Nissan this week launched what it called a ground-breaking new vehicle that will participate in this year's Le Mans 24 Hours race.
The DeltaWing is a Batmobile-like racing car that was created with the aim of halving aerodynamic drag, power, mass, fuel consumption and tyre consumption while still maintaining the required performance.
Nissan claims to have thrown away the rule book when designing this car and focusing on the important characteristics of a racing car with relevance to the auto industry and motorsport fans. It is powered by a 1.6L turbo engine that is expected to produce around 300hp, sufficient to give the DeltaWing lap times between LMP1 and LMP2 machines at Le Mans.
"As motor racing rule books have become tighter over time, racing cars look more and more similar and the technology used has had less and less relevance to road car development. Nissan DeltaWing aims to change that," says Andy Palmer, the firm's executive vice-president. "But this is just the start. DeltaWing embodies a vast number of highly innovative ideas that we can learn from."
Jay-Z and Kanye West's mash-up Maybach sold for charity
The Maybach that rap superstars Jay-Z and Kanye West destroyed for the video for last year's hit collaboration Otis has been auctioned off for US$60,000 (Dh220,386).
The 2004 Maybach 57 would have cost $350,000 new but sold for a fraction of that as it had been ripped to shreds for the making of the video for the first single from the stars' Grammy Award-winning album Watch the Throne.
A guide price of $100,000 to $150,000 was set but it didn't help that the car was advertised as a work of art, as opposed to a working vehicle.
For the video, which was directed by Oscar-winner Spike Jonze, the doors were torn off and affixed to the boot as wings, the front grille was stuck to the boot, a fire-spewing exhaust was fitted and a basic-looking sheet-metal body kit was attached around the wheel arches and the front of the vehicle.
The Maybach was sold at Phillips de Pury auction house in New York, US, last week and the proceeds are going to the charity organisation Save The Children.
The charity's chief executive, Carolyn Miles, says the money will go to families in East Africa.
Volkswagen in Dubai desert clean-up project
Volkswagen is teaming up with the Rotana hotel chain and Siemens to champion a desert clean-up initiative.
The companies plan to send groups of volunteers inland from Dubai today for Clean the Desert, which aims to raise awareness of the litter problem, the grave consequences it has to local wildlife and the importance of a clean environment.
"The Clean the Desert project focuses on preserving the desert and actively taking care of local wildlife, believing that it is the everyday small actions that can bring about the big changes the environment needs," says Volkswagen Middle East chief executive Stefan Mecha.
"It is great to team up with Siemens and Rotana on this initiative as both companies share our concern about the serious issue of littering and the need to do something about it."
Thomas Tapken, area vice-president for Rotana Dubai and Northern Emirates, says: "Everyday a tragedy is taking place in our deserts, along the beaches and in the mountains of the UAE. Camels, sheep, goats and cattle, as well as the protected Arabian Onyx, the Sand Gazelles and other wildlife are dying after ingesting plastic and other waste materials that are being dumped in the desert."
Kick-start your shopping trip with Ford Kuga's new technology
We've all been there. You've got bags full of shopping that you're determined not to put down as you strive to find your elusive car key in your strangely bustling pocket.
It's a frustrating business that ultimately ends with you admitting defeat, placing the shopping on the ground and emptying everything out of your pocket before the key - finally - emerges last.
However, this particular scenario could be a thing of the past with the new technology Ford is introducing in its new Kuga crossover SUV.
Utilising the technology that allows for keyless starting of engines, when the Kuga senses its key in the vicinity, it allows the boot to be opened with a gentle kick to the back bumper.
And the same goes when lifting items out of the boot. A kick at the bumper will see the "kick-activated automatic tailgate" close the boot.
The technology is available as an option on a 2012 Kuga.
Japanese doctor charged after YouTube users report Ferrari speed video
A Japanese doctor is facing speeding charges after posting footage of himself online driving at excessive speeds in a Ferrari on public roads.
The 50-year-old, from Okawa in Fukuoka Prefecture, was reported to police by angry users of video-sharing website YouTube.
He faces charges after being filmed driving at 124kph in a 40kph zone, Japanese police say.
A police spokesman told AFP news agency that the driver's speed was calculated based on the distance covered and the time elapsed.
The man reportedly said he "wanted people to understand the beauty of a Ferrari".
The six-minute video is titled Ferrari 458 Italia Drive in Japan 2011 in Japanese and it films the doctor from a position behind the driver.
At least 84 people disliked the posting, compared to 19 likes.
Police say he could face six months in jail or a fine of up to $1,220 (Dh4,481) if convicted.
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
MATCH DETAILS
Juventus 2 (Bonucci 36, Ronaldo 90 6)
Genoa 1 (Kouame 40)
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
How to donate
Text the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
6025 - Dh 20
2252 - Dh 50
2208 - Dh 100
6020 - Dh 200
*numbers work for both Etisalat and du
WandaVision
Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany
Directed by: Matt Shakman
Rating: Four stars
Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Fringe@Four Line-up
October 1 - Phil Nichol (stand-up comedy)
October 29 - Mandy Knight (stand-up comedy)
November 5 - Sinatra Raw (Fringe theatre)
November 8 - Imah Dumagay & Sundeep Fernandes (stand-up comedy)
November 13 - Gordon Southern (stand-up comedy)
November 22 - In Loyal Company (Fringe theatre)
November 29 - Peter Searles (comedy / theatre)
December 5 - Sinatra’s Christmas Under The Stars (music / dinner show)
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%20specs
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PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
