Bay Driver 24 October 2014

Friday 24 October 2014

Ford EcoSport See page 4

The urban SUV Dean and Tracy Teddy enjoy a coffee at Brooklyn Patio and Eatery after a day out in the Ford EcoSport.

Page 2

Friday 24 October 2014

The Weekend Sun

www.baydriver.co.nz Advertising bookings and enquiries contact Lucy Pattison on 07 578 0030 email: lucy@thesun.co.nz For editorial and news tips email: hamish@thesun.co.nz

Home of

phone 07 578 0030

No.1 The Strand, PO Box 240, Tauranga 3140

www.sunlive.co.nz

Bay Driver

Weekend Wheels Bay events:

October 25: Breakers Wheels on Mainstreet: Mount Maunganui Hundreds of classic cars and hot rods from around the country will descend on Mount Maunganui for the Breakers Wheels on Mainstreet classic motoring display from 9am-2pm. Details: www.mountmaunganui.org.nz/WHATSON October 25: Speedway season opens: ASB Baypark Speedway Speedway season will roar into life with action on the track from a handful of classes, including talented midget drivers from across the north for round one of Top Half Midget Series.

October 26: Motorkhana/Autocross: TECT All Terrain Park Motorsport BOP will continue its motorkhana driver challenge series with its third round, with racing from 12.30pm. Details: www.mbop.org.nz October 26: Vintage run to Tirau.

BOP Vintage Car Club’s end of month run will see members head over the Kaimai’s to take in the interesting collection on display at Tirau Museum. Drivers meet at the clubroom at 9.15am. Details: Joe Scott 5441941

Beyond the Bay:

October 24-26: American pickup display Fans of iconic American pickup and panel trucks are in for a treat with a display, raising funds for the New Zealand Cancer Support Service, at Rotorua’s waterfront (Saturday from noon) and Taupo’s Tongariro Domain (Sunday from 10am).

Details: www.usahaulersnz.weebly.com October 25: Huka Honda MX Fest in Taupo The annual Taupo moto cross festival will see top riders from across the country and a handful of international competitors go head-to-head in the first major event of the season. Details: www.taupomcc.co.nz October 25-26: Motul Honda Cup in Taupo Round 2 of the series will see action continue in Taupo, where Tauranga driver Ryan MacArtney is determined to build on his dream start to the series which has him top of his 2000cc class and second overall.

To submit an event for listing, email details to: hamishcarter@thesun.co.nz at least two weeks prior.

Brian Roderick Motors

SINCE 1978

The Weekend Sun

Bay Driver

Friday 24 October 2014

Ryan’s winning way

Ryan MacArtney is determined to keep on top of his class in the Honda Cup despite finishing the first round with a blown engine. Photo by Tracy Hardy.

After a dream return to the Honda Cup last month, Tauranga’s Ryan MacArtney is determined to build on his success at round two in Taupo next weekend.

“It’s a bit more of a technical track but now that I’ve got winning in my system, I’m even more determined,” says mechanic Ryan, who won one of three races in the 2000cc class and came third in the other two from handicapped starts.

“I was just amped, I couldn’t believe it,” he says of his stellar start to the season which included setting the fastest lap time of the weekend, finishing top of his class and second overall.

But Ryan, who races a 1996 Honda Civic

powered by a 177kW engine sponsored by Fulton Automotive, didn’t have it all his own way, with the car losing power just before it crossed the finish line in his final race after blowing up from a dropped valve.

“It was pretty stuffed, so we’ve had to rebuild it,” he says. “Hopefully it’s going to be even faster now.”

Ryan’s ‘manager’ and mum Kris MacArtney is hoping his top performance will attract interest from sponsors after exhausting their season’s budget.

“We are truly on the hunt for sponsors now. We are down, but we aren’t out,” she says.

