When we buy groceries, we may often look at the nutritional information panel on the packaging. But, according to a new study, a lot of the information we’re given could be irrelevant. Instead, a team of researchers have devised the “food compass” to give us a better indication as to which foods are genuinely healthy, and which aren’t.

The Food Compass has been devised by a team of researchers from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Massachusetts, who claimed that the nutritional information on packaging can be misleading. They say the nutrient profiling systems (NPS) currently used ” often assess relatively few nutrients and ingredients, use inconsistent criteria across food categories and have not incorporated the newest science.”

To compensate, the team of researchers developed their own NPS, which “incorporates a broader range of food characteristics, attributes and uniform scoring principles.” For foods to be placed within the Food Compass, each is scored for “4 attributes across 9 health-relevant domains: nutrient ratios, vitamins, minerals, food ingredients, additives, processing, specific lipids, fibre and protein, and phytochemicals.”

Some 8,032 different foods and beverages were analysed and once they were, each was given a score from 1 to 100, with 1 being the least healthy and 100 being the most healthy. The Food Compass was designed specifically to factor in other criteria and information that is currently missing from current food labels, including “gastrointestinal health, immune function, brain health, bone health, and physical and mental performance; as well as considerations of sustainability.”

Foods with a score of 70 or more are encouraged to be consumed, those with a score between 31-69 can be consumed in moderation and any food or beverage with a score of 30 or less should either be consumed minimally or avoided.

Unsurprisingly, snacks and sweet desserts scored the lowest on the Food Compass, with an average score of 16.4. At the top end of the scale were vegetables with an average score of 69.1, fruits scored an average of 73.9 and nearly all raw fruits scored 100. Other foods that we’ve long been led to believe are healthy and good for us, such as legumes, nuts and seeds, scored an average of 78.6.

One of the slightly surprising findings was the score for beef, which came out with an average of 24.9, indicating it should be consumed minimally (and perhaps provides a stronger argument for people to make the switch to plant-based beef).

Other notable and surprising findings from the Food Compass include cereals such as Cheerios and Shredded Wheat being deemed incredibly good for you, with scores of 95 and 83, respectively. Both scored higher than a boiled egg, which came in at 51. So, perhaps all those ‘what I eat in a day’ videos you see posted on TikTok by fitness ‘experts’ could be a load of tripe.

Professor Jeffrey Blumberg, one of the co-authors of the study, said “Cereals aren’t inherently bad. In fact, if they have a high whole grain content then they will get a good score for that, and if they don’t have added sugar, they won’t lose any points.”

Also – in a shock to many of us – is the score for espresso, which came in at 55. Contrary to what you might think, a skimmed milk cappuccino scored 73. We imagine this takes into account the nutritional content of the milk, as even we’ve often thought that an espresso or a long black is going to be better for us. Especially when there have been studies claiming drinking espresso can help lower your risk of heart disease.

The Food Compass is publicly available, although from what we can see, it’s only accessible behind a paywall. Gain access, though, and it could change the way you eat forever.

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The post New Study Throws Whole Concept Of ‘Healthy Foods’ Into The Air appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The fantasy television series, House of the Dragon was created for HBO by George R. R. Martin, author of the Game of Thrones book series, and Ryan J. Condal, co-creator of the show Colony, and acts as a prequel to the popular and award-winning series, Game of Thrones.

Where To Watch House of the Dragon In Australia

• Binge – Prices start at $10/month and comes with a free two-week trial
  
• Foxtel Now – Prices start at $25/month and comes with a free ten-day trial

Release Date Australia

The first episode of House of the Dragon was released onto Binge and Foxtel Now on August 21. All subsequent episodes will be released weekly.

Synopsis

House of the Dragon is a prequel series to Game of Thrones, set 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen, and focuses on the story of House Targaryen (Daenerys’ ancestors). Just like Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon is based on a George R. R. Martin book, the 2018 novel Fire & Blood.

Trailer

Cast & Crew

BAFTA Film Award-winner Paddy Considine stars as King Viserys Targaryen and Olivia Cooke, of Ready Player One fame, plays Alicent Hightower. Matt Smith, best known for playing Doctor Who from 2010-2014, plays Prince Daemon Targaryen.

