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Alastair Sloane

All-American Ford F-150 on its way to NZ

February 23, 2023 by Alastair Sloane

The story published by autonews.nz two weeks ago has been confirmed – Ford will have right-hand-drive variants of the all-American F-150 pick-up truck available in Australia and New Zealand later this year. Ford Australia has released pricing and specifications for the F-150, along with a factory-backed,  five-year unlimited kilometre warranty. There will be four … [Read more...] about All-American Ford F-150 on its way to NZ

Race-based Jaguar up for grabs

February 23, 2023 by Alastair Sloane

Up for auction in the US next week is a Jaguar XJR-15, one of 27 road legal models based on the XJR-9 racer that won the Le Mans 24-hour event in 1988. Another XJR-15 sold two years ago in the US for $US1,902,500 million ($NZ3,06m). The auction car recently landed in the US from Asia and will be the headline act at RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island sale on March 4. Bidding is … [Read more...] about Race-based Jaguar up for grabs

Anti-theft ‘cat shields’ for Toyota hybrids

February 20, 2023 by Alastair Sloane

Toyota and its luxury arm Lexus are selling cars in the US with an optional ‘cat shield’, in an effort to stymie the theft of catalytic converters, a crucial exhaust component which contains a precious metal worth six times more than gold. Hybrid models from the Japanese nameplates are the main targets because they have anti-pollution devices with even more precious metals … [Read more...] about Anti-theft ‘cat shields’ for Toyota hybrids

1974 Corvette and bucket of soapy water

February 16, 2023 by Alastair Sloane

A 1974 Chevrolet Corvette discovered in a barn in the US has had its first wash in 34 years. Bought by its second owner in 1982, the C3 Corvette was driven until 1989, when it was parked in the barn. And that’s where it’s stayed for the past three decades – along with the rats and mice that called it home. The car was pretty much complete, except there was nothing left of the … [Read more...] about 1974 Corvette and bucket of soapy water

Hitting road in Hilux adventure camper

February 14, 2023 by Alastair Sloane

The latest off-road camper from Japanese specialist Direct Cars is based on a 4x4 ute that is likely to join the Toyota fleet in New Zealand this year – the beefier Toyota Hilux GR. The GR ute itself will no doubt slot comfortably into the country’s best-selling vehicle segment. On the other hand, the GR-based camper conversion is very much a factory-finished niche product, … [Read more...] about Hitting road in Hilux adventure camper

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The Good Oil

French carmaker Renault has won the 2025 European Car of the Year award with the all-electric R5 supermini (pictured). It’s the brand’s second win in a row, following the new Scenic’s gong in 2024. The R5 led the vote count from start to finish from the 60 jurors in 23 countries. It received 353 points, beating the Kia EV3 (291 points) and the Citroen C3/e in third place with 215 points. It’s Renault’s eighth win in the 62-year history of the Coty award. The R5 goes on sale in the UK this month. There are two main drivetrains: a 90kW motor/40kWh battery model with a 300km range, and a 112kW/52kWh example with a 400km range. The R5 starts in price at £22.995, or $NZ50,000.

EU carmakers seek trade deal with Trump

BMW and Mercedes-Benz are among carmakers urging the European Union to get a favourable trade deal with US President Donald Trump. The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) wants to keep open trade with both the US and China. It fears Trump, who promises heavy tariffs on Chinese imports to the US, will look unfavourably on countries that continue to trade freely with Beijing. Ola Kallenius, president of the group and chairman of the management board of MB, said in a letter to EU leaders:  “Overall, it is essential to recognise that trade with China and the US is most vital for the prosperity of the European economy.The EU should seek a grand bargain with the US and attempt to avoid a potential trade conflict.”

Diesel fuels EV concept for US military

A  go-anywhere EV concept for the US military uses an onboard 12kW diesel generator to top up the batteries on the move.  The all-wheel-drive has 800-volt technology and a 200kWh battery pack to power three electric motors, two in the rear and one up front. Claimed output is 745kW/15,590Nm, or 1000hp and 11,500 ft-lb of torque.  The four-seater was developed by the defence division of General Motors and is based on the platform of the Hummer SUV. It rides on Fox performance shock absorbers and 37-inch tyres and comes with “exceptional” approach and departure angles for off-road mobility. Maximum range using the generator to keep things ticking over is said to be around 500km.

We are the World

The outside temperature in Midland, Texas, was 40.5C when staff at the local office of the US National Weather Service set out to show the cabin of a closed car can literally get baking hot in summer. They mixed up a batch of chocolate chip cookies and laid them on the car’s dashboard – the surface of which showed a temperature of 87.7C. A little over four hours later the cookies were ready to eat. “Even though ours weren’t golden brown, we can confirm that they are done and delicious,” the staff wrote on Facebook.

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Electric G-Wagen takes you for spin

https://youtu.be/NwHbJ7HN1sU

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