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Friday 19 October 2012

European star reborn Skoda Superb TDI 125 Wagon

See page 4

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Friday 19 October 2012

Living the dream I was casually asked on Monday afternoon whether I’d be able to take a 1996 Porsche 993 for a spin.

Bookings and enquiries contact Caro Leuschke 027 578 0035 email: caro@thesun.co.nz For editorial and news tips email: ben@thesun.co.nz

Weekend Sun Friday 19 OctoberThe 2012

Sure, I said. It’s not like I had anything better to do. Nor, in retrospect, have I ever done many things greater. As a sports rather than a car enthusiast, I’d always wondered about the appeal the cars hold for so many in the driving world. How people buy them and join clubs with others who own them. How they get jackets for that same club so people know they’re a part of it, even when they’re apart from it. So it was with great surprise that I melted on the spot at Stadium Cars on the corner of Cameron Rd and 8th Ave when presented with the 993 in arena red. It looked like a million dollars –just 5% of the asking price – and sounded like a race car. The grey leather interior hugged me like a long lost friend. The CD player was turned up, then down, as the prat coming through the speakers was no match for the rolling

sounds of idling fury emanating from the 3.6L VarioRam engine capable of producing 285BHP. It sat low, with the iconic bulges covering the two front wheels visible from the privileged position in the driver’s seat. I had only an hour with the last in a proud line of air-cooled Porsches. It wasn’t nearly long enough. Knowing that, I did what any self-respecting young man would do and decided to show the car off as much as possible. The fiancé needed a ride home to the back of Welcome Bay, so I obliged, leaving me with only about 40 minutes left. Some quick snaps at the bottom of 13th Ave left me 20 minutes. Back I headed towards 8th Ave, but for some reason the 993 wouldn’t take the requisite right from 11th Ave to Cameron Rd. Instead, it went straight, took the off-ramp on Waihi Rd and headed down Takitimu

Bay Driver

Drive for one last shot at glory. Suffice to say, it was glorious, and I added the odd kilometre to the 130,000 put on the clock by the Porsche enthusiast who last owned it. Thoughts turned to how long it would take for the cops to catch me if I stole the car and kept heading towards the Mount and down the North Island’s east coast; speed sensitive rear spoiler thrust skyward in a fit of triumph. I figured it to be fast enough for any chases to be called off for safety reasons, but then reality sunk in. The dealer knew who I was and where I worked. And my chop shop guy is doing a four year bit down south for, well, chopping up cars. Plus, it’s not as if 993s with brand new tyres and more besides dot the highways and side streets of this narrow land. I took it back. That was the worst part. By Ben Guild

phone 07 578 0030 fax 07 571 1116 email ads@thesun.co.nz No.1 The Strand, PO Box 240, Tauranga 3140 www.sunlive.co.nz

The 1996 Porsche 993.

The Weekend Sun By Hamish Carter

Bay Driver Friday 19 October 2012

Friday 19 October 2012

Page 3

Racing ahead with Mini MX

Riders from the Tauranga Motorcycle Club competed at the recent Mini Motocross Nationals in Upper Hutt. Photo supplied.

Tauranga’s top young motocross riders are hoping to go one better this weekend after racing competitively at the nationals. Tauranga Motorcycle Club spokeswoman Nicki Blake says the six young riders who raced at the KTM TSS Red Baron NZ Mini Motocross Nationals in Upper Hutt (October 6-7) all raced well considering it was the first time most had competed at the nationals. Most of the riders are competing in Taupo at the Huka Honda Labour Weekend Extravaganza this Saturday. “I think nerves affected most of our kids on the first day as they were all riding at their first national event except for Jacob Hunt.” Nicki says both Tyler Wiremu, 6, and Jacob, 9, had the potential to be higher up the points tables but had been penalised by bad falls. “Tyler could definitely have been in the top three as he recently placed second in the Canterbury Champs.” Tyler, who was riding in the Boyles Kawasaki 50cc 4-7 years intro MX class, “had a couple

