Rakiura | Third Island Gin Third Island Gin hails from Stewart Island, New Zealand’s southernmost distillery. This small-batch London Dry spirit arrives in a beautiful and unique bottle. Each unique batch showcases exceptional craftsmanship. The nose presents bright juniper and citrus alongside remarkable New Zealand natives. Aromas of Rimu and Manuka create an enticing profile. […]
Toyota has maintained a position of leadership in the New Zealand market for an enviable 38 consecutive years. In 2025, the company achieved record sales of more than 34,000 vehicles. Across Corolla, RAV4 and Hilux, Toyota defines the concept of the car for the New Zealand public. Not surprising that the RAV4 is now the […]
I arrive at the Savic West Melbourne facility with a full suitcase. Usually I travel with carry on only, yet my leathers and boots demand space. Savic (pronounced Savich) has built a striking ‘Chrome and Leather’ cafe racer that I’m here to test. There’s no fairings here folks, it’s mechanicals on display, without forgetting about […]
The Ferrari Amalfi has many good numbers. 3.9 Litre 90-degree V8 twin-turbo with 470Kw and 760 NM from 3,000 to 5,700 rpm and it will spin to 7,600 driving through a 8-spd DCT for a 3.3 seconds 0 to 100 sprint, and a 320kph vmax. It’s 4.6 m long with a 2.7 m wheelbase, a […]
Turns out the best way to understand a supercar’s four-wheel drive system is to point it at a frozen lake in Inner Mongolia and see what happens. While most of us were going to work and pretending to care about interest rates, a handful of lucky New Zealanders were halfway across the world in Yakeshi, […]
I had the honour of joining Ferrari for two events at Casa Ferrari at the Melbourne Formula One Grand Prix. Situated on the main straight – the view was stunning, as was the hospitality. Thursday night cocktails made quite the event, especially when you are joined by F1 team boss Fred Vasseur, and seven-time world […]
Cadillac is the newest team to join Formula One, making 11 teams and 22 cars on the grid. F1 is a very sophisticated operation these days, an elite franchise with restricted entry. How the most famous name in American luxury autos made it to the startline is an interesting story. Italian-born and USA-based Mario Andretti […]
It started with a question from Sony in 2017. They wanted a car for the new Gran Turismo. McLaren answered with the Vision GT, a digital monster where the driver literally lay in it like a motorbike. Millions played the game. Then a group of customers asked the factory to build it as a real […]
Greg Murphy is one of the most approachable motorsport superstars. The four-time Bathurst winner is a similar age to me; I saw him at the Nissan Mobil 500 Wellington street race back in the 90s. That was before he became famous, but even when he was on the podium, he had his feet firmly planted […]
Petrol is now over $3 a litre. That’s only happened a handful of times in living memory, and each time it does, the same conversation starts up again: how do we stop being so dependent on the stuff? Three bucks is expensive in anyone’s book, and with pump prices this unpredictable, the case for electrification […]
Well, isn’t this a little treasure? Lotus is the ultimate sports car formula: small, light, fast and fun. “Lightness” was the catch-cry of Colin Chapman, founder of Lotus; it helped him win many Formula One victories. The Emira typifies this fabulous form. With compact dimensions, rear-wheel drive, and a mid-mounted engine, it is masterfully packed. […]
Visiting McLaren headquarters represents a special opportunity. It is closed to the general public so access requires time and connections. Security guards monitor the entrance and expect the arrival of scheduled visitors. A map guides the path across the area. Driving a Mini Cooper along English lanes didn’t prepare me for the massive estate. The […]
Tom Slingsby Is a hard man to get hold of. But we managed! Captain of the Australian SailGP Catamaran, competitor in America’s Cup, International man of mystery, all round bloody nice guy. We asked him a number of questions to give us an understanding of the psyche of the man who is undoubtedly the most […]
It is easy to like the Corvette E-Ray, the performance hybrid version of the Stingray Boasts 369kW and 637Nm from the mid-engined 6.2L LT2 V8 engine. But wait there’s more… 119kW and 169Nm from the front axle combine to provide a staggering 488kW and 806Nm. Yes, this is the first four wheel drive Stingray, and […]
