NZCC #347 Preview

TARGA 2019 PROGRAMME INSIDE — ALL THE ENTRANTS, ALL THE STAGES NEW ZEALAND CLASSIC CAR NOVEMBER 2019 ISSUE 347

TOYOTA CELICA GT4 • MAZDA MX-5 COUPE • TESLA MODEL 3 • DE TOMASO PANTERA • BMW 135I• MISTRAL • PEKING TO PARIS

GROUP A TOYOTA CELICA

TARGATASTIC

GT4

MUSCLE GARAGE SUNDAYS ON

ISSUE 347 $10.99 INCL. GST NOVEMBER 2019 themotorhood.com

TESLA MODEL 3 RETHINKING THE CAR

DE TOMASO PANTERA BEAUTIFUL BRUTE

RACING MINI

LIVING ON THE BRINK

P E K I N G TO PA R I S: PA R T T WO – R U S S I A N M U D TO PA R I S F I VA !

CONTENTS

347

TARGA PROGRAMME

NOVEMBER 2019

INTRODUCTION DRIVER PROFILES ITINERARY COMPETITOR LIST

FEATURES

6 TOYOTA CELICA GRAVEL GREAT 16 MAZDA MX5 TOP ROADSTER GETS A LID 26 DE TOMASO PANTERA AN ITALIAN AMERICAN 34 PEKING TO PARIS AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN 52 TESLA IT’S ALL COOL

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New Zealand Classic Car | themotorhood.com

CONTENTS

347 NOVEMBER 2019

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COLUMNS 46 BRUNCH WITH: HOWDEN GANLEY — PART 2 58 KITS AND PIECES: MISTRAL MADE IN NZ 64 MOTORMAN: DONN REVISITS THE

BMW 1 SERIES 70 MOTOR SPORT FLASHBACK: A VERY WET GP 78 PRICE ON: ELECTRICITY OFF

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK — SEARCH ‘NZ CLASSIC CAR ’

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REGULARS 43 SUBSCRIBE AND WIN 44 READERS’ WRITES 76 BEHIND THE GARAGE DOOR 80 STAR INSURANCE MARKETPLACE 88 NEWS 92 BOOK REVIEWS 94 NATIONAL EVENTS 96 EVENTS DIARY

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100 LOCAL SPECIALIST

FEATURE

2004 Mazda MX5 Type A

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A MAZDA WITH A DIFFERENCE

MA ZDA HAS MADE AN AWFU L LOT OF C A RS BUT ONE LITTLE BEAUT Y S TA N D S H E A D A N D SHOULDERS ABOVE THE OTHERS Words: Terry Cobham Photos: Jared Clark

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FEATURE De Tomaso

I T A L I A N F L A I R,

AMERICAN MUSCLE

I F Y O U A R E G O I N G T O C E L E B R AT E A 6 0 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y, T H E N D O I T I N S T Y L E ! W H AT B E T T E R W AY T O C E L E B R AT E T H E NAME OF DE TOMASO THAN BY L AUNCHING A NEW MODEL, T H E P 7 2 , AT T H I S Y E A R ’ S G O O D W O O D F E S T I VA L O F S P E E D ?

Words and photos: Quinton Taylor

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veryone thought the P70 project with Carroll Shelby was dead and buried, and as the last De Tomaso was made at least 15 years ago, it seemed that there would never be a new car.

Following a chequered list of owners, along came the Hong Kong–based investment company Ideal Team Venture

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(ITV) in 2014. This partnership resulted in a stunning retro-styled Italian De Tomaso supercar that was launched at one of the biggest gatherings of classic cars and enthusiasts in Europe.

Like the Pantera and Mangusta, the P72 is all Italian look-at-me flair, from its rose-gold trim, wheels, and interior instruments, to that amazing retro-

curved body in metallic wine. Designer Jowyn Wong, of UK-based Wyn Design, drew inspiration from two De Tomaso racing prototype designs: the Sport 1000/2000 and echoes of the P70 project.

The difference this time is that, while the two previous designs were functional and aggressive products of styling house Ghia, the P72 has gone all-modern, with

carbon fibre everywhere and lots of bling.

There is still that American V8 muscle amidships in the form of a seven-litre Ford V8, but there could be a V12 in the pipeline.

