Latest news with #Datsun
South Wales Argus
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- South Wales Argus
Audi A5 review - is the Audi A4 replacement a better car?
Datsun was the original name given to cars built by Nissan and sold in Europe. The badge was dropped in 1984 in favour of the parent company's brand. Going through a rebrand is a risky and very expensive business. In Datsun/Nissan's case it cost the company half a billion dollars… in 1984. Today that translates to roughly $1.3 billion just to change a name plate. And Nissan is far from alone. Mitsubishi cars used to be branded as Colts in the UK and Daewoo transformed into Chevrolet (in Europe at least) before disappearing altogether. Cars change their names too. Famously, Porsche was forced into a last minute change for its 901 sportscar when Peugeot claimed the number. Instead, it's rear-engined sportster was called… the 911. Tesla's Model 3 was originally going to be the Model E because the four model range would then spell out S-E-X-Y. Thankfully, clearer heads prevailed. The Alfa Romeo 164 saloon had to be rebranded as the 168 in Taiwan and Hong Kong because the number 164 means 'all the way to death' in Chinese. Which brings us to the Audi A5. The A5 is the new name for the A4, Audi's highly successful compact premium saloon. Why? Because last year marketeers decreed that odd numbers would henceforth denote internally combusted engines and even numbers would be reserved for electrically powered models. Or at least it did until earlier this year when the company did an about turn following complaints that the rebrand was causing confusion. Except it has no plans to swap the A5 back to the A4 – the only model to be rebranded before the whole plan was scrapped. Confused? You're not alone. I had the A5 on test and was approached twice by enthusiasts asking if it was the new Audi coupe. To which my answer was 'sort of' because there isn't going to be a direct replacement for the old two-door A5 Coupe. That's not to say the new A5 is unattractive. The shape is a modern re-interpretation of the previous generation A4 (internally known as the B9) which was hailed as one of the most beautiful cars in the world in a survey a few years ago – so that's a good place to start. The A5 brings the body style up-to-date with a bigger grille, sleeker headlights, flush-fitting door handles and a full width light bar at the rear that echoes the Audi A6 EV. The good news carries on when you slip inside. Audi has a justifiable reputation for building some of the best cabins in the automotive business and the A5 is packed with high technology. Most obviously, there's the full width digital screen set-up which adds a third monitor above the glovebox for the passenger to fiddle around with (they can change the radio station, call up a weather forecast and see how fast you are travelling among other things). Audi says the third screen cannot be seen by the driver but I was always aware of it out of the corner of my eye. The old A4 was one of the first Audi models after the Mk3 TT to get a virtual cockpit back in 2015 and the new system goes one further with a sweeping panoramic monitor set-up that can be customised to your individual requirements. The central screen is a whopping 14.5 inches and responds instantly thanks to a beefy processor upgrade and changes to the user interface. The high resolution means the graphics are sharp and easy to read. The main instrument screen measures 11.9 inches and displays all you need to know at a glance. Sadly, the beautiful row of silver alloy switches for the air con and climate control in the old A4 has been replaced by virtual controls on the new A5. At least they are permanently 'on' so it's fairly easy to adjust the temperate regardless of what you're doing (albeit not as simple as just flicking a switch). Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto are standard along with a handy wireless charging plate for compatible phones. The Sound and Vision optional upgrade adds a Bang & Olufsen branded stereo and a head-up display. Touch sensitive pads on the steering control the audio and cruise/speed limiter, but they can sometimes be activated by mistake when turning the wheel and your palm accidentally brushes against them. There's more room inside the new A5, which is both longer and wider than its predecessor, and five adults can sit in complete comfort, although there's a transmission tunnel hump to be straddled by anyone sitting in the middle. The new model is more practical, too. Despite being designated as a