The Aucklanders were in pole position heading in to the final two stages, on Littles Rd, at Dalefield, and on the Crown Range Rd, finishing at Cardrona.
Before they set off, Inkster told the Otago Daily Times they found a broken rim on the Mitsubishi Evo 8 during the last service.
"We've tried our luck all week and stayed on the right side of it ... we've just got to finish.''
Finish they did, cruising to victory and making history along the way.
Another car which managed to cross the finish line, despite the odds, was Haydn MacKenzie's Mitsubishi Evo 10, which looked to be write-off after a spectacular crash near Lawrence on Wednesday.
The vehicle left the road, went down a bank and into a tree, injuring MacKenzie's co-driver Matty Sayers, of Hamilton, who was airlifted to Dunedin Hospital.
MacKenzie's team worked magic to get the car back on the road - complete with plastic windows.
Fortunately for MacKenzie, of Auckland, fellow driver Leigh Hopper had engine trouble with his Subaru Impreza WRX and had to withdraw, leaving his co-driver Michael Goudie free, so he jumped in with MacKenzie to finish the race.
For their efforts, MacKenzie, Goudie and Sayer, in a sling, were awarded the Jeff Parry Memorial Trophy, for "completing the event despite adversity'' during Sunday's prizegiving at Coronet Peak.
"I didn't think we'd get back on the road,'' MacKenzie said.
"Certainly, it didn't look good.
"[The crew] worked until 2.30am - it started up and rolled out; it was surprising it went straight down the road.
"I'd like to say sorry to Matty, obviously, but fortunately there was another co-driver that was stupid enough to get in the car with me.''
Highlands Motorsport Park owner Tony Quinn, driving his new Porsche, told the ODT on Saturday afternoon he was "not going very well at all''.
"I'm fine, but I'm not driving too well.''
He and Dunedin's Allan Dippie were having a "massive battle'' in the Porsche stakes - and Quinn was not winning.
Asked if he thought he could claw his way back in the last two stages he was realistic: "Not a chance.''
Both Quinn and Dippie had a penalty due to speeding during an earlier stage - the maximum they could go was 200kmh.
"I was 204kmh - he [Dippie] got a bigger penalty than me because he was going faster, but he's still in front of me and will stay there, as well.''
Quinn was not wrong - he finished third in their category, while Dippie won it.
Christchurch father and son team Stewart and Rory Callaway returned home with the Production 4WD overall title, based on the results of the two Targa rallies held this year.
Last year was their first Targa showing, when they finished 23rd and shared the driving.
This year, Rory (25), the youngest driver in the field, took hold of the steering wheel.
Queenstown team Max Perkins and Quinn Wilson won the Peter Brock Memorial Trophy for ``embracing the spirit of Targa''.
Race managing director Peter Martin said Perkins and Wilson were ``smiling the whole way through''.
"Even when they were sleeping, they were smiling.''
Targa New Zealand general manager Victoria Main said it was a week of ``fun-filled adventure''.
"Challenging days, but plenty of laughter and enjoyment by everybody.
"The week turns into a bit of a road trip because we're spending long hours with each other. Everyone gets on really well, it's just like a big, happy family.''
