Win a Corgi Bentley Continental GT

15 April, 2015

In 2003, under the management of Volkswagen AG, Bentley really turned a corner when they revived an old model name with the introduction of the Continental GT. Powered by a massive six-litre W12 motor, replete with a pair of turbochargers, this Bentley for the new millennium boasted 412kW (that’s 552 imperial horses) and a top speed just a tad under the magical 200mph mark. Woolf Barnato, Sir Tim Birkin and the rest of the Bentley Boys would’ve loved this luxurious beast. Using the original Continental GT as a base, Bentley would subsequently essay a whole range of models, with one of the latest being the 2014-introduced V8 S.

If you try a Google image search on the V8 S, you’ll discover a whole pile of shots depicting a Monaco Yellow example — the UK press car.

Thanks to the good guys at Toymod, the NZ Corgi distributor, we have one example of the UK Press Car Bentley to give away to a lucky reader — just answer the following question:

Q:    What was the registration number of the Monaco Yellow Continental V8 S UK press car?

Competition closes on May 20, 2015

Name

Yes I agree to the terms and conditions

Terms and conditions: The prize is available for delivery in New Zealand only. One entry per person. Prizes are not transferable, not redeemable for cash, and no exchanges will be made. There is one prize to be given away. The promoter is Parkside Media Ltd, 254 Richmond Road Grey Lynn, Auckland. The decision of the promoter is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Employees of Parkside Media, associated sponsor(s), and their immediate families and agencies are not permitted to enter. Entries are the property of [insert publication title] magazine and The Motorhood and may be used for promotional purposes by Parkside Media. Entrants must be over the age of 18. Entrants agree to their name/photo being used for publicity purposes. By entering this competition you agree to receive occasional information from New Zealand Classic Car and The Motorhood, including monthly newsletters. Entries close [insert closing date]. Prizes are as specified and are not transferable or redeemable for cash. If the winner does not claim the prize within 21 days of contact being attempted, the prize will be withdrawn and a new winner drawn. Parkside Media reserves the right to make any changes to any prizes and to provide the winner(s) with a substitute prize.

Motorman: Blame it on Rio!

Following the third polite advisory, I figured there had to be a fair degree of substance to the warning. “If this is your first visit to Rio de Janeiro, please be careful,” came the personal hushed dialogue from the pleasant hostesses on a far from crowded Varig flight from Los Angeles to the famous Brazilian seaside city.
The previous evening I had flown into LA from Auckland en route to the 1985 international launch of the Fiat Uno Turbo. I was prepared for another long haul of just under 12 hours across Mexico, central America, Colombia, and central Brazil to that nation’s third largest city. Surprisingly the 10,500km run from Los Angeles to Rio is actually longer than the 8800km LA-London air route.
With the journey including a brief stopover in Honolulu I expected to travel just under 44,000km for the return journey to sample what was to be a low-volume version of a popular Italian car that would sell in even lower numbers in New Zealand. I like to think this shows nothing more than my deep commitment to my craft. In fact, even though I became lost on the homeward journey my total air miles would be little different.

Pinnacle Porsche

We were stopped at the side of the road, setting up the next photograph, when a faded Toyota slowed alongside and stopped. The window was already down to give the driver a good look.
“That’s my dream car,” he said, speaking for more than a few of us.
He drank in the gleaming red paint, shining in the sun, and the car’s purposeful swoops and curves. He exhaled half a lungful of cigarette smoke, gave a hang 10–style thumbs up and drove off.
On the side of the road, against a clear blue background, the Porsche stood out in all its stark red glory. It’s the classic 911 shape on steroids. It has the fat, even pouty, front lip of the G series 911s, added to comply with 5mph bumper restrictions in the US. It also has the oversized haunches to accommodate the wider rear wheels and tyres – a first for Porsche, which also confirmed its supercar credentials – and, most noticeably of all, that enormous whale-tail spoiler. They made it look as if Porsche had abandoned its restraint.