New Cars Road Tests

Road Test: Ford Falcon XT EcoBoost

OVERSTEER ROAD TEST: Ford Falcon XT EcoBoost A four-cylinder Falcon?! The SHOCK! The HORROR! It’s just NOT RIGHT! It simply CAN’T BE TRUE! It must be a TERRIBLE CAR… actually, it’s not. It’s a very impressive car indeed. We know, because we have driven one extensively… Opinions on the idea of a four-cylinder Falcon tend […]

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New Cars Road Tests

Road Test: Mazda RX-8 Spirit R

OVERSTEER ROAD TEST: Mazda RX-8 Spirit R The last gasp from the now-iconic Mazda RX-8 may well, in reality, be the last rasp from the truly legendary rotary engine, despite Mazda’s highest hopes and best efforts. We take a look at the final special edition of the RX-8 to see if it still spins our […]

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First Drives New Cars

FIRST DRIVE: Chrysler 300

After an absence of a couple of years the big Chrysler is back on New Zealand shores. It’s lost a C and most of its gangster looks, but it has gained a whole bunch of kit and a seriously upgraded interior. We head to Taupo to see if the 300 can still pop a cap […]

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News

McLaren lops the top off

McLaren Automotive has released the second model in the MP4-12C family: the new 12C Spider. Far more than “just” an MP4-12C with the roof chopped off, the Spider features a folding roof system that can be operated while on the move. The 12C Spider boasts the same impressive 460kW output from McLaren’s M838T 3.8-litre V8 twin […]

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New Cars Road Tests

OVERSTEER COMPARISON: Three Camrys. Sort of.

OVERSTEER COMPARISON: Toyota Aurion Sportivo SX6 vs Toyota Camry Hybrid i-Tech vs Toyota Camry Atara SX So you have a lazy 50-odd grand lying around and want to drop it on a top-of-the-line Toyota sedan? Well then you have a choice – namely two Camrys and a Camry-based, V6-engined alternative. We look at the options […]

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New Cars Quick Drives

QUICK DRIVE: Audi Q3

OVERSTEER ROAD TEST: Audi Q3 2.0TDI quattro Audi’s baby SUV blends A3 size with Q5 looks, which sounds a bit odd. And let’s face it; it does look a bit odd too. But how does it drive? We spend a few days with one to find out. White is not the Audi Q3’s best colour. […]

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First Drives New Cars

FIRST DRIVE: Lexus GS

The least interesting model in the Lexus sedan line up gets an extreme makeover and a new image as sporty, exciting and packed full of soul… We head to the North Waikato to find out if this is a load of old marketing bollocks or not. WHAT IS IT? The over-looked middle child of the […]

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New Cars Quick Drives

QUICK DRIVE: Toyota Avensis Wagon

OVERSTEER ROAD TEST: Toyota Avensis Wagon There hasn’t been a Camry wagon for some time now; the Avensis is the car that has filled that gap, but does it deserve to be as relatively anonymous as it is? We take a quick look and decide. The Toyota Avensis is essentially what passes for a Camry wagon these […]

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New Cars Road Tests

Lexus LFA. Almost a drive…

The day started with much promise. We were attending the launch of the Lexus GS and had spent the previous afternoon thrashing each of the new models around the Hampton Downs race circuit, followed by a fancy dinner and a night in the luxurious (but slightly odd…) Sarnia Lodge, just out of Cambridge. At dinner […]

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New Cars Road Tests

ROAD TEST: Range Rover Evoque Dynamic SD4

OVERSTEER ROAD TEST: Range Rover Evoque Dynamic SD4 The smallest Range Rover ever (or should that be so far?) has recently worried the bearded, wooly knitted hat-wearing traditionalists by daring to be modern. Is it all style and no substance or can the Evoque give the boring gits something to stick in their pipes? We […]

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