Teens wanted car to go over 220km/h

Jonathan Dow
Young men will go to great lengths to modify their cars, but a Napier retailer who sells high performance car parts and accessories was shocked at a request he received earlier this week.
Two young men came in and asked if he could reprogramme their car's central computer, disabling the speed limiting function, which they said stopped them exceeding 220 km/hour.
"Don't you read the news? Don't you know what happened on Friday?" he asked.
The pair simply shrugged their shoulders and gave him a blank look.
Unlike this request, most modifications people made to cars are almost totally cosmetic said the man, who has been working on cars for 30 years and did not want to be named.
"They have a racing application, but they are put on the car for looks."
What many people think is a "souped up" car with "after-market" modifications was fast before it even left the factory - especially if it was a turbo model.
As well as "chipping" or disabling any speed limiting device, "winding up the boost" on the turbo, which forces more air into the engine is the other common means of making a fast car faster.
For very little money you can get a very fast car.
One Auckland car importer is advertising $9999 cars with a $1 deposit and finance deals to modify cars are widely available.
Mag and Turbo Warehouse in Hastings advertised a new set of wheels and tyres for as little as $10 a week.
Geneva Finance funded the deal, which was available to most people, regardless of credit history, employment, income status and the type of licence.
"Cars are becoming more fashion accessories than a mode of transport," said Hastings highway patrol Sergeant Chris Quinn, who has been investigating crashes for 25 years.
The modification itself does not often contribute to the crash, but someone driving a modified car think they are a better driver than they actually are and that they can drive faster than they should, said Mr Quinn. Whether the changes are cosmetic or not, insurance companies do not like them.
Chris Ryan, chief executive of the New Zealand Insurance Council, believes many people who make cosmetic changes to their car then feel they need to drive quickly.
"It reveals a mindset that is inclined to drive fast. It means they crash and that is what the insurance companies are worried about."
The Insurance Council has a list of vehicles that are most at risk of being stolen and generally speaking these cars are also the ones that are most likely to be involved in a crash, said Mr Ryan.
"The high value cars are stolen to order, but cheaper cars are in a large part stolen for street racing or joy riding."
The cars are stolen and stripped for parts to repair damaged cars.