l ISSUE 65 l DECEMBER 2011 l DHS 10 /- l USD 5.99/- Porsche wows Dubai Motor Show crowd with regional premiere of new 911 Carrera Apple TV Hot Products / Page 56 General After Sales Manager, Emirates Motor Company facebook.com/ The Automotive Tires & Parts Magazine www.tirespartsmag.com ALEXIA www.tirespartsmag.com l 27 DECEMBER 2011/contents Publisher Hamid Moaref Editor Ali Reza Sub Editors Sonja Baikogli Sherry Chen Sales & Marketing Ahmad Aji Design Shabeer Azeez Circulation Assistants Ansar Ali akbar Sasi Pillai McLaren Automotive Contributors Peter Baikogli launches Middle East retail Arezou Marzara Farsh Shafikhani Kristen Koulic network with milestone Media Representative for Taiwan. Hong Kong and events in Dubai China Automotive / Page 08 P. Sean Mulvihill, International Relations Department,Worldwide Services Co., Ltd. 11F-2, No. 540, Wen Hsin Road, Section 1, Taichung, 408, TAIWAN. Tel.: +886-4-2325-1784 Distributor Dar Al Hikma Publishers Note : All images, designs,lay out and advertise- ments are copyrighted. Any attempt to recreate, plagiarize or copy in part or in Bentley Continental GTC makes Yokohama OE on the Audi A7 Toyota Touch Life whole is violation of international copy- Tires / PAGE 38 PARTS / PAGE 49 right laws. Middle East debut While compiling this issue of Tires & Parts, automotiVE / PAGE 06 the utmost care and attention has been given to ensure that all information is ac- curate. W Media is not responsible for the accu- racy of content provided by third party sources. To submit news and content please White, Silver Most Popular Car 44 email to : [email protected] MINI’s 10th anniversary 12 ZAFCO Acquires Global Brand 28 Please note: by submitting news and con- celebrated at Dubai motor show Rights for ZEETEX Colors in the World tent to Morjan Media for publication in Tires & Parts you automatically agree that The all-new Lexus GS unveiled at 17 Hamilton wins in Abu Dhabi 32 Magical information management 48 Morjan Media is not obliged to publish the Dubai Motor Show 56 this content. Furthermore,Morjan Media Maxxis is a hit at SEMA 34 Hot Products reserves the right to further edit and or DIMS regional launch for SLS 18 reduce the size of any content or news AMG Roadster / SLK 55 AMG, and stories sent publication. M-Class TIA applauds Tires & Parts’ efforts to bring the latest tire and automotive news to the Middle East. For more information on TIA, visit www.tireindustry.org Morjan Media L.L.C P.O.Box 7830, Dubai, U.A.E For administrative inquiries or for a copy of our media kit please Contact : +971 4 2270096 / [email protected] / www.tirespartsmag.com General After Sales Manager, Emirates Motor Company Could you please tell us a bit about your background and how you got into this business? I started my automotive career in the age of three. As my family was running one automotive workshop and petrol station back home in Germany, I entered the workshop one day, after my father had just re-painted one VW Beatle. The paint was still fresh and as he went to clean his tools, I started to crawl all over the vehicle. Looking back, it might have been the first “Art-Car” but at that time my father wasn’t really amazed about it. So, I grew-up in this automotive environment and was very excited to start my own professional career in that field. In 1986 I started my mechanic apprenticeship; in 1994 I completed my Master Craftsman Exam and in 1996 the Business Economist studies in Cologne. In 2004 I completed 18 months of automotive management education with one of the famous German car manufacturers and in the same year I moved to the UAE. I look back at my 25 years of experience in the automotive industry and have always been attached to German automotive premium brands. www.tirespartsmag.com l 4 Do you provide any custom What color is the best selling? modifications to the vehicles that Diamond White. you sell? Emirates Motor Company (EMC) offers a wide range of Which Mercedes-Benz model is Mercedes Benz genuine items to for you the most fascinating? individualize customer cars. Rear I like fast cars. Naturally the most entertainment systems, AMG fascinating vehicle for me is the wheel sets, aerodynamic-kits, SLS; and I like the SLR as well, AMG Performance kits and rear- especially the SLR Sterling Moss. view camera systems are only few examples of genuine modifications to customer vehicles. Of course, Which Mercedes-Benz model is those modifications won’t affect the the “flagship”? manufacturer warranty if they are Naturally, the Maybach is our installed at EMC. flagship vehicle and most luxurious car. In the Mercedes-Benz model What would you like to come in range, the S65 AMG is also peoples mind, thinking about considered a flagship vehicle. Mercedes-Benz and Emirates Motor Company? Which are the latest trends in the The best or nothing. This is what industry? Mercedes-Benz stands for, and At EMC, we