Targa introduce 1000km endurance epic for 2015 finale

20 July, 2015

Targa New Zealand’s 2015 season is set to end with one of their biggest bangs to date, in the form of a 1000km, six-day marathon between Auckland and Palmerston North. This will comprise of 35 closed special stages, making it one of the longest events of its kind in the world.

It’s the second time in consecutive years that Targa have done something special for their season final, with the 2014 Targa calendar ending with their first journey to the South Island as part of their 20th anniversary celebrations. While the length may seem gruelling, Event Director Peter Martin says that the revised length comes as a response to competitor feedback. The result of which has the potential to be a memorable event.

“What we’re doing, in effect, is celebrating our return to the North Island, to the event’s roots if you like, by taking some of the best and most popular stages from previous events and putting them together in one. It’s going to be mega,” Martin explains.

The compressed six-day slog will see the return of numerous memorable stages from past Targa New Zealand events, including the Glen Murray, Kawhia, Inglewood, Whangamomona, Gentle Annie, and Mangatainoka stages.

Glenn Inkster and co-driver Spencer Winn, in their Mitsubishi Evolution, enter the event as one of the favourite combinations for outright honours. The pair aim to take a clean sweep of all three Targa New Zealand events this year, following victories at the 2015 Metalman Targa Rally Sprint, which took place in Auckland on March 8, and the Targa Bambina, which ended on May 18.

“Winning the 20th anniversary event was our big goal last year, but now that we have done that, we decided that our main goal this year would be to not only finish all three Targa events — but to win them as well,” says Inkster.

While entries are still flowing in, Inkster is likely to face strong competition from the likes of past circuit racer Clark Proctor and his co-driver Sue O’Neill in Proctor’s eccentric Nissan-powered Ford Escort, as well as Leigh Hopper and co-driver Simon Kirkpatrick in Hopper’s rapid Subaru Impreza.

But, as is always the case with Targa New Zealand, the real talking point will centre around diversity and community. Keep an eye out for more coverage of the event at The Motorhood!

NZ Classic Car magazine, November/December 2026 issue 408, on sale now

18 October, 2026

Star status for classic Porsche
A long search ends: finding the right car
Unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963, the Porsche 911 heralded an iconic lineage of sports cars, known for their exceptional performance, remarkable racing reliability, and adaptability, second to none.
New Zealand Classic Car, in conjunction with Star Insure, recently conducted a photo competition to find 13 suitably impressive classics to grace the pages of the magazine’s 2027 calendar. A flood of entries showed that Kiwis recognise eye-catching designs and restorations. Many are handy with a camera, too, and have entered some outstanding results.
The choice was not straightforward, with multiple stunning entries, and Geoff Long’s immaculate 1990 Porsche 911 (964 Factory designation) took top honours. Fortunately, Geoff had Ethan Hanlon handy to take the accompanying photos while working in his office.
“I’ve got a young employee who is doing work experience in my office at the moment, and he’s a very avid photographer. So, I said, I’ll buy you breakfast and then why don’t we go and take some photos. He found the right spot, and he spent over an hour photographing.”
Originally sold new in Japan, hence the right-hand drive, the Porsche was resident there for four years before being exported to New Zealand, as Geoff recalls.
“I bought it two-and-a-half years ago, but I looked for it for over two years, because it’s just the colour scheme, interior and exterior I was after. The service file that came with it is extensive; I mean, it’s been beautifully looked after, which is what I wanted to continue, as it does get driven. It doesn’t sit in the garage.”

Classics on the green

16 October, 2026

Many pretenders vie for the title, but the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance gets my vote as the biggest thing since sliced bread.
The 71st edition of the world’s pre-eminent and best-known concours event featured 28 classes, judged by a 180-strong jury, which also chose the recipients of 26 special awards.
The size of the event, the number of visitors, and, most mind-numbingly, the sheer number of amazing cars, is almost overwhelming. There are so many quality cars to gaze upon, and so many people gazing at those cars, that it is almost impossible to cover everything.
Notable among the many attractions were the centenary celebrations of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, an elegant Talbot-Lago Grand Sport, Hermann Graber’s Swiss-bodied cabriolets and coupés, the jewels of Otto Vu Italian V8s, early Alfa Romeos, Lincoln and its centenary, and cars with unorthodox propulsion systems.

Targa introduce 1000km endurance epic for 2015 finale

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