Matt's AU series 1 XR8 Playstation:

Having purchased the XR8 from Ocean Ford (Noosa - Queensland) in May 1999 Matt began the transformation into one of the best AU1 XR8's available in the country.  Transported up from Sydney, it arrived minus the body kit which Matt had ordered and was subsequently fitted at the dealer.  Not one to be satisfied with the standard car's looks, Matt started straight away arranging to have some of the modifications done before delivery.  First came the stripes, inspired by the Playstation game "Need for Speed" (can't tell where Matt spends most of his time can you?) followed by the FTR look alike eagles designed and applied by Russ McBurnie - owner of OCEAN FORD.

Next on the list was replacement of the springs lowering the car about an inch - providing a much more pleasing altitude.  Noosa exhaust fitted an 2 1/2 inch pipe finishing with a monster four inch outlet.  The C.A.P.A. supercharger was bought and fitted through OCEAN FORD (now that's what I call a Ford dealer!!!), and within a month Matt had it refitted with a new rounded tooth belt & belt pulleys machined to fit, deliberately aiming for that classic supercharger whine that we all love to hear!  There was a practical side to these mods too - as Matt had found that on a local racetrack the supercharger belt would start slipping at about 180 km/h.  With that a HALTECH computer was installed to piggy back on the Ford computer helping it reach speeds of up to 260 k/ph & 280 horsepower at the rear wheels in peak performance mode.

Keeping things Alpine, the audio visual display starts an ALPINE 'pop out of the dash' CVE1000 monitor, Alpine Audio Processor/ cd player underneath the CVE1000, Alpine 6 stack cd changer, VDO plasma monitors in each headrest for passenger entertainment, a JVC HI FI stereo video player, VDO G.P.S navigation system with female voice telling Matt where to go.  Supplementing all this are two ALPINE V12 amplifiers with four 10inch subs in the boot cranking out 120 decibels of bass.  All the factory speakers were replaced with ALPINE DDDrives with 3 ways on the parcel shelf, tweeters on the dash and 2 way splits in the front doors.  The boot consists of blue neon lights with a motorized parcel shelf linked cleverly together via a remote control.  All up Matt has a total of five remote controls, (and you thought you had trouble finding the remote at home!!!).  Matt would like to thank the guy's at SOUND IN MOTION @ NAMBOUR on the Sunshine Coast for doing a fantastic job, especially IAN & BRETT for having some pretty unique idea's and making it work.  - All up the entire fit was about $ 39,000.00 worth with ALPINE forking out the money for a one-off cast iron logo badge for the boot (what you'd expect when you're spending that much!!!).

The original interior was re-fitted in black BMW quality leather, including matching black material on the doors with huge fluoro orange XR8 logos embroidered in the front seats (just like we all wish Ford had done).  "Getting back to the leather interior I would like to mention my thanks to a good mate of mine, WARREN of NOOSA MARINE UPHOLSTERY who did a better than factory job especially considering the mouldings for the monitors in the rear headrests - at the time I had only seen that done in trick European car audio magazines."

"EVERY show I have entered I have won a trophy.  My first being the 'All Ford Day' at Calamvale, sponsored by Brian Byrt Ford, receiving the award for Best GT Falcon / EB / EL / XR6 - XR8, the second was at the Harvey Bay Motor Sports Association where I got Best Standard Trim - because of the original seats being re-trimmed.  The third was in the Sound Off at the Harvey Bay Show for novices - being my first sound off competition.  The fourth was Maroochy Car Sound's Sound Off Competition where I received a pretty big trophy for "Wildest Car Audio System" - the fifth and sixth was at the Cooroy Car Club Show for Best Interior and Best 90's Modified."

An impressive list by anybody's standards!  So Matt tells me he isn't finished there either - with a new body kit and possibly new wheels on the way too!!!  So you can look for further updates to this fantastic vehicle - so why don't more prospective Porsche buyers think this way?  It beats me - you get so much more car for your money!  Well Matt, thanks for sharing your car with us and all the best for the future...we'll be eagerly awaiting the next steps in this awesome build!!!