Motorsport: Targa Bambina roaring into Rotorua

More than 80 cars will take part in Targa Bambina in Rotorua this weekend.

Owners of beautiful, classic cars through to high performance sports cars will race in Rotorua during Targa Bambina.

The three-day, tarmac-only rally begins today near Auckland before heading to Coromandel tomorrow, finishing up on Sunday around Rotorua.

The rally includes 21 stages with the final six stages all being held around Rotorua.

Targa media manager Matt Greenop said 50 cars were entered for the main event while 35 vehicles were entered in the non-competitive Targa Tour. Targa Tour entrants follow the same route as the competition cars but they travel as a group between a tour leader and Tail End Charlie.

No Rotorua drivers are entered this year in Targa Bambina but Targa New Zealand champion Glenn Inkster will be competing.

Greenop said locals were encouraged to go down to Rydges Hotel Rotorua to check out the cars and talk with the drivers, where the drivers will be based on Saturday night and during racing on Sunday.

"Targa's big difference is it is super accessible. It gives people a great chance to really get in there and look at the cars and talk to the drivers ."

"And it is not super competitive. It is not like the V8s or something similar where you need a $20,000 to $50,000 budget to run a weekend. We have everything from classics to modern cars," Greenop said.

-The cars will leave Rydges Hotel Rotorua from 7.45am on Sunday, but will return throughout the day. One of the best stages to watch will be the last stage near Paradise Valley. The first car will leave at 3.25pm. Best spots are on Paradise Valley Rd near Agrodome (finish) and around the back of Paradise Valley Rd (start).

Rotorua's Mike Lowe driving his 1964 Fiat Abarth 1000.

Targa veteran retires his famous Fiat
Rotorua driver Mike Lowe has retired his iconic 1964 Fiat Abarth 1000, which is now on display at a motorsport museum in Cromwell.

Lowe has started and finished all 20 Targa New Zealand events in his iconic car and is the only person to have achieved the feat in the same vehicle.

Lowe, who is now based in Australia, retired his 50-year-old vehicle after the Targa New Zealand event last year. He is a regular at Targa events, but will not be racing this weekend.