Formula Al-Ahram Car Exhibition Coverage

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Formula Al-Ahram Motor show is one of the biggest motor exhibits to occur in Egypt. A lot of expectations were preregistered for this event and I have to say that I am a littlie disappointed. I am not saying that the show is a failure or the contribution by car vendors is shy. If you are searching to buy a new vehicle and want to compare among available ones on the market, this show is for you. But if you are a motor head, like me, and want to enjoy the presence of unique cars, it is not for you.

When you enter the exhibition, you find the 4 wheel drive SUVs. Hyundai is showing the new Tucson replacement, the Ix35 which is quite good for its price. For your info Hyundai has changed the name because a lot of people couldn’t pronounce the name right. Range Rover is featuring its model range which is impressive by all means. Specially the Land Rover Defender, it’s more of a tank rather than a car.

Then you are introduced with 2 of the most gorgeous cars in the Exhibition, The Porsche Panamera and the Porsche Targa S. SMG displayed the two supercars over a relatively simple booth design. I think based on the exhibition volume and importance, you shouldn’t spend much in booth design and simple is good enough. The representative was very descent and informative. Asking him about the Porsche status in Egypt he answered “Our success is demonstrated by observing the number of Porsches found on Cairo streets. Our cars are super and are capable of handling the Egyptian roads”. I have to say that the Panamera looks stunning in reality. Onething I don’t really understand is why people insist on taking photograph standing in front of the vehicle? Are they going to show the taken snapshot and say “look I am having a picture with a metal!”. A great number of people insist in doing this which in return doesn’t allow you to take a picture of the real beauty. Any way I had to wait for the Exhibition to close down and ran into the Booth and took exclusive photographs for the cars. I had to go through a lot of trouble convincing the security personnel that I need to take a photo for the reviewing and I recall actually outrunning them to the booth. I hope it was worth it!



Moving ahead you will find a Harley Davidson Booth. The presentation for the Brand is very good. I like it when exhibitors display the prices on the vehicles. This saves you the hassle of asking “How much does this cost?” many times for each booth. I don’t dig the Harley Davidson Motorbikes; I am more of a Honda CBR alike admirer.

Next there was a Booth called Biskilita specialized in Bicycles and displayed an old bicycle that was manufactured a long…long time ago. Then there were the Toys Toys booth which deserved a review in it own (Read it Here!). Next you are to go downstairs to Vintage cars collection. I am sure that they have a unique collection of old cars but I don’t understand who is the beneficial for such presentation. Why they are displaying these vehicles? Are we supposed to buy them?

Moving on to the reasonable cars, most of them are there. I liked the Subaru Impreza for its features within a good price range. The WRX were shown for the first time in Egypt. Mini has done a real stylish presentation there. Entering their booth is like entering a totally different zone where, funky is the common theme. They have given much care for the details there which is very professional.

Something that really annoys me in such events is, using girls for displaying the cars. Let’s face it; girls are not good with cars information. Fetching attention using girls is not very Middle Eastern style. Every time I try to get information about a vehicle and forced to deal with a girl that has almost spent one third of her day doing makeup, doesn’t get me anywhere. This happened with Mini booth as well as the Chevrolet Booth.

There was something special within the Chevrolet booth. And that something special is the Chevrolet Camaro. Yes you read it right, it was displayed. But don’t get so much exited. As I asked for the details and forced to do the enquiry with the girls who are much more trained for chewing gum, I found that the marvelous Camaro is for presentation only and will not be sold. Trying to find an answer to why they don’t sell it, I was finally directed to a man who can tell me something. I was much exited to find a man there after I started to think that we are an extinct species. He said “The car will be released in AutoMac exhibition and only then it will be sold”. That wasn’t hard to say. Why didn’t the brilliant girls there never though of this question and seek an answer?! It will remain a mystery.

Hyundai had a quite large space there as they are considered the biggest dealer in the market. I have to mention that one of the vehicles have had a lady standing beside that requires a lot of effort to know if she is real or a full size human model. The girl didn’t move an inch for as long as I have been wondering around. Actually, I don’t know if she was used by the vendor to attract visitors or she is a visitor lost in the exhibition and seeking high ground to find her family. But again, if she was hired for attention, I have to stress that this kind of presentation style drive people away rather than drive them in. I was embarrassed to come near to that car because people might think that I am going after her! Quit this type of exhibiting strategy. Plain and simple, it is not for us!


Moving to Mercedes booth where all the displayed vehicles are pretty. Without any effort they are Mercedes, and they are designed to be pretty. One vehicle stood up with pride, the new E class Coupe. And what a peace of machinery it is! Sadly, the car was closed and I couldn’t get inside to test heaven for a few seconds. I asked a lady which I think from the way she looks, is a high level marketing staff, if I can get inside the car and take photographs. She answered that “the battery is dead and they can’t open the doors!” Can you imagine a new state of the art German engineered master piece having a dead battery? Is this the end of German efficiency as we know it or Mercedes Egypt just can’t hire the right people in the right place? If she had said that this car is special and we can’t open it to preserve its value, I would understand. But a dead battery?! This is the lamest answer I could think about.


BMW was there but with nothing new to be mentioned here. Exiting this sector of the exhibition, I stumbled across Lada with nothing new as well as for the past 30 years. The same cars, the same looks. Then there were the Chinese cars sectors where, I had to run through it to make sure my feelings are not heart.


Then I stumbled across a really interesting booth for cars tuning. A company called “Badawi Cars Tuning” owned by Mr. Mohamed Badawi specialized in tuning vehicles on demand. What is really impressive here is the quality they have produced moding cars. They offered a corvette and a Ford Mustang GT as a sample for their craft and they both are unbelievably good. I might have my own opinion for the Corvette’s girlish paint but hey, this is the customer’s requirement. What I am really admiring, is the quality of finishing and the volume of change they have done for the vehicles. Sadly they had a problem with visitors whom can’t respect the value of the vehicles and keep their hands away while watching. It is really disappointing that people can’t appreciate properties and they can’t pass by without putting fingerprints on the cars’s body. Anyway, I am going to stay close to those guys and get you information on every new peace of art they produce.

That was in brief what to expect for your visit to the exhibition. Please feel free to post your experience for all to share. What did really interest you in the exhibition?