of big falls in his first race, but picked himself up and came back strong to win race two”. He finished fifth overall in a field of 15 riders. Jacob rode in the Wellington Pipelines 9-11 years 65cc MX class - the fastest and most serious mini racing class. On Saturday he qualified 15th fastest, but a bad fall and some unlucky starts saw him finish 22nd overall in the field of 42. Brothers Sam, 8, and Wade, 7, Meredith both rode in the highly competitive Maidstone Yamaha 50cc 6-8 years MX class in a field of 25. Sam rode consistently all weekend, managing to hold off his main North Island rivals, but could not keep ahead of the top southern riders. Mum Nicki says Sam was disappointed to miss making the top three finishing in fifth place overall - while younger brother Wade finished in 17th place. Kristian Crane, 8, rode in the Motomart 6-8 year intro trail class – finishing seventh overall in a field of 11 riders in what Nicki says was a “fantastic effort” after falling off his bike multiple times. Shelby Catley, 10, the only Tauranga girl competing – finished sixth out of 15 in the Motomart 7-11 years trail class.

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Friday 19 October 2012

Weekend Sun Friday 19 OctoberThe 2012

Bay Driver

Czech mate

Marxist, beatnik or pauper -when I was growing up all Skoda drivers fell into one of these categories. That was the standing joke anyway. This week I discovered the joke was now on me. Invited to review the latest Skoda, I couldn’t shake the distant memory of my high school friend’s uncle – an artist who trundled around in his well-loved Czech car. It sported a few bruises and was involved in many of his fascinating stories. Uncle Joe fitted all three of the stereotypes. We all knew the Skoda was streets ahead of its Eastern Bloc competitor the Lada, but that was not saying much. It was only the recent TV commercials that made me aware how far ahead they have since gone. Arriving at Farmer Motor Group, Blair updated me on the Skoda story, informing me the car brand – which traces its history back to manufacturing bikes in 1894 – is now owned by Volkswagen. The German auto giant, which also owns Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Porsche and Lamborghini, has transformed the badge into a car that’s quite something. Blair introduces me to the Skoda Superb TDI 125 Wagon. There is no denying its good looks from the outside with its cappuccino beige paintwork – but take a closer look and the spaciousness surprises, with extra leg room

in the back seats and a roomy boot (663 litre luggage capacity – expanding to 1865 litres with the seats folded down). “The Skoda motto is ‘simply clever’ and that’s what you get,” says Blair – pointing out how the rear areas are cleverly designed to offer ample space. He then picks up a small LED torch that clips into the side of the boot to offer light on a dark night. “There are all these smart little details.” With a name like Superb you are opening the door for plenty of criticism. Skoda has put a big target on its back saying ‘criticise me if you can’. So I set out on mission to do just that. Where are the cracks? Let’s look at the seats – how comfortable can they be? They are just right – with the leather upholstery adding that extra element of luxury. It’s a diesel so that has got to be a problem? Sorry – it packs plenty of power in its 1968cc TDI Diesel engine. Put the foot down on the open road and the car surges effortlessly ahead. Compared to its sister model the TDI 103 – which is also powered by a 1968cc diesel engine – the 125 packs a lot more punch at 125kW compared to the slower 103kW, enabling it to hit 100kmh in 8.9 seconds ahead of the 103’s 10.3 seconds. Offering everything you’d expect and more for a high standard car, the Superb’s

large LCD screen in the centre of the dashboard helps you easily navigate the array of options on the control centre – including navigation maps with GPS, a built-in Bluetooth hands-free system for the phone and music. Safety is a top priority in the family wagon, with airbags installed to protect all passengers and a reminder to check around the car when you engage reverse,

