Latest news and features

Peugeot 205 GTi — Changing the Game
“On the 30th anniversary marking the arrival of the Peugeot 205 GTi, Donn recalls one that had a special place in his garage” Oscar

Pacemaker — 1972 VH Valiant Pacer
“During the late ’60s and early ’70s, a muscle car revolution was taking place in the US and, half a world away in Australia,

50 years of Fun Ho! midgets
These early Fun Ho! models were designed to fill a demand for Matchbox-type toys on the domestic market when demand outstripped the supply in an

The first McLaren sports car
The current crop of McLaren sports cars — including our featured 12C Spider — can all trace their ancestry back to the late ’60s, and

Taupo Thunder Drags canceled
We’ve just been informed that the entire 2014–’15 race season planned for Taupo Thunder Dragway has been canceled. Promoter Ken Galvin stated in his release that only 11

A Kiwi Le Mans legend brought back from the past
“Recreating a Kiwi Le Mans legend is no minor feat and Grant Aitken explains the reasoning behind why he took on the challenge” Some

Focus on Howden Ganley for NZFMR 2015
There is nowhere else in the world where you will be able to see such a fine collection of Formula 5000 cars running and on

Be in to win one of three copies of Hot Rod Special
“Despite popular demand, we’ve still managed to hold on to a few copies of our Hot Rod Special, just so we can give them

Mini Cooper crushed in the name of the law
In a bid to crush the illegal trade of vehicles between the UK and the US, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has been doing some crushing

Mansory perfects Mercedes’ power and luxury
When 430kW (577hp) isn’t quite enough in a road car, you add more power. This is exactly what German tuning powerhouse, Mansory, has done. They

We’ve taken the hard yards out of Christmas shopping
We all get bombarded with the, “What do you want for Christmas?” and the, “You’re so hard to buy for” comments. Well we’ve found a

Checking out the behind-the-scenes action at CMC
We’ve all read the race reports before and have all seen the cars (or photos of cars) out on the track, but there’s a whole

Ultimate barn find: Ferrari 250 GT and countless classics
In this era, where mankind has access to nearly every corner of the globe, it is inevitable that the classic barn find is dying —

A 26-day journey from Perth to Sydney in your classic car
There’s those road trips that regularly feature on ‘things to do before you die’ lists, around Europe and across America for example. Closer to home, the

Got room for a 1936 Ford Sedan in your garage?
If you’ve ever wanted to own a hot rod, but never had the cash, then this may be your chance. The New Zealand Hot Rod

A classic car blast from the past: January 1915, 1940, 1965, 1990
Once again, Graeme Rice looks back on the motoring worlds of 100, 75, 50, and 25 years ago January 1915 View fullsize Chevrolet’s Model T

Want to add Pope Francis’ Harley to your collection?
In a special countdown to Harley Davidson’s 110th anniversary celebrations, two commemorative motorcycle petrol tanks were presented to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI — they were signed,

Highlands Festival of Speed teams up with Aussie Racing Cars
It’s been confirmed that the two-day Highlands Festival of Speed — Muscle Car Battle, to be held over the weekend of January 30–February 1, 2015, has been paired

Win a Scalextric Lotus Exige
Most would normally link Colin Chapman’s legendary Lotus marque to Formula One and sports car racing rather than rallying, although those who remember the legendary

Get familiar with the law this summer
This summer, over the holiday season, there are two things Kiwi drivers should look out for on the road. The speed limit tolerance has changed and

St Heliers fills with classics, customs, and kids toys
The first Monday of December may mean different things for different people, but for us it’s always the day of the annual ‘Toy Run’. The Toy

A Sunday morning dose of Caffeine and Classics
It hasn’t even been two years yet since the inception of the monthly Caffeine and Classics event, but in that time it has become quite possibly

Will this weekend see New Zealand’s first four-second pass?
This weekend (November 29–30) is going be a big one — the second round of the IHRA NZ National series will be hitting Meremere Dragway following the

Big rigs and V8s ready to rumble
The BNT NZ SuperTourers are set to hit the Fuchs 500 event at Pukekohe Park Raceway this weekend, over November 28–30. Their brute V8 power will

Summer, beaches, and 1969 HK Holden Premier station wagons
With Christmas just around the corner and summer finally making an appearance, it’s time to start thinking about how to spend those lazy days ahead.

Lake Karapiro brimming with Stragglers
“Held every year in support of Waikato-based kids’ charities, the Stragglers Car Club charity show is growing every year, and this year Kevin Shaw

Larry Larson dips into the fives
Following up on his street-legal Chevrolet S10’s overwhelming success during the 2014 Hot Rod Drag Week, where he ran a 6.16 at 219.61mph, beating Andy Frost’s

Vintage treasures on the side of the motorway
If vintage cars are your thing, then the North Shore Vintage Car Club’s annual swap meet was the place to be on Sunday, November 23.

Rolling in Rolls-Royce luxury
Getting to travel in ultimate luxury isn’t something we get to do very often. Thanks to Team McMillan Limited we got to sample the latest Rolls-Royce

Jewels amongst the jumble at Southwards’ swap meet
One of the country’s must-see automotive attractions, the Southward Car Museum, held its annual Auto Jumble on November 16. Back in 1956 the late Sir Len Southward started

23,000 auto parts, what would you grab?
“Win one of ten Repco gift cards worth $50 by telling us what you’d use it for” If you want to feel totally immersed

A crash course in the slippery stuff
We all know engine oil as that stuff you (or your mechanic) pour into your engine every service interval, but there’s a lot of science

What car would you put this subwoofer in?
We’ve been cleaning up the office and we’ve found a couple of Sony subwoofers, which we’re keen to rehome. All you need to do

Iconic Porsche 911 models driving into the sky
View fullsize Three Porsche 911 vehicles are planned to tower above traffic with Porsche AG looking into erecting a new landmark at its Stuttgart

How two buckets will change your life
If you’re anything like us you’ll hate the small swirly scratches in your car’s paintwork that are seemingly unavoidable. Unavoidable, until you hear a tip

$100K and seven years on, Stragglers back for more
“ Stragglers Cambridge Charity Car Show Sunday, November 23, 2014 10am–3pm Lake Karapiro Domain, Cambridge ” The annual Stragglers Cambridge Charity Car Show always

Hot rods rescue St Johns
“Getting the hot rods out of the garage and out on the road for a Sunday cruise is great, but getting them out for

Targa’s confirmed 2015 dates — check them out now
Targa New Zealand has announced the first details of their 2015 events, following the unprecedented interest in the successful 20th anniversary Targa event in the

Team Tander and Quinn win
View fullsize Tony Quinn and Garth Tander win the Highlands 101 endurance race Tony Quinn achieved one of the objectives he’d set himself for