Table of contents for No 286 October 2020 in NZ Performance Car

NZ Performance Car magazine started back in 1996. We were one of the world’s first import performance–based magazines (outside of Japan), something we’re very proud of. Even more so that we’re still in the game, when so many others have come and gone. Not bad from a rag in little old New Zealand, yeah! There comes a time in any publication’s life when it needs to adapt to a changing world, and for us that means putting more focus into creating other forms of content, be it videos, online features, or live-stream questionnaires with your favourite drivers. Whatever it may be, all that takes time, so we’ve made the big call to shift our print edition of NZ Performance Car to a bimonthly publication, allowing the team more time to…

Yeah, yeah, dial down the moaning for two seconds. ‘Hybrid’may be one of those nightmare words for anyone into modified cars and conjure up thoughts of mundane commuters. However, hybrids have come a long way since the advent of the Prius and the like. The current-gen Honda NSX uses it and is safely considered a high-performance offering with a combined output upwards of 400kW from factory. Now, Honda wants to repurpose all that technology into the latest Type R, pushing the current 200-odd-kilowatt figure upwards of 300kW and adding all-wheel drive to its arsenal. The claims are coming out of Japan via Best Car and state that this new R will debut in 2022 after the regular next-gen Honda Civic debuts next year. The current engine package will remain, linked…

Kiwi TOM’S Toyota driver Nick Cassidy and teammate Ryo¯ Hirakawa have pedalled the team’s new Supra entry in the Super GT right to the top spot in a dominant victory for the seasonopening race at Fuji Speedway. The win was supported by an all-Toyota top-five finish, including the sister TOM’S Supra nabbing second for a team one-two finish. The results were somewhat of a surprise to the manufacturer itself, as it was concerned that the all-new Honda NSX would make a clean sweep in race trim. However, Hirakawa earned a strong pole position early in the day and that set up a strong day for the team, with Cassidy and his co-driver leading for the entire 66-lap race, surviving two safety car stints and finishing five seconds clear of their…

The international uncertainty that Covid-19 has created has eaten its fair share of businesses internationally. Markets have slowed and/or stalled, and companies are scrambling to stay afloat. We’ve been pretty lucky in little old New Zealand, so spare a thought for those operating in markets like Europe and the US. Unfortunately, one of those companies, BBS Wheels, has fallen victim to the struggle, with the recent announcement that it has filed for bankruptcy. The company has long supported both the OEM and aftermarket segments, being a long-time manufacturer of factory wheels for automakers and selling an extensive range of aftermarket options, while also supporting a magnitude of motorsport series. Don’t get too upset just yet, though; it’s actually the third time the German-based business has gone under. Back in 2007,…

The naughty north knows how to breed its drifters, and Kaitaia’s Liam Burke has proven his credentials by taking out the 2020 D1NZ Pro series at Pukekohe Park! It’s another mark on the scoreboard for what is only the young drifter’s fourth year in the series, having entered the Pro-Sport class in 2017 and won the championship in 2018. Burke debuted in the Pro class for 2019, finishing 11th overall, and returned this year to stake his claim on the championship despite missing out on claiming points at the first round in Timaru. Burke racked up valuable points at Pukekohe (round two) and Baypark (round three), claiming second-place finishes at both, and shot up the championship leader board. That position was further cemented by a round-four win at ASB Showgrounds.…

HEART ENGINE: Nissan VR38DETT, 3799cc, V6 BLOCK: Factory HEAD: Factory INTAKE: 3.5-inch air-intake tube EXHAUST: 3.5-inch de-cat downpipes, SBD four-inch race-spec exhaust and mid-pipe system TURBO: Factory WASTEGATE: Factory FUEL: Bosch 1050cc injectors, twin 265-litre-per-hour pumps IGNITION: Factory ECU: Factory, custom EcuTek engine tune COOLING: Factory SO POTENT IS THE VR38DETT PLATFORM THAT 441KW AT THE REARS CAN BE EXTRACTED WITH BASIC INTAKE, EXHAUST, AND FUEL UPGRADES, WITH A DECENT SERVING OF BOOST ADDED IN Clean. Transparent. Unembellished. Simple. Hitting all the right marks. It’s this precision car building that catches attention, that creates waves, and earns appreciation. The unadulterated pursuit of perfection. There’s a common misconception that to reach the ultimate standard, you’ve got to blow all your retirement funds and rack up a spec list longer than the…