continuously collect what we at EMC abide by too. valuable feedback from our Our strategy is to maintain our customers and analyze how we position as product leaders by can provide them with solutions focusing on brand loyalty and to their desires. For example, we’ve customer satisfaction, as well on launched the Integrated Service innovation. We are also proud that Package Plus (ISP+) for our all new the Mercedes-Benz character of S-Classes and GL-Classes in April luxury and elegance is portrayed in this year to offer our customers’ our showrooms and service centers. peace of mind. This covers all EMC Mussafah is the worldwide services and general maintenance largest Mercedes-Benz facility with items for 5 years or 110,000km advanced technology and highest (whichever comes first) and is customer satisfaction levels. exclusively available at EMC. Another value we noticed is Which Mercedes-Benz model is important to the customer was the the best selling in Abu Dhabi? extended warranty option. As a Each class has its own market, but result, the ISP+ launch was followed of course the AMG model range by EMC’s 5-year Extended Warranty is very popular. In general, this Package (2-year manufacturer year we’ve seen a 38% increase as warranty + 3-year EMC extended a whole, compared to the same warranty) which covers the entire period in 2010. Also the entire Mercedes-Benz model range AMG model range is very popular and now comes as standard. For and of course the G55 which is so vehicles with older models we closely attached to Emiratis. Our have developed attractively priced SUV range was also performing service contracts to make premium well witnessing a 28% increase servicing at EMC affordable for compared to last year especially everybody. if we look at the GL and G Classes which alone rose 42%. www.tirespartsmag.com l 5 Bentley Continental GTC makes Middle East debut at the Dubai International Motor Show Bentley Motors unveiled the new Continental Wolfgang Dürheimer, Chairman and Chief Unlike many after-market styling GTC for the first time in the Middle East at the Executive, Bentley Motors, said “The GTC has packages, Bentley has subjected the Dubai International Motor Show. always been the most emotional model in components of the Mulliner Styling The convertible launches at the perfect time for the Continental range and a showcase for Specification to a rigorous development luxury open top motoring in the Middle East and Bentley design. With its tailored soft top, the programme which included a the car is already proving even more popular than GTC is a pure British convertible true to those comprehensive quality and engineering the original groundbreaking GTC with a firm order classic Bentleys of the past. However, the test. To ensure that Bentley standards book across the region. technology, performance and overall design of build quality are maintained, the excellence invested in this model means that Mulliner Styling Specification package Taking cues from its GT coupe sibling launched we are now writing a new chapter for the is only available for fitment by factory- last year, the new Continental GTC builds on the Bentley convertible driver.” trained technicians at authorised Bentley highly successful foundation of the previous Also making its Middle East debut is the new dealers and is backed by a full Bentley cabriolet, which premiered in 2006. Bentley’s warranty. design and engineering teams have improved Continental GT fitted with a new Mulliner virtually every aspect of the iconic convertible Styling Specification. The new styling The imminent arrival in showrooms with an uncompromising focus on quality. specification provides customers with the around the world of the new Continental opportunity to personalise their GT with GTC, together with the success of The four-seater luxury convertible features a new, a range of stylish features, whilst ensuring the Continental GT and the all-new even more spacious and sumptuous hand-crafted Bentley’s standards of quality and design Mulsanne is helping Bentley achieve cabin, with soft-touch leather hides, an extensive integrity are maintained. This is the first significant sales growth. Bentley expects range of wood veneers, cool-touch metals and time the Bentley design team has offered to sell 7000 cars in 2011, a year-on-year deep-pile carpets, all produced by Bentley’s an exterior bodykit created by the in-house increase of around 40%. talented craftsmen and women. team. Normally an aftermarket addition, The Bentley Mulsanne continues to do Bentley’s talented design teams have created Now with a more powerful 6.0 litre, twin- exceptionally well in the Middle East the Mulliner Styling Specification enabling turbocharged W12 engine as well as a new and accounts for 15% of the worldwide customers to give their GT an even sportier QuickShift transmission, enabling faster gear sales.