3rd Most Expensive Car in the World is in Dubai

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The third most expensive car in the world, Lykan Hypersport, that is worth around $3.4 Million Dollars will be featured in this year's edition of STEP Conference 2015. Click here to know the most expensive car in the world.

STEP Conference, which is the most advanced technology and gaming event of the year will be held in Dubai International Marine Club on Tuesday March 31, 2015 from 9AM to 6PM. 

The first ever STEP conference was founded in 2012 and it features the latest trends in technologies like high-end mobile devices, high-tech games, or in the Lykan's case, super advanced cars. The organizers of the event has chosen Dubai for this year's host as aside from the extravagant hotels, luxurious buildings, and elite cars Dubai is the techno hub of the Middle East as it offers the most advanced technologies and services throughout the region.Ralph Debbas which is based in Dubai and the creator of the Lykan Hypersport will be one of the many speakers in the technology driven event.

"Lykan Hypersport,jpg" by Razor56
Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

By User:Ciuffone69 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0
 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The Lykan Hypersport is one of the super elite cars that will be highlighted in the upcoming movie Fast and Furious 7 starring Vin Diesel and the late Paul Walker. Fast and Furious 7 will premiere on April 3 in your favorite cinemas throughout Dubai and the UAE. The Lykan super car was specifically used by Vin Diesel's character Dominic Toretto in the Fast and Furious movie to jump from two skyscrapers in Abu Dhabi which is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. This Lykan is the first ever car which has a diamond in its headlights that is made up of titanium LED lights with 420 15-karat diamonds (whew, the head lights alone cost more than my dream house). 

This super car is powered by a twin turbo flat-six 3.7 litre engine from Porsche and has a top speed of 385 km/h (239 mph) and can go from 0-100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in just 2.8 seconds.

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Sheikh Hamdan Donates all his winnings of the Dubai World Cup

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His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, son of the Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed and the winner of the World's Richest Race, Dubai World Cup, has donated his share winnings of $6 Million dollars (AED 21.9 Million Dirhams) to the Dubai Autism Centre.

The Crown Prince of Dubai is the owner of the horse Prince Bishop, ridden by William Buick, that won the world's richest race prize of $10 Million Dollars (AED 36.5 Million Dirhams) last Saturday March 28, 2015 at the Dubai World Cup.  Sheikh Hamdanannounced on his Twitter page that he will donate all his winnings to the Dubai Autism Center where currently he is the chairman.

The beloved Crown Prince also said that he is optimistic of the role of the Dubai Autism Centre will play in helping children with autism. The charity centre was founded on 18th of November 2001 by Sheikh Hamdan's grandfather and late Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum and it's mission is to create a better understanding for Autism and to provide better health services and support for people with the special condition.

Dubai Autism Centre also encourages volunteers to join them in helping this special children feel normal and of course have fun. If you love kids and if you have that special talent then you can join the good cause by visiting their website on this link.

The donation done by Sheikh Hamdan would indeed be a great help for the charity and comes at exactly the right time as the World Autism Awareness Day will be celebrated on April 2.

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Dubai World Cup 2015 Winner

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The World's Richest race has been concluded and this time another unexpected winner has emerged victorious. Prince Bishop which only had a 14-1 chance to win, outrun favorites such as California Chrome and last year's winner African Story.

Prince Bishop, this year's richest horse, was trained by Saeed Bin Suroor and jockeyed by William Buick.  Interestingly, Prince Bishop is owned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed which is the son of Sheikh Mohammed, ruler of Dubai and owner of last year's winner African Story and surely made his dad proud.

Second in the race is California Chrome and then followed by Lea and Candy boy. African story came in at number 6 and failed to make history to make it back to back and also win a second Dubai World Cup which has never been done by any single horse. So it would be up to Prince Bishop next year to try to make history again.