The Fast and Furious franchise really needs no introduction. In the car world it’s easily one of, if not the, most talked about movie franchises ever created. It not only birthed iconic automotive references—“2JZ no shit”, “I live my life a quarter-mile at a time”, and “Drift?! What’s drift?”—but shaped the chassis that we drive, the styles we pursue, and the motorsport disciplines that we engage with. Almost every spec sheet that we’ve received from feature car owners references its influence one way or another, and we all like to think we could quote them word for word. However, we’ve recently come across a story that will change the way you think about one of the most-loved offerings in the franchise, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. It’s a…

PERFORMANCE POWER: 485kW, 708kW TORQUE: 850Nm, 1150Nm BOOST: 17psi, 32psi FUEL TYPE: Mix of BP 98 and methanol TUNER: Darryl Turk at EFI and Turbo Believe it or not, despite ‘car’being a pretty important word in the title of this magazine, Palmy local Reuben Hoeksema’s jet-sprint boat isn’t the first marine machine we’ve featured. Occasionally, we hear about a waterborne weapon that’s rowdy enough for us to overlook the fact that there are no wheels on this particular pony, there’s no suspension, nor even brakes for that matter. Sometimes, we’ve just got to throw caution to the wind and get the camera gear out for a closer look anyway. This boat’s story began in 2014 with Reuben’s father, Erik, who, along with Sprintec owner Peter Caughey, put together the original…

When you’re in the thick of it, rolling around on the floor underneath your car or leaning over deep in the engine bay, the absolute last thing you want to be doing is blindly grabbing at what’s in front of you hoping that it’s the piece that you’re trying to get to. You need to see what you’re doing; without that, you can kiss an easy job goodbye. Forget the puny little torch on the back of your phone or relying on the workshop fixtures that your significant other is probably nagging you about burning into the early hours of the morning—this is the domain of a solid workshop light. Knowing the plight of many garage dwellers, Griffiths Equipment fired out the Narva Colt 1000 high-powered handheld LED spotlight to…

Mixing and matching components between a series of cars has long been the norm. Items that were never intended to be fused into a specific model from another can quickly have a level of capability higher than that offered by the original manufacturer. That is taken to the extreme when you start installing engines from one model into a different chassis, rear ends from another, and chucking a twirly boy that none of them had into the engine bay. Tauranga’s James Wall is one of the few undertaking such a task with an all-wheel-drive turbo K24 Civic. The car is based on an uncommon EK Civic sedan sub-model: a 1995 Ferio RTi 4WD (EK5). Honda only made 5000 of them worldwide, and very few made their way to our shores.…

It’s not you, it’s me … you’ll have seen on the previous page that there are a few changes going on at NZ Performance Car headquarters. No, the magazine isn’t going anywhere—for nearly a quarter of a century it has been the foremost performance/import authority in the Southern Hemisphere, and that won’t be changing. However, times are changing and the brand needs to move with them, which is pretty damn exciting—although I won’t be around to lead that charge. This will be my last issue working on P’car, a decision I’ve made in order to focus on new opportunities. Having been on the roster for nearly five years, I’ve found it an absolute pleasure to produce the content that goes into these pages each month. It has taught me a…

The nation’s ultimate pop-culture event, Auckland Armageddon, will return to ASB Showgrounds on 23–26 October 2020, although it won’t be like we’ve seen it before. Rolling with the punches that have been the past six months, organizers have battled the fact that there is currently no way to have international guests attend in person due to travel restrictions and quarantine rules. Faced with this issue, Armageddon has created an allnew experience, hosting virtual guests with a live audience. For 2020, the biggest names in TV, film, animation, and gaming will be beamed in from overseas and displayed on massive screens on the event stages to interact with attendees and the stage host directly. You’ll still get the full celebrity experience, be able to ask questions directly, and interact in real…

