W Motors

W Motors SAL
Industry Automotive
Founded Lebanon (July 11, 2012 (2012-07-11))
Founder Ralph R. Debbas
Sari El Kahalil[1]
Headquarters Dubai, UAE
Area served
 East Asia, Europe, Middle East, North America
Products Luxury automobiles
Owner Ralph R. Debbas
Website www.wmotors.ae

W Motors is a Dubai-based car company, established originally in Beirut, Lebanon in 2012 by Ralph R. Debbas. W Motors was the first Lebanese manufacturer of sports cars,[2] and is the first Middle-East-based manufacturer of luxury sports cars, or supercars.[3][4]

History

Development of the W Motors brand took seven years.[2][5] European auto manufacturers Carrozzeria Viotti, Magna Steyr, RUF Automobile and StudioTorino were involved in W Motors's development.[2][4] Initial investment topped US$13 million,[2] some of which came from FFA Private Bank of Lebanon, who became a stakeholder in the company.[5] W Motors founder Ralph Debbas has a master's degree in automotive design.[5][6]

W Motors was founded in Lebanon in May 2012.[7][8]

A Lykan HyperSport photographed at Port Hércule in Monaco

W Motors launched its first prototype model, the Lykan HyperSport at the Qatar International Motor Show in January 2013.[9] Shortly thereafter, the company moved its headquarters to Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).[5]

Also in 2013, Universal Studios ordered ten Lykan HyperSport stunt cars to appear in the film Furious 7;[5] it is the most expensive car ever featured in the Fast and the Furious films,[10] though the vehicles seen on screen do not have the carbon fiber chassis, diamond accents or other super-luxury touches that production models of the Lykan HyperSport do. The Lykan HyperSport's first pre-production model debuted at the Dubai International Motor Show on 5 October 2013.[9]

Other venues where the Lykan HyperSport was displayed include the Dubai International Boat Show[11] in the United Arab Emirates; the Historical, Vintage, and Classical Cars Museum[12] in Kuwait; an Cohen&Cunil[13] in Marbella, Spain.

The road-ready model of Lykan HyperSport premiered at Top Marques Monaco in April 2014.[8] The Lykan HyperSport officially went on sale in December 2014.[14] Officially limited to 7 units,[4][5] the HyperSport is priced at $3.4 million and is manufactured in Torino, Italy.[2][10]

Founder Debbas announced in April 2015 that W Motors would be opening an automotive design academy, W Design School, in 2017. Also in April 2015, Furious 7 debuted, featuring the Lykan HyperSport.[4]

Project CARS, a motorsport racing simulator video game developed by Slightly Mad Studios and distributed by Bandai Namco Games, released the Lykan HyperSport as its first downloadable content (DLC) vehicle in May 2015.[15] As of 2016, the Lykan HyperSport has also been included in eleven other video games, including Driveclub and Forza Motorsport 6 in January 2016 as DLC.[4][16]

In June 2015, the Abu Dhabi police force purchased a Lykan HyperSport.[3][17]

Present

W Motors has a three-person automotive design team as of 2012, all graduates of the transportation design degree program at Coventry University.[7] It operates several facilities in Europe, with its main production facility in Torino, Italy,[5] and has collaborated with international partners and suppliers from the automotive industry, including Magna Steyr, StudioTorino, Ruf Automobile, Novasis Ingegneria, ID4Motion,[18] and the University of Tokyo in the technical field, and Franck Muller Watches and Quintessentially Lifestyle Concierge Services in the luxury field.[9]

The company's second model, the Fenyr SuperSport, was scheduled to debut in November 2015.[5] An SUV model, which will be built in the UAE and have a price range of US$200–300K, is set to debut in April 2016, at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition.[5] A sedan, whose model name has not yet been announced, is scheduled to debut in 2015 or 2016; it will have a US$200,000 retail price.[4]

W Motors plans to relocate its factories and manufacturing facilities to the port city of Jebel Ali in the UAE sometime in 2016.[5][14] The plant is expected to make over 200 cars per year by 2017, when production of the sedan and SUV lines will have begun.[6] It will be the first automotive manufacturing facility in the region with on-site R&D, including a test track.[14]

Models

Lykan HyperSport

Rear view of the Lykan HyperSport

The Lykan HyperSport is powered by a flat 6-cylinder 3.7-litre (3746 cc) twin-turbo mid-rear engine, developing 552 kW (770 bhp) and 960 N·m (708 lb·ft) of torque,[19] claiming 0 to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds with a maximum speed of 395 km/h (245 mph).[20] It features a holographic display with interactive motion and tactile interaction. LED headlights are made up of a titanium blade encrusted with diamonds and the taillights with sapphires, a 24 hour concierge service is also available from Quintessentially.

