V8 Vantage preview in Dubai

[g55dxb]

A Mercury Silver V8 Vantage has been on display at Al Habtour Motors in Dubai since Thursday afternoon and will be available for viewing until Sunday (tomorrow) evening before moving to another dealer elsewhere in the Middle East.

In general I was thrilled as the car I've ordered is also Mercury Silver and the color looked really good. The fit & finish looked very good, except that the hand-brake appeared to be broken. The color of the OLED displays was still greenish, not white but then this car was built in August so perhaps the final customer cars will use the updated white OLED displays from the 2006 DB9. The quality of the carpeting in the trunk was much improved from the car I saw in the lobby of the Gaydon factory last month. This particular car was built to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) specifications and will tour the region for a month or two and might be displayed at the Middle East Motor Show in Dubai this December.

[pic]http://www.jimmygrewal.com/pictures/amv8_15102005/small/amv8_dubai_1_small.jpg[/pic]

[pic]http://www.jimmygrewal.com/pictures/amv8_15102005/small/amv8_dubai_2_small.jpg[/pic]

[pic]http://www.jimmygrewal.com/pictures/amv8_15102005/small/amv8_dubai_3_small.jpg[/pic]

[pic]http://www.jimmygrewal.com/pictures/amv8_15102005/small/amv8_dubai_4_small.jpg[/pic]

[pic]http://www.jimmygrewal.com/pictures/amv8_15102005/small/amv8_dubai_5_small.jpg[/pic]

[pic]http://www.jimmygrewal.com/pictures/amv8_15102005/small/amv8_dubai_6_small.jpg[/pic]

[pic]http://www.jimmygrewal.com/pictures/amv8_15102005/small/amv8_dubai_7_small.jpg[/pic]

[pic]http://www.jimmygrewal.com/pictures/amv8_15102005/small/amv8_dubai_8_small.jpg[/pic]

[pic]http://www.jimmygrewal.com/pictures/amv8_15102005/small/amv8_dubai_9_small.jpg[/pic]

[seasider]

Looks lovely in that colour

Interior combination not so sure!!!


>> Edited by seasider on Sunday 16th October 00:20

[hustlebabe]

Doh...you Dubai guys get all the best cars first

But you can stuff the revolting interior colour on that simply lovely car

and they always have the handbrake in an awkward place

>> Edited by hustlebabe on Sunday 16th October 01:06

[rich1231]

seasider said:

Looks lovely in that colour Interior combination not so sure!!! >> Edited by seasider on Sunday 16th October 00:20

That looks similar to my car you g1t....

[seasider]

rich1231 said:

seasider said: Looks lovely in that colour Interior combination not so sure!!! >> Edited by seasider on Sunday 16th October 00:20 That looks similar to my car you g1t....

Really??????????

[Vipers]

Do the cars sold in Dubai still have the gizmo fitted which ding dongs when you reach 70 mph?

[v15ben]

The one at Sydney Motor Show was a more gold in colour than this one but it still looked superb. I prefer the Silver colour shown above though!

[Twin Turbo]

That's a great exterior colour for the V8. The tan interior is also much better in reality (if it's the same as the tan in the car at Goodwood last month). However, I think it needs a little more contrasting leather....maybe a black dash, black seat inners and maybe part of the door cards.

Oh, and piano black on the console

[rich1231]

Twin Turbo said:

That's a great exterior colour for the V8. The tan interior is also much better in reality (if it's the same as the tan in the car at Goodwood last month). However, I think it needs a little more contrasting leather....maybe a black dash, black seat inners and maybe part of the door cards. Oh, and piano black on the console

I avoided the black inserts, as the internals will look a bit busy to me.

tan seats and door inserts, black stitching with black dash and door outers.

I really hope it works !!!! ohmygodwhathaveidone


seasider...shut it!!! at least its not pink ok! :-)))

[Twin Turbo]

Sounds great. Glad to see you went with a black dash....I just think ALL tan is a bit too much

[rich1231]

Twin Turbo said:

Sounds great. Glad to see you went with a black dash....I just think ALL tan is a bit too much

I wanted the exact look of the Prototype, but the material hasnt passed fire testing :-(

I may be on here in 6 weeks time crying about my choice though... gulp

[g55dxb]

In an effort to help pass the time till my V8 arrives, I bought a new video camera and made my first music video with it earlier today...and yes this video does contain content of interest to other V8 Vantage voyeurs on the forum. By the time my V8 comes, hopefully I will have learned how to film and use a tripod.

It's a large video (44mb DVD quality) and requires the latest version of QuickTime (Mac/Windows) to view it:

http://homepage.mac.com/jimmy/.Movies/amv8_dubai_480.mov

[sandersja]

Thanks for posting the nice pics.
The interior shots clearly illustrate one of my biggest beefs with the interior color options - namely, the limited lame selection of "headliner" colors. This not only for the headliner, but the a pillar uprights on either side of the dash.

These pics show some lighter color (sandstone?) which does not match well the rest of the interior. I have had the same problem trying to spec out my interior. Why can't they offer a wider range?

[Vipers]

hustlebabe said:

and they always have the handbrake in an awkward place

In this day and age, why do we need a stick shaped thing to activate the parking brake? Had a test drive in a Jag last year, cant recall how you put it on, but to release the handbrake, you just lifted this half moon shaped thingy.

And dont Mercs have that thingy you kind of pump up with your foot?

[richb]

g55dxb said:

the hand-brake appeared to be broken.

Probably not; it is a semi fly-off handbrake and is quite peculiar to use until you get the feel for it. You apply it by pulling it up and notching the ratchet with the button, after which the handle falls back to the floor. To release it you pull it up, depress the button and lower the handle. At first it feels as though the hand brake is 'broken' because it simply moves freely up and down. Rich...

[richb]

Vipers said:

In this day and age, why do we need a stick shaped thing to activate the parking brake? Had a test drive in a Jag last year, cant recall how you put it on, but to release the handbrake, you just lifted this half moon shaped thingy. And dont Mercs have that thingy you kind of pump up with your foot?

OK in automatic saloon jobbies like Mercs and Jags but not much good for controlled starts in a manual car, which being a 'sports car' most AM V8s will be. Rich...

[g55dxb]

In that case the hand-brake was functioning correctly.

[richb]

g55dxb said:

In that case the hand-brake was functioning correctly.

I suppose it's because it's beside the door rather than being on the transmission tunnel and would be in the way of getting in and out if it stuck up in the air!