What turns a movie star or a singer into an A-list celebrity? To be honest, no one knows, it's that little bit of je ne sais quoi, that special little something that takes a famous person to the top ranks of the high flyers.
It's really the same with a car. What makes the humble saloon or coupe a stunning sports car, a vehicle you just can't live without, feel the need to look at and wash on a weekly basis, even though the chap down the road will do it for a mere Dh25. It's the feeling it gives you deep in your heart - it's like falling in love.
Last week I fell in love: he was slate grey, butch, fast, had an amazing profile and it was pretty much love at the first turn of the key. Let me introduce you to the Audi S5. There is no doubt that the A5 is a good-looking coupe but when Audi waves that magic S wand it turns into one sexy beast.
As you slide in to the drivers seat you are hugged and supported by acres of leather and some very comfortable sports seats; if you have a family you will be pleased to note that not only is there plenty of room for four in this coupe but the seats also come with lugs onto which you can attach your child's car seat.
If you do feel the need to take children in the car, rest assured there is plenty of room in the capacious boot. Just be careful - as with most coupe's the lip is very high and you will need to take care in order not to scratch the paint work.
The recent trend of dark head-linings runs the risk of making a vehicle very dark inside; however the S5 benefits from the fabulous sunshine roof that runs most of the length of the car and brightens things up no end. Just don't forget to pull the sunshade when you leave the vehicle on sunny days, to avoid the interior turning into an oven.
The interior is up to the high standard we have come to expect from Audi, which is honestly one of the best around. However, Audi is following a worrying trend. Ladies and gentleman lower your hats... we must mourn the death of the handbrake. Note I say handbrake ... it has always been a handle right next to your right hand, which can be plenty of fun on a private section of tarmac with the ESP off.
It seems these days everyone is moving towards the idea of a parking brake. I know the little silver switches look much prettier on the centre console but how on earth do you do a hand-break turn?
To find fault with the S5 you need to be very picky indeed and the only place I could really find fault was the seat belt. For those of us who are not the tallest, there is a really uncomfortable reach back to find the belt, this could easily be sorted by a small leather strap which keeps the belt at the top of the seat as you would find in the Cabriolet.
When you turn the key, the needles on the dials swish round and the wonderful 4.2-litre V8 emits the most brilliant noise. It growls, its purrs and most of all it goes; it is as slick as a warm knife through butter.
Coupes normally suffer from the most appalling blind spots but the design boffins at Audi seem to have conquered this problem and the visibility is actually very good.
Team this with a superb dynamic suspension, Audi's permanent all-wheel drive system and brakes that could stop you on a dirham and you have a confidence-inspiring vehicle which is a huge challenge to leave in the garage.
The styling is divine, as nice from the rear as from the front but the real star of the styling is the front grille and spoiler, which really screams sports car. Many coupes are too low at the front and the spoilers tend to catch on those annoying little concrete blocks on the ground that some genius thinks we all need to stop crashing into the car parked in front.
The S5's spoiler seems to be designed with these in mind: low enough to look good but not so low as to risk being knocked off.
As I mentioned, you have to be pretty picky to find fault with the Audi S5, and I am afraid it does suffer from a bit of a drinking problem.
As you watch the speed climb you can almost watch the fuel reading drop; it will consume 12.4 litres of go-go juice for every 100km. I suspect part of this consumption is the fact that it just begs to be driven with gusto. If you are going to increase your carbon footprint, I can certainly think of a lot less fun ways of doing it.
Not only will you need deep pockets to fill the tank on the S5 but you will also need them to have it parked in your driveway in the first place. With all the lovely little Audi add-ons, like the terrific Bang & Olufsen Sound System, the price of the SS climbed to Dh295,000.
Is it worth it? Well, if you want a car that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face every time you look at it, not to mention fire it up, then it's a categorical yes! As soon as I find that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, I will be straight down to my local Audi dealer.
motoring@thenational.ae
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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.
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Company%20Profile
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Origin
Dan Brown
Doubleday
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Challenge Cup result:
1. UAE 3 faults
2. Ireland 9 faults
3. Brazil 11 faults
4. Spain 15 faults
5. Great Britain 17 faults
6. New Zealand 20 faults
7. Italy 26 faults
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
