It’s pretty much a sure bet that New Zealand won’t get the ‘greenest’ powertrain in the new Toyota LandCruiser Prado 4x4 range. It’s a petrol-electric hybrid that, had it been available, would have made more palatable Toyota NZ’s frequent references to cutting exhaust emissions. Instead, the 2024 Prado – the first all-new Prado in 14 years – gets the same turbocharged … [Read more...] about Toyota Prado gets ‘shave and a clean shirt’
Rare military ‘pig’ of a Volvo for sale
Up for grabs at Australian auction house Collecting Cars is a rare Volvo built for the Swedish military. It’s the four-wheel-drive TP21 Sugga, one of 700-odd examples produced between 1953-1958. Sugga in Swedish is ‘sow’, a reference to the vehicle’s pig-like looks. This particular 1954 example has been in Aussie hands since the 1980s. It is … [Read more...] about Rare military ‘pig’ of a Volvo for sale
Pothole survey: EVs stress road surfaces
Road damage analysis using the ‘fourth power formula’ has surfaced as the National Party stokes its election campaign with a proposed $500 million fund to repair New Zealand’s crumbling road surfaces. The formula – a common mathematical equation – is used by highways engineers to assess the damage caused to roads by heavier vehicles. It means that if weight on a … [Read more...] about Pothole survey: EVs stress road surfaces
One-off tribute to 100 years of BMW bikes
Highlighting 100 years of BMW motorcycles this year is an R 18 boxer customised by former European motocross champion Dirk Oehlerking’s company Kingston Custom. It’s been designed as a unique take on streamliner bikes of the 1930s. Oehlerking and BMW call the bike The Crown. Aside from the overall shape, the most striking feature of The Crown is the front … [Read more...] about One-off tribute to 100 years of BMW bikes
EV gets 250km range from six-minute charge
Two celebrated car designers have collaborated with UK battery technology company Nyobolt to deliver a Lotus-lookalike electric sports car that can be fully charged from zero capacity in six minutes. The accelerated charge time is one of the benefits of advanced tungsten anode technology, which delivers 10 times more charging power than a conventional battery, says the … [Read more...] about EV gets 250km range from six-minute charge