For more and complete results visit http://www.horseracingnation.com/race/2015_Dubai_World_Cup

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Dubai's Most Elite: Richest People in the UAE

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Dubai is the home for some of the richest people in the world. In fact, 10 of Dubai and UAE's residents made it in the recent Forbes' Billionaires List 2015 (there are only 1,826 Billionaires in the world and 290 are newcomers of this list including Michael Jordan) with a combined net worth of a $34.1 Billion US Dollars or around AED 125 Billion Dirhams.

Among the 10 UAE Billionaires 4 are Emiratis and 6 are Indians who are residing in the UAE.

Number 10: Azad Moopen with a net worth of $1.1 Billion Dollars which ranked him no.1638 in the Elite Billionaire's list

Azad Moopen was born 15 April 1953 in Kalpakancheri, Kerala is an Indian physician and philanthropist, and a developer of healthcare facilities in Asia-Pacific. He is the chairman and managing director of Aster DM Healthcare, a healthcare conglomerates in the Middle East and India founded in 1987.

Number 9: BR Shetty with a net worth of $1.7 Billion Dollars which ranked him at no.1118 in the Billionaire's list.

Bavaguthu Raghuram Shetty , better known as B R Shetty, also from India is the Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director of the Abu Dhabi based New Medical Centre Group of Companies and UAE Exchange.

Number 8: Sunny Varkey with a net worth of $2 Billion Dollars (AED 7.3 Billion Dirhams)  and ranked 949 worldwide.

Sunny Varkey was born in 1957 in Kerala, India and based in Dubai owns GEMS Education, which is the world leading kindergarten to grade 12 institution with over 130 schools in over 12 countries.

Number 7: Ravi Pillai that has a total net worth of $2.4 Billion Dollars (AED 8.76 Billion Dirhams) and ranked 782 globally.

Ravi Pillai is also an Indian businessman based in the UAE and is the head of RP Group of Companies that ventures in the Healthcare, Construction, Travel and Tourism, and Healthcare.

Number 6: M.A. Yusuff Ali with a net worth of $2.5 Billion Dollars (AED 9.125 Billion Dirhams) and ranked 737 globally in the the World's Most Elite.

M.A. Yusuff Ali is another Indian entrepreneur based in Abu Dhabi, UAE and is the Managing Director of Lulu Group of Companies that owns all the Lulu Hypermarkets in the Middle East. With an annual turnover of US$ 4.5 billion globally, the Group employs the largest number of Indians outside India. According to the recent Forbes Listing, Yusuff Ali is currently the 39th wealthiest Indian and the 974th richest in the world, with a personal wealth of $2.9 billion (source wikipedia).

Number 5: Abdula Al Futtaim, having assets worth $3.2 Billion Dollars (AED 11.68 Billion Dirhams) and ranked no.557 in the world.

The first Emirati on the list at number 5 is Abdula Al Futtaim which is the chairman of Al-Futtaim Group which is well known for ventures in the automobile industry. Al Futtaim Group is the exclusive distributor of Toyota and Honda in the UAE and his assets also includes IKEA, Toys R US, and Marks and Spencer aside from his shopping malls such as Dubai Festival City.

Number 4: Saif Al Ghurair with a net worth of $3.4 Billion Dollars (AED 12.41 Billion Dirhams) and ranks no.512 in the Billionaire's List.

Brother of the richest man in the UAE, Saif Al Ghurair is the CEO of Al Ghurair Group, which owns real estates and different manufacturing sectors including the now being renovated Al Ghurair Centre.

Number 3: Micky Jagtiani having a massive worth of $5.2 Billion Dollars (AED 18.98 Billion Dirhams) and is ranked 291st in the World's Richest People according to Forbes.

Mukesh Jagtiani a.k.a Micky Jagtiani was born August 15, 1952 is the richest Indian businessman, based in the UAE who owns the Dubai-based Landmark retail-stores group. The group is mainly dealing in the retail industry, apparel, footwear, consumer electronics, and baby products.Some of the known brands of Landmark Group are Babyshop, E-Max, Splash, Fitness First and Centrepoint.

