New vehicle registrations in New Zealand are slowing as the market readjusts to changing economic conditions after a boom five years of record numbers. Registrations for the six months to the end of June were down around 6 per cent, or almost 4500 units, on the same period last year, says the Motor Industry Association (MIA). That’s an average slump of more than 700 cars … [Read more...] about Mitsubishi defies slump in new vehicle registrations
Banned wheelchair-access vehicle maker sues NZ transport bodies
A company forced by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to stop building wheelchair-access vehicles is suing the government body and its offshoot the Low Volume Vehicle Technical Association (LVVTA) for losses “expected to exceed $5 million.” Lawyers for vehicle manufacturer Drive NZ Classic Ltd (DNZC) have filed a statement of claim in the High Court against the LVVTA as first … [Read more...] about Banned wheelchair-access vehicle maker sues NZ transport bodies
Ex-Recaro agent builds patent-pending sports seats for Holden concept
It’s 200mm higher and 150mm wider than a regular Holden Colorado ute, rides on 35-inch all-terrain wheels, has bespoke steel bumpers front and rear, a scooped carbon-fibre bonnet that weighs 7kg, patent-pending sports seats designed in New Zealand … and it’s on show at Fieldays next week. But that’s all it is – a concept ute designed to show how the best-dressed, double-cab … [Read more...] about Ex-Recaro agent builds patent-pending sports seats for Holden concept
Carmakers finding solutions to problems that don’t exist?
Where is the automotive industry going next with the development of so-called smart devices? Is it nearing information overload? Findings solutions to problems that don’t exist? Take, for example, inventions from American start-up Byton and Britain’s venerable Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). Byton not long ago revealed its production-ready vehicle the ‘M-Byte,’ notable for the huge … [Read more...] about Carmakers finding solutions to problems that don’t exist?
How Koenigsegg does its ‘crash’ tests …
Mainstream carmakers might crash-test hundreds of vehicles in order to meet safety standards. But it’s a different story for Swedish supercar company Koenigsegg, which might only turn out 12 to 15 cars a year. Each one can cost many millions of dollars, so crashing and trashing even one would be absurdly expensive. This video, from Apex One, shows how it keeps crash-test costs … [Read more...] about How Koenigsegg does its ‘crash’ tests …