THE COVER STAR! – QUAD-ROTOR VL COMMODORE MADNESS
Top dead-centre on the cover is the one and only, internet legend and madman himself, Jay Duca and his insane quad-rotor VL Commodore. You’ve probably seen all the videos by now, but in this issue, we dive into the full story behind the build with all the nitty-gritty details.Since his teenage years, getting grubby and mucking around with old cars has been a way of life for Adelaide native Jay Duca. With the rise of his Low Standards YouTube channel, he’s become a bit of a cult figure in the internet car space, screwing together creative machines and bringing them into the real-life space to thrash, share and inspire.
SIEGE OF SPEED – 1.5JZ-POWERED S13
Stuffed with 420kW of Toyota muscle, wrapped in a Mazda hue, and packed into a ’90s Nissan icon, Remi’s trifecta S13 is built to cause chaos at the Mount
Like most cars, the honeymoon phase didn’t last forever. He admits he didn’t exactly baby the car — plenty of skids, plenty of missions with the boys. Eventually, the SR started tapping out. “I knew from the start that if the SR ever died, I’d swap it for a JZ. I just didn’t know how far I’d take it. I kept watching swap videos on YouTube, and the more I saw, the deeper I fell into the idea.”1
FOUR EVER AFTER – 420KW 20B-SEQUENTIAL RX-4
With a 450kW 20B under the hood and an immaculate body, interior and engine bay, maybe Lance Andersen’s RX-4 is the rotary that he may never sell!
“It’s a love-hate relationship — you know you shouldn’t, but you can’t help it,” says Lance Andersen of his addiction to buying rotary-powered cars, and he should know … he’s had more than twenty Mazdas. Being of the age that he grew up in Hamilton in the 1980s, and got his licence in the mid 1990s, it shouldn’t be a huge surprise that Lance got into rotaries from a young age. One of his first ones was a 13B-powered 808 wagon that he scored for the princely sum of a grand. It was the build of that 808 that really got him hooked, and set the scene for years of rotary ownership. While the 808 may have been the catalyst, it set him on a path to own various RX-2s, RX-3s, RX-7s and even an RX-2 rally car, so, needless to say, he describes it as somewhat of a long term love-hate relationship.
CELEBRATING THE MADNESS – MAD MIKE’S SUMMER BASH 2025
Mad Mike wins the 7th summer bash in his original RX-7
There couldn’t have been a more perfect way to end the 7th edition of Mad Mike’s Summer Bash than with the man himself, the namesake of the event, standing on the top step of the podium. He won the event in the car that kick-started a global journey and put the name Mad Mike into the vocabulary of car enthusiasts across the globe.
HAMILTON BRINGS THE HEAT – 4&ROTARY NATIONALS 2025
The annual show returns to Hamilton and sets a new standard
It’s no secret that it has been a tough few years for this event, and 2025 could perhaps be seen as the year the show cemented its new direction. While the brand remains, and possibly always will, the market has shifted, and ‘The Nats’ has adjusted to this by welcoming all makes, models, and engine configurations. Think about it: how many of your friends now own rapid or luxury Euros, have a soft spot for the no-longer-made Holdens, or just want to be different? The Nats welcomes and showcases all, and that’s the way it should be.
PARK UP FOR HUNGER
What better way to kick off 2025 than with a mix of cars and community spirit? Rotationals and Downtime Entertainment join forces to bring the scene together, for a day dedicated to helping out struggling Kiwi families this Summer.
Rotationals and Downtime Entertainment are out here showing the positive side of the scene — putting in work for the community and running charity events every year for I Am Hope. This time, they linked up for a different cause — one that could make a real difference for Kiwis doing it tough this summer. Innes Common was packed on this scorching Sunday, with over 600 cars and thousands of people rolling through, plus many more flowing in and out. Entry was simple for those parking up — just bring a non-perishable food item or basic necessity to donate, all in support of The Salvation Army’s food bank organisation.
BLAST FROM THE PAST – RX3SOM IS BACK!
Is there any better combination than candy red paint on an RX-3 coupe?
Rewind your memory back to the early 2000s, and if you’re old enough to do so, chances are you’ll recall the name Dale Williams. Dale was a regular on the burnout pad at the 4&Rotary Nationals behind the wheel of his gold 12A-powered Mazda 323. The car’s short wheelbase, decent level of horsepower and the animal behind the wheel made for a good show, and a car that became very well known. Dale wasn’t solely focused on the skids though as he extended his talents to circuit racing too, where he went on to have great success. His best success though came in the form of a 1974 RX-3 Coupe.
AND MUCH MORE!
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