It is not just about glitter, gleam and a show of power. These mighty machines too have a softer side to them. While most of these muscular beasts ‘rev around’ demonstrating their wondrous strength and splendour, some of them stand ever ready to go that extra mile to help those stuck in their ‘life adventures’.
And all of them were together at a ‘gathering of machines’ organised recently at College of North Atlantic-Qatar ‘CNA-Q Motor Show and Family Fun Day’ at the campus. From marvellous cars with high-power engines revving around to visibly gruelling jeeps and trucks; and the mighty two-wheelers, everybody was invited.
The environment was truly electric, topped with an adrenaline-inducing performance by the Red Bull stunt biker right in the middle of the arena. A large number of CNAQ students, their families and other car enthusiasts enjoyed the six-hour long show of ‘Mowater.’
From Qatar’s only ‘Pure Electric’ Tesla to squadrons of four and two-wheelers, there was something for everyone to see and appreciate. And there were stories about the achievements of each individual vehicle or, in most cases, the groups of them.
“We modify them further to enhance their power. For us, we need it because we go out in the desert and we rescue people stuck there in different situations. We can even go into water. We have no problems. It is water-proof,” Mohamed Tayab al-Tawati, one of the members of Soul Jeepers, tells Community.
The Soul Jeepers, he says, have about 93 members. Most of them have different models of Jeeps from 1993 to 2016. The engines come in 4.0, 3.8 and 3.6 litre but they are more powerful and have more torque.
He says they modify their vehicles based on their needs as well as for showcasing them at different competitions. In the form of group, they have participated in multiple shows including the ones held in Qatar such as the First GCC Bikes Show at Katara.
They have a group of bikers for their company called Soul Riders comprising Harley Davidson owners. Together, they have showcased their vehicles in shows, winning laurels.
“Almost every week we have something to do. We are going to places to showcase the bikes and Jeeps. In an upcoming show in the desert for instance, we are showing people what a Jeep can do with all its power,” says al-Tawati.
He says those who have experience getting stuck in the desert would know the real value of these machines called Jeep. Even for the mighty Land Cruisers, he says, it sometimes gets difficult to pull out of a sand trap in desert.
Jeep can pull itself out. Thanks to its high torque ratio, it hardly requires help. Once sorted on that front, these Jeeps owners, however, are always ready to help those stuck there.
“We have our own Facebook page and other social media platforms where we have listed our emergency numbers. If anyone gets stuck anywhere in Doha and needs assistance, they can ring us and we would immediately dispatch help,” says the Soul Jeeper.
Two or three, based on the situation, volunteers would venture out to help those in need.
Al-Tawati has been a fan of Jeep for more than a decade. What fascinates him about the vehicle, he says, is its power. You can do anything with it, take it anywhere and it would not disappoint you.
Among the Jeepers is a local Qatari car and bikes enthusiasts Thani al-Saad. He came to the show with his ‘Pure Electric’ Tesla which he claims is the only one in Qatar besides a squadron of Royal Enfield motorbikes and huge modified trucks.
Owning a huge private garage called Monkey Garage, al-Saad has been on many adventures and expeditions on his bikes travelling hundreds of miles around the world.
“I have a BMW Ronin from Poland and BMW Adventure and I went all the way to Spain and back on it. From here we went to Saudi Arabia, Turkey and then, Spain. It took us a month and I think we covered more than 8,000-10,000 kilometres,” al-Saad tells Community. They are nine bikers on their BMWs.  
And he owns a 2011 model Tesla. And al-Saad says it is faster than any Ferrari or Porsche. “It has too much torque, too much power. And it comes with only one gear. You do not have to change gears and one gear will take you beyond 220 in no time,” says al-Saad.
Charging it is easy. There is normal and fast charging; normal takes 12 hours while fast charging takes less than 3 hours. One charge, if you drive normally, will last 300 kilometre and if you ‘abuse’ it, it would still give you 150 kilometre.
He has not put it into a race as yet. “It is a very expensive car to play with. It cost me 95,000 Euros and if it is damaged, there are no parts or servicing available here,” says al-Saad.
He was an employee in Al-Jazeera, resigned four years ago and devoted all his time to pursue his passion, cars. He started with cars in 1980 and now it is full-blown. He does all modifications to his vehicles at his 600 square metre private garage. And he does not sell any of his vehicles.
Among the squads of Jeeps and other beasts, there was a group of Suzuki sport utility vehicles comprising Vitaras, Jimnys, JLs and others. They are different and wanted to be different from others. Suzuki Qatar group has won multiple awards and have already listed for more competitions in GCC and internationally.
“All the people here had their Land Cruisers and Jeeps, but Suzuki has its fans. This car is different in a way that it has a really high RMP and it gives you advantage in rolling when you are out in the desert. We have already done a lot of modifications in them,” says Ali Bubaheat, the Group Leader of Suzuki Qatar group.
There are more than 169 members in the group. They have regular monthly gatherings and go out to Sealine Beach in the form of a group.
Osama Talal al-Sourani, a Qatari national, showcased his fully modified Suzuki Hayabusa, attracting almost every eyeball in the arena. Parked in front of his exclusive Chevrolet Corvette, the Hayabusa shines with its trophies won in different shows.
There were many other car enthusiasts who demonstrated their customisations applied to cars, including Camaros and Minis. A large attraction of the show was vintage and classic cars.