Anyone interested in helping out should contact Ryan or Kris at Fulton Automotive on 575 9525 or email

By Hamish fultonautomotive@xtra.co.nz Carter

Page 3

Page 4

Friday 24 October 2014

The Weekend Sun

Bay Driver

Drive small and play big Ford EcoSport

It’s fitting that this week’s car appears here in the colour it does. Ford’s EcoSport was styled and engineered in Brazil. It’s been available there since 2003 and has consistently been one of South America’s best-selling cars. Such was the success of it there and in places like India, it was given a major re-engineer and new shape for the entire world late last year.

Today you can buy the little Ford SUV almost everywhere there are dealerships with the blue oval above the door. It is one of Ford’s ‘One Ford’ products - a creation of recently retired CEO and ex Boeing boss man Alan Mullaly. ‘One Ford’ is where cars are sold globally and components are shared between different models.

He rebuilt Ford from being seriously in a black hole as the GFC hit last decade by reducing the number of car companies Ford

owned, reducing the number of different cars it built around the world and aiming for a ‘best in class’ philosophy to build the world’s best vehicles. The big thing was he wanted the same great platforms to be sold and driven everywhere - something Ford had only done with some of its line-up before.

We’re familiar with the world’s brands going all ‘i’ this and ‘eco’ that, except in this case Ford’s new wee SUV is actually pronounced ‘Echo’ not ‘Eek-o’. Use a soft E, not a hard one. I tried Google Translate to see if Eco pronounced like echo meant something in Portuguese, but it doesn’t seem to. In fact EcoSport is exactly that in Portuguese.

Interestingly, Ford does have a range of Eco, as in ‘eek-o’ engines in its cars. The EcoSport doesn’t have them yet, but may do.

SPECS

port Ford EcoS etrol

ylinder p Engine: 4-c 98cc, 82kW kW c nt: 1,4 Displaceme : Six-speed automati n o si is WD Transm m: Front 2 Drive Syste P from $26,990 RR Price from: cts: Ultimate Motor ta Dealer/Con Hewletts Rd, Mount 0 5 80 1 Group, 07 579 01 e n o h P i. u Maungan

Quirky curves

The first time I laid eyes on EcoSport I thought it looked like I had washed a Ford Territory at the wrong water temperature and shrunk it. And also I was looking at in one of those A&P Show ‘funny mirrors’. There are some interesting curves in places but it works, it is though a cute, quirky-looking little car.

It is based on Ford’s smallest model the Fiesta, however instead of being a hatch, its taller and more SUV like. We love driving cars with room and a view, with huge and growing sales of Sport Utility Vehicles in recent years.

Like Fiesta, the Ecosport is front wheel drive only.

It even uses the Fiesta’s new 1500cc engine and six-speed auto. Again showing what the market wants there’s no manual option. But really, how often does the average person really use or need four wheel drive in a family car? Certainly for a small car designed for city driving I might suggest hardly ever or never. Ok maybe that one time you get caught in a muddy carpark watching your daughter’s Saturday soccer game. Despite not being a rough and tumble SUV, EcoSport has heaps of room underneath and as it was designed for South America and India, it’s able to wade through halfa-metre of water - that’s water over its tyres.

Manual labour

If you’re wondering about whether Ford was trying to ‘tough up’ its looks by putting the spare wheel on the back door, the answer is no. Apparently putting it underneath the floor would have compromised the cars crash structure. I wanted to have a look in the back but couldn’t figure how to open it. Until I spied an oddity in the righthand tail-light and what do you know - it’s the handle that’s integrated into the light.

You could ask why I didn’t just consult the manual.

I don’t as I like to see how easy and intuitive manufacturers make their vehicles. I should be able to get in and work all the controls and the radio without having to go back to school. Though I am a bit of a nerd for manuals so I do actually pull them out and read from cover to cover.

Interior storage

It’s a hackneyed phrase but EcoSport does feels a bit ‘Tardisy’ inside. There are a lot of

places to put things with storage nooks all over the car - there are 20 of them! I counted five drinks holders for the front two seats alone. One in each door and three behind the gear lever! And if you want to keep your sports drink cold, the glove box can be a cooler too. Great for keeping the bottles of Sav Blanc cold on the way to the barbecue.

