A Spanish car maker, once the marque of choice for dictator Francisco Franco, has roared back from obscurity with a $1.7 million electric supercar.
The general triumphantly entered Madrid at the end of Spanish Civil War riding in a Hispano Suiza in 1939 - and that is pretty much where the story ended for this pre-war auto and aero engineering firm.
Devastated by the economic effects of trade embargos and World War Two, the automotive arm joined up with banks and other firms and consolidated in what is today SEAT - the Iberian country's only mass-production car maker.
Fast-forward 80 years though and the 115-year-old brand from Barcelona has debuted the electric Carmen - a $1.7 million supercar - at the Geneva International Motor Show.
The 1,0005hp Carmen, named in honour of the granddaughter of founder Damián Mateu, has a maximum power outage of 503bhp and runs 0-100kph under three seconds.
Decent enough in a crowded segment, so it's relying on its quirky looks to charm.
Based on the 1938 Hispano-Suiza H6C Dubonnet Xenia, the Carmen has doe-eyed headlights, which look almost apologetic.
The closed off rear-wheels that swoop to the tail give it a big-bum feel of some 1930s vehicles.
Inside, it looks to take some riffs from a luxury tourer - brown-stitched leather interiors and whiffs of mahogany with the LED touch-screen console.
Just 19 will be made.
Perhaps it's a more go-slow offering for the segment - at 250kph top speed, it's slower and more sluggish than the Pininfarina Battista and Koenigsegg Regera, with the latter boasting 400kph with the driver's foot to the floor.
At 400km, the Carmen's charge range is also short of the Battista, which promises to run 450km of range on one charge.
The Tesla Model 3 range is about 500km.
Under the exterior is some hefty lithium-ion batteries giving it a weighty 1,690kg - not bad for an electric supercar.
The first test drives of the Carmen will take place this autumn, with deliveries scheduled to start in June 2020.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Ferrari
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
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MATCH INFO
Liverpool 2 (Van Dijk 18', 24')
Brighton 1 (Dunk 79')
Red card: Alisson (Liverpool)
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East