While most car enthusiasts will recall the sinister black Dodge Charger stalking Steve McQueen’s Mustang through the streets of San Francisco in the cult movie ‘Bullitt’. However the best known Charger will always be the famous ‘General Lee’ – the bright orange ’69 model with a Confederate flag on the roof that played a starring role in the television series The Dukes of Hazzard.

Driven by Luke and Bo Duke, the General Lee was used for a variety of high-speed pursuits, jumps, stunts and became a celebrity in its own right.

Between 1979 and 1985, it’s believed no less than 309 Chargers were used in The Dukes of Hazzard, during which they were routinely destroyed at the rate of one or two per episode while performing their punishing stunts.

The first was built for Warner Bros. by Andre and Renaud Valuzet, before production shifted in-house, each later vehicle having to meet strict guidelines for filming continuity. Of these, it is estimated that only around 23 originals survive today, although guesstimates on the number vary.

Regardless, documented General Lee Dodge Chargers are now very collectible, as shown by the record price achieved at auction last year for the original ‘Lee 1′, which sold in the US for a staggering $Aus 10.5 million.

Shannons are auctioning one of these rare surviving General Lee Chargers at the Melbourne International Motor Show Auction on Monday March 10 and estimate that it will sell for between $220,000 and $260,000.

The 1969 Dodge Charger is based on an original 440-cid R/T and was converted to General Lee configuration by General Lee Enterprises in the early 1980s.

General Lee Enterprises built a small number of cars (somewhere between 8 and 11) that Warner Bros. used for promotional work and some close-ups in filming.

The car subsequently spent 20 years in storage in Kentucky prior to undergoing a comprehensive restoration and was then sold to the current Australian owner last year.

In September/October 2007, the full drivetrain rebuild took place and the vehicle generally tidied up in the cosmetic department, presenting in great condition both inside and out.

The Charger will be sold registered in Victoria on ‘GN-LEE’ plates along with a Victorian roadworthy certificate that will be supplied after the sale. The Dodge comes with supporting documentation, including American titles.

The General Lee is one of 53 vehicles and 50 items of automotive memorabilia in the Shannons Motor Show auction, which will be held from 2.30pm on Monday, March 10.

All lots can be viewed free of charge each day leading up to the auction in the Concourse area of the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, No 1 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne.

Source: Shannons

From the company that brings you the 1000hp twin-turbo Venom comes this teaser shot of a limited-edition Viper. Hennessey is being cagey about what exactly it is, but it is bound to be powerful, rapid, and have absolutely no regard for carbon dioxide emissions or fuel economy. If it’s anything like the Venom it will be a beast – here are the specs on the 1000hp twin turbo machine:

Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe or Convertible

Venom 1000 Twin Turbo Engine Upgrade

522 CID Stroker Motor with 9.0:1 Compression

Twin Garrett Ball Bearing Turbos

Front Mounted Air-to-Air Intercooler

VenomAero Body Upgrade (Front Airdam, Rear Diffuser & Spoiler)

KW Lowered Suspension 2-Way Adjustable Stainless Steel Coil Over Shocks

Brembo Upgraded Brake System

Adjustable Traction Control System

Quaiffe Extreme-Duty Differential Upgrade

Hennessey Venom 7R Forged Aluminum Wheels – 19×10 front, 20×13 rear

Michelin Pilot Sport 2 Tires: 275/30YR-19 front, 335/30YR-20 rear

Limited Edition Connolly Leather Interior with Custom Embroidery

5-Point Racing Harnesses

Hennessey Custom Floor Mats

DVD Navigation System

1-Day Private Track Instruction with Brian Smith (1st Place Driver: 2005 ROAD & TRACK Standing Mile Shootout, 2004 CAR AND DRIVER Supercar Shootout)

There’s no doubt that the inhabitants of Mexico keep their aged cars running for years, and now Clive Macann is bringing some of these antiquated jalopies from South American (and beyond) to New Zealand on special order. A quick trawl through the website reveals a huge number of old V8s just waiting for the chop. A lot of the cars look like they’ll need serious restoration projects, but the bonus is that many of them are numbers-matching with all the original gear.

The site is good for a look at the historic cars, even if you’re not interested in owning one. www.mexicanjunk.co.nz.