Built by Apollo Automobil, CEO Norman Choi, who is also associated with ITV, is confident that the P72 will go into production, following on from the V12-powered Intensa Emozione (IE) his company has designed. The company has an agreement to share information and technology with Mercedes-AMG cofounder Hans Werner Aufrecht. The P72 could even use the IE’s V12, something De Tomaso lacked in its heyday, when it was up against Ferrari and Lamborghini with their V12 engines.

With the P70 project, De Tomaso

was relying on Shelby to provide funds to develop the car, and US designer Peter Brock was called in to plan it, following his successful involvement with the Shelby Daytona Coupe and Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.

In the end, Shelby decided to back the Ford GT40 project, and the prototype P70 was displayed at the Turin Motor Show in 1965. A modified version of the chassis would form the basis of De Tomaso’s first production car, the Mangusta.

IVT acquired De Tomaso in 2014, for a seemingly paltry €1.05M, in an Italian bankruptcy auction. The company’s Italian lawyer, Giampaolo Salsi, advised that IVT intended to manufacture the cars in China under the De Tomaso

name. At the present time, the advice is that just 72 will be made, which will ensure this car’s exclusivity, especially with its price tag of €750K (NZ$435K).

If the project comes off, the current owners of De Tomaso will be delighted that the name lives on. So far, the car exhibited at Goodwood appears to have all the right ingredients, and it’s beautifully executed. Reports from Goodwood indicate that, along with the collective jaw-dropping as the car was unveiled and then driven around the venue, this is a sensationally welldesigned and put-together supercar.

Whatever happens, the bottom line is whether ITV can deliver, and that will be the decider as to whether we have a future classic on our hands. themotorhood.com | New Zealand Classic Car

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FEATURE 2019 Tesla Model 3

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ne of the other great things about owning a classic car is that it takes the pressure off your daily driver.

It can be a practical runabout which puts EVs, oddball looks and all, squarely in the frame even if they are only really suitable around town. Well you can throw all those assumptions out, because the Tesla Model 3 is here.

Clean sheet design This car qualifies as an instant classic because it’s one of the first electric cars to be designed from a clean sheet of paper, which has resulted in some quite fundamental changes. It also has genuine sports car urge and it handles brilliantly. It’s the fresh thinking embodied in the car that makes it a game changer but, perhaps most importantly, Tesla has broken the hoodoo of limited range which has unfairly hampered adoption of EVs until now.

Range, or not having the same range as a petrol or diesel car between fills, has really been a non-issue for ages. Why should EVs match the range of petrol or diesel cars, which are quite arbitrary numbers anyway? You might fill up the average commuter every 10 days or two weeks. How about not visiting a petrol station, breathing fuel fumes and getting your hands dirty, at all?

As the owner of this Tesla, Colin McArthur, says, think of your EV like your phone. Charge it overnight, and it starts every day with a full tank. If it does everything you need day to day, you are good to go. EV owners used to be pestered by people asking how long they take to charge.

The answer is about 20 seconds, or however long it takes to plug in and walk away.

It’s still true that electric motors are best around town in stop-start driving, where most of our driving is done.

They can use the 100 percent torque available from the first revolution, and their batteries benefit from regenerative braking.

But on the highway, owners of EVs with smaller battery capacities, will see the effort of fighting the wind at highway speeds draining the battery at an alarming rate.

This is where is internal combustion engines or ICE, geared to highway speeds, work best — when they are not accelerating or scrubbing off speed bought at low torque numbers around town.

“It’s better in every way,” says Colin. “It’s bigger; it’s more luxurious, it has better quality trim, it has a bigger battery, its more fun to drive, it’s got a lot more technology like the Autopilot and it’s a lot faster. The Leaf is fast off the mark — they will leave most vehicles at the lights — but accelerating at say 60-80 is not as sharp. It’s still a great car around town.”

Colin’s Leaf is the previous generation. The latest Leaf, now available here as a new car, has more driver aids such as lane-keeping, automatic cruise control and emergency braking like the Tesla but it doesn’t match the Tesla’s technology in these or other areas.

WHY WOULDN’T YOU? I F I T ’ S A P P R E C I AT I O N O F

FRESH THINKING, CLEVER ENGINEERING, STYLE A N D A G R E AT D R I V I N G E X P E R I E N C E T H AT M A K E A CLASSIC CAR, MEET THE TESLA MODEL 3 Words: Ian Parkes Photos: New Zealand Classic Car

A great highway car The Tesla is a modern classic because it has the capacity to overcome that highway weak spot. Most EVs are great town cars. The Tesla is also a great highway car. It has a bigger battery, a more efficient drive train and battery management system, and a network of fast-charging stations that make long journeys, even in New Zealand, seamless. After 200 or 250km, which are well within its range, most people would be stopping for a break anyway.

