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Possum-killers: Narva Platinum Plus 130

10 August, 2017

 


 

With hundreds of different products thrust under your nose on a daily basis, we don’t blame you if you feel a little dubious when a new product hits the market, especially when you’re supposed to trust it for use on your pride and joy.

Luckily, we’re here to put these products through a rigorous ‘brofessional’ test, so that you can make a more informed choice when you’re staring at the shelf in your local. 

This month’s product is Narva’s latest offering in high-performance headlight bulbs, its Platinum Plus 130. The vehicle we fitted with the bulbs was an older E53 BMW X5 pre facelift, as the old yellow H7s bulbs it ran really dated the tow car’s looks at night. Fitting a new set of bulbs to any vehicle is a pretty straightforward process and can usually be done without tools. But X5s are a little different, and we needed to remove the entire headlight unit, whereas on most cars you can gain access to the rear of the assembly and simply click the bulb in place. Ninety-nine per cent of the time, it truly is a five-minute job. 

Your headlight will take either the H4 or H7 type, but be warned, when installing your new bulbs, do not touch the glass piece of the bulb. Wear gloves, as the oils and salts on your fingers will damage the quartz glass and shorten the bulb’s lifespan. If you do touch the glass, though, all is not lost. Simply wipe the bulb clean with rubbing alcohol or a solvent and remove all the excess with a dry cloth or paper towel. 

Narva advertises the Platinum Plus 130 as emitting 130 per cent more light than your traditional H4 or H7 bulb. While we had no real means of measuring the light output in a scientific manner, as you can see in our brofessional before-and-after wall test, there is considerably more light for the same power input. We were impressed. The other big change was the colour of the light itself, which switched from a yellow to a bright white, to instantly bring the truck into this century. The pack also included the park-light bulbs to match. 

A set of Narva Platinum Plus 130 bulbs retail for around $100, and they’re also available in singles from all leading automotive retailers nationwide. 

 

Pinnacle Porsche

15 May, 2025

We were stopped at the side of the road, setting up the next photograph, when a faded Toyota slowed alongside and stopped. The window was already down to give the driver a good look.
“That’s my dream car,” he said, speaking for more than a few of us.
He drank in the gleaming red paint, shining in the sun, and the car’s purposeful swoops and curves. He exhaled half a lungful of cigarette smoke, gave a hang 10–style thumbs up and drove off.
On the side of the road, against a clear blue background, the Porsche stood out in all its stark red glory. It’s the classic 911 shape on steroids. It has the fat, even pouty, front lip of the G series 911s, added to comply with 5mph bumper restrictions in the US. It also has the oversized haunches to accommodate the wider rear wheels and tyres – a first for Porsche, which also confirmed its supercar credentials – and, most noticeably of all, that enormous whale-tail spoiler. They made it look as if Porsche had abandoned its restraint.

Motorman: When the top trio took to the road

9 May, 2025

What sort of cars did Chris Amon, Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme drive when they weren’t on the race track? Motorman knows
Most top racing drivers do care about safety levels of road-going cars for everyday motorists and their all-round abilities behind the wheel. Jackie Stewart for one denied finding everyday driving boring. He took pride in giving his passengers the smoothest possible ride, and encouraged all drivers to actively engage in the task. They also make interesting choices for their transport away from competitive motoring.
Thirty years ago I spent a day with Chris Amon driving on lower North Island roads and I can remember those informative few hours as vividly as if they were yesterday. In 1983 Chris accepted a challenge from Toyota New Zealand to improve its locally assembled cars in a relationship that extended well beyond the end of New Zealand-built Toyota vehicles in 1997.