Emma D’Arcy, Rhys Ifans, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Sonoya Mizuno, Fabien Frankel, Graham McTavish, Ryan Corr, Jefferson Hall, David Horovitch, Matthew Needham, Bill Paterson, Gavin Spokes, Wil Johnson, John Macmillan and Savannah Steyn also star in House of the Dragon.

Reviews

Currently, House of the Dragon has a 9.1 IMDb score and a critic rating of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes.

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The post House Of The Dragon: Where To Watch Game of Thrones Prequel In Australia appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The biggest fashion mistake you can make in Italy – or anywhere, really – is wearing socks and sandals, and doing so will out you as a tourist immediately.

Italians are renowned for their fashion; it’s an integral part of Italy’s culture. The idea of ‘la bella figura’ – which literally translates to ‘the beautiful figure’ but actually means dressing well to look appealing and make a good impression – is drummed into Italians from a young age.

Not to mention, Italy is one of the leading countries in fashion design. By now, we’re sure you get it: Italy is a seriously fashionable place.

And so, as there’s nothing worse than looking and feeling like a mindless tourist, if you’re setting off to Italy (or Sydney’s Little Italy) anytime soon, you don’t want to make any fashion faux pas. Because you’ll stick out like a sore thumb.

WATCH: This TikTok illustrates the fashion mistake that only a tourist would make in Italy…

Case in point: a recent TikTok has illustrated the worst fashion mistake one could make in the land that invented the holy grails that are pizza and pasta. And that’s wearing socks with sandals.

User @whatviceats posted a video – captioned, “Help us” – of a guy wearing a pretty snappy ensemble but then the footage zooms in on his feet. The man is wearing socks and sandals, and the text, “POV: you take your British friends to Italy,” pops up on the screen.

One user instantly commented, “Not the socks and sandals,” while another wrote that bumbags are also considered a fashion mistake tourists commonly make.

Of course, socks and sandals have long been a controversial fashion combo in almost every country. So perhaps, the socks and sandals look won’t just offend Italians but fashionistas everywhere. We suggest steering clear if you want to avoid ridicule while travelling (or just in your general everyday life).

But if you’re happy to take a bit of flack – i.e. your friends could make TikToks about you like the one mentioned above – we say, go for broke king. Hey, if Justin Bieber can rock socks and sandals, so can you.

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The post Socks & Sandals Mistake That Proves You’re A Tourist In Italy appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The rivalry between football’s two biggest stars is one that’s all about contrasts. Ronaldo is flashy and passionate, while Messi is reserved and low-key… Well, he was, until he started buying the sorts of watches he’s buying.

The 35-year-old Argentinian – who made headlines this time last year when he left his club of 21 years, FC Barcelona, for Paris Saint-Germain – shared a photo of himself at dinner in Paris with his wife earlier this week wearing the kind of high-profile timepiece we’d expect Ronaldo, football’s most notoriously outlandish watch collector, would wear.

The piece in question? A Patek Philippe Nautilus Flyback Chronograph Date (ref. 5980R/001) worth a solid US$130,000. His partner, Antonela Roccuzzo, was also wearing a Nautilus of her own in the photo. His and hers Pateks… Must be nice.

This rendition of the iconic luxury sports watch is crafted from 18ct rose gold and features a chronograph module with a 60-minute and 12-hour mono-counter plus two chrono pushers. The watch comes from the factory with an alligator leather strap but as you can see, Messi’s swapped that out for a sportier green rubber aftermarket number.

Messi has definitely worn watches more expensive and arguably flashier than this Patek – the Jacob & Co. Epic X Chrono the famous jeweller made for him with its diamond-studded bezel immediately comes to mind – but there’s just something about a gold Patek that really screams ‘baller’.

RELATED: Cristiano Ronaldo Spends Millions On One-Off Bugatti Watch

That Jacob & Co. piece isn’t the only watch that’s been made for him. Audemars Piguet released a version of the Royal Oak Chronograph dedicated to the player, and Purnell even gifted him a ‘piece unique’ Escape II in recognition of Messi winning the Ballon d’Or last year.

