April

When you mention Renault to many NZ drivers you, somewhat ironically, get a very Gallic shrug of the shoulders or a dismissive wave of the hands. This is odd because when it comes to hot hatches Renault has got form, seriously good form. Read on... Renault has made some great hot hatches starting with the brilliant Renault 5 GT Turbo on to the fantastic Williams Clio and various iterations of the Clio and Megane Sport RS models. These cars are, in many cases, a well kept secret. Maybe it’s to do with some of the standard models being less than great or maybe it’s the quirky looks, or, in the case of the Clio, maybe it’s the conservative, shopping trolley image. One thing is certain, if you drive one of these French rockets you’ll be impressed. The RS model is very different to the standard cars. For a start they are manufactured at the company’s Renault Sport facility in Dieppe where their race cars and sports edition models are developed and bolted together. The result is as far from the standard model as you can imagine. This 2010 Luticia (Clio) RS is well worth a look if you want bang for buck. The Clio III RS boasts 200hp and will sprint to 100kph in 6.9 seconds thanks to its cracking naturally aspirated 2 litre engine and lovely 6 speed manual transmission. And when you need to stop the Brembo brakes pull you up quickly and smoothly. The ride is sporty but not harsh and the interior is comfortable. Add to that cruise control and OZ Racing wheels and you have a car that can go toe to toe with a Golf R or a Focus RS for a fraction of the price. This car is available right now at Turners Tauranga for the surprisingly low price of just $9990 drive away. You surely won’t go faster for less! More details here.

Volvo has a deserved and enviable reputation when it comes to safety, but with safety comes a perception of perhaps being boring – a car for architects, accountants and families from nice suburbs. But there’s an exciting side to Volvo, one that involves power, striking looks and colours whilst still being safe. Take this V40 T5 R-Design at Turners Tauranga for example. Read on...

Audi is a much admired German brand that conjures up luxury, power, the Quattro 4WD system and motorsport. But before it was Audi it was Auto Union and, apart from the famous inter-linked rings on the grill, Auto Union cars will be less familiar to most and Turners Christchurch are auctioning this rare NZ new example. Read on...

Small Fiats are cool. It’s a fact that’s not open for discussion. However, this pretty and rare Fiat 600 went from cool to very hot in a big and frightening hurry. But all is not lost for this stylish Italian and this otherwise very tidy Seicento. Read on...

Those 5 weeks of not driving during level 4, and a couple more in level 3 for many, has left many petrol-heads with a hole in their lives. But for many of us the opportunity to mess around with our cars has been a revelation with jobs, big and small, finally getting the attention they deserve. Read on...

With lockdown ending its 4th week some of us will not have driven our cars for a long time, or occasionally at best. Our cars have likely been neglected and it’ll show. So maybe it’s time to evict the spiders, clean off the dust and make sure it still runs and moves. Read on...

Say what you like about Jaguars but the F-Type is an absolute stunner to look at from any angle, sounds epic and goes like a cat chasing a rat, too. Turners have this example right now and I can think of a no better way to self isolate than inside one of these on a quiet road with lots of twisty bits. Read on...

Zambesi is one of New Zealand’s most influential and longest running fashion labels and has long been at the cutting edge of men’s and women’s fashion. In 2012 they teamed up with Fiat NZ to create a one-off, special edition Fiat 500, or the Z 500. Now this special car is for sale and you can buy it. Read on...

Ahh, the Mercedes W123; there’s something comforting, safe and reassuring about its no nonsense, almost plain exterior. It’s dependable and handsome but the outrageous avocado upholstery is a little wink to its fun side. This 250E from 1977 could possibly be the ultimate classic daily driver and I’ll tell you why. Read on...