Syncing

There are leather seats and a lot of standard features inside too, including Ford’s SYNC that was developed with Microsoft.

It includes voice activation for all sorts of things and some neat apps too. After a quick setup – without even glancing at the manual!

– it was able to understand me and do what I ask, even with my big bellowy 25-year radio career voice.

Ford has designed this EcoSport miniSUV for the modern day city dweller that doesn’t want to join the small hatchback owners club, be they in Taguatinga, Brazil, or Tauranga, New Zealand. EcoSport is a very neat take of the small car for what has now become a very small world.

The Weekend Sun

Bay Driver

Page 5

Friday 24 October 2014

We’ve got small covered.

FIESTA Trend RSP FROM

+ORC 1

$

ECOSPORT Trend RSP FROM

26,990

$

+ORC 3

FIESTA Sport RSP FROM

24,990

$

ECOSPORT Titanium RSP FROM

+ORC 2

29,990

$

+ORC 4

Page 6

Friday 24 October 2014

The Weekend Sun

Bay Driver

The Weekend Sun

Bay Driver

Friday 24 October 2014

Page 7

Page 8

Friday 24 October 2014

The Weekend Sun

Bay Driver

Strong pickup for national event From a dream to reality, this weekend Katikati pickup enthusiast Allan Smith will be rewarded for his vision and hard work when the first NZV8 Pickup Round-Up is held in Taupo.

After dreaming about forming a club dedicated to pickups of American origin for a few years, he decided to go for it at the start of the year, forming the USA Haulers Club NZ which he heads as president.

Within weeks of getting the ball rolling he was encouraged by friends and colleagues who shared the passion to think bigger and organise a major event where everyone could show off their pride and joy.

This weekend more than a hundred pickups from as far as Nelson and Kerikeri will descend on Taupo to do just that.

“It’s pretty amazing to think how quickly it happened,” says Tracey Smith, Allan’s daughter who was soon involved and helping organise the Pickup Round-up.

“The response has been overwhelming.

I think it’s because it’s the first event of its type in New Zealand, there haven’t been any others that catered specifically to these trucks.”

From incomplete trucks from the 1930s through to the latest brand new pickups, the event – which will includes displays in Taupo and Rotorua over the weekend – was continuing to attract late registrations every day when Bay Driver spoke to Tracey on Tuesday.

“But unfortunately we won’t be able to take any registrations on the day,” warns Tracey.

Recalling how the event came about, Allan says encouragement from fellow pickup enthusiast Willy Pelzers to organise a run

Katikati pickup lover Allan Smith has gone from forming the USA Haulers Club to organise an event celebrating the classic American pickup in 10 months.

for the Cancer Society.

Among a large contingent of pickup enthusiasts from Tauranga will be Jens Wulff, with his 1955 Chevrolet 3100, and Tom Jones with his 1931 Ford Model A. Tom says he is looking forward to displaying the Model A he has owned for seven years and catching up with lots of mates who own pickups. “Hopefully it should be lots of fun,” he says.

The Round-Up is expected to be the largest gathering of American-origin pickups ever to be held in New Zealand, with plans to make it an annual show.

The event includes a cruise from Taupo (leaving on Saturday

at 10.30am) to put on a lakefront show in Rotorua.

Tracey says the cruise to Rotorua will be an impressive sight, with a gold coin donation giving the public a chance to get up close to study the cars on display from noon until 3pm.

On Sunday the trucks will be on display at the Tongariro Domain in Taupo from 10am-3pm, with live music, children’s entertainment and competitions.

The display will see trucks competing in 13 categories. For more details go to: www.usahaulersnz.weebly.com

By Hamish Carter

Above: Tauranga’s Tom Jones will have his 1931 Ford Model A on show. from the central point of Taupo soon grew into plans for a show.

“I thought it was a great idea, so we got together and discussed a plan,” says Allan, with the pair agreeing an event would be a highlight on the calendar for pickup fans and a great way to raise funds

Tauranga’s Jens Wulff will be displaying his 1955 Chevrolet 3100.

