2019

Every year we take a look at the good and the great automotive Christmas gift ideas so you don’t have to. Here we go.

With it approaching the holiday season and the recent release of the movie Ford V Ferrari we thought it’d be good to take a look at some of the cars that have become stars of the silver screen and achieved iconic status in the process. Click the hyperlinks for movie snippets.

As if the Nissan GT-R wasn’t exclusive enough someone has put scissor doors and an outrageous spoiler on this one. But, like the standard version, it’s still as fast as a Porsche 911 Turbo or Audi R8 and it’ll nip at the heels of Lamborghinis and Ferraris. And the Nissan R35 GT-R is still the bargain Supercar. This epic 2008 model is available right now for less than the deposit on a Ferrari. Read on...

The name Royal Enfield may sound as British as Hillman Hunter and Morris Marina but it’s actually made in India. And despite the vintage looks it’s still being made today and is as popular as ever. This one year old Classic 500 is selling now at Turners Dunedin, so what’s the big deal with these new/old bikes? Read on...

Car adverts come in different forms but essentially they are either aspirational – you know, the SUV that will take you into the wilderness but in reality will just commute you to work. Or the Luxury Euro GT that will have you driving like a boss on the sweeping back roads of the Scottish Highlands but in reality will just commute you to work.

Recently I drove to Wellington from Napier and back again. On the way down the rain started in Featherston and never stopped until I got back to Napier. In Wellington it was torrential and the whole time, from the first wipe until the last, my wipers juddered noisily across the windscreen like a stick being dragged down a corrugated iron fence. With 150kms still to drive and with the sun below the horizon the rubber blades started to disintegrate leaving the metal parts to screech across the screen like a hyena with a guts ache. Could it be time for new blades?

November’s classic car auction at Turners Christchurch was popular as ever and there were some fantastic results and possibly one or two surprising ones also... Read more

The Defender has long been the go-to vehicle to make posh people look more rugged. But make no mistake, this is one rugged beast and rather than looking like a farm vehicle this one, in black, looks like it might be about to go on a Black Ops mission which makes it a perfect city car for an urban professional. And it could be yours. Read on...

Small cars have been a Fiat mainstay for decades and they sell like torte calde in Europe with the Panda its biggest seller. But it turns out small cars cost plenty to develop and build and come with an expectation of a cheap price tag meaning they just aren’t profitable. So Fiat are pulling the plug and focusing on its larger cars. So if you’ve never owned a small, cheap Fiat now might be the time. Read on...