Taylor's goal is touring now

FEW people had heard of Amy Taylor when she was just a member of the Australian women's soccer team.  But baring all for a calendar in 1999 to lift the profile of the game turned the former Matilda into something special and she now co-hosts Foxtel's Football Superstar alongside Delta Goodrem's other half, Irish-born pop star Brian McFadden.

"Everyone seems to remember it because it was such a big deal at the time. I think now it's been done that many times by different people, it's lost its shock value,'' Taylor says.  Her career in soccer had many highlights and the retired defender was a member of the Australian women's team for eight years.

She represented Australia in the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, the 2005 Four Nations Tournament in China and was a member of the 2000 and 2004 Olympic squads.

What was your first car?
Nissan Stanza SSS -- black and white with an upside down racing gearbox. Mum and dad bought me sheepskin seat covers and it had a gear stick handle that flashed with red lights. I was always racing from one training session to another and blew the head gasket and the engine a couple of times . . . which my dad rebuilt for me -- thank God he loves cars. I guess I was a bit of a revhead.

What do you drive now?
A Nissan Pulsar Q. It's black, great on fuel and for parking in today's smaller spaces.

Do you have a favourite drive and who would you take?
The Great Ocean Rd is awesome but I also love the drive along the coast from Bundeena (Sydney) to the south coast. I'd always take my husband as my co-driver, in fact I might even let him drive.

How far would you drive in an average year?
I have no idea. Most days I don't venture far, maybe 20km max. I do drive a couple of days a week up to Sydney for work and then we love driving holidays, but I'm not sure what that adds up to.

Do you have a favourite motoring memory?
I have a couple. I loved driving holidays as a kid with my family and remember at least on one occasion sleeping in the car as the motels were all booked out. I love driving out to our family farm, the roads lined with trees and the smell of dirt roads and the bush. And I love taking trips with my husband. Plenty of time to talk, sing along to cheesy music and explore new places.

What would you buy if money was no object?
I've always wanted a Porsche, though it never seemed practical for my lifestyle -- and I'd be scared to fill it with stinky sports clothes and boots covered in mud and grass.

What music is playing in your car?
Right now it's Jack Johnson

How much is too much for a new car?
Over a couple of hundred thousand dollars is hard to justify. I'd rather buy houses, but I guess it depends on what one earns.

What should be done to make driving safer?
People need to leave 10 minutes earlier, relax and remember manners on the road. A lot of people only think about themselves when they drive, but what they don't realise is we are trusting everyone else on the road with our lives, too. I also think P-platers need to have a limit on the engine capacity of the cars they are able to drive.

Are you sponsored by a car company?
Not right now but I am more than happy to be if there's a company out there who'd like to see me in their cars.