The Weekend Sun

Bay Driver

Friday 24 October 2014

Appraised Used Vehicles

Appraised Used Vehicles

Page 9

Page 10

Friday 24 October 2014

Our range is now within yours.

The Weekend Sun

Bay Driver

IMPREZA FROM $7,998 DEPOSIT. XV FROM $9,748 DEPOSIT. FORESTER FROM $9,998 DEPOSIT.

0 3 %

YRS

INTEREST* FINANCE*

ACROSS OUR ENTIRE RANGE.

LEGACY FROM $11,248 DEPOSIT. OUTBACK FROM $11,498 DEPOSIT.

Get the Real Deal from Subaru, with Symmetrical AWD, 5-Star ANCAP safety and low-slung Boxer engine as standard across the range.

116 Hewletts Road Mount Maunganui, Tauranga City Tel: 07 578 6017 www.farmerautovillage.co.nz Follow us on Facebook

The Weekend Sun

Bay Driver

116 Hewletts Road, Mount Maunganui.

Tel: 07 578 6017

www.farmerautovillage.co.nz Follow us on Facebook

Friday 24 October 2014

Page 11

Page 12

Friday 24 October 2014

The Weekend Sun

Bay Driver

The Weekend Sun

Bay Driver

Friday 24 October 2014

3

.9%

AN SUV FOR EVERY SEASON

FINANCE

36 MONTHS TERM

INTRODUCING NEW ZEALAND’S LARGEST RANGE OF SUVS QASHQAI

JUKE Ti STARTS FROM

$

33,990

· Fuel efficient 1.6L engine. · European Design.

+ORC

RANGE STARTS FROM

$

35,990

+ORC

· Available in both petrol and diesel.

STARTS FROM

RANGE STARTS FROM

$

39,990

· Available in 7 and 5 seats.

+ORC

$

59,990

· Award winning SUV style. · 20” Inch Alloy Wheels.

ACROSS THE ENTIRE NISSAN SUV RANGE.

PATROL

PATHFINDER

MURANO

X-TRAIL

+ORC

Page 13

RANGE STARTS FROM

$

54,990

+ORC

· Class-leading fuel economy & tow capacity. Now available in hybrid.

STARTS FROM

$

99,990

+ORC

· 298Kw 5.6L V8 Petrol. · 3500kg towing.

Offer available to approved applicants of Nissan Financial Services only and excludes all lease and some fleet purchasers. Units must be registered in October to qualify for the special finance offer. The 3.9% Finance offer applies to the new Patrol (Y62), Pathfinder (R52), Murano (Z51), X-TRAIL (T32), Qashqai (J11), and Juke (F15) variants.

The 3.9% p.a. interest rate is available with zero deposit and 36 months term. Additional finance related fees, charges, and terms and conditions apply. Additional fees and on-road charges apply. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers and is only available while stocks last. Offer must end October 31st 2014.

116 Hewletts Road Mount Maunganui, Tauranga City Tel: 07 578 6017 www.farmerautovillage.co.nz Follow us on Facebook

Page 14

Friday 24 October 2014

The Weekend Sun

Bay Driver

WE’VE BEEN FINANCING TOYOTAS FOR 25 YEARS SO WE’RE CELEBRATING WITH A 2.5% DEAL ON ANY NEW YARIS, HILUX OR COROLLA*

FINANCE

SERVICING

AA ROADSERVICE

DON’T MISS OUT. VISIT TOYOTA TODAY.

Cnr Elizabeth St & Cameron Rd, Tauranga | (07) 578 1099 info@pacific.toyota.co.nz | www.pacifictoyota.co.nz

OVER 100 NEW AND USED VEHICLES TO VIEW

The Weekend Sun

Bay Driver

Friday 24 October 2014

Classic times ahead at rally

Matchless, BSA, AJS – no matter what flavour your classic bike, it’s the perfect time to wheel it out of the garage.

Next month Tauranga Classic Motorcycle Club are hosting the national classic motorcycle rally and club president Roy Knowles is keen to hear from any classic enthusiasts who want to come along for the ride.

