RM Sotheby’s hosted a one-night-only destination event for car collectors in Miami this past Saturday and saw one of the more pristine examples of the Ferrari F50, a 1980s hypercar, go under the hammer for $5,395,000. It bagged the huge number courtesy of a 625-mile odometer reading. Other exotic cars sold in the auction comprised a 2,188-mile 2019 Bugatti Chiron Sport for $3,305,000 and a 1990 Ferrari F40, previously owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, for $3,250,000. A 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560 SEC AMG 6.0 ‘Wide-Body’ from the Young Timers collection was brought for $720,000, nearly three times its high estimate. The Miami auction registered a total sale worth $40,261,160, with bidders hailing from 27 countries.

January 2023 will see renowned Saudi Arabian automotive distributor ALTAWKILAT Universal Motors officially open its first UAE dealership in Abu Dhabi. The banner will bring the Chinese luxury car brand Hongqi to the UAE as its exclusive distributor. After Abu Dhabi, ALTAWKILAT Universal Motors aims to open showrooms in Dubai and Sharjah in the near future as well. The distributor boasts a 75-year experience record representing world-class brands like Maserati, Infiniti, Chevrolet, and GMC. 

Under its #SaferCarsForIndia campaign, Global NCAP has crash-tested three Maruti Suzuki models – Swift, Ignis and S-Presso. All three managed to score just one star for adult occupant safety. For child occupants, the latter two scored zero and the Swift bagged one star. Following its standard testing procedure, the independent body examined these models in their basic specifications. That means they were missing some crucial safety features, including side & curtain airbags, ESC, airbag cut-off functionality and integrated CRS.

Following a series of pre-defined crash tests, Global NCAP has awarded the Mahindra Scorpio-N a five-star safety rating for adult occupants and three stars for child occupants. The specimen tested was in its basic specification, which means it didn’t have side and curtain airbags and electronic stability control. The SUV also doesn’t have three-point seatbelts for all occupants, resulting in no safety layer of loadlimiters and pretensioners. 

The launch of the first-ever Alfa Romeo Racing Academy comes along with the unveiling of the first standalone Alfa Romeo showroom in the Yas Island, Abu Dhabi by Gargash Group, one of the largest distributors of luxury performance-oriented cars in the UAE. The launch of the 3000sq ft showroom was attended by Alfa Romeo executives and Alfa Romeo’s F1 drivers – Valterri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu. The Academy allows enthusiasts to flex their racing skills in a Quadrifoglio and even earn a racing licence. 

The new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport have been awarded maximum five-star ratings in the latest Euro NCAP safety tests. Both models get built on the Modular Longitudinal Architecture which resulted in the Range Rover procuring 87 per cent for Child Occupant Protection and 72 per cent for Vulnerable Road Users, while the Range Rover Sport achieved an 85 per cent rating for Adult Occupant Protection. Both models further scored 82 per cent rating in the Safety Assist category, with a suite of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) onboard. 

Audi announces its participation in the Qatar Auto Museum Project Sneak Preview II by showcasing its RS Q e-tron E2 Dakar contender in Doha. The most iconic models from Audi will be displayed at the Mawater Warehouse pop-up an the Sealine Sports Club, Downtown Doha. This marks the first time the Dakar racer gets previewed in the country of Qatar.

Lamborghini announces the debut of its Urus Performante super SUV with the opening of a two-floor pop-up Lounge in the Pearl Doha. The Lounge can be visited until 18th December though access is restricted by invite-only. The Lounge spans 320sq metres with the deck overlooking the Pearl Doha. The lower floors houses a collection of avant-garde watches from Roger Dubuis, a Lamborghini partner since 2017. Invited guests can test drive the new Urus Performante or the Urus S around the roads of Doha.