Sports car dynamics, at least at first blush, are a simple case of Grade 3 mathematics. More power is always good. So is lighter weight. Combine the two so that the power-to-weight ratio is superior to the previous model and simple long division would seem to indicate that your hot rod will be quicker. If you can also simultaneously make the chassis stiffer, it might even handle better as well.
Given these criteria, then, Nissan's 370Z must be considered a success. Its new 3.7-litre V6 is 26 horsepower healthier (332 hp in all) than the old 350. It's also some 50 kilograms lighter, and the combination of the two almost ensure that the 370 will feel sportier than its predecessor. As well, thanks to numerous beams and crossmembers, the new Z is stiffer (between 22 per cent and 30 per cent, depending on the criteria) in both torsional and bending stiffness. Also, in a rare occurrence, the 370 is actually smaller than the 350 it replaces with a wheelbase 100 millimetres shorter (the track width, however, is up by 56mm). And in a final ode to performance, the engine has been lowered in the frame by 30 mm and the passenger hip point by 20 mm, lowering the 370's centre of gravity.
If the numbers are any indicator, then the new 370Z has seen all its performance enhanced. Of course, junkyards are littered with the corpses of automobiles whose marketing mavens trumpeted all the "improvements" that enhance their new cars. But in the case of a sports car, there's nothing like a race track to separate the claimed from the reality.
The proof in the pudding in this case was Spring Mountain Motorsports park in Pahrump (yes, there really is a place called Pahrump), Nevada, where even though there are mountains in the distance, the track itself is as flat as a board, save for one giant gully that the designers decided to pave through rather than fill in.
It is, however, twisty as a snake slithering across a desert, most of its corners bending through 180 degrees or more. It poses little challenge to the Sport package-equipped (Brembo brakes, 245/40R18 front and 275/35R19 rear Bridgestone Potenza sport radials) 370. As advertised, the chassis feels both stiffer and more nimble than its predecessor while still remaining stable. In fact, even getting those forged wheels a little light through the gulch doesn't upset it one little bit.
As for the engine, its horsepower does not quite impress as much as its torque which, though only up two pound-feet at its peak, offers up 90 per cent of its 270 pound-feet all the way from 2,000 rpm to 7,000 rpm. It's a miles-wide powerband that makes much rapid rowing of the six-speed manual (a seven-speed auto is also available) superfluous.
Like so many new engines, that fat torque band is the result of the 3.7L's high-tech valvetrain that combines continuously variable valve timing with variable lift. Nonetheless, despite the vastly improved spread of power, it is still an engine that thrives on high revs and is one of the few V6s that actually sounds happy when thoroughly thrashed.
But it is the manual tranny that is the 370's biggest powertrain advancement, at least on the race track. Besides offering shorter, more precise throws, the 370Z offers the world's first Downshift Rev Matching system for a manual gearbox. Sensors in the rear wheels and gearbox match the engine revs to the next gear down so that each downshift is absolutely smooth, all without the traditional heel-and-toe dance on the gas and brake pedals. This is definitely a significant advancement.
All that speed, is, of course, appreciated, but performance was never the 350Z's weakness. An interior that looked like it was designed in the dark and constructed in China was. There were no less than four different hues of silver-painted plastic inside the previous Z and, yes, they clashed. As well, there was virtually no rear cargo space.
Nissan has done a much better job this time. There is still lots of silver plastic, but it is of much better quality and uniform of hue. There's a bunch of suede-like leather in the seats and door and the majority of the plastic bits are soft to the touch.
Nissan also offers a full navigation system which offers a hard drive with a portion (9.3 Gigs) of memory reserved for music storage. It's far more convenient than trying to find storage in the small cabin for CDs. On the other hand, the Bose sound system, while offering eight speakers and lots of watts, is a disappointment. It sounds overboosted and muddy, but at least there's a convenient iPod interface available.
However, the fuel gauge looks decidedly chintzy, and the entire thing is surrounded by a plastic bit that is painted, rather unsuccessfully, to look like milled aluminum. Other faults inside are the second cupholder being so far to the rear of the centre console as to be all but unusable and the power seats, comfortable as they are, don't have a single button tilt function so you can easily stow stuff behind them. The 370's trunk, however, is more useful than the 350's.
Nissan says the 370Z is its "everyday, affordable" sports car. Compared with the manic buzz-bomb that is the GT-R, it certainly is a more amenable daily driver. And, at about half the price of the GT-R, it's also relatively affordable. One could even make the argument that it is the splashier ride.
The 370Z may not alter the time and space continuum as the GT-R does, but it is a marked improvement on its sporty, but seriously flawed, predecessor. It also remains true to the original 240Z's promise of an affordable sports car that you can drive every day yet still turn heads.
The Nissan 370Z will hit UAE showrooms later this year. No price has been determined yet.
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
The%20specs
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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
RESULT
Norway 1 Spain 1
Norway: King (90 4')
Spain: Niguez (47')
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
THE SPECS
2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid LE
Engine: 1.8 litre combined with 16-volt electric motors
Transmission: Automatic with manual shifting mode
Power: 121hp
Torque: 142Nm
Price: Dh95,900
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
More from UAE Human Development Report:
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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How to get exposure to gold
Although you can buy gold easily on the Dubai markets, the problem with buying physical bars, coins or jewellery is that you then have storage, security and insurance issues.
A far easier option is to invest in a low-cost exchange traded fund (ETF) that invests in the precious metal instead, for example, ETFS Physical Gold (PHAU) and iShares Physical Gold (SGLN) both track physical gold. The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF invests directly in mining companies.
Alternatively, BlackRock Gold & General seeks to achieve long-term capital growth primarily through an actively managed portfolio of gold mining, commodity and precious-metal related shares. Its largest portfolio holdings include gold miners Newcrest Mining, Barrick Gold Corp, Agnico Eagle Mines and the NewMont Goldcorp.
Brave investors could take on the added risk of buying individual gold mining stocks, many of which have performed wonderfully well lately.
London-listed Centamin is up more than 70 per cent in just three months, although in a sign of its volatility, it is down 5 per cent on two years ago. Trans-Siberian Gold, listed on London's alternative investment market (AIM) for small stocks, has seen its share price almost quadruple from 34p to 124p over the same period, but do not assume this kind of runaway growth can continue for long
However, buying individual equities like these is highly risky, as their share prices can crash just as quickly, which isn't what what you want from a supposedly safe haven.
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
