Sports car made in UAE set for launch

Rather, the man stepping out of the dark Batmobile-styled sportscar is Nadeem Dweik, international sales manager of Capital Manufacturing, a Dubai-based automaker.

A smile breaks out on his face as he glances at the racing lines of the newest Made-in-the-UAE sports car dubbed the Capman Roadster.

"This isn't a kit car," says Dweik. "Our new cars are much more sophisticated. The big difference is that we manufacture everything in this car except for the chassis and drivetrain.

"We're the only company in Dubai to get a manufacturing licence to build cars. We're the only ones manufacturing cars in the UAE as far as we know." The fibreglass body, interior and virtually every other piece in the car is handmade.

Dweik is gearing up for this weekend's official launch of the muscle roadster's latest model at Capital Manufacturing's head office and small manufacturing plant on Umm Suqeim Road this weekend where new dealers of the UAE automobile will visit from GCC countries to get acquainted.

The company has big plans for the growling road beast based upon the world-famous Cobra design of yesteryear.

"We're expecting a lot of customers to come in to see the car. Some of our customers feel very patriotic and want to support a new nationally built product," Dweik said, adding there is a fierce passion among UAE residents for sports cars with classic looks.

"A lot of people in the UAE already have a passion for the sport and own a Ferrari or a Porsche. But they want something else, they want something special, unique that no one else has," Dweik said.

Rich looks

Part of the business strategy to build and manufacture a UAE-built car is keeping it affordable.

Despite its exceedingly rich looks, the price for a basic model starts at Dh185,000 and can rise to Dh295,000.

"We're making it affordable not just to penetrate the market but also to gain trust in new customers."

Compared to upscale sports cars costing upwards of millions of dirhams, the new muscle roadster is "not a lot of money for a car that has your own signature", he said.

By providing a full package of amenities in a relatively inexpensive but custom-built sports car, Dweik believes the market will welcome the new Capman Roadster in the year ahead.

By mid-2011, Capital Manufacturing says it hopes to sell 40 of the new Capman Roadster in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait through licensed dealers across the GCC.

As more cars sell and the business broadens, Dweik said he expects the firm to open a mini manufacturing plant in Dubai capable of mass production on a small scale at first.

"For now, we're building our cars one at a time but in future we're planning on building a mini plant that will see production increase," he said.

For now, it takes about 12 employees to build a single car, taking it through all stages of production.

Specs

The new Capman Roadster is a car that promises to deliver on performance with a 5.0-litre Mustang engine producing 215 horsepower.

Weight: 1,100kg

Wheelbase: 2286mm

Overall length: 4013mm

Overall height: 1219mm

Overall width: 1790mm

Ground clearance: 115mm

Fuel capacity: 60 litres

Would you prefer to buy a car manufactured in your own country? Or would you rely on a well known brand? Should the UAE set up its own car manufacturing plant?

Terkait "Silent War" Jepang terhadap Industri Otomotof Pribumi: Ternyata Indonesia Pasar motor Terbesar di Asia

Indonesia merupakan pasar motor terbesar di Asia, namun negeri ini belum mempunyai produksi motornya sendiri, sehingga banyak produsen motor dari negara lainnya seperti China, Jepang, dan Italia melemparkan produksinya ke Indonesia.

Potensi pasar yang besar itu mendorong TVS Group melalui TVS Motor Company Indonesia pada tahun 2005 melakukan investasi sebesar 50 juta dolar AS ke pasar domestik dengan mendirikan pabrik pertama di Karawang, kata Chief Operating Officer PT TVS Motor Company Indonesia (TMCI), Darmady Tjuatja saat peluncuran produksi baru TVS Neo X3i di Jakarta, Senin.

Menurut Darmadi Tjuatja, banyaknya motor dari negara lain masuk ke Indonesia menunjukkan bahwa Indonesia adalah pasar yang potensial dalam industri tersebut.
Namun India melalui TVS Group mempunyai pandangan yang berbeda dengan produsen lainnya, langsung melakukan investasi dan mendirikan pabrik di Karawang dengan produksi sebesar 300 ribu per tahun, katanya.

Ia mengatakan, pasar Indonesia dengan India sebenarnya sama, karena keduanya memiliki penduduk yang jumlah cukup besar, namun India mempunyai produksi motor sendiri seperti Bajay dan TVS Neo, sedangkan Indonesia masih belum ada produknya.

Begitu pula dengan China sudah memproduksi motor China dan mempunyai pasar sendiri, dan melepas produknya juga ke pasar Asia lainnya seperti di Indonesia, namun belum melakukan investasi di Indonesia dalam sektor tersebut.

Namun India dengan komitmen yang kuat melakukan investasi di Indonesia yang akan dijadikan sebagai pusat produksi motor TVS Indonesia untuk kawasan Asia Tenggara, tuturnya.

Ditanya kenapa masih memproduksi motor bebek, menurut dia, karena pasar masih cukup besar yang mencapai 38 persen, sedangkan TVS merupakan “anak bawang” yang baru muncul dalam tiga ini.

“Kami harapkan dapat meraih pangsa pasar di dalam negeri antara delapan persen sampai 10 persen,” katanya.

TVS Indonesia, lanjut dia juga berminat memproduksi jenis motor bukan bebek, namun saat ini masih fokus ke sektor tersebut.

Karena itu , TVS juga berharap akan dapat memproduksi satu juta unit motor dalam beberapa tahun ke depan, sehingga menjadi pemain utama dalam bisnis tersebut, katanya.