Qatar Motor Show might not be very important to mainstream manufacturers, but it’s a great marketing opportunity for high-end luxury makers such as Bentley.
With the price of oil still going upwards, luxury car makers are anticipating an even greater performance for their Middle East divisions. That’s why they turned up with their latest and finest products at the second International Qatar show.
At Bentley’s booth, there’s the all new Bentley GTC Convertible and the Bentley Mulsanne, which is going to be the next Maybach. The GTC builds on the highly successful foundation of the previous cabriolet, but with everything that’s great about the new Conti. The new Mulsanne is a thoroughly modern flagship that captures the essence of the Bentley marque. Elegant yet distinctly sporting in character, it delivers effortless performance from the classic 6.75 litre V8 engine whilst within its sumptuous cabin advanced technology sits discreetly with handcrafted luxury.
Last year Bentley sales bounced back to pre-recession levels of demand. Sales were up 37% globally in 2011 to 7003 cars with sales accelerating as the year progressed. The Middle East region remained stable – a positive outcome considering the Arab Spring affected confidence at the beginning of the year. It is still going well, bu the situation in the region is so fragile at the moment, what with the ongoing conflicts with Iran which will inevitably influence the GCC countries. If things get out of hand, the market will plummet, badly.