Messi also has a number of Rolex watches in his collection, including a Daytona ‘Panda’ and a number of ‘Stella dial’ Oyster Perpetuals… But this Patek’s our fave. There you have it: they may not compete on the field anymore, but at least the two football GOATS are still one-upping each other when it comes to watches…

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The post Ronaldo vs. Messi Rivalry Reignites As Messi Buys Flashy Patek Philippe appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Looking for a completely honest My Muscle Chef review? Look no further.

Anyone who is keen on fitness and getting their body into the best shape of their life will know that no matter much work you put in in the gym, you need to put in even more work in the kitchen. Nutrition plays an incredibly vital part in both the building of muscle and the loss of body fat and weight.

But unless you have a degree in nutrition, it can often be tricky to work out exactly what you need to be eating in order for you to realise your gains.

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This is where ready-made meals can come in handy because they take away all the hard work, leaving just a delicious meal that can be cooked in a matter of minutes and one that will give you the calories you need.

My Muscle Chef is one of the biggest names in the business, being the go-to meal provider for gym junkies throughout Australia, due to their range of meal options – the majority of which are just as good as anything you’d cook yourself – are affordable and they’re ready to eat in no time at all. Best of all, of course, is that they display their macro content clearly on the front, making your buying decision even easier.

I regularly tuck into My Muscle Chef meals and have been doing so for the last two years, so feel well versed in providing a completely honest review, to help you decide if the My Muscle Chef way of eating is the only thing standing in between you and your gains.

Having been a long time customer of muscle meals, it was time for a change, as I wanted to find some fresh flavours to add to my training routine. I’m not a hardcore gym junkie, rather, I train 5 times a week and when my mood suits me I will knuckle down and eat well. Unfortunately, my mood rarely suits me, and the result is my diet is far from favourable. This is where a meal prep service becomes increasingly appealing.

Since making the switch to My Muscle Chef I haven’t tried any other meal prep services. Why? My Muscle Chef meals taste good, they’re delivered quickly and there is minimal to no fuss, so I haven’t felt any reason to try any others.

Is My Muscle Chef expensive?

Expensive compared to what? To a succulent Chinese meal? No. In comparison to a home-cooked meal? Also no. In fact, My Muscle Chef meals can actually work out to be an incredibly cheap way to eat, since each meal costs around $10. The more you order the cheaper it gets too, so if you’re bulking hard, then ordering 20+ meals in one go will work out to be a sound investment.

If you’re like me, you’ll order 10 at a time and pay around $130 including delivery.

Does My Muscle Chef offer low calorie meals?

Yes, you can get low calorie My Muscle Chef meals, but there isn’t a huge selection in my honest opinion. The name should give it away that My Muscle Chef meals are all about building muscle and not losing weight, and calories are a gym junkie’s best friend. They’re particularly effective for those who keep an exceptionally close eye on their calorie count, as each meal reveals how many calories it contains.

On the company’s website, you can choose your ideal carb count and go from there. The best low carb meals are chicken tikka or beef fajitas. Both happen to taste incredibly good too. Overall, however, it would be nice to see a few more high-protein/low carb options, especially when you consider most protein powders, protein bars and even protein shakes tend to just stuff in as much protein as they can while keeping carbs low.

What do My Muscle Chef meals taste like?

In comparison to other meal prep services on the market, My Muscle Chef is certainly one of the better performers. There are plenty of flavours and perhaps surprisingly, I’ve not even felt sick of continually eating them (sick as in, bored, of course. I’m perfectly healthy). I recommend not freezing them but instead, leaving them in the fridge as they keep for 2 weeks.

You can’t expect too much from a microwave meal but My Muscle Chef has done a pretty good job of making these taste good. Even my girlfriend has started eating them after hating on them for 12 months.

Is My Muscle Chef hard to order?

This is an easy one, no. While my very first few experiences of ordering with My Muscle Chef was a little trickier than perhaps they should have been, the process now is much smoother. The improved website makes it easy to design your own meal package and it shows you the discount you’re receiving along the way. I tend to order the same thing again and again, which makes the ‘your order’ function handy, as in just a few clicks my usual meals will be on their way to me.

You can even set up regular weekly or monthly orders if you’re eating a lot or low on time.

What are My Muscle Chef vegan meals like?

