What is Hulme Supercars Ltd and how did you get involved?
This New Zealand story is based on the podium glory of one of the Kiwi motor racing greats, Denny Hulme.
The project started over six and a half years ago when I met up with an old friend, Bruce Woods, of Massey University. The School of Transport Design had just been established at Massey's Albany Campus. They were discussing the fact that most of the students wanted to specialize in automotive design.
New Zealand is famous for having a large number of one off, and uncertified, limited volume car producers, some making the best product in the world. But, at that time, there were no car companies designing and manufacturing certified production cars in New Zealand.
We thought this rather sad considering New Zealand has more individuals per head of population involved in motor sport than any other country. These people work in every form of motor sports from the basic race car to the top Formula One teams.
After lengthy discussions with contacts all over the world and an in-depth research and market evaluation, it became obvious that to be both competitive, and profitable, we would have to design a car that was unique in looks, hand built, in the high price market, had an amazing "wow" factor, was simple and yet built to the highest safety standards and quality... in a word, a ‘Supercar'.
The car would have to meet a number of criteria to find a niche in this highly competitive market. Hulme Supercars Limited was established to exploit a strategic gap in the international supercar market.
One of our goals was to create a fitting legacy to celebrate the last 40-years of New Zealand's motor racing history, particularly by saluting the achievements of Denny Hulme, who won the Formula One World Championship in 1967, as well as winning two CanAm Championships and who, with his fellow countrymen, Chris Amon and Bruce McLaren, claimed an enviable record for their driving achievements on the world's motor racing circuits and their engineering input behind the scenes
How long has the Hulme CanAm been in development and how much has it cost?
Six years of extensive work on this ambitious undertaking have seen the project develop from a vision to the point where the Company has plans for three models (the Hulme CanAm, the Hulme CanAm Spyder and the Hulme F1) and has built the first development driving example of the Hulme CanAm, Bear 1.
To get to this stage we have invested over $5 million
What is the design philosophy behind the car?
The original concept was motivated by a dream to design a car that would give the driver the feeling of driving a Formula One car, legally, on the road
What is it powered by?
Hand built Chevrolet LS7 V8 with Dry Sump, Titanium Rods and Forged pistons
How fast will it go?
200mph+
What type of fuel will it run on and what's its fuel consumption like?
High Octane and miles per gallon is unknown
What type of person will buy this super car and how much will they have to pay?
Wealthy motoring enthusiast. 295,000 Euro
When will it go into production and how many will be built?
2010. Ten in 2010, increasing to 25 per year
How does the Hulme CanAm compare to the supercars produced by the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini or Pagani?
Ferrari and Lamborghini are mass produced, ours will be hand built. The Hulme CanAm will be similar in quality, numbers built etc with Pagani, but completely different in looks
Would you need racing experience to drive the CanAm or could a granny go straight from her Honda Civic to the CanAm?
With 600hp+ and weighing less than 1000kg it is a driver's car, But very tractable. The granny could drive it easily, But not at high speed
What's the best music to drive to?
None: When driving out of town, I need to focus 100% and do not listen to music or talk. In town, driving slowly, I listen to Classic Hits and Rhema
• See the CanAm
The Hulme CanAm will be on show at GWD Holden on Friday (February 20) from 12.30pm to 4.30pm, and will be at Teretonga Park for this weekend's SpeedFest
