Innholdsfortegnelse for No 307 March - April 2024 i NZ Performance Car

The younger version of myself would be stoked right now. It’s surreal to think that I’ve been handed the pen behind NZ Performance Car, a magazine and brand I’ve followed and idolised since a young age. I vividly remember thinking, “Wait, do people actually write, photograph, and talk about cars all day for a living? That’s crazy,” and here I am, still pinching myself, officially stepping into the role of editor. But before I dive into all that wholesome stuff, I hope you all had an awesome Christmas and New Year’s holiday. Whether you spent your holidays cruising the streets with your mates, tinkering with your ride in the garage, or simply kicking back with a cold one, I trust it was a blast! Now, a little bit about me!…

We covered his successful competition debut last issue, and 15-year-old Corbyn Wilson went one step better and secured himself an FD Japan Pro 2 licence for winning the 23/24 MSC series. It came down to Wilson, last year’s winner Jordan Joyce, and Clayton Dalley, and that was how the podium finished after four tough rounds over four different layouts. Wilson and his team are excited at the win and opportunity, and proud dad Shaun even stepped up to do the traditional shoey because … well, Corbyn is just 15! Another top event by Sky Zhao and his team with the move to 32 cars proving a real winner.…

Owner Adrian is no stranger to these pages; he is one of those serial builders whose passion for his business combines well with a need for ongoing R&D. You may recall his sledgehammer of a chaser ‘NOHEAT’ a few issues back, or his earlier black S14 (Issue 214), which was the car Adrian initially sought to recreate and refine with this build after having typical seller’s remorse. Fortunately or unfortunately, he failed, and I now feel like I’m very much strapped into a time-attack car doing its best to hide in plain clothes. As he puts it, “I was initially planning the full fibreglass look, this time we went with a more timeless look,” and why not, with this being the 10th Silvia he’s owned. THE BLOCK IS FROM EX-FENIX…

The friendly, inclusive New Zealand car scene, where enthusiasts of all ages, genders and interests are welcomed with open arms: whether you’re a 16-year-old kick-starting your passion with a $2000 ‘shit-box’, a 24-year-old knee-deep in a five-year project, or a 55-year-old who occasionally indulges in a car and coffee on a Sunday morning — there’s a place for everyone! Meet Alison Dennerly, a self-employed mum from Auckland who, in her own words, is “old enough to know better, too old to care”. Despite her carefree attitude, she’s always had a soft spot for performance cars, especially the Mitsubishi Evolution series. Unfortunately, Alison found herself in the rearview mirror of her daughter, Shannon, who beat her to it by becoming the family’s first Evo enthusiast with her Evo VII RS, later…

AGE: 23 // LOCATION: WAIKATO // OCCUPATION: PLUMBER/GAS FITTER/DRAINLAYER NZPC: Hey Reece, what is your history with performance cars? I’ve always been around cars my whole life, especially spending a lot of time at the dirt track as a child, and our family has been involved in it. I had never really been around rotaries, apart from attending car events, but I’ve always had a sweet spot for them. Why did you choose the Escort to build? When I was 15, I got the Escort as my first car. They were cheap, and I thought they looked cool. This particular one was $2000 and completely stock. Funny thing, I never drove the Escort with its factory running gear; only once it was rotary swapped because I was too young to…

Nineteen years ago this month with NZPC! Where has the time gone?! When I started as a graphic designer in 2005 at Via Media’s predecessor, Parkside Media, working on NZPC, NZV8 and New Zealand Classic Car magazines, it was a swarming mass of photographers, designers, salespeople, accounts people, managing directors and owners. Around 2010, I was made head of ‘social engagement’. In this role I was responsible for making sure that everyone was having the best possible time at work. We had an indoor cricket pitch designed that was carpeted in the appropriate colours and proportions, a huge 25-metre-long slot-car track, which took up most of our design studio, and a BBQ which seemed to always be in the ‘on’ position, pumping out sausages (often spiked with habanero ghost chilli…

As tends to happen at the start of the summer season, a few new or returning voices will reach your ears as you tune in or attend some of your favourite events. D1NZ recently welcomed Tony ‘Tony G’ Gallacher to the broadcast and livevenue team for the ’23–’24 season of Pro and Pro Sport, adding his unique grassroots perspective and yearning for another rotor-powered win. Those who’ve spent time at Rotorua’s speedway or evening venues will recognise his voice. He joins Steve Daniel and Stephen McIvor for the ’23–’24 season. NZPC Night Speed also welcomes a new duo of Hayden and Lance, who joined the team after a bit of a public search late last year and who are enjoying bringing new sharns to your quarter-mile fiends. The lads will…

