July

Is it a Jaguar or is it a Daimler, and would it matter if a get-away driver turned up to a bank job in the Daimler instead of the bank robbers’ favourite, the lookalike Jag Mk2? After all, to the untrained eye the Daimler 250 V8 looks the same as a Jaguar Mk2. However, while the visual differences are subtle, it’s what’s under the bonnet that really sets them apart. Read on...

The fourth generation Toyota Hiace was such a popular van in NZ during its 15 year production. Most came with little to no comfort options, drove okay, and were likely to be lethal in a crash. But it was bomb proof (if not always rust proof), dependable, and didn’t depreciate like most cars. And due to the nature of the work these vans did, most had rolled over the 200,000km mark in their first five years. However, Turners Hamilton has a 25yo example that is yet to hit this modest milestone in Hiace terms. Read on...

What is it? Well, it’s a Nissan Silvia in fancy dress. It was made by a company called Mitsuoka and the model is the Le Seyde. It’s outrageous from every angle, is one of only 500 built, and you definitely want to be going to the Great Gatsby themed party that this thing’s headed to. Read on...

Back in the nineties this would be the van of choice to take your band on tour across America. These days being a touring musician pays so poorly you couldn’t afford the gas to run the 5.7L V8 across town, never mind the country. Unless you’re in a tribute band. If you are, let’s say, a Guns and Roses tribute band, this Chevrolet Express Gladiator edition could be ideal for you. Read on...

It has an eight cylinder engine that has the power of a very large herd of race horses with impeccable pedigrees, can reach 100kph in 3.9 seconds and has a top speed that is as high as it is pointless. Because the point of a Bentley Continental is not how fast it can go or whether you can drag off a Nissan Skyline from the traffic lights. No, the point is that you have money; lots of money. And you have a car that is more powerful, more comfortable and more expensive than nearly anyone else. Read on...

26 years ago, as Toyota launched the clever but conventional looking Prius, Honda launched the amazing first generation Insight. The Insight was the most fuel efficient mass produced car in the world and also looked like the future. We said COOL! But actually really wanted conventional so the Prius became the success and Honda returned to the drawing board. But Honda couldn’t let go of the dream of a sleek and sporty hybrid and gave us the CR-Z and we went WOW! and bought another Prius. But Honda’s misstep is still a cool looking thing today, like this Mugen kitted one. Read on...

The Ford Capri was an Australian made sports car that had the misfortune of coming to market at the same time as Mazda’s MX5. What would become the biggest selling convertible sports car in history versus a roadster based on a Ford Laser was somewhat of a mismatch. But does the Capri offer something a bit different for the entry level classic car buyer today? Or is it a case of rare but nobody cares? Read on...

The Scirocco is a Mediterranean hot wind emanating from the Sahara desert. It’s also a Volkswagen coupe that’s also hot wind powered – sort of – in the form of a turbocharger. This example has the 2 litre engine and is pretty quick, strangely attractive and an interesting alternative to the much more common Golf that it’s based on. Read on...

As we all know, Ferraris are fast and sexy. In the early 60s the stunningly beautiful 250GT, with its V12 engine, was able to hit 100kph from a standstill in around 8 seconds, a quick car in its day, and pretty swift even today. In this 2017 488 GTB you’d be going around 200kph by the time the stopwatch hits 8 seconds, and it’ll cost you around half what you’d pay for the classic one. Is it a bargain? No. Can you buy it at Turners? Yes. Read on...