Deuce Coupe – BMW M235i Gran Coupe review
Ok, so when the American surfer band the Beach Boys sang about a Deuce Coupe they were referring to a different car brand that was in actual fact a hot rod, but when BMW New Zealand threw me the keys to their first-ever 2-Series Gran Coupe all dressed in bright Misano blue, the Beach, the […]
Mini EV-olution – 2020 Mini Cooper S EV review
With a history that dates back over six decades and a list of accolades and awards that far exceed the vehicle’s height (even the latest versions), there’s not much that the incredibly popular, iconic Mini hasn’t seen. It’s won rally’s, broken records and even been the main cast member in one of (if not the) […]
Top Twins – BMW X5M and X6M Competition review NZ
It’s fair to say that the Topp Twins are arguably New Zealand’s most beloved set of twins. Their style of humour is unique and their playfulness is addictive but although their family resemblance is obvious, they are not identical. BMW has its own set of playful ‘twins’, the X5M and X6M and now, with generation […]
Big Baby – 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLA review NZ
They say (whoever ‘they’ are) that ‘good things come in little packages’ and that may very well be true for a multitude of things, however, when it came to the generation 2 Mercedes-Benz GLA, ‘good’ was not the benchmark that was expected. Never fear, with gen 3 the luxury German carmaker has ironed out the […]
Vera revamped – Land Rover Defender 110 SE review NZ
Based in Newcastle (North East England), Vera is a gritty UK crime drama that has Vera Stanhope, a cynical middle-aged female detective dressed in a shabby overcoat, methodically solving murders and frustrating fellow officers (think Columbo in female form). It’s an exceptionally well-written series with an added bonus that Vera drives a rather battered 1996 […]
Men in tights – Ford Transit Custom Sport review NZ
Maybe it’s because we’re living in a more enlightened, less judgemental (hmmm) age but going into the Windsor Park superette and asking for a pair of tights was far less of a drama than I thought it would be. Admittedly, owner Jay is a friend of mine but even so, he happily went on with […]
Special FX – Ford Ranger FX4 review NZ
Aside from having a great screenplay and talented actors, in many Hollywood blockbusters the difference between a good and a great movie all comes down to its special effects. But it’s also a fine line. Overuse them and the audience is lost due to disbelief, credibility or visual garishness, underuse and again the audience is […]
Ford Fiesta ST Review NZ – Putting the ST in FieSTa
You can’t have a Fiesta without an ‘ST’ in it and Ford New Zealand’s new hot hatch proves this point beyond any doubt. Now we’re not saying that the third-generation Fiesta ST (Sports Technologies) has big boots to fill BUT… First unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 2004, the Fiesta ST burst its way […]
A barrel of monkeys – 2020 Ford Focus ST review NZ
Meant to describe having a whole heap of fun, ‘barrel of monkeys’ is a term of endearment that I picked up when I first moved to New Zealand. But now it seems to be the perfect way to describe Ford New Zealand’s new Focus ST. You see, just when I’d thought Ford’s Performance division had […]
Broadly speaking – BMW X6 xDrive30d M Sport review NZ
Generally speaking ‘to have broad shoulders’ is to have the ability to take criticism or accept responsibility (wouldn’t that be nice nowadays) but when it comes to BMW New Zealand’s third-generation X6 SAV (Sports Activity Vehicle), it takes on a whole new meaning. We took the xDrive30d M Sport model for a review to find […]