Mazda Capella News

FOR more than 20 years, Stefan Dennis has called Ramsay St home.  He has played Paul Robinson on and off since 1985 in Neighbours, becoming one of the show's enduring stars.But there is much more to Dennis, including a world record for endurance karting. He set the mark in 1995 with team mates Russ and Steve Malking and David Brabham when they covered 1664.7km on a 1.3km course in Britain.  The 49-year-old actor is also a keen motorcycle enthusiast and one day hopes to again own a Porsche.What was your first car?My first car was an AP5 Valiant but I'm pretending it wasn't, because I hated it. My first real baby was a beautiful 1971 Mazda Capella. It was white with black interior and it had furry faux-sheepskin seatcovers. It was my pride and joy with my surf racks on top. And then I smashed it.What do you drive now?I have a navy Audi A6 and my wife, Gail, has a van. I also have two bikes -- aren't I a tosser? My bikes are delicious. I have a Yamaha R1. I describe it as orgasmically frightening. My other bike is a Harley. I got it only recently. That was Gail's doing. She thinks I've reached an age at which I need to slow down and ride a cruisey bike.Do you have a favourite drive and who would you take?My favourite drives (car) are anywhere in British Columbia, Canada and up the west coast and into the highlands of Scotland. I would take Gail. She is from Glasgow. My favourite ride (motorbike) is the Great Ocean Rd.How far would you drive in an average year?I live on the outskirts of Melbourne, up in the Dandenongs, so I do a lot of driving. I would do at least 500km a week. The moral environmental side of me loves riding motorbikes because I have this vague feeling of less guilt because I'm not contributing as much pollution into the air.Do you have a favourite motoring memory?Two of my best friends, from London, and I rode bikes up through the southern French and northern Italian Alps. That was awesome.What would you buy if money were no object?Car wise, call me a wanker, but I would buy a Porsche. They're my favourite sports car in the world. I just love them. I love German technology and engineering. To me it's the ultimate driver's machine. And bike-wise, the sportsbike and adrenalin junkie in me would buy the latest Yamaha R1 again. Or the Suzuki GSX-R.What music is playing in your car?Anything from the Beatles to Maroon 5 to classical to heavy rock. At the moment I have Michael Jackson's Greatest Hits in the car. It's such good driving music.How much is too much for a new car?The price of a house. My darling wife and sensibility has taught me that cars are a depreciating asset and real estate is an appreciating asset. If you can buy a car for the same price as a piece of real estate, and you buy the car -- you're a knob!What should be done to make driving safer?The sooner it is mandatory for people to do an advanced driver's course to learn to drive and to control a car properly, the sooner we will have a lot less road trauma.Are you sponsored by a car company?No, but if anyone out there wants to, I really want a Porsche!

WHEN Underbelly star Rodger Corser tied the knot with Renae Berry, it was the "other woman'' in his life that got him to the church on time.  Corser's beloved 1966 XR Falcon 500, called Pearly, made sure he and his groomsmen arrived in style for his nuptials at the historic Garrison Church at The Rocks in Sydney.Corser, who plays fictional Purana Task Force detective Steve Owen in Underbelly, Channel 9's dramatisation of Melbourne's infamous gangland war, says his character is a determined, ambitious and honest man."He's basically a quintessential Aussie guy who likes his football and the ladies -- though he finds love quickly in the show.'' Corser says.  "He's also a little bit cheeky and likes a joke. He's one of the boys, who enjoys camaraderie and mateship with his colleagues.''Corser also recently starred alongside Debra Messing and Judy Davis in the US mini-series The Starter Wife but says if he ever wins the lottery, he'll need to build himself a pretty big garage.What was your first car?A 1972 yellow Mazda Capella auto, unfortunately not a rotary. It was a hand-me-down from my grandma. She loved the car. I um . . . managed to cook the engine.What do you drive now?I have two cars at the moment. A Hyundai Santa Fe is my daily driver and for the weekends I have a 1966 XR Falcon 500 with a 200 cubic inch six in it. She's called Pearly, a name handed down from a few owners before me. I love the car as does my five-year-old daughter Zipporah. The picture was taken on my wedding day with my groomsmen and, no, we didn't drive it after the beers.Do you have a favourite drive and who would you take?My wife Renae and I just completed our honeymoon. We drove from Rome through Siena, Florence and on to Venice. On the way we drove around the hillsides of Cinque Terre, an hour-long, second and third-gear winding drive with amazing scenery.How far would you drive in an average year?15,000-20,000 kilometres, depending on how many Sydney to Melbourne trips.Do you have a favourite motoring memory?I just got to do a stunt-driving day out at Sandown raceway for the Getaway program. That would have to be up there. I also did a pit tour of the Red Bull F1 Team a couple of years ago at the Melbourne GP, which was great.What would you buy if money was no object?A complete set of GT Falcons from XR-XB. And a big garage.What music is playing in your car?At the moment the PoliceHow much is too much for a new car?Depends on your means. You have to be realistic about what percentage of your weekly income you can allocate to your car.What should be done to make driving safer?I'm not sure. 40km/h school zones are a good recent change.Are you sponsored by a car company?I have a fantastic ongoing relationship with Hyundai, which involves TV ads and some events.