If there’s one brand I don’t mind talking about over and over again, it’s Alpina. I love what they stand for combing supercar-baiting performance, exclusivity, and true usable comfort all wrapped up in a BMW body. So far I’ve tried out the 3-Series based D3 sedan, the 4-Series based B4 coupe, and now I’ve got my hands on a B5...
When we schedule vehicles in for the DriveLife team, some leave you wondering what they will be like, others leave you with some excitement or anticipation. Then there are the vehicles that you know are going to be pushing the benchmarks.That's exactly how we felt when we saw that the new BMW M5 was on our list. Has there ever been...
Finally we have the chance to test the long awaited and much anticipated Kia Stinger GT Sport. The general feeling around the office was this: it's going to be an exciting one, and we hoped that the Stinger performed as advertised and looked just as good in real life as it does in photos.The RangeThe range is simple with 3...
Niche market segments are all the range now, and there does not appear to be any sign of them stopping soon. Whether it’s customers demanding more choice or manufacturers wanting and being not able to fill voids that previously could not be filled, the market and desire for these niche products continues to grow and grow.The...
Rob and I were heading to Leadfoot Festival in the Coromandel and we needed a car to get us there. We were lucky enough that Volvo had a car for us to review, a Bursting Blue S90 T8 R-Design. From Wellington that is about a 1600km round trip, and what a car to do it in.The Range
The S90 has not been around very long, with the...
With all the hype that went with the Honda Civic Type R launch last year, people seemed to forget we already have a road-going racer available to us, and have had for decades: the Subaru WRX.It was almost the perfect scenario. I stepped out of the 2018 Subaru Levorg I had had for a few weeks, and straight into the WRX – same motor,...
The other day while I was out on a grey, wet, Spring day I came across the next-generation Lexus LS flagship sedan out testing in central Tokyo. It’s not a scoop or a spy shot by any means, the fifth-generation LS debuted at the Detroit Motor Show at the start of the year and more recently at the Geneva Motor Show.However, this...
Last week I had the chance to take the new 2017 BMW 5-Series for a quick first impressions drive thanks to Abe BMW in Shinagawa, Tokyo. It was a bit of an unexpected drive as it was organised last minute by a BMW-crazy friend of mine.Despite being exhausted and a bit light-headed after the McLaren 720S launch, I couldn’t turn down...
There used to be a time when people bought BMWs to stand out from the crowd. Having a BMW was supposed to be something special. All of a sudden BMW, like every other ‘premium’ manufacturer, started expanding their range to increase sales until they had a lineup of models covering every corner of the market, from MPVs to hybrid sports...
