Bay Driver 4 July

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The outdoor adventurer Subaru Forester - see page 4 Leather Seats

Satellite Navigation

Reverse Parking Sensors and Camera

19" Alloy Wheels

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Friday 4 July 2014

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

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Weekend Sun Friday 4 JulyThe 2014

Bay Driver

Weekend Wheels Bay of Plenty:

Beyond the Bay:

July 6: Autocross and Motorkhana: ASB Baypark The perfect opportunity to test your driving skills is being held at ASB Baypark’s pits on July 6 with Motorsport Bay of Plenty’s Motorkhana and Autocross series. The day-long event offers newcomers to motorsport a chance to try the events out with the use of Ford Laser supplied by Te Puke Partsworld ($10 fee). For details, call Linda Loughlin 07 578 0479 or visit www.mbop.org.nz

July 13: Winter Drag Wars: Meremere Dragway If you can’t wait until Labour Weekend for the return of the sights and sounds of dragsters and burning rubber, then Meremere’s Winter Drag Wars could be just what you need. This fun event is open to street legal cars (Warrant of Fitness and vehicle registration needed) and motorbikes. For details, visit www.framautolitedragway.co.nz

July 27: Tauranga Clubman’s Rally: TECT All Terrain Park Novice motorsport competitors are being encouraged to put their driving to the test in the annual Tauranga Clubman’s Rally.

The Motorsport Bay of Plenty-organised event is being held in the Clubman’s Rally format, which is ideal for newcomers to help hone their skills. The route will include forestry roads in the Mamaku Forest and roads in Te Matai Motorsport’s area in TECT All Terrain Park, along with some public roads. Entries are limited to 50. For details or to register, go to www.mbop.org.nz

July 19-20 CRC Speedshow: Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds New Zealand’s biggest automotive event, which promotes itself as the place for “fans to fuel their passion for cars, bikes and motor sports” offers something for everyone. It promises to be a celebration of the world’s and NZ’s finest, fastest new and classic cars and motorcycles, race cars and bikes, and customs and hot rods. Special displays mark the 100th anniversary of Maserati and 50 years of Ford Mustang and electric cars. The event includes a celebrity kart race. For details, visit www. speedshow.co.nz To submit an event for listing, email details to hamishcarter@thesun.co.nz at least two weeks prior to the event.

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Battle of emerging riders The city’s hopes of reclaiming the country’s champion motorcycle club title were dashed on Saturday, but it’s being called a new beginning for Tauranga Motorcycle Club.

The club’s Battle of the Streets team organiser Bridgette Tolfrey says with top riders Cody Cooper and Rhys Carter unavailable it offered a great chance to give the club’s other talented riders a go.

“While our top riders weren’t available that didn’t stop the other clubs entering their top riders, so it was always going to be a challenge, but when you consider it was the first race at this level for many they did pretty well.”

Taupo’s Wyatt Chase was one of the major contributors towards his South Waikato Motorcycle Club team winning the 2014 Battle of the Clubs on Saturday.

Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com

Bridgette says with Cody and Rhys being such strong riders they’re always picked as number one and two, so their unavailability gave some of the club’s other talented riders a break.

The club entered two teams for the first time this year, both finishing mid-field in the competition.

The winner is Tokoroa-based South Waikato Motorcycle Club, which became the fourth different club in five years to win the big annual battle.

Second place went to Taranaki Motorcycle Club, and third was claimed by Nelson Motorcycle Club.

Bridgette says all Tauranga

riders did well and avoided injuries, and while some were disappointed in the result she believed many showed strong potential and just needed more competition to match it with the best.

“When you consider our MX1 and MX2 riders – Cameron McCaskie, Matt Kenyon, Sam Lutes and Eric Morris – are still very young and were going up against riders sometime with 20 more years’ experience, they didn’t do badly. Give them another four or five years and they should be right up there.”

Bridgette singled out vets open rider Keith Patterson and MX2 rider Matt Kenyon for special praise, saying they did exceptionally well, along with the junior riders – many of whom weren’t long out of competing in the mini class.

The Dukes team of Paul Burgess (Vets), Cameron McCaskie (MX1), Matt Kenyon (MX2), Jovhann Phillips (Junior 250), Simon Atkinson (Junior 125) and Chris Merriman (Junior 85) finished 13th in a field of 24 – with the juniors finishing seventh in their division and the seniors 18th.

