NZ4WD

it’s a jeep, jim, but not as we know it!

When my daughter Kate’s teenage friends found out that her Dad got ‘new cars to drive for free’ (I wish!) the first one most asked about was a Jeep Wrangler. “I SOOOO want one,” cooed one. “They are just SOOOO cute,” opined another. The silly thing is (or rather was) that Jeep, like most other car companies, only puts ‘press vehicles’ on its fleet when they have a new model they want to tell the world about. They’ll also fly the odd (very!) journo to a ‘world launch’ ahead of time to generate pre-interest if the model (and news outlet) is considered important enough. But neither I nor NZ4WD are on that exalted list! Obviously I have driven the new JL Wrangler (as well as its predecessor) but in both cases it was for a very…

big fine/costs for nzfwda over rma breaches

The New Zealand Four Wheel Drive association (NZFWDA) and Valley 4WD Club were both fined in the Wellington District Court last year for offences arising from two charges relating to breaches of the Resource Management Act during the Deadwood Safari National Trial in November 2018 which resulted in damage to a tributary of the Mangaroa River and unconsented discharge of sediment into a river system. Neville Dunton, NZFWDA President, issued a statement to members on December 13th 2019 on behalf of the NZFWDA Executive Committee following the conviction on December 12 2019 with fines, in the case of NZFWDA, of $38,000 plus costs. The Valley 4WD Club had earlier been fined $60,000 plus costs back in October 2019. Both defendants had pleaded guilty. All member clubs on notice In his statement Dunton said that:…

chevy’s hilux chase ends with winning trade me bid

Created by Toyota New Zealand as a one-off concept truck to demonstrate the range of accessories available for Hilux at Fieldays, the Hilux Gladiator is a muscular beast equipped to handle anything New Zealand can throw at it. Stretching the definition of fully loaded, the Hilux Gladiator is based on a 4WD double cab Hilux SR5 and has around $65,000 worth of modifications and accessories. When Chevy and Michele Alexander saw the Toyota Hilux Gladiator at the Mystery Creek Fieldays in 2017 (they go every year after spending their honeymoon at Fieldays), they couldn’t take their eyes off it. In fact, over the course of their four-day trip to Fieldays they visited the hyper-accessorised Gladiator several times. When they returned home to Taupo, they visited their Toyota dealership to see if…

holden calls time on commodore, focuses future on suvs and utes

As bombshells it was up there with the biggies – Holden announced just before Christmas that it was changing the way it went about its ‘car’ business, effectively consigning the Commodore nameplate to history in favour of a ‘modified portfolio dedicated exclusively to Sport Utility Vehicles and Light Commercial Vehicles (SUV and LCV).’ Holden Australia Interim Chairman and Managing Director, Kristian Aquilina, said the focus of the portfolio was consistent with customer preferences, with the Acadia, Trailblazer, Equinox and Trax rounding out a comprehensive SUV portfolio; and the Colorado tackling rivals in the LCV segment. “Holden is taking this decisive action to ensure a sharp focus on the largest and most buoyant market segments. “In New Zealand year to date, all Holden LCV and SUV models have registered substantial growth, attributable to the…

arb links with king of the hammers event

Australian 4WD aftermarket specialist ARB has inked a deal with the big Nitto King of the Hammers event in the US this year to be the official locking differential and air compressor supplier of organiser Ultra4’s race series. An Ultra4 fan favourite which began in 2008, King of the Hammers was instantly regarded as one of the most technically challenging races in the world. Since then ARB has been a frequent vendor at the event, displaying its latest product and providing technical support to all those competing with ARB Air Locker and ARB Air Compressor gear. This year’s event kicks off on January 31 and goes until February 09 with the ‘main event,’ the Nitto Tires King of the Hammers ‘rock race’ taking place on Friday Feb 07. Racing will include the Can-Am…

photo call ahead of wellington club’s 50th year

The Cross Country Vehicle Club Wellington (CCVC) is commencing the build-up to their 50th anniversary in 2021 with a call for photographs from the club’s five decades of four wheeling. The Club came about after a few people got together in August of 1971 for the first Deadwood Safari; run in Upper Hutt as a contest to see who had the best four- wheel-drive. The record books show Tony Street was the first to enter and Mr A McLean, driving a Toyota won the competition which had over 50 entries and was run over three timed sections in the Akatarawa Forest including a run up Deadwood Ridge. The Deadwood Safari, as one of the oldest 4WD rallies in the country, was run through old logging tracks along the Deadwood ridge in the…