Here’s a list of the cars on the site:

32 Ford V8 panel delivery van
32 Plymouth 3 window coupe (old 60′s rod)
35 Ford 3 window coupe
36 Ford 3 window coupe
36 Ford 4 door convertible sedan
36 Ford 2 door cabriolet
36 Ford 2 door sedan
36 Ford roadster
37 Chevy sedan delivery
38 Ford coupe
39 Chevy coupe
40 Chevy convertible
41 Chev coupe
41 Chev coupe
41 Ford sedan delivery
42 Hudson coupe
46 Ford convertible
47 Buick 2 door sedanette convertible
47 Cadillac 2 door sedanette series 62
47 Dodge convertible
47 Ford convertible
47 Ford Woodie
47 Lincoln continental coupe
47 Lincoln continental coupe
47 Oldsmobile 2 door sedanette
48 Buick 2 door sedanette roadmaster
48 Cadillac 2 door sedanette
48 Cadillac convertible
48 Packard convertible
49 Buick roadmaster convertible
49 Buick 2 door sedanette
49 cadillac convertible series 52
49 Dodge wayfarer coupe
49 Packard convertible
50 Buick 2 door sedanette
50 Cadillac convertible series 62
50 Chrysler new yorker convertible
50 Ford Woodie
51 Buick roadmaster convertible
51 Buick roadmaster convertible
51 Chevy 2 door hardtop belair
51 Chevy convertible
51 Chevy sedan delivery
51 Chrysler imperial hemi convertible
51 Ford business coupe
51 Mercury 4 door sedan
51 Oldsmobile convertible
51 Packard convertible
51 Pontiac convertible
53 Cadillac coupe de ville 2 door hardtop
53 Chevy 2 door hardtop belair
53 Chevy 2 door hardtop belair
53 Chevy convertible belair
53 Ford 2 door hardtop victoria
53 Ford sedan delivery
54 Buick convertible
54 Mercury sun valley ht coupe
55 Chevy 2 door hardtop coupe
55 Chevy 2 door post
55 Ford crown victoria
56 Buick convertible
56 Chevy 2 door hardtop belair
56 Chevy 4 door hardtop
56 Chevy 4 door hardtop
56 Chevy apache pick-up
56 Chevy convertible
56 Ford fairlane 2 door hardtop
56 Studebaker skyhawk coupe
57 Buick 4 door hardtop estate wagon
57 Buick convertible
57 Chevy 2 door hardtop
57 Chevy 2 door hardtop belair
57 Chevy 4 door sedan
57 Chevy stepside pick-up (sold)
57 Ford 2 door sedan
57 Ford fairlane 2 door hardtop
57 Ford fairlane 2 door hardtop
57 Oldsmobile 4 door hardtop
57 Oldsmobile convertible
57 Oldsmobile convertible series 88
57 Pontiac safari 2 door wagon
58 Buick 4 door hardtop
58 Cadillac eldorado brougham
58 Ford sedan delivery
58 Oldsmobile super 88 2 door hardtop
58 Pontiac 2 door starchief hardtop
59 Buick le sabre convertible
59 Ford ranchero
61 Chevy convertible
62 Chevy impala 4 door sedan
67 Triumph bonneville 650 chopper bike
69 Ford Mustang
70 Oldsmobile 442 convertible muscle car
71 Dodge charger coupe

Oh yes, we can’t get enough of the V8 goodness and just want to plaster it all over our computer’s screen! We thought you might like to, too!

There are three shining examples of V8 legends on our wallpapers page right now, and we’ll be adding more each month.

We found another primo Ford with a Foose make-over for you to ogle at. This 1940 Ford 2-Door Coupe was restored in 1985. It had a complete make-over in 1990 by Sam Foose with interior by Conejo Upholstery. The engine is a supercharged 350 Chevy with approximately 575HP. It runs a Doug Nash 5-speed transmission, Dakota Digital gauges, Vintage Air air conditioning, and Kenwood AM 10 disc CD player. The car has multiple awards to its name.

Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) unveiled its new performance GT and F6 sedans at the Melbourne International Motor Show.

“This is the first chance for the public to get a close-up look at some of our new models, ahead of their release in June,” said Ford Performance Vehicles General Manager Rod Barrett.

“Our new model range offers performance enthusiasts the ultimate in performance engineering, luxury appointments and sports styling.”

For the first time, the Ford badge will not appear externally on an FPV model. The GT and F6 sedans on display both feature FPV badges prominently on the centre grille and centre boot lid, which is consistent with the entire new range.

“Featuring the FPV badge on all our new models is a major repositioning for the FPV brand,” said Barrett.

“It signifies the maturing of our brand and the evolution of FPV as Ford’s performance partner.”

As with Ford, FPV has repositioned its high performance sedan and Ute model variants, with eight stunning vehicles divided into the GT series and F6 series families.

The repositioning of the vehicle line-up has been done for similar reasons to the Ford G Series,” said Barrett.

