Antonella Abbate • 4 April 2025

1440 Toyota Hilux Utes Gather in New Zealand to Set Unofficial World Record

On Sunday, March 2, 2025, the Real Country Farm, located south of Lake Wakatipu, New Zealand, became the epicenter of an extraordinary automotive event. A staggering 1440 Toyota Hilux utes assembled in an attempt to set an unofficial world record, eclipsing the previous record of 495 Toyota Hilux vehicles gathered in South Africa in 2010.


The event attracted Toyota Hilux owners and enthusiasts from across New Zealand and beyond, all eager to be part of this historic gathering. Organizers and participants worked meticulously to line up the vehicles, creating an awe-inspiring display of automotive power and loyalty to one of the world’s most iconic utility vehicles.


The Toyota Hilux has earned a reputation for being one of the most rugged and reliable pickup trucks globally. Its durability and performance in extreme conditions have made it a staple for farmers, tradies, off-road adventurers, and commercial operators alike. This record-breaking event was not just a celebration of numbers but also a tribute to the legacy of the Hilux and its impact on various industries and lifestyles.


Beyond the record attempt, the gathering featured various activities, including off-road demonstrations, meet-and-greets with Toyota enthusiasts, and a showcase of customized Hilux models. Participants enjoyed a day filled with camaraderie, adventure, and shared appreciation for their beloved vehicles.


While the event has yet to receive official recognition as a world record, the sheer scale of the turnout and the enthusiasm of those involved made it an unforgettable milestone in the history of the Toyota Hilux. Organizers expressed pride in achieving such a massive turnout and thanked all who contributed to making the day a resounding success.



With 1440 Toyota Hilux utes gathered in one location, New Zealand has firmly placed itself on the map for automotive world record attempts, demonstrating not only the passion of Hilux owners but also the unbreakable bond between drivers and their vehicles.

Executive Summary On AI and Vehicle Safety

by Antonella Abbate • 18 December 2025
AI is now core to the latest generation of ADAS: deep-learning perception stacks, on-board real-time inference and sensor fusion enable crash-avoidance features that demonstrably reduce collision rates (notably AEB/FCW), while vehicle dynamics control is evolving from rule-based ESC to predictive, AI-assisted torque-vectoring and integrated stability management. Modern systems combine camera/radar (and in some programs lidar, mapping and environmental sensing) to detect, predict and act within fractions of a second; this increases safety but also creates new service obligations — precise sensor calibration, validated software/firmware management, authenticated OTA updates and documented post-repair procedures.

AATR Seminar and Exhibition 2026

by Antonella Abbate • 18 December 2025

LOCTITE Threadlockers: Upgraded for Performance and Sustainability

by Antonella Abbate • 17 December 2025
For workshops and maintenance operations that take a conservative, risk-averse approach to chemical use, changes to a product’s chemical formulation matter far more than marketing claims. LOCTITE’s latest generation of threadlockers represents a quiet but significant shift in this regard: a reformulation driven not just by performance outcomes, but by chemical risk reduction and sustainability considerations .