Porsche Middle East and Africa is showcasing its latest series during the Middle East International Show that was opened today is Dubai. The all new 9100 GT2 and Cane GTS are among the new cars along with some other models such as Boxster, Camen S, 911 Turbo, Carrera S, and Cayenne Turbo.

The GT2 is the fastest Porsche road car yet produced. Sixty-five 911 GT2s were allocated to this region and all have already been sold. Porsche said that those wanting to order the caar now are likely to have to wait a year before taking delivery. It will $176,000, and be available from February.

Video report: Porsche mulls Cayenne rally release

Renault is working on its image in the Middle East over the coming year, in the run up to some major car launches it has planned for 2008.

Although present in the region, its brand is not as popular as others in the market, and the company wants to improve its visibility and raise its profile. It will release 10 new cars over the coming two years, it said.

At the car Show is unveiled new Megans and Clios, both badged as Formula 1, and in the yellow used by the team. The Renault Clio F1 Team R27 is aimed at those that want performance, fashion and driving pleasure, the company said. Released in the first half of 2008, it comes with a two litre, 200bhp engine. The Megan F1 Team R26 is a two litre, 230bhp turbo, starting from around Dhs85,000. Both will sport an F1 plaque on their body.

Also coming out next year is its concept SUV, the Koleos is a 2.5litre Nissan engined car which includes a panoramic glass sunroof. Nicolas Guiochet, the general manager market at Renault, said the prototype was 90 per cent of the final version. It will be made in Korean and ship in the GCC countries in November next year.

The LED lighting on the concept version will not appear in the final version, because of the cost, said Guiochet. ‘We want to make citizen SUVs, not hardcore SUVs. So it’s about having fun onboard.’

Other Renault’s due out next year are the Logan and Logan MCV, which target the cheap end of the market.

The Conquistador is Mansory’s customised Rolls Royce Phantom. Changes include LED daytime lights, new side skirts with aluminium flanks and wing mirrors with integrated flasher lights.

The company customises a range of sports and super cars. Others on display included a Bentley Continental GTC. Le Mansory Convertible is a limited edition widebody customisation. Again, it includes LED daylights, integrated into the spoiler, plus has air intakes and side skirts.

There was no word on price, but then as they say, if you have to ask, you can’t afford it.

Bugatti’s Veyron 16.4 is yet another supercar at the show. With 1,001bhp, it has a top speed of 407km/h and can go 0-100km/h in just 2.5 seconds.

It recently launched an individualisation programme which, has been extended into the Middle East. The Veyron 16.4 is hand assembled by a team in France and the company says only 300 units will be built.

If money really is no object, and you feel the need for super speed, then this may just be the car for you.

The Shelby-built Ultimate Aero recently found its way into the Guiness Book of Records, after its 412km/h record breaking road run. The company said if the drive had been on a specially made track, rather than an ordinary (and closed at the time) road in the US, then it could have added another 10km/h.

The car has 1,183bhp and goes from zero to 100km/h in 2.78 seconds. It will cost $644,000.

On show for the first time in the Middle East, just five will be built in this design, and the company owner has nabbed one of those for himself. Another 45 will be built in varying colours, but none in the white and black design that recently entered the record books.

GM had a number of new cars on show today at its stand - among them two hybrids and a new Chevrolet Camaro (left).

No dates were given as to when any of them will hit the Middle East, although all will go into production.

The Tahoe Hybrid (middle) will begin production next year, the Camaro next year and the Volt has a 2010 date penciled against it.

The Volt, said GM, will drive 60km on a full charge, at which point a three litre engine will kick in to recharge the battery. This will extend the range to 1,000km and use 4.7 litres of fuel per 100km.

Read more on these cars and a full report on GM’s future plans 

Green is a key concern for airlines at the moment, and there are differing views on the future of engines and fuel for planes in the future.

AME Info spoke with BP Air and Shell, both of which thought there would be little change in the coming years, as long term deals and delivery dates have already set out what types of planes companies are taking over the coming years. There will be improvements in the kerosene, they said, but it would still be the fuel for planes in the future.

Rolls Royce, which has won $9.6bn in plane engine orders at the show so far, said the reason is that kerosene is the perfect fuel for aircraft, more so than hydrogen or liquified natural gas. These alternatives would require changes in aircraft design and create logistical problems on the ground for airports, which would have to store kerosene and the alternative fuel until all planes had changed.

Engine Alliance, which is supplying the engines for Emirates’ and Qatar’s Airbus A380s, said it would not be a huge engineering job for engines to use liquified natural gas in flight, but again pointed to the major aircraft redesigns that would be needed.

Synthetic or third generation bio-fuels were the way to go, said Rolls Royce, which is conducting a test on a 747-400 next year on an as-yet undecided alternative fuel.

We’ll have an in-depth report on the thorny issue of fuel, planes and the environmental impact in the coming days on AME Info.

Dubai Airport is now a major international hub, and soon to be dwarfed by the Al Maktoum International Airport in Jebel Ali, but ever wondered what it looked like in its early days?

This picture shows it from around 1959, when it was a mere slip of its size today. In the early days – before even this representation, Dubai Airport was seen as a hub for those flying to places such as Australia, when planes needed to land to refuel.

The first plane to land in Dubai Creek was Imperial Airlines flying boat the Canopus, in October 1937. By 1938, a trip from London to Australia via India would take a leisurely pace, starting with a train to Southampton, where passengers would stop overnight. The service would then take in a number of cities and countries, including ‘Bahrain off Arabia’ and Dubai, before finally arriving in Sydney, Australia 11 days later.

A return London to ‘Bahrain’ fare would cost about $280, showing how much the cost of a flight has come down when you consider what that was worth in 1938. Dubai was not listed as a destination in those days.

Flights between England and India included a stop off at Sharjah, taking five days in total.

One of the great things about reporting from the Air Show is that we get front row seats for the air displays that take place each day.

Stealing the show and giving the final performance of the day was the UK’s Red Arrows flying team. All RAF pilots, each of the nine man team flies for the Red Arrows for three years. Every three years, three pilots leave and a new three are drafted in, so that there is never fewer than six experienced pilots performing the stunts.

Below is the Spanish Air Force’s Patrulla Aguila team, which performed a similar - and also impressive - routine. It ended in style too, as the team landed on the runway in formation.

Delegates at the Dubai Air Show were treated to a range of flying displays from various planes and acrobatic teams from around the world. Among the planes showing off its flying prowess was the Airbus A380. The plane is huge. And we mean HUGE. But also, it was surprisingly quiet considering its size.