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Not on my watch, Hurricane Matthew!

10 October, 2016

If a storm was heading our way, there would certainly be a few measures you’d take to prepare for the worst. You’d make sure all the doors and windows were securely shut and the pets were inside. You’d ensure the outdoor furniture wasn’t going to blow away and you’d put the car in the garage.

But what if you don’t have a garage? And what if your car is an E30 M3?

Well, in that case, you’d better throw the pets back outside and open the doors, cause you need the space to get that bad boy indoors, stat!

So that’s just what Instagrammer @jalilsup did.

As Florida was battered by Hurricane Matthew, the BMW owner took his preparedness to the next level by bringing his beloved M3 into his living room for a night to save his Bavarian beauty from the elements.

We tip our hat to @jalilsup for having his priorities straight.

#hurricanematthew #breakfast #afterthestorm

A photo posted by Randy (@jalilsup) on

Polishing to perfection

26 February, 2026

The secret to a show-stopping finish is colour sanding, no matter which paint system you use. Even a good painter, no matter how experienced or talented — like my mate Bruce Haye, CEO at Ace Panel and Paint in Whitianga — can’t shoot to a perfect mirror finish. To get that level of perfection, you need to colour sand.
It used to be called ‘rubbing out’ or ‘cutting’, and it was done with pastes that came in cans. They worked — sort of — but the compounds really just rounded off imperfections instead of eliminating them, and they removed a lot of paint in the process. But now your new finish can be made flawless, thanks to microfine sandpapers that come in 1000, 1500, 2000, and even 2500 grit ranges, and Farecla G3 polish — available from automotive paint suppliers.

NZ Classic Car magazine, March/April 2026 issue 404, on sale now

22 February, 2026

BMW’s flagship techno showcase
The supermodel 1995 BMW 840Ci is simply elegant and perfectly engineered.
BMW’s 840 Ci flagship Coupe provides superb comfort and equipment packaged in a stylish body, with grand-touring performance and surprisingly competent handling for its size.
It’s the kind of machine that stands apart from the start. When BMW first unveiled its flagship Grand Tourer at the 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show, the automotive world blinked twice. Sleek, low, and impossibly modern for its era, it combined drama with a sort of purposeful understatement. This silhouette still looks striking today, long after its peers have faded into obscurity.
Initially offered with a range of engines, the model you’re reading about is the V8 iteration, featuring a 4.0-litre eight-cylinder heart under its long bonnet and a smooth five-speed automatic at the back. It wasn’t about blistering sprint times so much as effortless velocity. There was power on tap, sure, but the way it delivered thrust felt unhurried and measured – the automotive equivalent of a deep exhale on a long drive.
Poster 1964 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, C2