SUBSCRIBE TO THE
MAGAZINE NOW
Facebook-f Instagram

New name for BNT V8 SuperTourers

8 September, 2014

 


The series formerly known as ‘BNT V8 SuperTourers’ has been officially rebranded as ‘BNT NZ SuperTourers’.

“The series needed a much stronger identity so we are very pleased with the new look and feel,” says CEO Ray Noonan.

Though the name change has raised concerns that the series plans to move away from V8 engines, the team behind NZ SuperTourers has been quick to assure fans that this is not the case. While the V8s are undeniably the car of choice for the New Zealand racing industry, NZ SuperTourer cars are built to take any engine and showcase the best of New Zealand’s considerable driving talent — hence the new name.

The rebranding announcement comes just three weeks before the new series begins with the Rush Security Taupo 400, featuring racing icons Greg Murphy and Shane van Gisbergen alongside New Zealand Champions Angus Fogg, John McIntyre and Paul Manuell.

This BNT NZ SuperTourers series covers six iconic New Zealand tracks, commencing at Taupo Motorsport Park, moving to Hampton Downs, Pukekohe, Manfield, Timaru and Ruapuna.

Chrysler’s classy cruiser

22 May, 2026

I first saw our feature car, a 1970 V8-powered Regal 770 hardtop, towing a trailer carrying the tidy Ford Anglia classic racing saloon in Broadspeed racing colours that has featured in these pages. The coupe is comparatively rare here, which means anyone contemplating purchasing one of these big two-doors is sure to see prices continue to climb. The latter Charger has claimed much of the Aussie Chrysler limelight, but the simpler and classier lines of this car, which appeared dated soon after its introduction, now have a more timeless appeal.
Former owner, Balclutha motor engineer, Mike Verdoner, remembers the car well. He believes it came from Dunedin originally.
“I’m not sure about the car’s history, but I bought it off its owner at Kaitangata. Unusually, it was advertised in the local newspaper, the Clutha Leader, which was a surprise as these usually go for a lot more money on the internet. I had it for quite a few years. It needed a little bit of work to tidy it up, so I had to decide whether to spend the money on it to do it up, which could have been twenty grand. Its value at the time was not like it is now, so I sold it to Ewan. It’s probably now worth three or four times what I sold it for.”

The Pininfarina 230 SL

14 May, 2026

It’s October 1964, and imagine you’re an automotive journalist covering that year’s Paris Auto Show (Mondial de l’Automobile). As you approach the Pininfarina booth, you come across a car that looks a bit like the Mercedes-Benz 230 SL introduced the previous year at the Geneva Auto Show, a car then arriving at Mercedes-Benz dealerships around the world.
But looking closely, its styling and proportions seem to be a bit different. And it has a fixed roof, unlike the Pagoda-style greenhouse of the removable hardtop seen on the production 230 SL. While today, the styling of the W113, under the supervision of Head of Styling Friedrich Geiger, with lead designers Paul Bracq and Bela Barenyi, is considered a mid-century modern masterpiece, acceptance in-period was not universal. Some critics called out the concave design of its removable roof, which ultimately gave the car its “Pagoda” nickname.