A contact that started in Dubai

Sometimes it takes time for a story to find its form. My journey with W Motors began in 2013 in Dubai. This was also the beginning of a relationship that would eventually lead to the meeting with the Fenyr SuperSport. However, neither the pictures nor this story have been published before.

I was there with my friend Will Wright, who introduced me to W Motors. A then newly established car brand with big ambitions and a clear vision of putting the Middle East on the map for hypercars. The connection we made then would prove to be significantly more important than I could have imagined.

First in the world behind the wheel of the Lykan HyperSport

It led to something I still look back on as one of the most unique moments of my career. I became the first journalist in the world to test drive their then brand new hypercar, the Lykan HyperSport. A car with a price tag of 3.4 million dollars, built in an extremely limited edition and with a presence that was difficult to comprehend. One of the car's most talked-about features was the headlights adorned with diamonds and sapphires, something that further enhanced its extreme exclusivity.

The Lykan HyperSport later became world-famous through its appearance in Fast & Furious 7 (2015), where in one of the film's most talked-about scenes it leaps between two skyscrapers in Abu Dhabi.

The contact initiated during my trip to Dubai took me the following year, in 2014, to Monaco, where I photographed the Lykan HyperSport around Casino de Monte-Carlo, the harbour and on the roads above the principality. The photography included both driving shots and a couple of so-called rig shots, a technique that makes it possible to create a sense of movement in a controlled environment. Parts of the photography were carried out on the same stretches of road used during the Monaco Grand Prix, which gave the images an extra dimension. At this time, the Lykan HyperSport was still a car that very few people had seen in reality.

Goodwood 2018

A few years later, in 2018, I found myself at Goodwood Festival of Speed. This time on behalf of W Motors. They brought both the Fenyr SuperSport and Lykan HyperSport to showcase the cars to an international audience.

I Michelin Supercar Paddock the cars were presented by, among others Vicki Butler-Henderson and Tim Harvey. There I also had the opportunity to document when they, together with W Motors founder Ralph R. Debbas, showcased the Fenyr SuperSport to visitors.

The Goodwood is anything but controlled. It is noise, movement, and a constant presence of modern hypercars, classic racing cars, and some of the world's most iconic car brands. Placing the Fenyr there gave the car context. It became not just a new model, but part of a larger heritage.

During my time at Goodwood, I also met Mr JWW and Shmee150. I’d met Tim before, but that too served as a reminder of just how small the world can be in this industry.

London and two worlds

After the festival, the journey continued to London. There, I had the opportunity to work more freely – partly on the W Motors Fenyr SuperSport on my own, and partly alongside the Lykan HyperSport in an urban setting. Two cars from the same manufacturer, but with completely different personalities. The one theatrical and almost exaggerated, the other more focused and stripped back.

It was also in London that I met Supercar Blondie, who at the time was on the verge of establishing himself as one of the world's most influential profiles in automotive media.

Behind the wheel of the Fenyr SuperSport

But what really stayed with me was something else. I got the chance to get behind the wheel of the W Motors Fenyr SuperSport. That made me the first and, to date, only Swedish automotive journalist to have driven the car.

Driving a hypercar is always special, but the Fenyr differs from the Lykan in a crucial way. Where the Lykan felt like a statement, more visual than dynamic, the Fenyr is built with a clearer focus on performance and drivability.

The price reflects this too. The Fenyr SuperSport costs around 1.4 million dollars, whilst the Lykan was priced at 3.4 million dollars.

Under the bonnet is a 3.8-litre flat-six engine developed in collaboration with RUF Automobile, based on Porsche-architecture. The effect is approximately 800 horsepower and 980 Nm, sent to the rear wheels via a dual-clutch gearbox.

It's not difficult to drive. Quite the opposite.

There is a precision in the steering and a predictability in the chassis that makes the car feel accessible in a way one doesn't always expect in this category. The Fenyr feels more accomplished as a driver's car, less focused on making an impression and more focused on the driving experience itself.

Perhaps that was precisely why I felt calmer behind the wheel than I did in the Lykan. Still with respect, but not with the same nerves.

W Motors and the next step

W Motors was founded in 2012 by Ralph R. Debbas in Dubai. They started production in cooperation with European partners before building up their own operations in the United Arab Emirates.

As well as their hypercars, they have also developed W Motors Ghiath, a special vehicle used by Dubai Police and also available in a VIP version for private use. As far as I remember, I was also the first journalist in the world to drive the Ghiath when I visited Dubai in 2024.

I have also written an article about Ghiath., which shows a completely different side of the company where function and operational use are the focus rather than exclusivity.

The Fenyr SuperSport marked a shift for the brand. From being known for the spectacular, to also showing they could build something with real driving dynamics.

A story that had to wait

I actually don't know why the article never happened. Perhaps it was a matter of timing, perhaps a focus on other projects.

But sometimes those are the very stories worth revisiting.

Even today, many years later, the Fenyr SuperSport and Lykan HyperSport remain among the most memorable hypercars I’ve experienced.

Facts – W Motors Fenyr Supersport

Price: approximately $1.4 million

Engine: 3.8 litre twin-turbo flat-six developed in conjunction with RUF Automobile

Power: 800 horsepower, 980 Nm

Power transmission: Rear engine, rear-wheel drive, 7-speed dual-clutch transmission

Top speed: approximately 400 km/h

0–100 km/h: approx. 2.7 seconds

Weight: approx. 1,350 kg

Dimensions (length/width/height): approx. 4,685 / 1,983 / 1,199 mm

Chassis: Carbon fibre monocoque

Body: Carbon fibre