There's a brief moment as I point the nose of my Aston Martin DBS down the legendary Mulsanne straight at Le Mans when the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and a shiver tingles its way down my spine. This moment will never leave me while there's blood in my veins. It literally is a dream come true and I'm driving one of the finest road cars available anywhere on this planet as the fantasy becomes a reality.
London to Le Mans via the Champagne region of northern France over five days, culminating in watching the 24 Hours of Le Mans race? Thanks, I'll take it, but, before anyone suggests this is simply another journalist's blag of a free holiday, consider this: 50 years ago at this very race, Aston Martin managed its only outright win and the company is once again racing, only this time in the tough LMP1 category, way outside the comfort zone of the GT1 class where plenty of success has been forthcoming with the DBR9s. Aston reckons it'll be a perfect opportunity for me to try out the new DBS Volante too, so, having pondered for all of a nanosecond I sign up. Well you would, wouldn't you?
It's the ultimate expression of Ian Callum's seminal DB9 - a car whose achingly pretty and timeless lines must make Marek Reichman, the current design director, more than a little nervous about replacing it with a new model. Put the DBS next to a DB9, particularly in their convertible Volante forms, and the differences between the two models are as clear as day. The DBS is wider and has more presence. It's a perfect amalgam of beauty and race-bred aggression and - unusually - looks even better as a convertible than a fixed coupe.
I've driven thousands of miles in DBSs over the past couple of years - every single one a joy. It's an astonishing GT car and I can't think of anything I'd rather take across Europe on a road trip. Yet the Volante (meaning "moving with light rapidity", appropriately enough) is an even nicer prospect as the weather will be baking hot and our planned routes will take us through some of France's most beautiful regions. With nothing between my head and the all-enveloping French countryside, who wants a roof anyway?
My car has a manual gearbox, so the only decent thing to do, as soon as conditions permit, is to drop into third and sink that throttle into the bulkhead. The DBS simply hunkers down and gets on with the business of going very, very quickly. Each gear change is an absolute delight and, talking to Aston's engineers later, it becomes clear that it's received much attention recently. It's slick, where the last DBS I drove tended to be a little obstructive. This feels like a Porsche 911 transmission and that's about as good as it gets for a manual.
Purists often dismiss convertibles for being a bit soft. They reason that a metal roof affords rigidity and that the extra strengthening required to compensate for this in a drop top adds undesirable weight. So manufacturers are, these days, at pains to point out how their products aren't adversely affected. To be honest, I can feel the extra weight in this DBS. It's not a big difference but it's there. Tipping the scales at a hardly featherweight 1,810kg, it's 115kg heavier than the tin-top, but then there's the small matter of 517 horses from the 6.0L V12 pushing the car along, so it's still a very rapid machine.
Where a convertible normally shows weakness is on twisting back roads, where the body's natural tendency to flex can make a poorly built car feel like it's made from balsa wood. Once the French motorways are left behind and 200km of France's finest unfold in front of us, it's time to see if the DBS Volante is a proper supercar or a wobbling embarrassment.
Throwing the Volante into some tight corners with plenty of power on, it sticks to the road with no creaking, no softness, no discernible flex whatsoever. It feels every bit as tight as the coupe and, with the open air all around me, I wouldn't trade this in for a standard car, not for a second.
Another benefit to the Volante is the aural sensation of that awesome exhaust note. Driving through sections of forestry, the furious sound of the V12 bounces off the trees and back into my eardrums, compelling me to keep the revs fairly high and put my foot down at every opportunity, keeping the exhaust baffles open. There is nothing quite like it.
After two days of long, hard charging across France, I struggle to find anything to fault with the Volante, apart from the centre console being about 30mm too high - meaning my arm feels unnaturally positioned when shifting gear - but it's hardly a deal breaker. It's colour sensitive too and, to my eyes at least, looks loveliest in the deep red known as Arena with silver-painted alloy wheels. White and light blue don't do the complex shape any favours but Liquid Silver does look stunning too, particularly with red leather in the interior.
