British car maker Aston Martin launched three new cars on Monday, in an unprecedented step for the luxury and high-performance brand.
The company unveiled the new Vantage, Aston Martin's quintessential sports car, which has been at the heart of the brand for 74 years.
Alongside the new Vantage, the car maker also revealed its latest Formula One car and the competitive racing model of the Vantage, the Vantage GT3, which will be seen at several of the world's prestigious endurance events, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June this year.
'Authentic, unadulterated celebration'
Describing it as the most driver-focused and fastest Vantage ever, Aston Martin called it “an authentic, unadulterated celebration of pure performance, engineered to deliver maximum thrills with maximum confidence”.
The unveiling of the new Vantage follows last year's introduction of the DB12 Coupe and Volante, all of which have strengthened Aston Martin's position as a leading manufacturer of ultra-luxury, performance sports cars.
Aston Martin first used the Vantage name in 1950, in conjunction with an uprated engine package for the race-proven DB2. As a brand name, Vantage came into its own in 1964 when a high-performance Vantage-badged version of the DB5 became the new flagship of the range.
By the early 1970s Vantage was a stand-alone model, which the company says became “synonymous with immaculate style, unforgettable performance and inimitable character.”
“As we enter a period of pivotal change in the world of high-performance cars it is essential to remain true to those qualities upon which a legendary marque has been built,” said Aston Martin chief executive, Amedeo Felisa.
“Any car bearing the Vantage name has much to live-up to, which is why this newest model makes an unwavering commitment to high-performance in its purest and most explicit form.
“Class-leading power and speed establish its credentials, but it is through expert application of the latest technologies to the Vantage’s perfectly balanced front-engine rear-drive chassis that we have created a sports car with addictive capability. Together with assertive styling, all-new interior and state-of-the-art infotainment, Vantage is world-class in every respect”.
'Thrilling experience'
The new Vantage's heavily reworked, hand-built 4.0 Twin-Turbo V8 engine, provides vastly increased levels of power and torque, compared to its immediate predecessor.
Indeed, peaks of 665PS and 800Nm of torque, give the new Vantage jumps of 30 per cent and 15 per cent, in power and torque respectively, compared to the model it succeeds.
This means the new Vantage will reach a top speed of 202mph (325kph) and can go from zero to 60mph (96.5kph) in just 3.4 seconds.
Such numbers have been achieved through the fitting of a new launch control system which, when engaged by the driver, allows the car to deploy as much torque as conditions allow, using the Electronic Rear Differential (E-Diff), Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) slip control and engine torque management to keep wheel slip in the optimal range throughout the launch.
For Aston Martin the new Vantage is “a car that welcomes real drivers in and invites them to explore the limits. It will reward skilled driving but doesn’t depend upon it to deliver a thrilling experience”.
“The art of creating a truly great sports car in 2024 is applying cutting-edge technology in a way that enhances and intensifies the driving experience yet does nothing to remove the driver from the process of driving,” said Roberto Fedeli, chief technical officer at Aston Martin.
“Vantage will make headlines for the huge increases in power and torque over the outgoing model, but it’s the vivid way in which it deploys such immense performance that will seduce enthusiasts and purists.”
Formula One
The thoroughbred in the Aston Martin stable unveiled on Monday was its new Formula One car, the AMR24, which is the marque's challenger for the 2024 FIA World Championship.
With the AMR24, the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One team will be seeking to build on its best-ever season in 2023, where it claimed nine podiums and 280 Championship points under the driving duo of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. The AMR24 will make its debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix in a few weeks time.
“Over recent years we have already seen the sport of Formula One have a transformative impact on our brand, attracting new customers to Aston Martin and driving reappraisal of our products,” said Lawrence Stroll, executive chairman of Aston Martin.
“Boosted by a highly competitive F1 team, the synergy with high-performance motorsport technologies is something we can maximise even further through our next generation of sports cars and endurance motorsport strategy.”
Vantage GT3
Meanwhile, the company is aiming to “write a new chapter in Aston Martin’s illustrious motorsport history” with the Vantage GT3.
The new model has quite an act to follow in GT racing – Aston Martin's Vantage GTE scored 52 class wins and 11 world titles between 2012 and 2023.
For Mr Stroll, unveiling three new cars on one day is unprecedented for Aston Martin at Silverstone, the home of British motorsport, and demonstrates “our ambition to be a leading force in F1 and create the world’s finest and most thrilling sports cars”.
“Over recent years we have already seen the sport of Formula One have a transformative impact on our brand, attracting new customers to Aston Martin and driving reappraisal of our products,” Mr Stroll added.
“Boosted by a highly competitive F1 team, the synergy with high-performance motorsport technologies is something we can maximise even further through our next generation of sports cars and endurance motorsport strategy.
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
Korean Film Festival 2019 line-up
Innocent Witness, June 26 at 7pm
On Your Wedding Day, June 27 at 7pm
The Great Battle, June 27 at 9pm
The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion, June 28 at 4pm
Romang, June 28 at 6pm
Mal Mo E: The Secret Mission, June 28 at 8pm
Underdog, June 29 at 2pm
Nearby Sky, June 29 at 4pm
A Resistance, June 29 at 6pm
Profile of RentSher
Started: October 2015 in India, November 2016 in UAE
Founders: Harsh Dhand; Vaibhav and Purvashi Doshi
Based: Bangalore, India and Dubai, UAE
Sector: Online rental marketplace
Size: 40 employees
Investment: $2 million
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
TICKETS
For tickets for the two-day Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) event, entitled Dubai Invasion 2019, on September 27 and 28 go to www.meraticket.com.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sideup%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202019%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Waleed%20Rashed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Cairo%2C%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20technology%2C%20e-commerce%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%241.2%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Launch%20Africa%20VC%2C%20500%20Global%2C%20Riyadh%20Angels%2C%20Alex%20Angels%2C%20Al%20Tuwaijri%20Fund%20and%20Saudi%20angel%20investor%20Faisal%20Al%20Abdulsalam%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
When is VAR used?
• Goals
• Penalty decisions
• Direct red-card incidents
• Mistaken identity
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• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
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Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaacs, Mads Mikkelsen
Three stars
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McLaren GT specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
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UAE squad
Ali Kashief, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdelrahman, Mohammed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Mohmmed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammad Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Eisa, Mohammed Shakir, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Adel Al Hosani, Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah), Waleed Abbas, Ismail Al Hammadi, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai) Habib Fardan, Tariq Ahmed, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Mahrami (Baniyas)
The specs: 2017 Lotus Evora Sport 410
Price, base / as tested Dh395,000 / Dh420,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 410hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 420Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.7L / 100km
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
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Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
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Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
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)
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
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Retail gloom
Online grocer Ocado revealed retail sales fell 5.7 per cen in its first quarter as customers switched back to pre-pandemic shopping patterns.
It was a tough comparison from a year earlier, when the UK was in lockdown, but on a two-year basis its retail division, a joint venture with Marks&Spencer, rose 31.7 per cent over the quarter.
The group added that a 15 per cent drop in customer basket size offset an 11.6. per cent rise in the number of customer transactions.
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Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
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ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
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Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
