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Old 29th July 2020, 18:46   #61
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Re: Quintessential Dubai - A first timer's holiday log! Ft. Dubai Drives & Car Vault

Cool trip report. Thanks for sharing. What's the phone or camera you used for the shots? Very clear and crisp pics.
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Old 29th July 2020, 21:43   #62
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Re: Quintessential Dubai - A first timer's holiday log! Ft. Dubai Drives & Car Vault

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Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR View Post

Reminded me of another point I had noticed, and mentioned earlier in a Dubai based BHPian's ownership thread - Cars just look so clean and shiny there, despite the lakhs of kilometers on the odo.

Maybe due to the dirty car fine, but still - quite a nice thing to see.
As far as I’ve heard, I guess the cars there have to renew their fitness certificate every year .
I’m not sure on this though. But what you’ve said is absolutely true,they are very well maintained.
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Old 30th July 2020, 02:20   #63
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Re: Quintessential Dubai - A first timer's holiday log! Ft. Dubai Drives & Car Vault

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Originally Posted by KP56 View Post
As far as I’ve heard, I guess the cars there have to renew their fitness certificate every year .
Yes, it's true, the vehicle should have to be in top shape to pass the test. Along with that, it's mostly only dust which gets accumulated in the car which can be cleaned easily, and cleaning services can be obtained in most of the shopping mall parkings who would get the car exterior cleaned by the time you are out shopping, and in many residential area parkings. Add to that, the conditions of the road.

Attaching a picture from RTA's brochure on vehicle testing,
Quintessential Dubai - A first timer's holiday log! Ft. Dubai Drives & Car Vault-screenshot_20200730015741.png

https://www.rta.ae/wpsv5/links/VIMS.pdf
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Old 30th July 2020, 11:35   #64
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Re: Quintessential Dubai - A first timer's holiday log! Ft. Dubai Drives & Car Vault

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Originally Posted by auxsend View Post
Cool trip report. Thanks for sharing. What's the phone or camera you used for the shots? Very clear and crisp pics.
Thanks. Except for the zoomed in sunrise and sunset shots - 95% of the pics were shot with the budget phone - Samsung Galaxy M30S.

The other 5% was shot with an old Canon EOS 550D.
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Old 31st July 2020, 12:13   #65
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Re: Quintessential Dubai - A first timer's holiday log! Ft. Dubai Drives & Car Vault

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Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR View Post

Now he will recognize you as a fellow Porsche owner. Anyways since you have logged in - start typing those ownership reports.
I wish if I have time to do pen down an ownership report. I'm not good at writing these and my last ownership report in the forum was for my Beat D back in 2011

Having said that Focus ST has now done 110k km, Since warranty & free service expired at 100k (Ford Dealership here provides 100k/5 years warranty + free service), recently did service for 110k at my friend & a fellow bhpian's garage. Best part is you can oversee and assist with the service

Porsche has done 8k after purchase, did brake pads & rotors change + rear suspension bushes.

Quote:
I forgot to mention an interesting experience - We were in the souk area window shopping for bags, when one of the shops asked us to take a look at '1st quality fakes'. Just for curiosity - went along with the guy. The shop was a small one, and he asked us to walk along with him to a nearby apartment. It was a shady looking place - infact almost scary - with almost no lights, a rusty old lift etc.
Ha ha thats the usual tourist trap, i should have warned you in advance. There is a massive market for such goods, I got fooled into buying fake perfumes thinking its original during my initial days.

A friend's sister suggested a good place which sells original and have created a good relationship with that shop through her recommendation and nowadays I usually buys from them

Quote:
Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR View Post

Reminded me of another point I had noticed, and mentioned earlier in a Dubai based BHPian's ownership thread - Cars just look so clean and shiny there, despite the lakhs of kilometers on the odo.

Maybe due to the dirty car fine, but still - quite a nice thing to see.
Did you know that, washing your car at your home and letting dirt water into road also attracts a fine. Also, there are people who wash cars at parking lots for additional income which is illegal, they will ran away if they spot Dubai Municipality staff and the car owner will get fined. Some of them will keep the washing stuff to an adjacent car to save their customers and innocent parking neighbour gets fined. (a friend got a fine like this )

So the petrol station car wash business thrives very well, i usually do this midweek late night at a 24h car wash as weekend normal hours are always crowded. Of course guaranteed swirl marks but anyway paint condition is very bad :(

Quote:
As far as I’ve heard, I guess the cars there have to renew their fitness certificate every year .
I’m not sure on this though. But what you’ve said is absolutely true,they are very well maintained.
Yes annual renewal testing is need but they won't fail you unless there are old tyres or visible leaks or some heavy modification. For example if the new suspension set up is in a different colour, they will say it is modified. How to beat it, get a OEM sticker and place it.

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Originally Posted by KP56 View Post

Attaching my favorite spotting from the Friday night scene in jumeirah- the 911 gt3 in racing yellow.
These are the attention seeking signal to signal racers who never takes their cars out for a proper drive or track. All they do is Jumeirah cruising.

I was part of UAE Focus ST group, there i frequently see posts of signal to signal racers. Funniest part, some guy posts a video saying he beat a Golf R, when i looked at video Golf R is going on fast lane minding its own business and this guy just zooms past him and claims to have beaten him

Having said that, there are quite a few enthusiasts who do regular friday drives and track events.