saloon, the new model actually has a hatchback which opens to reveal a 445-litre space (417-litre in 4WD versions) that can be expanded by dropping the rear seat backs, creating a very useful long and flat load area. The BMW 3-Series may have a slightly larger boot, but it can't compete with the A5's hatchback versatility. Audi sent the diesel A5 for evaluation. It's been awhile since I've had the pleasure of driving a turbo diesel – a far cry from the mid-Noughties when, for a time, it seemed as if DERV was the future. On re-acquaintance it's easy to understand why. Fast, smooth and very economical, the TDI has to be the engine of choice if you do a lot of motorway miles thanks to its effortless mid-range shove and miserly fuel consumption. At any speed, the A5 is quiet and smooth thanks to those smooth aerodynamic looks and acoustically-tuned glass. It's a very fine place to spend a long journey. It's a pretty snappy mover as well. If you choose the Quattro all-wheel drive version 62mph comes up in less then seven seconds. More importantly, there's enough mid-range torque to accomplish overtakes with nothing more than a mere flex of your right foot. The A4 – and the Audi 80 before it – have been a mainstay of the German marque's range for the best part of three decades. It's not hard to see why. With its smart looks, posh interior, roomy cabin and flexible load carrying capacity, the A5 is all the car most people will ever need. As for the name change, I think if this car were a breakfast cereal it would be Coco Pops – a firm family favourite that was rebranded as Coco Krispies in 1998 prompting a national outcry before common sense won out and the chocolate-flavour breakfast reverted to its original name just months later. Whatever the badge says, it's a damn good car.
Elle
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Elle
There's a Reason Michelle and Barack Obama's First Date Inspired a Movie
Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. Barack and Michelle Obama may have one of the most famous political marriages of the modern era, thriving through two terms of the White House and over 30 years together. The pair met in 1989 at a Chicago law firm, and it was love at first sight—for Barack. Michelle, then known as Michelle Robinson, took a little convincing to go on that first date, but she had no hesitation when he asked her to marry him in 1992. In the last eight years since Barack Obama ended his two terms as President of the United States, both he and Michelle have remained politically engaged, traveled the world, released books, produced films and podcasts, and stayed on as cultural influencers in almost every corner of the U.S. and many abroad. And they're still going strong, celebrating their long love story every year it grows. Here's their complete relationship timeline so far. Barack began working at the same Chicago law firm as Michelle in 1989, Sidley Austin LLP, and she was actually assigned to be his mentor. He told O, The Oprah Magazine in 2007 that he was immediately taken with her, but she wasn't exactly on the same wavelength. 'In the luckiest break of my life, [Michelle] was assigned to be my adviser, I remember being struck by how tall and beautiful she was,' he explained. 'I asked her out. She refused. I kept asking. She kept refusing.' In her own interview with ABC News in 2008, Michelle implied that the firm thought they'd be a good match, even if just as business associates. 'Because I went to Harvard and he went to Harvard, and the firm thought, 'Oh, we'll hook these two people up,'' she joked. 'Barack, about a month in, asked me out, and I thought 'No way. This is completely tacky.'' Eventually, she did say yes. In her 2018 book Becoming, Michelle described their first date by saying he picked her up in a Datsun with a 'rusted-out, four-inch hole' in the floorboard where she 'could see the pavement rushing beneath us.' But the date went well. 'He showed all the sides—he was hip, cutting edge, cultural, sensitive. The fountain—nice touch. The walk—patient,' Michelle told The Telegraph in 2012. Their first date even became the subject of the 2016 film Southside With You, showing the couple going from a lunch at the Art Institute of Chicago, walking across the city, having Baskin-Robbins ice cream in Hyde Park, and seeing the Spike Lee movie Do The Right Thing. Plus, a very special first kiss: Two years after their first date, they got engaged at Gordon's restaurant in Chicago just after Barack passed the bar exam, per ABC News. 