The 2011 National Hot Rod Show was held over the weekend at the TSB Arena in Hawera, Taranaki. A huge round of applause must go to event organisers Egmont Rod and Custom Club for putting on what has to be one of the highest quality events in many years.
For a full event report, check out the next issue of NZV8 magazine.
See the full results below and the photos in the gallery at the bottom of the page. (more…)
The annual Petrolhead Father’s Day Drags took place last Sunday and was bigger than ever. Crowds lined the hills around the track to watch the fastest street cars in the country battle for bragging rights on the strip.
For a full event report, check out the next issue of NZV8 Magazine.
View 230 photos from the days racing in the gallery below.
The Pukekohe Lions club inaugural “wheels of fortune” vehicle display on May 8th at Pukekohe racecourse was billed as a massive vehicle extravaganza for the whole family, and they delivered. The Lions gathered a diverse selection of vehicles which they described as “past & present”, “original & modified”, “slow & fast” and “classic & unique” and they certainly gathered some of each. Add the other entertainment on the day with fantastic food on offer and it made for a great day 
out.
There was a huge line up with over 1200 cars and special interest vehicles around the track and in the pit areas with displays from numerous clubs and organisations including Franklin Street Rodders, the American Muscle Car Club, Iron Sands Rod & Custom, HSV Club, Zephyr and Zodiac, Mini, MG, Military vehicles, Coast Guard, Fire Service, St John and many more. There was also part of Dave Parkers amazing car collection, with 11 of his 18 classic cars on display.
In addition to the fine line up of cars there was a good selection of food and beverages, music by Tuakau country variety music club and the Sunset coast big band and several VIP guests including Auckland mayor Len Brown, TVNZ’s Mark Sainbury, and local MP Paul Hutchison wandering around and being interviewed over the P.A. (more…)
It may only happen once every three years, but the American Muscle Car Club show is well worth the wait.
This years Easter-long event was sponsored by Plumbing World and took place at the Te Pai Event Center in Henderson, Auckland. As we’ve come to expect from the AMCC shows, the level of vehicles present really raised the bar. Over 75 of the best presented, rarest and most powerful American made muscle cars in the country were displayed, making it well worth the measly $10 spectator entrants fee.
NZV8 was lucky enough to be invited along to the prize giving dinner, which outlined just what a great bunch of guys and girls AMCC is made up of.
We’ll have the full results and article in the next issue of NZV8 Magazine, but here’s a gallery of images below, for the meantime. (more…)
The Cars and Bikes for Canterbury show held in Hamilton last weekend went off well despite some last minute changes due to wet conditions.
Whilst the wet weather resulted in a number of exhibitors cancelling at the last moment, and had an effect on public 
numbers, the spirit of the dedicated crew was far from dampened.
The team effort resulted in a fantastic show which featured cars and motorcycles from all disciplines of motorsport, – Drag Cars and Bikes, Hot Rods. Classic and Custom Cars, Classic Bikes, Trikes, Modern and Classic Road Race Bikes, Speedway Bikes/Sidecars, Speedway Saloon and Stock Cars, Vintage Cars, Sports cars, street machines, motorcycles, along with Trade stands, and great entertainment.
The rumble brought together a number of well know Motorsport people including NZ’s Superbike Champion Andrew Stroud, who was one of the celebrities at the Rumble with his Suzuki having just recently celebrated his 9th win in the NZ Superbike series Title.
Cars and Bikes for Canterbury was the brainchild of Tracey Sherwin (New Plymouth) and Alan Thoresen (Hamilton). Both are members of the New Zealand Drag Racing Association (NZDRA) and have friends and colleagues in the quake devastated region of Christchurch. (more…)
Last weekend, the Scroungers Car Club celebrated the 10th Anniversary of The Hot Rod Blow Out at Rosebank Speedway on Auckland’s North Western Motorway.
It was a relaxed and entertaining event that celebrated NZ’s rich history of hot rodding, drag racing and land speed racing as well as the pioneers or individuals who truly made their mark.
NZV8 was cruising around and got some great photos to bring back for our readers, to view them click on the gallery below. (more…)
Whangamata was the scene for the 11th annual Beach Hop last weekend and saw hundreds of stunning machines head along to the Coromandel holiday town. There was crusing, car shows and even beauty pageants at the 2011 event. Naturally NZV8 was there to take it all in and bring you back over 300 photos of how it all went down.
Relive the epic weekend by clicking into the gallery below to check out the photos. (more…)
The big boys of NZ drag racing came out for the Nationals last weekend at Fram Autolite Dragway in Meremere. The weather was fine and the racing was tight with the smell of burnt rubber wafting through the crowd and a symphony of tyre squeals to entertain all.
