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Video: Paddon goes HAM freeestyling his AP4

30 May, 2017

Kiwi WRC extraordinaire Hayden Paddon knows how to pedal, there is no denying that. So when you give Hayden some fresh tracks to slay you know its going to be good. Dubbed Paddon’s Playground, the premise for these low buck videos is simply Hayden, and his NZ based Hyundai i20 AP4, inserted into roads that have never been hit before  this is raw rally at its best. 

The first instalment sees Hayden travel by barge to Minaret Station on the shores of Lake Wanaka and let loose like the local farm boy in a flat deck Hilux. Lets hope this video series goes someway to promoting New Zealand as a return destination for WRC in 2018, which currently has the 14th spot sitting open. 


Our only competition currently is Croatia, and a candidate rally will be held here this September to promote our viability. The promoter will reveal its 2018 calendar to the WRC Commission for autumn ratification by the World Motor Sport Council. 

“I don’t need to tell you about New Zealand,” said Ciesla, continuing, “There is a big passion to go there with Hayden and even though we won’t see the highest number of on-site spectators, we have these beautiful roads which we can use to make great television. I am very much in favour of this.” 

Working in our favour is WRC Promoter’s policy of avoiding more rallies in Europe, though we are unsure if this will prevent them from choosing Croatia, as Ciesla explains, “It’s true that we are not seeking more European rallies … [but the planned event] would go straight into the top five rallies for spectator attendance.” Failing New Zealand returning for 2018, it is expected that a 16-round calendar will be introduced by 2022, of which we are almost guaranteed to make an appearance.

 

 

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.