“It is all about growing the brand and attracting new customers. The GT series family continues our strong iconic heritage, while the F6 series family caters to a new segment of performance car enthusiasts who prefer a slick turbo charged six-cylinder to a thundering V8.”

The GT series family retains the familiar GT and GT-P sedan nameplates, and introduces the stylish new luxury GT-E sedan.

The bold exterior styling of the new GT and GT-P is highlighted by the trademark unique front grille treatment, rear wing, side striping and V8 bonnet bulge accented with a newly designed hood decal.

Visually, the new GT-E is distinguished from its V8 siblings by its refined rear lip spoiler, chrome accenting and distinctive GT-E badging.

The GT-E’s unique 19-inch alloy wheels are matched by a premium brake package, with six-piston Brembo brakes now featured as standard.

“The GT-E is a sophisticated luxury performance car that will cater for those buyers that don’t want the stripes, wings, and seats offered in the GT-P, however, want to retain all the performance attributes of that car,” said Barrett.

The Super Pursuit and Pursuit Ute variants complete the GT series range.

The F6 series family features the F6 and F6 Ute, the Typhoon and Tornado nomenclature are discontinued on the new vehicles.

Significant ride, handling and safety advancements have been made to the new FPV stable. Each new model variant has been fully engineered and designed to provide the performance enthusiast with the ultimate in Australian performance motoring.

Safety advances include the addition of Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) on FPV sedan & Ute vehicles for the first time.

Significantly, FPV customers will also have a choice of manual or automatic transmissions at no additional cost in the sedan range.

“The option of automatic or manual transmissions in the sedan range at no extra cost caters for both our luxury and overt sports customers, without penalising either for their choice of transmission,” said Barrett.

FPV has produced exhilarating performance upgrades across the GT and F6 range, however, the exact engine performance power and torque figures will be revealed closer to the on sale date in June.

“The unique FPV enhanced design gives each vehicle a bolder road presence,” said Barrett.

“Coupled with performance upgrades, the new FPV range is a revolution in Australian performance motoring. I’m sure our loyal and passionate customers will be extremely impressed.”

Defending V8 champion John McIntyre has virtually assured himself of a second consecutive championship title following strong results at the penultimate round of the New Zealand V8s at Timaru this weekend.

Coming into this fifth of the six round championship, McIntyre had a 79 point lead over Angus Fogg. After a race win, a second and a 13th at Timaru, McIntyre has extended his lead to 115 points. And while that’s not an insurmountable points difference, in reality McIntyre’s consistent form throughout the season would indicate it’s unlikely the BP Ultimate Ford driver will succumb to the pressure and lose the championship at this point. Statistics show that of the 15 races run so far, McIntyre has won six — a feat unmatched by any other driver in the series.

His 13th place in the final reverse grid race was the first time he’s finished outside the top ten in any race this season, but he was relaxed about taking the conservative option.

“When you have the championship on the line, you’re not going to throw it away for a higher placing in the reverse grid race,” said McIntyre. “It feels good to extend the lead over Angus, although I wouldn’t have minded if he’d caught up some points on me here. We hope to continue the good form at Teretonga. This week we will be checking the car for total reliability and this weekend we’ve had a new setup theory which has worked well.”

Fogg also had a consistent weekend of results in the Havoline Ford, but his two fourths and a 14th clearly weren’t going to improve his points’ situation against McIntyre.

Holding third place overall, Kayne Scott experienced one of the more challenging weekend’s of racing. Unusually, he went off into the gravel during qualifying and didn’t finish the second race. The former V8 champion finished the first race sixth, and put in a determined drive in the final race coming through from 16th to second despite a slipping clutch.

“I’ll be at Teretonga,” said Scott who could also be racing for Team Kiwi Racing in the Australian V8 Supercar Championship. “I wouldn’t have this chance in Supercars without the effort and support of many people in the New Zealand V8 series and we want to put in a good performance for the season finale at Teretonga.”

The final round of the 2007-08 New Zealand V8s Championship, the Hydraulink 200, takes place at Teretonga Park outside Invercargill over the weekend of 8 and 9 March. Full details and ticket information for this event can be found on the series website, www.nzv8s.co.nz. Going into the final round, McIntyre has 905 points, 115 ahead of Fogg on 790 points. Scott is third with 733, Radisich fourth with 673 and Booth fifth with 634.

Qualifying in more detail

This season the New Zealand V8s run a new style of qualifying; all drivers run in the first 20 minute session, then the top twenty get another 15 minutes with the top ten getting a final 15 minute session to decide the starting grid for the first of the weekend’s three races.

