As a car reviewer, you can generally tell the kind of market a manufacturer is pitching its latest products at by the venue in which they choose to launch them.
If they opt for Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi – as many do – the ride in question is likely to have a little more poke than a flatbed truck.
So much was obvious with Porsche, unleashing as it did the outrageous new 911 GT3 and 718 GT4 (both RS models) at the UAE’s Formula One racetrack.
Sporty and loud are the two most obvious things to say about them, but these are vehicles with serious velocity.
Even by the standards of the nippiest production wagons on the planet, the performance figures for this pair are nothing short of eye-watering.
There is some variation between the two, but not a lot.
At full whack, the GT3 RS will hit 296kph and go from 0-100kph in 3.2 seconds. The GT4 maxes out at a higher 315kph but has a slightly slower up-to-the-ton figure of 3.4 seconds.
Yas Marina Circuit was an ultra-pertinent venue, given that these statistics nudge the ones on the spec sheets of F1 cars.
Out on the circuit, you have to drive sedately when setting off from Yas’s pit lane, but as you get on to the track and start moving properly, something little short of automotive Armageddon happens.
The acceleration is fierce as you put your foot down and the g-forces you experience in the bends are in an entirely different league to those some will have felt pulling handbrake turns in your first car.
As you move up through the rev range, it sounds like the gears are being changed by someone with a sledgehammer and the whistle of the engine behind you is both exhilarating and exuberant in terms of the emotions it evokes.
Suffice it to say, if you took one of these out on a track day, you’d likely have the fastest Tin Lizzie there.
Speed aside, though, the GT3 and GT4 are a lot more comfortable to drive than what Max Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton will be using to tear around in when the F1 rolls into Abu Dhabi for the final race of the season.
They are not as roomy as your average 4x4, but more spacey than a lot of vehicles with this kind of speed and power. It’s all tastefully decked out inside, too. You get the usual neat, luxurious brand accoutrements that give off a distinctly supercar vibe.
SPECS
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You’re never too far away from a few racy interior stylings, either – whether they be dials or door handles – that tell you you’re in a vehicle built for high-octane thrills.
Porsche’s reps are keen to underline that these are not just track-day cars and you can use them for everyday motoring.
They’re not wrong, but whether you’d want to is another matter.
The GT4 feels more of a road car than the GT3, but both are positively goading you to put your foot down at all times. However, if you like being the centre of attention, the engine noise alone would certainly get you noticed on the morning commute.
Just try not to rattle the pedestrians too much when you set off from the traffic lights.
PAKISTAN SQUAD
Abid Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali (test captain), Babar Azam (T20 captain), Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Imran Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Kashif Bhatti, Shadab Khan and Yasir Shah.
England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
ARABIAN GULF LEAGUE FIXTURES
Thursday, September 21
Al Dahfra v Sharjah (kick-off 5.35pm)
Al Wasl v Emirates (8.30pm)
Friday, September 22
Dibba v Al Jazira (5.25pm)
Al Nasr v Al Wahda (8.30pm)
Saturday, September 23
Hatta v Al Ain (5.25pm)
Ajman v Shabab Al Ahli (8.30pm)
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test Thursday-Monday at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
Origin
Dan Brown
Doubleday
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
SPECS
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