Bay Driver 24 April 2014

Friday 24 April 2014 Friday 24 April 2014Friday 24 April 2014

Brought to you by

Here’s the scientifi c explanation. There are some complex technical terms, such as ‘grav-ity’ and ‘downhill’ but stay with us, it will all

come clear in the end: Mother Nature’s rain falls from the sky, runs

downhill, Mr Gravity and Mrs Trustpower

hold hands and turn it into excited electrons, Mr Mitsubishi stores the electrons and feed them out to make your wheels go around.

For cheap as. Read more about the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle on page 4. Pictured, Alicia Beech.

Powered by nature

$32,795 +ORC

From only

$39,695 +ORC

From only$38,990 +ORC

2WD Auto

$47,990 +ORC

4WD Auto

The Weekend Sun Bay DriverPage 2 Friday 24 April 2014 Friday 24 April 2014Friday 24 April 2014

ECOSPORTPORTPORT

The Weekend Sun Bay Driver Page 3Friday 24 April 2014 Friday 24 April 2014Friday 24 April 2014

Weekend WheelsWeekend

The national rally series has got off to a promising start for Tauranga drivers Phil Campbell and Dave Holder debuting in the national rally series top 4WD class in Whangarei this month.

While both drivers – who moved up to the top class from racing 2WDs last year – had a mix of highs and lows at the recent opening event of the six-round Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Champion-ships, Phil enjoyed the best results, earning fi ve points to take him to ninth in the series. But problems on both days kept Dave scoreless.

Despite failing to earn any points, Dave is upbeat, tell-ing The Bay Driver he’s “stoked” with how well the car performed and he’s encouraged about their prospects.

“It was a weekend full of highs and lows, but it is great to see just how well the car went on what was essentially its fi rst run,” says Dave, who only took his new Mitsubi-shi Evo 8 out for a short 10km run the previous weekend.

“I didn’t think we did anything special on Saturday, so it’s a good result for us. I just got out there and drove,” says Dave, who focused on “getting used to the car” and

“wasn’t looking at times”.Dave says he was blown away to discover he was leading

after the sixth round but a fuel leak saw the car run out of petrol in the fi nal round, and he was penalised fi ve minutes. A reasonable performance on Sunday came to a grinding halt when the car collected a fence, damaging the radiator and preventing him from fi nishing.

Meanwhile, Phil also failed to capitalise on top driving on the opening day in his new Evo 9 when the clutch blew, forcing him to retire for the day and lose his overall third placing.

Another solid drive on day two saw Phil set times inside the top fi ve on each of the days’ six special stages.

“There are plenty of positives to take away from the weekend, but by the same token we’re gutted with the retirement,” says Phil. “The encouraging thing is there is still plenty more to come from both the car and the driver.”

Both teams are now focused on building on their mo-mentum at Rally Otago on May 10-11.

Bumpy debut for Bay driversBumpy debut for Bay drivers

Despite striking problems that stopped him from completing the Whangarei Rally for the third year, Dave Holder is upbeat about his prospects in the national rally series. Photo by Bruce Barnard.

By Hamish Carter

Bay of Plenty

April 26: Midgets and Six Shooters: ASB Baypark Speedway Another evening of exciting racing is guaranteed in the fi nale of

the local speedway season, with round two of the Top Half Midget Series along with the national title trophy race for speedway’s newest class of Six Shooters – or wingless sprint cars as they are called in Australia, where the class was invented.

May 4: Tarmac road sprints: Oropi Gorge RdFeel like testing your driving skills? Motorsport BOP has just the

event, with its annual sealed road sprints offering a fi tting challenge.The 1.5km sprint through the gorge from Oropi Rd junction is

open to all club motorsport club members with at least a M grade licence (all cars must have a roll cage). For details, call Linda Loughlin 07 578 0479 or visit www.mbop.org.nz

Beyond the Bay

April 24-27: V8 Supercars ITM 500: PukekoheThe motorsport event of the year runs during four days, with

drivers from both sides of the Tasman going head-to-head in the ultimate Anzac Weekend sporting showdown. Details: www.v8supercars.com.au

May 9-11: Battle Mania drift showdown: Taupo Motorsport ParkTauranga drift couple Drew Donovan and Jodie Verhulst are

holding their inaugural ‘round robin’ drift battle competition – promising a packed weekend of action from drivers ranging from drift newcomers to the legendary Fanga. Details: www.battlemania.co.nz


This car is a serious piece of witchcraft. One of the most

astonishing vehicles I’ve ever driven. I don’t know how they’ve done it;

like putting caramel in caramello. A smooth, powerful (when you need

it) economic, mid-size family vehicle that leaves you spellbound.

