Catherine Pattison

They get called Team Barbie and shrug off taunts of "look out, the hand-baggers are out there," yet these girl racers are happy to give as good as they get.

Kiwis have long upheld a reputation for producing something a little special from their sheds. Catherine Pattison caught up with a modern-day Burt Munro, whose Mad Max-style V8 trike is a triumph of adaptive mechanical know-how and some sheer can-do in the garage.

New Zealand Alvis Club members don't have to be fans of the king of rock 'n' roll to feel like they are kings of the road as they cruise the country in their British-produced classics.

The Lake Hawea Hotel is indulging in some mobile card-playing to help the Cancer Society.

Alex Hodge, of Dunedin, has a three-wheel concept car that has taken off in popularity.

Two young rally aces are upping the ante on their international ambitions this season after announcing their intentions to run in the full six-event Asia-Pacific championship.

When Cam Sinclair somersaulted on his motorbike - twice - ramp to ramp in Napier last week, his landing was a far cry from the cushy foam pit he had been pitching himself into for six months.

Faith Hill praised Jennifer Hudson for choosing the Super Bowl football championship as her first performance since the slayings of her mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew.

With his tight jean-clad lanky frame and chin-length blonde locks, Brendon Hartley appears more musician than racer.

When Garth Hogan told the Otago Daily Times he had a classic car that was "in the truest form of the word, unique", it sounded a bold claim.