SimplyAbuDhabi XIV

2 4 2 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I McLarenMagic By Arnie S. Hira T here’s something almost magical about the effect of receiving an invitation marked ‘VIP’. Especially when that invitation comes from McLaren Automotive, the creators and manufacturers of some of the most exciting cars on this planet. And, on studying that invitation further, I discovered that things only got better: Jordana and I were to fly to Marbella as guests of McLaren to sample the magic of their fabulous new 650S Spider. What’s more, those wonderful people at Gulfstream had arranged that our flight from Manchester to Malaga would be aboard one of their private jets. Yes, the VIP lifestyle certainly has its advantages. The flight was, of course, a sheer delight and we arrived at Malaga airport refreshed and ready to enjoy the hospitality of bothMcLaren and the sumptuous Finca Cortesin Hotel in Marbella. The short trip from airport to hotel was by chauffeur-driven Mercedes Benz V-class limousine, allowing us to relax and take in the scenery before joining the team for welcome drinks and our McLaren briefing in the luxurious ambience of Finca Cortesin, our home for the three days of this all-too-brief visit. Naturally, after the briefing and having had a chance to settle into our delightful room, we took full advantage of this splendid venue’s facilities, enjoying a simply sensational meal in the hotel’s own El Jardin restaurant before retiring to our perfectly prepared and welcoming bedroom to ensure that we were well rested for our time with the spectacular McLaren 650S. The next morning, after a gourmet breakfast that really had to be experienced to be believed, Jordana and I considered ourselves sufficiently fortified to get behind the wheel of theMcLaren that was waiting outside. And what a completely stunning sight ‘our’ white 650s was. Although we’d both seen photographs of the car, nothing had really prepared us for just how dramatic it is in the flesh. At a glance, the exterior seems a combination of P1 and 12C. In fact, I nicknamed the car the ‘baby P1’, a name which seemed to go down well with the McLaren team!