It's the hotted up model, madam | Wairarapa News | Local News in Wairarapa

An off-duty police officer and a car dealer got a surprise when the 2003 Subaru Legacy they were test-driving burst into flames on Ngaumutawa Rd, Masterton, yesterday afternoon.

Detective Emma Foote said she was "pretty close to buying" the stationwagon before it spontaneously combusted about 4.10pm.

Meanwhile, driver and Braders Car Court salesman Matt Brader said the roadside inferno was the first he had seen in 26 years of business.

"This is the first one to go like that and hopefully it will be the last," he said.

"Smoke started coming up from the bonnet, I pulled over. It's pretty plain and simple - where there's smoke there's fire," a bemused Mr Brader said.

Neither Mr Brader nor Mrs Foote were injured in the freak fire.

Masterton road policing Sergeant Chris Megaw said it would be left to insurance assessors to establish the cause of the fire.