One person died after a crash in Matakana and a school bus slid off the road in Manly as five incidents caused traffic chaos in the Auckland region yesterday.

Auckland Council has apologised to visitors whose cars were locked in the Mt Eden domain for two hours after closing and who were asked to pay a $40 release fee.

A parking operator has defended giving $65 penalties to drivers who overstay by a few minutes, saying $25 of the fee represents its average losses.

A second Kiwi team has taken up the challenge of driving more than 16,000km across Europe and the Middle East for an international charity rally.

Will 2015 be another record year for new-car sales like 2014? Time will tell, but what is clear is that there is no shortage of intriguing new metal coming our way in the next 12 months. Here, we preview some of the hottest new models landing in New Zealand for 2015. Photos / Supplied

Four Kiwi mates will travel 16,500km together across 20 countries, five mountain ranges and three deserts in a "farcically small" car as part of an international charity event.

Jacqui Madelin checks out a beautiful Japanese classic, the 1973 Mitsubishi Colt owned by Michael Burgess. Photos / Jacqui Madelin

Hyundai have launched their entry into the luxury car market, the Hyundai Genesis. Photos / Ted Baghurst

Driven Magazine tests the 'revamped' 2015 Volkswagen Touareg. Photos by Ted Baghurst