January

The first generation of Toyota Prius arrived in Japanese showrooms in 1997 and was billed as the “Car of the 21st Century”. This dowdy little four door sedan must’ve been counting on the 21st century being a pretty dull century. In its favour it was the first mass production hybrid car, but when you were promised flying cars by 2000 when you were a kid, the Prius was a bit of an anti-climax. Finally, in 2022, a new, sleek and quite beautiful Prius was unveiled, and Toyota NZ decided not to sell it. Read on...

The original Dodge Challenger was one of the all-time great movie cars so it was not surprising Chrysler decided to revive the legend. The reissue was described by Road and Track as being “A petrol bath for pent up souls” and I know there are a few of those reading this. This 2019 RT Skat Pack Widebody edition is being auctioned online by Turners Wellington. Read on...

You might think the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is just another quick executive sedan with a big price tag. Maybe you’re thinking you could go for a cheaper Kia Stinger? I mean it’s fast and aggressive looking, right? Well, yes, it is both of those things, but the Alfa turns up the volume. In musical terms, if the Kia is Bon Jovi, the Alfa is Led Zeppelin. Let’s explore why. Read on...

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...

It’s big, has seven seats and an equipment list as long as a Tolkien novel. There is so much tech you’ll likely never know what options are fitted to your Audi Q7 unless you take a few hours to peruse the literature in the glovebox. But who cares? Most of the tech is active, it just does its stuff without you really knowing. What matters to you is it looks smart, goes like stink, is big and comfortable. Read on...

Old Mercs from the 60s are so cool. They aren’t fast or sleek, but they are stately, tough, elegant and classy. And it’s affordable coolness, too. You could turn up to a swanky event in this sub $20k 1966 Fintail Mercedes, and look more minted than someone in a new Ferrari or even a new Mercedes. Even the radio is cool, and expensive. Read on.

If you were upper-middle management at a city accounting firm in 1971 the Vauxhall Viscount might’ve been the car you aspired to. The big boss would have a Jag and those under you, maybe something Aussie with a bench seat. Your equivalent at a law firm across town might’ve gone for a Holden Premier, but being an accountant, you thought the Vauxhall offered better bang for buck. And that might still be true today. Read on..

KTM are a company more known for motorcycles, so for its first foray into four wheels it’s maybe not surprising that the X-Bow looks like something a motorcycle designer might come with for a car. There’s no (proper) windscreen, roof or side windows – basically all the comfort of a sports-bike. However, it’s under 800kg and can sprint its way to 100kph in 3.9 seconds, so has the performance of a sports-bike. It’s less “wind in the hair motoring” and more hurricane in your face motoring. Read on...

You may ask yourself why a fairly plain 1992 Porsche 911 with an automatic gearbox and a few niggly problems to sort could be worth $140,000. Surely you could get a newer, faster 911 for that money? Well the answer is “air-cooled”, and, to some extent, “resto-mod”. This car is to be auctioned by Turners in Auckland. Let’s explore why it will be so popular. Read on...