The Lords team of Keith Patterson (Vets), Sam Lutes (MX1) Eric Morris (MX2), Josh Tredinnick (Junior 125) and Reece Garrett (Junior 85) finished 20th overall, with the juniors 18th and the seniors 20th.

The inter-club battle doubles as a fundraiser to help send a Kiwi squad to the ‘Olympic Games of motocross’, the annual Motocross of Nations, in Latvia in September – generating about $10,000 for the team, which will be named in a few weeks.

Meanwhile, Bridgette says work is progressing on developing the club’s own track at TECT All Terrain Park, with contractors contouring the ground with hopes it’ll be completed by the end of the year.

“It will be the first time the club has a place that they can call its own. We’ve always borrowed and used other areas and tracks, so this will be a great boost for the club.”

Next weekend the club is holding a maize paddock ride at a Welcome Bay Rd property. Details: www.taurangamcc.co.nz

by Hamish Carter

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Friday 4 July 2014

Could this be love...

Weekend Sun Friday 4 JulyThe 2014

Bay Driver

See page 19 for the new generation WRX STI

almost at first sight?

I know, I’m on the rebound.

Sure, the three-year finance deal has come to an end and the current SUV either needs more commitment of cash or a pledge of allegiance for a further term. But hey, we both know: It’s over.

There are the telling signs. We don’t communicate like we used to. The closeness between us, is well, spasmodic and more from a sense of duty than lust.

There’s signs of lack of commitment from us both. There’s a rattle somewhere and well, who knows what happened during that lads’ trip down country, and there was “that” incident with the farm track… and what goes on the hunt stays on the hunt.

Let’s be straight up with each other. I think it’s time we moved on and started test-driving other marques.

Get some space and have an open relationship, explore other possibilities.

If you can’t be open and honest with your car, who can you talk straight with?

True love

I’m in that space now. Torn between that feeling of easy comfort; quick easy transport. Familiarity but, hey, where is the spark? And that nagging feeling that somewhere, something else, is waiting for me.

I yearn for the good days, the young years, with some of my favourite former road partners.

Such as the Subaru wagon and then, later, my soul mate the Wrangler; when petrol was cheaper than milk and we were young and carefree and no-one gave a toot about carbon or work on Monday or living beyond Tuesday or being paid on Wednesday or even waking up by Thursday because Friday was all that mattered because New Zealand was out there, waiting to be explored; to be caressed and driven over and, well, as my Dad always said: “The world is your oyster” and by crikey, my Dad is always right.

Now let’s be perfectly clear here. I am talking about my relationship with my car.

Nothing else. And if you can’t feel a relationship with your car, you either are cold and heartless or you don’t have an emotive cog in your system.

I loved that Subaru. We were torn apart before our time. Since then I’ve been in a zombie state of automotive no-man’s-land.

Driving compromises.

Then, along comes the Forester and we have bonded immediately. Passion is reignited.

A bit of us

The 2.5i Premium is zippy, it is nippy – and very clever. The Forester despite being technically Japanese, has a Kiwi attitude of can-do; it’s nimble and willing. It is perky, in a way that only middleaged men can appreciate, we can respect and disrespect in the same breath.

I have fallen, in a driving sense, for the Forester.

Straight off the line, the non-turbo Forester goes without hesitation. After that, it’s not remarkably grunty in that second-third range but consistent.

Above tootling around town speed, the torquey boxer engine gets feisty.

You can feel it and hear it. Open her up on the highway and hear that growl; that iconic boxer grrrr, is the only way to describe it.

And that translates to a confident, powerful powerband in the mid range. You know that there’s a sexy touch of power in reserve for that emphatic passing manoeuvre.

Okay, so that’s enough clichés for one test drive.

Clever car

Here’s the facts. Subaru lead the way in all wheel drive. They wrote the book. Basically, the car is clever enough to sense loss of traction in any wheel, and instantly transfers more power to those that do have traction.

It is so subtle, you can’t even tell it’s happening. In a country as rugged as ours, they could well be right in claiming the Subaru is the perfect car for New Zealand.

