THE COVER STAR! – REFINED RX-3 RESTO AKA UWANIT!
Uniquely Kiwi, the rotary scene has created some memorable builds, personalities, and experiences along the way. Around the turn of the millennium, Tim Wood’s ‘UWANIT’ RX-3 coupe was untouchable, and now, with 25 years of extra experience under his belt, he’s redefined the benchmark for a high-end, inimitably tasteful old-school rotary build
For some of our readers who could be seen to be, well, moving steadily toward middle-age, the plates bolted to the front and rear of quite possibly the cleanest RX-3 coupe screwed together on Kiwi shores is bound to ignite a few pangs of nostalgia.
K SWAPPED, WHAT? – NZ’S FIRST K-SWAPPED PRELUDE?
Ah, finally — someone had the cojones to K-swap something different. We’ve seen plenty of Integras and Civics with the famed conversion, but a Prelude? Now we’re talking!
It’s rare to stumble upon a build that’s 11 years in the making and, better yet, one that’s unique, well-polished, tuned, and driven. Kevin Balajadia, chef and diehard Honda enthusiast, was given this Prelude some 11 years ago by a colleague and good friend and, no doubt at the time, had no idea it would provide over a decade of good times and low ones, too.
WHAT WORKS, WORKS – BAGGED AND TUCKED E30
Some combinations are just meant to be; an E30 on BBS wheels is one of them, but there’s much more to this clean combination than first meets the eye
Sometimes in life, some combinations just work to create something so special that the result is far more than just a simple sum of their parts. Think bourbon and Coke, mince and cheese in a pie, peanut butter, and jam on toast. An E30 BMW on BBS RS wheels fits in with those, as by themselves, they’re both good, but add them together, and they’re suddenly so much more.
SUBDUED STYLEMASTER – SHAKOTAN-FLAVOURED KP60 STARLET
Sometimes, a glance just doesn’t tell the whole story. First impressions may well count, but once you start to dig a little deeper, the depth and talent of a personality really starts to shine — and likewise does their automotive creation
Despite being a fella any lucky lady would be thrilled to take back home to meet Mum, he’s pieced together a couple of rowdy little projects after only a handful of years in the game — the latest of which is this slammed, screaming, scarlet Starlet.
AMONG THE MIGHTY – NISSAN & GT-R FESTIVAL 2024
NZPC spends the day at the Nissan & GTR Festival, an event where 500kW is considered normal and being capable of a 9-sec quarter makes you just faster than average
These days the game is changing and there are very distinct pathways that owners can go with what is becoming an increasingly rare and ever more expensive car to own, let alone modify. Fortunately for fans of either school of thought, this year’s Nissan & GTR Fest delivered solid helpings of both.
ROUND 7 … FIGHT! – STREET FIGHTERS 2024
The ultimate Mitsubishi vs. Subaru showdown enters its seventh year
The NZ event dubbed Streetfighters, now in its seventh year and led by Choice Events and Promotions, brings the rivalry of Mitsubishi and Subaru together for a two-day showdown at Taupo Motorsport Park. You only have to look at the stages of the World Rally Championship to see these four-wheel drive turbo monsters battle it out, and whether you’re a Mitsi Evo or Subaru WRX fan, these rally-inspired weapons are sure to appeal to all generations young or old!
BLAST FROM THE PAST – NZPC’S FIRST COVER CAR IS BACK!
This month’s throwback takes it back to where it all began: the cover car from the very first issue of NZPC!
The silly old duffers reading New Zealand Classic Car magazine would have spilt their cups of tea all over their socks and sandals when the June 1996 issue of their favourite magazine came out. Within the pages of the magazine was issue numero uno of NZ Performance Car, the start of what would create a movement so enduring that you’ve not got Issue 310 in your hands today. Issue number one needed a car that would get attention and set the tone for what lay ahead, and there was no better car around than Adrian Hogg’s Series I RX-7.
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