ME AND MY CAR
Bulletproof six-speed manual Subaru
Tell us about your Subaru . . .
It’s a 2015 WRX STI — the last three letters make a difference! It’s AWD and “Subaru Pure Red”. Bulletproof six-speed manual — they don’t make them any other way.
Why did you choose this Subaru?
It’s one of the few that starts as a special edition rather than a base model that gets a parts bin added to it. It has great poise and traction combined with a gearbox and steering that give control and feel. I appreciate that it is garish and bold with spoilers and wide fenders. I bought it new in 2015. It’s the only new car I’ve bought.
Who else drives it?
Not my wife, she can’t drive a manual. She has a BMW 1M.
What do you keep in your car?
I keep a charm that my grandmother gave me when I was learning to drive. It’s a Hindu deity and it’s meant to keep me safe. It hasn’t always worked, though. I also keep sunglasses and a phone charger, those things you would be lost without.
Do you own any other cars?
I have a 1977 Holden Torana. It’s a manual V8.
How did you get interested in cars?
My grandfather had a large mechanical workshop in Rotorua. He would let me drive cars when I was way too young.
Any cars you’ve regretted selling?
My first car, that was a 1973 Holden Torana X-U1. I sold it for $4000 in 1995 to go to university. It’s now worth over $100k.
Your dream car?
A 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO. The last one sold for $53 million — you said no financial constraints. I just love how unattainable it is. Its lines, its redness, its racing pedigree.
Who taught you to drive?
My mother. She was the best teacher. She still stores cars for me.
Any advice for young drivers?
The best modification you can make to your car is you.
Your most memorable road trip?
Los Angeles to San Francisco on Pacific Coast Highway. We were in a rented Chev Suburban. It was a monster of a car lumbering along one of the world’s great drives.
If you could go anywhere, in any car, with any celebrity?
I would go from Mount Cook to Haast Pass and Jacksons Point. And I would love to have made this trip with Johnny Cash in an open top Cadillac.
Apart from the radio what do you listen to when you’re driving?
Podcasts from BBC World Service.
Favourite racing or rally driver?
Peter Brock and Ayrton Senna. Peter Brock is all the things about being an icon, a brave, brash Aussie larrikin and as a racing driver he represents that edginess. Ayrton Senna did all the things as a racing driver that no one thought would be possible. He had a vision and a feel for the road and car.
Do you judge people by what they drive?
Yes, totally. Car people have excellent judgement.
What irritates you most about other drivers?
A lack of courtesy. I also think drivers should enjoy driving a bit more — and push the limits of the car.
Would you rather drive or take public transport?
I like to drive. It is a privilege that I’m prepared to pay for. But I currently work on public transport procurement and believe in a transport solution that offers efficiency and choice.
Your thoughts on electric and driverless cars?
They are the future of motor vehicle performance. I work in that field, designing transport solutions. People need to move away from the idea of owning cars, like we used to own music — discs, tapes and vinyl and now we just borrow music like Spotify. But it won’t be just the transport issues that drive us to driverless cars. Cars are a cost and a storage item. My biggest room in my home is the garage, and if we move to driverless cars I will get that room back. I will push a button and someone else’s vehicle will take me to where we need to go and then I won’t see that car again.