In part thanks to its traditional short-succession season at the beginning of each year, theToyota Racing Series (TRS) has largely been unhindered heading into 2021. Announced to run over five back-to-back weekends starting 22–24 January and wrapping up the championship over 19–21 February, its venues have yet to be officially confirmed. The largest issue the series faces is not the eligibility to run but facilitating the many international drivers who flock to our shores to compete in the FIA 3 series for valuable Super Licence points. Organizers are in discussion with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Immigration New Zealand, and regional authorities to form an exemption plan for overseas drivers. A number of New Zealand–based prospects have been tested in the previous-generation FT50 car at Hampton Downs, and…

DUE TO COVID-19 ALERT LEVEL FLUCTUATIONS, ALL EVENT INFORMATION IS CORRECT AT THE TIME OF PRINTING BUT MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE 30 AUGUST KING OF THE ROTARIES 2020 HAMPTON DOWNS MOTORSPORT PARK, TE KAUWHATA There’s only one thing more satisfying than watching a packed field of rotangs battling their way around the track—it’s the symphony of noise that they produce tickling your inner ear drums. Organized by the New Zealand Rotary Racing Enthusiasts, the King of the Rotaries 2020 event will feature all of New Zealand’s rotary race car heavy-hitters—the likes of Cameron Jones and Andy Duffin. There will even be a genuine Katayama RX-3 car on display. Spectator entry is free. Check out the Facebook event page for further details. 19 SEPTEMBER DRIFT SOUTH ROUND ONE MIKE PERO…

AGE: OLD ENOUGH LOCATION: RODNEY, AUCKLAND (WHEN NOT ON THE ROAD) OCCUPATION: JANITOR AT SQUIRE’S MOTORSPORT AND CUSTOM AFFILIATIONS: “It’s a long list internationally, but daily is Earnest Workear (the Squire apron), Mad Mike Motorsport, and Panorama Motorsport” THANKS: Naturally, first up is my parents; my loyal customers, who have given me the trust and opportunity that they have; the biggest thanks needs to go to my wife, Shona—my bags are always packed with the right team gear, my food is always warm, and she always has my back. This job would be impossible without all of these people’s support. Jaden Martin: Hi, Mike! For those who may not have met you yet, can you tell the readers what it is you do? Mike Squire: Hey man, the short answer…

The year that is (2020) may well go down as ‘the year of the opinion’. If you don’t know the reasons, chances are you’ve been lucky enough to spend your compulsory holiday holed up beneath a project. Both the news and social media are inundated with it. Everyone from key political figures to armchair epidemiologists spews whatever biased sound bite they fancy regarding the current global status. But here’s a biased opinion that you really need to hear: race cars peaked in the 1990s. We don’t want a squeak of disagreement until you’ve heard us out—hell, you don’t even need to do your own research; we’ve done it for you. UP FRONT IS A SUBSTANTIAL AP TWIN FOUR-POT ARRANGEMENT ON 15-INCH TWO-PIECE ROTORS. OUT THE BACK, LIGHTNESS IS KEY, WITH…

Drag racing has deep-rooted ties in Kiwi automotive culture going back to the’50s, and the modified scene was practically built on the foundations of import drag racing. It’s a special kind of pursuit that typically sees former road-going examples run within the ragged edge of their limits to achieve quarter-mile successes. There have been a heap of world-leading cars built and run here, and, to this day, it remains one of the most respected measurements of a car’s ability. For Auckland’s Chad Tully, it’s something that he has done his entire life. In more recent years, he purchased and campaigned a historic tube-chassis Holden Torana that had been repowered by a Barra turbo power plant. However, with a desire to go faster and the ageing technology not suitable for his…