Colin has done long trips in the Leaf he has owned for three years. He says driving around town, he hasn’t had to think about fuelling at all, but trips took more planning.

With the Tesla, not a problem, if there’s a charging station on the route, and coverage is already good.

So, as an experienced EV pilot, how does the Tesla compare with the older Leaf?

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The Model 3 has a single heating and cooling system which manages the temperatures in the batteries, the motor, the high power electrical systems and the cabin.

Even the modern Leaf doesn’t have battery cooling. It’s less of an issue here but that lack of cooling in the Leaf is a serious issue for battery life in hotter parts of the US, for example. A cost-saving decision, apparently.

When Colin was looking to buy another EV the Tesla went straight to the top of the list, because Tesla had the best battery management technology and the most efficient drivetrain and because it was designed from scratch to be electric. And Colin admits to being a gadget geek who appreciates fresh thinking and new solutions.

“It’s just better. They have been doing this for a long time now,” he says.

themotorhood.com | New Zealand New Zealand Classic Car

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MOTORMAN

Words: Donn Anderson Photos: Jamie Anderson

JUNIOR BEAMER WITH A BIG HEART

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MW’s E82 series 135i coupé may well be a modest, unnoticed star just waiting for its time to shine brightly.

While overshadowed by the rare and more costly 1M coupé that will always be deemed a classic, the reality is the 135i might actually be all you need.

Just as is the case with any asset, including houses, all you need for lower prices is an oversupply.

New Zealand must have grabbed a healthy share of the 135i coupés sold in Japan, resulting in a scenario of more cars than buyers. This added up to near bargain prices that scarcely relate to the car’s remarkably competent abilities. Do not always judge a product by its price.

Quite rightly we enthused over the arrival of the 1M back in 2011, almost ignoring the fact the 135i had been around since late 2007. Both cars hold true to BMW hallmarks of impressive driving qualities, top engines, and endearing character, and each of these quirky-looking compacts is more than a little special — relatively small coupés with bigcar feel and performance.

At the heart of the matter is a brilliant threelitre straight-six engine that marked BMW’s return to turbocharged engines after an absence of more than three decades. Caught by bad timing with the arrival of the first oil crisis, the German marque introduced the 2002 turbo in 1973, yet it wasn’t until 2006 that a return was made to a turbocharged production car with the 3 Series 335i coupé.

Pundits soon learnt the new twin-turbo N54 engine in the larger BMW was a cracker and, with the dawn of the two-door coupé version of

THE BMW 135I COUPE ARRIVED 12 YEARS AGO AS A SPIRITUAL SUCCESSOR TO THE E30 M3, A N D H A S B E C O M E A T O T A L LY AFFORDABLE FUTURE CL ASSIC. DONN ANDERSON WAS SO IMPRESSED HE BOUGHT ONE

Near 1M performance in a near identical package for nothing like a 1M price makes the 135i something of a bargain

the 1 Series, came the opportunity to fit it into what was something of a junior M-car for younger buyers. Sadly this writer no longer falls into that category but when the opportunity arose in 2015 to buy a tidy 2009 ex-Japanese Alpine White 135i from Auckland City BMW, the decision was easy.

Controversial body styling When the pillarless side-windowed car was unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show, it was officially described as a “young interpretation of classic BMW brand values”. Styling wise, this four-seater car has been controversial, with its long bonnet, humpbacked roofline, and stubby boot but, unlike some, I like the body dimensions, the individuality, and the fact that the shape still looks sharp; it has a body that is smart and classy without being overt.

The tough and deliberate stance is accentuated by a large central air intake incorporated into the front air dam. With a collection of sweeping lines and juxtaposed shapes, the coupé body is unique while still incorporating the familiar BMW Hofmeister kink of the dog-leg shape to the C-pillar. The structure is more rigid than that of the 1 Series hatchback and overall length is a handy 4360mm.

There is little doubt the styling works rather better than that of the 131mm shorter 1 Series hatch that shares the 2660mm wheelbase. The 135i is clearly shorter and narrower than a 3 Series coupé but taller. The smaller model’s boot dimensions remain generous, although the opening is narrow.

