Ferrari 458 Spider

Ferrari officially released today the first images, together with all the details and a video of the new open-top, Ferrari 458 Spider.

The top is made from aluminium, achieving a 25 kilogram weight reduction over the previous system, and Ferrari says it can be raised or lowered in 14 seconds.

Power is supplied by the same 4.5 liter V8 unit from the 458 Italis coupe which delivers 570 PS (425 kW / 563 bhp) and 540 Nm of torque (398 lb-ft).

Ferrari claims a 0-to-62-mph time of 3.5 seconds, or a tenth of a second slower than the fixed-roof model, and a top speed of 198 mph.

The way the top is stowed has also freed up a storage compartment behind the seats – but removing the roof hasn’t harmed the 458’s striking appearance.

With the hood down, the main attraction is a pair of buttresses, allowing air to be channelled to the engine intakes and radiators.

Ferrari also includes an electrically adjustable wind deflector, which bosses claim allows occupants to have a normal conversation even at speeds of up to 124mph.

The Ferrari 458 Spider price list and exact “on sale” date will be announced later.

Cadillac Ciel Concept unveiled

Iconic American luxury auto brand Cadillac has unveiled its new hybrid concept, described as an “expression of Cadillac’s historical grandeur.”

The Ciel concept, which will be on show at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, is a four-seat convertible powered by a 3.6-liter V-6 engine, paired with hybrid drive.

Designed to fit in with the touring cars on display at Pebble Beach, the model is “about the romance of the drive,” says Cadillac-owner General Motors, featuring generous room for two couples across two rows.

Complete with rear-hinged rear doors, the Ciel concept is clearly trying to evoke a sense of the freedom and history of motoring through the great outdoors, with a polished aluminium windshield frame and vertical lights.

Inside, the passenger space is characterized by Italian olive wood, machined aluminium and hand-tipped leather designed to add to the romance, with interior design manager Gael Buzyn likening the design to a “vintage wooden boat.”

Luxury touches include a small humidor for holding cigars and an in-built cashmere blanket which appears at the pull of a tag to cover up the rear seat passengers, should they get chilly.

The concept is among several new models on show at this week’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, including models from Infiniti and Lexus.

Kerching! Samuel Eto'o quits Inter Milan to earn £345,000 a week AFTER tax at Anzhi

QUIDS IN ... Samuel Eto'o is the highest paid player in the world on £345,000 a week AFTER tax

SAMUEL ETO'O has become the highest paid player in the world after quitting Inter Milan to join Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala.

The Cameroon striker, 30, will pocket a mind boggling £345,000 per week AFTER tax with Anzhi agreeing a £22million transfer fee for his services.

A statement on Anzhi's website read: "Today an agreement was reached between the football clubs, Anzhi and Inter, for the transfer of Samuel Eto'o.

"The terms of the transfer are completely agreed on both sides.

"Anzhi expresses gratitude to the leadership of Inter Milan for their professional and constructive approach in the negotiations.

"Tomorrow the player will undergo a medical examination, following which the player will be awarded a three-year contract.

"On Thursday, Samuel will arrive at the location of his new team and will begin preparations for the match against FC Rostov."

Anzhi are owned by billionaire Russian Suleyman Kerimov and also have Brazilian legend Roberto Carlos and former Chelsea player Yuri Zhirkov on their playing staff.

Eto'o scored 21 goals in 35 Serie A appearances for Inter last season, having helped Barcelona to Champions League glory in 2006 and 2009. He scored in the final victories over Arsenal and Manchester United.

Rock star Amazing rope free climber at 1,700ft

High life ... Alex Honnold Jimmy Chin

'Best' ... Alex Honnold

Jimmy Chin

FEARLESS Alex Honnold shows why he is a climbing ledge-end - perching on a sheer rock face 1,700ft up with no safety equipment.

The 26-year-old used no ropes as he shuffled along an outcrop less than a foot wide.

The breathtaking snap was taken on the iconic Half Dome rock in California's Yosemite National Park.