Teamed up with the boxer engine, the horizontally opposed piston arrangement help lower the centre of gravity. But most important, it sounds cool. There’s nothing quite like unleashing that boxer growl.

It drives through a six-stage auto, with manual mode. This allows driving like a boy racer sports car with the flappy paddles arrangement on the steering wheel. Or you can simply amble in auto like an old codger.

The technology on some of these modern cars is astounding. And the Subaru is right up there. One of the most interesting

aspects of the Forester is the ‘driver assist system’ which basically helps you watch the road ahead. A camera system mounted high behind the windscreen monitors potential hazards and recognises danger points. Not only does it alert the driver, but will also apply automatic braking to intervene when necessary, or reduce the prospects or severity of a frontal collision.

This feature really had me intrigued. I probably spent too much of the weekend pondering this piece of wizardry, to pay full attention to the many other clever innovations in the Forester.

Such as lane departure warning. This announces when the vehicle strays on the road, crossing the sidelines or the centre or other lane markings. I actually found it a bit ‘nanny-state’ and at times, and deactivated it, which is as easy as pushing the off button. However if you’ve been a bad, bad boy, in the habit of straying all over the road and need a dominatrix reminder, this is the system for you.

Surface adjustment

A much more useful feature is ‘X Mode’ which sounds like something Team NZ has invented. Essentially it adjusts performance for loose surfaces, including a hill descent control which we found added a lot of surety to those dodgy downhill sections.

The powered rear gate is a great innovation, opened remotely from the key tab, or a switch on the dash or by a good old fashioned handle on the rear, that is powerassisted to open and close.

It includes a memory function for avoiding those low ceiling garages, or as we found out during our photo session, to stop it short of nudging an overhanging boat on the roof rack.

There’s an option for locking with either the key tab buttons or a tap on the door handle, while in proximity. I couldn’t quite master that one, probably too busy trying to think my way through the incredible eye spy system.

The premium model interior has leather throughout and the full monty of equipment, including a huge backing camera/GPS map, dual climate controls and even some simple but pleasing additions, such as underdoor outside lighting. Of course Bluetooth is everywhere these days, so you can connect anything with anything. I found the seat perhaps a bit too firm, but then hadn’t really got around to trying all the adjustments on the eight-way powered seat, so not surprising.

There was too much other fascinating stuff to find.

On the road, the Forester proved a joy, a great combination of height and vision;

space and agility; and delightful handling. A quick play off-road confirmed it is highly capable as a versatile SUV and incredible controllable with the ‘X Mode’ engaged.

The fact remains: This car swept me off my feet. It’s a caring partner too, with a five-star safety rating as do all the Subaru range.

On the cusp of a car-change, I can say the Forester has blown me away. A suitor out of left field and it definitely joined the short list.

It is an intelligent, intuitive and willing partner to your driving experience. It exudes reliability and trustworthiness.

My only reservation: I can’t wait to slip into the hot little sister, the turbo 2.0 litre. That’s probably enough to land me in the dogbox again.

Take a relationship with a car to the next level.

Check out the Forester. Call Farmer AutoVillage for a blind date and prepare to be smitten.

And you will still respect it in the morning.

P.S. See the Aussie 4x4 mag report, next page.

By Brian Rogers

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Forester tops compact Drew in the driving seat SUV comparison Top Tauranga drift racer Drew Donovan returned to the classroom in Dunedin this week –with the Elite Motorsport Academy.

Subaru’s Forester 2.5i has rated first among 10 compact Sports Utility Vehicles in a mega-comparison test published in the latest edition of 4x4 Australia magazine.

Under the heading “Uniquely different”, the magazine says: “Thanks partly to the fact that the Forester is the lightest vehicle here, it offers strong performance and good economy….”

Among the competitors Forester outranked were the Hyundai ix35, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Mazda CX5, Volkswagen Tiguan and Nissan X-Trail.

The magazine added: “What’s more, the Forester’s engine doesn’t suffer from the same harshness and NVH issues of its in-line fourcylinder rivals, as a boxer four is inherently much better balanced than a straight four.”

It continues: “The chassis is equally good,

offering both a smooth, comfortable ride with sporting overtones and an impressive balance when driven hard. Loaded with four people, the Forester’s suspension also continues to perform well, something that can’t be said of many of the other vehicles here.”