Number 2: Majid Al Futtaim having total assets worth $6.2 Billion Dollars (AED 22.63 Billion Dirhams) and ranked 230th in the World's Most Elite People.

Majid Al Futtaim owns Majid Al Futtaim Group (MAF) which is a holding company based in Dubai that owns shopping malls, properties, retail, healthcare, and leisure establishments in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Majid Al Futtaim Group has 3 major subsidiaries: Majid Al Futtaim Properties, Majid Al Futtaim Retail, and Majid Al Futtaim Ventures.

MAF Group is well known for its City Centre Shopping Malls, Mall of Emirates, City Centre Clinic (new venture of MAF), Kempinski Hotel, Pullman Hotel, Carrefour, and other leisure entertainments such as Ski Dubai, iFly, VOX Cinemas, and Magic Planet. 

Number 1: Abdulla bin Ahmad Al Ghurair and Family having a total net worth of a not so shabby $6.4 Billion Dollars and ranked 220th in the Forbes Billionaires List of 2015.

Number 1 on the list is Abdulla bin Ahmad Al Ghurair and family is the founder of Mashreq Bank, one of the country's leading banks. Ahmad Al Ghurair is the the chairman of Al Ghurair Group which main lines of businesses are in the manufacturing, real estate, and investments industries. It's manufacturing business includes, petrochemicals, aluminum and steel, and packaging.

So that's it for the list of the most elite people in Dubai and the whole UAE, for more interesting read you can check out: Amazing Cars of Rich People in Dubai!

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Dubai's Largest Gadgets Sale: GITEX 2015

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GITEX Spring Edition 2015, which is the Middle East's largest Gadget and Consumer Electronics Sale is back in Dubai and is bigger than ever! The most sought after event of Technophiles (a person who is enthusiastic about new technology) will be a 4-day super sale extravaganza starting from April 1, 2015 to April 4, 2015 and will be held at the Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC). 

This is the second year of the Spring Edition of GITEX (there was only one GITEX before which was the GITEX held during Autumn of October but the event was too big that they had to create the Spring Edition last year to accommodate all techie lover's cravings).

Aside from the GITEX event at the Dubai World Trade Center, exclusive offers, freebies, product launches, and big discounts will be also be offered by leading technology providers such as Sharaf DG, Jumbo Electronics, EMAX, Jacky's, and many others throughout the shopping malls in Dubai and UAE.

You can buy tickets in advance at any Emarat Outlets or any participating outlets throughout Dubai. This year, it would be best to buy the tickets from the Emarat Outlets as they will be giving away AED 2,500 worth of Em-Cash Card that can be used at any Emarat service stations. The timings of the event at DWTC are from 11am to 11pm and tickets will cost AED 20. Admission will be free for techies that are below 5 years old (lol 5 year old techie? haha watch this youngest call center agent below who is just 4 years old if you don't believe). 

Also, children ages 14 years should be accompanied by their parents at all times during the GITEX event (which also is good for the parents since the children may run crazy with all the discounts just get whatever they want haha). So what are you waiting for? Buy tickets now and make a list of the gadgets you want to buy!

Shut up and take our money GITEX 2015!

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World's Most Famous Beetle in Dubai

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The world's most famous beetle car "Herbie" which appeared in several Walt Disney's movies, most notably in The Love Bug (released in the year 1969 which is the first ever Herbie movie) and Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005) starring Lindsay Lohan is now currently in Dubai but in a stripped out version (image below).

We were lucky enough to see Herbie in person (or in car form) in the recent Emirates Classic Car Festival held in Downtown Dubai held last March 19-22, 2015.

"Herbie" World's Famous Beetle

Based from the movies, Herbie is a Volkswagen Beetle that has a mind of its own and can drive itself to win a lot improbable car races. Herbie the beetle dons the racing number "53" and is known for the red/blue stripes from its front end to its bumper as well as the plate number of "OFP 857".

