The good oil: Green schmeen

Another addition to the myth that New Zealand is "green": a Honda executive from Japan believed everything he'd heard about New Zealand's "clean, green" reputation, until he arrived to work with Honda NZ. One of the first things he noticed was the absence of bins for used batteries. "We have bins everywhere in Japan for recycling batteries," he said.

Collector's corner

The New York Times is asking its readers to vote for the "collectible car of the year". It has narrowed down readers' suggestions to 30 finalists, under the heading: "Which car do you think stops traffic?" The 30 cars are: 1960 Volkswagen Beetle; 1966 Jaguar E-Type; 1911 Ford Model T Torpedo Roadster (the rarest Model T); 1961 Nash Metropolitan; 1948 Chevrolet Fleetmaster; 1936 Chevrolet pick-up truck; 1958 Chevrolet Impala; 1957 Lincoln Mk II Continental; 1965 Pontiac GTO Tri-Power convertible; 1954 Willys pick-up; 1969 Fiat 500; 1974 Alpina BMW 3.0CS; 1924 GeauxGeaux Nash 691 Special Six; 1966 Chevrolet Corvette; 1973 Saab Sonett III; 1961 Pontiac Bonneville convertible; 1934 Ford Model N soft-top; 1965 Ford Mustang; 1976 AMC Pacer; 1970 Dodge Charger R/T; 1955 Studebaker Speedster; 1941 Buick Super; 1954 Buick Century; 1961 Saab 95 Delux; 1941 Tatra Osmilavec T87; 1964 Alfa Romeo 2600 Spider; 1973 Citroen 2CV; 1938 Packard Roadster; 1980 Checker cab; 1953 MG TD. The winner will be announced on July 24.

Legroom for 5-series

BMW will use this coming week's Beijing motor show to introduce a long-wheelbase version of its new 5-Series sedan. The stretched model offers an extra 137.5mm of rear legroom - but will be built only for the Chinese market. The longer iteration of the sixth-generation 5-Series gets a revised rear axle to handle the extra length and weight, plus a redesigned rear seat. The new 5-Series itself goes on sale in New Zealand in a couple of months.

Chinese ingenuity

A senior Australian automotive executive says Chinese cars are better developed than South Korean brands were when they first entered the market. Ateco Automotive managing director Ric Hull, who pretty much introduced Hyundai, Kia and Daewoo to Australia, says Chinese cars were probably 10 years more advanced than Hyundai vehicles at the same stage. Hull told website GoAuto: "They (Chinese) are further ahead of where the Koreans were because there are 47 carmakers in China and they are involved in joint ventures with every major carmaker in the world."Ateco Automotive imports into Australia and New Zealand Chinese-made vehicles from Great Wall Motors.

Great Wall extends to Oz

The arrival of Chinese cars in Australia alone could mean an increase of 300 to 400 new-car dealerships, says long-time industry analyst and publisher John Mellor. He says the launch of the Chery brand in Australia by Ateco Automotive will add around 60 new showrooms by the end of this year. This is in addition to the 60 dealerships that have been added for the recent addition of the Great Wall brand to the Australian market.

We are the world

One of the men standing for sheriff of Roundup, Montana, is John White. If he wins, he inherits an office, secretary, patrol car and four-wheel-drive pick-up truck, key to the jail and the weapons lock-up. But the law won't allow White to carry a handgun - he once did time for robbing a bank.

alastair.sloane@nzherald.co.nz