Know Thyself – Honda Prelude Review
Reviving an old nameplate is one of the riskiest things a manufacturer can do. Especially when the name in question has been dormant for the better part of a quarter century and carries the kind of nostalgia baggage the Prelude does. Because no matter what Honda built, people were always going to project their own […]
Riding on the Storm – Land Rover Discovery Tempest Review
Relatability is a big thing for me. If an ultra-expensive, unobtanium supercar is parked beside a modified, barely-legal street hack, I already know which one I’m going to be drawn to. But every now and again it is nice to break that cycle and jump into something that I knew very little until not too […]
Disconnect to reconnect – BAIC B30 Hybrid Review
In between my time with the BAIC X55, I had a go at each of the trim levels of their other model, the B30, and it doesn’t take long for it to reveal what it wants to be. To mark their debut in NZ, BAIC came guns blazing with models that are tailored and focused […]
This Hyosung GV250 carries way more than just riders
Motorcycles come in all shapes and sizes, arguably with even more variation than cars, which we cover here more frequently. This usually helps convey their purpose and intended use even before the rider climbs on them. And, ever since their inception, the luggage they carry in terms of stories is frequently larger than their physical […]
Doomscrolling – BAIC X55 Review
Being the new kid on the block, especially a highly contested one, is never easy. The New Zealand compact SUV market has become one of the toughest segments in the industry. Buyers are spoilt for choice, whether with established players like the Toyota Corolla Cross, Mazda CX-5 and Kia Seltos, or the increasingly aggressive wave […]
Gentlefolk, start your engines! The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride is this Sunday, and you can be part of it!
The countdown is on! One Week To Go for Auckland’s Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride 2026, and I’m riding it! In our Tarmac effort to attend as many events as possible in 2026, one of the most special ones is just around the corner. This weekend, I’ll be buttoning up a jacket, putting on a peak hat […]
That fine line – All-new 2026 Nissan Navara Review
The ute market in New Zealand finds a way to become more of an arms race each passing year. Bigger screens, more composed manners, increasingly car-like cabins, and enough driver assistances to make some of them feel closer to luxury SUVs than the ladder frame workhorses they started life as, decades ago. For many buyers, […]
Big space, big progress – BYD Sealion 8 Review
The large PHEV SUV – or should it be PHESUV? – segment has been getting more attention lately, with more entrants trying to secure a slice of this profitable market that comes with an ever growing list of requirements. One of the newest players is the BYD Sealion 8, and if it is an indication […]
China has cracked cars. Motorcycles may be a harder battle
Here at Tarmac, the recent onslaught of Chinese cars coming to our market is a constant topic of discussion, and the disruption that this brings to the whole industry – not just the products themselves. When it comes down to motorcycles, we are seeing something similar happen, albeit under a different lens. For years, “Chinese […]
I raced the new Range Rover Sport SV on a track – no, seriously
The Range Rover Sport is a vehicle ready for anything, anywhere. And, to demonstrate this point to its furthest extent, the brand has chosen the right spot to host us: Hampton Downs Motorsport Park. The latest Range Rover Sport lineup, including the weapon that is the Range Rover Sport SV, was presented to us trackside, […]