McLaren P1 touches down for Big Boys Toys event

30 October, 2014

McLaren P1 supercar arrives at Auckland International Airport

It’s here! The star attraction at this year’s Big Boys Toys event at the ASB Showgrounds on November 7–9, seen here rolling out of the cargo hold of an Emirates A380 Airbus at Auckland International Airport, arrived in fine style.

The world’s most eagerly awaited supercar, the McLaren P1, follows closely in the footsteps laid down by the iconic McLaren F1 and is set to push the boundaries further than any of its rivals.

This stunning machine is set to wow the crowds at Big Boys Toys 2014 with its sleek, function-led, purposeful design created specifically to deliver on a range of challenging targets — and which it manages to achieve each and every one of.

If looks alone won’t impress, then the unbelievable list of specifications — such as a scintillating 0–100kph time of just 2.8 seconds, and 0–200kph in a mere 6.8 seconds, thanks to its 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 that’s dripping with cutting edge Formula 1 technology — will make the average daily commute feel somewhat pedestrian.

Big Boys Toys 2014 is definitely one event not to be missed — and The Makita Motorhood in Hall 6 is where you can come to see a showcase of our hand-selected vehicles, many of which have been previous cover cars of New Zealand Classic CarNZV8, and NZ Performance Car. For more details on the event see bigboystoys.co.nz.

A second dose of Dash

When the car arrived in Wellington in December 2018 it was duly taken along for entry certification. Vehicle Inspection NZ (VINZ) found some wrongly wired lamps and switches — not too bad — but, much more significantly, some poor welding repairs. As the structural problems were probed more thoroughly, we realized the previous owner’s restoration would not do and we needed an upgrade. Dash had made it into the country but it would take some time and money before he would be free to explore any of New Zealand’s scenic highways.
We took the car to our new home in Johnsonville in the northern suburbs of Wellington and I pored over the car in detail to figure out what was next. There were lots of new parts on the car and a very perky reconditioned drivetrain but the chassis needed serious work.

Lunch with… Jim Palmer

In the 1960s, Hamilton’s Jim Palmer won the prestigious ‘Gold Star’ four times and was the first resident New Zealander home in the New Zealand Grand Prix on five consecutive occasions. He shared the podium with Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren, Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Denny Hulme, Jackie Stewart, and Chris Amon. The extent of his domination of the open-wheeler scene in New Zealand will probably never be matched or exceeded. Yet he’s always been modest about his achievements.