NZV8 No 211 December 2022

I’m a pretty simple man when it comes to things that make me feel good; one of those things would have to be knowing my car survived AutoFest with no major issues. I must say that having it sitting in the garage clean, with nothing broken and nothing major that needs to be fixed before I take it out again, makes me feel pretty happy. During the build process of the engine bay, I would often tell myself that I wouldn’t give it too much grief as I didn’t want anything to break. I even told the mate who was riding shotgun with me at AutoFest that I would take it easy. I should have known I was completely lying to myself. I hit the Manfeild racetrack at AutoFest, got onto…

Earlier this year, Mobil™ motor oils and their brand ambassador, motorsport legend Greg Murphy, went looking for New Zealand’s Meanest Machine. With $10,000 cash up for grabs, they put the call out to all tinkerers, tuners and polishing pros. The Mobil™ Mean Machine competition was open to all kinds of vehicles — sports cars, muscle cars, supercars, show cars, not-even cars! Whether it was a pick-up, low rider, fixer-upper, or even still on blocks, it was eligible. And the whips came flooding in with more than 1000 entries and nearly 100,000 votes from members of the public. The top 20 featured Mazdas, a Mitsi, Subaru, Chevs, Fords, a couple of trusty Corollas, and a fair few Holdens, including a 2008 HSV Murph edition featuring an under-hood mural of the man himself! Here’s…

Ford once again sounds a wake-up call for sports car lovers around the world with the introduction of the all-new Ford Mustang. The seventh generation is the most exhilarating and visceral yet, from its fighter jet-inspired digital cockpit, to its new, advanced, turbocharged and naturally aspirated engines, to its edgier yet timeless exterior design. “Investing in another generation of Mustang is a big statement at a time when many of our competitors are exiting the business of internal combustion vehicles,” said Jim Farley, CEO of Ford Motor Company. “Ford, however, is turbocharging its ICE growth plan, adding connected technology, opinionated derivatives, and hybrid options to our most profitable and popular cars — all in the Ford Blue family — on top of investing $50 billion in electric vehicles through 2026.” The new…

Got a secret admiration for muscle cars and V8s? Then chances are you’re also a fan of Repco Muscle Garage. The weekly TV series showcases New Zealand’s finest V8s, hot rods, and muscle cars. This show delves into the depths of the muscle car culture through interviews, workshop profiles, and tours of various sheds across the country. Season 11 of Repco Muscle Garage is now broadcasting every Sunday on Three as part of the CRC Motorsport line-up. With season 11 well and truly underway, now’s the time to put yourself into the draw for this season’s mega prize pack donated by the show’s long-time supporters and sponsors: Repco New Zealand, Meguiar’s, Rislone, and Mount Shop. The prize pack includes a Mechpro Blue 9-drawer workbench valued at $724, a Meguiar’s complete car care…

Black — the most fashionable colour of all time — is back for Kiwi number plates. New Zealand number plates company, KiwiPlates, has announced the launch of black number plates as a option for New Zealand personalised plates. Black plates were discontinued in 1986 when white-background plates became the new standard. The new black plates are available in a range of sizes and letter and number colours. In addition to silver characters, which will look near original on most classic cars, KiwiPlates will introduce black plates with white characters for the first time. They will also be available in standard, European, and slim sizes, exclusive to KiwiPlates. Buyers can change their existing plate from a white background to the new black plates for as little as $199, with other options ranging in price…

Car shows are a great opportunity to get to hang out with like-minded people who share your interests, speak the same language, and appreciate the work and effort that goes into the projects on display — in short, shows inspire us. The trouble is, if you want to get a wide cross section of ideas, tips, tricks, and performance secrets, going to a variety of shows can take up a fair bit of time, and that’s time that might be needed in the garage turning spanners, not travelling to different car shows every second weekend. The concept behind Autorama 2023 is to provide a large do-it-all-in-one-weekend solution that blends the best of the special interest vehicle community together, both car owners and industry specialists. A new event put together by the team…