4x4 says: “Off-road, the Forester offers good clearance and a clean, well tucked-in underside.”

The magazine concluded: “It’s a genuine all-rounder and no doubt benefits from the vast experience that Subaru has with this type of vehicle.

In New Zealand the Forester is available in three 2.5 litre models, the 2.5i, Sport and Premium between $44,990 and $54,990.

There is also a flagship XT Premium with a two litre turbocharged engine at $59,990 a 2.0 litre petrol entry model at $39,990 and a two litre diesel for $49,990.

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Drew is one of nine young upcoming drivers from various motorsports who are selected for the week-long programme which aims to help them achieve their full potential.

The high performance programme, which will be followed with a year’s support, aims to help drivers achieve their best by covering subjects from nutrition and psychology to a fitness programme, to monitoring their heart rates while driving a simulator and analysing race data.

Drew, the first drift racer to take part in the programme, is excited about learning from the high performance specialists and expected to learn a lot from the course.

“We’re covering fitness, psychology, nutrition, team work, public speaking, all sorts – so there’s a lot to get out of it.”

The week-long programme is taught by Otago University’s high performance sports academy and Motorsport New Zealand general manager Brian Budd says most course participants come away with more confidence, skills to deal with media and other key activities.

Most top young competitive Kiwi drivers have found their performance in and outside the car benefits from the course, says Brian.

“Most drivers are required to undertake activities that take them out of their comfort zone and people close to them remark on the difference the programme makes.”

Despite being knocked out early in the last AWD roundfrom of the D1NZ national drift series at Mount Smart in May, bumping him from *a deposit only top 10 placing to 12th overall for the season,

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Photo by Tracy Hardy.

Drew is happy with his performance.

“It was a really awesome season, even though it was a pity to finish outside the top 10, and the sponsors and everyone is pretty happy.”

Drew achieved a podium finish in Christchurch where he finished third but challenges getting the right balance between sufficient power and grip was a problem in some rounds.

Looking ahead Drew says aside from wanting to achieve his best on the track he’s determined to race overseas in the next year together with partner Jodie Verhulst, who finished 18th in her debut season in the top D1NZ class this year.

Other drivers taking part in the academy are Marcus Armstrong and Ryan Yardley (both from Christchurch), Taylor Cockerton (Pukekohe), Jamie Conroy and Liam MacDonald (both from Invercargill), Faine Kahia (Taupo) and Lance Williams (Te Aroha).

The programme is run by the MotorSport NZ Scholarship Trust in conjunction with Excellence in Sport South Island and Otago University’s sports science specialists.

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By Hamish Carter

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Drew Donovan has been at the Elite Motorsport Academy this week.

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Bay Driver

Weekend Sun Friday 4 JulyThe 2014

Young guns on show Matt Elliot’s 1979 Chevrolet C10 will be on display at the CRC Speedshow’s custom show.

Flexing Bay muscle Five Bay of Plenty custom vehicle owners are prepping and polishing their metal masterpieces to go on show in Auckland this month.

This year’s CRC Speedshow in Auckland features the Castrol EDGE/Teng Tools Custom Show – and the Tauranga are is to be wellrepresented with four entries, along with one from Whakatane.

The dazzling display is expected to attract tens of thousands of fans and showcases nearly 50 of New Zealand’s best, hand-picked, custom hot rods, American and Australian street machines, hi-tech Japanese and European customs, custom motorbikes and pickups.

Papamoa’s Matt Elliott has entered his multiaward winning, American-made pride and joy in the multi-category custom show for the first time.

Elliott’s bold, bright orange 1979 Chevrolet C10 – a 450hp supercharged modified street machine – has been seen in Australian car shows, but it’s his jaw-dropping vehicle’s first appearance at the CRC Speedshow.

Matt has owned modified cars almost ever since passing his driver’s licence 21 years ago.

He credits ‘car guys’ in the family as a big influence on him as a youngster, with his

grandfather and uncle’s passion for customising cars rubbing off on him.

Welcome Bay’s Ray Stevenson has also always been delighted by fine looking automobiles and is doing his part to wow visitors to the custom show this year.

He’s entering his distinctive copper 1930 Ford Tudor with a 350hp Chevrolet fuelinjected motor, which has been fully rebuilt from scratch. The Tudor recently drew attention as feature car in the NZ ‘Hot Rod’ magazine’s May edition.

