I feel as though I should start this article with a little full disclosure: I’ve never liked RX-8s. I’ve always thought that Mazda’s last surviving rotary is unattractive, underpowered, over-thirsty and uninspired, so when Mazda New Zealand called up the NZPC offices and told me they had an RX-8 they thought I should borrow for a while, I wasn’t Read the full story »
We’ve been looking forward to this all year – the NZPC Summer Tour kicks off this weekend at Fram Autolite Dragway in Meremere and it’s looking like it’s going to be amazing. Hundreds of cool cars, thousands of people and plenty of sunshine (hopefully!)
Remember, the event is free and everyone is welcome, so make sure you get along and help our scene by showing your face and getting social. Gates open at Midday and the event runs until 3PM. For more information, make sure you check out the event page and Facebook page for more details!
This weekend Cody’s D1NZ National Drifting Championship heads north to Whangarei with a new location and more importantly, a new track. Preparations are well underway for the specialty circuit, which features an estimated 130KPH entry into a succession of inside and outside clipping points/zones on a tight and technical track lined with concrete barriers. The best thing about specialty tracks like this is the crowds proximity to the action, something you just can’t get at a regular race track. Gates open at 9am, $10 on the gate for Saturday and $20 for Sunday. There is also VIP for $50 but only a few spots remain, so get in quick. The entrance is located off Rewa Rewa RD at the Toll/United yard.
1.2-litres of twin rotor fury graces the cover of issue 193 of New Zealand Performance Car magazine in the form of Glenn Huijs new Pro Import Mazda FC RX-7. Built to chase down Tony Markovina’s 12A powered record of 8.66@246kph, this is one seriously good looking race car with the mechanical credentials to back it up
Photo thanks to Popeye Pics
In what was the HD2 Racing Evo’s first ever full-power pass, Mike Bradley peddled the Mitsubishi into the sevens with a 7.87@169MPH. The first meeting this season for the Evo saw the debut of a new engine thanks to Auckland-based Engine Rebuilders. The HD2 team also flew over Bill Naban from Mazsport in Australia to tune the car. “I’ve run about 20 passes in the car and each and every time it cutout due to flooding or an electrical problem, but we are on top of it now”, Mike explained to NZPC. During Saturday’s test and tune at Fram Autolite Dragway, the car rolled off the trailer and on low boost ran 8.5, then during Sunday’s Spring Nationals a switch to high boost saw a new PB of 7.87@169 run. “Now we are on top of the problems I will focus on getting seat time and learning to drive it. We will probably stay the rest of this season with the current tune, I will be happy to run high 7′s and low eights, although there is still plenty of power left in it, we won’t up the tune for some time”, Mike says. Mike would like to thank Mazsport Racing, Bam from Bam’s, Engine Rebuilders, Paul from NZ Performance, Warren from MGN, Wong’s Kitchen, Sparktech Ignition, Redline Performance, Lauren and Christy for all their help
Seeing a murdered-out, matte-black Nissan 350Z slammed on 20-inch Work Meisters rolling down the motorway next to you is one thing, but hearing the unmistakable hiss of a turbo building boost as the driver drops a couple of gears right next to you is something else. If you live in Auckland, the good news is there’s a fair chance you’ve already had this very experience.
While most sensible people (ourselves included) choose to get around town in something fairly sedate, Aucklander Drew Miller likes to live a little more on the wild side when it Read the full story »
Online entry forms are now open for both individuals and car clubs for next year’s V 4&Rotary Nationals. If you wish to enter as a club you will need a minimum of five cars, but the best bit about this is that you can enter everyone at once, rather than having to rely on everyone to do their own entries, thus ensuring your entire club is placed together. However, individual entries are also open. Both can be found on www.4androtary.co.nz, and you will need a credit card on hand to make a booking. If you are building something pretty special and would like to unveil the car as one of the features at the show, contact azhar@4androtary.co.nz to discuss this further. With just over two months until the biggest show of the year you are best not to wait too long just in case the halls reach capacity.
“I’m very aware that building this car probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do” — Patrick O’Carroll is very honest when it comes to his unique 1987 Mitsubishi Mirage Cyborg, and you quickly realise that he’s certainly no idiot. “I should have given up on it a long time ago — probably around the time I put my foot through the fire wall, but I just never did.”
Although he’s now the manager of a busy workshop, seven years ago Patrick was still in school, had just passed his restricted licence, and, despite a serious lack of automotive knowledge, was on the hunt for his first car. After saving his hard-earned Mad Butcher money, Patrick set his sights on Read the full story »
