THE COVER STAR! – 1JZ-POWERED S15 CARNAGE!
We’ve all been there: cutting corners, building on a budget, breaking things and dealing with compromises. It can wear you down and become a burden. Unless you’re Johnny Baxter, whose latest S15 Silvia build channels his education from past missteps, and delivers one hell of a good time on the tarmac …
For Timaru-based, recidivist slider, Johnny Baxter, this searing yellow S15 is the embodiment of this sentiment. It’s a diamond hewn from missteps and madness, good times, and even better people.
FORD BANGER – SR20-POWERED CORTINA RACE-SPEC STREET CAR
What began as a $1500 Trade & Exchange find is now a Silvia-powered, street-driven race car mixing old-school charm with modern punch.
After 20-plus years of tinkering, rewiring, redoing, and rethinking, Daimon’s finally got his mix of nostalgia and new-school punch he visioned ever since he put the Cortina on stands. “I’ve had to learn everything the hard way,” he admits. But it’s been worth it.”
PURPLE REIGN – FORGED AND FEMALE DRIVEN WRX STI
No garage princess to see here — Sofia’s EJ-powered WRX STI puts down some serious power, and her favourite place to enjoy it is on her local racetrack
Christchurch local Sofia Robertson has managed to turn a childhood dream into reality with this 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI — it’s her very own track-dedicated weapon, sitting on the verge of becoming a fully caged race car.
SUNBURST DREAM
– KYUSHA DREAMS TRUENO
They say no build is ever truly finished, but Andrew’s latest Trueno comes pretty close. After years of late nights and countless hours in the garage, he’s created his boldest build yet – a Sunburst Yellow icon built to be driven.
For Andrew, the Trueno isn’t just another project. It’s the result of years of learning, patience, and pushing himself further each time to refine his skills. There’s nothing flashy or over-the-top, just a clean, well-sorted AE85 built at home and driven the way it should be. The build Every time the 4A-GE fires up and the trumpets sing, it reminds him why he fell in love with these cars in the first place.
STREET LEGAL – RB25-POWERED S14 SLIDER
Angus Wang shows us his freshly tuned RB25DET S14, a street-legal machine that spends the weekend sideways with the boys
BLAST FROM THE PAST – STREET SCENE SURVIVOR
What started as a driveway mystery became a full-blown showstopper — 22 years in the making
From there, the build escalated in ways he could never have imagined. That’s why, some 22 years after first driving the car, he still owns it. Over the years, it’s been in a constant state of evolution. Rather than roll with the times, though, Stefan has purposely worked to keep the car as a time capsule of the early 2000s street scene. Inspired by Auto Salon-style builds, the car received more and more cosmetic work — some of which Stefan admits may be a bit cringey by today’s standards.
THE HOTTEST OF HATCH– FACELIFT GR YARIS FIRST LOOK
Toyota New Zealand tossed us the keys to their facelifted GR Yaris — manual gearbox, three-cylinder turbo, and a look that’s sharper than ever. Like we were ever gonna say no. Spoiler alert: it absolutely rips.
Looking back five years, it was one of the rowdiest modern hatches on the road. Fast forward to 2025, and the facelift takes everything fans loved and turns it up: more power, more torque, sharper handling, and a refreshed look inside and out. It feels even closer to a rally car for the street. By listening to enthusiasts and leaning on their rally expertise, Gazoo Racing has created one of its best modern performance cars yet — and it’s even better than before.
WEEKEND WARRIOR – BOOSTED K-POWERED AWD INTEGRA
Andre Anderson’s K24-turbo AWD DC5 Type R is a serious drag machine, built to rip down the strip
THE RETURN OF KIWI SHOWCAR CULTURE – CHROME SHOWCASE 2025
Chrome Showcase 2025 is a newly established event designed to bring back fond memories of early 2000s showcar culture in New Zealand
IN THE CLUB – AUCKLAND EVOLUTION
Track days, meets, and all the Evo madness you can handle — meet the crew behind Auckland Evolution.
FROM THE STREET 2025
Where cars, community and culture collide
AND MUCH MORE!
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