Ulrich Bez, the CEO of Aston Martin has no worries about being able to maintain the exclusivity of the brand. Paul Thomas / Bloomberg
Ulrich Bez, the CEO of Aston Martin has no worries about being able to maintain the exclusivity of the brand. Paul Thomas / Bloomberg

Aston back in the UAE and on solid ground, says chief executive



Aston Martin's CEO, Ulrich Bez, is standing in the carmaker's newest showroom in the heart of Dubai, looking remarkably fresh for someone who has literally just arrived in the city after an overnight flight from London. He's been smiling a lot and taking photographs of a pristine DB5 that's parked outside the dealership. Today of all days, he has something to smile about.

Just minutes ago, approximately 50 media types started to exit the premises after a short(ish) presentation, and I'm the only journalist left in the building. Bez, I've been informed, wants to talk to The National, and who am I to get in the way of that?

Sensing that Bez is fed up with talking about the newly-announced majority stakeholder sale of the company, I forget about grilling him on this. The way I see it, who cares if Aston Martin is sold to another company, so long as its pockets are deep and further investment can be made to make a frankly brilliant range of cars even better. After all, it's worked tremendously well for Jaguar Land Rover, for whom business has never been better.

Instead, I ask him about how Aston Martin can continue to evolve and excite the marketplace. How, I query, can the company get out of what many see as a design rut? The range (forgetting the Cygnet), from Vantage to DB9, Rapide and Vanquish, looks like a variation on the same theme.

"We do not need a revolution," he says after a lengthy pause. "Our cars have perfect proportions and there is no need to change this. Once the basic design is this good, why would you do something different?

"I always say that, in politics, if there is a complete change, it's because something was wrong in the first place. There is nothing wrong with Aston Martin design, so why do we need to start from scratch with something new?"

He points out, too, that in the company's 100-year history, it has only built 65,000 cars and, with the current annual production range of 4,500, there's no danger that their exclusivity will be diluted any time soon. He has a point.

The new dealership is in a prime location, right across the road from the Dubai Mall. Unlike every other car company you could care to mention in the UAE, however, the company has no local business partner.

"We are different from all the rest," he says defiantly, "so when it came to re-launching here [after an absence of more than two years], we wanted to do it on our own terms. It's been hard work but it's been worth it."

There are new models in the pipeline for 2013, that much is obvious, although he won't be drawn on what they are just yet. Instead, we can drink in the gorgeousness of the new Vanquish, which replaced the DBS and brings with it much in the way of quality and driveability improvements. Bez knows his market and it isn't, he says, the same as Ferrari's or Lamborghini's. "What we offer drivers is usable, accessible performance. It's all well and good having a car that does over 330kph, but nobody really gets to use that - with an Aston Martin, you can still drive hard on a track but then you can take your wife away in it for the weekend and she won't be complaining about noise or uncomfortable seats."

Motorsport, he stresses, continues to form an important part of Aston Martin's commitments. "Our gentleman [racing] drivers," he quips, "provide extremely important feedback for us when it comes to development. But there's one thing they always say - that these cars are comfortable and easy to drive. And that helps them win races."

With that I bid him farewell and congratulate him on this splendid new facility. Nothing looks or sounds quite like an Aston Martin and I look forward to seeing and hearing many more of them on the roads and streets of the UAE. It's fantastic to have them back.

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance

Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.

Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.

The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.

The specs

Price, base: Dh228,000 / Dh232,000 (est)
Engine: 5.7-litre Hemi V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 552Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.5L / 100km

The specs

Price, base / as tested Dh1,100,000 (est)

Engine 5.2-litre V10

Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch

Power 630bhp @ 8,000rpm

Torque 600Nm @ 6,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined 15.7L / 100km (est) 

Know before you go
  • Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
  • If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
  • By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
  • Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
  • Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.

 

How to help

Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:

2289 - Dh10

2252 - Dh50

6025 - Dh20

6027 - Dh100

6026 - Dh200

TOURNAMENT INFO

2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier

Thursday results
UAE beat Kuwait by 86 runs
Qatar beat Bahrain by five wickets
Saudi Arabia beat Maldives by 35 runs

Friday fixtures
10am, third-place playoff – Saudi Arabia v Kuwait
3pm, final – UAE v Qatar

WISH
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