Roy, who’s had a passion for bikes for 60 years, actually joined the club himself when it last hosted the nationals in 1999 and is expecting similar again this year.

“Almost every time we go for a run we end up with new members after people have seen us and asked how to get involved,” says Roy, who admits to having owned a motorcycle of one type of or other since he was 16.

Among the bikes stowed away in his shed these days is a ’54 Matchless, along with a BSA and an AJS. For Roy, a big part of the appeal of riding continues to be the sense of freedom it gives you, but it’s also about celebrating those favourite bikes and memories from his youth.

“You look around the clubs and the most popular bikes are those from the 50s - the bikes most of us were riding back in our day,” he says.

The national rally, which is based at Waihi Beach on November 14-15, is expected to attract more than 100 bikes.

Rally secretary Dot Reeve told Bay Driver that 90 were already confirmed earlier this week, with more expected.

Pyes Pa classic motorcycle lover Lionel Reeve is still deciding which bike he will ride at next month’s national rally in Waihi Beach.

Page 15

Home on the Ranger Kiwi farmers like to think we do it a little differently here, and that has been the message rural vehicle manufacturer Polaris has been hearing loud and clear.

At that point the oldest confirmed bike was a 1928 Triumph N Deluxe, from Huntly’s John Roberts. Other early bikes included 1939 Ariel models from Tauranga members Lloyd Baker and Todd Ashton.

Dot herself was looking forward to taking part in the rally, but was encouraging husband Lionel to ride his 1982 Suzuki, rather than his older classic BSA Golden Flash.

“It’s just a lot more comfortable,” says Dot, who rides pillion. “We did the Burt Munro (rally) on it last year down in Invercargill, and despite facing some terrible weather it was great to ride.”

The rally is being based in Waihi Beach so they can include a ride to Paunaui and take advantage of ideal accommodation at Te Rau Aroha Camp.

“Everyone likes to have a good ride in the Coromandel, so it’s good to be able to offer that,” says Roy, who knows many of the riders who are coming from around Wellington are extending the trip to return via the East Cape.

“That’s got to be one of the great appeals of biking, it’s just getting out there on the road and taking it all in.

“We don’t do it now, but we’ve had lots of great times over the years with other couples, touring and camping around the South Island as well as the North.”

To find out more about the club or the national rally, contact Roy on: 576 9332.

By Hamish Carter

After strong calls from farmers for adjustments to its sideby-side all-terrain vehicle to suit their needs, Polaris is set to release its revised model with the features, durability and capabilities demanded.

The 2015 Ranger 570 HD has been completely redesigned with New Zealand in mind and is poised to lift performance to a new level and offer more features for New Zealand farmers than ever before.

Polaris Australia and New Zealand spokesman Robert Rosengarten says the changes embodied the brand’s mantra of ‘Hardest Working, Smoothing Riding’.

The Ranger 570 boasts class-leading capabilities, including a 680kg towing capacity, 227kg rear dump box capacity and 34.1L fuel capacity.

He was confident the model’s release will continue Polaris’s growing popularity which saw its year-to date sales jump by a staggering 37.3 percent over the same period in 2013.

Robert says Polaris acted on farmers’ feedback to ensure the model provides maximum durability for our harsh working conditions, offering the model in a heavy duty specification with features designed for the market, including an engine braking system with 4-wheel descent control to provide optimum control and traction when descending slopes.

The People’s Cars.

Tiguan from $39,990

Golf from $32,500

Passat from $48,750

New Polo from $22,990

Amarok from $43,990

When the first Volkswagen was built, it was built for The People. It was affordable, approachable, accessible, reliable. It was brilliantly engineered and had class leading economy. It was The People’s Car. Today we’re not much different. First we engineer the cars, then we start on the prices. And today, we’ve applied that same engineering principle to our finance package. You can now get behind the wheel of a Volkswagen for as little as $22,990 or with an amazing 3.9% finance offer*. So, if you’ve been thinking about getting a Volkswagen one day, then that one day should probably be today.

