Latest news with #southernFrance
Auto Express
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Plenty of rain and no roof! We drive the £5.2mil Bugatti Mistral
Comparing a Bugatti to a 'normal' car is probably like comparing Concorde and a paper aeroplane. The Mistral – on behalf of all W16-era models – represents a place and time in humanity's engineering journey that broke boundaries and pushed the limits of what a road car could be. Yet what's most incredible is how easy the Mistral is to use, and how beautifully polished its driving experience is. Advertisement - Article continues below Few modern brands command as much reverence as Bugatti. This iconic manufacturer of ultra-luxury cars has always seemed to operate in a vacuum, building the most exquisite and finely formed cars, irrespective of cost. This isn't just in terms of the quality of leather used on the seats or its carbon-fibre body work, but the otherworldly engineering that goes into every single nut and bolt. It's always a privilege to drive a Bugatti, but to drive the Mistral – which is the last, and one of the most expensive, of this generation – well, that's bucket list stuff. But what is the Mistral? Named after a strong wind in southern France, its limited-run of 99 units is a celebration of the Chiron era, fitted with a completely bespoke open-top body and a powertrain derived from the wild, record-breaking Chiron Super Sport 300+. In fact, to call it a powertrain is probably something of a disservice, because it's arguably better likened to the propulsion units of steampunk locomotives – something that isn't without precedent, given that Bugatti's pre-war straight-eight did power high-speed trains during the second world war. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below View e-208 View 500L View Stonic The Mistral's W16, though, is far more sophisticated than anything connected to rail tracks, with eight litres of swept capacity and four turbochargers providing incredible thrust without any electronic assistance. Power is rated at 1,577bhp, with 1,600Nm of torque driving all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. These figures might lack genuine shock and awe in the age of electric hypercars, but as we'll come to, the ability to generate such performance through purely mechanical means is quite a different experience. Advertisement - Article continues below An acceleration time almost seems arbitrary, but the 0-62mph time of 2.5 seconds is still impressive. Yet like all modern Bugattis, this hypercar is more about ultimate speed and this is where the Mistral blows the competition into the weeds. Most customer models like the one we're driving today are limited to 260mph, but Bugatti was able to hit an astounding 282.03mph with a one-off customer car painted in the iconic carbon and orange livery that goes with all its record-breaking models. Being macabre for a second, I can't help but wonder what would happen if you were to put your hand up into the airstream at 280mph. Of course there's so much more detail to drink in, such as the exquisite exposed carbon-fibre body or the timeless interior, but our time is limited and we're here to drive it. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Walking towards the Mistral from a distance, you notice just how tightly packaged a modern Bugatti is. Yes, the engine is roughly four times the size of the average ICE engine, and it comes with four times as many turbos, but sitting within the compact two-seater carbon-fibre chassis, the car feels no bigger or more intimidating to drive than an Audi TT. Those early comparisons from back when the Veyron was new have stuck, it seems, but even after the engine has whumped into life and you're under way, it might even be easier to drive than a TT. That's because it instantly feels approachable. There's a lot of moving parts only centimetres away from you, but the twin-clutch box slurs its gears effortlessly, and there's no gnashing of driveline components or suspension parts despite their need to withstand speeds four times higher than the UK's national speed limit. Advertisement - Article continues below Yet what keeps it from feeling a little too easy or benign is the incredible noise coming from behind you. A W16 isn't as inherently musical as a V12, but there is a unique combination of deep, guttural sounds that you feel as much as hear. This is overlaid by a symphony of whooshes from the turbochargers, reiterating that steampunk overtone. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below By now we're out on bigger roads, and rain that's threatened all morning is now falling. As any convertible driver knows, driving faster stops you from getting wet, right? So that's what I do. Push the throttle pedal down into its travel and you can sense that there's a whole array of components working in harmony to deliver performance. Given the highly turbocharged nature of the engine, torque swells at low revs, and does so more than quickly enough to require your full concentration, even with four driven wheels to share it. At around 4,500rpm, though, the quite old-fashioned manner in which the turbochargers spool comes to light, because you can actually hear a solenoid switch the airflow from just feeding two turbochargers into all four. Now, the Mistral is capable of firing you down the road without any care for such things like physics. The feeling is completely different to the 2,000bhp electric hypercars that achieve their performance – impressive though it is – without much in the way of pomp and circumstance. Advertisement - Article continues below It's totally addictive, and even though I'm ensuring I measure out my inputs because it's now raining torrentially (to the point that streams of water enter the cabin over the top of the windscreen and side windows) it's thrilling to the point of exasperation. No wonder dictators find it so hard to give up access to state-owned militaries; this type of power at the hands of one person is something quite incredible. When the roads eventually dry out a little, the next discovery is just how wonderfully agile and finely honed the ride and handling package is alongside that incredible engine. Costing over £5.2m, the Mistral was always going to be made up from only the best components, but there's a sophistication and polish to all the driving elements that really takes me by surprise. Whether it be the steering, the ride quality over rough roads, or the oily slickness of the drivetrain itself, the Bugatti reeks of quality like no other car. Unfortunately time, weather and the local road laws prevent me from digging deeper into extraordinary car's talents, but even with this small level of exposure, it makes perfect sense how and why Bugatti has been able to convince its customers to part with literally millions of pounds for the past 20 years in its modern era. So while £5.2m is a lot for a car, the Mistral doesn't really feel like just a car. Instead, it's an example of humanity's debonair creativity that can only be unlocked when those sorts of numbers are involved. But as one chapter closes with the Mistral and its iconic W16 engine, so will the door open to another with the new Bugatti Tourbillion – we can't even begin to fathom what it has in store. Model: Bugatti Mistral Price: £5.2million Powertrain: 8.0-litre, W16 turbo petrol Power/torque: 1577bhp/1,600Nm Transmission: 7-speed auto, all-wheel drive 0-62mph: 2.5 seconds Top speed: 260mph Economy/CO2: 13mpg/495g/km Size (L/W/H): 4,544/2,162/1,212mm On sale: Sold out Now you can buy a car through our network of top dealers around the UK. Search for the latest deals… Share this on Twitter Share this on Facebook Email New Xiaomi YU7 2025 review: a world-beating new EV to worry the establishment New Xiaomi YU7 2025 review: a world-beating new EV to worry the establishment BMW or Mercedes would do anything to keep the new Xiaomi YU7 from sale in the UK and Europe, and this is why The Electric Car Grant is here: Government's new £3,750 EV discount in detail The Electric Car Grant is here: Government's new £3,750 EV discount in detail The government has set out its plan to help reduce the cost of affordable EVs by introducing a new £3,750 Electric Car Grant for new EVs sold under £3… New MG IM5 has the Tesla Model 3 beaten on price and range New MG IM5 has the Tesla Model 3 beaten on price and range The all-electric IM5 brings new technology and design to the MG line-up
New York Times
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘Wild Diamond' Review: The Reel World
In 'Wild Diamond,' the dream of reality TV stardom is one young woman's salvation — a way out of her bleak life in southern France. But should a 19-year-old have to commodify her sexuality in the name of self-worth? Does it become more understandable — or more unsettling — when we learn she's driven by emotional neglect? Even if we didn't witness the fame-obsessed Liane (Malou Khebizi) shielding her younger sister from their mother's sex sounds in the next room, or see the threat of eviction, we'd still sense trouble at home just by her frantic determination to make it onto 'Miracle Island.' Liane auditions for the hit reality show, which might be her best shot at breaking free from the confines of her troubled family. But when she tattoos her abdomen — wincing in pain, then calmly flaunting the fresh ink for her thousands of TikTok followers — you want to show her another path. Moments like these crystallize, to heartbreaking effect, the movie's uneasy compassion for influencer culture. Originally a short film by the writer-director Agathe Riedinger, this feature debut unfolds in waves of tension and release. Khebizi brings palpable desperation to the role of Liane, despite the limited script, while the cinematographer Noé Bach intimately frames Liane like we're intruding on her space. Her glittering ambitions stand out all the more against this unadorned naturalist look. Eventually, we find out whether Liane got the role. But the film's most haunting question remains: Which reality is safer — the one she's learned to survive, or the one that tempts her with its illusion of hope? Wild DiamondNot rated. In French, Italian and English, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 43 minutes. In theaters.