Fenyr SuperSport

In 2013, W Motors announced it would manufacture a second line of supercars, that was later unveiled as the $1.85 million Fenyr SuperSport. A supercar with a production limited to 25 units per year,[3][21][22] a special focus on high-performance and more discreet luxury details when compared with the ones Lykan HyperSport is known for.[21] The Fenyr SuperSport will feature a 0–60 mph time of 2.7 seconds, from 900 horsepower, a top speed over 245 mph,[21][23] and have a curb weight of approximately 1,200 kg.[24] The Fenyr Supersport was unveiled at the 2015 Dubai International Motor Show.[5]

The Fenyr SuperSport is being developed in concert with an eco-friendly racecar program fostered by Quimera, an electric-car manufacturer.[23][24] A racing version of the SuperSport, the Fenyr SuperSport HSF, will use what W Motors is calling a "hybrid synthetic fuel" and be carbon-neutral.[23][25]

Luxury Sedan

An as-yet unnamed sedan model is scheduled to debut in 2016. An estimated 100 sedans per year will be produced, each costing approximately US$50,000.00 The sedan's premiere was planned for the September 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show.[4] It is unknown if this model will be released.

Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle

Two as-yet unnamed SUV models, which will be built in the UAE and have a price range of US$200–300K, where set to debut in April 2016, at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition.[5] One model will have a sports-car-like focus on speed, while the other is designed to be "an off-road luxury car."[5] Unlike the more exclusive HyperSport and SuperSport models, W Motors plans to produce more than 100 units of their SUV models per year, with a significantly shorter order-to-delivery time than for their custom-built sports cars.[5] It is unknown if this model will be released.

Lykan Roadster

Only three of the forthcoming Lykan Roadsters will be sold out of the 5, as 2 will be used as a crash test at Texas Speedway.

References

  1. ↑ Quick, Darren (6 February 2013). "W Motors unveils US$3.4 million Lykan Hypersport". gizmag.com. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Debass, Ralph (7 February 2015). "First Lebanese car unveiled: W Motors marks debut with Lykan HyperSport". BusinessNews.com.lb. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 "A ride with diamond eyes: The first Arab supercar". CNN.com. 5 August 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Hoffmann, Jonas; Lecamp, Laurent (28 August 2015). Independent Luxury: The Four Innovation Strategies To Endure In The Consolidation Jungle. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 192–197. ISBN 978-1137481443. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "$1.6m Fenyr Supersport unveiled at Dubai show". ArabianBusiness.com. 12 November 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  6. 1 2 Merani, Megha (1 April 2015). "Car firm behind the 'star' of Fast and Furious 7 reveals plans for UAE academy". 7Days.ae. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  7. 1 2 Gallina, Eric (29 December 2012). "W Motors: The First Arab Supercar". FormTrends.com. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  8. 1 2 Vijayenthiran, Viknesh (14 April 2014). "770-Horsepower Lykan Hypersport Set For 2014 Top Marques Monaco Debut". Motor Authority. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 "The first Arabian supercar debuts at Dubai Motor Show". Arabian Business. 6 November 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  10. 1 2 Hill, Jessica (31 March 2015). "Meet Ralph Debbas, the man behind Vin Diesel's Furious 7 Lykan Hypersport". The National (Abu Dhabi). Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  11. ↑ Genty, Emmanuel (9 November 2015). "Lykan Hypersport : l'exclusive supercar libanaise en images [Lykan Hypersport: exclusive Lebanese supercar in pictures]". lInternAute.com. CCM Benchmark Group. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  12. ↑ Clark, John. "Top 10 of the Most Expensive Cars in the World". DeWebsite. p. 4. Retrieved 29 September 2015. (Lykan HyperSport is mentioned on page 4 of the article)
  13. ↑ "El coche más caro del mundo llega a España [The most expensive car in the world comes to Spain]". Europa Press (news agency). 28 May 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  14. 1 2 3 Nagraj, Aarti (31 March 2015). "New Supercar Making Facility in Dubai To Start Production In 2016". GulfBusiness.com. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  15. ↑ Makuch, Eddie (30 March 2015). "Gorgeous Racing Game Project Cars Getting Free DLC Every Month". GameSpot.com. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  16. ↑ "Forza Motorsport - Polo Red Car Pack". www.forzamotorsport.net. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  17. ↑ Hard, Andrew (3 June 2015). "Abu Dhabi police enlist 770-horsepower, $3.4 million Lykan Hypersport into patrol duty". DigitalTrends.com. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  18. ↑ "Arab World's First Sports Car to be Unveiled at the Qatar Motor Show 2013". QatarMotorShow.gov.qa. 2013. Archived from the original on May 6, 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  19. ↑ "Specifications". W Motors. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  20. ↑ Mills, James (3 February 2013). "Car of the week: W Motors Lykan HyperSport". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
  21. 1 2 3 Vijayenthiran, Viknesh (13 November 2013). "First Look At W Motors' Next Model, The Fenyr SuperSport". Motor Authority. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  22. ↑ "2015 W Motors Lykan SuperSport Car Reviews & Specs". DuPont Registry. Archived from the original on November 25, 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  23. 1 2 3 Vijayenthiran, Viknesh (22 January 2015). "W Motors Teams Up With Quimera To Develop Eco-Friendly Race Car". Motor Authority. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  24. 1 2 Anderson, Brad (23 January 2015). "More Lykan Supersport Details Revealed". GTspirit.com. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  25. ↑ Edelstein, Stephen (23 January 2015). "W Motors goes green with 1,000-plus HP Lykan Supersport HSF". DigitalTrends.com. Retrieved 18 September 2015.

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