The Mitsubishi Outlander Hybrid plug-in SUV grabbed our attention from the moment it was announced. The concept of having a ‘normal’ car but with the advantage of being able to do most of your running on cheap electricity – while still retaining the benefi ts of petrol power when needed – holds plenty of appeal.

From the outside it’s quite conservative looking. It’s still a mid-sized, capable four wheel drive, but with a nimble demeanour around town.

The Outlander differs from other hybrids, as the fi rst to charge by mains power, as well as its own on-board generation.

Yes there are some serious questions about electric hybrids. What is the lifespan of those big batteries? Are they as sustainable or eco-nomic to produce and replace? What about the planetary cost of their production and disposal? Are we kidding ourselves that we are saving the earth, while in fact the big battery concept is a false economy? How will those electric motors stand the test of time?

Well according to the good people at Mit-subishi, this system has the balance just right. Unlike other hybrids, the batteries are lithium ion, for better lifespan and less memory ef-fect. The PHEV doesn’t pretend to be a fully electric, it’s a true hybrid that can cross back to the dark side and burn a bit of fossil fuel, when there’s demand.

Put simply, you plug it in at home over-night, do most of your day-to-day running on cheap and sustainable electric power (a dollar or two), and the petrol only sneaks in occasionally for extra grunt, or on a longer trip. Battery gets low? The car automatically and indiscernibly starts the two-litre petrol engine, essentially a generator, when it needs to. Or, you can dictate how and when it charges, or saves; or a combo of both.

It is very, very clever. And very, very easy to use.

There’s so much to this car, it’s a challenge to explain it all in one page. But it’s the sort of technology you can delve right into every little aspect, or simply jump in and drive. The

car is clever enough to fi gure it all out, if you can’t be bothered.

Switched onIt’s a bit disconcerting, when fi rst pulling

away in a car that makes no engine sound. It’s as if the handbrake has been let off and it’s rolling away. Hmm.

The weirdness soon gives way to satisfac-tion. “Hey, we’re trucking along here, using no gas. Cool.”

The clever bitsGet in and drive. Or, marvel over every

little technical clever bit, and there are plenty of them. So in no particular order, here is a selection of the witchcraft I enjoyed experi-menting with.

The ‘save’ and ‘charge’ buttons. A simple push of the ‘save’ button keeps your battery charged and the vehicle uses the petrol engine to generate power to feed the electric motors. The ‘charge’ mode means the petrol engine (when it needs to) starts seamlessly and runs, to power the car along as well as top up the battery.

Gravity also plays a part in charging the battery. You can get as carried away as you like with this nifty system. A couple of paddle controls on each side of the steering wheel allow the driver to instantly tap into down-hill momentum, to directly put charge back to the battery. You can select fi ve stages of braking charge level, simply with the fl ick of a paddle, or cancel it all together. The dash read-outs show you when the vehicle is

pumping juice back into the battery.The battery can be charged from a stan-

dard household power outlet. You don’t need special charging stations. Any old three-pin plug will do.

We heard of one new hybrid owner, who has negotiated with his electricity supplier to allow connection into the night-store feed, so his Outlander charges overnight on even cheaper rates.

On a full battery, the Outlander will run for about 50km without little or no petrol input. Beyond that, it will use the petrol engine to send current to the drive motors and top up the battery.

So on a typical day, you could drive to and from work, say from as far as Papamoa or Omokoroa to the city, purely on an overnight charge of power. Virtually no petrol used at all. We commuted from Te Puna to town and back for a couple of days and the Outlander easily made the return trip on battery alone, only using the petrol engine when the pedal was fl oored on a couple of occasions, such as merging onto expressways and the odd hill. Otherwise, it glided along, silently, on its battery power.

Of course on a longer trip you’d dip into the gas tank, but still less than the average vehicle because the hybrid uses energy recovery systems, such as the braking charge, to regen-erate the reserves. The battery is being topped up when power demand is low; ready to chip in with extra boost when demand requires it.

Unleash the electronsThere are some stunning benefi ts of elec-

tric drive most people don’t even consider, until you get behind the wheel. For starters, electric is smooth, torquey power. There are no gear changes. Plus the delivery of power is instant. There’s no lag for an intercooler to kick in, or that moment of hesitation while combustible gasses are doing their thing, resulting in a slight delay in action. And noticeably its consistent torque. No power bands or surges.

