Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority makes perfect arrangements for 'Nissan GT-R Feat' at Jebel Hafeet

"We'd like to extend our thanks to the Abu Dhabi government authorities for making this event possible", said Atsuo Kosaka, Managing Director, Nissan Middle East. "The event couldn't have been made a resounding success without the arrangements made possible by the ADTA", he added.

The GT-R Feat, conducted on March 2, was a celebration of the GT-R legend in the UAE, with the Middle East rally driving legend Mohamed Ben Sulayem leading the challenge at Jebel Hafeet's immaculate road, and reiterating that the supercar is for "Any One, Anytime, Anywhere". The feat was organized to coincide with the official launch of the car in the UAE.

For this very special event, Nissan has received the gracious permission of the Abu Dhabi authorities to temporarily close the road, while under the auspices of the Automobile & Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE) the closed road was monitored by marshals to Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) safety standards. Official timing of the run was also conducted to regional FIA standards.

Police and Civil Defence made perfect arrangements to ensure safety. The Abu Dhabi authorities also provided a helicopter from Abu Dhabi Aviation to facilitate aerial video shooting. The GT-R Feat at the picturesque mountain range in the emirate of Abu Dhabi has made news in the US, Europe, Japan and other parts of the world.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who is Vice President of FIA World Motor Sport Council and president of the Automobile & Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE), said:

"Abu Dhabi Tourism Authorities did a great job that made this event possible. The Jebel Hafeet Mountain is the UAE's most challenging stretch of road and it was a fine test of the GT-R's performance, poise and high lateral grip. I thank Nissan for organizing such a marvellous feat."

At 10:30 a.m. UAE time, Ben Sulayem pointed the aggressive nose of the Nissan GT-R at the mountain and dropped the twin clutches to unleash 485PS (357kW) through the car's permanent all-wheel drive system. Just a few minutes later having negotiated the mountain's 22 corners and 7kms, Ben Sulayem crossed the line to set a first ever official time for ascending the mountain of 3 minutes and 39.008 seconds.

The Jebel Hafeet mountain road on the outskirts of Al Ain in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi rises approximately 4,000 ft (1,219 m) with 22 corners and three lanes (two climbing and one descending). The road scales the mountain and ends at a scenic parking lot and passes a hotel and a palace on the way. A seven-km stretch of the mountain road was used for the GT-R Jebel Hafeet Challenge.

"We also thank Al Masaood Automobiles, Nissan distributors in Abu Dhabi and the Western Region, and Arabian Automobiles, Nissan distributors in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, for their indispensable assistance in the organization of the event", concluded Kosaka.

Nissan GT-R received the "Most Advanced Technology Award (Car of the Year Japan 2008-2009)" and was named the "2009 Motor Trend Car of the Year (USA)," among a number of other prestigious accolades.

The GT-R is on sale through a limited number of Nissan High Performance Centers in selected locations throughout the GCC now.