NZV8 No 212 January 2023

By the time you read this, I’ll be about ready to head to Whangamat? for Repco Beach Hop 22. Having attended last year as a freelance photographer to work on the NZV8 Beach Hop Annual, I’m really looking forward to attending this time as editor. Obviously, things will be a little different for me; I’ll be a whole bunch busier and also able to call the shots. I’ll definitely have my work cut out, that’s for sure. When I returned home from last year’s event, I jumped straight on Trade Me to see what American car I could afford. It’s surprising how the vibe at Beach Hop makes you crave an American machine, so I’m sure I wasn’t the only one doing it. As you may know, I still haven’t bought…

Year after year, custom car builder, Ringbrothers, tends to bring the most amazing vehicles to SEMA. This year was no different — Ringbrothers brought along its most extreme machine, the Enyo Super Truck, which has had the most time put into it: 10,000 hours. A significant amount of the truck is one-off. It has a unique chassis, developed and built by Ahlman Engineering and Roadster Shop. It has cantilever independent suspension all around, as open-wheel race cars do — well, it does have open wheels with fat tyres. Also similar to a race car are the on-board air jacks. The vehicle also has six-piston Brembo brakes all around. Powering the truck is a Goodwin 510ci (8.4L) marine racing V8, which makes 1000 horsepower. All that power goes to the back via…

Comedian and actor Kevin Hart apparently has a thing for muscle cars. The latest addition to what is surely quite an extensive garage is a completely customised 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner restomod. The car is inspired by the Halloween movie franchise, and was restored and modified by Salvaggio Design in Wisconsin. Powering the vehicle is a Chrysler 426 Hemi V8 engine, which can be described as a cross between a Demon and a Hellephant. It’s said to produce 701kW, and has a Tremec 6060 six-speed manual transmission, which was strengthened to handle the engine’s power. The car rides on 18-inch front wheels and 20-inch back wheels, designed to resemble steelies with custom hubcaps retaining the ’60s look. The body is also designed to keep the car looking as if it’s straight out of the…

If you’re a fan of the cars and action you see in the pages of NZV8 magazine, then chances are you’re also a fan of Repco Muscle Garage. The weekly TV show brings you the very best of NZV8, including interviews, workshop profiles, the cars, and a look into various sheds around the country. Thanks to sponsors Repco New Zealand, Meguiar’s, and Mount Shop Ltd, Season 11 has kicked off on Three on Sunday, as part of the CRC Motorsport line-up. With 10 shows in the series, there’s plenty of action to satisfy even the most die-hard of V8 enthusiasts. As always, if you’re too busy to catch the action on Sunday afternoons, episodes will be uploaded to The Motorhood soon after they’ve aired and will be available for you to…

Dodge and Mopar have a history of offering some sweet crate engines, and there’s no sign of that slowing. Dodge isn’t done with V8s, and the brand’s ultimate Hellephant engine will have four variants. What once was one wild, supercharged 426 cubic inch (7.0L) V8, will be a quartet of wild supercharged engines. The main difference will be a choice between an aluminium block, like the Hellephant we all know, and a cast-iron version. The cast-iron model is smaller displacement, at 376 cubic inches (6.2L), but it makes up for that with a smaller 3.02-inch supercharger pulley — 3.17 on the aluminium engine — on the 3.0-litre supercharger, and larger 105mm (versus 92mm) throttle body. While sharing the displacement of the Hellcat engine, the iron Hellephant has a variety of improvements…

EMAIL YOUR INFO TO: EDITOR@NZV8.CO.NZ Cruise Martinborough 26–29 January 2023 Martinborough Registrations for Cruise Martinborough are open now, and there are just 100 spots left! The four-day festival is a hot rod, classic, and muscle car event showcasing vehicles from the ’70s, ’60s, ’50s, and prior. It features cruises, shows (Saturday display is back at the Square), drive-in movie, flag drop drags, music, socials, Miss Cruise Martinborough pageant, and more. Saturday-only passes are available on the website. Spectators are welcome. Go to: cruisemartinborough.co.nz. BurgerFuel Port Road Drags 27 November Port Road, Lower Hutt, Wellington New Zealand’s longest running street drags and an iconic Kiwi event to attend. Gates open at 8am with racing starting at 9.30am. Hot rod and special car parking is available for early birds. A fun-filled day for the family with plenty of racing action.…