KEY POINTS:
Police had few clues last night to the identity of the person found dead in the driver's seat of a burned-out car in Kawakawa Bay.
The white hatchback - found just after 8am yesterday by a woman walking her dog - was so badly destroyed police could not determine its make or model.
The windows appeared to have exploded in the blaze and metal tyre rims were melted from the intense heat.
Police had not yet determined the age or gender of the dead person but said it was an adult.
Detective Sergeant Veronica McPherson of Counties Manukau said a post mortem scheduled for today was expected to determine the cause of death.
It was too soon to know if the death was suspicious.
Forensic experts were called to the scene in the afternoon to identify the car's registration details and discover what caused the fire.
"We don't know what the cause is and there's a body inside," said Ms McPherson.
She said no one in the area had reported the fire, but a neighbour on the remote stretch of coastal road heard an explosion about 2am.
Ms McPherson said a white car had been seen parked around Kawakawa Bay over the last fortnight.
A man, described as tall and aged in his 30s or 40s, had been seen near the car several times. Anyone with details can call the Counties Manukau Police crime squad on 295-0200.