As rain threatened in the first session, McIntyre was fastest with a time of 1:07.386, ahead of Scott, Booth, David Besnard, Fogg and Michael Bristow who was asked to drive the Tex Onsite Ford for the last two rounds after the team and long-time driver Cameron McLean decided to part ways. Interestingly, Bristow is also currently leading the First Windows & Doors V8 Development Series and racing both his development V8 Holden and the Tex Onsite Ford at Timaru and Teretonga.

In the second session, Booth chalked up the fastest time of 1:07.223 with Scott and McIntyre next quickest, while frequent top-ten runners Luke Youlden and Clark Proctor missed the cut as rain started.

In the top ten shoot-out Booth was again the fastest, setting a time on the Dunlop wet tyres of 1:14.640 to take his second pole position this season. McIntyre will line up beside Booth for the first 14-lap race, with Paul Radisich in the HPM Ford and Tim Edgell in the Chesters Ford in fourth with his best qualifying position of the season. Besnard, Fogg, Andrew Anderson, Paul Manuell, and Dean Perkins took positions five to nine, while Scott was unable to set a final qualifying time after a very uncharacteristic off-track excursion which saw the Fujitsu Ford parked in the gravel after Scott needed to avoid a collision with a fellow competitor on the wet circuit.

Race one

With fresh support from Big Ben Pies for his Tasman Motorsport Holden, Booth led from the front to win the 14 lap race — his first official win of the season.

On a rain-soaked circuit, the race was started with the first three corners under yellow flag, meaning no passing was allowed. Taking the top two slots behind Booth were McIntyre and Radisich; all three drivers agreeing that it was sensible for officials to have started the race in this way.

“In the rain, the pole position is the wettest at Timaru,” said McIntyre. “So it’s really a disadvantage for Andy in pole in these conditions.”

“It was amazing the difference in grip on different parts of the circuit,” said Booth who was delighted to have a race win which wasn’t taken away by officials as happened in Taupo earlier in the season.

In such wet conditions, the race itself was relatively uneventful as drivers kept a safe distance behind the car in front, except when GT Radial Ford driver Dean Perkins hit the tyre wall hard midway through the race. Although the safety car came out for several laps, officials decided not to extract the car from the wall.

“Restarting the race with Perkins’ car in the wall wasn’t great,” said Radisich who was pleased to finish third in the difficult conditions. “It’s hard to challenge in the wet here — it’s quite a narrow circuit and as soon as you stepped off the racing line there wasn’t much grip.”

McIntyre’s second place extended his points’ lead over Angus Fogg, the next best-placed driver in the New Zealand V8s Championship, who finished fourth behind Radisich.

Besnard was fourth in the SCG Motorsport Ford while Scott improved from his tenth qualifying position to finish sixth. Young Auckland driver Tim Edgell held on well from his fourth qualifying position to finish seventh, with Manuell and Anderson taking eighth and ninth respectively. However officials later decided that Manuell had passed under the yellow flag and demoted him to 24th place. This moved Anderson into eighth, Bristow in ninth and Proctor into tenth in the Metalman Ford.

Race two

With Sunday’s 18-lap race starting order determined by the fastest times that each driver set in race one, McIntyre was on pole with Booth, Scott, Radisich, Anderson, and Fogg behind him.

The leaders got away to a clean start; behind them, the close-fought run into the Timaru circuit’s first right-hander then long left-handed sweeper caused more than one brake lock-up. Mark Pedersen appeared to get caught up in traffic, dropping several places.

But nothing was affecting McIntyre’s composed performance at the front of the field; the BP Ultimate Ford driver extended his lead lap after lap to win the race by over seven seconds from Booth.

In a relatively incident-free race, Radisich and Fogg tussled for third with Radisich holding out Fogg at the chequered flag creating a situation that allowed McIntyre to further extend his lead over Fogg for the championship title. Scott, Youlden and Kevin Williams disappeared off the circuit at various points with only Youlden rejoining to eventually finish 22nd from his 11th starting position. Scott’s Ford suffered a gearbox failure. Meanwhile Manuell didn’t start the race at all, unhappy with being penalised in the first race.

After spending several laps trying to get past Anderson, Besnard came home in fifth to contribute to a much improved weekend’s results for the Australian. Anderson’s sixth place — his second in the newest Holden in the field since he debuted the car at Taupo — showed the Pinepac ITM Holden driver was enjoying even better results than he achieved at the previous round at Manfeild. Edgell took another well-earned seventh, Proctor improved to come home eighth and, in ninth and tenth places respectively, Andrew Porter and Michael Wallace achieved some their strongest finishes for the season.