Yep, even vegans are catered to in the My Muscle Chef range, although I can’t comment on what they’re like. Who in their right mind would eat vegan food. Eew. Seriously though, most vegan food tastes like cardboard so I assume these meals will taste the same.

How fast is delivery?

It’s much faster than it used to be. My Muscle Chef seemed to get their shit together during covid and now offer next day delivery in metro areas, which is really handy. Before you would have to wait a week which was a major burn. Gains can’t wait.

What are the best My Muscle Chef meals?

Having tried pretty much the entire range of My Muscle Chef meals (except the vegan ones, of course) I’ve been able to come to the conclusion that these are the best-tasting options.

• Lemon Pepper Chicken with Pea Mash
• Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl
• Butter Chicken with Saffron Pilar
• Naked Beef Fajitas

Head to the My Muscle Chef website, make an order and watch those gains pile on.

UPDATE: August 20, 2022.

As of the past 2 months, I’ve been eating roughly 2-3 My Muscle Chef meals per day to gain mass. I can confirm they’re a much easier way to get the calories in however I’m not 100% sold on a fat/carb content. Recent body scans show my muscle going down and fat going up.

I would recommend choosing your meals carefully and tracking your calories with My Fitness Pal or something.

I can confirm their spaghetti bolognaise is the bomb. 5/5 mamma’s would approve.

Read Next

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The post My Muscle Chef Review: Australia’s Most Popular Gym Meals Reviewed appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

I lived like a Negroni-sipping, selfie-taking monk for two days in the Kiama Hinterland (a spot about two hours south of Sydney). Here’s what the experience was like, and how I feel now that I’ve crash-landed back into civilisation.

Birds shriek, the billy gurgles, and sunlight penetrates your eyelids. You roll over on your thousand-dollar mattress and indulge in an extra minute of sleep. Big mistake: the billy soon boils and hot water spurts all over the sink…

Staying in an off-grid cabin in the middle of the Kiama Hinterland taught me a lot (and not just about how to boil water). From the fire pit to the books (from Cabin Porn to Penguin classics like The Consolations Of Philosophy), this kind of setup is a dream for anyone looking to put their brain on aeroplane mode for 48 hours.

I recently interviewed the co-founder of this Australian-owned, off-grid cabin company, Cam Grant. He explained it is bringing a “new type of time” to travellers, allowing them to escape the busyness of modern life, without having to drive too far (and without compromising on comfort).

The movement has been brewing for quite some time, but the pandemic has given it a boost, with more and more people realising there’s more to life than a soulless job, takeaway food, entertainment subscription services and holidays where you try to cram a million things in.

Unyoked aims to fill that gap in the market, promising to help you destress, connect with nature, and come back relaxed, restored and inspired (after your slow dance with the sublime). It’s all about providing people with access to nature – conveniently, and on-demand (two things nature notoriously makes difficult).

WATCH: What It’s Like Staying In An Unyoked Cabin

I was recently fortunate enough to be invited to stay at one of Unyoked’s cabins. The cabin was hidden in the hills behind Kiama – about a 20-minute drive from the beach, through farmland, up a hill and overlooking a valley – and was called Das. Though I didn’t come back feeling like William Wordsworth (I actually came back with sea urchin spines in my foot and a cut on my finger), I very much enjoyed my stay. This is how my experience went, and everything I learned about getting Unyoked.

The drive to Das (my Cabin) is like something out of a fairy tale

After hightailing it out of the office at 3pm on a Wednesday (and stopping for a sneaky surf on the way down), I arrived in Kiama just as the sun was setting. After exiting the highway it took about 20 minutes to zoom through Jamberoo and climb the hills up through the farmland where Das was located. On the way, we passed plenty of cows and horses, before the open grassland gave way to a forest (and a steep hill). We parked at the top (there were three Unyoked cabins on this property, and each had a dedicated parking spot) and got out of the car.

The walk from the car park to the cabin is an adventure (especially if you do it in the dark)

Upon exiting the car, we noticed a wheelbarrow and a torch had been provided. This was a nice touch, which allowed us to cart our gear along the 700-metre track to Das, our cabin. Having sacrificed arriving during the day to surf on the way down, we were grateful for the torch. Though it would have been nice to arrive while there was still sunlight (you can check in from 3pm) it felt like more of an adventure in the dark, and the fire trail was well signposted, so there were no issues.

