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My Dubai Car: 'Ferrari has near-infinite ways to match the car specs with your desires'

German expat on her love for fast cars and collection of Ferraris

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Photos by Muhammad Sajjad

By George Kuruvilla

Published: Thu 8 Feb 2024, 7:17 PM

Name: Rebecca Steinecke

Road cars: A collection of Ferraris including the 488 Pista Spider, SF90 Stradale Assetto Fiorano, Roma and the 812 Superfast; a 2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante, and a Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII Series II SWB

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Track cars: Ferrari 488 Challenge EVO

Nationality: German

Profession: Entrepreneur

In Dubai since: 2019

With grand propositions for both business and pleasure, Dubai has managed to draw an incredible number of people from around the globe. Rebecca Steinecke, a German expat and entrepreneur, is one such individual who has made Dubai her home. Like many in this city, she too shares a great passion for fast and luxurious vehicles, one that is perhaps surpassed only by her love for her pets.

When did you move to Dubai and what do you like the most about this city?

I moved here in December 2019 with my husband. We lived in Zurich, Switzerland before and we were initially just looking for a vacation home. After spending some time in Dubai, we quickly realised how much at home we felt here and decided to fully relocate to this exciting city.

Photos by Muhammad Sajjad

What fascinated us is how Dubai combines so many different things, like the glamour of all the futuristic architecture, restaurants, and boutiques while being home to many people who share a passion for helping animals. We have met many inspiring people here who have put in a lot of effort and time to make a positive change, like the volunteers at charity organisations like ‘K9 Friends’ Dubai and ‘Animals & Us’ Fujairah, which is also where we adopted our dogs.

What do you do for work and how do you spend your days?

I am an entrepreneur. Over a decade ago my husband and I started companies in the IT and real estate field. As our companies are located in Europe, we mostly work from home. This means, that every day we can enjoy the beautiful chaos of our private zoo, which at this point consists of 13 former stray dogs and cats.

What kind of car-related activities do you enjoy?

After moving to Dubai, I joined the Arabian Gazelles, an all-female supercar club founded by Hanan Sobati. Through this club, I’ve met a lot of interesting women who share the same fascination for supercars. We often meet for road trips or special events, or just to catch up. Having a club like this in Dubai is a very unique thing and something I haven’t experienced in any other city I lived in before.

Another exciting thing in Dubai is having racetracks right in front of your doorstep. My husband and I both had the pleasure of being part of the Ferrari Club Challenge, a race event for Ferrari race car customers. We had the opportunity to enjoy both circuits – Dubai Autodrome and Yas Marina, with the privilege of experiencing true Ferrari hospitality. It was an amazing experience to learn and improve our track skills while being coached by professional race car drivers.

What made you purchase your vehicle(s)?

I first owned a Ferrari 488 GTS and during the Atelier configuration at the Ferrari factory, I got the chance to drive a 488 Challenge car, which made me order my first track car right away.

Ferrari has, with its Atelier and Tailor Made programmes, near-infinite ways to match the car specs with your desires. It is a very special and creative process to configure a car like that. That’s the part I enjoy a lot besides the countless memories of great drives I had in these cars. Together they make it not just a purchase, but more of an experience.

What do you like most about your vehicles and what could be improved?

I share a special bond with my 488 Pista Spider. This car, as a road car, comes very close to the 488 Challenge race car. It has a beautiful, classic Ferrari design with a very rich triple-layer red paint scheme with a Nero racing stripe, and a traditional Cuoio Alcantara interior.

Design and performance-wise there is nothing that could be improved, but a possible downside is that it is not a car suitable for taking my beloved dogs along with me.

What are your favourite roads and spots in Dubai that you drive to?

Living in a futuristic city like Dubai with its variety of architecture and skylines, you almost forget that you live in the desert. So, it is a great feeling to sometimes drive out of the city and enjoy the view of the open desert or have a sunset drive with the top down to places like Jebel Jais to enjoy the mountain views.

What is your dream vehicle? Where would you like to drive it?

To combine my two passions, the enjoyment of cars and the company of my dogs, we ordered a Rolls-Royce Phantom, in which, we made an amazing road trip altogether across Europe last summer. This car is sovereign to all other luxury limousines I have experienced, especially when it comes to the quality of the finishes, smoothness of the ride, cabin quietness, and materials used.

The car I am looking forward to is the Ferrari Purosangue – the first one of its kind from Maranello. It combines typical Ferrari performance and agility but with more space for my dogs. We are currently planning our next road trip through Europe with our furry family in this car.

wknd@khaleejtimes.com

George Kuruvilla

Published: Thu 8 Feb 2024, 7:17 PM

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