I'm eagerly waiting for Yas Marina circuit to open for Dubai peeps as Abudhabi border is still shut due to Covid, still waiting to use my full GP track day voucher bought in February

Sharing few pics for viewing

Senna at Dubai Autodrome track, Senna belongs to a collector from Abudhabi named @the23collection

Quintessential Dubai - A first timer's holiday log! Ft. Dubai Drives & Car Vault-senna.jpg

Pista at track

Quintessential Dubai - A first timer's holiday log! Ft. Dubai Drives & Car Vault-pista.jpg

Quintessential Dubai - A first timer's holiday log! Ft. Dubai Drives & Car Vault-senna-agera.png

Quintessential Dubai - A first timer's holiday log! Ft. Dubai Drives & Car Vault-seena-2-agera.png

My car at Yas

Quintessential Dubai - A first timer's holiday log! Ft. Dubai Drives & Car Vault-st-tt-911-yas.png

Last edited by crazybiker46 : 31st July 2020 at 12:21.
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Old 31st July 2020, 19:35   #66
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Re: Quintessential Dubai - A first timer's holiday log! Ft. Dubai Drives & Car Vault

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Originally Posted by crazybiker46 View Post
For example if the new suspension set up is in a different colour, they will say it is modified. How to beat it, get a OEM sticker and place it.
Well,that sounds like a really professional fix
Quote:

These are the attention seeking signal to signal racers who never takes their cars out for a proper drive or track. All they do is Jumeirah cruising.
Very true!They seek attention on another level, I couldn’t spot anyone zooming past or doing rev bombs,all they did is stroll their cars at around 30-40kmph flexing em fancy colours,that’s it.
Quote:
I'm eagerly waiting for Yas Marina circuit to open for Dubai peeps as Abudhabi border is still shut due to Covid, still waiting to use my full GP track day voucher bought in February
Wow! You’ve got to really enjoy these as it is something close to impossible to do in India .
And I assume that, this time it’s going to be with the Porsche and not the ST
Do keep us posted with the track day experience!
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Old 1st August 2020, 13:03   #67
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Re: Quintessential Dubai - A first timer's holiday log! Ft. Dubai Drives & Car Vault

What a fantastic thread. I have actually planned a 10 night trip to Dubai + Abu Dhabi in March 2021 but not sure if it will materialise due to the pandemic. Looks pretty doubtful.

However, though I am clear with which location to stay in Abu Dhabi; I have chosen to stay at Corniche. In Dubai I have been recommended the Downtown area which I am not yet sure of. Recommendations and suggestions are welcome.
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Old 4th August 2020, 14:39   #68
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To the question, Why?

Dubai has been called many things but I was intrigued when it was called, 'Fake' in this thread. Is it really?

I wondered why I visited Disneyland in France as a tourist. I knew it was all made-up. One could alternatively use words such as "artificial" or even "fake". It may be factually correct but it did not matter to me. I went to experience a world that doesn't exist outside of those gates.

Ten years ago, I worked in Dubai for a while and Dubai felt like a big Disneyland in a way for me. The construction scene was nothing like I've seen before in Europe. Europe had the charm which Dubai compensated for with outlandish grandeur. I couldn't fully understand how they envisioned projects like the Palm Jumeirah or the Bhurj Khalifa Towers and the precint below it.

The shopping malls offered an unparalleled experience for both the serious and window shopper. One could buy expensive luxury watches or just watch the supercars parked in the entrance.

Tired of the buildings? There's Al-Ain, Fujairah or Ras Al Khaimah which offer a piece of the un-fake desert feel if you like.

All those buildings could make it feel artificial and tempting to label it a concrete-jungle but it didn't matter to me for those couple of months I lived there.

I can understand why it's a hit with tourists. People travel for different reasons or for no reason at all really.

Having said that, would I live there long term? No. But that's not Dubai's fault nor is this thread the place to discuss that. Tourists don't have to put up with the downsides a migrant has to go through so that's not an issue at all.

CrAzY dRiVeR - Thank you very much for sharing the pictures and I'm glad you enjoyed the trip. It was good for me to look at Dubai in detail after a decade. I hope the trip has inspired you to think beyond Dubai for future trips. All the best!

Last edited by kiku007 : 4th August 2020 at 14:44.
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Old 4th August 2020, 16:36   #69
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Re: Quintessential Dubai - A first timer's holiday log! Ft. Dubai Drives & Car Vault

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Originally Posted by Epic View Post
What a fantastic thread. I have actually planned a 10 night trip to Dubai + Abu Dhabi in March 2021 but not sure if it will materialise due to the pandemic. Looks pretty doubtful.

However, though I am clear with which location to stay in Abu Dhabi; I have chosen to stay at Corniche. In Dubai I have been recommended the Downtown area which I am not yet sure of. Recommendations and suggestions are welcome.
May I recommend you to stay in Al Barsha in Dubai? The area has lots of hotels, serviced apartments and Air BnBs in the vicinity. The Mall of the Emirates is at a walkable distance as are many restaurants and shops. The metro is close as well.
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