* Finance offer is based on a Credit Sale Agreement over 36 months at 3.9%p.a. Payments consist of a third deposit, followed by 35 equal monthly payments with a final balloon payment equal to 35% of the vehicle RRP. Applicable to all new Volkswagen passenger & Volkswagen Amarok models (excluding Canyon) that are registered prior to 30 September 2014. Vehicle prices are based on the RRP plus on road costs ($1,250 petrol & $1,500 diesel). Establishment fee of $435 & PPSR fee of $13 are included. Subject to Volkswagen Finance normal lending & credit criteria.

Offer is available until 30 September 2014 or while stocks last. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer and excludes fleet transactions. Models shown include optional extras.

Page 16

Friday 24 October 2014

The Weekend Sun

BARINA CD AUTO

SPARK AUTO

CRUZE SRi Z-SERIES AUTO

FROM RSP

FROM RSP

FROM RSP

19,990

$

+ON ROADS

14,990

$

+ON ROADS

33,990

$

+ON ROADS

PLUS S 60 MONTHS WARRANTY AN N D YOUR CH HAN NCE TO WIN 1 OF 6 CARS NATIONWIDE WHEN YOU BUY Y AN NY N EW W HO OLDE EN

MARQUE OF EXCELLENCE

Bay Driver

The Weekend Sun

Bay Driver

Friday 24 October 2014

Ford’s charged race Electric vs combustion ‘Nice idea to go electric, but it can’t compete on power’. It’s the common perception about electric versus petrolfuelled cars, but the reality will be put to the test in Christchurch next month.

Aircraft engineer Simon Wilkinson has had a close interest in electric vehicles for 10 years, and after many long nights toiling away in his workshop converting his 2004 Ford Falcon Ute to electric, he is confident the work will pay off.

The Rangiora-based engineer has been working on the conversion for the past three years in his spare time and is determined to have it finished in time to compete at EVolocity, the country’s largest electric motorsport event being at Ruapuna Motorsport Park next month.

The converted Falcon is set to come up against a combustion Falcon XR8 at the event, in what he expects will knock out the nonelectric competition as long as the transmission and driveshaft hold together.

“All things going well, it should easily beat a Falcon XR8 or XR6 Turbo,” says Simon.

While it was Simon’s engineering background which led him to the project, he believes it should also save him a lot of money in the long run.

“It’s just a desire to build something that others can’t or won’t – I’m an engineer, it’s what we do. It also makes financial sense as I do a reasonable amount of kilometres each year.”

The conversion should soon see him saving much of the $3500 annual fuel bill he has in his relatively economical Toyota Vitz, without sacrificing any power, with an estimated 760 Nm of torque and 300 horsepower.

EVolocity CEO Rob McEwen says electric

A Christchurch engineer has converted his 2004 Ford Falcon XR6 by installing twin electric motor and transmission.

motorsport was growing around the world “with designers and drivers taking electric vehicles to thrilling new places”.

The event promises a wide range of contests, including a race between the world’s fastest electric drag motor bike and the fastest drag motor bike in the South Island, and a race between a Ferrari and a Tesla Roadster.

Page 17

Revamped polo turning heads

It could be time to take a fresh look at the Polo, with Volkswagen’s latest model showing it’s more than just a miniaturised version of the highly popular Golf.

Fuel-savings alone could be enough to prompt a closer look, with the updated car boasting 19 per cent better fuel efficiency than its predecessor and runs on 24 per cent fuel than its leading competition (leaving

$420 in your pocket a year).

But promotional material from Volkswagen, which says the new Polo has “grown in stature in almost every respect” shows its fuel consumption under 5L/100km that sets it apart.

Lower CO2 emissions (19 per cent), its five star EuroNCAP safety rating, increased torque (21 per cent) and state-of-the-art entertainment controls through the multi-function steering wheel all add to the appeal.

Page 18

Friday 24 October 2014

The Weekend Sun

Bay Driver

The Weekend Sun

Bay Driver

Friday 24 October 2014

Page 19

Page 20

Friday 24 October 2014

The Weekend Sun

Bay Driver