Formula 1 is an octane and ego fuelled sport, so that makes New Zealand driver Liam Lawson a breath of pretence-free, humble air. In the days before the Visa Cash App RB driver prepared for the unique Baku street circuit, I had a Zoom call with him to understand what powers his journey at the […]
The pinnacle of automotive performance is an ever moving target and with McLaren’s racing heritage, the challenge is fundamental to the brand. Following the legendary F1 and the paradigm-shifting hybrid P1, the company faced the huge task of writing the next chapter. The result is the W1, a vehicle conceived not merely to be fast, […]
I’m sitting in the Corvette Z06, the angry older brother of the Stingray. This has a 500 KW (670 hp), 5.5 litre flat plane crank V8. This LT6 configuration with titanium internals has a red line of 8600 RPM and it is the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 ever fitted to a production car. This […]
Triumph is an icon at the core of the English automobile scene and is the sole remaining all-British-owned major brand. They have made some of the most beloved motorcycles on the planet. The brand appeared in 1877 after two years of importing bicycles and started making motorcycles in 1902. By 1918, Triumph was Britain’s largest […]
Engineer Henry Royce set out to create the pinnacle of luxury car experience in 1903. His passion soon attracted the sales and marketing talent of Charles Rolls. Together, they launched the Rolls-Royce Motor Company, and now, 122 years later, the brand defines the ultimate car experience and the very definition of quality itself. The ultimate […]
The G580 has the same character of the G63 gas burner, the same retro brick-inspired exterior look, the same interior, if somewhat updated, it even almost sounds the same with the V8 inspired mumbly grumbly soundtrack that can be mistaken for the real thing. I’m actually sold on this artificial sound. It gives you genuinely […]
Driving a 12-cylinder, 830-horsepower Ferrari is good on any day, but testing it on the Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds on ice has to rate as one of the top vehicle experiences possible. With a massively powerful, rear-wheel-drive, ultra-expensive car, you don’t always think of putting it on a bed of ice and snow. It doesn’t […]
Always a brand that’s uniquely recognisable, and with such status, it was right at the top of my hit list when planning to experience the British car industry. The Goodwood Festival of Speed was already on the books so the cherry on the top was an invitation to spend a day in their Aston hospitality […]
The first impression of the BMW X7 is its size. It is not small, in or out. It’s a genuine seven-seater with a robust physical presence. The second thing you notice is the comfort, the large seats – space abounds. The third thing you notice is the effortless luxury of endless leather, Alcantara and more. […]
The Oxford plant has been building cars since 1913 in the same spot, and it’s built everything from the Morris Oxford Bullnose to models for brands as diverse as Austin, Rolls-Royce, Range Rover, Honda based Triumph models and MG. In many ways it’s been the heart of local automotive production lines. English car manufacturing may […]
Formula 1 is an octane and ego fuelled sport, so that makes New Zealand driver Liam Lawson a breath of pretense free humble air. In the days before the Visa Cash App RB driver prepared for the unique Baku street circuit, I had a Zoom call with him to understand what powers his journey at […]
Each issue, Tim Warren, our untamed reviewer of all things that make life wonderful, turns his attention to the bountiful New Zealand gin scene. Awildian Manuka Coromandel based Awildian has been making waves since their London Dry won “Best in the World” in 2022. This “Old Tom, new tricks” promises an updated 18th-century recipe with […]
The G wagen is beautiful brick, barely changed in appearance since 1979. Scarcely a more iconic vehicle on the planet, it’s now a cultural icon, the ultimate gangster whip, while gracing the pages of luxury magazines like this one. Designed in a time before aerodynamics, and not reviewed since, it’s not destined for a race […]
There is absolutely no hiding that this car is enormous in just about all ways It’s long, it’s wide, it’s quite tall, it’s unbelievably powerful, and it’s heavy. The 2025 edition of the M5, often regarded as BMW’s halo car, this bona fide barnstormer is fast, potent and muscular, and rides like a dream. The […]
You drive a Cadillac because you’ve made it, and you want people to know. It’s a great, big, comfortable car. It’s a fast, yet cool, calm, status piece. You’d love to be picked up in this if you’re an international artist, being taken to your gig, being ferried around town between red carpet events – […]
