The Dubai International Motor Show is upon us! This Tuesday, four days of high-octane automotive excellence will kick-start, and we’ll be there reporting back on all the action.

But if you’re heading down yourself (and you should), here’s a list of the cars you won’t want to miss out on seeing.

Rimac Concept One

Billed as “the world’s first electric supercar”, the Rimac Concept One is a stunning concept from a little-known Croatian manufacturer that’s hoping to get a foot in the door once electric motoring goes mainstream. The headline stats are: 1,073 bhp, 1,180 lb-ft of torque, a 0-100 km/h time of 2.6 seconds, and a top speed of 355 km/h.

The Jaguar stand

Jaguar is bringing a whole lot of hot metal to DIMS, and you won’t want to miss out on any of it. Out of the cars you can actually buy, you’ll want to see the amazing XE SV Project 8, or, if you’re more practically minded, the XF Sportbrake – a sleek estate car that we reckon will do well in the Middle East. Jaguar’s also bringing along the XJR 575, a monstrous luxury sedan with 570 bhp and a 0-100 km/h time of 4.4 seconds, as well as its new F-Type 2.0-litre turbo – the well-priced F-Type with a four-cylinder engine. Oh, and there’s a special treat in the I-Type, the second generation of Jaguar’s all-electric, single-seater racing car.

Kia Stinger

It’s a Kia you can actually get excited about! The Kia Stinger is a new premium sports sedan from the Korean brand – designed to go toe-to-toe with the likes of the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4. Sure, you may not lump a Kia in with such company, but wait until you hear what the Stinger can do. I has a 3.3-litre, twin-turbo V6 that develops 370 bhp. This means it’ll do 0-100 km/h in 4.9 seconds. You’re looking at near top-of-the-range German saloons if you want that sort of performance. We’re pretty excited about the Stinger, and we certainly can’t wait to get our hands on one.

Corvette ZR1

Yeah, Chevrolet (and the rest of General Motors in GMC and Cadillac), will have a bunch of their new pick-up trucks and SUVs on show at DIMS, but what we’re really interested in is the new Corvette – the ZR1. This was actually announced globally at a special event in Dubai a couple of days ahead of DIMS, but you can see it in the metal at the show. Essentially, the ZR1 is the most hardcore Corvette ever built. Under the bonnet is a 6.2-litre V8 that develops, wait for it, 755 bhp. Official performance figures haven’t been released yet (you’ll have to find them out at DIMS), but we are told that the new ZR1 will do over 340 km/h. It’s a Corvette racecar for the road, then.

The new Ford Mustang

This one has been a long time coming. Ford teased the new Mustang earlier in the year, with a redesigned front end that gives the car a much more aggressive, muscle-car stance. And now it’s finally coming to the Middle East. At launch, the top-of-the-range model will be the GT, which comes with the familiar 5.0-litre V8 – here developing 460 bhp. But even the EcoBoost model serves up 310 bhp, so whichever Mustang you choose, you’ll be getting a quick car. Ford’s also showing off the new F-150 pick-up truck, as well as the new Expedition at the Motor Show.

McLaren 570S Spider

Of course, it wouldn’t be a motor show without something from British supercar marque McLaren, which is regionally debuting the 570S Spider at DIMS. Essentially, the 570S is the ‘baby’ McLaren, with the smallest amount of power and the most on-road usability. But don’t let that description fool you – the 570S is an absolute bruiser of a supercar. The convertible model debuting at DIMS looks even better than the hard-top, and will mean even more aural pleasure from that 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8. Oh, and there’ll be plenty of other exotic McLaren metal on show as well.

Ferrari Portofino

A follow-up to the California T, the Ferrari Portofino is the “entry-level” Ferrari. But, again, this is a very special car. Designed as a grand tourer, it’s slightly softer and more usable than Ferrari’s mid-engined models, but with stellar new looks, a 3.9-litre, twin-turbo V8 with 600 bhp on tap, and a top speed of around 320 km/h, this is sure to earn a place in plenty of DIMS visitors’ dream garages.

Rolls-Royce Phantom

This is a big one. Quite literally, actually. The new Phantom is 5.7 metres long and has a kerbweight of 2.5 tonnes. It’s also big figuratively – this is the first new Phantom since 2003, and, as is always the case with a flagship Rolls-Royce, it’s designed to be the best luxury car in the world. Going by early reviews, it would seem that the company has succeeded in that mission. You’ll have to part with, minimum, AED 1.7 million for a new Rolls Phantom, so if you’re a mere mortal (like us), DIMS is probably one of the only shots you’ll get at seeing one up close.

These are our just our top picks, but there are dozens of other cars from the likes of Mercedes-Benz, Lamborghini, Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Audi, Land Rover, Maserati, Porsche and others that you really want to check out. And there are a tonne of concept cars making their regional debut at the show, too.

Head down to Dubai World Trade Centre anytime between November 14 and November 18 to get in on the action!