d motorofficial f motor_mag^23OWNER’S
RideIT’S
MINE
A BRIGHT FUTURE
In response to Dylan Campbell’s
Editorial last month about Walkinshaw
putting HSV stickers on the converted
Camaro and what this means, it’s
not the fault of HSV that GM/Holden
stopped local production at the end
of 2017.
I’m glad HSV decided to continue
and offer excitement/diversity to
Australian automotive buyers. If HSV
had closed their business, it would have
been extremely sad.
Not everyone is thrilled with
Camaro and SportsCat and Silverado,
but it’s better than nothing. The VF
Commodores were awesome, but
sadly the VF is no more.
More exciting vehicles will come from
HSV in due course.
Stephen Fogarty, via Facebook
FISHING FOR CHIPS
My mate purchased a Holden
Commodore VXR less than a year
ago, and he loves his car like any car
enthusiast does.
Now, he knows it’s no 304kW V8
(0-100km/h in 4.9sec), far from it. It’s a
VXR, the German Holden with 235kW
and a nine-speed auto transmission that
does 0-100km/h in 6.2 to 6.5 seconds.
That’s not bad from an aspirated 3.6-
litre V6 engine.
Off the mark, it’s no slouch. It will
do very well and keep up with most
modern cars with which it is matched
or slightly higher in power. It may
embarrass V8 drivers who have a very
badly maintained car.
What it has on its side is all-wheel
drive. And he loves the grip around
corners and those fast sweeping bends.
And, gee, it can really grip in the wet.
But he feels it’s missing that thrust of a
really sporty hot V6.
Anyway, his question to you is,
without spending too much money, are
there any engine management chips
that would work well and not damage
his V6 engine?
Also, something that would give it
that extra punch off the line and mid-
range power on highways. He knows it
will void the warranty. That he knows.
Or does he need a good, refined
exhaust system that doesn’t sound
rough but still has that racy German
sound? He wants a little more, but
doesn’t want it sounding really loud.
The sound of the exhaust or muffler
must match the excellence of the car’s
good looks and handling.
Are there any well-priced engine
management chips that will give him
that edge or improvement against his
fellow V8 boys?
He thinks that there are engine
management chips around for around
$400, though I doubt it. Some are very
expensive. Or is be better off with a
good exhaust system? Can you please
direct us to a few you may know that
can help my mate on a budget?
Andrew Eldimachki, via email
All this talk about your ‘mate’, Andrew- are you that embarrassed to own a
ZB VXR? We jest. It’s definitely tricky
to get more power, cheaply, out of
a naturally aspirated V6. Probably
it would have been better to buy
the turbo four-cylinder if this was
the intention – but your instincts are
correct, chip is the way to go. A Stage
One upgrade costs around $700 and
can yield an extra 12kW/7Nm. Before
anyone gets to that point, though, it
might be worth taking a Kia Stinger GT
for a test drive.TELL US ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH BMWS? I have a fond memory of my dad’s 323
E30; it was about 1985, and we were driving [from Melbourne] to Sydney. I told him to ‘gobble
them up’, to basically overtake other cars. We got there in six and a half hours.
AND THE Z3 M? I was working at Doncaster BMW when it came out and I was a 17-year-old
kid. Saw the car, saw the arse-end and just totally fell in love. I’d never heard of it. Obviously
I knew what a Z3 was, but did not know what this was. A couple of years later I started
looking at the back-story and realised that, geez, these are rare. I found out that only 27 were
delivered in Australia. But the thing that drew me was that first moment I saw it. It was in
Estoril Blue. I saw it from a distance and thought, ‘That is me.’
WHAT MAKES IT UNIQUE? It’s a parts-bin car. It’s got an E46 328i five-speed gearbox in
it. And that’s one of the things I like about it. The marketing department didn’t do it, the
engineers did it. They did it to make it the stiffest car BMW had ever made pre-2000.
WHAT LIFE DOES IT LIVE? I take it when I want to go for a drive to clear the mind. But it’s not
a garage queen, I do use it. It’s done some kays with me. But I sit in the garage – and I’ve got a
few cars in the garage – with a quiet drink after a hard day’s work, reflect on my day and enjoy
the beauty of it.
FAVOURITE MOMENT? Going for a drive with my son to do the Sunday fruit shop. We go
out every so often, and that’s one of my favourite times. For me, it’s time with him; he knows
the car’s his. When I bought it, he fell in love straight away and I said, ‘Son, this is going to be
yours, but you can’t have it until your 30th birthday.’ [Laughs]. I’m currently looking for the
convertible version for my daughter.Guido Bonanni
1999 BMW Z3 M COUPE | 3.2-LITRE INLINE-6, 239KW/350NM | ODO
107,000km | OWNED FOR 4.5 YEARS‘THE HOLDEN NAME SHOULD BE
RETIRED; CALL IT GENERAL MOTORS’
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY