NZ Performance Car

Since 1996 New Zealand Performance Car has been the voice of the country’s modified import car scene. It was there to see the first import 10-second quarter mile run, there when the first official drift battle ensued, there when the first show trophies were handed out, and there to bring NZ its very first Super Lap time attack event. Each month the very best of NZ’s modified import car scene is served up. It’s New Zealand’s number 1 selling monthly motoring magazine and is New Zealand’s import performance authority and for good reason…it leaves the others for dust.

FLIPPED TURNED UPSIDE DOWN

NZ Performance Car

ON ANOTHER LEVEL

CONTRIBUTORS

WRC PUSHING AHEAD, NZRC UP IN THE AIR

SUPER GT ISSUES REVISED CALENDAR

NISSAN FILES NEW Z-LOGO TRADEMARK

DRIVER DROPPED BY SPONSOR AFTER QUITTING E-SPORT SERIES

TUERCK TO PILOT PAPADAKIS RACING COROLLA

THE WORLD HAS TOO MUCH OIL

TRAVIS PASTRANA REJOINS SUBARU

RED BULL MOTORSPORT ADVISOR SUGGESTED INTENTIONAL COVID-19 INFECTION

HYUNDAI WORKING ON SOMETHING WILD

LEGO PRODUCE DOM’S FAST & FURIOUS DODGE CHARGER

GRAM NATIONALS • BEATING LOCKDOWN BOREDOM WITH OUR FIRST VIRTUAL CAR SHOW!

WHEN HARRY MET HITOMI • THE AESTHETIC, THE SMELL, AND THE EXPERIENCE OF A MUSCLE CAR SURELY BELONG TO THE US. IN THE 1970S, JAPAN THOUGHT IT’D HAVE A CRACK AT ITS OWN FLAVOUR OF MUSCLE. THIS 1977 TA23 CELICA MIXES THOSE ICONIC LINES WITH A DOSE OF MODERN TECH FOR A RETRO-TECH HOON INFUSION

ROTARY ENGINE BASICS • SINCE ITS FIRST PRODUCTION IN THE LATE 1960S, THE BASIC DESIGN PRINCIPLES OF THE MAZDA ROTARY ENGINE HAVEN’T CHANGED AN AWFUL LOT. ALTHOUGH VERY DIFFERENT FROM A REGULAR PISTON ENGINE, THE ROTARY ALSO SHARES A LOT OF SIMILARITIES — LIKE A FOUR-STROKE COMBUSTION CYCLE — BUT WITH FAR FEWER COMPONENTS. OVER THESE PAGES, WE’LL GET BACK TO BASICS AND HOPEFULLY SHED SOME LIGHT ON THE INNER WORKINGS OF THE MAZDA ROTARY ENGINE

DESIGN CONCEPT

OPERATION

ROTARY ENGINE COMPONENTS

BUYING SECOND-HAND? • HERE’S WAZZA’S TIPS ON WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

NEVER LOCKED OUT • ONE LAST THRASH BEFORE THE GREAT 2020 LOCKDOWN: SUMMER DRIFT MATSURI

BRODY MCCOWN MAZDA RX-7 (FD) • AUCKLAND

TRENT HODKINSON NISSAN SILVIA (S14) • WHANGAREI

MICHAEL JARRETT TOYOTA STARLET (KP60) • LEVIN

NATHAN CHAN AND AIDEN DAVIS NISSAN CEFIRO (A31) • AUCKLAND

SCOTT OLDS NISSAN SILVIA (S15) • AUCKLAND

TOM WARREN NISSAN SILVIA (S15) • HAWKE’S BAY

DANIEL EDWARDS NISSAN SKYLINE (R32) • AUCKLAND

UNDERSTANDING YOUR ALIGNMENT AND WHY IT MATTERS • PEOPLE TALK CAMBER, CASTER, AND TOE ALL DAY LONG, BUT DO YOU REALLY KNOW WHAT IT ALL MEANS AND HOW IT AFFECTS YOUR CAR? CERTIFIED WHEEL ALIGNMENT TECH AND LVVTA CERTIFIER GARETH COURT BRINGS US UP TO SPEED WITH A LOOK INTO WHAT’S INVOLVED IN A WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND HOW IT AFFECTS TYRE LIFE AND VEHICLE HANDLING. WE ALSO TAKE AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT HOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AN ALIGNMENT TO MAINTAIN OPTIMUM TYRE CONTACT AND CHANGE THE HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS OF A VEHICLE.

STEP BY STEP • HOW TO COMPLETE A REAR-WHEEL-DRIVE VE HEAD SWAP

REMOVING SOUND DEADENING • REMOVING SOUND DEADENING WITHOUT BREAKING A SWEAT

STYLE-UP ONE FOUR • PROVING THAT STYLE IS EVERYTHING, EVEN IN COMPETITION DRIFTING, ALEX MORTON’S STREET-LEGAL AERO-DRIPPING PRE-FACELIFT S14 IS THE COMPLETE PACKAGE

GET 20% OFF YOUR SUBSCRIPTION! • THIS MONTH SUBSCRIBE, RENEW, OR EXTEND YOUR SUBSCRIPTIO N TO NZ PERFORMANCE CAR MAGAZINE AND GET 20% OFF

STROKING THE RB • FROM A RUSTY OLD BLOCK TO A FOUR-DIGIT POWER FIGURE-PUSHER, WE FOLLOW THE BUILD OF AN RB34 RACE ENGINE FOR DARREN KELLY

DO IT YOURSELF ALIGNMENTS • STRING ALIGNMENTS ARE A GREAT WAY TO...