Mazda ute hits the nail on the head

Newstalk ZB’s Resident Builder and The Block foreman Peter Wolfkamp truly lives a one-tonner life

Peter Wolfkamp is an experienced builder and media personality. He hosts the Resident Builder show on Newstalk ZB, Sundays 6-9am, and is the site foreman for The Block television show.

What are you driving?

A Mazda BT-50 GTX double cab 3.0-litre turbo diesel with a canopy, roof racks and towbar.

Why this particular vehicle and how long have you had it?

This BT-50 is the first of the new generation and I have been driving it since March 2021. I’ve been working with Mazda since 2012 and have driven a number of BT50s over that time.

Who else gets to drive it and when?

Pretty much just me; I’m out the door early most days, including Sunday mornings to drive to the Newstalk ZB studio. During work days the BT-50 is basically my office and workshop – paperwork in the cab, tools in the tray.

What’s the best/most interesting feature in this vehicle?

Driving this BT-50 for the first time was something of a revelation; the level of comfort, the responsiveness and the quietness. Having driven utes for most of my life, this BT-50 is so close to the driving experience of a standard car that you can forget it’s made to work and as tough as my boots.

What’s the balance of work versus family use for your BT50?

My BT-50 is my everyday commute and carries my tools from site to site, so it’s basically all work mileage. But there’s always the occasional school run, trip to the beach or Sunday drive.

What’s the toughest job you’ve ever given it?

I built a 10sq m studio at home, before loading it on to a trailer and towing it with the BT-50 to the site where I needed it. So, in a way, it has literally moved a small house. What do you always have in your car?

A USB cable for charging the phone, first aid kit, sunscreen and a hat.

What was the first work ute you ever had?

I started building in 1987 and bought a 1973 Holden HQ ute. Straight-six engine, no power steering and about as nimble as an aircraft carrier. I have seen them for sale recently and maybe I should have kept it.

Money no object, what’s your dream car?

I’m not really a supercar kind of person, so I think a mid-50s American pickup would suit me, or a 1967 Ford Mustang GT Fastback.

There’s been a lot of talk about electric utes. Do you think they are a practical idea?

Given that many journeys in the city are relatively short, there is opportunity for charging, but their use in rural areas or for longer distances is probably still a challenge for owners.

Modern utes like the BT-50 have a lot of driver-assistance features already. What do you think about the move towards driverless cars?

I can imagine a use where a vehicle leaves home, drops the owner to work and then gets used by other commuters during the day, before returning to collect the owner for the trip home. But I can’t see a driverless car backing a trailer down a steep driveway or navigating the turns in a builder’s supply yard.