New Zealand is the first territory in the world to take delivery of the 2008 model and the cars ran in anger for the first time anywhere in the world at Pukekohe this morning.

New Zealand was allocated 12 of the new, upgraded \'08 models and so tight was the schedule that the cars had to be air-freighted to get them here in time for the first round of the 2007/08 Battery Town Porsche New Zealand GT3 Cup Challenge championship at Pukekohe Park Raceway this weekend.

The cars were officially unveiled at a function at Auckland Porsche dealership Continental Car Services last night then transported to Pukekohe Park Raceway this morning where their progress was monitored by factory executives Gerd Schmid, the company\'s General Manager of One-Make Cups International, and Rolf Huber, Technical Manager Porsche Motorsport.

The 2008 model year 997 features an upgraded 3.6 litre engine which produces more power and torque than the model it replaces, plus an upgraded six-speed sequential shift gearbox.

And it got an immediate thumbs up from Daniel Gaunt, the two-time New Zealand Toyota Racing Series champion who will be behind the wheel of the Giltrap Group\'s Mitre 10 Mega-backed team car this season.

\"My first impressions? Good, really good. The car is obviously brand new and still very tight but it\'s very nice. Straight away you notice the extra torque over the older car. That and the brakes. The car felt very good under brakes.\"

Gaunt said that his main job today was to bed in the various components and systems before starting to dial in the suspension to suit his driving style.

There is another day of testing at Pukekohe Park raceway tomorrow (Friday) before qualifying and the first race on Saturday and two further races on Sunday.

Joining Gaunt on the grid in brand new \'08 models this weekend will be defending Battery Town champion Craig Baird, fellow international Matt Halliday, young guns Jono Lester and Ant Pedersen and category regulars Shane McKillen, Michael Morton and Paul Kelly.

Also expected to front in one of the new cars is Australian Rodney Forbes.