Unlike my esteemed and chrome-domed colleague, David Booth, who would rather hide in the dark recesses of a car cabin than have the rays of the sun shine down on his face, I love convertibles. There's really nothing like experiencing everything a car has to offer while feeling the wind blow past and being able to see everything around you. It makes driving just a much more complete experience for the senses.
So you would imagine, dear reader, that I would probably be enjoying myself behind the wheel of Audi's new R8 Spyder, motoring around the twisty coast roads in the south of France. And, you would be absolutely right. Any convertible would do the job in these glorious parts of the world, really, but I happen to be sitting in one of the most beautiful cars available today. The Spyder loses the side blades of the hardtop R8, and I think it's better for it. The huge air intakes behind each door blend perfectly with the overall design of the car, and it's a much more cohesive package. Anywhere I went, even in this part of the world numb to the rich and famous coming and going, I got waves, stares, and even children wanting pictures in the car. My favourite was the motorcyclist giving me a thumbs-up as he did a wheelie by me on the motorway. With his girlfriend on the back.
With extensive use of carbon fibre, aluminum and magnesium alloys, Audi managed to keep the weight of the Spyder, even with its chassis reinforcements and soft-top mechanism, to 1,720kg, just around 100kg heavier than the hardtop R8 V10. The press had choices of the R8 in a pearl white, bright red and a metallic brown, and surprisingly, the brown was my favourite - subtle yet sophisticated. The wild body makes its own statement.
The interior matches the body in style, too. Leather all around and with Audi's typical attention to detail, it also was devoid of the clutter and confusion often associated with high-end cars loaded with features. This one was loaded, but the controls were simple to use - the climate controls, for example, were three knurled aluminum knobs, as opposed to being controlled by the MMI (multi-media interface) electronic control centre. Nice.
My only complaint with the interior is that the steering wheel is just a little too skinny for such a sporting car. OK, that might be nitpicking. Also, the two-seater doesn't offer a lot of space for, well, stuff: a small centre console and tiny storage bins mean you'll have to use the boot, which itself isn't all that large. At 100L, it will hold a couple overnight bags at best; forget about the golf clubs.
But, no matter in a car like this. As pleasing the Spyder is to look at, it's just as satisfying to drive. Of course, it has Audi's quattro all-wheel drive, which is biased at a 43:57 front-to-rear ratio, helping the car stick to the road in the twisties. There is a choice of suspensions: surprisingly, the stock setup uses adjustable magnetic dampers that adapt to the road and your driving conditions, while an optional suspension is a conventional, non-adjustable setup biased more for sport. While the magnetic ride does offer a soft ride in everyday use, it firms up solidly when needed in spirited driving, either automatically sensing when to do it or with the driver manually choosing the sport setting. I prefered the conventional sport suspension, which was noticeably firmer and offered just a tad more confidence in quick cornering. But though you could feel much more of the road, bumps and such were never jarring; just more noticeable.
Regardless of which suspension is used, though, the R8 Spyder hugs the road just about as well as any car out there today. Just point the steering wheel, and the car goes with almost no body roll or other unnerving actions. And the road feel through the wheel and body is exemplary. My R8 was also kitted with the optional ceramic brakes, which I realised the first time I touched the pedal to slow in town and nearly had the seat belt gouge deep into my shoulder from the force. The performance of this setup is just incredible, but it takes some getting used to if you're getting into the R8 from a car with normal brakes. All it takes is a light touch, and at higher speeds the stopping force more than matches the power of the engine.
Ah, the engine. The powerplant that sits behind the passengers is just glorious. With direct fuel injection and a race car-derived dry sump oil system, the 5.2L V10 puts out 525hp at 8,000 rpm and 530Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm. While having impressive performance numbers, the rpm needed to reach the V10's potential seem high. Normally, in a lesser engine, this would be an impediment, as it would mean you'd have to thrash the engine to get any kind of decent performance. But it actually works to this car's advantage: there's plenty of power driving at lower speeds, but it doesn't act like a bucking, high-strung horse champing at the bit; it's very composed.
But when you really want to giddy-up, the V10, with pistons smaller and lighter than a comparable V8, fires to life in an instant, and you open the gate for a true thoroughbred. Need proof? How about a Zero-to-100kph time of 4.1 seconds. And, the sound. Oh, the sound. Again, it's composed at lower speeds but grows to a threatening scream under throttle. At one point, as I sat alone in a car park, I just kept revving the engine: with each jab of the throttle, there was a split second where the engine made a sucking sound as it gulped air into its cylinders, then it exploded with that deep, melodious tone that rose to a furious crescendo. Yes, I felt like a bit of a moron revving a supercar, but I was doing it for my job. Really.
We had an opportunity to test both gearboxes the R8s are offered with: a six-speed manual and a seven-speed, single-clutch, sequential manual with paddle shifters, and the difference is enormous. I would unequivocally endorse the manual gearbox over the sequential shift in this case. The beautiful, classic gated aluminum shifter is worth it alone, but the six-speed also worked flawlessly; the clutch was perfectly weighted and it was an absolute joy to row through the gears, especially with such power.
The sequential box, on the other hand, was too rough in its shifts, either in automatic mode or manual. Under heavy throttle especially, changing gears snapped your head back and forth. So why didn't Audi use one of its newer and magnificent dual-clutch gearboxes, which are smoother and quicker shifting than the single-clutch unit? The reason is packaging: the company's dual-clutch boxes are designed for front-engine cars, and there simply wasn't room in the configuration of this mid-engined roadster. But, when pressed, Audi engineers insist they are working on a solution for the near future. Let's hope so, because it's a glaring fault in an otherwise beautiful package.
Taking everything into account, the R8 Spyder is really one of the most enjoyable and satisfying cars of which I've ever been behind the wheel. Definitely one that's high on my Top 5 list - I'll take mine in the metallic brown with the sport suspension, manual gearbox and SPF 45, thank you. And, "boooo" to you who say a convertible isn't suited to the heat of the UAE. For the hot summer months, that's what the air conditioning is for. As for the rest of the year, I can't think of better top-down weather than what we find here.
The Audi R8 Spyder is on sale in Europe starting at ?156,400 (Dh774,140). It will arrive in the UAE near the end of the year, but no price has yet been set. nvorano@thenational.ae
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
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
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.
SPECS
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SPECS
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SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday Sassuolo v Torino (Kick-off 10.45pm UAE)
Saturday Atalanta v Sampdoria (5pm),
Genoa v Inter Milan (8pm),
Lazio v Bologna (10.45pm)
Sunday Cagliari v Crotone (3.30pm)
Benevento v Napoli (6pm)
Parma v Spezia (6pm)
Fiorentina v Udinese (9pm)
Juventus v Hellas Verona (11.45pm)
Monday AC Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)
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
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Company%20profile%20
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Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
TALE OF THE TAPE
Manny Pacquiao
Record: 59-6-2 (38 KOs)
Age: 38
Weight: 146lbs
Height: 166cm
Reach: 170cm
Jeff Horn
Record: 16-0-1 (11 KOs)
Age: 29
Weight: 146.2lbs
Height: 175cm
Reach: 173cm
'Outclassed in Kuwait'
Taleb Alrefai,
HBKU Press
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
HOW%20TO%20ACTIVATE%20THE%20GEMINI%20SHORTCUT%20ON%20CHROME%20CANARY
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Company%20profile
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
