NZV8

NZV8 Magazine was conceived when the passionate muscle car scene was in need of an authority. Thanks to a large population of baby boomers, muscle car and V8 culture is booming in New Zealand. NZV8 is not only riding that wave, but leading the way by providing a world class magazine that features the cars, events, like the annual Beach Hop and people that make the scene so exciting. NZV8 covers an extensive range of high-performance V8-engined vehicles. Wherever the local ground shakes to the beat of a tuned eight-cylinder machine, from a drag race meeting to a car show, NZV8 is there and bringing you all the action.

IT’S ALL GOOD

NZV8

CHARITY CUSTOM & CLASSIC CAR DISPLAY BACK FOR 2026

CAST IRON I-BEAM AXLES ON THE WAY OUT

TWIN THREAT • ONE IS BUILT TO WIN TROPHIES. THE OTHER IS BUILT TO WIN RACES. TOGETHER, JAY SINGH’S 1,050HP VL COMMODORE AND NINE-SECOND DAILY DRIVEN HSV GTS FORM ONE OF THE TOUGHEST HOLDEN PAIRINGS IN THE LAND

GALAXIE OF ITS OWN • BUILT IN NEW ZEALAND, TRIMMED IN CALIFORNIA, AND DISPLAYED ON THE WORLD’S BIGGEST AUTOMOTIVE STAGE, PETE MELODY’S GALAXIE HAS GONE THE DISTANCE

Chrome SWEET CHROME • CHROME SHOWCASE IS QUICKLY BECOMING A FIXTURE ON THE CALENDARS OF KIWI CAR ENTHUSIASTS, WITH ITS SECOND-EVER RUNNING DRAWING ATTENDEES AND MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR MACHINERY FROM EVERY CORNER OF NEW ZEALAND

JEDI Master • A LONG TIME AGO, IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY, A JEDI WAS BORN, BUT NOT IN THE WAY ANY STAR WARS FAN KNOWS. NO, THIS ONE TAKES THE FORM OF A 1969 CHEVROLET CAMARO RESTOMOD WITH A FORCE UNDER THE HOOD THAT WOULD GIVE MOST FALCONS A RUN FOR THEIR MONEY — MILLENNIUM FALCONS, THAT IS

novacaine • WHO KNEW THAT COMBINING A 400CI SMALL BLOCK, A SET OF HOOSIERS, AND A ’60S CHEV WAGON WOULD RESULT IN THE MOST UNEXPECTED DRAG RACER THAT WE CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF? JAY MAKA DID

CAT OUT OF HELL • YOU’D BE FORGIVEN FOR THINKING THAT DODGE HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD WHEN IT CAME TO THE SECOND-GENERATION CHARGER, AND THAT ANYONE WHO THINKS THEY CAN DO BETTER IS MISGUIDED. THAT IS, UNTIL YOU SEE GREG HALIDAY’S HELLCAT-SWAPPED EXAMPLE

FIFTY YEARS IN THE BOX • KASPA TRANSMISSIONS HAS KEPT AUCKLAND SHIFTING SINCE 1976 — FOR ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY, WE LOOK AT WHERE IT BEGAN, HOW IT KEPT PACE WITH CHANGING TRANSMISSION TECHNOLOGY, AND WHAT THE NEXT GEAR HOLDS

Mad CADDIE • PETER ELLMERS’ CADILLAC MAY LOOK LIKE ANY OTHER CTS-V, BUT HIDING BEHIND ITS BLACKED-OUT BODY IS A BUILD THAT MIGHT JUST BE THE ONLY ONE OF ITS KIND IN THE WORLD

PART 1 THE FAIR GO FAIRMONT • I WENT TO PRISON ONCE. BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW THAT … AND I WAS ON THAT TV SERIES FOR RATBAGS AND REPROBATES CALLED FAIR GO. TWICE, IN FACT. ALL I DID WAS HANG OUT WITH A GANG MEMBER AND STEAL A CAR. WELL … ACTUALLY … WE STOLE MY CAR. PERHAPS I SHOULD START AT THE BEGINNING …

TRI-FIVE Nation • NEW ZEALAND’S UNIQUE RIGHT-HAND-DRIVE 1955–’57 CHEVROLETS AND THE ENTHUSIASTS WHO HAVE KEPT THEM ALIVE FOR MORE THAN 70 YEARS

FULL METAL JACKET COMEBACK

NITROHOON HEADS TO AUSTRALIA

DRAG TIMES • New Zealand’s Quickest Street Cars Rules: Cars must be registered and have a WOF, drive back up the return road, have raced within the last two years, and still belong to the driver who set the time. Methanol is not permitted for racing.

WHERE THE DART LANDS • FOUR RACE WEEKENDS, A NEW FUNNY CAR IN MACKAY, AND 12 DAYS AT THE US NATIONALS — MORICE MCMILLIN LOOKS BACK ON A BUSY SIX WEEKS

THE BURNOUT FILES: CARS AND CHARACTERS • THE BURNOUT FILES IS ALL ABOUT SHOWCASING NEW ZEALAND’S BURNOUT SCENE. WE’VE TALKED PLENTY ABOUT EVENTS OVER THE YEARS, BUT THOSE EVENTS DON’T HAPPEN WITHOUT THE ENTRANTS. TRAVELLING AROUND THE COUNTRY, I GET TO SEE SOME SERIOUSLY COOL BUILDS — AND MEET THE CHARACTERS BEHIND THEM. THIS TIME, I’M PUTTING THE SPOTLIGHT ON THREE VERY...