UAE custom culture at large
For the second time coming, the OutdoorUAE team was proud to be a part of the 2016 Custom Show Emirates. Now in year two, the Custom Show expounded on its strengths last year and brought more cars, bikes, 4x4s, stunts and enthusiasts from all over the GCC region to ADNEC, Abu Dhabi over the course of five days.
Compared to last year, this year’s show boasted a 40% increase in event space and welcomed more than 25,000 visitors, 104 local and 63 international brands across 17 countries. With a 450,000 square feet floor space, this is the biggest festival of UAE car culture to date.
With this improvement to the show in general, of course we too had to do our own upgrades! Amidst the lowriders, the muscle cars and tuners, our Silverback Scoop Fatbike was proudly displayed on all days of the show and it was a welcome treat to everyone who saw it! This interest even reached the point where people wanted to snap photos with it, and even inquire where they could get to experience fatbiking. The team was more than happy to answer any queries about it as well as giving people free magazines and offering the Second Edition of the Advanced Off-Road Guidebook at discount prices to the joy of many off-road enthusiasts that visited the show.
Speaking of the cars, the number of vehicles displayed during the event was astounding. And that is an understatement. From the entrance alone, there were classic cars, a Camaro turned into a dually and even classic pickup trucks! Inside the hall was where it was mind blowing, Jeeps customized beyond recognition with even one inspired by vintage airplanes. A lot of off-road groups also saw this as an opportunity to gather and show off their cars. There was UAC4X4 and the UAE Hummer Team – who was also a part of the 2015 Dubai Off-Road and Adventure Show showcasing their modified and dune ready Hummers, and FJ to name a few. The outdoor vibe within the UAE car community is impressive.
Another highlight of the show is the live drifting and stunt driving event which was widely attended by visitors last year. Like last year, the outdoor arena was where most footfall occurred. For this year’s show they brought in over 70 professional drifters roaring into action as they kept people on the edge of their seats. The arena included various stunts such as 4×4 and saloon
drifting, gymkhana and the fan favourite stunt driving.
Of the 950 cars that participated in this year’s show, it was quite difficult to choose the best of them all. With each vehicle modified based on the liking of their owners. But despite the difficulties, the King of the Show was hailed to be a golden Nissan GT-R that came straight from Japan and at a whopping cost of 3.5 million AED; it was the most expensive vehicle in the entire show.
With all these being said, everything about this year’s CSE is literally bigger and better even bringing out the best of not only local talent but also international talent as well. We’ll see you next year in CSE 2017!
Words by: Keith Pereña
Photos by: Jung Francisco and Charles Pereña
