THE COVER STAR! – BAGGED AND BLITZED WIDEBODY RX-7
Building a truly special piece of gear isn’t a short process. For the detail focused, it can be a drawn-out process, fraught with direction changes and delays as they strive to get things just right. In the case of Luke Neilan’s Mazda RX-7, time has been a blessing, with the recent debut of one of the finest FD RX-7s ever to turn a wheel on Kiwi soil
Clear direction or not, you’d need your head examined to argue that the end result is anything but striking. Despite his admitted pinball approach to the build, Luke’s knocked together a supremely detailed and considered build. The RX-7 is almost subtle enough to convince the casual onlooker they’ve seen it before. But it’s the deep dive into the details — and hell, there’s a lot of them — that really displays how this FD stood head and shoulders above its peers at REunion 2025, taking out Best Rotary Overall.
ROTOR REWIND — 13B-POWERED 626
Toby Richards revives his misspent youth with another ’79 626, proving that some first loves are worth a second spin
Imagine talking to a technophobic old boy in Australia, telling him you’re happy to deposit money to him for a car you’ve never laid eyes on. That was the situation Tauranga’s Toby Richards found himself in three years ago. That seemingly simple transaction would take five months to complete, as the old fella just couldn’t come to grips with the situation. Toby had very good reason to keep at him though, as the ’79 Mazda 626 in question was as original and unmolested as they get.
FIRE & ICE
– ZENKI AND KOUKI S14 DUO
We check out Alex and Monique’s twin Silvia garage — a couple not only building cars together, but also a life
Alex and Monique have been building their S14 Silvias together for the past four years — pouring their afternoons and spare cash into this shared passion while strengthening their relationship in the process. Working on their cars together, they’ve now managed to create one of the most formidable ‘his and hers’ garage combos that we’ve ever seen.
SLAMMED BY A SOUTHERLY – MAD MIKE’S SOUTHERN BASH 2025
Mad Mike brings the bash to Highlands Motorsport Park for an experience like no other!
Up until 22 March, 2025, only one person had ever been allowed to (intentionally) drift at the venue, and that was, of course, Mad Mike. He enjoys a strong relationship with motorsport park owner Tony Quinn, having held Summerbash seven times at Waikato’s Hampton Downs and co-driven with him in the past. Naturally, when Mike and his team announced that the door would be opened to others to turn tyres on this hallowed ground, interest was high, and the first batch of entries sold out in minutes, not hours. One of the things to see was which cars and drivers would make the trip south to tackle the unique opportunity, along with which of the Southern-based sliders would take the chance to make their mark.
UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN – REUNION 2025
REunion has become the gold standard for rotary-only events in the country, likely the Southern Hemisphere and maybe even the world. It’s a uniquely Kiwi experience, and after an eight-year hiatus from covering it, roving NZPC photojournalist Richy hit up Taupo to take it all in …
New Zealand’s rotary scene is a national treasure and must be cherished, if not protected, at all costs. There. I said it. Too often, the whingers and moaners among us car folk like to rip on Kiwi car culture. Sure, things might be flashier, lower and higher quality on aggregate among larger and wealthier economies. But as they say, “comparison is the thief of joy” and holy moly was there a crapload of joy going on at the eleventh installment of REUnion.
GAZOO GALORE – TOYOTA GR FESTIVAL 2025
The NZPC Editor shot down to the stunning Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell for a day packed with all things Toyota. With diehard fans rolling in from every corner of the country, the South Island festival turned into one massive Toyota-fuelled hurrah!
When it comes to celebrating car culture in New Zealand, Toyota is leading the charge as one of the only manufacturers to host a large-scale public event purely for its fans. While other brands may dabble in exclusive drive experiences or track days, Toyota opens the gates to the entire car community, inviting anyone with a passion for Toyota or Lexus to get involved. It all started as a humble grassroots track day organised by the Toyota 86 and MR2 Owners Club, but over the years it has expanded into a full-blown annual event, now officially backed by Toyota New Zealand — a solid nod to the brand’s commitment to the enthusiast scene.
SOUTHERN SHINE – CHROME EXPRESS SESSION CHRISTCHURCH
The Chrome Expression Session makes its annual return to Euromarque Motorsport Park in Christchurch, and it’s bigger, better, and louder than ever, filling the venue with a buzzing crowd and a seriously impressive lineup of cars
The ‘South’ is an interesting place to hold events. For as long as both writers can remember, it has always been the southern way to let things build slowly, then, about two to three weeks out, the chatter and social push begins, and everything really ramps up. Chrome Expressions Session 2025 followed that familiar pattern, with momentum building after a couple of big concerts. As the event date drew closer, anticipation grew, and there were a few cars everyone was itching to see.
BLAST FROM THE PAST – LILMDM SHOW-SPEC S14
Christy Bradley’s show-spec S14 may seem tame by today’s standards, but in the heyday of the Auto Salon scene, it was up there with the best
Like many of us, Christy Bradley’s journey into the modified car world rapidly evolved when she found the company of like-minded friends. For her, that came in the form of the Girlspeed internet forum way back in the early 2000s. In a time before social media as we know it, forums were the place to connect with fellow car lovers. While they mainly revolved around single makes or models, Girlspeed was an exception. As the name suggests, it was a place for female car owners to connect, chat, and arrange meets. The forum was one of the busiest around, and the Girlspeed community was hugely supportive of each other, attending events en masse and producing a number of well-known cars and personalities.
STREET LEGAL – 2JZ-POWERED ALTEZZA STREETER
Mitchell Brown’s 2JZ-powered Altezza is the result of apprentice wages and a true DIY spirit
CRUISE MODE – 7A-GE-POWERED KE25 PERFECTION
We check out Peter Harrison’s immaculate KE25 Corolla, featuring a 7A-GE transplant built in the stable of Fraser Cars
AND MUCH MORE!
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