Head in the clouds
Standing on its own, beyond the touch of anything else I've driven this year, the Ferrari 458 Italia has become the reference point by which I now judge all other performance cars. For once, you should believe the hype - it really is that good. Blessed with enough power to endow it with performance levels beyond what any of us actually need, its trump card is that it manages to feel utterly exciting no matter what speed you're doing.
It feels playful, chuckable and grips the road with such force that you don't think it will ever let go. It does eventually, of course, but then it's pretty easy to reign in without you paying an early trip to the morgue. The three days I spent in the Italia were some of the greatest in living memory for me and I did wonder to myself how Ferrari would manage to top it. And then they did, by taking the top off. I only spent a day driving the Spyder in Italy but it became apparent that losing the roof had neither harmed the 458's stunning looks nor blunted its dynamism or performance in any way.
Motoring Road Test
Ride along as we test drive the latest models here and around the world.
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In either guise, this car is Ferrari's greatest achievement and I'm counting the hours until the Scuderia version arrives. At that point everyone else might as well just pack up and go home.
Feet on the ground
A genuine concept car made real, the Range Rover Evoque started off life as a pure show car (albeit one that could be driven) to display what a Land Rover of the future could look like. Everyone went nuts for it and this year it went into series production after having been promoted to Range Rover status.
It's worthy of the badge, too, being luxurious and capable off road. But none of that matters because the Evoque, when in the right colour and alloy wheel combination, looks utterly stunning. It's a fashion icon, ahead of its time and yet it holds fast to the traditions of Land Rover, meaning it's as comfortable in the literal jungle as it is in the urban one.
I was expecting to be bowled over by the Evoque's gorgeousness (and I was) but I wasn't expecting to be bowled over by the way it drove on the road. The fact is, this SUV drives like a sports car. Its chassis has been honed and refined to make it come alive on challenging routes that would test a low-slung two-seater. The way it drives makes you forget it has excellent ground clearance, long-travel suspension and the ability to cross mountain ranges, because it doesn't wallow in the bendy bits. It just corners flat and true, keeping the speed on and the fun levels extremely high.
You won't find too many Evoques dune bashing as their natural habitat will be the city streets. But just knowing that this is a car for all men and women, one that will still look cool in 10 years' time and still be able to deal with the rough stuff, is enough to make it my biggest surprise of 2011.
Honourable mentions
2011 has been a vintage year for me on many fronts, not least because of some of the cars I've been privileged to get behind the wheel of. Some have bitterly disappointed to the point where I've been flabbergasted, but others have delighted the senses and provided untold levels of enjoyment.
Ferrari's FF, for instance, was immense. It looks like nothing else and drives like no other Prancing Horse thanks to its remarkable four-wheel-drive technology. While the 458 is still my Ferrari of choice, the FF is undoubtedly the most important model in the firm's history and it deserves to be a resounding success story.
But it isn't just the exotica that gets the thumbs up from me this year. I've been equally impressed by a Korean and a Czech. Hyundai's Azera proved beyond a shadow of doubt that it's now building cars that are beautifully made, intelligently designed and fun to drive. Nissan, Toyota, Honda and the like should be very afraid. And then there's Skoda. I've driven three this year: the Octavia RS, the Superb and the new Fabia RS. And each has been remarkably good, laying to rest the ghost of communist-era motoring forever.
2011 was also the year I treated myself to the best car I have ever owned. My Volkswagen Scirocco 2.0TSI has exceeded expectations on every single level, proving to be blindingly quick, economical, surprisingly practical and, best of all, enormous fun. I can't recommend it highly enough but perhaps the biggest compliment I can pay it is that, no matter what supercar or luxury limo I drive in the line of duty for The National, I cannot wait to get back into my 'Rocco. One of my favourite cars of 2011 is the one I own - I never thought I'd utter those words.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3ECompany%20name%3A%20CarbonSifr%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202022%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Onur%20Elgun%2C%20Mustafa%20Bosca%20and%20Muhammed%20Yildirim%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Climate%20tech%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%241%20million%20raised%20in%20seed%20funding%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3ECompany%3A%20Zywa%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202021%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Nuha%20Hashem%20and%20Alok%20Kumar%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20UAE%3Cbr%3EIndustry%3A%20FinTech%3Cbr%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%243m%3Cbr%3ECompany%20valuation%3A%20%2430m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Favourite book: ‘The Art of Learning’ by Josh Waitzkin
Favourite film: Marvel movies
Favourite parkour spot in Dubai: Residence towers in Jumeirah Beach Residence
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.
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
RESULTS
6.30pm UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) US$100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner Final Song, Christophe Soumillon (jockey), Saeed bin Suroor (trainer).
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (Turf) 1,000m
Winner Almanaara, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
7.40pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner Grand Argentier, Brett Doyle, Doug Watson.
8.15pm Meydan Challenge Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Major Partnership, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor.
8.50pm Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Gladiator King, Mickael Barzalona, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
Winner Universal Order, Richard Mullen, David Simcock.
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic
Power: 169bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh54,500
On sale: now
ABU%20DHABI'S%20KEY%20TOURISM%20GOALS%3A%20BY%20THE%20NUMBERS
%3Cp%3EBy%202030%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi%20aims%20to%20achieve%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%2039.3%20million%20visitors%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20nearly%2064%25%20up%20from%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%20Dh90%20billion%20contribution%20to%20GDP%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20about%2084%25%20more%20than%20Dh49%20billion%20in%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%20178%2C000%20new%20jobs%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20bringing%20the%20total%20to%20about%20366%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%2052%2C000%20hotel%20rooms%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20up%2053%25%20from%2034%2C000%20in%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%207.2%20million%20international%20visitors%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20almost%2090%25%20higher%20compared%20to%202023's%203.8%20million%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%203.9%20international%20overnight%20hotel%20stays%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2022%25%20more%20from%203.2%20nights%20in%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
PRISCILLA
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