New vehicle registrations last month totaled 13,884 units, the best September on record and the second-best month since the 13,983 in July 1984. That was when New Zealanders spent up large before the incoming Labour Government’s finance minister Roger Douglas devalued a considerably overvalued NZ dollar. History buffs will remember it as a constitutional crisis. At the … [Read more...] about Car sales strongest since year of Muldoon, Lange, and Queen St riot
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Mazda6 gets bundle of upgrades, all at the right price
Among the bundle of SkyActiv technology in the updated Mazda6 range is a component the company calls ‘Natural Sound Smoother’. No, it has nothing to do with the car’s audio system. Rather it quietens down the clatter from the four-cylinder 2.2-litre diesel variant. It sits inside each hollow piston pin and absorbs vibrations generated by the piston going up and down … [Read more...] about Mazda6 gets bundle of upgrades, all at the right price
Takata airbag recall: ‘huge scale’ began years ago
Television and mainstream newspapers have finally latched on to the Takata airbag recall. Fair Go even went as far as saying it ‘discovered the huge scale’ of the recall. But the huge scale has been expanding for the past three-and-a-half years, since the Japanese company was forced to admit there was a problem with its airbag inflators. automotivenews.co.nz warned of it in … [Read more...] about Takata airbag recall: ‘huge scale’ began years ago
New M5 likely to get all-wheel-drive to help harness 450kW
The next M5 is likely to get four-wheel-drive but with a trademark rear-drive bias, says the chief of BMW’s ‘M’ division, Frank van Meel. He told reporters at the Paris motor show: “The M5 has to drive like an M5 does today, but with better traction as well. “If we continue the power increases in the future then probably the next generation M5 and M6 will have so much … [Read more...] about New M5 likely to get all-wheel-drive to help harness 450kW
Hyundai’s ‘N’ cars will miss out on ‘Down Under’ suspension treatment
Hyundai’s high-performance ‘N’ cars won’t get the special ‘Down Under’ ride and handling treatment that the carmaker has made much of in the past few years. Instead, the N-badged cars will be tuned exclusively for Germany’s tortuous Nurburgring circuit. Hyundai’s engineering chief Albert Biermann told journalists at the Paris motor show: “No tuning for Australia, but we will … [Read more...] about Hyundai’s ‘N’ cars will miss out on ‘Down Under’ suspension treatment