HIDDEN POWER When you’re packing this much heat, sometimes it’s better to keep it hidden. The Kicker Hideaway HS10 is a compact powered 10-inch subwoofer with surprising low-frequency impact in a tough, all-aluminium frame. With 180 watts RMS, it accepts signals ranging from a mere 0.25 volts to as high as 40 volts (400 watts at 4?) and is fully compatible with newer vehicles using start/stop systems. It comes with an adjustable low-pass crossover, variable +6dB bass boost, phase switch, and two auto turn-on options: DC-offset or signal sensing. It’s a mere 2mm taller than its little brother, the HS8, yet delivers more power and bigger impact, and is easy to install. Available from Kicker stockists throughout New Zealand: kickernz.co.nz/where-to-buy. FORGET THE REST Unlike some batteries, which focus on delivering…

The’80s was automotive madness for the Japanese car manufacturing industry. Slapping turbos or superchargers onto everything, trading small-capacity economy for high-revs, and putting it all in chassis built to handle the strain. Perhaps one of the more ambitious models to come out of the period was Toyota’s first-generation MR-2. A small, two-seater, rear-wheel-drive sports car with the engine in the back and, in highest spec, a supercharger attached to its 1.6-litre, four-banger heart. They built a reputation for being scarily quick, nimble, and easy to spin out, but rapidly became a cult classic. Tom Conway has owned his for a good nine years now and recently used the lockdown to dig into the motor rebuild. The once naturally aspirated model has been converted to a 4A-GZE, now featuring new genuine…

Fresh out of his 2020 drifting campaign, former national drifting champion Darren Kelly has confirmed that he will trade in burning tyres for chasing grip to contest this year’s North Island Endurance Championship (NIEC) and South Island Endurance Championship (SIEC). Behind the wheel of the International Motorsport–prepared Aston Martin Vantage GT3, Kelly will share driving duties with Aston Martin factory driver Alex Riberas. The entry will mark Kelly’s debut in the series, flying under the The Heart of Racing (THoR) flag, which partners with the Starship Foundation to raise vital funds for New Zealand’s national children’s hospital. “This is a great opportunity to compete in GT racing, alongside Alex,” says Kelly, “[and] as someone who spent a lot of time in paediatric hospitals growing up, the purpose of The Heart…

A few issues back, we featured the pinnacle of ’80s radness—the Honda City R with accompanying Motocompo folding scooter in the boot—and you lot went wild for it. Since its inception, the Motocompo has been a cult classic—a compact, folding scooter that was easily stored away in the boot of an econo-car ready to be pulled out and hooned around on at a moment’s notice. These days, most have heard the name, scrawled down the side of it in classic pixel font So, when it comes to light that Honda has submitted a trademark application under the name of ‘Motocompacto’, you should be conjuring up ideas of a modern incarnation tucked away in the boot of a brand new Jazz, CR-V, or even a Civic Type R. Does this mean…

While TCR series have taken the world by storm, including the impending series here, Mazda’s attempt to get in on the factory-backed classification has been fraught with issues and now called altogether. It’s a shame, as the Mazda 3 TCR was one hell of a looker, low-slung, aggressive, and dripping in aero. The programme was set to race in 2020, however delays saw that pushed out before Mazda’s TCR partner, Long Road Racing, went out of business in January. The car was meant to debut at the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race at Daytona; however, with Long Road, who also prepared Mazda’s MX-5 Cup cars, out of the picture, plans stalled. The less-than-ideal start to the year only got worse once a 2021 reschedule was announced right before the global…

Got Instagram? Want print fame on top of all those likes that fly your way each time you post a photo? Want to show us your whip without actually talking to us? Want to see what other readers are up to in their sheds? The answer to all these questions and why these two pages exist lies in the use of the hashtag #nzpc. Search it, use it, and thrash it! We keep a very close eye on it and will be choosing a bunch of hashtagged posts each month to print right here. And that’s not all—the best shot will earn its photographer a little prize for their trouble. So remember, next time you’re gram’n’, use #nzpc.…

