New Zealand automotive landscape is amazing

"BATC42" (BATC42) 02/16/2015 at 23:29 • Filed to: None

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So I landed in Auckland yesterday, and from what I saw on my way to the coty and a quick stroll through town today, all I can say is that the car landscape here is AMAZING. You have everything from all major car markets. USDM, JDM, and european cars are all here. I even so a right-hand drive Ford Raptor ! I have my international licence, but from what I can tell, if I ever do while here, driving on the wrong side of the road is going to be hard. I'm already confused while just walking around...

Trucks too. You'll get some US trucks driving with a double semi-trailer (those are so weird), next to Europeans trucks and you'll see many JDM ones too (lots of HINO, Fuso and others).

It's really weird seeing an old Citroën XM, dirty as hell, next to really clean Holden Ute. And then you get the pure JDM car. The one that brought me into the city from the airport was a 2nd gen JDM Honda Odyssey, it still had all the Japanese labels on the buttons. And a touchscreen, in a 10+ year old car.

Anyway, it is amazing from what I see. Weather is AMAZING, the temperature is perfect for summer, I love it. As for now I'm still a little tired and sore from the flight. And I still need to find a place to lvie for the next 9 months, which is harder than I thought.

Top picture was found on fordforum.com.au, it's a right hand drive Ford GT

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > BATC42 02/16/2015 at 23:35

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Stop it. You're making me want to go all out of order and visit New Zealand. ICELAND COMES FIRST!!

cuts_off_prius > BATC42 02/16/2015 at 23:37

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Pics and oppo writeup plz (like Torch did for Reykjavik, Iceland)...

Seems like everywhere else outside the U.S. and Canada has a pretty diverse automotive landscape. Stupid protectionist regulations - they are hurting our domestic automakers too now that most models are global.

ToyDeathbot > cuts_off_prius 02/16/2015 at 23:46

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Some british, mixing with a JDM Caldina taxi

Just something at the beach, with a bit of American, European, Australian, and JDM.

BATC42 > ToyDeathbot 02/16/2015 at 23:48

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When I saw my first Holden (Taxi outside the Airport), I was like a kid on Christmas morning. I was so hopping that the guy picking me up would have something similar, but no, a damn minivan.

Doge_Supreme drives a BRZ > BATC42 02/16/2015 at 23:48

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New Zealand is lucky because they are the only country outside of japan that has gotten Subaru S cars. I want a Subaru S car so bad, but they're all still a ways off for import.

BATC42 > Doge_Supreme drives a BRZ 02/16/2015 at 23:50

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What are these? Trim level?

ToyDeathbot > BATC42 02/16/2015 at 23:52

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If you want a free ride, you should probably do something horrible. All our police cars are currently Commodores - the V6 trim for regular patrolling and V8 for the highway.

Doge_Supreme drives a BRZ > BATC42 02/16/2015 at 23:59

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In the S206 which is based off the 2012 STi they took out the 2.5l and put a 2.0 back in, bumped the redline up to 8k boosted the torque from 290 to 318 lb-feet and the hp from 305 to 316, came with custom bilstien suspension setup, flexible tower braces, and an improved aero kit. Oh and a carbon fiber roof. So it's basically another step up from the standard STi. They make one or two for every generation of Impreza and have even made a few Legacy S cars like the S401.

BATC42 > ToyDeathbot 02/17/2015 at 00:04

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Yeah I saw a few of them today. A free ride would be nice, though I'm not too kind on the 24-hours airplane ride it might lead too.

I was a bit surprised to see you the police has BMW bikes, I was thinking they would go for Japanes made bikes.

BATC42 > Doge_Supreme drives a BRZ 02/17/2015 at 00:06

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Oh, it's these one. I remember them from playing Gran Turismo ^^ Didn't the UK also get them? The UK also being the market of "frustration for every other european country because they get all the cool stuff that we don't have on the mainland".

Doge_Supreme drives a BRZ > BATC42 02/17/2015 at 00:09

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No Subaru only wanted to sell them in Japan, but a couple New Zealanders managed to get ahold of them. Subaru only made 300 of the S206 I'm not sure on the older ones. They may have some that were moved out of Japan though.

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > BATC42 02/17/2015 at 00:14

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you don't need a house, everyone in NZ lives in campervans.

at least that's what it seems like whenever I go there.

campers, campers as far as the eye can see!

BATC42 > Doge_Supreme drives a BRZ 02/17/2015 at 00:15

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I thought the UK got them since they also have their fair share of special edition Subarus (Prodrive being in the UK), like the STI 380S, which had, 380hp ! (Thanks wikipedia ^^)

Doge_Supreme drives a BRZ > BATC42 02/17/2015 at 00:17

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Everything I've read says they tried to keep them as local as possible, Although thanks to Prodrive and Cosworth the UK got a bunch of special editions that weren't sold elsewhere.

pip bip - choose Corrour > BATC42 02/17/2015 at 01:53

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"driving on the wrong side of the road"?

you mean the correct side ;)

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > BATC42 02/17/2015 at 02:10

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Hands down I would live in NZ if I could, but its pretty hard to be accepted.

TA4K > BATC42 02/17/2015 at 02:45

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Welcome to the land of the Everycar. We have kind of a polar opposite of the US, every JDM toy you could think of but seeing a 'Vette or Camaro is rare.