Ray, who has been into hot rods since the rodding culture began more than 40 years ago, became interested from age 13 when her sister’s boyfriend had an old V8.

“As a young boy, I was always overwhelmed by good looking vehicles. By entering the CRC Speedshow it gives other people the opportunity to see the cars; and hopefully be inspired to create their own build.”

Three fellow Bay of Plenty owners have entered a highly-customised Ford Cortina, a completely hand-built motorcycle, and a bright orange, heavily-modified Mazda RX8.

Whakatane-based CRC Speedshow directors Ross and Brenda Prevette believe the custom show will be one of the highlights of what’s going to be a top event that offers something for all motoring lovers – including a second ‘show within a show’ for classic motoring enthusiasts.

Fans will have a chance to meet some of the Bay’s top young racing talent as part of the special Kiwi Young Guns display at the CRC Speedshow later this month.

Tauranga’s ‘Ms Drift’ Jodie Verhulst, off-road racing Papamoa teen Dyson Delahunty and Opotiki rally driver Mike Young will join 17 other rising and established stars of New Zealand motorsport in a feature display at Australasia’s largest annual automotive and motorsport show.

The line-up of New Zealand’s under 25-yearold, exciting, new racing talent includes off-roaders, karters, drifters, motorcycle racers, circuit and speedway racers, drag racers and rally drivers, and will be supported by Total Lubricants when the doors open to the twoday celebration of automobiles, motorcycles

and motorsport at Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds on July 19-20.

The Kiwi Young Guns are chosen from more than 40 competitors’ names nominated and put to a public vote on CRC Speedshow’s Facebook page.

They cover the gamut of motorsport disciplines, from circuit racing to motocross, karting to drags, and will take part in a display showcasing their race vehicles, and also giving fans a chance to meet them in person.

Managing director Ross Prevette says the Kiwi Young Guns concept evolved from last year’s popular New Zealand Legends of Speed display and he’s been delighted with the high standard of applicants.

The show will be at Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds on July 19-20, featuring five halls full of hundreds of display vehicles. For details, visit www.speedshow.co.nz

Rally driver Mike Young.

Off-road racer Dyson Delahunty.

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Bay Driver

Holder’s bumpy Wairarapa rally After struggling to get to the event, it looked like it was all about to fall apart for Dave Holder by the second stage of Rally Wairarapa.

The signs had been there the day before, when codriver Ben Hawkins was feeling too sick to do the ‘recce’ run with Dave to compile race notes.

But there was no ignoring it on the second stage on Saturday morning, when Ben told Dave he was feeling ill, then vomited onto the floor.

“Fortunately, it didn’t smell too bad,” says Dave, who admits it was a slight distraction. “I was holding him up. By that stage I thought it was going to be a bit of a write off.”

Wheels nearly come off

But by the end of the service stop after the second stage Ben had recovered, and the focus was back on what turned out to be a competitive round.

However, a wobbling wheel literally almost fell off in stage six, when a waving bystander alerted them to it.

“We hadn’t felt it wobbling ourselves, so were very lucky. It could have been a major disaster,” says Dave.

“But by the time we had fixed it and completed the stage, we were almost five minutes late – and they’re pretty strict on times so we got a 50-second penalty.”

From third place at the start of the sixth stage, the penalty combined with safe driving to ensure Dave got home and earned important series points saw the pair ultimately finish the round fourth – only two seconds behind third-placed Stewart Taylor.

Valuable points

Dave Holder hit a few bumps at Rally Wairarapa but still finished well - just missing third place by two seconds. Photo by Euan Cameron

It earned him 16 points in the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championships, taking him from fourth to third place in the series on 54 points, just behind Ben Hunt on 58 points, but well behind Richard Mason on 144 points.

Richard claimed a series of records at the rounds by claiming all nine stages and the series with two stages still remaining.

Midway through Dave’s first season in the national rally championship’s premiere 4WD series he realised he was facing a funding shortfall for his campaign and planned to forfeit the fourth round of the series at Wairarapa if he couldn’t attract more sponsors.

“We’ve had a couple of great supporters step up and get us through to

Wairarapa,” says Dave, who thanks all his supporters for helping him continue his strong start in the top class.

