Dubai, United Arab Emirates experienced a historic downpour on April 16, 2024, resulting in unprecedented flooding, the city’s heaviest rainfall in 75 years.
Within 24 hours, Dubai descended into chaos as flights were canceled, traffic was paralyzed, and schools were closed. The National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority reported that at least 18 people lost their lives in the deluge.
The flooding also submerged many expensive vehicles in Dubai. Images and videos circulating on social media in the days since show countless luxury cars, including Mercedes-Benz, Lamborghini, Pagani, Ferrari, Aston Martin, and Rolls-Royce, submerged in mud after the floodwaters receded.
Luxury cars submerged in mud after historic floods in “supercar capital”. Pictured are three Pagani supercars parked outside a Dubai dealership.
Mercedes-Benz G-Class luxury SUVs, known as “off-road kings,” were submerged up to their grilles.
Two Lamborghini supercars were submerged in a parking garage, alongside a yellow Ford Mustang.
Aston Martins and Ferraris were not spared by the flooding.
Three Rolls-Royce luxury vehicles from a dealership shared the same fate.
Many other vehicles were abandoned on the streets by their owners, unable to navigate the floodwaters. The financial toll of the flooding is expected to be significant.
A Mercedes-Maybach GLS abandoned on a flooded street
This Mercedes-Maybach S-Class was covered in plastic by its owner in an attempt to withstand the historic rainfall
“The cars and sports cars were floating down the street. That’s how you know it’s bad,” Caroline Stanbury, star of the reality TV show Real Housewives of Dubai, told the Dailymail.
Social media also circulated videos of wealthy Dubai residents responding to the flooding. Some were seen transporting expensive vehicles like Rolls-Royces and Mercedes-Benzes onto pontoon boats to avoid submersion. However, the authenticity of some of these videos has been questioned.
Luxury vehicles loaded onto pontoon boats to escape the flooding
Another video showed a Pagani Utopia supercar driving through the flooded streets of Dubai. Despite the water not being particularly deep, sports supercars like this typically have very low ground clearance. The Pagani Utopia driver appeared unconcerned about potential damage or hydrolocking, calmly proceeding forward. The video has amused many, given that the Pagani Utopia has a price tag of nearly $2 million, equivalent to 48 billion Vietnamese dong.
A Pagani Utopia supercar drives through flooded streets