The Guardian
09-07-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
French warned of high-risk summer for wildfires as Marseille blaze contained
More than 15,000 residents of Marseille confined to their homes have been allowed out after a wildfire on the outskirts of France's second city was brought under control, but officials have warned the country faces an exceptionally high-risk summer. Fanned by gale-force winds and kindled by parched vegetation, several fires have burned swathes of southern France in recent days, including Tuesday's just north of the port city. The weather service has said the weeks ahead could be critical. 'The fire is receding, but with a blaze this severe, over this big an area, it's clear there may be fresh flare-ups, flames can jump, embers can reignite,' the prefect of the Bouches-du-Rhône department, Georges-François Leclerc, said on Wednesday. The mayor of Marseille, Benoît Payan, said firefighters had the blaze 'clearly under control' and residents of the northern 16th arrondissement were 'no longer under lockdown', but he urged people to 'exercise the utmost caution throughout the area'. More than 700 firefighters and 220 emergency vehicles aided by helicopters and planes continued to battle the blaze, which has burned through 750 hectares of land and damaged more than 70 houses, including some inside the city. No serious injuries were reported, but about 40 people, including firefighters and police, were treated for smoke inhalation and minor injuries. Sixteen needed hospital treatment. More than 400 people were evacuated, including 70 residents of a retirement home in the suburb of Les Pennes-Mirabeau, where a car fire sparked the blaze. Flights to and from Marseille airport, France's fourth-largest, which was closed from midday on Tuesday, have resumed, but authorities said they may be suspended again at short notice if the facilities were needed for firefighting aircraft. Train and bus services, many of which were cancelled, were also returning to normal and several motorways and main roads were reopened after being closed to reduce the risk to the public and allow free passage for emergency vehicles. Marseille's fire service chief, Lionel Mathieu, said the forecast was for the wind to pick up again later on Wednesday, 'but more moderately than yesterday'. A strong Mistral wind gusting up to 60mph (100km/h) helped the fire spread rapidly on Tuesday. The fire filled central Marseille with acrid smoke and flying cinders. Videos from the Old Port area showed large plumes of smoke billowing over the city and satellite images showed smoke clouds stretching about 100km out to sea. Three southern departments have been placed on red fire alert, with many of the region's forests closed and barbecues and cigarettes banned near wooded areas. 'There's every reason to believe we're heading for a high-risk summer,' France's interior minister, Bruno Retailleau, said. The Mediterranean is one of the regions most vulnerable to extreme heat driven by the climate crisis. Two smaller wildfires in the Gard and Hérault departments had burned through 1,000 hectares by midday on Wednesday, local authorities said. A major three-day blaze on the outskirts of Narbonne had destroyed nearly 2,000 hectares of forest, scrub and farmland and was 'still active', the prefect of the Aude department said, with embers sporadically reigniting. The national weather service has said the country's entire southern region is at 'high' or 'very high' risk for at least the next few days, with temperatures forecast to rise further. It described the situation around the Mediterranean as critical. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion Grégory Allione, an MP and honorary president of the French firefighters association, told Le Monde that the country had learned lessons from the disastrous summer of 2022, when wildfires destroyed 70,000 hectares. An advanced observation system using fixed cameras, drones and AI analysis ensures almost all fire starts – 5,900 have been reported this year – are tackled within 15 minutes of detection, and most are contained before they spread beyond a hectare. Many of France's ageing fleet of about 40 firefighting aircraft are 30 or even 40 years old, however, and replacements are not scheduled to arrive until 2028 or 2029. A government spokesperson told French radio that spending on firefighting equipment, including new planes, would be ringfenced from budget cuts of €40bn (£34.5bn) to be announced by the country's prime minister, François Bayrou. Experts have also warned, however, that the fleet is undersized, and the historic drought that has gripped much of