Electric power is silent. So silent, that Mit-subishi had to manufacture a ‘noise’ for safety reasons, so the Outlander didn’t take any-one by surprise. It sounds a bit like a small vacuum cleaner from the outside, up to about 35km/h, just as a precaution to pedestrians and others who may rely on hearing ap-proaching vehicles.

Around town the Outlander is easy going, and did I mention silent? No emissions, great visibility when parking and excellent aids with the camera and proximity alarms.

The ride is exceptionally smooth. The vehicle feels very well grounded and handles with surety. No doubt helped by the 200kg of lithium ion batteries stashed low and cen-tral. This low down ballast actually improves the handling over the standard Outlander.

Quick off the blocksDon’t be fooled into thinking electric equals

slow. We did a quick and dirty 0-100km/h time test and found the Outlander nailed it in about 9.5 seconds, about the same as the standard two litre petrol-only model. Not bad for a two litre engine generating power to feed electric drive engines. And good to know that if you need a quick squirt for over-taking, it’s got legs – at least as good as any other standard petrol SUV in its class.

Out on the highway the Outlander footed it well, even on some heavy duty hills. Run-ning up the Kaimai was effortless and the petrol engine contributed from time to time. Not that you’d know it, but the dash readouts provide all the answers to the curious.

Aside from the electric wizardry, the Out-lander is a delight to drive, in its own right. It would be easy to get so carried away with the whizz-bang new plug-in aspects, and not acknowledge the quality interior and features, the great ride, visibility, and the individual features that make a comprehensive package – such as the big screen backing camera, built in GPS, Bluetooth, full-length roof rails, and smart rain sensor wipers.

The rear tailgate is powered open and closed, with a button on the key fob. While experimenting in the driveway, there was one very puzzled dog watching, with head cocked to one side. She looked at me, looked at the car in complete amazement. “Witchcraft,” I explained.

A couple of things to note: There’s no spare wheel, due to the underfl oor space being taken up with batteries. Instead, the Outlander is supplied with emergency infl ation kits.

It has a low tow rating of 750kg braked. Apparently, NZ is the only country to have dished out this low rating to the Outlander. Go fi gure. That is likely to change, I suspect, once the electric drive has proven itself.

Overall, this is a totally clever answer to ris-ing fuel prices, worry about emissions, plight of homeless polar bears; yet it doesn’t skimp on the performance of a capable SUV. On top of that, it’s high spec, a pleasure to drive and can crossover to 4WD with the push of a button. Around town, you could run the Outlander on as little as $1.50 of renewable energy a day.

Quite feasibly you could drive this every day to town and back, to work or golf, and you’ll be driving an electric car all day. Demand more of it – a trip out of town, towing or pushing it hard – and it morphs back to essentially a garden-variety petrol-powered SUV, only much cleverer behind the scenes.

The XLS is $59,990. The VRX is where things get exciting at $66,990. It brims with gear – satnav, forward collision mitigation, adaptive cruise control, power tailgate, heated front leather seats and the full PHEV colour display screens – plus remote app available for iOS and Android phones.

The night before we returned the Outland-er, I lay in bed listening to the rain on the roof, imagining those streams fl owing into the Kaimai hydro lakes (those big batteries in the hills) and thinking: “Here comes my cheap, green fuel”.

It’s exciting, not just for the electrons. The Outlander hybrid plug-in has left me

totally amped. By Brian Rogers

Spellbinding SUV

The Mitsubishi Outlander Hybrid plug-in SUV

The dashboard tells everything about the state of the power source and drive systems.

The technology behind the wheels.



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

* Buy a NZ new 2014 Forester 2.5i or XV 2.0i with Subaru Lineartronic Transmission (Automatic) between April 1st and June 30th 2014, and pay the price of a 6-speed manual. The Subaru Forester 2.5i 6-speed manual RRP is only $39,990. The Subaru XV 2.0i 6-speed manual RRP is only $38,990. This offer is not available in conjunction with any other special, discount or promotional offer. Offer excludes lease, fleet, government and rental purchases. Excludes on-road costs and accessories. Valid until 30th June 2014 or while stocks last.

SUB6503_MULTICAR_03/2014

The real deal in performance

POWERFULBOXER ENGINE

SYMMETRICAL ALL-WHEEL DRIVE

AGILE AND RESPONSIVE WITH OPTIMUM BALANCE AND CONTROL, DELIVERING A REAL DRIVING EXPERIENCE UNLIKE ANY OTHER.