There are also handy signs on trees to let you know if you are approaching another cabin’s zone, so it was easy to give each other privacy (I never saw anyone from the other cabins the whole time I was there). As for the walk between the car and the cabin, it was pretty flat, and easy enough, especially with the wheelbarrow.

Das (the cabin) is like something straight out of your Instagram ‘explore’ page

Even arriving in the dark, I could tell this was something special. Das had a fire circle out the front, a deck to sit and drink coffee on, and an indoor setup Marie Kondo would be proud of. Though I have previously stayed in a similar kind of thing (a Tiny House I booked through another company) where the composting toilet smelt a bit, there wasn’t even a whiff of a problem here. Speaking of which: the bathroom had a rainforest shower, a sustainable composting toilet (you chuck a bit of sawdust down there “between goes”) and a pretty nice sink.

The kitchen is also well equipped, with a gas stove, saucepans, frying pans etc. as well as a special pot for boiling your water (it’s all pretty analog so there’s no pod coffee machine or microwave, though there is a fridge). Best of all there is a giant Koala mattress where you can feel one with the forest (there are massive windows that span practically all the way to the ceiling) and watch the world go by without any of the usual inconveniences of really being one with the forest (ants, wind, rain etc.).

Unyoked gets you to fall into the rhythm of nature (and helped fix my sleep pattern)

The darkness outside and the lack of a TV inside had me – a person accustomed to staying awake until midnight watching Youtube – feeling ready to go to bed at about 9pm. After having a cup of “sleep time” tea and reading Cabin Porn, I was just about ready to dose off. The lack of curtains (side note: Cam, an Unyoked co-founder, recently told me some Unyoked cabins have started adding curtains in, to give you the option of more of a sleep in, but Das hasn’t got this update yet) also meant I woke up earlier than I’m used to. This actually made going back to work on the Friday (I did a mid week Unyoked trip) a breeze (unlike other trips where I’ve jetlagged myself by sleeping in).

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Grinding your own coffee is satisfying

I’d heard CEOs raving about how amazing it was to grind your own coffee beans in a hand held grinder before I tried Unyoked for myself. Though I can’t say I’m quite on that level (it was fine, but not lifechanging), it was satisfying. I didn’t feel connected to the soil or suddenly way more conscious of my coffee, but having all the time in the world to drink it (as opposed to rushing it down my gullet before rushing out the door, or drinking it mindlessly at my office desk) was great.

To get the true Unyoked experience; prepare

The whole idea of Unyoked is “doing a whole lot of nothing.” I messed this up a little bit with night two’s dinner. I brought everything I needed for pumpkin soup (for night two), but forgot to bring my handheld blender, so during the day I nipped down to the supermarket to buy ingredients to make something else. I also went for a quick surf while down in the town and – being winter – by the time I got back to the cabin there were only a couple of hours of light left.

I ended up feeling like I’d missed out on some key hours of doing nothing (and on reflection, those other hours of the trip I spend just sitting in bed in the cabin, and wandering around outside, were the most fruitful of the trip). So take it from me: when getting Unyoked, embrace the boredom and try to really do as little as possible (your mind will thank you for it later).

Despite being out in the sticks, you still have access to some of the coolest creative initiatives of the city

If the cool, Scandinavian hut vibes of the cabin didn’t already give it away, opening the fridge door does. Inside there are fancy pale ales and Archie Rose cocktails. There is also a well-provisioned cupboard of wine. This isn’t your typical camping (or even glamping) experience.

You feel like you’re living in the trees (or at least the forest)

Mainly: because you really are…

When boiling water, put a mug under the spout for when it boils

#justthelittlethings.

Take the time to read the books and smell the roses

Seriously – just relax. You’ll be amazed at how good it feels to just do nothing (after marinating in your thoughts for a while). Once you get past the racing mind phase you start to feel low key enlightened (or mad, but hey: who’s counting). You might even make friends with a stick (or a tree). If you do it right (and leave your phone switched off), it’s like a 48-hour eye open meditation.

Watching the trees sway back and forth is addictive

It’s like cloud watching, except with trees. I think I watched the dark shadows swing back and forth for a good half an hour one night. Bliss.