Alex said: "Some climbers sit on their backsides and edge themselves across that way. I felt though, that walking across it was cooler. You are literally peering over the sheer drop."

Big hangover ... perilous climbs in California, left, and Asia

Free solo climber Alex - hailed as the best of his generation due to remarkable upper body strength and agility - made his name by reaching the summit in two hours and fifty minutes.

Rock hard ... Alex stays calm as he pulls himself up cliff face

The trek usually takes one or two days.

He has also conquered 2,500ft peaks in Borneo and cliff faces in Chad that had never been attempted.

Sheer delight ... Alex climbs at great heights fearlessly

Alex said: "When you're climbing well, the fear isn't there."

On the up ... Alex practises closer to the ground

Fernandes pemilik QPR

LONDON: Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes - pemilik syarikat penerbangan tambang murah AirAsia - sudah berjaya melengkapkan misi mengambil alih Queens Park Rangers, menurut kelab Liga Perdana Inggeris itu, semalam.

Usahawan Malaysia itu kini sudah disahkan selaku pemegang saham 66 peratus kelab berkenaan daripada bekas pemegang, Bernie Ecclestone dan Flavio Briatore.

Fernandes, 47, yang juga pemilik pasukan Formula Satu, Team Lotus akan bergandi­ngan dengan keluarga Mittal yang mengekalkan 33 peratus saham dalam kelab berkenaan.“Saya adalah peminat setia West Ham sejak kecil tapi saya juga meminati QPR dan anggap mereka permata yang belum digilap. Saya sentiasa mahu terbabit dalam bola sepak sejak kecil dan tidak mahu menolak tawaran baik ini,” katanya. - Agensi

Topi keledar unik

BENTUK topi keledar yang kelihatan seperti otak manusia.

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ASTANA - Sebuah firma di Kazakhstan menghasilkan topi keledar yang mempunyai imej hiasan seperti buah tembikai dan otak manusia, lapor sebuah akhbar kelmarin.

Rekaan aneh itu juga mengandungi imej kepala botak dan bola tenis serta potongan rambut.

Kesemua rekaan tersebut diilhamkan oleh syarikat itu yang ingin menjadikan idea tersebut suatu realiti.

"Kami cuba melakukan sesuatu sekadar untuk hiburan. Namun, buat masa kini kami telah mempunyai cadangan untuk meminta hak pengeluaran di Amerika Syarikat dan Jepun," kata pereka topi keledar itu, Renat Abdrakhmanov. - Agensi

Treler mewah milik Kutcher untuk disewa

TRELER mewah yang dimiliki Ashton Kutcher.

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LOS ANGELES - Aktor terkenal, Ashton Kutcher mempunyai kediaman mewah di dalam sebuah treler yang disewakan untuk para selebriti, lapor sebuah akhbar semalam.

Sebelum ini isteri Kutcher, Demi Moore pernah menggunakan treler dua tingkat itu yang memiliki ukuran panjangnya 16 meter (m) dan seberat 30 tan.

Treler itu mempunyai teknologi hidraulik bagi menampung ruang skrin wayang tiga dimensi, ruang tamu yang luas dan dua bilik mandi.

Ia juga mempunyai dapur yang mempunyai hiasan granit dan ruang persidangan.

Di luar treler itu, terdapat kamera keselamatan dan apabila loceng pintu dibunyikan, bunyi sistem stereo dan televisyen akan tergendala.

Televisyen di dalam treler itu akan menyiarkan imej individu yang menekan loceng tersebut.

Sistem imbasan ibu jari tangan turut dipasang di pintu masuk ke bilik tidur utama.

Selebriti lain yang pernah menggunakan treler rekaan Ron Anderson dari firma Anderson Mobile Estates itu ialah Mariah Carey, Sharon Stone dan Vin Diesel.

Bayaran AS$8,750 (RM26,263) dikenakan kepada pelanggan yang mahu mendiami treler tersebut selama seminggu. - Agensi

Projek jalan di Makkah

MAKKAH: Sejumlah 1,800 bangunan akan diambil oleh kerajaan untuk projek lingkaran jalan yang pertama, di sini.

