All the latest news from motoring, tech, travel and lifestyle newsrooms, curated by the Tarmac Crew.
Mitsubishi has revealed a fully redesigned Pajero with a ladder frame, a 2.4-litre diesel and low-range 4WD, launching first in Thailand before Japan, Australia and
BMW Group is working with French AI company Mistral AI to build a specialised model trained on more than a petabyte of its own crash
Regulatory filings show the second-generation BYD Seagull switching from a 55kW front wheel drive layout to a 95kW rear motor, multi-link rear suspension, and a
August registrations of battery-electric cars and plug-in hybrids nearly tripled, taking electrified models past three-fifths of New Zealand’s new passenger vehicle sales so far this
Yamaha Motor has named “Own the Moment, Take Actions” as its 2026 Yamaha Day theme, and its Australia and New Zealand arm has made a
A £3 million, government-backed project will use a modified Leaf to test autonomous mobility services on real Cambridge roads as an actual passenger service. Nissan
Polestar has teamed up with the University of Oxford’s SDG Impact Lab to study drivers’ brain activity, heart rate and eye movement at Sweden’s Gotland
We’ve all heard the tired old story about heritage brands “reimagining classics” for the modern era. Usually it’s a polished turd wrapped in nostalgia and
The Italian marque is calling it a “manifesto” to inspire their future designs.
MG continues to progress its EV offering with the new S6 but is there too little to separate the RWD from the AWD range topper?
Next to the Impreza, the Outback is one of the most revered names in Subaru’s back catalogue. Chances are you probably have one or two
From October 1, 2026, New Zealand drivers must leave a 1.5-metre gap when passing cyclists and give way to buses leaving stops, while young children
Ford CEO Jim Farley says America’s skilled trades shortage demands faster action, as the company prepares a bigger second edition of its ACCELERATE the Essential
Porsche’s new model-year Cayenne Electric adds optional inductive charging, electric doors, massage seats with 4D audio and Paint to Sample colours. Plugging in an electric
Nissan Australia has given the all-new Y63 Patrol more cargo space, more second-row legroom and a 3,700kg braked towing capacity on every grade, with first
ANCAP has welcomed the Australian Government’s mid-term review of the National Road Safety Strategy, which credits safer cars for progress but shows sharp rises in
Gooding Christie’s will offer the 1967 Ferrari NART Spider first owned by Steve McQueen at its first New York sale in November, with an estimate
There are more electric vehicles available to New Zealanders than ever before. But many of them feel like they’re designed by committee, for people in
Remember when tuning a sports car meant more than just adding a spoiler? When Japanese imports ruled the streets, and open-top driving was about pure,
Bentley has launched a hospitality-inspired retail concept at Jack Barclay in London, and the design will eventually shape its network of more than 220 retailers
When destroying cars is actually a good thing. We’ve all heard the phrase “crash test,” but most of us never really think about what goes
GWM showed the new Haval H7 SUV and the Cannon Hi4-T PHEV ute to the Australian public for the first time at Everything Electric 2026,
Finally, a car designed by people who’ve actually navigated European cities without losing their minds. Remember when electric vehicles meant you’d have to choose between
IWC has released a video interview with Gérald Genta’s wife and daughter to mark the Ingenieur SL’s 50th anniversary, alongside two limited editions with brushed
Volkswagen has shown the near-production ID.3 GTI, a 240kW rear-drive electric hatch due for pre-sales in early 2027, in the 50th year of the GTI
The brand has looked to its past for inspiration of its future.
