The Oscars according to Morning Wire February 27, 2014 JUDGING PANEL: ANNABEL PALMERSTEVE DINNEENALEX DYMOKE BEST PICTURE • NOMINEESGRAVITY DALLAS BUYERS CLUB12 YEARS A SLAVETHE WOLF OF WALL STREETPRISONERS• WINNER12 YEARS A SLAVE SIMON THOMSON: "Steve McQueen directs with utter surety and the delicacy with which the film is composed, and the natural beauty of its Louisiana setting, reinforces the pervading sense of grinding terror. [...]
Racing ahead of the competition February 24, 2014 Bentley unveils its Continental GT upgrade, a car that brings a touch of high-end British class to motor racing BENTLEY is returning to motor racing this year. But rather than creating a fancy prototype for the job, its comeback will be in a chunky Continental GT, a car that’s been purring around the City for [...]
Not convinced? February 24, 2014 CHECK OUT THESE ALTERNATIVES… ASTON MARTIN DB9 PRICE: £135,521 0-62MPH: 4.6 secs TOP SPEED: 183mph CO2 G/KM: 333g/km MPG COMBINED: 19.8mpg THE VERDICT: DESIGN Four Stars PERFORMANCE Two Stars PRACTICALITY Two Stars VALUE FOR MONEY One Star MERCEDES-BENZ SL 63 AMG PRICE: £110,785 0-62MPH: 4.3 secs TOP SPEED: 155mph (limited) CO2 G/KM: 231g/km MPG COMBINED: 28.5mpg THE VERDICT: DESIGN [...]
Where to drink February 24, 2014 North Greenwich has never been much of a destination for London revellers, but that looks poised to change following the opening of Brooklyn Bowl at the O2. The Big Smoke has essentially purloined one of The Big Apple’s more celebrated institutions, and done an accomplished bit of thievery at that. This baby is more of [...]
Giant panda numbers are up: see them in Chengdu February 23, 2014 They famously eat shoots and leaves. LISA YOUNG gets up-close and personal with the Chinese city’s most famous residents IT’S a warm August morning, the time of year when the sizzling Chengdu summer gives way to cooler climes. Chengdu sits in a fog-filled bowl 500 metres above sea level in the Sichuan Province of south [...]
Las Vegas comes to the city: The greatest show in town February 23, 2014 LUXURY travel company Abercrombie & Kent is hosting an exclusive Las Vegas-themed event to promote its lavish breaks in Sin City. The ticket-only evening will see the firm’s swanky Cheapside store converted into a slice of Vegas, with roulette tables, craps and showgirls to get you in the mood for the ultimate city break. Even [...]
Vampire films never get old… or do they? February 20, 2014 FILMONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVECert 15 | By Steve DinneenThree Stars ONLY Lovers Left Alive is a movie with vampires in it, but it’s not really a vampire movie. It hemorrhages introspection and indie sensibility rather than horror panache. There’s hardly any blood in it. If I were the kind of writer who used bad puns, [...]
The M235i is petrol-head nirvana February 17, 2014 BMW has outdone itself with this riotously fast, remarkably good value addition to its world-beating M-range America: land of the free, home of the brave – a famous phrase that probably wasn’t meant to apply to the speed limits. Which is tricky, given this new BMW M235i does 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds, and the local [...]
Not convinced? February 17, 2014 CHECK OUT THESE ALTERNATIVES… PORSCHE CAYMAN PDK PRICE: £41,616 0-62MPH: 5.6 secs TOP SPEED: 164mph CO2 G/KM: 180g/km MPG COMBINED: 36.7mpg THE VERDICT: DESIGN Four Stars PERFORMANCE Five Stars PRACTICALITY Two Stars VALUE FOR MONEY Three Stars MERCEDES-BENZ CLA45 AMG PRICE: £42,265 0-62MPH: 4.6 secs TOP SPEED: 155mph (limited) CO2 G/KM: 161g/km MPG COMBINED: 39.8mpg THE VERDICT: DESIGN Three [...]
Iceland: the world’s most dramatic landscapes February 16, 2014 There may only be one proper city in Iceland, but with geysers, volcanic caves, and grinding tectonic plates, there’s plenty to sink your teeth into YOU WILL get lost in Iceland: not geographically, but inside your head. It’s easy to get disorientated when stepping out in swimming gear, exposing your vulnerable flesh to temperatures well [...]