Specifically, Lotus’s. Long, but a fascinating watch if you have the time.
Hat tip to theretromobilist
This is what 911 delivery to Norfolk Island looked like back in 1982
•March 7, 2013 • 10 Comments
And just where is Norfolk Island? We’re glad you asked:
Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia (France), 1,412 kilometres (877 mi) directly east of mainland Evans Head, and about 900 kilometres (560 mi) from Lord Howe Island. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance. Together with two neighbouring islands, it forms one of Australia’s external territories.
Originally colonised by East Polynesians, Norfolk Island was colonised by Britain as part of its settlement in Australia in 1788. It then served as a convict penal settlement until 1794, when it was abandoned until 1856, when permanent residence on the island for civilians began and it was settled from Pitcairn. In 1901, the island became a part of the Commonwealth of Australia which it has remained until this day (source).
As for the story behind the photo, we’ll let the owner tell the tale:
i was asked about the history of my 2.4E recently and whilst i purchased it out of NZ 10 years ago and knew that it was originally delivered to HK i had paid scant regard to the paperwork that came with the car.
so i decided to pull out all the stuff i had and have a good look.
what the certificate of registration in NZ shows that i didnt know is that the car was imported to NZ from Norfolk Island ! on the back of this document is the original NZ owners name, William Walter Hallett, so i said to my self, self, there cant be too many William Walter Hallett’s in NZ, and sure enough there was only one !
NZ White Pages and contact details for WWH in Masterton NZ.
what the hell, i’ll call, and left the crazy person message- did you own a 911 on Norfolk Island, if yes can you give me a call, if no, please excuse me …
9pm that night the phone rings- it’s Bill (William), yes it was his car, chat, chat, he was digging around in some paperwork and found the original maintenance record books for the car, would i like them !!
today in the mail, true to his word Bill sends me the maintenance record which also details the original owner in HK- and what i think is a classic photo of the car being ‘delivered’ to Norfolk Island in 1982.
Originally posted on the Early 911S Registry here. Hat tip to reader Chris R.!
50 years of Porsche 911.. on a very slick Silverstone
•March 6, 2013 • 2 CommentsIf it’s a British road test, then it’s being conducted in the wet. That’s just par for the course— only here, add snow and ice to the mix for good measure. But don’t be fooled: those driving conditions actually seem quite attractive to us (though maybe not while behind the wheel of someone else’s £150,000 classic 911, admittedly). Yes, you’re going dog-slow, but so what? Speed doesn’t always equal fun, and this looks like a veritable hoot.
Wouldn’t you?
Please choose: 2004 Volkswagen Golf R32 (MkIV) or 2006-07 Subaru Impreza WRX Wagon
•March 6, 2013 • 38 Comments
If you had to choose one of these for a high-altitude climate with seasonal wintry conditions, which would it be and why? Assume that the primary purpose of the vehicle is to be a ‘fun’ car, and that practicality (while useful and appreciated) is somewhat secondary.
A quick comparison of the most important figures:
’04 R32
- 3.2 liter naturally-aspirated VR6 engine
- 240 HP @ 6,250 rpm; 236 ft lb @ 2,800 rpm
- Curb weight: 3,409 lbs (ouch)
- MSRP (new): $29,100
- Average current resale value: $15,689 (source)
’06-07 WRX
- 2.5 liter turbocharged flat-four Boxer engine
- 230 HP @ 5,600 rpm; 235 ft lb @ 3,600 rpm
- Curb weight: 3,192 lbs
- MSRP (new): $24,495
- Average current value: $11,737 – $13,937 (source)
Of course, pictures:
R32
WRX
We have our own thoughts on this but are curious what others have to say. Have at it!
(Image credit: Daemon42 on vwvortex)
Hot hatch shootout on a very cold, very wet track
•March 5, 2013 • 3 CommentsHmm.. the R26.R for us, please. Seems to be the ‘purest’ of all of these cars, although the Mini Cooper GP is also unquestionably sweet.
Meanwhile, the A1Q might make the most sense someplace where there’s a lot of snow.
Checking in— Readers’ Rides
•March 5, 2013 • 7 CommentsWhat can we say— you guys didn’t disappoint. You all own some really nice stuff! In addition to the usual suspects – your E30s and Miatas and Elises and so on (and certainly nothing wrong with those— we love ’em all) – here’s some of the more unique metal you submitted that caught our eye.
Nicholas’s Alfa 75 Twinspark:
Ewoud’s Toyota MR2 (AW11):
Bill’s 1970 Fiat Spider:
BiTurbo228’s… BiTurbo 228 (some assembly required):
yum_milkshakes’s Ferrari 328:
shaheenk’s 1973 Mercedes-Benz 280C:
Royce’s custom 1982 Honda Motocompo (want):
Ham Hock’s 1966 Pontiac GTO:
Justin’s Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32):
bannedtech’s Jaguar XKR:
This is just a small sampling— see more of it here. And of course, all are welcome to participate. Have fun with it!
Looks good, but sounds even better
•March 4, 2013 • Comments Off on Looks good, but sounds even betterWe want.
(Jump to 13:12 to go straight to the running bits, although the whole clip is worth a watch.)
More on these great cars here:
Renaultsport Spider in Japan
•March 1, 2013 • 10 Comments
Neat little car, and of course, having the Land of the Rising Sun as its backdrop only adds to the charm of these photos, which recall the Lotus 340R photo set that we had spotlighted previously.
These cars had hovered just beneath our radar previously. Well not anymore.
Love it.
Scissor doors! Somehow it had escaped us that they have these:
And a look at what the diminutive Spider is capable of:
We leave you now with this great quote from our Japan correspondent Skorj:
[Motoring in Japan is] heaven… mid-week jaunts, or off-weekend drives across Japan are extremely pleasurable and relaxing. As well as the spectacular and challenging roads for sports cars, there are innumerable sights, villages, unique roads, special roadside stations, and always an interesting lunch and accommodating rural hotel to bed down for the night.
Many times we set out for a destination, and simply allow ourselves to wander to sights unplanned, unseen, and in some cases unimaginable. Every journey holds something new and interesting.
Awesome.
(Image credit: macco)
Turbo Fever
•February 28, 2013 • 9 CommentsWe love the ‘leave the real world behind and go on a head-clearing drive’ feel to this film, which is something to which we can very much relate (even if we aren’t as fortunate as Magnus to have a fleet of air-cooled Porsches to pick from).
A film by DutchmanPhotos. Nice!
Motoring Con Brio 