Race three

The weekend’s third race has a full reverse grid based on points earned in the first two races. After Kevin Williams, who would have been on pole, withdrew, Shaun Turton — a New Zealand V8s rookie who joined the series at Taupo — was on pole for the first time.

From the second row, Julia Huzziff and Adam Brook pushed through to the front, Huzziff’s actions earning her a drive-through penalty while Brook romped into the lead — a position he held for nine laps before being chased down by Manuell who’d started in eighth place. Scott and Besnard were the other hard-chargers, moving through the field with Scott soon onto Manuell’s tail to set up classic Holden versus Ford clash that captured the crowd’s attention.

Meanwhile McIntyre and Booth were “letting the traffic clear” before working their way gradually through the field, Fogg in close attendance.

“My plan was to sit back,” said Booth. “I told the team I’d bring the car back the cleanest it’s ever been after a reverse grid race. I was watching Paul [Radisich] in front and I didn’t envy him having to put up with some of the driving behaviour exhibited by the slower drivers.”

The safety car went out briefly when Edgell’s bonnet flew off the car and onto the circuit, an incident for which he was later penalised.

With Scott’s Ford suffering a slipping clutch, he was unable to get past Manuell despite several valiant attempts. Manuell took his first race win in four seasons, a feat which delighted the Orix Racing Holden driver and his team. Brook kept his Versatile Buildings Ford in a well-earned third place behind Scott while Perkins had a better result in the GT Radial Ford to take fourth. Besnard’s hard work from 25th place earned him a fifth — his third of the weekend — and improved his overall points’ standing to ninth. Porter showed strong form to drive from 19th on the grid into sixth. Hamilton driver Cam Hardy was seventh with Youlden eighth in the Powerbuilt Tools Ford. Proctor and Radisich rounded out the top ten, Radisich having started in 27th. He said later that a faulty regulator in the HPM Ford had finally been identified which was allowing him to work more on fine tuning the car’s performance.

“It was a good consistent run really, nothing startling, but we’re pleased the engine issue is sorted so we can work more on the chassis side of things,” said Radisich. “You do expect some professional courtesy from these guys who clearly aren’t in the running for the championship so the reverse grid races are frustrating. We could put on a really good show for the crowd if everyone allowed clean passing. Perhaps a reverse top eight or ten would offer a better racing; something for officials to consider again for this series.”

McIntyre, Fogg and Booth were 13th, 14th and 15th respectively in the reverse grid race.

New Zealand V8s Championship — Qualifying

Position, Driver, Hometown, Car, Qualifying time

NB. The top ten drivers’ times were set in qualifying session #3 on wet tyres, hence the times being slower than the drivers in positions 10 to 29 who set times on dry tyres.

1, Andy Booth, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 1:14.640

2, John McIntyre, Nelson, Ford Falcon BA, 1:14.873

3, Paul Radisich, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA, 1:15.393

4, Tim Edgell, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 1:15.730

5, David Besnard, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon BA, 1:15.843

6, Angus Fogg, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 1:16.130

7, Andrew Anderson, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY, 1:16.190

8, Paul Manuell, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 1:16.352

9, Dean Perkins, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon BA, 1:16.638

10, Kayne Scott, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA, No time

11, Luke Youlden, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA, 1:08.008

12, Michael Bristow, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon BA, 1:08.021

13, Michael Wallace, Dunedin, Holden Commodore VY, 1:08.044

14, Adam Brook, Christchurch, Ford Falcon BA, 1:08.100

15, Haydn Mackenzie, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 1:08.100

16, Inky Tulloch, Gore, Ford Falcon BA, 1:08.209

17, Simon Richards, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA, 1:08.213

18, John Penny, Taupo, Ford Falcon BA, 1:08.242

19, Nick Ross, Cambridge, Holden Commodore VZ, 1:08.343

20, Clark Proctor, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 1:08.462

21, Andrew Porter, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 1:08.413

22, Chris Adams, Mosgiel, Holden Commodore VY, 1:08.497

23, Andrew Fawcet, Wellington, Ford Falcon BA, 1:08.528

24, Mark Pedersen, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 1:08.564

25, Cam Hardy, Hamilton, Holden Commodore VZ, 1:08.569

26, Kevin Williams, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 1:08.607

27, Connel McLaren, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 1:08.940

28, Julia Huzziff, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY, 1:10.328

29, Shaun Turton, Pukekohe, Holden Commodore VY, 1:11.155

New Zealand V8s Championship — Timaru Race 1 (14 laps, revised results)

