A Sunday in Safa Park: Audi Dubai joins The Grand Picnic 2026 for the first time
On 15 February 2026, Audi Dubai participated for the first time in The Grand Picnic at Safa Park, a gathering that has steadily become one of the UAE’s most recognisable automotive community events.
Set across open lawns and shaded walkways, the day unfolded without formality. Families settled in early. Enthusiasts moved between displays at their own pace. Collectors positioned their cars alongside curated selections. Conversations formed naturally and carried on uninterrupted.
For Audi Dubai, this first participation was deliberate in its simplicity. The display was curated to represent performance, heritage, restoration and regional identity. Six vehicles. Six distinct expressions of the brand.
The Line-Up
At the centre stood the Audi RS 6 Avant GT, limited to 660 units worldwide and presented via Chef Izu. With 630 PS from its 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo engine and distinctive carbon-fibre detailing, it represents the most focused evolution of the RS 6, paying tribute to the Audi 90 quattro IMSA GTO.
Next to it, a highly modified pink Audi R8 V10 producing approximately 1600 horsepower reflected the scale and ambition of enthusiast engineering in the region. Owned by Adam Najdi, the build stood out not just visually, but technically.
The Dubai Police Audi R8 added a recognisable regional icon to the mix, a 610 PS V10 performance car that has become part of the UAE’s automotive identity.
Heritage was represented through a rally-inspired quattro replica, referencing Audi’s World Rally Championship successes in the early 1980s, the era that established four-wheel drive as a competitive advantage and reshaped rallying.
Alongside it stood the Audi 60 L from the late 1960s. Not a performance car, but a foundational one. It later evolved into the Audi 80, and ultimately today’s A4, a reminder of the brand’s rebuilding years and long-term progress.
The display was completed by the current RS 3, powered by the 2.5-litre five-cylinder TFSI engine producing 400 PS. Compact, direct and unmistakably Audi Sport.
The Day
What defined the event was not a specific model, but the pace. Families spending the afternoon outdoors. Collectors sharing stories about restoration projects. Friends of the brand stopping by throughout the day.
There were no stage and no commercial agenda. Participation was about being present, part of the wider car culture in the UAE rather than separate from it.
The Grand Picnic 2026 marked Audi Dubai’s first year at the event. It offered a reminder that beyond launches and specifications, cars remain a shared experience.
And that, ultimately, is what continues to bring people together.
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