Brooklyn art collective MSCHF has turned a Lexus RZ 450e and an RX 450h+ into two surreal “Form Cars” for MOTOMORPHOSIS, a three-day exhibition during
A cybersecurity researcher gained remote control of a BYD Shark 6’s lights, wipers, doors and speakers after finding the vehicle’s access point had no password
In a VERY short time, BYD has quietly become arguably a household name across New Zealand. We’re talking about a brand that didn’t exist here
Geely Starray EM-i AWD: The Hybrid That Gets New Zealand’s Mixed Terrain Memo. Arriving October 2026 | Starting at $55,990 + ORC New Zealand drivers
Tesla Australia and New Zealand has announced an eight-city static display tour for its driverless Cybercab, starting in Sydney this month and finishing in Auckland
MG has detailed a new Plug-in Hybrid+ powertrain, a semi-solid-state SolidCore battery and an expanded driver-assistance programme, including a motorway autopilot system due in 2027,
Chery has shown its Stockman diesel hybrid ute in Australia for the first time at Everything Electric Sydney this week, alongside an updated MY27 E5
GWM’s Latest SUV Refuses to Play It Safe Bored with sleek, rounded SUVs that all look vaguely like they’ve been through a wind tunnel one
The 2027 Lexus RX gains an optional red brake caliper finish on its sportier F Sport grades, with the refreshed luxury crossover due at dealerships
Rolls-Royce has revealed the Phantom Hummingbird, a Dubai-commissioned Private Commission that introduces abalone shell marquetry to the marque for the first time. Rolls-Royce has unveiled
Škoda has outlined the interior design thinking behind its new Peaq electric SUV, highlighting a simplified cabin layout, five trim options, and a portrait infotainment
Lexus has revealed the 2027 GX, a largely carried-over update to its body-on-frame SUV with added rear-seat ventilation, revised colour options and no changes to
Proving that innovation doesn’t have to stay in one lane, SharkNinja has just announced a jaw-dropping global partnership with McLaren Racing that spans Formula 1,
In NZ’s Auto landscape, very few brands are moving with the velocity of GWM. And following a recent test of the new 3.0-litre Tank 500
BYD executive Stella Li says a vehicle fitted with the company’s solid-state battery technology will appear next year, though mass production remains years away. BYD
Nissan New Zealand has detailed cabin, cargo and towing improvements for the all-new Patrol ahead of its local launch. Nissan New Zealand has released further
Mitsubishi has confirmed pricing and specifications for its first hybrid Outlander Sport in New Zealand, with dealership arrivals set for December.Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand has
Škoda has detailed the all-electric Epiq crossover, a compact SUV built on the MEB+ platform with a frunk, bidirectional charging and more than 440km of
The Oscar winner’s new photography exhibition used the Zeekr 7X’s talents rather creatively!
Rolex has added the Perpetual Padellone to its permanent collection, pairing an instantaneous annual calendar with a moonphase display, a complication combination the brand has
Land Rover has unveiled the Defender Wolf Series II, a next-generation military light mobility vehicle built on its D7x architecture and intended to replace the original Wolf that served British forces for over 70 years.
Hold onto your Akubra, mate. MG Motor Australia has just unveiled the MGU9 EV. Yep, Australia gets it first, globally, they’re not following the trend;
Lexus has teamed up with Tokyo design house AMBUSH to launch The Future Classic Club , a joint project pairing a short film with a
Remember when Formula 1 cars were genuinely beautiful? When they didn’t look like they’d been designed by a committee of engineers with a spreadsheet fetish?
New Zealand’s motoring show crosses the Tasman with broadcast deals on Channel 31 and Channel 44 **FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE** Auckland, New Zealand — September 2026
Pure Irrationality, Maximum Performance Sometimes the best things in life come from a simple question asked by people who should know better. In this case,
Audi has begun building the A2 e-tron at its Ingolstadt plant, marking the model’s production start alongside a significantly overhauled manufacturing approach that cuts development time, reduces complexity, and raises automation levels.
Volkswagen has begun taking orders in Germany for a new full hybrid system fitted to the Golf and T-Roc, offering electric driving phases without any need for a charging cable.
Volkswagen has opened orders for the Tiguan EDITION 20, a limited anniversary model celebrating 20 years and more than nine million sales of its most successful nameplate.
From a 19-unit long-wheelbase limousine to a salt-flats record-setter, the Škoda Octavia’s history is considerably stranger and more varied than its sensible reputation suggests.
Bluetti has detailed the range of real-world applications its portable power stations cover, from emergency home backup to off-grid camping and remote work.
After three years of development and thousands of simulations, Bugatti has finalised the sound character of the Tourbillon’s V16 engine, passing homologation testing while preserving the raw, mechanical quality the brand considers essential.
DS Penske’s Taylor Barnard claimed victory at the London E-Prix on the final day of the 2025/26 Formula E season, becoming the youngest race winner in the championship’s history at 22 years and 76 days old.
A first-ever car raffle run by Blood Cancer NZ, backed by Suzuki and the Grocery Charity Ball Trust, has handed an Auckland man a brand-new Jimny 5-Door after he bought a ticket online simply to support the cause.
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