The Porsche Spyder 918 hybrid leads some of the new releases at the 80th Geneva International Motor Show.
The Porsche Spyder 918 hybrid leads some of the new releases at the 80th Geneva International Motor Show.
The Porsche Spyder 918 hybrid leads some of the new releases at the 80th Geneva International Motor Show.
The Porsche Spyder 918 hybrid leads some of the new releases at the 80th Geneva International Motor Show.

Clean concepts show way to the future


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The Geneva Motor Show is an important date on the automotive industry calendar, previewing what will roll out of Europe's car factories. Manufacturers from outside Europe also get a chance to show their wares in their push to break into the continental market. Mercedes-Benz F800 Style Concept Mercedes-Benz says its F800 Style concept is a future-thinking showcase that can run with traditional power, cleaner, hybrid power or ultra-clean fuel-cell power - and they're right. It's fast, advanced and clean, but Benz's first job is to prepare the public for the look of its baby brother for the CLS sedan when it lands in two years.

Its swoopy new look will be a harbinger of things to come for all of Benz's sedans. The F800 Style's body, with sliding rear door, came from its design studio in Sindelfingen, Germany, while its radical cabin came from its interior design studio on Lake Como, Italy. The fuel cell version will run on zero-emission electric power for 600km, while the petrol-electric hybrid hits 100kph in 4.8 seconds.

Both the F800 Style's fuel-cell electric and hybrid systems are nearly production ready and being tested in Germany. Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Lamborghini has added more power and stripped 70kg from its Gallardo supercar to combat Ferrari's 458 Italia. Debuting at Geneva, the LP570-4 Superleggera is the fastest Gallardo yet, sprinting to 100kph in 3.4 seconds, with a 325kph top speed.

The 1,410kg, 570hp V10 powerhouse also gets a launch-control mode, cranking the 90-degree, all-alloy V10 up to 5,000rpm before bursting off the line, hitting 200kph in 10.2 seconds. Even with this performance, the Superleggera's light weight gives it a 20.5 per cent fuel consumption and CO2 emission improvement over its 2007 predecessor. After cementing its carbon-fibre research alliance with the University of Washington's Advanced Composite Structures Laboratory, the Superleggera uses carbon-fibre for the rear diffuser, underbody panelling, exterior mirror housings, door sills and rear spoiler.

Lotus Evora 414E hybrid British sports car maker Lotus has claimed a raft of patents with its hi-tech Evora 414E concept that turns a humble 1.2L engine into 414hp. The concept Evora is fast and clean, debuting engineering breakthroughs on its way to a sub-four second zero-to-100kph time, about a second faster than the standard 3.5L, V6 petrol-powered Evora. The rear-drive Evora 414E uses a light three-cylinder petrol engine to power a revolutionary new battery. It then uses two electric motors to independently drive each of the rear wheels via two single-speed gear sets. The car can travel 483km before it needs either electrical or conventional refilling. It can be charged to a 50km range from a home electrical socket.

Given how quiet the car will be, Lotus worked with the audio supplier, Harmon, to simulate engine noise from speakers in the front and rear bumpers so pedestrians can hear it. The lithium polymer battery is another step forward from lithium ion, holding the battery's electrolyte in a solid polymer composite. It has been designed for high-performance work, capable of discharging 100kW while the 1.2L petrol engine musters only 35kW.

Called the Lotus Range Extender engine, it will also be seen in the Giugiaro-Proton hybrid concept. Proton by Giugiaro Proton, the Malaysian government-owned automaker, has enlisted Italian and English help to catch up with leading car companies. At Geneva, Proton launched two cutting-edge hybrid drive concepts from the Italian design legend, ItalDesign-Giugiaro. One is a city car and the other is a crossover, something Proton has yet to create successfully.

Designed to give a midsized, SUV-style cabin space in a small, A-segment body, both concepts use a sandwich-style false floor to house the hybrid's battery. Lotus has engineered the drivetrain and the car's 1.2L, three-cylinder petrol engine can also operate on ethanol or methanol. While the raised cabin floor could have been an impediment, Giugiaro has used it to provide a seat hip-point that is at the normal standing height for most people.

The five-door city car is just 3.5m long and has four identical seats, all of which slide back and forward independently. The three-door Crossover version is the same length, but with a slightly higher ground clearance, plus five seats. Audi RS5 An embarrassing internal leak has forced Audi to release the full details of its new, stove-hot RS5 coupe a week before Geneva. It's a 443hp V8, based on the hot-selling A5 coupe, with its seven-speed double-clutch gearbox and new centre differential for its all-wheel drive system.

A high-revving, direct-injection V8, the RS5's engine will share its mechanical features with the R8 super coupe. It will deliver its maximum power at 8,250rpm, yet will still have 430Nm of torque between 4,000 and 6,000rpm. All of this will be enough, Audi claims, to propel the coupe to 100kph in 4.6 seconds on its way to an electronically limited 250kph top speed. The Quattro-built super coupe will post 10.8L/100km for the combined cycle of city and country work.

Porsche 918 Spyder Under the Porsche 918 Spyder concept's gorgeous monocoque skin made of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic lies a hybrid petrol-electric drivetrain that delivers outstanding performance and efficiency. A mid-mounted 3.4L V8, developed from the RS Spyder racing programme and producing more than 500hp, powers the rear wheels, while two electric motors powered by a fluid-cooled lithium ion battery power the front and rear axles. While acceleration from 0-to-100kph is a swift 3.2 seconds and it gets to a top speed of 320kph, Porsche says the 918 will deliver a mileage of just 3L/100km.

The gearbox hooked to the rear wheels is notable not just that it has seven speeds, but for the name the company gave it: Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe. Power from the V8 and one electric motor goes through this tongue-twister, while the front electric motor at has a single-speed transmission. The driver will have a choice of four modes: an electric-only mode; an efficient hybrid mode; a sport mode that focuses on performance; and a Race Hybrid mode that features a "push-to-pass" button for limited extra power.

* With additional reporting by Neil Vorano

Tips to stay safe during hot weather
  • Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
  • Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
  • Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
  • Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
  • Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
  • Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
  • Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face

The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.

The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran. 

Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf. 

"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said. 

Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer. 

The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy. 

 

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  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
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  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
GAC GS8 Specs

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Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

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The biog

Favourite film: Motorcycle Dairies, Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, Kagemusha

Favourite book: One Hundred Years of Solitude

Holiday destination: Sri Lanka

First car: VW Golf

Proudest achievement: Building Robotics Labs at Khalifa University and King’s College London, Daughters

Driverless cars or drones: Driverless Cars

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE CLOWN OF GAZA

Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah 

Starring: Alaa Meqdad

Rating: 4/5