BATC42 > TA4K 02/17/2015 at 03:21

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Yeah it's quite impressive. I saw a nice yellow Evo 7 today. And a whole bunch of modified Subarus and Hondas. I really liked seeing, parked next to each other, a brand new Citroën C5 Hydractive and a brand new Holden Commodore. One of the few places on earth, along with Australia, where you can see this.

Where are you in New Zealand?

BATC42 > pip bip - choose Corrour 02/17/2015 at 03:22

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The driver who picked me up at the airport told me the exact same thing :) But I maintain, that this is hella weird for a European guy whose never been to the UK or any other left-side driving country.

pip bip - choose Corrour > BATC42 02/17/2015 at 03:26

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yep , NZ is a fucked up country at the best of times.

are you going to the cricket at any stage?

BATC42 > pip bip - choose Corrour 02/17/2015 at 03:32

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I saw NZ was the host country along with Australia (thanks to Emirates, who said it every few minutes during the flight). Are there any games in Auckland? I'm curious to see what it looks like in reality.

Rights, as far as sports go, my focus is on the V8 supercar race in Auckland in early November :)

TA4K > BATC42 02/17/2015 at 03:37

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Auckland's North Shore.

pip bip - choose Corrour > BATC42 02/17/2015 at 03:44

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a few

Aust V NZ on 28/2 (probably best avoided though , will be a sellout)

South Africa Vs Pakistan 7 Mar

India Vs Zimbabwe on 14/3

and a semi final on 24/3

ToyDeathbot > TA4K 02/17/2015 at 05:29

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Same. I'm pretty sure we have a mutual friend somewhere.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard 02/17/2015 at 06:38

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And they're a plague upon us. Particularly the low-buck converted minivans (I'm lookin' at you, Jucy Rentals), which have no toilet facilities, so the backpackers renting them feel free to crap behind whichever tree is nearest. It's getting so that the more obvious "freedom camping" spots in the scenic areas are too gross for words.

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 02/17/2015 at 07:13

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we camped last time I was there over new years with my GF.. but we steered clear of the freedom camping for that reason.. we wanted to see NZ on a budget but not at the cost of a clean place to shit.

We went through Wicked and got a brand new Almera with a tent on the roof instead of a fully fledged camper, it was perfect for the sort of trip we did and all the Estima/Lucidas I saw were in shit condition..I only wished I had something with a bit more poke once when heading from Hamilton down to Wellington on the highway 4. Lots of good twisty bits ruined by slow campers or trucks.

twochevrons > TA4K 02/17/2015 at 08:58

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Heh, I grew up in Torbay! Small world.

twochevrons > BATC42 02/17/2015 at 09:15

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I really miss the automotive variety in New Zealand. A lot of that came from a law change about 20 years ago that made it very easy (and cheap) to import used vehicles from Japan on a commercial basis. With NZ a long way from anywhere, and the local manufacturing industry dead, new cars were (and still are) very expensive relative to the average income. With Japan making it difficult to keep a car on the road after 5 years or so, it makes for a steady stream of low cost, lightly used vehicles.

It's very rare to buy a new car in New Zealand – most new vehicles are instead leased as company cars. In a way, the equivalent is to buy a "fresh off the boat" used import that's a couple of years old. A lot of the European cars make their way in that way, too – most cars that do get bought new are Japanese, Korean, or Australian. In general, but especially the case of European cars, "New Zealand new" used vehicles – those that were sold new in NZ – tend to attract a slight premium.

It's not all great – the service documentation is usually missing, and there has recently been a bit of a stink raised about the age (and resulting safety and emissions issues) of NZ's fleet as a result of importing used cars. Very strict twice-yearly safety inspections make sure that the worst are ordered off the road, but the rate of attrition is still fairly slow.

TA4K > twochevrons 02/17/2015 at 22:43

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haha Awesome! I'm just a bay south :)

TA4K > ToyDeathbot 02/17/2015 at 22:44

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Probably. Although I'm still at College so the chances might be a bit smaller..

BATC42 > twochevrons 02/17/2015 at 22:53

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I've seen quite a few brand new cars today. And earlier today, near Symonds St, a sweet Renault Megane RS Trophy.

And I suspect the Toyota HiACE might be the most popular thing here. I love how people put them on aftermarket wheels.

ToyDeathbot > TA4K 02/17/2015 at 23:45

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I left Westlake in '13, so I'm still within your range.

TA4K > ToyDeathbot 02/18/2015 at 01:39

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ohh right. Last year of Rangitoto this year.

twochevrons > BATC42 02/18/2015 at 09:14

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Nice! Maybe things have changed a bit since I was there last. By the way, on the topic of sporty French cars, if you see a white Citroën BX 16v around Symonds Street, it's probably my father! He teaches in the engineering school at Auckland University.

And oh yes, the Japanese cab-over van is a mainstay of NZ car culture. Definitely the work vehicle of choice, and they're pretty popular as personal vehicles, too. They're awful to drive, but I can definitely see their utility!

BATC42 > twochevrons 02/18/2015 at 17:40

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I'll keep my eyes open! I love when teachers drive interesting cars. All the best teachers I had owned non-mainstream cars.

As for regular cars, I've been seeing quite a lot of Mazda CX-5s.