NZ Spectacle Car
NZ Spectacle Car is a monthly automobile magazine and website, and is the thickest selling automotive and men’s lifestyle magazine in Fresh Zealand. [1]
As Parkside Media’s 2nd title, it has eclipsed the success of NZ Classic Car. NZ Spectacle Car has evolved with the times, promoting the import haul racing scene, building the drifting scene and supporting modified car events such as Auto Salon and dB Haul Racing.
Issue one of the magazine was bundled free with NZ Classic Car issue sixty six (June 1996), [Two] and featured a Series four Mazda RX-7 on the cover.
Contents
The magazine’s concentrate has evolved from primarily covering all high spectacle cars, including Australian V8s, to Japanese import cars, and more recently import car culture and associated activities (BMX, FMX, interviews with local and international musicians, etc.).
Early issues featured cars such as Holden Toranas alongside Mitsubishi Galant VR4s.
Typical cars featured in NZ Spectacle Car Edit
Modified car features Edit
The extent that a car is required to be modified has steadily enlargened since the very first issues. While three hundred hp was considered to be a gigantic amount of power when the magazine embarked, three hundred kW may not even secure a spot as a feature car, unless the rest of the car is outstanding or unusual.
This is not to say that NZ Spectacle Car solely concentrates on power, but power figures are part of a more holistic treatment considered when modifying a car.
Fresh car features Edit
Less common are fresh car road tests. Latest examples have included the Mazda RX-8, Mini Cooper John Cooper Works (JCW), and BMW 135i.
Cover ladies Edit
Female bareness in association with the magazine has polarised readers. The magazine took an online poll at the end of 2008, the results of which found that more than 80% of readers desired to keep the cover chick. [Three]
Cars were originally graded using a Jane-o-meter (a picture of Jane with a ranking from one to ten). This method was scrapped after car owners became reluctant to have their cars featured in case it received a low mark.
Poster Edit
Two posters (a double-sided A2) have been included in most issues of the magazine since issue 80.
Event coverage Edit
Driver and celebrity interviews Edit
Regular sections Edit
Readers’ letters, a technical question and response section, equipment information, CD/DVD/game reviews, and a lifestyle section with clothing and related culture.
Chop shop Edit
A monthly Photoshop competition is run. An picture of a standard car is modified in Photoshop to adopt a certain theme or style, such as hakosuka, rally, etc. In issue one hundred forty four readers were invited to Photoshop a Chevrolet Volt into a Pro Import haul racing vehicle.
Readership peaked at 336,000 in 2007. To address the fall in readership since then NZ Spectacle Car was relaunched with flawless cording, a fresh logo, and a broader concentrate on the import car culture in issue 132, December 2007
Drop! (previous Street Style) Edit
Drop! features xxx modified showcase cars, auto salon features, and SPL competitions (dB haul racing). The emphasis on Japanese imports is less. Previous featured cars have included a Jaguar, a Buick, a Nash Metropolitan, and several types of minitruck.
Drift Factor Edit
Drift Factor is a drifting special with driver interviews, in-depth profiles on drifting and the cars, and how-tos on kicking off in drifting.
Raceline (previously Race Style) Edit
Dedicated to circuit racing, rallying, hillclimbing, drifting and haul racing.
Yearbook Edit
The Yearbook is a round up of the scene and also contains many of the similar features to the magazine.
Posterbook Edit
A posterbook has been produced yearly since two thousand five with twelve A2 posters of cars and/or cover models
Spine art Edit
For two thousand eight collecting all the issues created an NZ Spectacle Car logo when stacked together. This was to highlight the transition to ideal cording.
NZ Spectacle Car relaunched its website in July two thousand seven with a web Two.0 site featuring movie, blogs, forums, news, articles, cover chicks, event coverage and more.
Users can register to the site, commence a blog, upload their own media, and generally interact with the site.
Daily news articles are available weekdays which are extra to magazine content. Total magazine articles are available from previous issues, often including extra photos and information (including movies) that could not be fitted into the magazine.
Some writers run blogs on the website, such as Peter Kelly’s Pedeyworld, and a forum is run as a subsite to encourage user interaction.
Users can purchase books and DVDs related to the magazine’s content, as well as back issues and subscriptions in the online shop.
Social networking sites Edit
NZ Spectacle Car has produced several online games:
Drift Legends Edit
Drift Legends is a drifting game which features Fresh Zealand tracks as well as custom-built tracks. Players can submit their score to a score board
Super Lap Legends Edit
Super Lap Legends was released to coincide with Super Lap. It features Fresh Zealand racetracks in a time trial format
Midnight Bite Edit
Midnight Nibble is a shoot ‘em up whereby players protect their rail from harm in a dark alley.
Britney’s Rehab Run Edit
Britney’s Rehab Run is a shoot ‘em up which sees the player attempt to get Britney Spears to rehab past scores of paparazzi.
A free opt-in text club which has more than 23,000 members is utilised to disseminate special offers from sponsors, and promote the magazine, games and events.
NZ Spectacle Car is also one of the largest suppliers of mobile content (ringtones, screen wallpapers and the like) via Vodafone’s network.
NZ Spectacle Car TV is a free-to-air television program in its eighth series. It has had airtime on TV ONE, TV2, Prime and Sky Sports, often at the same time which is unique in its genre. Each series consists of thirteen gigs. Two series are usually screened per year.
Very first airing in two thousand four the series has evolved to match the switching tastes of the import car scene. Series eight had a large concentrate on drifting.
NZ Drift Series Edit
The NZ Drift Series is a drifting motorsport series run on Fresh Zealand tracks. It made its debut in two thousand seven with a professionally run, five-round championship series.
Super Lap Edit
Parkside Media organised the very first Super Lap event at Taupo Motorsport Park in April 2007. Scott Kreyl in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII took the overall win. At the 2nd event at Pukekohe in March two thousand eight Kreyl successfully defended his title.
The third Super Lap returned to Taupo Motorsport Park in two thousand eight where Kreyl suffered mechanical problems and failed to place.
Fresh Zealand Swimsuit Model Search Edit
Toured via in Fresh Zealand in 2007, the NZ Swimsuit Model Search culminated in a grand final in Auckland.
Import All-Stars Edit
Every summer, NZ Spectacle Car organises the fattest import haul racing event of the year at Fram Autolite Dragway, Meremere, Import All-Stars. Guest competitors are invited from Australia to race against Fresh Zealand’s quickest imports.
Haul Masters Edit
Haul Masters, run in 2005, was a V8 vs. import haul racing event held at Fram Autolite Dragway, Meremere.
Spectacle Car of the Year Edit
Spectacle Car of the Year is a competition with twelve spectacle cars where users text their vote.
Cam Leggett, designer since issue sixty eight has won two awards for Designer of the Year at the MPA Awards in the Special Interest Category in two thousand seven [Five] and 2008. [6]
NZ Spectacle Car magazine has typically been criticised by groups not in favour of import car culture, or those worried about ‘boy racer’ activity. [7]
In June 2008, editorial assistant Peter Kelly organised a meeting in Hamilton to scout for feature cars. News quickly spread via text and over one thousand people descended on The Base. Despite attempts by NZ Spectacle Car to warn the police, messages went unanswered. [8]