Aston Martin has confirmed limited production of its new V12 Zagato following a successful unveiling. After winning the award for Design in the Concepts and Prototypes class at the prestigious Villa D’ Este Concours and then going on to complete the 39^th ADAC Nürburgring 24 Hour race, Aston Martin claims that there is overwhelming interest from customers for the V12 Zagato.

Based on the V12 Vantage and sporting a handcrafted aluminium and carbon fibre body, the V12 Zagato will be produced in very limited numbers.  Orders are now being taken and production is expected to commence during summer 2012 at Aston Martin’s global headquarters at Gaydon, Warwickshire.

Of the V12 Zagato, Aston Martin’s Chief Executive Dr. Ulrich Bez, said: “Such style, exclusivity and fastidious craftsmanship ensures it will be one of the most highly coveted models in Aston Martin’s 98-year history. A fabulous celebration of the iconic DB4GT Zagato, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, the V12 Zagato is the perfect inspiration for the next 50 years of Aston Martin.”

In honour of the performance and racing heritage of previous collaborations, the first two V12 Zagatos were developed as endurance race cars from the start and went into their track debut just one week after being shown to the public at the Villa D’Este Concours. Read full story…

All of us must remember the old stop, drop and roll phrase that teaches kids what to do if they find themselves suddenly on fire. It was a tag line burned into our minds from a young age partly from fear but mostly from repetition and because its quite catchy.

It turns out that it’s not just Kiwis that stop, drop and roll Brazilian race car drivers are well versed in the technique as well. Just ask Tuka Rocha a keen driver in the Brazilian Stock Car Championship who found himself with a scorching problem. Rocha’s race car, a Chevy that’s oddly sponsored by Hyundai, became ablaze mid-race and turned into a uncontrollable fireball. Like anyone would, Rocha wanted out bad, so in desperation he kicked open the door and threw himself out. Rocha kept performed a few rolls and becomes overwhelmed with joy after his near-death experience, he celebrates for a moment before falling to the ground and needing attention.

Rocha turned out to have no serious injuries and is now on his way to internet stardom, as for his Chevy race car, that’s not so healthy. Check out the video below.

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The legendary Formula 1 alliance of Williams and Renault Sport is set to reform for the 2012 and 2013 seasons while the rules still stipulate the use of V8 engines. The two companies may also continue their partnership when the new turbocharged V6s are introduced.

Renault Sport F1 will supply the AT&T Williams team with the V8 engines for the next two seasons. This association was highly successful between 1989 and 1997 with four Drivers titles, five Constructors’ titles and a total of 63 race wins. The results were four driver’s titles in 1992 (Nigel Mansell), 1993 (Alain Prost), 1996 (Damon Hill) and 1997 (Jacques Villeneuve), as well as five constructors titles, in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996 and 1997.

“Renault remains in Formula One to achieve success in a cost efficient way and the partnership with Williams has great potential to add to the results we have notched up over recent years with our other partner teams,” said Bernard Rey, the president of Renault Sport F1. “From 2012 onwards the fact that we will have four partners in F1 puts us ahead of other engine manufacturers in terms of market share, but off track it will also enable us to further use Formula One as a marketing platform for our parent company, Renault, to try to bring this association to our fans and our customers worldwide. Read full story…

Whangarei Heads dairy farmer Ben Jagger is set to be a leading local competitor for the upcoming International Rally of Whangarei. The event, will run from 15 to 17 July and counts as the fourth rounds of the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) and the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship (NZRC). The rally will cover 301.9km of competitive stages on gravel roads in the Kaipara and Whangarei districts.

Jagger and co-driver Ben Hawkins will line up among the 22 APRC-registered competitors having secured, for the second time, one of the coveted ‘wildcard’ APRC entries. This means the pair starts ahead of their New Zealand championship rivals, and potentially enjoy better road conditions afforded by starting further up the running order.

Driving the Seed Force Subaru STI, Jagger competes in the event alongside the likes of former World Rally Championship drivers Alister McRae and Chris Atkinson, who drive for the Proton MEM World Rally Team. Jagger agrees securing the APRC wildcard position adds prestige to their weekend. “That was definitely important for us. Getting that wildcard entry hugely increases our exposure and it also creates a bit more hype for our local supporters to also cheer us on that little bit more,” says the 22-year-old. Read full story…

The MG marque has always inspired a passionate following – we talk to an enthusiastic group of MG owners about their cars, and their passion for the cars that bear the famous octagon badge.

Since its early days MG has become renowned for its two-seater open sports cars and, quite rightly, they have become very popular with classic car fans. The marque’s early vehicles were very basic, modestly priced two-seaters, yet they offered sufficient speed and manoeuvrability to attract discerning drivers – and their format would become the template for virtually all future MG sports cars.

The MG story actually began in 1912, when William Morris opened his company, Morris Motors Limited. A subsidiary, Morris Garages, would in due course be shortened to MG when it started manufacturing its own cars in 1923.

Cecil Kimber, MG’s general manager, believed the public wanted an appealing sports car that could be at home touring country roads and on race-tracks. The other criteria were that it also needed to be easy to maintain and moderately priced. The result was the first MG, which boasted a four-cylinder, 750cc engine and a respectable top speed of 132kph (82mph). The following year, the car won a gold medal at the Lands End Trial. Read full story…

Last weekend the Goodwood Festival of Speed was the place to be for UK motoring enthusiasts with many of the world’s finest vehicles put on display. While the show cars we nice, for many it was the hillclimb action on the driveway of Goodwood house that was the real spectacle.

The 2.5km hillclimb was once a fairly casual affair but now it’s serious business and sees more than 200 retired Formula 1 cars, supercars and even concept machines attempting to reach the top in the quickest time. This year’s winner was a shock to many, it wasn’t a recent F1 car but a bright orange Toyota Celica. piloted by former British rally champion Jonny Milner.

It wasn’t Milner’s first attempt to win the hillclimb event and this time he came with an absolute monster of a car. So how did this old 6th-gen Celica take top honours? Well it’s not exactly stock-standard; the Celica is powered by a Corolla WRC four-cylinder fitted with a Garret turbocharger, a Rotrex supercharger and just in case – a nitrous oxide system. All up, this Celica pumps out over 600kW through all four wheels and has been lightened to a waif-like 1,050kg. Read full story…

Paradise Valley Stock Car Track will be the scene for the 31st annual Rotorua Swap Meet this Sunday (July 10).

The swap meet will be hosted by the Rotorua Vintage and Veteran Car Club, and the day’s activities include not just a large swap meet but also a show and shine.

It all kicks off early from 7am and entry for sellers and vehicles is $10. General admission is $5.

For site bookings and any further info contact Neville on 07 348 2412, or for all other inquiries contact Mel Cooper on 07 345 6615 or email melandco@paradise.net.nz

The retro-inspired Fiat 500 has proved a blank canvas for tuning efforts of all types. Efforts have included painting it in gold, taking it rallying and even shifting the small engine to the rear. But this latest tuning endeavor could prove the most interesting.

Two former Pininfarina designers have broken away and formed a new design firm called Camal and their first project involves the Fiat 500. This special version is called the 500 Marcia Corta (Italian for short gearing), with the underpinning theme to give the Bambina a classic rallying look.

The signature elements are clear and include quad rally lamps, giant grille opening and a full aero kit with side skirts, fender flares and rear ring. At the rear there’s a replacement bumper with a new integrated exhaust system. Read full story…