Not using your phone is nice

It’s nice – if briefly – to know no-one can contact you, and no one expects anything from you.

Luxury ‘hits different’ in 2022

It’s not enough to provide fancy furnishings and french linen in 2022. For luxury that salves the soul, you need to make your guests feel good about themselves (and give them a composting toilet). And Unyoked does that with aplomb.

The cassette player is *chef’s kiss*

From Bob Dylan to Unyoked’s Field Recordings (made with sounds from around the cabins) this was a beautiful addition to the cabin. If you want a taste for yourself, the latest volume of Unyoked Field Recordings is now available on Apple Music and Spotify.

Don’t brag about it when you get back

Your ‘heaps yoked’ colleagues, family and friends may either be jealous or uninterested in your new state of enlightenment. Keep it as a special secret between you and that ant (or magpie) you swear you connected with and keep your happiness to yourself. Either that or suggest they try it…

RELATED: I Visited Bellingen’s Most Instagram Famous Waterfall. It Was A Complete Disaster

Make the most of your recharged state of mind

Been stuck for ideas on a project? Got writer’s block? Got a song you want to compose? When you come back from Unyoked you will be ripe to rip. You might even feel inspired to get started while you’re there (just see the anthology of music artists have come up with while on Unyoked retreats).

DMARGE stayed at Das as a guest of Unyoked.

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The post Going Off-Grid For Two Days Taught Me The Importance Of Disconnecting appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

It’s always exciting when a new car brand launches in a market – and Spanish performance car brand CUPRA is especially exciting.

Australia, despite its geographical isolation and relatively small population, has always had one of the most diverse car markets on the planet. There are over 50 different mainstream brands active in Australia – not to mention the countless tuning houses, bespoke manufacturers and importers that also add to the rich mix of cars on our roads.

But not every brand can survive such a competitive market. Over the years, brands have come and gone, with the automotive landscape in constant flux. Opel, for instance, only lasted a year in Australia – one of General Motors’ biggest failures. Other brands that similarly threw in the towel include Daihatsu (part of the Toyota Group) or Smart (part of Mercedes-Benz).

So eyebrows were immediately raised when Volkswagen Group brand CUPRA announced it was heading Down Under. Could a completely unknown brand from the other side of the planet – one that’s from a company that already has many of its marques active in market – succeed in Australia?

Well, having driven three of CUPRA’s launch models earlier this year, I’m confident saying that CUPRA has a very bright future ahead of it in Australia.

If you haven’t heard of CUPRA, we don’t blame you – the brand is only four years old. Well, only technically. CUPRA is the performance division of Spanish carmaker SEAT, one of Europe’s most successful car brands – making it akin to BMW’s M division or Mercedes’ AMG. SEAT cars were briefly sold in Australia through Volkswagen dealerships between 1995 and 1999, but never had a standalone dealer network or significant market presence.

In 2018 CUPRA was turned into a standalone marque, and given a huge amount of operational freedom by Volkswagen. That’s why just CUPRA, and not both SEAT and CUPRA, is launching in Australia. CUPRA sees itself as an unconventional challenger brand; leveraging the fact it’s not constrained by history to offer something very different to the Audis and Škodas Aussies love so much.

That said, the VW Group influence is obvious when you drive one of these cars – which is by no means a bad thing. CUPRA sits somewhere between Volkswagen and Audi in terms of luxury, features, performance and refinement, something which is reflected in its pricing (which is actually exceptionally sharp).

CUPRA’s angular, youthful aesthetic also has much in common with another VW Group stablemate, Lamborghini… Again, we’re not complaining. The value proposition of CUPRA is exceptionally strong, which is perhaps the brand’s biggest weapon. The fact that they are part of the VW Group is also reassuring for consumers, as thanks to parts sharing and so on, they’re not a completely unknown quantity.

Its other big differentiating factor is its focus on electrification. All three of the models they’ve launched in Australia with – Ateca, Formentor and León – can be had as a plug-in hybrid. Moreover, their fourth launch model, the CUPRA Born, which will be joining the lineup next year, is a full battery electric vehicle and will be the first small VW Group EV to arrive in market.