Handsome looking inside and out, you can tell this M3 Touring Competition means business, yet it’s hard to tell just how good it is until you drive it. The interior is very similar to the M4, featuring tons of carbon and leather and low-reflective surfaces. Both the driver and passenger seats offer heating and ventilation, […]
BMW loaned writer and explorer Tim Warren an M4 competition to explore rural Victoria in Australia. Exciting plans mean a 5:45am Monday morning Airport trip. Auckland to Melbourne is a route I’ve taken more than 50 times, it’s virtually a bus trip and passes quickly as I consume 4 episodes of House of Dragons. On […]
Ed Harvey didn’t set out to start a business. The founder of New Zealand’s own EV charger maker Evnex, his journey began with a personal project converting his Honda Accord to electric during his university years as he studied Electrical Engineering. “I’d kind of been interested in electric vehicles since I was probably 10 or […]
Photography By Nabulen Ignacio There’s something extraordinary about this Taycan 4s Cross Turismo. It feels like a Porsche. It’s all electric, yet you barely think about it. Power delivery is like a smooth sports petrol engine. And while there’s no rumbling exhaust note, driving just feels like a Porsche even though it’s an EV wagon. […]
It’s easy to forget just how radical the original iDrive was. Back in 2001, when most cars still had cassette slots and enough buttons on the dashboard to rival a Boeing 747, BMW looked at its flagship 7 Series and thought, “What if we got rid of most of this?” What followed was a seismic […]
Let’s get the obvious out of the way, this is an extremely pleasant place to be. The car welcomes you like a prince into unlimited luxury. Understatement is the name of the game here, it’s a classically British car which wraps brawn with exquisite tailoring. Beautiful stitched leather integrates seamlessly with alcantara and combination of […]
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! Time to go windsurfing. I don’t own one, but my good friend Bob does. We rummage his storage unit, […]
The SL has long been Mercedes ultimate Boss car. It’s lineage is as long as it is storied, with the 300 SL being near universally hailed as one of the greatest cars ever made, contributing to the fact it is the most expensive car ever sold – an immaculate condition SLR racing version recently sold […]
The Aston Martin Vantage V8 is an event. More than virtually any other car I have driven. Aside from its staggeringly gorgeous looks, the trim and finish puts it among an exclusive set of cars exhibiting ultimate luxury and ultimate performance in a single exclusive package. Starting with the looks, it is simply one of […]
Unmistakably a Range Rover, handsome from every angle, the Sport it embodies the brand’s gravitas. The D250 SE features a 3-liter, six-cylinder turbo diesel delivering 165 kW and 600 Nm of torque with a refined burble reminiscent of a petrol engine. On road it’s sprightly and effortless; off-road it shines with capability. This blend makes […]
Oh, boy, this is fun! The Triumph Bobber 1200 is a surprising bike. It’s surprisingly good, surprisingly fast, surprisingly comfortable and surprisingly easy to ride. The original bobber was basically an unsprung bike with a slightly bouncy seat to limit bone jarring. Today’s bobbers integrate hidden suspension and a fixed seat that looks like it’s […]
Toyota has launched the Hakone edition of their sports car, the GR86 using the 86 GT as the base car. You probably know that GR is short for Gazoo Racing, and is the indication of the highest performance of each of Toyota’s models. The 2025 GR86 Hakone, with only 15 units available in New Zealand, […]
Photography By: Bob Martin, Felix Diemer, Jason Ludlow, Ricardo Pinto, Iain McGregor for SailGP Fresh from the Auckland SailGP weekend, writer Tim Warren is more than a little excited about what he just watched! The Rolex SailGP is an event unlike any other, a true spectacle conceived by Russell Coutts, the New Zealand sailing legend. […]
Toyota New Zealand loaned writer Tim Warren a smoky blue 2024 Toyota Prado Adventure to go and have a good Kiwi summer. The Prado Adventure, equipped with a 2.8-litre turbocharged diesel engine paired with a 48V Hybrid System, produces and impressive 150kW and 500Nm torque. Offering both power and efficiency, Prado is the ideal companion […]
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 and […]
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 […]
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 […]