Also worth noting is that the Volante is available with two rear seats. Snug doesn't come close to describing the available space but they're fine for taking a couple of children or for stowing extra luggage, and they do add to the sense of absolute luxury that exudes inside the cabin. With the fabric roof in its upright position, it echoes the profile of its brother and, when the weather turns inclement, it can be raised in just 14 seconds at the pull of a switch at speeds of up to 48kph.
Ending up at Le Mans, it's hot; very hot, and the Aston Martin LMP1s have proved to be the fastest qualifying petrol-engined cars, putting them just behind the first six, which unsurprisingly happen to be Peugeot's and Audi's diesels. Aston's achievement at just being here at all cannot be underplayed. Audi throws about ?70 million (Dh355 million) at winning Le Mans while Aston Martin's budget isn't even a tenth of that.
In 1959, the works team, which included the legend that is Sir Stirling Moss, took overall honours at Le Mans with the wonderful DBR1. The sense of anticipation this year, half a century on, is palpable and the parade lap I get to participate in is enough to bring a lump to the throat.
The spectacle of 10 DBS Volantes, a DB9, V8 Vantage and DBS coupé thundering past the grandstands stops the crowds dead in their tracks and, as I pilot my car along this hallowed tarmac, I can think of no place I'd rather be. It's a privilege beyond compare.
All too soon it's over, and we have to pull in before the actual race commences. The LMP1s of Aston Martin battle it out with Audi and Peugeot, right to the bitter end and, as Peugeot scoops its first overall win there's jubilation within the Aston camp at a result better than they'd wished for: fourth overall and by far the fastest non-diesel combatants.
"We came here to fight with minuscule budgets and a team of very determined individuals", Aston's CEO Ulrich Bez tells me later. "We thought that fifth place overall would be an achievement but we have surpassed ourselves. We will be back to fight again."
Aston Martin has always put up a fight, be it on the racetrack or public road. It has fought for survival for almost a century and it's still here. With Le Mans firmly on the agenda now and cars as stupendously good as the DBS Volante, there's no reason to doubt they'll still be here in another hundred years. And that's just cause for celebration any day of the week.
motoring@thenational.ae
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
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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
3%20Body%20Problem
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreators%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20Benioff%2C%20D%20B%20Weiss%2C%20Alexander%20Woo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBenedict%20Wong%2C%20Jess%20Hong%2C%20Jovan%20Adepo%2C%20Eiza%20Gonzalez%2C%20John%20Bradley%2C%20Alex%20Sharp%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
Healthy tips to remember
Here, Dr Mohamed El Abiary, paediatric consultant at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai, shares some advice for parents whose children are fasting during the holy month of Ramadan:
Gradual fasting and golden points - For children under the age of 10, follow a step-by-step approach to fasting and don't push them beyond their limits. Start with a few hours fasting a day and increase it to a half fast and full fast when the child is ready. Every individual's ability varies as per the age and personal readiness. You could introduce a points system that awards the child and offers them encouragement when they make progress with the amount of hours they fast
Why fast? - Explain to your child why they are fasting. By shedding light on the importance of abstaining from food and drink, children may feel more encouraged to give it there all during the observance period. It is also a good opportunity to teach children about controlling urges, doing good for others and instilling healthy food habits
Sleep and suhoor - A child needs adequate sleep every night - at least eight hours. Make sure to set a routine early bedtime so he/she has sufficient time to wake up for suhoor, which is an essential meal at the beginning of the day
Good diet - Nutritious food is crucial to ensuring a healthy Ramadan for children. They must refrain from eating too much junk food as well as canned goods and snacks and drinks high in sugar. Foods that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and proteins, like fruits, fresh meats and vegetables, make for a good balanced diet
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
All or Nothing
Amazon Prime
Four stars
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
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Belong%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Michael%20Askew%20and%20Matthew%20Gaziano%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%243.5%20million%20from%20crowd%20funding%20and%20angel%20investors%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
Richard Jewell
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Brandon Stanley
Two-and-a-half out of five stars
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