This isn’t by accident. CUPRA’s focus on e-mobility is important as a branding and positioning exercise, sure, but it also reflects the forward-thinking nature of the brand. It’s not just another Volkswagen, it’s something different.

But how do they drive? Let’s kick things off with the CUPRA Formentor, the brand’s flagship model and easily their most unique vehicle. This lithe coupé SUV is the first car designed specifically for the marque – meaning there’s no SEAT equivalent.

While the Formentor does share VW’s MQB Evo platform with cars like the Audi A3, SEAT/CUPRA León, Škoda Octavia and Volkswagen Golf, its slightly higher ride height, larger size and more aerodynamic form factor make it feel very different from its stablemates.

I’ve always hated the whole idea of coupé SUVs (or four-door coupes, or four-door shooting brakes…) but the Formentor is the first car that really nails that characterisation, in my opinion. Despite riding higher than a hatchback it actually feels low and swoopy like a proper coupe, something which is only reinforced by its planted, dynamic handling.

It’s actually a masterclass in packaging, as it feels like a much smaller car than it is. At the same time, it’s more comfortable for passengers than a normal hatchback while feeling musclier than a hatchback or crossover. No other vehicle on the market really feels like a Formentor, which is exactly what you want from a new car and brand.

That said, the CUPRA León – which as mentioned above, shares a platform with the Formentor as well as other hatchbacks from the VW Group – is by no means a ‘same-y’ drive. If anything, it was my favourite of the three to drive.

The top-spec León VZx features a fairly familiar 2.0L TSI engine which makes 221kW, which is the same as the Mk7 Golf R, is 41kW more than the current Mk8 Golf GTI, 8kW less than the Audi S3 and 14kW less than the Mk8 Golf R. (The entry-level VZ and the plug-in hybrid VZe match the Mk8 GTI in power).

RELATED: The New Audi S3 Is The Swiss Army Knife Of Sports Cars

Yet the León VZ is cheaper than a GTI, and the VZx is significantly cheaper than a Golf R… While also looking better. It’s gauche to talk about value but the León represents amazing value no matter what flavour you get it in.

It’s also a hoot to drive. Maybe it’s just the tune or the exhaust characteristics but the León seems wilder and louder than a GTI or even an R. More importantly, it lacks the slightly conservative aesthetic of its VW siblings. It’s an absolute screamer of a hot hatch and a no-brainer as far as I’m concerned.

The final of the three launch cars, the CUPRA Ateca, was a real surprise for me. I was expecting the Ateca, which is a larger, more conventional crossover SUV that shares an MQB A1 platform with the Volkswagen T-Roc and Škoda Karoq, to be the least interesting car of the three to drive – but I was wrong.

The Ateca actually shares the same running gear as the León and therefore also the Golf GTI and R, so this rather large SUV properly hauls ass. You can even get some truly fruity quad Akrapovič exhaust as a factory option on the Ateca, which makes it absolutely sing.

It’s the most practical of CUPRA’s three models thanks to its size and 485L boot, but I also think it’s the best-looking, too. In a sea of bland crossovers, the Ateca stands out as a particularly nifty motor.

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As you might have been able to guess, I was exceptionally impressed by CUPRA’s three launch models. They all bring something different to the table, both within the already rather competitive VW Group stable as well as the Australian car market more broadly.

CUPRA coming to Australia is no accident. We’re a wealthy, open-minded and competitive car market – as CUPRA CEO Wayne Griffiths told DMARGE, “if you can succeed in Australia, you can succeed anywhere”. Australia might be literally on the other side of the planet to Spain, but there’s a reason CUPRA’s making the journey.

2022 CUPRA Australia prices

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The post CUPRA Is The Most Exciting Car Brand Australia’s Seen For Decades appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Erling Braut Haaland’s move to the English Premier League was one of the most exciting transfers in recent years. And, now with a successful start to the campaign under his belt, we feel the youngster from Norway is on course to be the new Zlatan Ibrahimović.

Erling Haaland has been drawing the attention of football fans around the world for a few years now, thanks in no small part to his incredible achievements during his three-season stint at the German club, Borussia Dortmund. With 62 goals from 67 appearances during his spell with the Bundesliga side, he’s a ferocious goalscorer.