Somewhere along the road of this constant battle to build the next best thing and one-up whatever the guy next door has done, many have lost their way, building stupidly complex, over-powered, unreliable machines. But what if we told you that there is another way, a much simpler, much easier, and much more satisfying approach to car building? No, this isn’t the Bluetooth trend hitting the SEMA Show; it’s more about winding the clock back and making the most of the machinery in front of you, through nothing more than refinement, and we’re about to get schooled in the art. It’s a bitterly cold but sunny midweek winter’s day, and Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park in Taupo is alive with millions of dollars’worth of the advanced supercars only a wide-open wallet…

The construction of the Hyundai Kona EV rally car has been progressing well, with us nearing the project’s rollout and first tests. With the majority of components in place, we are now left with the remaining small fabrication jobs and refinements to get the car ready for initial assembly. As with any major project, however, it is often the smaller jobs that can be the most time-consuming. To date, the bodyshell has taken more than 1000 man-hours of fabrication. This has been a joint effort by our engineers and technicians to design a platform that is unique and forward thinking. The obvious difference is the large opening in the floor that makes way for the prototype battery, which recently arrived from Europe and has been test fitted. The motor and…

There’s no denying there are a number of Australian performance-parts companies that are at the forefront of product development around the globe. With stiff competition in the GT-R tuning scene, the World Time Attack Challenge (WTAC) based in Sydney being the centre of Time Attack racing for the world, and gargantuan drag events such as Jamboree being the pinnacle for import racing, companies like Turbosmart are leading the way in terms of development and quality. With Turbosmart’s countless SEMA Show awards for innovation and quality, we thought it best to dive straight in and check out the Turbosmart headquarters for ourselves. Thanks to a few friendly connections, the team opened its doors to NZPC and took us through the Turbosmart secret lair. Based in Western Sydney, Turbosmart HQ isn’t a…

NAME: STANLEY COOTE (@STAN260Z) AGE: 24 // LOCATION: WARKWORTH OCCUPATION: MECHANICAL DESIGN ENGINEER, OWNER OF STAN’S CUSTOM CREATIONS (SCC) NZ Performance Car: Hi, Stan! Can you tell us how you got into modifying cars? Stan: Hey, NZPC. Like most people my age, it all started with Need For Speed. Playing titles such as Underground, Most Wanted, and Carbon sparked my love for modifying cars. The first car that I modified was a Datsun 260Z, which was a barn find. My dad and I restored it in my final year of high school and got it road legal the day of my school ball. Over the last six years, I have continued to modify it. Where does this R33 fit into the picture? Well, after a fling with a Mk4 Supra,…

Meeting up with friends or complete strangers at the local hangout spot and taking your car out for a solid cruise is the absolute staple of this car scene we all love. We’ve been doing it for what feels like a millennium and there is absolutely no doubt that future generations will be doing exactly the same. There’s no better way to show off your car, meet new people, and log serious amounts of main-/back-street patrolling than getting out to a meet and cruise. There’s always been one catch, though: logistics. Without a universal plan in place and effective means of communication, these events can quickly break apart and dissolve in the midst of it all. That’s where the Turnout app comes in. It’s a New Zealand–designed and–developed app that…

As if building his own cars wasn’t already enough to soak up more than a few hours in the garage, Anton is back at it building everyone else’s cars too! His own Starlet, seen in Under Construction Issue No. 262, has gone on the back-burner after the 12A engine–and–FC box combo found its way into a friend’s S13 and went on to be stolen from the workshop floor shortly after lockdown. That series of unfortunate events has meant that the Starlet will now receive a Honda J30–and–Powerglide combo. However, that’s not what this piece is about. It’s about his cousin Nicholas’s Hilux that is currently demanding attention. The Hilux is undergoing a 1UZ-FE VVT-i swap using a Cartune mount and DIY header kit. It will run an auto box behind…