"To add speed, add lightness." Allegedly the words of the Lotus founder, Colin Chapman, who, even if he never uttered those words, at least lived with that very same mantra. I've recently decided to put this theory into practice by signing up with a personal trainer/dietician type person because, to be frank, I would definitely benefit by shedding a few kilos. It won't be easy but it will be worth it.
Motoring Road Test
Ride along as we test drive the latest models here and around the world.
More from Motoring
In general, both human beings and cars are too heavy these days. It's all the unnecessary rubbish we put inside that's the problem - for humans, it's junk food combined with a sedentary lifestyle and, for cars, it's all the new gadgetry and safety equipment customers demand. In both respects, performance is blunted and it's difficult sometimes to know at what point enough is enough. And then, when you've realised there's too much extra baggage, what can you do about it?
Performance car manufacturers have started to wake up to this, although Lotus and a small handful of car companies have always resolutely stood apart as being different and never produced heavyweight motors. The results, after sports cars have spent some time with the automotive equivalent of a personal trainer and dietician, can be spectacular. Just consider the Porsche 911 GT3RS, Lamborghini's Gallardo Superleggera and Ferrari's 430 Scuderia: all of them lighter than the originals, leaner, more efficient, stronger and, essentially, more fun to spend time with. A bit like me in a few months' time, then.
Maserati's GranTurismo might seem like an odd contender for the whole get-fit thing. It's a big car, spacious and so good looking it hurts your eyeballs. It's the consummate GT car, not some frustrated racer, but that hasn't stopped Maserati campaigning it in GT4 competition, as well as its own Trofeo Cup series. And this has obviously inspired Maserati's top brass to offer a lighter, fitter, more focused GranTurismo for road use: the new MC Stradale ("MC" stands for Maserati Corsa, which is the company's competition department, while "Stradale" essentially means it's road-going). What could possibly be a finer proposition?
I had a choice: test a white one with stupid red decals and black wheels or the one you see here - much more subdued in the most gorgeous blue with alloys that can actually be seen. For me, this is the perfect combination because a car like this doesn't need to shout about its presence - the engine note does that quite admirably, thank you. In the GranTurismo S, which this car is based on, there's a button marked Sport, which opens up the exhaust baffles and liberates one of the most spine-tingling sounds on the planet. In the MC Stradale there's the same button but there's another one that says Race, and it's this one you press for the full sonic experience. Suffice to say, when the car is in my custody, it's always activated.
Even if this car was a dud to drive, if I had the requisite funds there would still be one in my collection because, apart from the physical beauty it possesses, the antisocial bellow that emits from its twin exhaust pipes never fails to have me dribbling with glee. It's times like this when the English language shows its limitations. How on earth do I find the words to describe the glorious racket this V8 makes? Let's have a go, anyway. It's like Ferrari (who builds the engines for Maserati) has left a bunch of nails in the outlet chambers and every time you lift off the throttle, those eight cylinders gargle on them. On the overrun it spits, crackles and coughs. You half expect flames to come shooting out of the pipes - it's the most addictive sound and all thoughts of saving the planet go out the window because you want to keep the noise on, which means foot down, flat out, lift off, foot down, flat out, lift off, repeat ad infinitum.
But there's much more to this car than sonic exuberance and movie-star looks. It's more powerful than the S, with an extra 10hp bringing the tally to 450 horses. It's 110kg lighter, thanks to racing seats (complete with ridiculous harnesses) in the front and a complete lack of chairs in the rear, but it still weighs a considerable 1,770kg. It's a very long car so will never be as nimble as a 911 or a Vantage on the more twisty roads and tracks of the Emirates but, find enough space, disable the traction control and it will behave like an utter hooligan. With the electronic nanny switched on, grip levels are huge but, when they're off, this thing likes to go sideways. And we like that very much.
The chassis has been slightly stiffened and the dampers are eight per cent less forgiving yet the road experience is still remarkably civilised for what's supposedly a stripped-out race car. Further lightness has been added with carbon brakes that make a decent fist of wiping off huge amounts of speed, which itself has been increased. The MC S runs out of breath at 301kph, while it'll roar from rest to 100 in 4.6 seconds. Not supercar quick, but quick enough to sate most appetites.
It's not overly Spartan. On the contrary, it's still a luxurious environment and I reckon this is one Maser I could live with on a daily basis. Only two black marks against it, though, and they're actually deal breakers for me. The rear seats in the normal GranTurismo make it a genuinely useable piece of Italian exotica and Maserati is refusing to fit them to this model. And the front seats, while adjustable and comfortable enough, should come with normal inertia reel belts so occupants can at least reach the buttons on the dashboard. But then, when a car is this beautiful and sounds so incredible, maybe I could have my arm twisted. Go on, I'll take it. In blue without the boy racer stripes.
Base price / as tested Dh575,000 / Dh639,000
Engine 4.7L V8
Gearbox Six-speed automated manual
Power 450hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 510Nm @ 4,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.4L/100km
If you go
The Flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Johannesburg from Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively. Economy return tickets cost from Dh2,650, including taxes.
The trip
Worldwide Motorhoming Holidays (worldwidemotorhomingholidays.co.uk) operates fly-drive motorhome holidays in eight destinations, including South Africa. Its 14-day Kruger and the Battlefields itinerary starts from Dh17,500, including campgrounds, excursions, unit hire and flights. Bobo Campers has a range of RVs for hire, including the 4-berth Discoverer 4 from Dh600 per day.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results:
Men's wheelchair 800m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 1.44.79; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 1.45.88; 3. Isaac Towers (GBR) 1.46.46.
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
Summer special
THE%20HOLDOVERS
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
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COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
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
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.
RIVER%20SPIRIT
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What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Most F1 world titles
7 — Michael Schumacher (1994, ’95, 2000, ’01 ’02, ’03, ’04)
7 — Lewis Hamilton (2008, ’14,’15, ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20)
5 — Juan Manuel Fangio (1951, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57)
4 — Alain Prost (1985, ’86, ’89, ’93)
4 — Sebastian Vettel (2010, ’11, ’12, ’13)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
RESULTS
2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner: Najem Al Rwasi, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
2.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Fandim, Fernando Jara, Majed Al Jahouri
3pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Harbh, Pat Cosgrave, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
3.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Wakeel W’Rsan, Richard Mullen, Jaci Wickham
4pm: Crown Prince of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Jawaal, Fernando Jara, Majed Al Jahouri
4.30pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup (TB) Dh200,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.0-litre, twin-turbocharged W12
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 626bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh1,050,000
On sale: now
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Company%20Profile
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Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
- NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
- Bareen International Hospital
- NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
- NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
- NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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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.
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