W Motors is a Dubai-based car company, established originally in Beirut, Lebanon in 2012 by Ralph R. Debbas.
W Motors was the first Lebanese manufacturer of sports cars, and is the first Middle-East-based manufacturer of luxury sports cars, orsupercars.
| Industry | Automotive |
|---|---|
| Founded | Lebanon (July 11, 2012) |
| Founder | Ralph R. Debbas Sari El Kahalil |
| Headquarters | Dubai, UAE |
|
Area served |
East Asia, Europe, Middle East, North America |
| Products | Luxury automobiles |
| Owner | Ralph R. Debbas |
| Website | wmotors |
History
Development of the W Motors brand took seven years. European auto manufacturers Carrozzeria Viotti, Magna Steyr, RUF Automobile and StudioTorino were involved in W Motors's development. Initial investment topped US$13 million, some of which came from FFA Private Bank of Lebanon, who became a stakeholder in the company.W Motors founder Ralph Debbas has a master's degree in automotive design.
W Motors was founded in Lebanon in May 2012.
W Motors launched its first prototype model, the Lykan HyperSport at the Qatar International Motor Show in January 2013. Shortly thereafter, the company moved its headquarters to Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Also in 2013, Universal Studios ordered ten Lykan HyperSport stunt cars to appear in the film Furious 7; it is the most expensive car ever featured in the Fast and the Furious films, though the vehicles seen on screen do not have the carbon fiber chassis, diamond accents or other super-luxury touches that production models of the Lykan HyperSport do. The Lykan HyperSport's first pre-production model debuted at the Dubai International Motor Show on 5 October 2013.
Other venues where the Lykan HyperSport was displayed include the Dubai International Boat Show in the United Arab Emirates; the Historical, Vintage, and Classical Cars Museum in Kuwait; an Cohen&Cunil in Marbella, Spain.
The road-ready model of Lykan HyperSport premiered at Top Marques Monaco in April 2014. The Lykan HyperSport officially went on sale in December 2014. Officially limited to 7 units, the HyperSport is priced at $3.4 million and is manufactured in Torino, Italy.
Founder Debbas announced in April 2015 that W Motors would be opening an automotive design academy, W Design School, in 2017. Also in April 2015, Furious 7 debuted, featuring the Lykan HyperSport.
Project CARS, a motorsport racing simulator video game developed by Slightly Mad Studios and distributed by Bandai Namco Games, released the Lykan HyperSport as its first downloadable content (DLC) vehicle in May 2015. As of 2016, the Lykan HyperSport has also been included in eleven other video games, including Driveclub and Forza Motorsport 6 in January 2016 as DLC.
In June 2015, the Abu Dhabi police force purchased a Lykan HyperSport.
Present
W Motors has a three-person automotive design team as of 2012, all graduates of the transportation design degree program at Coventry University. It operates several facilities in Europe, with its main production facility in Torino, Italy, and has collaborated with international partners and suppliers from the automotive industry, includingMagna Steyr, StudioTorino, Ruf Automobile, Novasis Ingegneria, ID4Motion, and the University of Tokyo in the technical field, and Franck Muller Watches andQuintessentially Lifestyle Concierge Services in the luxury field.
The company's second model, the Fenyr Supersport, was scheduled to debut in November 2015. An SUV model, which will be built in the UAE and have a price range of US$200–300K, is set to debut in April 2016, at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition. A sedan, whose model name has not yet been announced, is scheduled to debut in 2015 or 2016; it will have a US$200,000 retail price.
W Motors plans to relocate its factories and manufacturing facilities to the port city of Jebel Ali in the UAE sometime in 2016. The plant is expected to make over 200 cars per year by 2017, when production of the sedan and SUV lines will have begun. It will be the first automotive manufacturing facility in the region with on-site R&D, including a test track.
Models
Lykan HyperSport
The Lykan HyperSport is powered by a flat 6-cylinder 3.7-litre (3746 cc) twin-turbo mid-rear engine, developing 552 kW (770 bhp) and 960 N·m (708 lb·ft) of torque, claiming 0 to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds with a maximum speed of 395 km/h (245 mph). It features aholographic display with interactive motion and tactile interaction. LED headlights are made up of a titanium blade encrusted withdiamonds and the taillights with sapphires, a 24h concierge service is also available.
Fenyr SuperSport
In 2013, W Motors announced it would manufacture a second line of supercars, that was later unveiled as the $1.85 million Fenyr SuperSport. A supercar with a production limited to 25 units per year, a special focus on high-performance and more discreet luxury details when compared with the ones Lykan HyperSport is known for. The Fenyr SuperSport will feature a 0–60 mph time of 2.7 seconds, from 900 horsepower, a top speed over 245 mph, and have a curb weight of approximately 1,200 kg. The Fenyr Supersport was unveiled at the 2015 Dubai International Motor Show.
The Lykan Hypersport is being developed in concert with an eco-friendly racecar program fostered by Quimera, an electric-car manufacturer. A racing version of the SuperSport, the Fenyr SuperSport HSF, will use what W Motors is calling a "hybrid synthetic fuel" and be carbon-neutral.
Luxury Sedan
An as-yet unnamed sedan model is scheduled to debut in 2016. An estimated 100 sedans per year will be produced, each costing approximately US$50,000.00 The sedan's premiere is planned for the September 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show.
Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle
Two as-yet unnamed SUV models, which will be built in the UAE and have a price range of US$200–300K, are set to debut in April 2016, at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition. One model will have a sports-car-like focus on speed, while the other is designed to be "an off-road luxury car." Unlike the more exclusive HyperSport and SuperSport models, W Motors plans to produce more than 100 units of their SUV models per year, with a significantly shorter order-to-delivery time than for their custom-built sports cars.
Lykan Roadster
Only three of the forthcoming Lykan Roadsters will be sold out of the 5. The 2 will be used as a crash test at Texas speedway
