Rollering in it

Posh car sales soar as most motors hit skids

£200,500 ... Rolls Royce Ghost Saloon, 0 to 60mph in 4.5 seconds

SALES of luxury cars are soaring - as super-rich sports stars and celebrities ignore the economic slump to treat themselves to flash sets of wheels.

New figures show Rolls-Royce has had a record year so far, with sales zooming up by 64 per cent.

And Bentleys and Aston Martins are also being snapped up at showrooms across the UK.

Formula 1 giant McLaren has reported 1,000 orders for its new road-going 200mph MP4-12C, which costs £168,500.

£168,500 ... McLaren MP4-12C, 0 to 60 in 3.1 seconds

The supercar surge comes as sales of more down-to-earth models have plummeted by a fifth overall - with 1.3million motorists said to have been forced off the road by high fuel costs.

Renault sales are 30 per cent down while Mazda, Honda, Fiat, Toyota and Kia have seen falls of more than 20 per cent. Ford is down nine per cent.

Roll-Royce's Marco Jahn said: "Our customers are people who buy a Rolls-Royce as a reward.

£125,000 ... Aston Martin DB9, 0 to 60 in 4.7 seconds

"They are successful sports people, young entrepreneurs and people who have built up a business over decades." Bentley's Mike Hawes said its sales are up 20 per cent - spurred by the popularity of the new Continental GT coupe costing £135,760. The convertible model is £182,100.

Mr Hawes said: "The thing that our customers have in common is that they are very wealthy individuals.

"They include successful businessmen, people in showbusiness and sports stars. Footballers are very well paid and they do seem to like our cars."

£135,760 ... Bentley Continental GT Coupe, 0 to 60 in 4.4 seconds

Recent Rolls-Royce buyers include Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips, who bought a £200,500 Ghost model.

That was a bargain compared with the Phantom saloons, coupes and convertibles that cost up to £336,700. Tennis ace Andy Murray is among those to snap up a £125,000 Aston Martin DB9, helping to fuel a nine per cent sales surge.

Aston Martin's Matthew Clarke said the firm has weathered the recession that saw sales plunge from 7,281 in 2007 to just under 4,000 in 2009.

£1.5million ... Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds

He said wealthy car fans have been able to afford supercars regardless of the credit crunch. But they fought shy of making ostentatious purchases during the worst of the economic downturn.

Mr Clarke added: "It is not good to be seen spending on luxuries during a recession."

The best example of the thriving luxury market was the sale last month of the last of 300 Bugatti Veyron supercars. The Veyron, the world's fastest road-legal car with a top speed of 268mph, went for £1.48million.

At the other end of the scale, car firms are simply hoping for better news in coming months.

Paul Everitt, of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said: "Slow but steady growth in the second half of the year should see volumes increase."

£100m summer show

RICH Arab playboys are clogging up London's streets this summer with £100million worth of supercars.

They have flown the gas-guzzlers over from the Middle East to cruise the capital and show off to "petrol head" fans.

Playthings ... £1m Koenigsegg Agera, top, and £380,000 Maybach

The Sun found TEN of the world's dearest motors within a square mile in posh Mayfair.

The cars include the £1.6m Pagani Zonda, £1m Koenigsegg Agera, £380,000 Maybach and £300,000 McLaren SLR.

Rare ... £1.6m Pagani Zonda, top, and £300,000 McLaren SLR

Harga pulau diturunkan dari RM6 juta kepada RM456,169

RUPA bentuk Pulau Sully (depan) di Cardiff, Britain yang menanti pembeli.

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CARDIFF – Harga Pulau Sully yang terletak 3.21 kilometer dari sini, diturunkan dari £1.25 juta (RM6 juta) kepada hanya £95,000 (RM456,169), lapor beberapa buah akhbar semalam.

Pulau itu pernah dijadikan sebagai tempat persembunyian lanun pada abad ke-13 dan hanya 20 minit diperlukan untuk berjalan di sekelilingnya.

Ia tidak mempunyai kemudahan jalan raya dan satu-satunya akses untuk ke pulau itu adalah dengan menggunakan bot atau berjalan kaki semasa air laut surut.

Pulau itu pada mulanya mahu dijual pada Mei 2009 tetapi tiada pembeli yang berminat.

Menurut Chris Hyde yang mengendalikan jualan itu, pulau tersebut dilelong pada harga £150,000 (RM721,286) pada tahun lalu tetapi tiada pembida yang mahu membelinya. – Agensi

That's quite a snap!

Incredible jumping crocodile pic

Trigger snappy ... Brutus the crocodile jumps from river

A PHOTOGRAPHER got the snap of her life when this giant croc jumped out of the Adelaide River.

Brutus, a 5.5m long saltwater crocodile, launched himself from the water next to a boat full of tourists as he tucked into his regular buffalo meat meal.

