The question on most people's lips at the recent Qatar Motor Show was: "How Arabic is the Arab world's first hypercar?"
Considering that the bodywork, chassis and engine of the W Motors Lykan Hypersport are all produced in Germany and assembled in Italy, it might seem that the Lebanon-based company is overstretching the regional credentials.
However, there is no doubt that the Lykan Hypersport is Arabic in spirit, if not entirely in body. Priced at an eye-watering Dh12.48 million, it is expensive enough to show the world you are a person of means. With only seven being built, it definitely has the exclusivity so desperately craved by the GCC's wealthy and, with headlights encrusted with diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and rubies, as well as solid gold wire stitching in the upholstery, it will undoubtedly cater to certain regional tastes. The company even claims it will choose the seven worthy owners of its flagship car - quite a bold move for a first foray into the reasonably saturated super sports car market.
Bold, it seems, is very much the watchword, particularly with its performance claims. W Motors says that the carbon composite Lykan, which has definite Lamborghini, McLaren and Koenigsegg styling cues, can deliver 750hp from a twin-turbo, flat-six engine, built by RUF Automobile in Germany. It boasts a zero-to-100kph sprint time of 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 385kph. According to company management, these are tried and tested statistics, even though the unit on show was still just a static model.
Perhaps the most Arabic characteristic of the Lykan, though, is the company's belief that anything is possible if you are willing to make the investment. Clearly, there is no way that W Motors is making its six years' worth of R&D money back on just seven cars, even at such an eye-watering price. In fact, the company's CEO, Ralph Debbas, admits that, if it were only a short-term project, the company would be making a staggering loss on each car. However, like many leaders in the region, he has a vision.
"It is a ten-year programme," he says. "We are already working on the successor to the Lykan Hypersport, a car that will be announced in November this year at the Dubai Motor Show - the Supersport edition, which will be cheaper and will have a production run of 25-30 units worldwide.
"After that we plan a new model each year after," he adds. "Then we will have one-off editions, so we can tweak it and design it for clients who want a car that is totally unique to them."
It doesn't stop there, either. Debbas is looking to establish research and design centres in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar, all within a year, in order to create the first Middle Eastern hub for automotive technology.
"W Motors isn't just building cars. We are developing new technologies as well, like the hologram integrated inside the Lykan. We are the only ones in the world with this technology, so these are the many things we are trying to promote through this first vehicle."
Ah yes, the hologram. While extensive details weren't available, the console of the Lykan will include the automotive world's first holographic display system with interactive motion, developed in conjunction with ID4Motion. Essentially, this means that, with simple hand gestures, the driver can control the multimedia interface and certain vehicle control systems. As if motorists in the region need any further distractions when they are driving.
That aside, Debbas's intentions are noble and his bold vision admirable, but it all rests on the company delivering on time. If W Motors pulls it off and meets its October deadline for delivery of the car, and fulfils its promise of putting one on the track at Yas Marina, then the world may be convinced that this is a lasting venture. Otherwise, the Lykan could be a very costly venture indeed.
motoring@thenational.ae
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
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Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
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
A%20QUIET%20PLACE
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes 58-10 Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers 5-39 Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons 16-56 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
more from Janine di Giovanni
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Tuesday results:
- Singapore bt Malaysia by 29 runs
- UAE bt Oman by 13 runs
- Hong Kong bt Nepal by 3 wickets
Final:
Thursday, UAE v Hong Kong
SPECS
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Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
How to invest in gold
Investors can tap into the gold price by purchasing physical jewellery, coins and even gold bars, but these need to be stored safely and possibly insured.
A cheaper and more straightforward way to benefit from gold price growth is to buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.
Another way to invest in gold’s success is to buy gold mining stocks, but Mr Gravier says this brings added risks and can be more volatile. “They have a serious downside potential should the price consolidate.”
Mr Kyprianou says gold and gold miners are two different asset classes. “One is a commodity and the other is a company stock, which means they behave differently.”
Mining companies are a business, susceptible to other market forces, such as worker availability, health and safety, strikes, debt levels, and so on. “These have nothing to do with gold at all. It means that some companies will survive, others won’t.”
By contrast, when gold is mined, it just sits in a vault. “It doesn’t even rust, which means it retains its value,” Mr Kyprianou says.
You may already have exposure to gold miners in your portfolio, say, through an international ETF or actively managed mutual fund.
You could spread this risk with an actively managed fund that invests in a spread of gold miners, with the best known being BlackRock Gold & General. It is up an incredible 55 per cent over the past year, and 240 per cent over five years. As always, past performance is no guide to the future.
Specs%3A%202024%20McLaren%20Artura%20Spider
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Disability on screen
Empire — neuromuscular disease myasthenia gravis; bipolar disorder; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Rosewood and Transparent — heart issues
24: Legacy — PTSD;
Superstore and NCIS: New Orleans — wheelchair-bound
Taken and This Is Us — cancer
Trial & Error — cognitive disorder prosopagnosia (facial blindness and dyslexia)
Grey’s Anatomy — prosthetic leg
Scorpion — obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety
Switched at Birth — deafness
One Mississippi, Wentworth and Transparent — double mastectomy
Dragons — double amputee
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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RESULT
Manchester United 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Man United: Sanchez (24' ), Herrera (62')
Spurs: Alli (11')
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
SPECS
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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)