SPECS

DI 1 T b r e p u S Skoda D Diesel FW I e: 2.0L TD Engine typ on) irect Injecti D d e g r a h (Turboc 0km my: 6.1/10 Fuel econo /km): 159 2 emissions (g Co 00 (special) ,9 3 5 $ : e ic r P

with the car highlighting areas on the screen that it senses – to remind you that you are close to an object. The latest Skoda Superb offers a good range in both the wagon and sedan with models starting at the TSI 118 with its 1800cc petrol engine, going up to the 2000cc diesel engine TDI 103 model – and TDI 125 models. The top of the range is the V6 4x4 with its 3600cc petrol engine. For all its high-end specifications the Superb offers a lot of European car for its price. Forget about Skoda’s former austere design and communist connections – the latest models offer a range of cars anybody will be proud to drive – capitalist, unionist, environmentalist, bohemian, bureaucrat or bum. Farmer Motor Group has shaved at least $6000 off all the Superb range in an October special – offering even better buying – bringing the TDI 125 wagon down to $53,900 (RRP $62,000) and the sedan to $49,900 (from $59,500). By Hamish Carter

The Weekend Sun

Bay Driver Friday 19 October 2012

Friday 19 October 2012

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Friday 19 October 2012

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Bay Driver

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Bay Driver Friday 19 October 2012

Friday 19 October 2012

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Friday 19 October 2012

Weekend Sun Friday 19 OctoberThe 2012

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Bay Driver

O F F E R E NODFSF E R E N D S

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The Weekend Sun

Bay Driver Friday 19 October 2012

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Friday 19 October 2012

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The 2012 Weekend Sun Friday 19 October

Bay Driver

The Weekend Sun

Bay Driver Friday 19 October 2012

Friday 19 October 2012

Page 11

Driving automotive industry ahead From joining the army when he left school – to avoid following his friends to university – Sean Squires’ career in mechanics has gone full circle. Sean completed apprenticeships in light then heavy automotive during six and a half years mainly stationed at Waiouru while toiling away with cars on the side. Today – after a wide range of roles and businesses in the industry – he is leading a new generation as Bay of Plenty Polytechnic’s group automotive leader. Sean, who has just become Tauranga MTA branch president, bought his first car – a Fiat 132 – off a mate at Waiouru. While he has long since lost any photos of it, or his other early cars, he remembers being drawn to it for its “high specs” including four wheel disc brakes, twin overhead cam and twin webber carburettors. “It was a ‘72 model and I bought it in 1988 – so it was already quite old when I got it but it was still a real goer.” About three years later he swapped it for a ‘73 VH Valiant Regal, which he loved for its room and power. He has lots of memories of

fun trips with mates. “Waiouru is central to lots of places, we’d go all over”. From a car which only needed an occasional oil change, he went on to a VH Valiant regal hardtop, which despite needing lots of work was his favourite car and a “real head turner”. “It was rusty as hell and needed a lot of work,” recalls Sean, who spent about 18 months working on the vehicle. It was a precursor for a job he later held in London restoring and servicing classic American cars. He often also drove the cars, ranging from New York cabs to classic Cadillacs and Mustangs, to photo shoots around the UK. A highlight of the job was having a driving role in movie ‘Eyes Wide Shut’. Sean would take the winters off and head to North America, where he would combine snowboarding holidays with jobs ranging from tree planting, repairing Alaskan logger’s chainsaws to fixing engines in yachts and powerboats in San Francisco. “It was fantastic, I never got bored.” Returning to New Zealand, he worked in Auckland for 18 months, before heading to Queenstown where he restored and modified a WWII six-wheel amphibious landing craft ‘DUKW’ a friend had imported from Canada

to offer lake and land tours. The extensive project had included modifying it from right to left-hand drive, from petrol to diesel and ensuring the vehicle met the stringent bus and boat transport requirements. “It was a great project and I really enjoyed the challenge,” says Sean, who set up his own business looking after restored cars in Queenstown after the two-year amphibious job was completed. “There are a lot of old restored cars stored in sheds around Queenstown that would only come out once or twice a year, so that kept me busy servicing them.” Since selling the business he has returned north, taking up his role overseeing the polytechnic’s automotive training programme two years ago. Sean says after 22 years in the industry he is passionate about fostering the next generation of automotive technicians who will be an asset to the industry. “We really pride ourselves on producing professional young men and woman, who are highly skilled in and passionate about what they do. It’s the future of the industry.” By Hamish Carter

Bay of Plenty Polytechnic automotive group leader Sean Squires is passionate about spreading his love for cars to next generation technicians.

Automotive Trade Directory

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Friday 19 October 2012

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