'And then the waiter came over with the dessert and a tray. And there was the ring,' Michelle said. 'And I was completely shocked.' They were wed on Oct. 3, 1992. They wrote their own vows, and Michelle later reflected, 'Barack didn't pledge riches, only a life that would be interesting. On that promise, he delivered.' Their reception was held at the South Shore Cultural Center, and they then took a trip along the California coast for a honeymoon, Brides magazine reported in 2020. They welcomed their first child, Malia, on July 4, 1998. 'Being a mother has been a master class in letting go. Try as we might, there's only so much we can control. And, boy, have I tried—especially at first. As mothers, we just don't want anything or anyone to hurt our babies. But life has other plans. Bruised knees, bumpy roads, and broken hearts are part of the deal. What's both humbled and heartened me is seeing the resiliency of my daughters,' Michelle told Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, in an conversation for British Vogue in 2019. Their second daughter, Sasha, was born on July 10, 2001. In a 2013 interview with Essence, Barack talked about Michelle and the role model she has been as a mom. 'The great thing about the girls is they've got a wonderful role model in their mom,' Barack said. 'They've seen how Michelle and I interact—not only the love but also the respect that I show to their mom. So I think they have pretty high expectations about how relationships should be, and that gives me some confidence about the future. I joke about this stuff sometimes, but the truth is they are smart, steady young women.' Michelle described more about life with both girls in those early years to British Vogue, sharing, 'When Malia and Sasha were newborns, Barack and I could lose hours just watching them sleep. We loved to listen to the little sounds they'd make—especially the way they cooed when they were deep into dreaming.' In 2004, Barack became a U.S. senator for Illinois after serving as state senator for several years. The family became much more public, though they had both already been serving their community for some time. Michelle worked on Barack's campaign while also serving as vice president for community and external affairs at the University of Chicago Hospitals. And yet, that was not the highest echelon of government service the senator would reach by a long shot. In 2008, Barack defeated Republican nominee John McCain to serve as the President of the United States. In January 2009, Barack was sworn into office. The inaugural ball was a hugely celebratory evening, where Michelle wore a gown by Jason Wu. After being introduced by Denzel Washington, Barack asked the crowd, 'First of all, how good looking is my wife?' That night, Jay-Z, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, Shakira, Sting, and Faith Hill performed and the couple was photographed slow dancing like they were the only two people in the world. In his 2010 State of the Union address, Barack addressed how popular his wife is. 'If you were going to list the 100 most popular things that I have done as president, being married to Michelle Obama is number one,' he joked. In 2011, in an interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show, he credited Michelle for his success. 'Obviously I couldn't have done anything that I've done without Michelle,' he told Oprah Winfrey. 'Not only has she been a great first lady, she is just my rock. I count on her in so many ways every single day.' Michelle agreed that their partnership was the key to their success, telling Winfrey, 'It has to be a true partnership, and you have to really, really like and respect the person you're married to, because it is a hard road. I mean, that's what I tell young couples. Don't expect it to be easy, melding two lives and trying to raise others, and doing it forever. I mean that's a recipe made for disaster, so there are highs and lows. But if in the end, you can look him in the eye and say, 'I like you.' I stopped believing in love at first sight. I think you go through that wonderful love stage, but when it gets hard, you need a little bit more.' Barack won a second term in 2012, defeating Mitt Romney in the presidential election. At the 2012 Democratic National Convention, Michelle told the audience, 'The truth is, I loved the life we had built for our girls. I deeply loved the man I had built that life with, and I didn't want that to change if he became President. I loved Barack just the way he was.' In March 2015, they were photographed in a behind-the-scenes moment embracing just before videotaping a segment for the 2015 World Expo. At the United State of Women summit in 2016, Michelle said that both she and Barack were ready to leave the White House and have some semblance of a normal life again. 