Toyota New Zealand loaned writer Tim Warren a smoky blue 2024 Toyota Prado Adventure to go and have a good Kiwi summer. He did that and we are publishing Tim’s exploits progressively. Read on and enjoy! Patchy and wet dawns the day. I’m unperturbed, because today is a ‘beach in a four wheel drive’ mission […]
I’ve been loving the latest Maseratis. In recent months i’ve driven the Grecale midsize SUV, the imperious GranTurismo, and the stunning MC20 supercar, each one of them beautiful. Now Maserati are fusing design elements from the fashion world. Fuoriserie is Maserati’s customisation program, and their new “Fuoriserie By” collection brings renowned designers into the mix. […]
We got to sit down with Blair Tuke who, along with Peter Burling, owns the Black Foils SailGP Team. They’re Back in Auckland just six days after taking the first race weekend in Dubai doing press duties and then off home for some much earned time with families. It was a stunning day on the […]
The Toyota land cruiser Prado has been around through many iterations since 1990. The last major upgrade was 2009. Now with a new model, new chassis and new design, Toyota is keen to show the motoring world what the new Prado can achieve in a range of conditions. Bring on two days of diverse driving […]
When you fly to Queenstown for a launch event, you know it’s got to be something special. The natural location is beautiful, and Lexus matched the hospitality to the location, lodgings at Gibbston Lodge, discovering Ben Bayly’s Aosta in Arrowtown, and visiting Te Kano Vineyard and Winery and Edgewater, all beautiful locations in themselves. Yet […]
When someone calls and says, “Would you like to drive the new Maserati GT,” there’s only one answer. So without any hesitation, I locked in a date. There are a lot of cars badged ‘GT’, yet few deserve it. This car does. GranTurismo means great drive, and what it means in car circles is a […]
I’m seated in an electric blue Corvette Stingray with a huge smile on my face, I haven’t been this excited to drive a car in months. First appearing on race tracks in the ’50s and showrooms in the ’60s, it’s an icon with a cult following. A classic that got me into cars yet I’m […]
Photography by Jake Hoare The R12 is the latest iteration in BMW Motorrad’s retro lineup, replacing the popular R nineT. It offers a blend of classic styling and modern technology, to satisfy both nostalgic riders and those looking for a more refined experience. With its iconic air-cooled boxer twin engine, updated chassis, and an array […]
Something has changed for men, something is in the air. Have you noticed it? In the last few years, it’s become increasingly acceptable for men to do things like go to the doctor and talk about their feelings, and take care of their appearance. Scroll back 10 years or so and were given the label […]
The Chevrolet Corvette is an icon of American motoring, with a rich legacy of performance, innovation, and racing heritage. Yet the brand is little known in New Zealand due to the previous lack of right-hand drive. But that’s changed now with the whole Corvette lineup s—the Stingray, the Z06, and the new E-Ray—each offering blistering […]
I’ve got nothing booked this weekend and it’s been a long time since I’ve been to the South Island of New Zealand. Nothing like a spot of last minute travel! I’ve always fancied a motorhome trip so I book a rather large one all for myself. Saturday The pick-up point is near Christchurch Airport, that’s […]
It’s not every day that you have the opportunity to interview a legend like Emirates Team New Zealand technical director Dan Bernasconi. An english engineer who holds a PhD in modelling (numbers, not runways) and aerodynamics. He worked at McLaren Formula 1 Team for six years (several championships), leading their modelling team, before swapping fast […]
The 2024 Maserati Grecale Trofeo puts you in a different world of luxury, but more importantly, sophistication, elegance and refinement. Luxury is something that you can buy – sophistication is not. Luxury can come at you like bubbles from a young waiter at a society event, sophistication is a different matter. Sophistication won’t announce itself […]
Photography by Jake Hoare The new 2024 Mercedes-Benz C 63 SE is a completely different animal from the car that started the legend. Packing a staggering 500 kilowatts and 1020nm, it delivers breathtaking performance with possibly the most sophisticated drivetrain of any production car. The original C 63 (reviewed here) virtually created a new category: […]
Photography by Jake Hoare I have owned a 2008 Mercedes-Benz AMG C63 since 2014, and I just can’t part with it. From track to touring, the C63 is one of the best cars I’ve ever driven. I’ve driven many cars, but this one sets a benchmark that few can match. Despite being 16 years old, […]
Photography by Jake Hoare The Lotus Eletre is enormous, vast, and that there’s nothing else quite like it. It’s kind of taken the sports SUV and put it on a course of aggressive body sculpting and fine arts. A bit of history, Lotus has traditionally been known as the car that makes light cars that […]
Photography by Jake Hoare Driving the Rolls-Royce Spectre electric transforms your perception of the world. You become acutely aware of your surroundings, yet remain unaffected by them. This car is the choice of kings, queens and titans of industry. As you float across roads, weaving through traffic and over any riding surface, you find yourself […]
Fast cars and race cars are everywhere, yet motorsport can seem remote – even elite to enter. Thankfully it doesn’t have to be that way. The OK Cup in New Zealand is a highly accessible ‘get started racing’ format that is a lot of fun and almost cheap. I can attest to that. The format […]
Pack your bags and fly to Queenstown. On arrival the team takes you to your vehicle. Bagged and tagged, this is the last time you lift your suitcase for the next few days. Head to Ayrburn on the outskirts of Queenstown, a stunning venue dating back to the 1800s. Not for long, just time for […]
Photos By Jake Hoare Wow. The Triumph Rocket 3, at two and a half liters, that’s right: 2500cc, is the largest capacity production motorcycle ever made. Everywhere you go, people stare at it, cross the road, and take photos because they’ve never seen anything like it. You’ve never ridden anything like it either. It has […]