The 4 & Rotary Nationals, aka ‘The Nats’, is the annual shindig for everything automotive within the North Island. Run by Alan and Pare Togia and their team, this event provides car enthusiasts with a secure and controlled environment to test the limits of their vehicles. The day has something for everyone, with activities to keep you fizzing, such as cruising with your mates, roll racing, grip sessions, wet skid pan, burnouts, and drifting. Unfortunately, this year’s event faced hurdles; a scheduling conflict forced the postponement of the Show and Shine, while unpredictable weather pushed the Drag Day out to May. However, the Ultimate Track Day ran as planned and packed plenty of excitement into a single day at the Hampton Downs Motorsport Park. Picture this: a calm, cloudy Saturday…

He calls it a holiday, but for Raynil Lal, the trip back to Auckland from Tokyo holds a different agenda. The 41-year-old security architect isn’t here for sightseeing — he’s here to unleash the power of his 1990 Nissan Skyline BNR32 GT-R on the streets for some exhilarating gear-plucking (and whining) fun. This isn’t just a drive, it’s a full-blown sensory experience. Common to many car enthusiasts, our unhealthy obsession with cars kicked off at a young age, whether fuelled by influences from the Fast and Furious franchise, Need for Speed, or Grand Turismo. Ray was one of us, falling prey to the obsession with all things fast. In his case, his passion extended to both aircraft and cars. He used to binge-watch a VHS tape featuring the first-generation Dodge…

We need to talk about that whole ‘number-eight wire’ mythology surrounding the notion of innovation and ingenuity in Kiwi motorsport. The sentiment is pretty clear, it’s a synonym for a specific breed of pioneering, enterprising spirit that us Kiwis are so fiercely proud of. It’s that ‘get ‘er done’ mentality, making do with just the resources at hand to accomplish a goal. Not only is it associated with a scarcity of resources, but it also seems to run hand-in-hand with budgetary and/or time constraints. It’s a simple concept to grasp. But, we’re balls deep in the 21st century now, and we’d wager that, along with the skinned knuckles, empty wallets and precarious mental states of those burning the midnight oil in the shed chasing those split seconds, we wouldn’t know…

Ever since 2012, Keegan Goodal’s Toyota Altezza has been repowered with an Aristo-based VVTi 2JZ-GTE engine. With the factory turbos converted to running parallel, it has produced decent power in near stock form, and has attended countless track days in that configuration. After deciding on building his dream 2JZ-GTE setup, Keegan sold the current 2JZ setup as a turn-key package, with the intention of buying everything brand new for the next build. After purchasing a brand new block and cylinder head from Toyota, the decision was made with Hughes Race Engineering to build the engine with forged rods, as these are usually the weakest point of a 2JZ at the pointy end of things. Additionally, Kelford 264/272-degree cams were chosen, as they’re known to make reliable, responsive power. As Keegan…

I THINK ANYONE WHO’S BEEN IN A ROTARY-POWERED CAR CAN RELATE, IT’S LIKE A 2-STROKE DIRT BIKE IN TERMS OF POWER DELIVERY. HAVING SAID THAT, FOR WHAT’S CONSIDERED A RELATIVELY LARGE-FRAME TURBO, IT’S NOT LAZY COMING INTO BOOST In the early 2000s, the pinnacle performers of JDM cars were the MKIV Supra, Mitsubishi Evolution, Nissan Skyline, and the Mazda RX-7. These rides were the ultimate embodiment of what people aspired to own, offering status and prestige. However, if you are in the 30–35 age bracket now, then affording one back then often meant your daddy was rich, or you were in tick up to your eyeballs. It’s a stereotype, but hey, who can deny it was the truth in some instances, right? Young Duane Huxtable of that era was immersed…

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If you’re an avid Honda fan, then dig into this story! Ethan Hunter is in the midst of building a 1980 Honda Civic (2nd gen), except he’s binned the old, ancient running gear and swapped in a DOHC ZC motor with a turbo slapped on it. Get this: the idea for this build was inspired by his father because, as a kid, he had the exact same car with the same motor swap, except it was a racecar! Since the racecar lost the battle to rust, he decided that he wanted to do the same, except with the addition of a turbo. How good! Ethan has owned the Civic for around five to six years, and it’s been a slow process doing the swap and shaving the engine bay smooth—all…

NEW ZEALAND’S QUICKEST STREET CARS NEW ZEALAND’S QUICKEST STREET CARS RULES Cars must be registered and have a WOF, drive back up the return road, have raced within the last two years, and still belong to the driver who set the time. If you know anyone who should be on the list, make sure to let us know by emailing editor@performancecar.co.nz with their timeslip. NEW ZEALAND–IMPORT DRAG RACING RECORDS UNDER CAR Specialists FREEPHONE 0508 86 66 86 WWW.MOUNTSHOP.CO.NZ…