'I want to open my front door without discussing it with anyone—and just walk,' Michelle said, per People. 'I want to go to Target again! I've heard so many things have changed in Target! I tell my friends they're going to have to give me a re-entry training for like, 'OK, what do you do at CVS now? How do you check out?'' That same year, Barack told Jimmy Kimmel on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, 'All the women in my life are looking forward to being able to live a more normal life.' The family left the White House in January 2017, and were seen in Italy, Hawaii, and Necker Island. During his wife's book tour for Becoming, Barack surprised Michelle while she was being interviewed by Valerie Jarrett, bringing a bouquet of pink roses to the stage. 'You don't get this at every show!' Michelle joked. 'This is like—you know when Jay-Z comes out during the Beyoncé concert? Like, 'Crazy in Love?'' Barack asked. 'It's the same thing. It's just a little sample to enhance the concert.' Michelle celebrated Barack for their anniversary. Barack's memoir A Promised Land was dedicated to 'Michelle—my love and life's partner, and Malia and Sasha—whose dazzling light makes everything brighter.' In a September 2020 episode of The Michelle Obama Podcast, Michelle was open about some of the challenges in marriage people don't often discuss. 'There were times that I wanted to push Barack out of the window. And I say that because it's like, you've got to know the feelings will be intense,' she admitted. 'But that doesn't mean you quit. And these periods can last a long time. They can last years.' When talking about meeting someone, the former first lady replied, 'You can't Tinder your way into a long-term relationship. There's no magic way to make that happen except getting the basics of finding somebody, being honest about wanting to be with them, to date them seriously, to plan on making a commitment, to date them, seeing where it goes, and then making it happen.' The couple had their official portraits hung in the White House in 2022. Barack praised Michelle's portrait by Sharon Sprung, saying it encapsulated 'her sheer grace, her intelligence, and the fact that she is fine.' His portrait was painted by Robert McCurdy, and Michelle had previously shared a photo of herself appreciating it. That same year on the Revolt x Michelle Obama special hosted by Angie Martinez, Michelle talked about the frustrations of early marriage, especially just after their children were born. 'People think I'm being catty for saying this; it's like, there were 10 years where I couldn't stand my husband. Ten years! And guess when it happened? When those kids were little,' she explained. 'Little kids have demands. They don't talk. They're poor communicators. They cry all the time. They're irrational. They're needy. And you love them more than anything. And so you can't blame them. So you turn that ire on each other.' Things improved when she realized 'marriage isn't 50-50, ever.' 'But guess what?' she continued. 'Ten years; we've been married 30. I would take 10 bad years over 30—it's just how you look at it. People give up: 'Five years; I can't take it.'' She added that it helps to 'know your person.' 'Do you like him? I mean, you could be mad at him, but do you still look at him and go, 'I'm not happy with you, but I respect you. I don't agree with you, but you're still a kind, smart person.' The feelings are gonna change over time,' she continued. While speaking with host Jay Shetty on the On Purpose podcast, Michelle dispelled the idea that she and Barack were #hashtag couple goals, adding that 'broken things' can happen 'even in the best of marriages.' She wanted to normalize discussing the 'natural, understandable rough patches' that make people 'want to quit.' 'And it's like, 'Oh, no, no, no, no, no. That's not quit-worthy. That's just the nature of things,'' she said. 'That's just the way it goes, but you don't quit on it, you learn from it. That's what sustaining a relationship is—it's the choice to figure it out, not quit when it gets hard.' For her 60th birthday that year, Barack celebrated Michelle in an Instagram post, describing her as his 'better half' and 'one of the funniest, smartest, most beautiful people I know.' He added, '@MichelleObama, you make every day better. I can't wait to see what this new decade brings you.'