southern Europe for several years means plentiful water supplies for firefighters are increasingly unreliable. Several other Mediterranean countries have been battling similar wildfires. A blaze in the Spanish province of Tarragona has burned through more than 3,100 hectares of forest, farm and urban land, and confined 18,000 people. In Syria, wildfires have raged in the northern Latakia province for a sixth day, burning more than 18,000 hectares. More than 1,100 people have been displaced as authorities warn that strong winds threaten to spread the fires to neighbouring provinces. Though wildfires are a near-annual occurrence on the forested Syrian coast, the blazes were particularly intense as the country's worst drought in decades has turned Mediterranean pines into bone-dry kindling. Syria has received about 50% of its usual rainfall this year. Efforts to contain the fires are also hampered by a lack of resources, an air force crippled by Israeli strikes and mountainous terrain filled with unexploded ordnance from the 14-year civil war. Additional reporting by William Christou in Beirut
The Guardian
09-07-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
French warned of high-risk summer for wildfires as Marseille blaze contained
More than 15,000 residents of Marseille confined to their homes have been allowed out after a wildfire on the outskirts of France's second city was brought under control, but officials have warned the country faces an exceptionally high-risk summer. Fanned by gale-force winds and kindled by parched vegetation, several fires have burned swathes of southern France in recent days, including Tuesday's just north of the port city. The weather service has said the weeks ahead could be critical. 'The fire is receding, but with a blaze this severe, over this big an area, it's clear there may be fresh flare-ups, flames can jump, embers can reignite,' the prefect of the Bouches-du-Rhône department, Georges-François Leclerc, said on Wednesday. The mayor of Marseille, Benoît Payan, said firefighters had the blaze 'clearly under control' and residents of the northern 16th arrondissement were 'no longer under lockdown', but he urged people to 'exercise the utmost caution throughout the area'. More than 700 firefighters and 220 emergency vehicles aided by helicopters and planes continued to battle the blaze, which has burned through 750 hectares of land and damaged more than 70 houses, including some inside the city. No serious injuries were reported, but about 40 people, including firefighters and police, were treated for smoke inhalation and minor injuries. Sixteen needed hospital treatment. More than 400 people were evacuated, including 70 residents of a retirement home in the suburb of Les Pennes-Mirabeau, where a car fire sparked the blaze. Flights to and from Marseille airport, France's fourth-largest, which was closed from midday on Tuesday, have resumed, but authorities said they may be suspended again at short notice if the facilities were needed for firefighting aircraft. Train and bus services, many of which were cancelled, were also returning to normal and several motorways and main roads were reopened after being closed to reduce the risk to the public and allow free passage for emergency vehicles. Marseille's fire service chief, Lionel Mathieu, said the forecast was for the wind to pick up again later on Wednesday, 'but more moderately than yesterday'. A strong Mistral wind gusting up to 60mph (100km/h) helped the fire spread rapidly on Tuesday. The fire filled central Marseille with acrid smoke and flying cinders. Videos from the Old Port area showed large plumes of smoke billowing over the city and satellite images showed smoke clouds stretching about 100km out to sea. Three southern departments have been placed on red fire alert, with many of the region's forests closed and barbecues and cigarettes banned near wooded areas. 'There's every reason to believe we're heading for a high-risk summer,' France's interior minister, Bruno Retailleau, said. The Mediterranean is one of the regions most vulnerable to extreme heat driven by the climate crisis. Two smaller wildfires in the Gard and Hérault departments had burned through 1,000 hectares by midday on Wednesday, local authorities said. A major three-day blaze on the outskirts of Narbonne has destroyed nearly 2,000 hectares of forest, scrub and farmland and was 'still active', the prefect of the Aude department said, with embers sporadically reigniting. The national weather service has said the country's entire southern region is at 'high' or 'very high' risk for at least the next few days, with temperatures forecast to rise further. It described the situation around the Mediterranean as critical. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion Grégory Allione, an MP and honorary president of the French firefighters association, told Le Monde that the country had learned lessons from the disastrous summer of 2022, when wildfires destroyed 70,000 hectares. An advanced observation system using fixed cameras, drones and AI analysis ensures almost all fire starts – 5,900 have been reported this year – are tackled within 15 minutes of detection, and most are contained before they spread beyond a hectare. Many of France's ageing fleet of about 40 firefighting aircraft are 30 or even 40 years old, however, and replacements are not scheduled to arrive until 2028 or 2029. A government spokesperson told French radio that spending on firefighting equipment, including new planes, would be ringfenced from budget cuts of €40bn (£34.5bn) to be announced by the country's prime minister, François Bayrou. Experts have also warned, however, that the fleet is undersized, and the historic drought that has gripped much of southern Europe for several years means plentiful water supplies for firefighters are increasingly unreliable. Several other Mediterranean countries have been battling similar wildfires. A blaze in the Spanish province of Tarragona has burned through more than 3,100 hectares of forest, farm and urban land, and confined 18,000 people. In Syria, wildfires have raged in the northern Latakia province for a sixth day, burning more than 18,000 hectares. More than 1,100 people have been displaced as authorities warn that strong winds threaten to spread the fires to neighbouring provinces. Though wildfires are a near-annual occurrence on the forested Syrian coast, the blazes were particularly intense as the country's worst drought in decades has turned Mediterranean pines into bone-dry kindling. Syria has received about 50% of its usual rainfall this year. Efforts to contain the fires are also hampered by a lack of resources, an air force crippled by Israeli strikes and mountainous terrain filled with unexploded ordnance from the 14-year civil war. Additional reporting by William Christou in Beirut
France 24
09-07-2025
- Climate
- France 24
Marseille wildfire that closed airport, halted trains is 'receding', officials say
A wildfire that disrupted plane and train travel in Marseille, France 's second largest city, decreased in intensity on Wednesday, officials said. Several fires have raged in recent days in the southern region, fanned by winds and kindled by parched vegetation, including Tuesday's just north of the port city of Marseille. "The fire is clearly receding, it is no longer advancing," Marseille firefighting chief Lionel Mathieu said. The flames had swept through 750 hectares (1,800 acres) of land, affecting at least 70 homes of which 10 had been destroyed, but there had been no human casualties, Mathieu added. Some 700 firefighters were on duty on Wednesday morning, with helicopters dumping water from the air to help their colleagues on the ground. AI joins the fight against France's wildfires 01:35 Local authorities said some 15,000 residents of Marseille's 16th district in the north of the city, hit by flames on Tuesday afternoon, were now allowed out of their homes. But it was still too early for some 400 of them who were evacuated to return home. The blaze had started in an area north of Marseille late Tuesday morning after a vehicle caught fire. "There's every reason to believe that we're heading for a high-risk summer," warned Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau on Tuesday evening at a press briefing with firefighters in Marseille. In just a few hours, the fire had spread over 700 hectares, leading to the closure by mid-day of Marseille Provence airport, France's fourth-largest in terms of passenger numbers, located to the north of the city. Traffic partly resumed around 19:30 GMT on Tuesday, but local authorities warned the airport could be closed again on Wednesday to allow for more airborne fire-fighting. According to satellite images, the smoke plume stretched out to sea for around a hundred kilometres. High-speed train traffic in Marseille resumed on Wednesday morning after a fire-related interruption, while local train traffic remains severely disrupted, railway operator SNCF announced. Meanwhile, down the Mediterranean coast in an area near the city of Narbonne, firefighters fought to stamp out a blaze that had spread across 2,000 hectares since Monday. Scientists say human-induced climate change is increasing the intensity, length and frequency of extreme heat that fuels forest fires.