Timbalan Datuk Bandar untuk Pembinaan dan Projek, Jurutera Abbas Qattan berkata, semua pemilik bangunan yang terlibat akan dibayar gantirugi setelah urusan penilaian harta, selesai.

Katanya, kira-kira SR40 billion (RM32 billion) telah diperuntukkan untuk pembayaran gantirugi.

Peruntukan tertinggi kira-kira SR1.3 billion (RM1.04 billion) dibuat untuk pembesaran bahagian halaman utara untuk sebuah bangunan yang menghadap Masjidil Haram dari tepi kawasan Raqouba.

Katanya, penilaian terendah dibuat untuk pembesaran di kawasan Alshubaika, iaitu antara RM 360,000 dan RM 400,000.

Satu projek untuk membina 100,000 unit tandas di enam lokasi di sekitar Masjidil Haram, sudah siap.

Katanya lagi, projek pembesaran di laman bahagian utara dijangka siap sebelum Ramadan tahun depan.

Bercakap tentang projek terbaru, dia berkata, “Kami baru hendak memulakan projek Lingkaran Jalan yang pertama dan sekarang sedang menyelaraskan rancangan dengan badan yang berkenaan.

Projek jalan itu akan bermula dibahagian timur Terowong Ali, merentas Alraqouba, Jabal Hidi dan sambung ke projek Abdullatif Jamel di kawasan Albab hingga ke Jalan Alhafayer di belakang projek Jabal Omar.

“Projek ini akan disambung ke terowong lama yang sekarang sudah ditutup, Terowong Hijla yang bersambung ke Daerah Alghazza melalui Terowong Ali,” katanya.

Selain daripada projek lingkaran itu, ada projek lain dirancang termasuk membina tiga buat stesen besar yang akan dapat menampung sejumlah kereta dan bas.

QPR takeover close as Air Asia tycoon Fernandes jets into London to wrap up deal

Malaysian entrepreneur Tony Fernandes will arrive in the capital on Thursday to tie up a deal for Queens Park Rangers.

Sportsmail exclusively revealed last month how the Air Asia tycoon had held talks with the club’s key shareholder Bernie Ecclestone and his business partner Flavio Briatore over acquiring a majority stake in the club.

Formula One supremo Ecclestone holds a 62 per cent majority shareholding in the club but recently said he would be willing to sell his stake for £100million.

Thumbs up: Air Asia tycoon Tony Fernandes is set to confirm his takeover of QPR

In addition to founding Air Asia, Fernandes is also team principal for F1 outfit Team Lotus and hotel chain Tune Hotels.

Fernandes is preparing to hand QPR manager Neil Warnock a transfer fund of around £10million to spend on players.

Bekas kapal perang jadi hotel

BENTUK kapal perang Kiev.

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BEIJING - Sebuah kapal pengangkut pesawat milik Kesatuan Soviet yang kini sudah dibubarkan dan menjadi sebahagian Rusia, Kiev kini diubah suai menjadi sebuah hotel mewah di China, lapor sebuah akhbar semalam.

Menurut akhbar South China Morning Post, kapal itu yang tidak lagi digunakan untuk berperang dijual kepada sebuah syarikat China pada 1996.

Ia kemudian dijadikan pameran untuk satu taman tema tentera di Tianjin.

Namun, pemilik kapal itu, Taman Pesawat Binhai memutuskan untuk menjadikan ia sebagai sebuah hotel dengan kos ubah suai sebanyak £9.6 juta (RM 46.79 juta).

SEBUAH bilik tidur di dalam bekas kapal perang Kiev.

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Harga penginapan masih belum ditetapkan lagi.

Keputusan untuk mengubahsuai itu dibuat kerana China kini memiliki sebuah kapal pengangkut pesawatnya yang pertama sekali gus dapat menarik kehadiran orang ramai untuk menikmati pengalaman tinggal di dalam hotel berkenaan. - Agensi