Dubai sets two new Guinness World Records as “Passion on Wheels” runs high at Dubai Grand Parade

On a day of unbridled motoring passion, Dubai, a city which is synonymous with world records, set two new Guinness World Records at the Dubai Grand Parade, a stunning cavalcade that took the 2^nd edition of Dubai Motor Festival to glorious new heights at the Motor Village in Meydan on Friday, 28 November.

More than 10,000 people, mostly families, thronged the region’s first Motor Village to watch participants create the two new Guinness World Records, and also avail themselves of an array of auto-themed events and activities.

A new Guinness World Record was set for the largest number of car brands in a single motorcade, as a convoy comprising 58 of the world’s leading automotive marques completed a 3.2-kilometre tour around the Motor Village.

The convoy comprised supercars, classic automobiles and exotic cars belonging to participants of the Dubai Grand Parade, with all vehicles maintaining an average bumper-to-bumper distance of 1.5 metres.

A second world record was established for the longest selfie relay when 289 participants joined hands to generate sheer excitement at Motor Village.

With the new Guinness World Record events setting the tempo for the rest of the day, the Dubai Grand Parade captured the spirit of the festival theme “Passion on Wheels”, as it brought together over 600 of the most awe-inspiring cars for a citywide motoring extravaganza. In a true manifestation of the super status of the event and the Parade theme “Unite In Our Motoring Pride” Mohammed Bin Sulayem, the Arab world’s leading motorsport figure and 14-time FIA Middle East rally champion flagged off the huge convoy from Meydan.

The Parade featured the UAE’s car clubs and private luxury car owners and included the crème de la crème of automotive marques including Bugatti, Ferrari, McLaren, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Cadillac, Harley Davidson, Ducati and Triumph among others. A number of participating cars were decorated in the colors of the UAE national flag in celebration of the UAE’s forthcoming 43^rd National Day on Tuesday 2^nd December.

With Dubai Police’s world-famous fleet of green and white supercars heading the Parade, the convoy embarked on a 47-km tour of Dubai’s main arteries, passing the city’s iconic architectural landmarks and wowing crowds along the way. Setting off from the Motor Village at Meydan, the convoy proceeded along Al Meydan Road and Financial Centre Road before entering Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard to drive past the Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Mall. The convoy then made its way along Sheikh Zayed Road and Jumeirah Road, taking in the Burj Al Arab and other landmarks before returning to Meydan for its grand finish.

Excitement reverberates across region’s first Motor Village

In addition to the Dubai Grand Parade, Motor Village also played host to several other attractions, live automotive-themed talks, family entertainment, fun activities for kids and competitions, as well as a dazzling display of fireworks.

The highlight of the evening was the ‘Inspired Light By Infiniti’, the first of its kind ‘painting by light’ show in the world performed exclusively by cars, in this case the Infiniti QX70S Elite. Using high-performance engines in a blend of art and technology, precision and innovation, the QX70S cars created visually mind-blowing experiences through multi-colored fluorescent lighting, with the complex yet exquisite choreography conducted by none other than world-renowned light painter Patrick Rochon.

High-octane motoring action reached a peak at the Red Bull Car Park Drift Grand Final, which returned to Dubai once again for its championship-deciding round under the Dubai Motor Festival umbrella. 17 of the finest drifters from around the region played out their passion and skills in front of a packed arena with the intense competition seeing the number of drifters being gradually reduced to eight and then four before Jordanian Ahmad Daham put on a scintillating display of high-speed drifting maneuvers on his Nissan Silvia to be crowned the ‘King of Drift’. Ali Al Bloushi , from Oman and Egypt’s Haytham Samir grabbed the second and third spots respectively.

Visitors at the Motor Village also flocked to special events hosted by Arabian Automobiles (AW Rostamani Group), including an experiential test drive of the Nissan Patrol on an exclusively engineered 4×4 track, an active test drive of the all-new Nissan X-Trail 2015, the GT Academy Zone that turned ordinary video gamers to real professional race car drivers, and the Union of European Football Association (UEFA) Champion League Zone, an on-ground competition activation. Visitor had the chance to win a range of fabulous prizes including a grand prize – Nissan 370Z limited edition and 12 travel vouchers to attend Union of European Football Association (UEFA) matches abroad.

Another event that became a hit with families and motoring fans was dubizzle Live! – a first of its kind auto-themed event that featured an array of engaging activities for families including the F1 Driver Reaction Game Challenge, live pop bang art with Ian CookChill, and live CarAoke experience with the highlight being a live art display on a MINI by dubizzle’s in-house artist.

The Motor Village also witnessed some of the world’s leading automotive companies showcasing their latest and popular models including luxury automotive atelier ARES , who for the first time in the region, revealed a selection of its luxury supercars including: a Rolls-Royce Wraith, a Bentley Continental GT, an Aston Martin Rapide S, Aston Martin Vanquish and a Range Rover.

Taking place from 19 November to 6 December, the Dubai Motor Festival 2014 is organised by the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM). Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, DMF forms part of the emirate’s strategy to use festivals and events as a means to drive tourism growth in line with Dubai’s Tourism Vision 2020.