NZV8 was there snapping away a few hundred photos so check out all the day’s action in the gallery below and keep an eye out for a full event report in the next issue of NZV8 magazine.
The inaugural Mothers V8 Auto Festival at Sounds of Chrome proved that not all car shows are created equal, there are car shows and then there are car events, this was definitely the later. Celebrating all things V8, this two day event at Hampton Downs is a must, with hundreds of hot rods, street machines and muscle cars lined up for what seemed like miles there was plenty to see. Chev’s, Cadi’s, Fords, 
Mopar’s, Holdens and pretty much every other make of V8 was there to be appreciated, whatever your taste chances are there was something there for you.
Cars started arriving early Saturday morning and they continued throughout the weekend. Then there were those cruising in out and around the track, it was at times an automotive show in motion. With so much to see I felt a bit like a kid in a candy store, so many cars to see with seemingly so little time. This fluid exhibition of cars was complimented by the numerous trade displays, a stunt ute display, Mothers bikini girls offering car washes, and even cheerleader displays. There was so much happening I was scared I was going to miss something, which combined with the scorching weather was enough to drive some to drink. Fortunately Hampton Downs is also a licensed venue! (more…)
The Americarna series of car events continues to increase in popularity with an awesome range of Yankee metal touring in last week’s Hutt City event. The Americarna Hutt City events kicked off last Thursday and ran through to Sunday seeing the participating cars cruise right through the Wairarapa area.
The cars toured Paraparaumu, the Kapiti Coast, Masterton and Carterton before returning to Hutt City for a night cruise. The cars put on an epic display at the Country Fair in Hutt City and everyone rocked out at a Rock n Roll festival last Sunday.
If you couldn’t make it or just want to see what it was all about and some of the awesome machines that took part then check out the image gallery below for hundreds of photos. (more…)
Last weekend Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland played host to the NZ Classic Car Weekend where the annual Intermarque Concours d’Elegance was the main event.
It wasn’t all about the big V8s either, there was a massive turnout with a wide range of different makes from various eras on display.
NZV8 was there to walk among all the chrome, flared fenders and wire wheels to bring back loads of photos to share.
If you couldn’t make it along or want to relive the day then click into the gallery below to see the second of two galleries of images from this classic weekend. (more…)
Last weekend Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland played host to the NZ Classic Car Weekend where the annual Intermarque Concours d’Elegance was the main event.
It wasn’t all about the big V8s either, there was a massive turnout with a wide range of different makes from various eras on display.
NZV8 was there to walk among all the chrome, flared fenders and wire wheels to bring back loads of photos to share.
If you couldn’t make it along or want to relive the day then click into the gallery below to see the first of two galleries of images from this classic weekend. (more…)
Last weekend’s V4 & Rotary Nationals was a massive event for the import scene in NZ and while it was mostly about turbo-fours and rotary vehicles there was some mint V8s also on display.
Saturday’s Show at the ASB showgrounds in Auckland, had a special V8 Hall of Fame area that proved popular with many in attendance. Last Sunday was the day for the drags at Meremere and there was also some V8 machines going down the strip to show the import crowds how it’s really done.
To see all the action from the drags, shiny metal from the show and a few sneaky photos from the bikini comp, check out the gallery below. (more…)
The 17th annual Kumeu Classic Car and Hot Rod Festival took place last weekend, and it was a scorcher.
Despite crowd numbers and swap site numbers being down on previous years, the event was a huge success. The new Retro area being the highlight for many. With stands such as Rita Sue vintage boutique and the Teaser Lounge amongst a mix of cool old style cars, the area was packed out both days.
Traders had a mixed response, with some saying sales were slow and others struggling to keep up with demand.
The show shed, which should feature the pinnacle of local cars was again a little disappointing, with many better cars being found outside in the outdoor display area, but Kumeu isn’t all about top level show cars, it’s about all cars and having a great time.
To see some of the beautiful metal on display at the show, click on the photo gallery below. (more…)
Sunday was a huge day at Fram Autolite Dragway! NZPC vs NZV8 Drag Combat was everything we could have hoped for (apart from a few cars breaking down causing delays), with heaps of street and drag cars smashing out runs on the strip, sweltering heat and a massive crowd. The V8s pushed hard and showed the import fans that their really is ‘no replacement for displacement’.