1News
4 days ago
- 1News
Mona Blades: 'Steady stream' of tips 50 years after hitchhiker disappeared
Fifty years to the day after 18-year-old hitchhiker Mona Blades went missing while travelling from Hamilton to Hastings, police say they are still receiving a 'steady stream' of tips and information from the public. On the morning of May 31, 1975, Blades hopped into the back of an orange Datsun station wagon and was never heard from again. The cold case into the suspected murder, one of New Zealand's most notorious, remains open. Not one piece of physical evidence has ever been found, and her body was never located. But Detective Senior Sergeant Ryan Yardley says, five decades later, police are continuing to seek information regarding her disappearance. ADVERTISEMENT Blades' disappearance was the subject of an episode of TVNZ's Cold Case in 2018, and Yardley said a 'steady stream' of information had been coming in from members of the public since. 'The information is assessed and reviewed as it is received for potential further lines of inquiry, which police can follow up on.' He said no case is ever fully closed, 'and it is not too late to provide Mona's family with answers they have long wanted". Noting the anniversary of her disappearance, Yardley said: 'It has been 50 years since Mona went missing in 1975, and we would like to acknowledge her family who have been left with a number of questions around her disappearance.' The sightings, suspects, and speculation A stretch of road Mona Blades had been hitchhiking on when she went missing. (Source: 1News) On the day she disappeared, she was dropped off on Cambridge Road (State Highway 1), Hamilton, early in the morning. She was wearing light green slacks, a green rugby jersey under a fawn jersey, a black duffle coat and brown shoes with yellow laces. ADVERTISEMENT Fifty years missing: Revisiting one of NZ's most chilling cold cases - Watch on TVNZ+ She was carrying a hitchhiker's brown pack and shoulder bag containing a set of colourful plastic tumblers as a birthday present for her nephew, who she was planning to visit in Hastings over the Queen's Birthday weekend as a surprise for his birthday. At around 10am she was seen getting into the back of the orange Datsun. A poster showing the orange Datsun. (Source: 1News) Later that morning, a fencing contractor spotted the vehicle parked about 200 metres down a dirt road off the Napier-Taupō highway. He claimed to have seen a woman matching Blades' description in the back, with a middle-aged man in the front. When he drove past a short time later, the car was empty. Blades' disappearance sparked what was, at the time, one of the country's largest manhunts. ADVERTISEMENT Hundreds of police officers from Taupō, Rotorua, Hamilton and Auckland combed a 200km stretch of highway between Tokoroa and Napier. People search during the 1975 manhunt for Mona Blades. (Source: 1News) But nothing was ever found. More than 500 suspects, many of whom owned or had driven orange Datsuns, were investigated. Auckland police tried to make the case that John Freeman, a man who had rented an orange Datsun the same weekend Blades went missing, was responsible. Two weeks after police announced they were searching for a similar car, Freeman shot and wounded a student at St Cuthbert's College in Auckland before killing himself. John Freeman, one of the suspects in the Mona Blades murder. (Source: 1News) Another person of interest for police was Hamilton man Charlie Hughes, who had since moved to Australia. He has vehemently denied he had anything to do with the alleged murder, and said the constant doubt over his innocence ruined his life. ADVERTISEMENT Charlie Hughes was another suspect in the case. (Source: 1News) In 2003, police investigated a report that Blades' name had been etched on a concrete garage floor at a house in Huntly with fears it could be a makeshift grave. it turned out to be a joke and the former property owner apologised. In early 2012, police dug up the concrete floor of a Kawerau house's laundry room in an attempt to find her body. Nothing was found. Blades' disappearance was then the subject of a 2018 episode of TVNZ's Cold Case, where investigators reassessed every aspect of the file. Experts believed the original investigation had focused too heavily on the orange Datsun. They also believed witnesses may have been misled by the photo of Blades issued by police as her hairstyle was different. A mockup showing Blades as she was believed to have looked when she went missing. (Source: NZ Police ) The investigation also concluded Blades spent longer in Taupō than initially thought, with multiple sightings being made. ADVERTISEMENT Inspector Mark Loper, who led the inquiry then, believed Blades did not leave Taupō alive. Detectives also said they had discovered Blades had some links to gangs in Auckland and Hamilton. Those gangs might have been on the roads travelling to a gathering that weekend. A red car that could have been travelling with a bike gang was also a focus of the new inquiry. A witness had claimed they saw Blades get into a red Toyota station wagon outside the bottle shop at the Spa Hotel. Another said they saw two people carrying a rolled-up piece of carpet into the back of a vehicle matching the description. A red station wagon similar to the one witnesses had described. (Source: NZ Police) However, despite a steady stream of tips and possible leads, no physical evidence, suspects able to be charged, or body have been found. It's now been 50 years since Blades left Hamilton, and her family, as well as police, are still waiting for answers. Sgt Yardley said this week: 'If you have information that may assist in our investigation not yet reported to us, please contact police.' ADVERTISEMENT Anyone with information on the disappearance of Mona Blades was asked to call police on 105.