The highest grossing Herbie film was the Herbie: Fully Loaded which was starred by Herbie and still young/likable version of Lindsay Lohan which gross around $144 Million Dollars from a budget of $50 Million Dollars.

For the real images of Herbie and more info on the beloved beetle, visit Herbiemania's website which from its name itself you can guess that the site is all about Herbie and basically a page for the fans of Herbie himself. Enjoy!

HERBIE NICE DAY! 

(Have a nice day if you didn't understand that which I totally understand haha)

What to read next: World's Richest Race in Dubai on March 28..

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It's Going to Snow in Dubai! And it's not SKI Dubai!

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Being in the Middle East, specifically in Dubai, means you are always going to have a very hot day and Mr. Humidity will always be your sticky enemy (I hate Mr. Humidity more than Mr. Sunshine though because it really sticks to your skin and you can't seem to get rid of it). 

Due to Mr. Sunshine and Mr. Humidity, conducting an outdoor party in Dubai seems to be close to impossible, especially during summer (which starts from April to August or sometimes even until September). This has always been a problem for parents or for any event coordinator in the past, but not anymore! Because the World's Fastest Real Snow Making System - Desert Snow - is now here in Dubai! And they can create and setup any snow party for any birthday parties or any other occasions/events you can think of or even if you just want snow in your backyard because you want to (haha as if someone will do that, oh wait, we're in Dubai so everything extreme is possible :D).

Desert Snow which is based in Al Quoz, Desert Snow is now making noise in Dubai as it can setup everything from ski domes to snowboarding slopes (made from real snow) for any events or birthday parties in the UAE. As per Desert Snow's managing director Ben Elliott (source: XPRESS News), they can produce up to 1,000 cubic metres of snow in any location at any temperature (yes, even 50 degrees scorching hot temperature) within 24 hours.

Desert Snow "World's Fastest Snow Making System"
via xpress magazine

He also said that the snow is chemical-free and is safe for kids and for all ages for all occasions. It is also not sensitive to changing temperature so it can be produced even during the hottest time of the year in Dubai (yahoo! but I guess we will not be able to afford it, but hopefully someone will invite us to their elite snow party haha). The cost varies from site to site but normally the 20 foot box of real snow comes at around AED 3,000 or around $820 US Dollars plus the delivery charges. Bookings and appointments should be made at least a week or 48 hours in advance to avoid your snow party becoming a water party (which is not so bad I think).



Definitely, the world is changing, who can ever predict that it would snow in a 50 degree Celsius or 122 Degree Fahrenheit country like Dubai? Not even Nostradamus could have predicted that (or maybe he did I'm not sure haha)..

What to read next: World's Most Expensive Burger is also in Dubai!

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Best Cars in the Fast and Furious Series

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If you're talking about movies about cars, Fast and Furious will definitely be the movie that first comes to your mind. I can't blame you as this series (now in it's 7th installment), has shown, used and at times destroyed (yeah lots of car explosions in the movie haha) the most iconic and amazing super and classic cars the Earth World has to offer.. As Fast and Furious 7 is nearing it's movie debut, let's reminisce a little bit and check out some of the best cars used in the series:

via hondaforum.si

1. 1970 Dodge Charger


The 1970 Dodge Charger R/T is primarily used by Dominic Toretto (played by Vin Diesel) in the Fast and Furious Series. This is the main car that he uses in the series and used to belong to his father and has been built, destroyed, and then rebuilt again. This has appeared in the early Fast and Furious films and has appeared as a classic and newer version in FF5. 

The car is famed for its incredible power at 900hp and holding a record 1/4 mile time at just nine seconds flat, set by Dom's father who passed away during a Stock Car race.

2. 1973 F-bomb Camaro

via smotra.ru

The 1973 F-bomb Camaro was used by one of Arturo Braga's (the main antagonist in Fast & Furious) henchmen. This is a 1,500-horsepower, twin-turbocharged engine and definitely a monster of a car. This beast is so powerful that it comes with a rear parachute. This comes in handy if you feel like you're about to fly and need some assistance to stop. Unfortunately, the original is not used in the movie instead three replicas where used all equipped with 300 horsepower GM crate V8s.