This story, however, is not about looks but about a superb engine and a great drive. The directinjection, variable camshaft control, N54 power plant produces a healthy 225kW, or 302bhp in old measures, but more significantly the 400Nm of torque is realized at a low 1300 revs and hurries through to 5000rpm in a wonderfully flat torque curve. Two small parallel-linked turbos, each feeding three cylinders, rapidly build up pressure and spool up quickly to cut turbo lag, further increasing the 24-valve engine’s responsiveness so that it feels more like a five-litre V8. It’s no coincidence the N54 earned BMW the title of international engine of the year in 2007 as it had a power train with a 100bhp (75kW) per litre output that had previously only been achieved by powerful M-engines.

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OFFICIAL PROGRAMME 2019

FULL DRIVER AND CAR DIRECTORY OFFICIAL ROUTE MAPS, SCHEDULE, AND SPECIAL STAGES 29TH OCT – 2ND NOV OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNER OF TARGA 2019

TARGA PROGRAMME Targa 2019

PETER MARTIN (LEFT) AND TARGA VIP HOST DRIVER 'RACING' RAY WILLIAMS

ANNIVERSARY EVENT SET TO SHINE Targa New Zealand’s 25th anniversary has arrived and it’s set to be our best event ever!

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elcome to the 2019 Targa New Zealand event. Who would have thought way back in 1995 that Targa would become the premier tarmac rally in New Zealand? While there have been many changes over the years, the ethos remains the same: get a group of mates together, find a car that you enjoy working on, and then come and give it a go!

There is a place for every make and model of car, be it an old classic or a vintage car, where you can test your accuracy at maintaining the nominated average speed though the closed road special stages in the Vintage Car Club (VCC) Time Trial, or a more modern car in the Targa Tour, where you get the opportunity to develop your driving skills with a controlled group of like-minded individuals, following the same route as the full-on competition vehicles.

The main attraction will always be the Targa Competition, where vehicles are further subdivided into categories that reflect the amount of development as well as age to cater for the diverse array of competition cars that make up the fleet of ‘hybrid’ vehicles for which New Zealand is renowned. By ‘hybrid’, we mean engine swaps rather than petrol/electric — such as the famed Ford Escort powered by a three-litre V6 Turbo

Nissan engine owned by Clark Proctor, and the introduction of the Proto-R VW Polo of Jason Gill, being powered by a 2-litre Turbo Mitsubishi Evo X engine.

In the Modern Competition, there has been a shift to the latest production models, such as the BMW M2, Audi RS5, and Porsche 991 GT3, as these vehicles really only require a roll cage to be fitted and they are ready to go.

However the benchmark remains unchanged: a well-prepared car, a good support team, and a well-tuned crew who can get the best from the car will always be hard to beat. Glenn Inkster and Spencer Winn are that team as they approach this year’s event as reigning four-time champions, looking to make it five in a row.

In the Classic Competition, there is an even stronger hold as the Kirk-Burnnard family, which has been involved from the start, has shared the spoils among themselves so many times it is hard to keep count.

Uncle Barry and nephew Mark both use similar BMW E30 M3s, and they usually make it to the podium — with occasional interruption from one of the V8-powered Holden drivers such as Tony Butler, Bevan Claridge, or Ross Graham.

The camaraderie among the entrants is the glue that keeps these teams coming back, as there will only be a few winners but they all

get to enjoy the fabulous roads New Zealand is renowned for.

Nobody embraces this concept better than Mike Lowe in his 1964 Fiat Abarth Corsa 1000, as he returns with ‘Barty 1’ after giving it a small rest over the past few years while he was using its big brother ‘Barty 2’, a 2008 version. Mike is one of the originals from the first Targa New Zealand event in 1995 and has had support from the same sponsor, Enzed; he has made the little car world famous, as he always punches above his weight and is very fond of passing Porsches.

A special thanks goes out to the many thousands of people who make this event happen — from the landowners and residents along the route to the local community groups and schools; the volunteer motor sport officials and, of course, the local councils that facilitate the road closures; the entrants; our full-time office staff; and our event partners that fund and help balance the many moving parts required to put a marathon multi-day rally together.

Thank you all for being part of this occasion. We look forward to bringing you another 25 years of motoring pleasure.

Peter Martin Managing Director Ultimate Rally Group Limited

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