Photography by Jake Hoare I started road-riding in my teens. Ducati was always the halo brand. The pinnacle. Desired by all, owned by few. Made from unobtainium, exclusivity made it even more enticing. The 916 was the bike of bikes. It was everything. It won everything. Cited as the best-looking motorcycle of all time – […]
Blending scorching performance with silent electric propulsion, the latest Mercedes-AMG is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Under its restrained yet muscular skin, this Teutonic tour de force melds future-proof emissions-free driving with adrenaline-pumping power unlike anything that came before it. With gut-wrenching acceleration and precise handling that seems to defy physics, it’s a taste of […]
My parents spun tales of Vespas in Italy carrying entire families, so I pictured slow vehicles with Italians clinging on like barnacles. But when Vespa New Zealand invited me to meet the local fans for a celebration of 78 years of the brand, I eagerly hopped onto their top end GTV 300 model. No Italians […]
Who would have guessed New Zealand has three brands of electric motorcycles? Ubco, FTN Motion and Arlington each occupy a different spot in this new category. They are doing great things in a typically innovative Kiwi way. I’ve ridden all of them and they all excel. While one is a Farm bike, the other two […]
Photography by Jake Hoare Supercars are fantastic incredible machines, but what if you can’t choose? Various manufacturers have subscription services. Choose a car from their brand stable based on your mood. This works great if you only want to drive one maker. But what if you want to try them all? A new model has […]
My family and I took many camping tours of New Zealand. We usually tented. A hurricane or other special occasion might warrant a cabin or maybe a friend’s caravan. Let’s make it clear, a definite hierarchy existed in camping accommodation. Tent camping was at the bottom. People with single-room tents were entry-level. Then you got […]
Maserati describes the MC20 as a super sports car and they are right. Yet somehow that phrase fails to capture the sheer beauty of this beast. People stop in their tracks, mouths hanging open wanting to know what it is. That was my first reaction on seeing the car across a crowded parking lot. It […]
Normally I find it hard to get up at 8am, but this was not a normal day. The opportunity to ride a 2024 R 1300 GS for several hours got me excited to the point where I was awake bright and early for a glorious day and a fabulous ride. And I was one of […]
What might be a dose of adrenaline-inducing good news for Porsche aficionados down under, is that the German marque has teamed up with legendary Manthey-Racing GmbH, to unleash a suite of performance upgrades that promise to transform already formidable Porsche GT models into track-devouring beasts. With a trophy cabinet bursting with motor-racing accolades, including numerous […]
Aston Martin is known for assertive yet timeless design, and the release of their new V8 Vantage in Melbourne bought another chapter for one of the most iconic British sports car brands. M2 was in Melbourne covering Formula One and as Aston Martin was in town for that little race, their director of design Miles […]
My journey with McLaren started with me barely knowing the name. Vaguely aware of the Formula 1 team, I knew Bruce McLaren was a driver, I didn’t realise he was a genuine New Zealand hero. In 1992 the groundbreaking McLaren F1 road car was released, bringing McLaren out of the pitlane and onto the mainstreet. […]
In honour of the Spirit of Expression, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has unleashed three bespoke beasts that are as much art as they are car: Ghost Extended, Phantom Extended, and Spectre, fresh out of the oven from the Private Office Shanghai. Each of these creations capture the essence of exotic locales like a camera on wheels. […]
The Range Rover Evoque hybrid is a sorted car. It’s compact it’s easy to get around but it brings that measure of luxury of the status of a quality brand. The model we drove is a plugin hybrid and I’ve only got praise for its driving characteristics sending the power of a 1.3L turbo to […]
Electric vehicles are becoming the new norm on land, and now EV Maritime has emerged as a leader of the transition to cleaner transportation on water. The brainchild of NZ innovator Michael Eaglen, EV Maritime sets out to decarbonise the maritime industry with its innovative approach to electric ferries. Eaglen has a background in boat […]
Driving the BMW i5 M60 xDrive and I wonder to myself… “Where can cars go from here? Is this the pinnacle?” The handling is superb, suspension so smooth it glides over just about anything you put in its way. It’s as quiet as can be, and boasts just about every feature and function from a […]
Driving the BMW i5 M60 xDrive and I wonder to myself… “Where can cars go from here? Is this the pinnacle?” The handling is superb, suspension so smooth it glides over just about anything you put in its way. It’s as quiet as can be, and boasts just about every feature and function from a […]
From the moment you push the red start stop button you know you are in for a treat. I’ve driven a limited edition M3 (E92 4L V8 DCT) so I had high expectations. My expectations were shattered. This car is possibly the best sports car in its class. Road holding is sensational. And while the […]
As you approach the BMW R18 it’s virtually unlike any other bike. For a start, its monumental size means that there are few other man made pieces of machinery that rival its sheer presence. Photos do not do it justice. This is truly a heritage inspired piece of sculpture that ‘out chromes the chromes’ and […]
What is it? A naked sports bike? A street bike? A roadster? It’s all of them and none of them. The BMW R 1250 R is an axe in a world of knives. From carving the corners and zipping through traffic to proving warp drive is a thing, it seems to be good at just […]
Tesla is well…. Tesla. Different. And now that Tesla is just a little bit better. I had the privilege of attending the launch of the updated Model three. Model three is the mass market car, that car that the Model S and X paved the way for. The one that’s attainable and affordable and it’s […]
Wandering around in the back lanes of Auckland’s Parnell you discover quite a few things you just didn’t know existed.One of those things should be Tala restaurant. With a chic minimalist design and limited seating space you know you’re about to receive excellent attention with you walk through the unassuming door. Tala is the brainchild […]