Snapper Katrina Bridgeford, from Sydney, took the amazing photo on the Adelaide River Jumping Croc Cruises tour as a guide held out the snack.

She said: "I wasn't expecting anything like this. I couldn't believe how close it got to us. If you put your hand out, you would've touched it."

Brutus, who is missing his right front leg, is a favourite with tourists on the Northern Territory river cruise because of his incredible dinner show.

Edisi terakhir News of the World dibida pada harga RM141 senaskhah

SEORANG lelaki membaca naskhah akhir akhbar yang sudah berada di pasaran selama 168 tahun itu.

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LONDON - Edisi terakhir tabloid nombor satu Britain, News of the World kelmarin dijual di laman lelongan ebay pada harga mencecah AS$47 (RM141) senaskhah, lapor sebuah akhbar semalam.

Edisi terakhir News of the World itu menjadi rebutan di laman web berkenaan selepas akhbar itu habis dijual dalam tempoh cuma beberapa jam berada di pasaran.

Lebih empat juta naskhah akhbar itu habis dijual kelmarin, sekali gus menjadikannya jualan akhbar paling laris di Britain dalam tempoh satu dekad.

Akhbar berkenaan yang dimiliki oleh taikun media Amerika Syarikat (AS), Rupert Murdoch ditutup bermula semalam kerana dikaitkan dengan skandal pengintipan perbualan telefon melibatkan lebih 4,000 mangsa.

"Orang ramai berebut untuk membeli edisi terakhir News of The World sebaik sahaja kedai dibuka," kata seorang peniaga tempatan yang memberitahu akhbar tersebut habis dijual seawal pukul 8 pagi.

Akhbar yang ditutup oleh pemiliknya, News International itu mengetengahkan tajuk: Thank You & Goodbye.- Agensi

It's Cashlands! City net £120m to rename stadium but may face probe

Manchester City will reinforce their standing as English football's wealthiest club by confirming an estimated £120million deal to rename their Eastlands ground the Etihad Stadium.

Though details of the stadium naming rights deal with City's shirt sponsors Etihad Airways were being kept under wraps, it is thought to be worth £10-12million a year over the next 10 years and is the most most lucrative deal in the club's history.

Changing brand: Manchester City are set to rename their Eastlands ground the Etihad Stadium

Concerns were immediately expressed over whether the deal might contravene UEFA's financial fair play guidelines, and City are likely to face an investigation.

Under the new rules, clubs have been warned about spending more than they earn and about sponsorship deals that may appear to be for inflated amounts.

If it is felt a figure has been fixed to give income levels an artificial boost, UEFA could step in and take action.

Back to work: Roberto Mancini oversees Manchester City training earlier this week

At more than double the amount Arsenal received for naming rights at The Emirates Stadium, City's deal may well raise eyebrows and is sure to be looked into by the Premier League. Checks will be made to ensure Etihad's outlay can be justified and that UEFA's guidelines have not been breached.

City have been exploring ways of generating extra revenue, to meet the criteria and enable their big spending to continue, and are delighted with the agreement they have struck with the United Arab Emirates' national airline.

Since acquiring City in September, 2008, Sheikh Mansour has ploughed close on £1billion into transforming their fortunes and competing on at least an equal footing with near rivals Manchester United.

Feeling Blue: City will claim Arsenal have undersold naming rights at Ashburton Grove

It is understood City's heirarchy are unconcerned about any investigation by the Premier League or UEFA and confident they can satisfy all the fair play conditions.

They will argue that their increasingly high profile, and the exposure from worldwide media coverge, will equate to an acceptable return for Etihad's massive investment.

They could also claim Arsenal may have undersold naming rights at Ashburton Grove, when they struck a £100million-plus 15-year deal with Emirates in October, 2004.

Signed, sealed, delivered: Clichy arrived on a £7m deal from Arsenal earlier this month

That figure included around £48million for an eight-year shirt sponsorship agreement with Emirates and meant they were charging only around £4million a year for the new ground to be named after the airline.

City were always looking to go down the same path, after persuading Manchester City Council to let them sell naming rights last year, and were in no doubt they could attract significantly higher bidders.

Their new agreement with a company who already sponsor their shirts to the tune of £2.3million a year could prove telling in the new era of financial restraint, particularly after losses of almost £120million last year.

Gunning for a move: Nasri could follow former Arsenal team-mate Clichy to Man City in a £20m deal

Such a deficit had to be addressed, and today's announcement will be seen as a significant step towards being able to continue the sort of spending that has become commonplace at Eastlands in recent years.

They are hopeful of landing £20million-rated Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri, after already paying Partizan Belgrade £6million for defender Stefan Savic and £7m for Arsenal defender Gael Clichy.