This weekend Dave is hoping to pick up some more tips to help claim a podium in the series when he does a test run with mentor Hayden Paddon, who is just back from the WRC Poland Rally where he finished eighth.

“We’ll head out somewhere around Auckland and spend some time in the car,” says Dave.

“It’s the first time we’ve had a chance to get together all year, so it will be good to hear what he’s got to say about my driving and the car set-up.”

Meanwhile, fellow Tauranga driver Phil Campbell finished off the pace with a slow start and a forced rear diff change on the side of the road, which incurred a five-minute penalty.

Despite the slow time, which saw him earn only three points for the round – maintaining his seventh place in the series – Phil is excited about the improvement the new diff made to his speed.

What’s the diff?

“We couldn’t believe the difference it made to the car and we set good stage times,” says Phil, with a third and second in the final two stages – only 0.6 second behind Richard Mason.

“It felt good to know we were back up to where we should be.”

The series continues in Whitianga with Rally Coromandel on August 23.

By Hamish Carter

The Weekend Sun

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Coppins gives back to club It’s not often a world class racer remarks he’s “satisfied with not winning”, but these are some of the first words from the mouth of Josh Coppins at the end of last weekend’s racing in Taupo.

I’ve been racing overseas for 19 of those last 27 years,” says Josh.

Recently-retired from full-time racing, Josh was manager of New Zealand’s team in 2013’s Motocross of Nations bid in Germany.

Before that he was regularly a team rider in the Kiwi team, including on three occasions when they finished on the podium. The The 37-year-old former international inter-club battle is fundraiser to support the motocross star – who has claimed a swag of team. championship titles during the years – was “This Battle of the Clubs event is a great racing for the six-rider Nelson Motorcycle chance for me to put Club team in the something back fifth annual Battle into the club and, of the Clubs obviously, to help motocross event support the conin Taupo on tinued Motocross Saturday. of Nations efforts Rising from I’ve been a part of the MX1 class in the past,” says and teaming up Josh. with club-mates Josh finished Hayden Wilkinthird in the son (MX2), combined MX1 Grant Walker and Veterans race (veteran), Isaac and third again in Millson (junior the MX1-MX2 250), Reece race, on both Walker (junior occasions crossing 125), Clayton the line behind Roseke (junior Motueka’s Josh Coppins was contented with Taupo’s Brad 85), Josh’s club his performance at the weekend’s fundraiser Groombridge and finished the event event. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com Rotorua’s John ranked third Phillips. overall, behind “I’m a little disappointed with my results, the winning South Waikato Motorcycle Club but I expected this,” says Josh. and the Taranaki Motorcycle Club.

“This is the first time in my career I’ve gone “I have been a member of the Nelson out onto the track and just been content to Motorcycle Club for 27 years but this is the race and not necessarily to win.” first time I could officially fly their banner.

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Bay Driver Friday 4 July 2014

Friday 4 July 2014

New generation of performance Fourth generation WRX STI builds on its reputation as Subaru’s performance flagship.

Subaru New Zealand is trumpeting the launch of its fourth generation WRX STI as building on the car’s reputation for offering ultimate performance.

Managing director Wallis Dumper says the new generation of what has become a flagship Subaru model, offers drivability and dynamics at a whole new level thanks to significant changes to body, chassis and suspension.

Wallis says it isn’t just his opinion, but the new design is already drawing rave reviews internationally for its fusion of power and control in a potent package.

“The new generation WRX STI is a genuine high performance sports sedan that perfectly balances exhilarating power with pure control,” says Wallis.

“It’s the pinnacle of our performance range, both powerful and refined in a complete all-

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Wallis believes the standard model’s price tag of $59,990 offers great value for a high performance sedan, particularly given the increased standard equipment compared to the previous model such as its push button start with smart key technology, factory fitted sat-nav with reversing camera and daytime running lights.

Improvements in WRX STI’s drivability were honed with testing under demanding conditions, including with ultra-high speed road driving on Germany’s challenging Nurburgring circuit.

“No longer do customers have to choose between power and comfort – WRX STI has both in spades. The interior has a real quality feel.”

Safety is also paramount, with the WRX STI sharing Subaru’s best ever overall five star crash-test rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program with the new WRX

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