3. 1969 Dodge Daytona

credits to Edmunds Inc.
1969 Dodge Daytona

The 1969 Dodge Daytona that Dominic Toretto or Dom used to replace his 1970 Dodge Charger. This car was owned by Tej Parker (which is the technical expert on the movie. Pic here!). This is an enhanced version of the 1970 Dodge Charger which was created to keep up with the race environment of super speedways like Talladega and Daytona. Dom drives it during the street race with Letty (Dom's partner/lover/nemesis in the movie, pic of Letty here!).

4. 1963 Corvette Grand Sport

via kcautoacc.com

The Grand Sport replica was built on a custom fabricated tube-frame steel chassis from the fourth generation Corvette with design elements similar to the 1960’s Grand Sport.  The car also has a GS frame designed by Altair engineering and a suspension from 88-96MY Corvettes with fully adjustable front and rear coil over shocks. The car was used in Fast Five and was on a train that Dom drove off to save Brian O'Connor (a cop played by the late Paul Walker). The care fell into the water during the escape attempt and was not sure if it survived.

5. 1971 Jensen Interceptor

via focus.de

This 1971 Jensen Interceptor is really a masculine car and doesn't have anything sweet about it.  Ironically (or not too much), this is driven and owned by the lead female character Letty in Fast 6. This matte-finished bare bone designed car looks rough and ready to take any beating.

6. 2012 Lucra LC470

via musclecarszone.com

7. 2007 Tjaarda Mustang

via autocarsconcept

Mustang's are the definition of muscular cars and this 2007 Tjaarda Mustang is not an exception. This is the 'hero' car used in Fast and Furious 4 movie and was borrowed by the Universal team from HST International together with another Mustang V6. This Mustang V6 was modified to look exactly as Mustang Tjaarda and was used as it's double when it was destroyed. We not only have stunt men! We also have stunt cars! 

8. 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS

via carws.net

The 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS was shown as being bought by Dom after the credits of Fast and Furious 4 as a replacement for the Dodge Charger he lost.

9.  1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R34

via musclecarszone

That's it for the list of the best Super Cars in the Fast and Furious Series (From 1 to 6). I'm sure we all can't wait for FF7's set of amazing super cars!

Reminder: Don't watch Fast and Furious and drive as no one drives slowly after watching any Fast and Furious Movies! So drive carefully and slowly!

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Amazing Cars You will only find in Dubai

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Dubai is known for it's extravagant lifestyle, luxurious hotels, unbelievable skyscrapers, low oil prices, and of course it's amazing collection of super cars. Below are some of the most amazing elite cars you will only find in Dubai!

Silver Chrome Mercedes Benz

Gold Lamborghini Aventador
via fress.co

Gold Range Rover
via bp.blogspot

Mercedes Jeep made from UAE Coins

Another car made of coins

Limousine Type Ferarri
via fress.co

Devel-16
via arabiangt

Devel-16 an Emirate Produced car having a V16 Engine and a whopping 5000 Horse Power which allows the car to go from 0-60 mph in an astonishing 1.8 seconds. As for the hyper car's top speed (yes you read it right, it's not a supercar but a hyper car), it's a whopping 560 kph or 370 mph (well that's what it claimed it to be).

Batmobile

This batman car is a replica of the Batmobile used by Batman in Tim Burton's classic Batman in 1989. The car was constructed by an Australian enthusiast who built the car for 3 years after getting approval from Warner Brothers. It was then sold to an Emarati Collector for an estimated $1 Million Dollars.

Lamborghini Taxi

So it's not only Police Cars that uses these Super Cars, but also the Dubai Taxi above. I wonder what the starting rate of the meter is? I'm guessing around $1,000? Then $100 for every second you're inside? I'll rather take the bus or walk 100 km to my house haha..