They are also being strongly linked with a £40million bid for Atletico Madrid frontrunner Sergio Aguero, also wanted by Real Madrid and Juventus.

McLaren MP4-12C GT3

McLaren has unveiled the latest iteration of its MP4-12C performance car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The British automotive brand unveiled the MP4-12C GT3 to the public June 30, after showcasing it to prospective team owners over the past couple of months.

The new model, a modified version of the MP4-12C, is being developed for GT3 racing next year — it is the first car McLaren has manufactured for racing outside of Formula 1 since the McLaren F1 GTR, which was produced until 2005.

McLaren’s MP4-12C GT3 uses a carbon-fibre chassis and sports some new features designed to optimize the vehicle’s aerodynamics, including a new front splitter, door blade, rear wing, diffusors and louvers in the front fenders.

It is powered by a 3.8-liter V8 twin turbo engine, with a six-speed gearbox controlled using paddles on the steering wheel, which is the same as that used by Lewis Hamilton in the MP4-24 Formula 1 car.

Although it’s going on sale to racing teams only sometime next year, visitors to Goodwood will be able to see it on the Festival of Speed’s famous hill climb, where vehicles will be in action through July 3.

McLaren opened its first retail outlet in London June 21, the launch of a dealer network set to total 35 locations in 19 countries.

The Manchester outpost opened June 30, while Birmingham will follow on July 6, ahead of various stores in Europe (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland) set to open this summer.

Nike honors Ronaldo with Golden Soccer Shoes

During his visit to Nike headquarters last saturday, Ronaldo received a pair of golden Mercurial in honour of his winning football history and his help in developing the fastest boot on the planet.

The boots were packaged in a custom wooden box with his “R9″ logo on the top.

Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport L’Or Blanc

Bugatti in collaboration with Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur has released unique version of Bugatti Veyron – Bugatti Vevron Grand Sport L’Or Blanc.

The ‘L’Or Blanc’ was unveiled on Thursday in Berlin, German. It’s the world’s first vehicle with porcelain elements in exterior and interior design.

Porcelain is used in seven locations on the L’Or Blanc, including the wheel centers, fuel and oil filler caps, and the large “EB” badge on the back.

Five places inside the cabin are rendered in porcelain as well: the center-console surround; signed trim plates on each side of the center console; the removable, diamond-polished dish atop the center console; and a relief between the seatbacks depicting an elephant standing on its hind legs.

According to Bugatti, that elephant was the inspiration for the partnership between Bugatti and KPM.

This gorgeous, elaborately hand-painted blue-and-white Bugatti is still available for purchase for €1.65 million ($2.4 million USD).

Le Mans Special edition

Audi has announced a special edition of its R8 V8 vehicle, created in honor of the brand’s tenth victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race which took place June 11-12.

Drivers André Lotterer, Marcel Fassler and Benoît Treluyer took Audi to victory with an R8 at the gruelling endurance race, edging in ahead of a Peugeot 908.

It’s the second year that Audi has beaten Peugeot to first place in the race, although the French automaker managed to take third, fourth and fifth places.

The new model, reserved solely for British fans of the Audi brand, will have a limited-edition run of just 100 models and will be priced from £93,935 (€104,840).

Performance specification remain unchanged from the R8 V8, which offers 0-100 km/h in 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 300 km/h.

It will be easily distinguishable on the road thanks to GT-inspired 19-inch alloy wheels, featuring red brake callipers reminiscent again of the Le Mans-winning model.

It will be available in a Titanium Metallic paint finish while interiors have been finished by crimson red accents to the nappa leather seats, along with a leather-functioned steering wheel and red leather knee pads and passenger door handles.

The Limited Edition model includes several equipment upgrades, including a satellite navigation, integrated seatbelt microphones with Bluetooth interface for making mobile phone calls and a Bang & Alufsen sound system.

The Audi R8 V8 Limited Edition will be available in coupé form only. Order books will open in July, with the first models expected to hit the roads in October 2011.

Imej ikan pari gergasi dirakam jurugambar

SEORANG penyelam mendekati seekor ikan pari manta di Teluk Hanifaru, Kepulauan Maldives baru-baru ini.

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MALE - Imej sekumpulan ikan pari manta gergasi berenang di Teluk Hanifaru, Kepulauan Maldives dirakamkan seorang jurugambar Britain, lapor sebuah akhbar semalam.

Jurugambar berkenaan, Warren Baverstock, 42, mengambil masa selama sembilan hari untuk merakamkan kumpulan ikan pari gergasi itu yang tiba untuk memakan plankton di perairan tersebut baru-baru ini.

Terdapat sekitar 200 pari manta dengan lebar lebih tiga meter berkumpul di teluk sebesar padang bola sepak itu untuk mencari makanan. - Agensi