtual and real worlds. That is because, the inventor of the Golf GTI presented a show car which was originally created as a purely computer generated car in bits and bytes for the PlayStation®3 classic "Gran Turismo 6" ("GT6" developed by Polyphony Digital Inc.): the "GTI Roadster, Vision Gran Turismo".

Lamborghini Doha showcased the Lamborghini Huracán LP 610-4 at the Qatar Motor Show 2015, celebrating the super sports car’s success both in the Middle East and worldwide since its launch in 2014. It is a luxury super sports car with breathtaking performance: accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds and with a top speed of more than 325 km/h, it is propelled by a naturally aspirated V10 engine with 5.2-liter displacement and 449 kW / 610 hp. The Lamborghini Huracán sports an extremely fast-shifting 7-speed dual-clutch transmission “Lamborghini Doppia Frizione” (LDF), and all-wheel drive in a hybrid carbon fiber and aluminum chassis.

Nasser Bin Khaled Automobiles (NBK), the exclusive dealer of Mercedes-Benz in Qatar, displayed four of its wide range of cars including Maybach S Class, AMG GT S, CLA 250 and GLA 45 AMG at the Show that captured the minds and hearts of the guests. The brand also unveiled the new Harley-Davidson Street™ 750, a new line to the 2015 assembly. Powered by a new Revolution X liquid cooled engine, a six speed transmission, specially tuned shocks and a frame and suspension made for tight turns and quick moves, it has been built to deal effortlessly with the urban gridlock. Simultaneously, Nasser Bin Khaled (NBK) Powered Sports announced its partnership with Husqvarna Motorcycle, the renowned Sweden motorcycle manufacturer.

In addition, Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Co showcased the latest enhanced version of flagship full size SUV, the new 2015 QX80, at Qatar Motor Show. For the 2015 model year, the Infiniti QX80 full-size luxury SUV offers a fresh new exterior design, a more crafted interior, additional standard features and technology and comes in two Grade levels – QX80 Excellence Grade and QX80 Luxury Grade. As for Renault, it displayed the Twizy, a full electric car, designed as an “ultramobile” with a maximum range of 100 km (62 mi).
Presented by Alfardan Automobiles, the official BMW importer in Qatar, car enthusiasts and manufacturers alike were awed by the BMW Isetta 300,a limited classic collection model of the year 1957. It is an egg-shaped microcar with bubble-like windows displayed by the brand at their stand.
DOMASCO introduced GAC Motor brand where three models were launched for the first time in Qatar. The cars included the GA3, the GA5- a mid-sized sedan and the snow-leopard-inspired GS5 – an urban SUV.

Yet another interesting reveal was by Nimord, which showcased three models- the Avanti Rosso, the Zero and the Katyusha. Avanti Rosso’s extreme sportiness with the perfect proportions and details makes it a unique car that boasts a V12 - 60˚ engine with a maximum torque of 690 NM (507 lbft) @ 6000 rpm and acceleration 0-100 km/h: 2.9 sec. Nimrod Zero is a handcrafted supercar that gives you performance and refinement in perfect balance with a V8 - 90˚ engine, maximum torque of 540 NM (398 lbft) @ 6000 rpm and acceleration 0-100 km/h: 3.4 sec. With an original Ferrari 458 Italia engine with Hennessey Performance Upgrade and a maximum torque of 721 NM (532 lbft) @ 5600 rpm with acceleration 0-100 km/h: 2.8 sec, the Katyusha is a powerful car.

Qatar was revealed as one of the strongest markets in the world for Rolls-Royce at the 2015 Qatar Motor Show, by Regional Director of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars for the Middle East, Africa and South America, Mr. Brett Soso. The Middle East region is now the second largest market for Rolls-Royce globally, achieving 20% growth in 2014. Qatar has continued to play a key part in the region’s success over the last few years and has achieved another outstanding year with a sales increase of 17% in 2014.

Moreover, Mawater gave spectators an opportunity to catch a glimpse of eight vintage cars from 70’s such as Trans AM with a corvette engine, Limited Edition Audi Aztec, Muscle cars that included Nissan GTR, BMW M Power, Chevrolet Camaro and Corvette, as well as twenty Wrangler Jeeps.
Visitors were also fascinated by the MINI ALL4 Racing car that won the Paris Dakar Rally 2015. It is the very same car that was driven by Qatar Rally Team driver Nasser Al-Attiyah and co-driver Matthieu Baumel at the rally.

Another attraction of the show was the ‘One Second Campaign’, organized by the Ministry of Interior and conducted by the Traffic Department where visitors above 16 years old could enjoy driving a 3D simulator in accordance with the Qatari traffic rules and regulations.