Position, Driver, Hometown, Car, Points earned

1, Andy Booth, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 75

2, John McIntyre, Nelson, Ford Falcon BA, 67

3, Paul Radisich, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA, 60

4, Angus Fogg, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 54

5, David Besnard, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon BA, 49

6, Kayne Scott, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA, 45

7, Tim Edgell, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 42

8, Andrew Anderson, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY, 39

9, Michael Bristow, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon BA, 36

10, Clark Proctor, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 33

11, Luke Youlden, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA, 30

12, Michael Wallace, Dunedin, Holden Commodore VY, 28

13, Haydn Mackenzie, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 26

14, John Penny, Taupo, Ford Falcon BA, 24

15, Andrew Porter, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 22

16, Inky Tulloch, Gore, Ford Falcon BA, 20

17, Mark Pedersen, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 18

18, Nick Ross, Cambridge, Holden Commodore VZ, 16

19, Andrew Fawcet, Wellington, Ford Falcon BA, 14

20, Simon Richards, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA, 12

21, Chris Adams, Mosgiel, Holden Commodore VY, 10

22, Connel McLaren, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 9

23, Julia Huzziff, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY, 8

24, Paul Manuell, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 7

25, Cam Hardy, Hamilton, Holden Commodore VZ, 6

26, Kevin Williams, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 5

27, Shaun Turton, Pukekohe, Holden Commodore VY, 4

DNF, Adam Brook, Christchurch, Ford Falcon BA

DNF, Dean Perkins, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon BA

New Zealand V8s Championship — Timaru Race 2 (18 laps)

Position, Driver, Hometown, Car, Points earned

1, John McIntyre, Nelson, Ford Falcon BA, 75

2, Andy Booth, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 67

3, Paul Radisich, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA, 60

4, Angus Fogg, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 54

5, David Besnard, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon BA, 49

6, Andrew Anderson, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY, 45

7, Tim Edgell, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 42

8, Clark Proctor, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 39

9, Andrew Porter, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 36

10, Michael Wallace, Dunedin, Holden Commodore VY, 33

11, Michael Bristow, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon BA, 30

12, Connel McLaren, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 28

13, John Penny, Taupo, Ford Falcon BA, 26

14, Inky Tulloch, Gore, Ford Falcon BA, 24

15, Haydn Mackenzie, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 22

16, Andrew Fawcet, Wellington, Ford Falcon BA, 20

17, Dean Perkins, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon BA, 18

18, Nick Ross, Cambridge, Holden Commodore VZ, 16

19, Mark Pedersen, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 14

20, Simon Richards, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA, 12

21, Adam Brook, Christchurch, Ford Falcon BA, 10

22, Luke Youlden, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA, 9

23, Chris Adams, Mosgiel, Holden Commodore VY, 8

24, Julia Huzziff, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY, 7

25, Cam Hardy, Hamilton, Holden Commodore VZ, 6

26, Shaun Turton, Pukekohe, Holden Commodore VY, 5

DNF, Kayne Scott, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA

DNF, Kevin Williams, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ

DNS, Paul Manuell, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ

New Zealand V8s Championship — Timaru Race 3 (22 laps, reverse grid)

