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Burnt bald heads a thing of the past for McLaren

22 August, 2016

When you own a McLaren 570GT you want to look good …  and impress the opposite sex. Why else would you buy one? Unfortunately, the factory model is equipped with a rather large glass roof panel, which, on a summer’s day, has been known to roast and crisp its occupants. Climbing out of your McLaren with a scolded bald head and sweat dripping from your brow isn’t the best look. A fatal design flaw that McLaren installed, yes, but McLaren Special Operations (MSO) has the answer. In a much-needed makeover, the McLaren 570GT will receive an electrochromic roof that is currently being designed for production. 

Acting as a mid-layer in the existing roof, the light passing through the electrochromic layer will now dictate how much interior light the cabin will see. Sunny day? No problems! Using one of the five lighting settings that range from clear to dark, the panel will keep the cabin comfortable for the occupants and reduce any unwanted glare.

Other new features in the MSO edition will include a better-sounding titanium exhaust system, which is much lighter than the original stainless system, a unique pearl-white paint job, carbon-fibre sill panels, and gloss-black side skirts, door inserts, and wheels. 

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Images: McLaren

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.

Chrysler’s classy cruiser

22 May, 2026

I first saw our feature car, a 1970 V8-powered Regal 770 hardtop, towing a trailer carrying the tidy Ford Anglia classic racing saloon in Broadspeed racing colours that has featured in these pages. The coupe is comparatively rare here, which means anyone contemplating purchasing one of these big two-doors is sure to see prices continue to climb. The latter Charger has claimed much of the Aussie Chrysler limelight, but the simpler and classier lines of this car, which appeared dated soon after its introduction, now have a more timeless appeal.
Former owner, Balclutha motor engineer, Mike Verdoner, remembers the car well. He believes it came from Dunedin originally.
“I’m not sure about the car’s history, but I bought it off its owner at Kaitangata. Unusually, it was advertised in the local newspaper, the Clutha Leader, which was a surprise as these usually go for a lot more money on the internet. I had it for quite a few years. It needed a little bit of work to tidy it up, so I had to decide whether to spend the money on it to do it up, which could have been twenty grand. Its value at the time was not like it is now, so I sold it to Ewan. It’s probably now worth three or four times what I sold it for.”