If you have always dreamed of owning a McLaren but assumed it was out of your price range, think again.
The first McLaren Automotive pre-owned scheme of its kind has been launched in the UAE to make the supercars more "accessible".
Every car in the Qualified programme - which is available through Al Habtoor Motors' McLaren showrooms in Dubai near the Burj Khalifa and the Khalidya area of the capital - will be approved by the brand and upgraded to a 2013 model, complete with the latest power technology, 625 PS, free of charge.
The scheme even offers customers the chance to personalise their McLaren MP4-12C and MP4-12C Spider by adding a number of options including a special airbrake, front bumper insert, engine cover vents and rear deck in carbon fibre, plus a range of diamond cut or body-coloured alloy wheels.
"The launch of McLaren Qualified in the UAE is a major milestone for McLaren Automotive in the Middle East and Africa, it will give the public greater access to McLaren 12C and 12C Spider ownership," said Ian Gorsuch, McLaren Automotive's regional director for the Middle East and Africa.
However, it is not known how much cheaper it will be buying second-hand as the company has yet to release details of the cost of the scheme.
Al Habtoor Motors has received good feedback from 12C owners, which has limited the supply of new cars, creating more demand for pre-owned vehicles, said George Duncan, Al Habtoor Motors prestige director.
"Al Habtoor Motors is seeing a growing number of potential pre-owned high performance sports car customers in the UAE," he said.
"Through our experience in this segment of the market and support of the McLaren Qualified scheme we want to ensure that Al Habtoor Motors is the benchmark for retailing of pre-owned sports cars in the UAE."
gduncan@thenational.ae