Position, Driver, Hometown, Car, Points earned

1, Paul Manuell, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 75

2, Kayne Scott, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA, 67

3, Adam Brook, Christchurch, Ford Falcon BA, 60

4, Dean Perkins, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon BA, 54

5, David Besnard, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon BA, 49

6, Andrew Porter, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 45

7, Cam Hardy, Hamilton, Holden Commodore VZ, 42

8, Luke Youlden, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA, 39

9, Clark Proctor, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 36

10, Paul Radisich, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA, 33

11, Andrew Fawcet, Wellington, Ford Falcon BA, 30

12, John Penny, Taupo, Ford Falcon BA, 28

13, John McIntyre, Nelson, Ford Falcon BA, 26

14, Angus Fogg, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 24

15, Andy Booth, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 22

16, Andrew Anderson, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY, 20

17, Michael Wallace, Dunedin, Holden Commodore VY, 18

18, Simon Richards, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA, 16

19, Connel McLaren, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 14

20, Haydn Mackenzie, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 12

21, Nick Ross, Cambridge, Holden Commodore VZ, 10

22, Julia Huzziff, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY, 9

23, Inky Tulloch, Gore, Ford Falcon BA, 8

24, Tim Edgell, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 7

DNF, Chris Adams, Mosgiel, Holden Commodore VY

DNF, Mark Pedersen, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA

DNF, Shaun Turton, Pukekohe, Holden Commodore VY

DNS, Kevin Williams, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ

DNS, Michael Bristow, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon BA

New Zealand V8s Championship — Provisional points after 5 of 6 rounds

Position, Driver, Hometown, Car, Points

1, John McIntyre, Nelson, Ford Falcon BA, 905

2, Angus Fogg, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 790

3, Kayne Scott, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA, 733

4, Paul Radisich, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA, 673

5, Andy Booth, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 634

6, Paul Manuell, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 593

7, Clark Proctor, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 562

8, Dean Perkins, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon BA, 481

9, David Besnard, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon BA, 451

10, Cameron McLean, Brisbane, Ford Falcon BA, 399

11, Luke Youlden, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA, 380

12, Andrew Anderson, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY, 301

13, Michael Wallace, Dunedin, Holden Commodore VY, 301

14, Cam Hardy, Hamilton, Holden Commodore VZ, 300

14, Mark Pedersen, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 300

15, Tim Edgell, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 290

16, Andrew Porter, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 286

17, Adam Brook, Christchurch, Ford Falcon BA, 279

18, Simon Richards, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA, 266

19, Haydn Mackenzie, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 264

20, Andrew Fawcet, Wellington, Ford Falcon BA, 244

21, John Penny, Taupo, Ford Falcon BA, 223

22, Nick Ross, Cambridge, Holden Commodore VZ, 211

23, Dale Lambert, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 192

24, Connel McLaren, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 191

25, Kevin Williams, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 182

26, Paul Pedersen, Rotorua, Ford Falcon BA, 169

26, Inky Tulloch, Gore, Ford Falcon BA, 163

27, Chris Adams, Mosgiel, Holden Commodore VY, 133

28, Eddie Bell, Christchurch, Holden Commodore VY, 79

29, Dave Stewart, Wellington, Holden Commodore VY, 73

30, Michael Bristow, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon BA, 66

31, Shaun Turton, Pukekohe, Holden Commodore VY, 58

32, Julia Huzziff, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY, 56

33, Darryn Henderson, Wellington, Holden Commodore VZ, 45

34, Gene Rollinson, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY, 16

The 2007-08 New Zealand V8s Championship – Calendar

	Date	Circuit	Event
1	2-4 Nov 2007	Pukekohe	Fujitsu Pukekohe 200
2	23-25 Nov 2007	Powerbuilt Tools International Raceway at Ruapuna Park	GT Radial 200
3	17-20 Jan 2008	Taupo	(A1GP event)
4	15-17 Feb 2008	Manfeild	Fujitsu 200
5	29 Feb – 2 Mar 2008	Timaru	VnC Cocktails
6	7-9 Mar 2008	Teretonga	Hydraulink 200 Finale

Trophy event

18-20 Apr 2008

Hamilton

Hamilton 400 (non championship)

GM Holden released pricing and specifications for the all-new VE Sportwagon at the Melbourne International Motor Show.

The 2008 VE Sportwagon range starts from as little as AU$37,790 for Omega, with each of the seven models only $1,000 more than their VE sedan equivalent.

Holden VE Sportwagon Calais

At AU$41,290, the new VE Sportwagon Berlina is an amazing $5,600 less than its VZ wagon equivalent whilst offering a range of engineering advances and safety features including Electronic Stability Program (ESP) , Rear Park Assist and six airbags which are standard across the range.

Having more than doubled the model range from three in VZ to seven in VE, the new Sportwagon offers buyers more choice and more features to further enhance its appeal to both private and business customers.

GM Holden’s Executive Director of Sales, Marketing and Aftersales, Alan Batey, said value and choice would be key features that would attract buyers to the new VE Sportwagon.

“The Australian market is becoming increasingly challenging and at Holden we believe the VE Sportwagon’s pricing, sedan-like handling and stylish design will ensure it has the competitive edge it needs to succeed in its segment.

“The extended VE range offers real choices in practicality and flexibility to both the business buyer and Aussie families.

“With safety features such as ESP and six airbags as standard across the range, many potential buyers will see this as a great value car which ticks all the right boxes,” Mr Batey said.

