P LUXURY CARS WORTH EVERY DOLLAR - The Peninsula

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Pakistan International School organises art workshop

THURSDAY 4 JANUARY 2018

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LUXURY CARS WORTH EVERY DOLLAR

These beauties aren't cheap, but you don't get to the top of the heap by scrimping.

BOLLYWOOD | 8

Christopher Nolan is coming

to India, says Big B

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MARKET PLACE

THURSDAY 21 SEPTEMBER 2017

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IIS bids farewell to outgoing students

Ideal Indian School bid farewell to the outgoing students of class XII with much pomp and show recently.

The evenings were charged with emotions where the outgoing students recounted their days in the school and thanked their alma mater for moulding them into responsible human beings.

Speaking on the occasion, Principal Syed Shoukath Ali, wished the students good luck and encouraged them to start with determination and march forward with confidence.

In order to reach their goal one must be ready to accept challenges and never give up, he added. On this occasion, the names of the students are honoured with special awards for their outstanding performance in curricular and extracurricular activities.

Principal Syed Shoukath Ali gave away the awards to the winning students.

Pakistan International School organises art workshop

Pakistan International School has always aimed to provide the best opportunities to its students where they learn, groom and fine tune their talents. In this regard a colourful and memorable art workshop was organised for the students on December 31, where the famous Pakistani

painter and calligraphist, Riaz Rafi demonstrated live painting to the beats of music. Riaz Rafi is a person of many interests and pursuits. He was associated with TV as an Art Director, designed sets for TV shows.

He conducted Art classes for underprivileged children. He

turned towards painting and sculpture in 2000 and then he studied calligraphy with the greatest masters of this genre in Pakistan, Gulgee and Sadequain, apart from these two he also studied the classical Master of Islamic School of Calligraphy. It was mesmerising to watch him

paint with the rhythm. While talking to the students,

he said "Without the Arts human beings are incomplete. Any type of Art is inborn within individuals; it can be further nurtured by training but is essentially something that arises from within".

The enthusiastic students drew sketches and paintings under his guidance and learnt the basic techniques of sketching and colour blending.

The workshop was attended by the former Ambassador of Pakistan to Qatar, Sarfaraz Khanzada; Principal of Pakistan International School, Nargis Raza Otho and Vice-Principals of all the wings and the students.

Nargis Raza Otho, thanked Riaz Rafi for his valuable time and guidance. She also urged that such workshops should be organised time and again giving the students a chance to find and spark their talents.

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COVER STORY

THURSDAY 4 JANUARY 2018

Year best

in review: The cars of 2017

Bloomberg

There's no such thing as the perfect car. But there is possibly such a thing as the perfect car for a given situation. That's the premise under which I operate as I evaluate cars each week for Bloomberg. It's like this: No one wants to drive the low, stiff, delicate McLaren 720S for very long on the cobblestone streets of downtown Manhattan, but you need to know it will blow your mind on a highway travelling upstate.

Pulling onto the track in a Volvo station wagon will probably elicit snickers and not a lot of respect (unless you can drive like Lewis Hamilton). If you're driving around the corner to meet a friend for coffee, you'll probably leave the Rolls-Royce Phantom--and the attention it invariably attracts--at home.

The cars on this list were the ones I drove that best fulfilled their intended purpose in 2017. Each excels at its given task, is priced fairly, and looks good doing the job.

Coupe: Mercedes-Benz AMG GTR As I said in my review, it's rare that

I walk away from one of the dozens of cars I drive each year with a sinking feeling, as if I know I'll miss it. I felt that way with the $157,000 MercedesBenz AMG GT R. The GT R sits at the top of the Mercedes AMG GT line, with a 4.0-liter V8 bi-turbo engine that gets 577 horsepower and can hit 60 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds. Those specifications beat the next-fastest GT C by 27hp and 0.1 seconds; they beat the GT S by 62hp and 0.2 seconds. The difference in speed and sound from behind the wheel is palpable; the GT R possesses by far the most character of the bunch. It has more personality and animal instinct behind the wheel, whether crossing corners or racing to 100mph, than most anything else I drove this year.

Inside, it feels roomy but remains intimate: The power-heated AMG performance seats and AMG alcantara-covered, racing-style sport steering wheel are handsome and ergonomic; the round dials on the control system on the center console are beautiful and intuitive to use.

Outside, the AMG GT R has a less natural look than something like a Porsche 911, which embodies the handsome German racing design that has withstood the test of decades of

fads and trends since it debuted in 1964. You may or may not like the Mercedes: It almost looks enhanced. The AMG GT R has quite a long nose, with a wide, grinning grill and headlights slightly upturned, into a kind of beguiling smirk--the look a person gives you across the bar to make you do a double take. Is there a hint of entitlement behind that grin? Maybe. Is the person giving it to you alluring enough to get away with it? Usually.

