Vanquish Coupe

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With online commerce picking up steam, you'd be forgiven for thinking that retail stores are a dying breed. But the folks at Pirelli would beg to differ. The Italian rubber company is betting big on physical, brick-and-mortar locations to sell its tires and represent its brand, opening its fourth "tire boutique" worldwide this week.

The latest P Zero World location opened this past weekend in (anyone? anyone?) Dubai – the largest city in the United Arab Emirates and home to one of the world's greatest concentrations of exotic supercars, more than half of which leave the factory riding on Pirelli rubber.

Following similar facilities in Los Angeles, Munich, and Monte Carlo – with another to follow in Melbourne – the new P Zero World in Dubai occupies a 6,500-square-foot building on Hessa Street, opposite the Dubai Autodrome. A couple of salesman and a receptionist work out in the showroom, with five technicians in the back. While they're mounting your tires and aligning your wheels, you can enjoy a cup of Italian coffee, try your hand at the F1 simulator, and even get advice from the on-site Track Expert on how to best set up your car for a day at the circuit.

The grand opening was a star-studded affair, with exotic supercars taking center stage. W Motors brought over a Fenyr SuperSport for the ribbon-cutting from its nearby home base, with a selection of Dubai's famous fleet of exotic police cars leading a parade of privately owned supercars from around the Emirates.

"Pirelli's retail strategy is focused on points of sale activation, in collaboration with partners who are already active on site," said Pirelli's Gaetano Trezza. "P Zero World is the jewel in the crown of this strategy, where clients can discover our brand, exclusive products, and services at the highest level in a unique context."