Apparently the New Zealand Mini Cooper market is the strongest on earth, because two new models have been announced specifically for that market.  Two limited edition MINI John Cooper Works World Championship 50 models will be made available for purchase.

Sure, it’s especially good news if you A. love tiny cars beyond all reason and rationality or B. loved the movie The Italian Job like no tomorrow and can’t wait to go pezzing aroudn in their tiny car.

It’ll be a bit of a wait, however, before you can get your hands on one of these, even if you ARE interested in owning one: they’re not intended to come out until April of 2010.

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I wonder if this type of billboard can cause any accidents. After all everyone would turn their had to see why in the world a poster is filled with blood when it rains. Even drivers!

The point of the ad campaign is to remind everyone that safety comes first and you should adapt to the weather conditions when behind the wheel. So far the billboards have been very efficient as there were no fatalities in Papakura after the bleeding signs have been installed.

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With summer coming up, the market for camper vans is expected to pick up. That and a growing market were among the factors considered by Travellers Auto Barn as it has announced its expansion into the New Zealand Campervan market.

It will be doing business in the area through two business partners Escape Campers & Happy Campers. New Zealand looks to be a growing market, particularly for people who are using travel as a means of respite especially during breaks such as the summer season. That alone proves to be a very attractive market.

Travellers Auto Barn offers two different vehicles in NZ (compared to their larger Australian range) – the Escape Camper & the Happy Camper. The Escape Camper is the perfect van for two people with each van having its distinct own art work – much like Travellers Auto Barn’s own Chubby Van. The Happy Camper is a 3 berth campervan, which comes with its own fridge, cooking facilities and a bit more space.

(Source) Press

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Hulme F1

New Zealand isn’t exactly known as a hot spot for world motorsports, but this hasn’t stopped the Hulme supercar project. It has been under development for over five years now. Now, with some new information from Jock Freemantle, the auto fancier and entrepreneur behind the car, the company will be building three different models, including an extreme ‘CanAm’ variant to honor Denny Hulmes’ two CanAm championship wins.

Two other models will also be appearing, the Hulme Spyder and the Hulme F1. Hulme is remaining secretive about these models as to what engines will be used, but the company is in talks with a number of engine manufacturers – including two that build F1 engines.

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This year marks the 20th year that Subaru’s performance division, STI, has been operational – Instead of throwing a party, Subaru has decided to open the STI Gallery which is a museum of sorts that showcases everything STI focusing heavily on the racing portion.

WorldCarFans says that the Museum is located at 3-9-6 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo and will be open everyday from 9:30am – 7:00pm. The most noteworthy section of the museum would have to be the car exhibits which showcase cars like Colin McRae’s Legacy RS which he used to win the 1993 WRC New Zealand rally.

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Many automakers offer freebies to boost sales, and occasionally, people even give away luxury cars to encourage sales. However, Mitsubishi New Zealand has a very different take on the situation by offering a goat with every sale of the Triton. This offer is indeed unusual, but the guys have a press release to back it up, and even that sounds humorous:

“We firmly believe that New Zealand’s recovery is in the hands of the rural sector and they’re the people who are buying our utes,” said MMNZ general manager of sales and marketing Peter Wilkins. “Goats, like our Tritons, are hardy, versatile units, which will integrate directly into existing farm operations”. “Goats improve farm productivity by providing an environmentally friendly defence against noxious weeds and they’re a lot cheaper than toxic sprays”. “Goats also provide export commodities that can help improve our balance of payments. They grow a fine micron fleece, much like the renowned Merino, which can be used to produce high-quality garments. Goat’s milk provides a nutritious alternative for the growing number of lactose intolerant people and while goat meat is seldom featured in Western restaurants, developing countries consume vast quantities,” said Mr Wilkins. “And, most importantly, there is no such thing as Goat Flu – so no threat to tourism. It’s hard to see a downside,” he added. “At MMNZ, we are aware that three years of drought has severely depleted sheep and beef populations, so what better time to ‘float the goat’?” said Mr Wilkins. “We’ll supply a free goat with every Triton sold before August and do our bit to loosen the grip of the recession”. “On the off chance that the purchaser already has enough goats or feels that goat herding is better left to those in drier climes, we’ll supply a ‘no goat package’ consisting of a five-year/100,000km extended warranty, five free WOF inspections, 5,000km road user charges, five years of roadside assistance and $500 of genuine or approved Triton accessories,” Mr Wilkins said.

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While some car makers are still considering electric cars, others are testing them already. The i MiEV will go to New Zealand for tests after is has been presented in other markets before. Is this Mitsubishi going to impress officials in New Zealand? Government officials and key shareholders were invited to test drive the zero emissions green car. The i MiEV will be officially launched in Japan this summer and it could also make it to other markets too.

via Engadget

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