VE Sportwagon Model and Powertrain Line-up:

Omega

Alloytec V6 with 4 speed auto transmission

Berlina

Alloytec V6 with 4 speed auto transmission

SV6

High Output Alloytec V6 with 5 speed auto transmission

SS

Gen 4 V8 with 6 speed manual transmission -or-
Gen 4 V8 with 6 speed auto transmission (optional)

SS V-Series

Gen 4 V8 with 6 speed manual transmission -or-
Gen 4 V8 with 6 speed auto transmission (optional)

Calais

High Output Alloytec V6 with 5 speed auto transmission

Calais V-Series

High Output Alloytec V6 with 5 speed auto transmission -or-
Gen 4 V8 with 6 speed auto transmission (optional)

VE Sportwagon Highlights

Overview:

• Great style, performance and practicality
• All the storage advantages that comes with a wagon
• Seats 5 adults in comfort
• Higher cargo floor making it easier to load items into the cargo area
• Flexible cargo cover for security, with innovative D-pillar tracks for added functionality
• 60:40 split 2nd row seat which can be folded flat for storage of larger items
• Innovative opening tailgate which requires less opening space

Safety

• Electronic Stability Program (ESP ® ) standard on all models
• Driver, front passenger and side impact airbags standard on all models
• Curtain airbags standard on all models
• Occupant protection system designed for the real world driving environment
• Ultra-stiff body structure, multiple load path strategy and structurally optimised front & rear deformation zones

Technology

• Rear Park Assist standard on all models
• Roof-mounted DVD system available on selected models
• Integrated navigation system available on all models
• Multi-function driver information display system

Performance

• The multi-link Linear Control Suspension system is the most advanced suspension design ever under a Holden
• Large, fade-resistant brake systems help reduce stopping distances
• Increased diameter wheel and tyre packages for braking and cornering control
• As on sedan, two V6 engine versions will be available: an Alloytec 3.6 litre V6 with single exhaust; and the Alloytec High Output 3.6 litre V6 with dual exhaust
• 6.0 litre Generation 4 Alloy V8 coupled with a six-speed manual transmission, or optional six-speed automatic transmission

Omega

Standard features on Omega include:

• 3.6L Alloytec V6, peak power 180kW, peak torque 330Nm*, four-speed automatic
• Electronic Stability Program (ESP ® ) including Anti-lock Braking System, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Electronic Brake Assist and Traction Control
• Four 16-inch alloy wheels
• Multifunction steering wheel
• Multifunction driver display
• Cruise control
• Rear Park Assist
• Automatic headlamp mode
• Single disc CD player
• Dual stage front airbags; side and curtain impact airbags

Berlina

Berlina has all Omega standard features and in addition:

• Four 17-inch alloy wheels
• Front fog lamps
• Leather wrap steering wheel
• Trip computer with triple display
• Bluetooth ® connectivity for compatible mobile phones
• Six-disc in-dash CD player, MP3 compatible
• Four-way electric adjustment of driver’s seat
• Dual zone electronic climate control
• Six-inch multifunction display screen

SV6

SV6 features include:

• 3.6L High Output Alloytec V6, peak power 195kW, peak torque 340Nm*, five-speed automatic with Active Select
• Sports suspension
• Four 18-inch alloy wheels
• Leather wrap steering wheel
• Bluetooth ® connectivity for compatible mobile phones
• Single disc CD player
• Sports interior
• Sports body kit
• Dual exhaust
• Chrome highlights
• Rear Park Assist

SS

SS features include:

• 6.0L V8, peak power 270kW, peak torque 530Nm *, six-speed manual or optional six-speed automatic with Active Select
• Limited Slip Differential
• Sports suspension
• Four 18-inch alloy wheels
• Bluetooth ® connectivity for compatible mobile phones
• Six-disc in-dash CD player, MP3 compatible
• Sports front seats
• Rear Park Assist

SS V

SS V has all SS standard features and in addition:

• Projector headlamps
• Alloy faced pedals
• Four 19-inch alloy wheels
• Leather wrap gear selector
• Leather wrap sports profile steering wheel
• Leather seat inserts
• Dual zone electronic climate control
• 6.5-inch multi-function display screen
• Zone based Rear Park Assist

Calais

Calais features include:

• 3.6L High Output Alloytec V6, peak power 195kW, peak torque 340Nm*, five-speed automatic with Active Select
• Four 17-inch alloy wheels
• Leather wrap gear selector
• Leather wrap steering wheel
• Trip computer with triple display
• Bluetooth ® connectivity for compatible mobile phones
• Projector headlamps
• Six-disc in-dash CD player, MP3 compatible
• Six-way electric adjustment of driver’s seat
• Dual zone electronic climate control
• 6.5-inch multi-function display screen
• Zone based Rear Park Assist

Calais V

Calais V has all Calais standard features and in addition:

• Four 18-inch alloy wheels
• Chrome finish body side mouldings
• Chrome highlights on exterior door handles
• Leather wrap sports profile steering wheel
• Zone based Front and Rear Park Assist
• Rain Sensing Wipers
• Rear overhead DVD
• Eight-way driver and front passenger seat
• Leather seat trim
• Memory settings for driver seat & exterior mirrors