As the fancy trend in Dubai goes, above is a Dubai Ambulance super car that will definitely live up to it's name "First Responder" as it will definitely be the first to respond with it's lightning speed not to mention it's flashing emergency lights :) 

Dubai is really indeed the home of extremes and definitely the most amazing cars that you will only find in Dubai. That's it folks! So AMAZING!

What to read next: World's Most Expensive Police Cars!

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World's Most Expensive Burger sold in Dubai for $7000 USD!

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The World's Most Expensive Burger worth AED 25,000 or around $7,000 has been sold in Dubai, shattering the old world record of AED 18,000 or around $5,000 burger that was sold in Las Vegas (link here!).

The burger was a creation of Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Thani, Chairman of the Department of Statistics and Community Development in Sharjah and also ambassador of the Pink Caravan campaign. He took part in the first Pink Bite charity event where his creation was sold for a whopping AED 25,000 (that's a real Whopping burger literally). 

via arabiangazette

Ambassadors of the Pink Caravan campaign joined in the first Pink Bite at Galeries Lafayette to see who could come up with the tastiest and healthiest burger possible.

The Pink Caravan campaign aims to spread the word on how women can get examined for breast cancer and free examinations and screenings for anyone in the UAE.

It also provides intensive support and treatment every year for 30 patients with breast cancer.

You can follow their journey by visiting pinkcaravan.ae.

Another amazing record for Dubai! What record do you think is next? Haha french fries anyone? Totally worth it!

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Winners of 7th Emirates Classic Car Festival Part 2

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Here are more winners of the 2015 Emirates Classic Car Festival for everyone to check if their picks won:

11. Best Modern Classic Award - Ferrari 328 GTS

Ferrari 328 GTS

12. Best Microcar Award - 1982 Citroen Eco 2000 Prototype

1982 Citroen Eco 2000 Prototype

13. Best Open Top Award - 1963 Corvette

via andersonrestorations.com

14. Heritage Car Award - 1945 Riley Convertible

via downtowndubai

15. British Car Award - 1948 Jaguar XK120

via autocognito.com

16. American Car Award - 1963 Corvette Split Window

via mantownmotors.com

via imgarcade.com

17. Pre-World War II Award - 1930 Plymouth

via ply33.com

18. European Car Award - 1957 Mercedes 220S

via lbilimited.com

19. FIVA Passport - Jaguar XK 120 OTS

via conceptcarz.com

via downtowndubai

So that's a wrap for the 7th Edition of the Emirates Classic Cars Festival. Congratulations to all the winners and hope to see your cars on the road after the event :) Stay Classy, My Friends! Til the next event!

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Winners of 7th Emirates Classic Car Festival 2015

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The 7th edition of the Emirates Classic Car Festival has been concluded and below are the winners of the Dubai's most elite classic car event of the year via Downtown Dubai:

1. Best of Show Award - Ferrari 250 GT Boano

Ferrari 250 GT Boano

2. Best of Show UAE Award - Chevy Pick-up Truck

Chevy Pickup Truck

3. Second People's Choice Award - Volkswagen T1 Samba

VW T1 Samba

4. People's Choice Award - 1957 Corvette C1

1957 Corvette C1

5. Emaar Award - Mercedes Benz 250 SE

via downtowndubai

6. 4x4 Custom Award - Range Rover Jeep

via downtowndubai

7. Best Recreation Award - Aston Martin DBR 2

Aston Martin DB Roadster 2

8. Dubai Award - Daimler 420 Queen's Car

via curbsideclassic.com

9. Classic Motorcycle Award - 1942 Harley Davidson WLA

via yesterdays.nl

10. Classic Truck Award - 1960's Pinzgauer

1960 Pinzgauer Truck

That's it for the first batch of winners of the 7th Edition Emirates Classic Car Edition 2015. Did your picks win? Hope it did! Mine didn't as I picked the 1969 Roll's Royce Silver Shadow where I was able to take a picture inside haha link here!).. Well more awards to be announced on the next part! Stay tuned and stay classy!

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