NZ Herald
4 days ago
- NZ Herald
No DNA, no CCTV, no chance: The 50-year hunt for what really happened to Mona Blades
Mona Blades' disappearance and police reliance on an orange Datsun still haunt New Zealanders 50 years on. Would such a mystery have a different outcome today? By Greg Bruce On the Saturday morning of Queen's Birthday weekend, May 31, 1975, Mona Blades stepped out of her brother-in-law's car on the outskirts of Hamilton and into the staccato stop-motion nightmare of what remained of her life.
Hindustan Times
24-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Delhi woman killed, 8 injured in car collision on Delhi-Mumbai Expressway
A 21-year-old IGNOU student from Delhi was killed and eight others, including three members of her family, were critically injured when a speeding Brezza crashed into their Datsun Go on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Ferozepur Jhirka, Nuh, while attempting to catch up with a second car ahead, police said on Friday. The deceased was identified as Nitika Kumari, a resident of Shakurpur in north Delhi. The five occupants of the Brezza were members of another family. The accident took place between 4pm and 4.10pm on Wednesday. 'Nitika, her sister Himani(25), brother Vishesh (16), and their uncle Sanjay Mandawat (45), were returning after dropping an elderly relative at their village Rajpur in Alwar, Rajasthan. Mandawat had slowed down his car along the expressway as Nitika was feeling nausea due to motion sickness. It was at this moment that the Brezza rear-ended their car,' said Ombir Singh, station house officer of Ferozepur Jhirka police station. Police said that those in the Brezza were from Tri Nagar in north Delhi and were returning after offering prayers at Mehendipur Balaji temple in Rajasthan in two separate cars, one of which was the Brezza. One car had moved ahead and the Brezza was speeding to catch up to it, which resulted in the severe crash. The Brezza was clocking nearly 130-140km/hr, and after the collision it flipped multiple times on the expressway. 'After the collision, the Datsun rammed the crash barrier, critically injuring Nitika because she had unfastened the seat belt to freshen herself with water,' Singh added. Within five minutes of the crash, those travelling in the second car arrived on the scene to help their relatives in the Brezza, police said. 'A commuter stopped and loaded the bleeding Nitika into his vehicle along with the other injured persons of her family and rushed them to the subdivisional hospital, Mandi Khera. Doctors declared her dead and alerted us. Those in the second car also brought the five injured in the Brezza to Mandi Khera hospital from where they were referred to a higher centre for better treatment,' SHO Singh added. Police did not identify those injured in the Brezza. There were four women and a man inside the Brezza. Police said that the Brezza driver will be arrested after he is discharged from the hospital. Based on a complaint from Mandawat, a first information report was registered against the Brezza driver at Ferozepur Jhirka police station on Wednesday night under sections 106 (causing death by negligence) and 281 (rash driving) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Nitika's body was handed over to her family after an autopsy on Thursday, police said. Meanwhile, Mandawat, a lawyer practising at the Rohini court, said his 91-year-old uncle Gyarsi Ram had reached Delhi for a short stay. 'We had gone to drop him to Alwar. While returing, Nitika complainted of dizziness due to motion sickness and was vomiting,' he said. Mandawat said he puchased lemonade and water and gave it to her. 'I slowed down the car along the crash barriers and opened the windows when the Brezza rammed us,' he said. 'Nitika and Himani were on the rear seat and were not wearing seat belts. Somehow Nitika sustained a severe head injury as she was peeping out of the window to vomit and died on the way to the hospital,' he said 'There was no cooling facility at the government mortuary to preserve her body for an autopsy, so we arranged ice blocks for the purpose,' he said.
