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Who’s running the numbers? New Zealand’s quickest street and drag cars

12 November, 2015

 

In every issue of NZV8 magazine we feature a list titled New Zealand’s Quickest Drag Racers (as seen below). The list isn’t so much one to celebrate historical achievements, but to give those who are currently competing the credit they deserve. As such, it’s updated on a monthly basis to not only include new entrants, but also to show which drivers have improved their PBs.

Included on the list is any V8-powered vehicle that runs 8.99 seconds or quicker, regardless of which class they race in. The only exception being streetcars, which fall into our separate Quickest Streetcars List, that we also run, assuming they meet the legal criteria. For the streetcar list, the time cut-off is 9.99 seconds or quicker, since nine seconds seems to be the new benchmark for what quantifies a quick streeter these days. You can see who’s currently on that list here.

As a general rule, we’ve always asked for drivers themselves to keep us informed of their times and progress, but we’ve also made an effort to hunt out the information as much as possible. However, that’s where we now need your help.

With so many new cars running into the eight- or nine-second zones, it’s now more important than ever to remove those no longer competing, to give those that are the room they require.

If you’re on the list, but have parked the car up for a few seasons, or sold it, we’d love to hear from you. Likewise, if you’re not on either list and should be, then please do let us know. The easiest way is by emailing [email protected]. Even if you’re not on the list, but have it on good authority that someone should/shouldn’t be, we’ll take your word for it. 

So get emailing!

The motor car as an art form

12 March, 2026

We have certainly come a long way since the exhibition entitled 8 Automobiles, shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in the autumn of 1951, the first exhibition concerned with the aesthetics of motor car design.
It was here that the often-used term ‘rolling sculpture’ was coined by curator Philip C Johnson, director of the department of architecture and design, when he said, “An automobile is a familiar 20th century artefact, and is no less worthy of being judged for its visual appeal than a building or a chair. Automobiles are hollow, rolling sculptures, and their design refinements are fascinating. We have selected cars whose details and basic design suggest that automobiles, besides being America’s most useful objects, could be a source of visual experience more enjoyable than they now are.”

More to the point

6 March, 2026

This Daimler SP252 is so rare, few people know it exists. It’s one of a kind. It’s the only surviving, in fact the only SP252 ever completed; the would-be successor to the SP250 Daimler Dart. It is also the last sports car to have been designed by Jaguar’s legendary founder, Sir William Lyons.
Perhaps one of the original Dart’s biggest problems was it’s somewhat-divisive looks. It certainly went well enough to win fans, although Sir William wasn’t among them. It crushed the opposition in the Bathurst six-hour race, finishing five laps ahead of anyone else, and it was snapped up by police forces in Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, as it was the fastest thing on the road.
So you’d think a stunning new body with the magic Lyons touch would have been a surefire success. Why this car never made it into production is still something of a mystery, as the official explanations barely stack up.