2CV Tauranga race drivers Wayne Moore and Maurice O'Reilly will compete in the Nurburgring 24-hour endurance race in Germany next month for the Volkswagen team. But before the June 9-10 event, O'Reilly will jump behind the wheel of a Citroen 2CVfor a 24-hour race in Britain. "These cars
are old, small, ugly, slow - and unbelievable fun to drive," O'Reilly says. "The race has ex-Formula One and Le Mans drivers in some teams."
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Ferrari HQ in Italy wraps up its 10-day auction on Monday (NZ time) with the sale of some of its famous cars of the past 60 years. Among them is the 1962 Ferrari 330 TRI/LM Testa Rossa (chassis 0808) in which American Phil Hill and Belgian Oliver Gendebien won the 1962 Le Mans race. Hill was the reigning 1961 Formula One champion at the time. The sale catalogue describes the 330 race car as one of the most valuable and important Ferraris ever auctioned. For the sale list visit www.rmauctions.com.
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Eco-adventurer Hans Tholstrup sets out from Auckland on Tuesday to drive a Hyundai Sonata sedan 1000km on $100 of diesel. The car will be loaded with luggage and what-have-you equivalent to the weight of a family of four going on holiday. The three-day journey passes through Taupo, Wanganui, New Plymouth and Hamilton. The Danish-born Australian says: "It's a real challenge, with your hilly roads and with the state highway frequently running through the centre of towns."
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A slump in sales has forced Ford Australia to drop the long-wheelbase Fairlane and LTD sedans from its line-up. The company says production of the two model variants for New Zealand and Australia is no longer sustainable and will end early next year.
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Mexico City taxi driver Manuel Quiroz is seeking a sponsor to help him challenge the world record for eating raw chillies, reports the Boston Globe. Quiroz reckons he can guzzle dozens of them in one sitting and even squeezes the juice into his eyes with no obvious discomfort.
And a taxi company in Beijing is threatening to suspend drivers whospit, smoke, have bad breath or dress garishly. It's part of a push to improve China's image leading up to next year's Olympic Games.