The real deal in SAFETY

VEHICLE DYNAMICS CONTROL

MAXIMUM 5-STAR ANCAP SAFETY

WE’VE PLANNED EVERYTHING FOR YOU. BUILDING ACTIVE AND PASSIVE SAFETY INTO EVERY SUBARU WITH 5-STAR SAFETY ACROSS THE ENTIRE RANGE.

The real deal in RETAINED VALUE

NEW ZEALANDNEW

3 YEAR UNLIMITED KM WARRANTY

EVERY SUBARU COMES INTO THE WORLD AS THE BEST CAR IT CAN BE AND WE’RE HERE TO HELP KEEP IT THAT WAY. CALL US TODAY on 0800 782 278

KEEP IT THAT WAY. CALL US TODAY on 0800 782 278


Ask Colin Entwisle what the appeal is of Six Shooter racing, and he jokes

about it being a great way to get rid of a lot of spare parts.

While there’s an element of truth to the pas-sionate driver’s comments – after all he owns speedway car parts and maintenance specialist Bay Speed – dig a little deeper and he tells you the Australian-originated class is just “flat out a whole lot of fun”.

Colin is hoping to be among about 20 driv-ers lining up at ASB Baypark’s final meeting of the season to compete in the Six Shooter nationals on Saturday – which is the class’ debut at the speedway.

Registered for the event and all raring to go, Colin told The Bay Driver earlier this week with interest from a customer wanting to lease his car, he’s unsure who will be racing it.

“I’ve got my sprint racing on anyway, but if

they decide against racing I’ll definitely do it,” says Colin, who is among a handful of sea-soned Baypark drivers who’ve been enjoying a few events in the Australian-originated class of wingless sprint cars.

Colin says there’s been resistance in some circles to the introduction of six shooter rac-ing, something he puts down to concern other race classes, already competing for a place in the already-packed schedule, will be penalised.

“But it’s been good that Rodney Wood and a few other high profile drivers have got involved,” says Colin, who believes it’s helped give the class credibility and encourages other drivers to be more receptive.

Other Baypark drivers who’ve been getting behind the wheels of the wingless sprint cars include brothers Keaton and Gordon Dahm, Daniel Thomas and Jamie McDonald.

However, it’s the lower price of six shooters – from about $15,000 for a competitive model, compared to $25,000-$30,000 for a saloon

and more than $50,000 for a super saloon – which Colin says is the

greatest appeal. He believes the lower

entry price will help keep young drivers involved after they’re forced to leave the Mini Stocks entry class, when they reach 17. “These kids aged 15-

17 are leaving speedway and just disappearing because to step into

anther class is a big investment. It’s a real pity,

because their parents have already spent a bit to give them

good racing skills.“We lose 10-12 of these drivers every year.

Where are they going? They just give up because of the cost.”

The lower cost is also appealing for Baypark Speedway manager Roger Bailey, who’d like to see the class accredited by Speedway New Zealand once numbers competing build up to allow for more regular events.

Currently, only a handful of tracks are able to contract the drivers, as the class hasn’t been fully inducted into the speedway com-munity. Baypark received permission from the Speedway New Zealand board to host the nationals.

Powered by a 3.8 litre fuel-injected Commo-dore V6 motor, the engines aren’t supposed to have any modifications, seeing the cars reach speeds of about 70m/h (112km/h).

An introductory day Colin put on at Patetonga last year, with Gordon Dahm, to give drivers a chance to do a few laps in a six-shooter attracted about 50 people, but none took it further.

“It’s just a neat little class – you don’t need to have done any racing before you step into these – but the main thing I like is the close-ness of racing you get and the cost.”

Colin, who got his first taste of speedway in 1987 racing modifieds in Rotorua, stepped up to sprint cars in 1997, which he’s been racing ever since. He’s been based in Tauranga since Baypark opened in 2001.

While Colin says he’s been a “little bit off the pace” of the top drivers and hasn’t won any feature events, he’s collected lots of seconds and thirds and is reasonably happy in his posi-tion at third on the table.

“I guess now that I’m a bit older I’m happy to cruise a bit more,” says Colin, who clearly still has a passion for racing. Hamish Carter

Lining up the six shooters for racing

Speedway veteran Colin Entwisle would love to

see more people racing in the new six shooter class.

Photo by Tracy Hardy.


The purr of the engine, the sleek lines, the general cool factor and the speed – Ohauiti farmer Tony Parkes was impressed by the fi rst Mustang he saw in his teens.

“I can remember thinking it would be great to have one of those,” says Tony, who has been a member of the Bay of Plenty Mustang Owners Club for almost two years.

“I’ve been interested in them for years. I’ve just always wanted one since my teens,” recalls Tony, who after seriously looking at various classic Mustangs with 40-plus years on them decided to go for a newer model.

