Cars, boats and gadgets for the rich elite
(20 Nov 2015) LEAD IN: At the Big Boys Toys exhibition in Abu Dhabi, visitors can get their hands on a Batmobile, robots, drones, and custom-made boats and motorbikes. The show's target market are the region's so-called 'ultra high net worth individuals', who have plenty of money to spend on these toys for grownups. STORY-LINE: Ever dreamt of owning a Batmobile? You can now make your childhood dreams a reality in Abu Dhabi. On display at the Big Boys Toys annual exhibition in the UAE's capital is a street-legal version of the superhero vehicle. The Batmobile Tumbler boasts a V8, 5.7 litre, LS6 Corvette engine, and propane tanks that shoot fire. Only a few exist in the world, and clients can customise them to their liking; choosing any car engine they fancy. If you need to ask how much, you probably can't afford it. But they start at half a million US dollars and can cost double that after customisation. Rich Boys Toys is the company behind making the Batmobile concept into a reality. Exhibiting in the UAE for the first time, the US-based concierge service acts as the middleman between clients looking to purchase exotic items, and those who can deliver them in the market. "We deal with cars, bikes, exotic animals, jewellery, weapons, whatever the client needs. From a collector's piece, antique pieces, rare items, we are able to find and deliver," says Abdullah Taleb, Rich Boys Toys' CEO. Another popular item they brought along is their Neutron bikes; the same as those used in the movie Tron. These electric vehicles are charged in 60 minutes and can drive for up to six hours. They reach a maximum speed of 75 miles per hour (120 kilometres) and cost 85,000 US dollars. But they're not a viable option for everyone. Those who want a bike to ride for long hours can get a custom build from the team at 86 cycles. The company is one of a few that offer custom build bikes in the UAE; like this 120R engine chopper, with a Frankie Serrano exhaust. The paint job alone took 60 hours to complete: airbrushing 800 skulls layered on top of one another. Zeid Salman, Managing Partner of 86 Cycles, says they think of themselves as "a creative hub within Abu Dhabi". "I mean we do crazy things like we've done robots out of bike parts that we've built. We've done a bicycle with the shape of the UAE map as a tribute for National Day. But I mean, in terms of motorcycles, any customer brings us their bike, gives us some creative freedom, gets involved in the process, and we can make out something that nobody has seen before." Like El Torro: a bike so seamless you cannot see where the front fork and the body of the bike attach. To do that, 86 Cycles had to remove the suspension from the front fork and put it in the middle of the bike; something that has never been done before. A crowd favourite at the show is this robot. The creation of Japanese mechanical designer Kunio Okawara, who is hoping to start selling it very soon For those who don't want to wait to get their hands on an exclusive toy, the Wingcopter is ready for purchase. The one million US dollar high-speed drone made its first public appearance at the show. This Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) reaches speeds of 150 kph (93 mph), and can carry a load of up to two kilograms (4.4 pounds). But if that's not exclusive enough, how about the world's largest outboard-powered centre console boat? The 53' Suenos is so limited, only 12 will be produced each year, costing 1.2 million US dollars. High-end exclusivity is one of the show's themes, according to Atif Malik, the Big Boys Toys Exhibition Director. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
