Gulf Historic, a celebration of iconic racing cars from yesteryear, is back in the UAE in 2025. The 2025 Gulf Historic will be a three-day celebratory event between October 31 to November 2, 2025, with the nostalgic car event finding a new home in the Yas Marina F1 circuit in Abu Dhabi. The upcoming Gulf Historic 2025 will see cars from various prominent eras between the 60s to the early 2000s including a Masters Demo Legends grid showcasing F1 cars from the 90s. For the unaware, the Gulf Historic was recently acquired by Masters Historic Racing by GPX which hosts almost a year-long calendar titled Masters Historic Racing – a classic racing tour across the U.K., Europe and the U.A.E which, for the 2025 year edition, will culminate at Abu Dhabi. 

Specialists of 4×4 cars, Off-Road Zone, along with UAE’s adventure enthusiasts are gearing up to host the International Off-road Day event on November 17th at the X Quarry Off-Road Park in Mleiha, Sharjah. Two iterations of the same event have been hosted in the previous years and both achieved remarkable success. The upcoming third edition will see over 200 off-road enthusiasts participate in this off-road event. These enthusiasts were invited through an exclusive “OffRoad-Zone” network which is an 800-member-strong community of off-roaders. The forthcoming event will see participants get divided into groups, briefed on the stages comprising rough terrains and various obstacles with guides explaining the participants with action plans to execute in case of emergencies.

Hakob Harutyunyan, CEO of Off-Road Zone, commented: “International Off-Road Day celebrates the deep connection between Emiratis and the desert – a relationship marked by tackling challenges, overcoming difficult circumstances, and a determination to achieve remarkable accomplishments.”. Harutyunyan added: “This event is more than just a sporting activity; it symbolizes the significance of the desert in Emirati culture, where the spirit of challenge and determination to achieve goals comes to life. It also fosters joy and happiness, bringing together families and friends in an atmosphere full of excitement, creating lasting memories.”

The first week of November 2024 saw the iconic Armani Hotel in Dubai host the regional premiere of Ferrari’s latest grand touring supercar, the Ferrari 12Cilindri. Ferrari invited a limited-and-select group of exclusive guests for the unveiling of the new Ferrari 12Cilindri in the Middle East where the group was treated with an immersive experience that defines the rich heritage and exclusive craftsmanship of Ferrari.

The Ferrari 12Cilindri is the latest development in the legendary Maranello carmaker’s long line of V12-equipped cars. The V12 in the 12Cilindri can rev up to 9500rpm while pushing out 819hp while offering 80% of total torque being available at just 2500 rpm. Speaking at the premiere, Giorgio Turri, General Manager of Ferrari Middle East said “As we unveil the Ferrari 12Cilindri here in the Middle East, we celebrate more than just a car – we celebrate Ferrari’s enduring passion for innovation combined with performance. Introducing a V12 mid-front-engine road car to the Middle East is a monumental occasion, as this region has long embraced the power and prestige that comes with Ferrari’s iconic V12 engines. This regional premiere marks a significant milestone for our brand in the region, and we are thrilled to share this moment with our most dedicated enthusiasts. The Ferrari 12Cilindri embodies everything Ferrari stands for – a perfect balance of tradition and cutting-edge technology, designed to inspire and ignite the imagination of those who experience it.”

BFGoodrich Tires, famed for innovating the all-terrain tire segment, has unveiled its latest innovation – the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO3 tire in the Middle East. Set to be available in the region starting November 2024, the new KO3 tires are designed to excel in the desert and other off-road conditions found abundantly in the region. The new BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO3 tires build upon the successful formula of the KO2 tires with highlight features comprising a new tread pattern and all-terrain tread compound to provide durability and longevity even in gravel and excellent sidewall toughness courtesy of CoreGard Technology developed from Baja racing experience. BFGoodrich claims it will introduce over 100 sizes of the new KO3 tires, globally, in the next two years.

While the global EV sales figures may not be as encouraging as carmakers expected, British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has reported growing demand for plug-in hybrid models for the first half of this financial year. Retail sales of plug-in hybrid models by JLR are up by 29% compared to the prior year comprising a 47% increase by the Range Rover brand and an increase of 23% by the Defender brand in their respective PHEV model retail sales. Additionally, the new Range Rover plug-in electric hybrid sales have nearly doubled compared to the previous financial year.

JLR sees this positive shift in PHEV sales as a stepping stone act by customers towards transitioning entirely to battery electric vehicles (BEV). Mark Camilleri, Director of Electrification Services said: “Demand is growing for our plug-in electric hybrid models as customers become more accustomed to electrification. PHEVs offer performance, fuel economy and low emissions, with zero emissions while driving in pure electric mode. They also give clients the opportunity to adapt to a new ownership experience, including home and public charging, ahead of the launch of our next generation fully electric vehicles. JLR is able to offer a range of fuel options to meet the energy transition dynamics of each market, and we will offer a pure electric variant of each name plate by 2030 with the aim of reaching carbon net zero by 2039.”

JLR currently claims to boast a waiting list of over 48,000 clients already for the Range Rover Electric – the first in JLR’s modern lineup of zero-emissions luxury electric vehicles.