And who else happens to be pretty adept at scoring goals? Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahmibović. The 40-year-old, who is still playing at the highest level of the sport and is currently signed to Italian Serie A side, AC Milan, has so far recorded 405 league goals from 635 appearances.

It’s not just natural goalscoring ability that the two share; both players are absolute giants on the pitch, standing an impressive 6 foot 5 inches tall and both are certifiably ripped. While this might be expected for the 22-year-old Haaland, however, it is beyond impressive how Zlatan keeps himself in such great shape, considering he’s 40.

But, crucially, we feel Haaland will become more and more confident – and perhaps a little bit cocky – in a similar vein to Zlatan, who often refers to himself in the third person (and has somehow developed a bit of a Bruce Lee type status/persona).

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Why do we think this? There are a couple of reasons.

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A post shared by Erling Braut Haaland (@erling.haaland)

Firstly, Haaland recently posted an image of himself to his Instagram account, holding a menu with the caption “About to order the whole menu.” His Manchester City teammate, Kevin De Bruyne, commented, “you want me to hold the menu and assist you?” referencing the role he plays for the club.

Haaland responded by saying, “Yes, I’m dreaming of it every night don’t know why.” To us, this implies he knows what kind of formidable partnership he can create with De Bruyne, and he knows he’ll get the goals if he’d fed the ball. Also: it just shows he’s got a sense of humour, and a bit of the old Zlatan-esque wittiness that he’s not afraid to let show on social media and when talking to the media.

Secondly, following Manchester City’s opening weekend win against London club West Ham United – which saw Erling Haaland score two goals on his Premier League debut – the Norwegian striker swore twice during an interview with Sky Sports, following the game.

WATCH: Erling Haaland has a language slip-up during his post-match interview

We can appreciate he may have forgotten he was being filmed for live TV, and yes, he did apologise, albeit by saying “oh sorry, s**t!” but to us, there was certainly a Zlatan-inspired aura to how Haaland presented himself.

He knows he’s talented and he has the statistics and goal tallies to back that up. If he is to become “The next premier league legend,” as one user put it on Haaland’s most recent Instagram post, we wouldn’t be shocked if his attitude changed and he too began to refer to himself in the third person.

Only time will tell.

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The post Erling Haaland Could Be The Next Zlatan Ibrahimović appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Or should that be ‘football guy’? In an interesting turn of events, the Hollywood actor was spotted at a Premier League game – wearing a rather hard-to-get Rolex to boot.

The 53-year-old American, who’s currently enjoying somewhat of a career renaissance after being largely inactive professionally since 2017, was in attendance for the recent fiery match between perennial rivals Tottenham and Chelsea, with Wilson supporting the latter.

Wilson was seen getting rather passionate, drinks in hand and jumping for joy when Reece James scored in the 77th minute – his wild cheering also exposing a Rolex Submariner ‘Hulk’ on his wrist.

It’s a highly appropriate watch for Wilson to wear, seeing as he recently joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe pantheon thanks to his major role in TV show Loki… But it’s also just a stylish watch in general, as well as one that’s exceedingly hard to acquire thanks to its popularity.

Named after the angry green superhero, the Rolex Hulk has a striking green dial and bezel, a unique colour combination for Rolex Submariners. (Sometimes the black dial/green bezel Submariner also gets called the Hulk, but actually, that watch’s nickname is the ‘Kermit’. Go figure.)

The Hulk was released in 2010 and discontinued in 2020, and was originally considered a cheaper alternative to the much more desirable Kermit (which Rolex also re-released in 2020). The double green initially failed to inspire Rolex fans, but in the years since the Hulk has steadily become a genuine Rolex ‘grail’ alongside other models like the GMT-Master ‘Pepsi’ and ‘Batman’ or the Daytona ‘Paul Newman’ and ‘John Player Special’.

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Wilson has two films out this year: Marry Me, a rom-com where he stars alongside Jennifer Lopez, and Secret Headquarters, a superhero film where he plays, you guessed it, a superhero. He’s also set to reprise his role as Lightning McQueen for the upcoming Disney+ series, Cars on the Road.

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The post Turns Out Owen Wilson Is A Soccer Guy & A Watch Guy appeared first on DMARGE Australia.