Latest news and features

Quick Quiz: show us what you know about Pukekohe Park Raceway, and be in to win!
Pukekohe Park Raceway is widely considered to be the home of New Zealand motorsport. For many, it’s the location where their love affair with all

Hundreds of classics stream in to the Te Aroha Cruise In
Since its inception and humble beginnings back in 2008, the Te Aroha Cruise In event has grown bigger and better each year, with around 500

Custom Spectre Aston Martin destined for 007 film
Although Ian Fleming — the author of the James Bond books — originally put his hero into a Bentley, when it came to translating Fleming’s

The millennium comeback of Ford’s V8 retrobird
“When Ford US recognized its own heritage and climbed on the then-popular craze for retro-designed cars, it did so by reviving its justly revered

When jet power was used at Le Mans
“Trevor Collins, now resident in New Zealand but once part of the innovative Rover Gas Turbine group, remembers the time 50 years ago when

Enthusiast Essentials: have you heard about Shell’s Helix Ultra motor oil?
Shopping can be a monotonous chore, even when it comes to purchasing oil. Do you lean towards the trusted labels, or do you grab the

Jim Richards back on home turf in November
One of the true good guys of Australasian motorsport, Jim Richards, will soon touch down on home soil for the annual Gathering of Geezers charity

Peter Lodge and Baloo: we travel back to the early days on the North Shore
“Gerard Richards travels back in time to Auckland in the ’60s and recalls the career of Peter Lodge — the man who built a hot

Want to win yourself one of five double passes to one of Australasia’s premier motoring celebrations?
Melbourne’s annual Motorclassica event is almost upon us once again, with the Royal Exhibition Building set to be packed from wall to wall with more

Beyond the Fence Line: heat and horsepower turn out for SPCA Auckland Hot Rod Day
View fullsize It’s always wonderful when a plan comes together, and with blazing sunshine emerging from what had been a gloomy lead-up, last weekend’s

Triumph 2000: the ‘Motor Man’ analyses a curious New Zealand motoring infatuation
“Donn Anderson recalls the 15-year Kiwi love affair with the Triumph 2000/2500, a car that did better here than anywhere else in the world”

Flathead favourite: 1939 Ford Coupe convertible
“Looking over the sleek lines of this gorgeous 1939 Ford coupe convertible, there’s definitely something to be said about Stateside pre-war classics” View fullsize

The Kiwis who took on Le Mans
“In 1966 Kiwis scored a one–two finish at Le Mans. In 2015, local lads Earl Bamber and Brendon Hartley followed in the footsteps of

How hard is it to VIN an old car? Here’s our five-step guide
“Is VIN-ing an old car really that hard? We follow one through the system to find out” View fullsize Buying a car that isn’t

Quick Quiz: reckon you know all there is to know about Mercedes-Benz’s Sport Leicht series?
Six design generations have passed, and many engine configurations, so if you can tell us all there is to know about Mercedes-Benz’s Sport Leicht (SL)

Motorsport Flashback: paying tribute to the late Jack Brabham
“In the wake of Sir Jack Brabham’s recent passing, Michael Clark pays tribute to one of the all-time great motor-racing personalities” Sir Jack Brabham

Keen to get involved in October’s Meguiar’s Car Crazy Charity Cruise?
The Meguiar’s Car Crazy Charity Cruise is back for the second time in 2016 on October 31, with organizers teaming up with Big Boys Toys

The history of Ford’s iconic flathead engine
Ford’s flathead V8 is the forefather to the entire American V8 scene, with its bang-for-buck performance at the time of its launch unlike nothing else

The first images and everything you need to know about HSV’s 2016 range
View fullsize Whenever there’s a new range released by Holden Special Vehicles (HSV), we’re always interested to find out what they’ve done next, as

More than 30 of New Zealand’s best bikes at annual Webb’s Classic Motorbikes auction
Some of New Zealand’s finest motorbikes will be going up for auction this Sunday, September 27, as part of the annual Webb’s Classic Motorbikes auction

New Audi S4 joins the competitive turbocharged sports sedan race
German automaker Audi has just announced that next year’s Audi S4 won’t be supercharged, but rather turbocharged, which is the best news we’ve had all

Quick Quiz: how well do you really know NZV8 magazine?
NZV8 magazine showcases some of the finest V8 cars in the land. But how much attention do you really pay? Take our quiz below to

Winding back the clock to remember the Benson and Hedges 500/1000
“The Benson and Hedges race series provided the battleground for market share of locally assembled cars in New Zealand in the decade to 1978”

Pontiac’s underrated American British sports car
“Designed to take on the Mazda Miata, Honda S2000 and Porsche Boxster, the Solstice was a runaway success in the US, and proved itself

Five reasons to sink your teeth into New Zealand Classic Car Issue No. 297
September’s New Zealand Classic Car (Issue No. 297) is now on sale! And there’s plenty of excellent content bound within its pages to keep you

East meets West with this oriental Colt Galant GSR
Japanese car culture’s expansion to the proverbial West continues to grow and grow, with an exponentially increasing amount of stories of cars like this beautiful

Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, and Porsche light up Frankfurt Motor Show
September’s 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show has seen the covers whipped off some truly exceptional cars — from concepts that will never see the light of

Quick Quiz: So you think you know everything about the Bathurst 1000?
With the 2015 Bathurst 1000 almost upon us, we thought it would be appropriate to dig into the history books to find some of the

Win yourself a Scalextric Ford Escort MkI
Win a Scalextric Ford Escort MkI

Formula 1 car and Austin-Healeys the latest to go under the Bonhams hammer
It must be quite a job working at London’s Bonhams auction house, with some of the world’s most lauded motors constantly streaming through their extensive

Checking out the variety at the Hampton Downs Icebreaker
View fullsize September’s an awkward month. It manages to be both deeply ingrained in the dreaded fruitlessness of the mid-year slog, but is still

Star Trekka: New Zealand’s own Land Rover rival
“The Skoda Octavia–based Trekka was New Zealand’s answer to the Land Rover — and this fully restored example has to be the best of

A Perana V8 Ford Capri that’s a long way from home
“Cars don’t come much more iconic than the famous Mustang V8–engined Ford Capris created by South African tuner extraordinaire, Basil Green” Hailed as one

Quick Quiz: how well do you know Zagato’s history?
Carrozzeria Zagato have designed some of the most iconic cars of all time — but how much do you know about this famous Italian coachbuilder? Take

The Motor Man takes a look at Vauxhall’s last New Zealand hurrah
“The Chevette was the last hurrah for Vauxhall in New Zealand, and was a better car than most people realized, as Donn Anderson recalls”

Here are five cars that the Lotus 3-Eleven can (surprisingly) beat around the Nürburgring
Unveiled by Lotus earlier in 2015, the new 3-Eleven looked to once again embody the traditional Lotus ethos of subtracting weight to gain performance. Its

Honda unveil literal three-metre long pocket rocket — but will they make it?
If you haven’t heard yet, Honda is cool again. Inform your friends, your family, and your dog; it’s happening and it’s real — and their

Quick Quiz: how well do you know your V8 engines?
The engine bay is often considered to be where the heart and soul of the car lies. Its characteristics can give a car true character,

Weekly Motor Fix: the little Lotus from the big screen
View fullsize Unlike our more hipsterish brothers over at NZ Performance Car, elderly classic car editors don’t often get to the movies. So you’ll