SUBSCRIBE TO THE
MAGAZINE NOW
Facebook-f Instagram

Lotus unveils new supercar — the Evora 400

7 March, 2015

Just over a month ago, Lotus Cars talked about the reveal of a new car at the 2015 Geneva International Motor Show. This new model was stated to remain true to Lotus’s core pillars of lightness, performance, and driving purity. First impressions are promising.

The Lotus Evora 400 is the car in question, and is said to be faster and lighter than the previous model, promising a more engaging drive than the already exciting Evora S.

The supercharged 3.5-litre Toyota 2GR-FZE V6 engine is carried over, but has been completely re-engineered, now producing 400hp and 302lb·ft. The 0–100kph sprint is achieved in a brisk 4.2 seconds, and given the room the Evora 400 will run to a top speed of 300kph. These performance gains have allowed the Evora 400 to lap Lotus’s Hethel test track six seconds faster than the previous-generation Evora.

Compared to the previous model, the Evora 400 also weighs in at 22kg less, thanks to clever design work. A new aluminium chassis and redesigned composite body aid in achieving a weight reduction, lower coefficient of drag, and also allows for a brand-new interior — no doubt welcome news for owners of the previous model Evora.

Range Rover CSK — the original SUV

5 June, 2026

The Range Rover, thanks to Charles Spencer King, went into production in 1970 boasting an iconic shape that would last until 1996. The vehicle that would create the SUV moniker came about because Rover decided it was time to add a bigger four-wheel-drive vehicle, one with a 100-inch wheelbase, to the model range. Land Rover made a 109-inch wheelbase model but the standard vehicle had a 88-inch wheelbase.
The new model would be more suitable for road use than the existing Land Rover, which was considered to be predominantly for rural use. To make sure it could cope on any road it came standard with the Rover 3.5-litre V8 engine. The body design was originally sketched by King and went into production with only a few minor touch-ups by the Rover styling team.
According to King, “The idea was to combine the comfort and on-road ability of a Rover saloon with the off-road ability of a Land Rover. Nobody was doing it.”

Ford’s Mustang – the endlessly hip American dream machine

28 May, 2026

Fifty or so years ago, the only place in New Zealand to see a Ford Mustang was on the racetrack. In a local market severely constrained by a lack of new motor vehicles, the new North American Ford was a dreamy icon boosted by considerable motorsport success.
Import licences for cars were limited, and if Kiwis travelled abroad, the amount of currency they could take with them was restricted. What’s more, those funds could not be used to buy a car for importation back home. Yet it was OK to spend the money on heavy drinking at a London pub, Gucci shoes, sable fur coats, and excessive stays at the Hôtel Martinez at Cannes in France.
However, any rare Mustang that landed on our shores would not be destined to pose around Auckland’s then trendy Queen Street on a Friday night but would more likely be found in the care of well-known racing drivers on the starting grid at local motor racing tracks.