Look out for full coverage of this event in the next issue of NZV8, but for now, check out the gallery below. (more…)
The recent Powercruise 2010 event had something for everyone, for some it was the drag racing, others got into the burnouts but for import fans it was all about the drifting.
After some hard fought battling it was Ben Belcher who had the skills and went home the big man in first place. Todd Curtis took second in his old school Toyota Corolla and Travis Edwards and his Silvia scooped up third place.
It was great to see the imports out there burning up the track but don’t just take our word for it, check out the images in the gallery below. (more…)
The drag racing, the cruising and the bikini comp were all great events at the recent Powercruise in Taupo, but nothing got the boys revved up quite like the burnouts. With tyres screaming out for traction and smoke trails filling up the sky no one could look away from the machines taking centre stage. It was a top comp and burnouts are exactly what P0wercruise is about.
Check out images of imports and V8s spinning it up hard in the gallery below. (more…)
At last weekend’s Powercruise in Taupo not all the action took place on the track, there was plenty to see in the pits and behind the scenes. Lots of mad tinkering was taking place as final preparations were made to get cars ready for their respective events. There was also plenty of people-watching to indulge in and, of course, a bikini competition which brought out the finest in local talent.
To see what was going on behind the scenes at Powercruise 2010 and to have a perve at the bikini comp – check out the gallery below.
The off-street racing event at last weekend’s Powercruise saw cars go head to head in a battle for bragging rights. In a straight knock out comp drivers battled to stay in the game with turbocharged imports and American steel lining up against each other.
It was a spectacle indeed, and you can see for yourself how it all unfolded in the gallery of images below. (more…)
Last weekend’s Powercruise went off with a bang and the event that really drew the big crowds was the Powerskids. Imports and V8s alike filled the sky with smoke as they took their traction starved cars down the track. It was a right spectacle and proved popular with competitors and those cheering from the stands.
Check out the images from the Power Skids at Powercruise 2010 in the gallery below. (more…)
The annual Powercruise event has finished for its second year and what a great show it was. Masses of cars and crowds of people headed to Taupo to watch and take part in the action. It was a huge event and while we need to take some time to recover from all the excitement we have the first in a series of images to show you from the day’s action.
The cruising proved very popular with loads of cars getting out on the track. Check out the images in the gallery below and keep an eye out for a full event report in the next issue of NZV8 magazine – out Mon 29th Nov. (more…)
On Sunday 24th October the Early Holden Club held a display at the North Harbour Stadium carpark in Albany.
Entry was via a gold coin donation and all makes of Holden got preferential parking.
Most models of early Holden were on display from FJ to HZ and there were raffles and food onsite.
Hope you enjoy these pics as many of your families have probably had at least one of these cars at some stage.
Check out the images in the gallery below. (more…)
Hennessey has just dropped all the details and a swag of images about its new 2011 Venom GT supercar. It’s built on a heavily worked Lotus Elise chassis and driven by one of three versions of the 6.2-litre LS9 V8 most famously used in the Corvette ZR1. The base model is no slouch and is supercharged producing 725 horsepower and 741 pound-feet of torque. The other two versions of the powerplant are both twin turbocharged and produce a whopping 1,000 hp and 1,200 hp, respectively. All models in the range use the same six-speed Ricardo transmission as the Ford GT.
The performance figures are high and the price matches with estimates of around $600,000 USD once the mean machine is released.
The Texas-based tuner has recently finished the very first production Venom GT. With chassis number 01 it’s a top-spec twin-turbo model, it was clocked producing 933 rwhp a few weeks back on a dyno.
Check out some new beauty shots of the Venom GT in the gallery below.
The Rossi SixtySix has been a fascinating design concept for Corvette enthusiasts and now it’s set to move from rendering to real life. It’s no surprise there has been sufficient interest to send the concept into limited production as it mixes the raw horsepower and handling prowess of the C6 Chevrolet Corvette with the timeless good looks of the ’63-’67 Stingrays. Apparently, Rossi has just finished building all the tooling necessary to bring the vehicle to life, and the first production-spec car will be unveiled this weekend at an event in Detroit.
In the journey from drawings to real metal the car has undergone a few changes, mostly to the front end. The new nose design probably won’t appeal to all, but the rest of the car has stuck fairly close to the renderings that gathered initial interest. Under the new sheetmetal, the drivetrain remains largely unmolested, and apparently the company can perform the whole conversion, including the cost of a brand-new C6 Corvette, for around $130,000 USD. While it’s a unique machine, for that same money, a buyer could get his hands on a ZR1, or possibly even an original ’63 split-window.
Check out images of the Rossi SixtySix in the gallery below. (more…)