Hatchback: Ferrari GTC4Lusso Don't let anyone tell you the

$300,000 Ferrari GTC4Lusso isn't a "real" Ferrari or isn't as aggressive to drive as its counterparts from Lamborghini or McLaren.

This V12, 680-horsepower car has power-to-weight and compression ratios that far exceed anything in the grand touring category. Zero to 62 mph is 3.4 seconds; top speed is 208 mph. New this year are about four new traction control systems, which also help things immensely.

The GTC4Lusso manages to be simultaneously balanced and extremely aggressive on the gas; you get smooth, consistent power through all seven double-clutch gears in an acceleration arch as smooth as silk.

What's more, it has a back seat that can actually fit adult-sized legs (as opposed to the back seat in the Aston Martin DB11 and any Porsche 911), with a rear trunk large enough to handle the week's grocery--or skiing run. The cockpit is roomy, intuitive, and extremely well-made, with top-ofthe-line leather, metal, and carbon-fiber finishes.

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COVER STORY

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All told, Ferrari's brilliant oddball is the rare instance of a super-luxury car that is practical across a wide variety of scenarios-- and a total delight to drive.

Supercar: Lamborghini Aventador S

Lamborghini's "S" badging has always meant enhanced performance and technology. This is no more beautifully in evidence than with the $422,000 Lamborghini Aventador S.

In addition to being a fourwheel-drive car, the latest version of the Aventador is also a fourwheel-steering car. This means that on corners the rear wheels can turn themselves and shorten the distance to the front wheels, which effectively creates a shorter wheelbase. That's a good thing: Short wheelbases are more nimble than long wheelbases. Conversely, on a straightaway at high speeds with all four wheels pointed forward, the car is at its longest (188.86 inches), lending greater stability for the carbon-fiber monocoque in a straight line. The result is that you get the benefits of having two cars in one--a shorter Aventador S for cornering and a longer one for straight shots. It's a great feeling.

Under the hood, the 2018 Aventador S's V12 engine is a massive upgrade on the same boundary-breaking, naturally aspirated mid-rear V12s that went on to catapult the Muira, Countach, Diablo, and Murci?lago to legendary status. It produces 40 more horsepower, on top of the 2017 Aventador's already hefty 700. It also produces higher torque and

higher revs in general than last year's model. What's more, it goes zero to 62 mph in 2.9 seconds (down a fraction of a second from its predecessor and faster than the 3.2-second Hurac?n). You'll hit 124 mph faster than you can count to 10, and 186 mph in fewer than 25 seconds. Top speed is 217mph. When it comes to raw aggression, those numbers--and the Aventador's sexy edges--are unbeatable.

Large Sedan: Rolls-Royce Phantom

The largest vehicle Rolls-Royce makes, the $450,000 Phantom comes with a 6.75-liter, 563-brakehorsepower, V12 engine powerful enough to run a tank. It can hit 60 mph in just over five seconds-- remarkable for a car of its heft.

Most impressive is the car's magic carpet-caliber suspension, library-silent ride, and four-wheel drive, which allows each wheel the autonomy to choose traction and vector over any change in direction. This will be your secret to breaking even the toughest mountain pass, even in such a long sedan: As the Phantom thrusts forward like a bullet train, it will dance across the

Rolls Royce is the car that Queen Elizabeth--& myriad Middle Eastern tycoons--buy as their stateside ride.

path like a much smaller car. Its nimble handling will surprise at every turn.

That said, in order to appreciate the Phantom's full glory, start outside by admiring the sheer wall of the grille, from which all the other elements flow. Each steel prong has been hand-polished to mirrored, deco glory; the rectangular headlights are the only ones in the world frosted in Lalique glass. Then fall into the back seat. This is the car that Queen Elizabeth--and myriad Middle Eastern tycoons-- buy as their stateside ride. One drive--whether or not you're behind the wheel--will reveal exactly why.

Sedan: BMW 760iM The $156,495 BMW M760i has

powerful and athletic handling, fresh new colourways, and a massive back seat. In a segment filled with forgettable town cars, BMW's sedan captures attention from all angles, whether you're behind the wheel, in the back seat, or watching from the sidewalk.

It comes with a big V12, 601-hp, twin-turbo engine good enough for zero-to-60 mph in 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph.

The back seat alone has multiple entertainment screens, massaging reclining lounge chairs, 16-speaker Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound system, and interior automatic-dimming mood lights, as if it were a spa.

The panoramic sky lounge roof ($900 extra) and multicolored mood lighting add to the effect, as does the $5,750 "Rear Executive Lounge Seating" package that includes a power rear seat and footrest, an executive lounge-style center console in the rear, a removable seven-inch tablet and two large TV screens, and rear lounge armrests and seating that are all heated and cooled. If you're lucky enough to get the back seat, you won't want to leave.

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