Lotus has talked for years about setting up in New Zealand with strong local support. Now it has finally done something about it. The Giltrap Group will open a Lotus outlet in Auckland next year, most likely with the last of the carmaker's petrol models, Elise and Exige, before the EVs arrive. The following story first appeared here in 2015. Alastair Sloane revists it. The … [Read more...] about Under brakes at 190km/h – where Nigel Mansell is doing 300km/h
Volkswagen's Piech
Reworked classic cars designed for whatever floats your boat
No, the Jaguar E-Type boat above isn’t a scale model – but it is a plaything of sorts. It and the others pictured here are products of Italian designer Pierpaolo Lazzarini. He and his Floating Motors company are building watercraft based on some of the most iconic classic cars. The car/boats vary in size and come with a choice of battery-electric or petrol power. The … [Read more...] about Reworked classic cars designed for whatever floats your boat
Ex-Ferrari designers pen hydrogen-powered catamaran
Two former Ferrari designers borrowed the evocative look of one of Alfa Romeo’s most revered cars to pen a 55 metre-long catamaran concept powered by electricity from hydrogen fuel cells. The computer-generated twin-hull is named Migma, Greek for ‘mixture.’ It’s a product of Spanish studio Ruma, whose co-founders Mario Fuentes and Ruben Roldan – prominent automotive design … [Read more...] about Ex-Ferrari designers pen hydrogen-powered catamaran
Tesla Model 3 judged the most efficient electric car
The Tesla Model 3 has been judged the most efficient electric vehicle in a test conducted by UK magazine What Car? The Model 3 sedan rated best in terms of energy efficiency but lost out to a juiced-up Ford Mustang E-Mach on distance travelled. Monthly publication What Car? got together 10 of the best or newest EVs on sale in the UK to find out which one travelled the … [Read more...] about Tesla Model 3 judged the most efficient electric car
New Audi RS3 heads to NZ with ‘quantum leap’ in agility
Expect Audi New Zealand boss Dean Sheed to highlight a technical triumph for the brand when the new RS3 sedan arrives in New Zealand next year. It’s a development of a Haldex differential that uses multiple disc clutches on each rear axle shaft to distribute the amount of torque sent to each wheel. It helped the 2022 RS3 set a compact car lap record at Germany’s … [Read more...] about New Audi RS3 heads to NZ with ‘quantum leap’ in agility