“I’m reasonably mechanical – but I wasn’t that keen on doing all of the work on one of the classics,” says the proud owner of a lim-ited release 2008 Shelby ‘King of the Road’.

Brought with only 900 miles on the clock, Tony’s 5.4 litre super-charged Shelby – which is one of only 1000 produced to mark the 40th anniversary of the original King of the Road – is a dream come true for Tony and wife Melissa.

“The power of it is something else, it’s pretty scary. It’s like sitting in a jet plane when it takes off,” says Tony, who likes to take it on club road trips every few weekends. “We absolutely love it.”

Last week the Parkes joined fi ve other Bay of Plenty club couples and another dozen from round the country when they fl ew out to the US on a pilgrimage to mark the 50th anniversary of the car at a fi ve-day celebra-tion at Las Vegas Speedway, alongside an

estimated 10,000 other Mustang-lovers.“It’s going to be fantastic, we’re really look-

ing forward to it,” says Tony, speaking to The Bay Driver before fl ying out. Celebrations were held over Easter – beginning 50 years to the day from when the fi rst iconic 1964 ½ original Mustangs were launched.

The rest, as they say, is history. Runaway demand for the stylish and sporty coupe, with its affordable price tag of under US$2500, saw Ford produce one million of the cars within 18 months and launch the ‘pony car’ class while other auto-makers copied its successful design with their coupes with long hoods and short rear decks.

The Las Vegas celebration, which is

being mirrored by a similar event in North Carolina, to cater to the demand from Mustang-lovers, offers a chance to get up close with models, with some available to be driven on a track.

Following the anniversary, Tony says he’s looking forward to visiting the Shelby Heritage Centre in Las Vegas, a museum dedicated to legendary automotive designer Carrol Shelby who designed Mustangs since 1965. The group then hits the road for the ultimate road trip in late model Mustangs, following Route 66 across to Chicago for the next three weeks.

“It’s going to be great going to the Grand Canyon and all the bits in between. There will be plenty of surprises along the way.”

Round up for Mustang birthday party

By Hamish Carter

Tony Parkes with his bags packed,

ready to fl y to the US to take part in 50th anniversary celebrations of the fi rst Mustang, and then tour America.

Photo Bruce Barnard.



w w w. g re a t w a l l a u t o . c o . n z

DEALER DETAILS

The X240 4WD


07 572 2968

OPEN 7 DAYS

67 Hewletts RoadMount Maunganui

www.tyreworksnz.co.nz

07 572 2968

OPEN 7 DAYS

67 Hewletts RoadMount Maunganui

www.tyreworksnz.co.nz

specialoffer!offer!special

ALL TYRES ON SALEALL TYRES ON SALE

Massive Stock Clearance Sale! ON NOW!Massive Stock Clearance Sale! ON NOW!

PLUSPLUS

ALL this for ONLYALL this for ONLY

$79$79FULL ROTATION,2 WHEEL BALANCE &WHEEL ALIGNMENT

FULL ROTATION,2 WHEEL BALANCE &WHEEL ALIGNMENT

ONE WEEK ONLY!ONE WEEK ONLY! Offer ends 30 April

specialoffer!offer!special



PLUSPLUS




ONE WEEK ONLY!ONE WEEK ONLY! Offer ends 30 Aprilspecialoffer!offer!special



PLUSPLUS




ONE WEEK ONLY!ONE WEEK ONLY! Offer ends 30 Aprilspecialoffer!offer!special



PLUSPLUS




ONE WEEK ONLY!ONE WEEK ONLY! Offer ends 30 April



AppraisedUsed Vehicles


Open: Monday-Friday 8.00am-5.30pm Saturday 9.00am-5.00pm

116 Hewletts Road, Mount Maunganui. Tel: 07 578 6017 www.farmerautovillage.co.nz

Open: Monday-Friday 8.00am-5.30pm Saturday 9.00am-5.00pm

116 Hewletts Road, Mount Maunganui. Tel: 07 578 6017 www.farmerautovillage.co.nz116 Hewletts Road, Mount Maunganui, Tauranga City Tel: 07 578 6017 www.farmerautovillage.co.nz Follow us on Facebook


MARQUE OF EXCELLENCE

FLEXIBLE ARRANGEMENT

Centred

Left Align




Right Align


FLEXIBLE ARRANGEMENT

Centred

Left Align




Right Align


Date post:	22-Mar-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	sunlive
View:	219 times
Download:	1 times

Bay Driver 24 April 2014

Documents