If you’re learning to drive for the first time or have decided to sit your motorbike or heavy vehicle licence, then a new kiwi website Driving Tests is ready to help out.

Taking your driving theory test just got a lot easier with every official New Zealand road code question now available online so you can prepare for your driver’s licence test. It’s a free service, is simple to use and has hundreds of multiple choice questions for car, motorbike and heavy vehicles licences. Driving Tests lets you choose how many multiple choice questions you want to answer in your learning session from just 10 right up to all 250 available.

If you’re getting a new licence or know someone who is, email them a link to www.drivingtests.co.nz – it’s a vital online resource for learning the NZ road code.

Click here to check out the Driving Tests website.

Seeing a luxury SUV in NZ is now a daily occurrence but back in 1970 there was only one vehicle that belonged in this segment – the Range Rover. It’s easy to forget the ground-breaking significance the Rangie has had on the history of motoring, but on June 17, 2010 it will celebrate its 40th birthday.

The Range Rover was the world’s first vehicle to be both good on-road and off-road. The Range Rover was the first fully capable luxury 4×4 and was a milestone in the development of the SUV.

There have been three generations of Range Rover. The original, now known as the Classic, went on sale in 1970 and continued in production, with numerous upgrades and a multiplicity of variants, for just over 25 years.

The second-generation vehicle went on sale in 1994 and was replaced in 2001 by the current model. The continuing success of the Range Rover ensured that other premium makers jumped into the booming luxury SUV market. The latest version has enjoyed higher annual sales than any previous models and continues to be popular around the world. Sold around the world, from London to Los Angeles, Sydney to Shanghai, Turin to Tokyo, the Range Rover remains a solid choice for the luxury SUV customer.

A second model line, the Range Rover Sport, was launched in 2005, aimed at more sports-oriented driver-focused customers. It has been a great success, and in 2007 was Land Rover’s biggest selling vehicle worldwide.

Later this year, a further member of the Range Rover family will be added, taking the portfolio to three model lines. The new vehicle will be smaller, lighter and more fuel efficient, yet it will be no less premium and no less luxurious than other Range Rover models.

To celebrate the milestone Land Rover has released images and a short video showing all three generations of the luxury 4×4. Check them out below.

Having to sell your proudest possessions is every car collectors biggest nightmare but it’s happening to one Cairns-based car fanatic. Due to outstanding debts this car lover has been left no choice but to sell his multi-million dollar collection, including what’s possibly Australia’s most expensive car.

A multi-million dollar collection of 25 rare Holdens, Fords and Chevrolets will go across the block on Monday, to pay off the debts.

Included in the sale is a 7.0-litre V8 Monaro concept car that was reportedly purchased for AU$920,000 back in 2007.

It’s one of just two HSV HRT 427 Monaro coupes. Pickles auctions are handling the sale and manager Steve Allen says keen buyers should be ready to bid for a piece of Aussie automotive history – particularly the HSV 427.

“It’s anyone’s guess what that’s going to make,” says Allen, and although he’s unable to say what the car could fetch, it’s fair to suggest it could well be a profit made on the day.

“It’s one of only two vehicles that were built, and one, as I understand it, is still with Holden in their coffers somewhere in the factory,” says Allen.

“In my time, I haven’t seen a collection of Australian muscle cars quite like this. Pickles Auctions certainly has never had a collection quite like this,” says Allen.

Other interesting vehicles on sale include the first ever 1996 model HSV GTS/R with only 80 kilometres on the clock (Build plate 001), and a 1988 HSV Group A Walkinshaw with just 55,000 km’s (Build plate 003).

Other rare offerings include: several Monaros, both early HK-HX models and six new-generation Commodore-based models; a 1978 XC Ford Cobra; a 2007 Ford GT Cobra, and a 1956 Chevrolet Belair.

The exclusive collection belongs to Shawn “Chooka” Ryan, and the cars are up for auction by the receivers and managers of various financial organisations.

The auction is being held at Pickles Auctions in Sydney at 4.30 pm on Monday June 7, with inspections taking place on June 5 and 6.

Online bidding is available for interested parties who can’t make it on the day.

Check out some of the spectacular cars going to auction in the gallery below.

To find out more, click here to visit the Pickles Auctions website.

Highlights video of the 2010 Rally Tasmania, held from the 26th – 28th February, 2010 

Calling a vehicle the “world’s most famous car” is a big call. But if anyone ever took nominations for the honour, one contender would be the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 used on-screen in the fiming of the iconic 007 films Goldfinger and Thunderball. Interestingly, one of the stunt cars used in these films recently went to auction (read news), but now the real thing is up for grabs in London. RM and Sotheby’s are hosting a special auction where this piece of film history will go to the highest bidder.

The movie star car was specially prepared by Aston Martin for use in the Bond films. After production finished it went back to the manufacturer, which then sold it to American radio host and philanthropist Jerry Lee, who’s been holding onto it for the past 40+ years. He initially purchased the car for $12,000 USD. Now, in pursuit of his charitable work, Lee is finally putting the car up for sale, where it is expected to fetch at least £3.5 million (US$5.14 million) when it goes under the hammer on October 27. The money will be donated to the Jerry Lee Foundation, an initiative dedicated to helping poverty.

One of only two made and the only one still in existence, the custom DB5 comes packed with all the extras the Q-Branch installed for Bond’s use. It features a bullet proof windscreen, revolving number plates, machine guns, an oil slick sprayer and a passenger ejector seat.

Check out the gallery below for more images of the special DB5. Read full story…

For the past 35 years, BMW has been recruiting famous artists from all over the world to use one of its vehicles as a mobile canvas for their art. Unveiled at a special event yesterday is BMW’s 17th Art Car that greeted the public in the Centre Pompidou in Paris, France.

Designed by American artist Jeff Koons, it is based on the same type of BMW M3 GT2 racer that took first place at this year’s Nurburgring 24 Hours. For its first outing it will compete with the unique livery at the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans that runs from June 12 to 13.

Koons initially approached BMW about creating an art car back in 2003, but the project finally came to fruition earlier this year. Over the last four months Koons has worked closely with the BMW Motorsports squad on the application of the graphics to ensure they didn’t have any negative affect on the car’s aerodynamics.

Powering the M3 GT2 is a 4.0-litre V8 engine with a maximum output of 500 bhp while an upgraded chassis, racing-spec brakes, and extensive use of lightweight materials is also part of the racing package.

Many of the 16 previous art cars have also been raced at Le Mans including the very first one created by Alexander Calder in 1975 and the 1999 V12 LMR painted by Jenny Holzer. This year the #79 art car will be driven by Andy Priaulx, Dirk Müller and Dirk Werner.

Jaguar’s future is looking brighter than it has for sometime with it safely secured by financial backer Tata Motors. With a stable footing the iconic automaker is now becoming more ambitious in its efforts to expand its model range. Tata has signed on for a yearly investment of £1 billion for the next five years, which means Jaguar has the funding it research and develop new products. In a recent interview Jaguar Land Rover boss Carl-Peter Forster apparently confirmed that a few new models are in the pipeline, including the F-Type sports car (pictured), which was first seen in concept form way back in 2000.

This isn’t the first time that F-Type production has been rumoured, and there’s been plenty of speculation about what the new sports car will look like. What is likely is that the new Jag will compete with the likes of the Porsche 911 and the Audi R8.

When can we expect a production F-Type to hit the streets? Wouldn’t hold your breath, but Jaguar are keeping busy at the moment so plans will be already well underway.

The 2011 BMW M5 has been spied being put through its paces around the Nurburgring in Germany.