QATAR is set to welcome the best footballers on the planet when the World Cup kicks off for the first time in the Middle East on November 20.
Gareth Southgate’s England squad will be bidding to bring football home. But they will have to outperform favourites Brazil plus European powerhouses France and Germany to get their hands on the Jules Rimet trophy.
Hosts Qatar have little chance of even getting past the group stages – but when it comes to astonishing vehicles they are truly in a league of their own.
From ultra-rare Ferraris to classic models in bold colours, the wealthy sheikhs who run the desert nation are well known for splashing the cash on mega motors.
Select Car Leasing, the UK’s leading vehicle leasing company, has rounded up the flashest four-wheelers owned by the country’s royal family – and what they cost!
Bugatti Divo – £5 million
One Qatari prince was seen edging his striking Bugatti Divo through the streets of Monte Carlo this summer.
The exclusive supercar is one of only 40 built by the elite French marque. This one is kitted out in eye-catching matt white with light blue detailing and a stand-out gloss finish on the front bumper and the rear diffuser.
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport – £4million
A black and orange beauty was spotted on the streets of central London earlier this year.
The Chiron is the successor to the much-admired Veyron, and this Super Sport model is based on the Super Sport 300 that broke the record for the fastest car by hitting a speed of 300 mph
It has a top speed of 261mph, which probably isn’t that important when stuck behind a black cab or red double-decker bus.
Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta – £4.9million
Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has a very impressive collection of supercars in his garage.
His LaFerrari Aperta is one of only 200 made and is viewed as one of the most definitive versions of the famous Italian brand.
It was also Ferrari’s first entry into the world of hybrid engines – a controversial move at the time.
But the expert engineering resulted in the highest power output of any Ferrari production car, along with a 40 per cent drop in fuel consumption.
Lamborghini Centenario – £4.8million
Also in Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s luxury line-up are two Lamborghinis – a white coupe and a Roadster.
Both iconic models from the House of the Rising Bull boast 770 CV aspirated V12 engines and go from 0-60mph in an eye-watering 2.8 seconds.
The Sheikh – son of former Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who ruled Qatar between 1995 and 2013 – also has the keys to a £1.2m McLaren P1, £1.8million Bugatti Veyron and £600,000 Porsche 918 Spyder.
Rolls-Royce Phantom – £1million
The Al Thani family got their hands on a British classic when they ordered a very distinctive Rolls Royce a decade ago.
The one-of-a-kind turquoise Phantom was fully fitted out – both inside and out – in a colour specially created by the Rolls-Royce team at Goodwood.
The brand stated on its website that the distinctive shade of bluey green was “inspired by the colours of the calm sea and sky of the Arabian Gulf region as well as by the precious stone”.
Stark Motors
It’s not just the royals who have some impressive horse power to show off.
One of the big auto manufacturers in Qatar is Stark Motors, which produces eye-catching – and very expensive – armour-plated limousines and SUVs from its base in Doha.
Think Iron Man and Avengers and you get the idea.
Models include the Raider LTAV (light armoured tactical vehicle), which is based on a Dodge Ram 500 chassis, and the custom-built Thunder MRAP (mine-resistant ambush protected) APC (armoured personnel carrier).
The Stark Motors website states:
“New surges in violence have raised these concerns to unprecedented levels.
“Many organizations and private individuals are now forced to dedicate a significant portion of their resources to defeating actual and potential threats of crime and terrorism.
“Through an individual approach to the needs and requirements of each of its clients, Stark Motors is able to relieve this strain by supplying armoured vehicles that take safety and security to a higher level.”
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