The Great Kiwi Home and Living Show at Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium next weekend will host a motoring and boating zone that will have a particularly special car on display.
Dunedin-based Hulme Supercars Limited project co-ordinator Jock Freemantle will be bringing the Hulme Supercar along for ‘‘the first time it has been exposed in Dunedin for a long time'', he said.
Named in honour of New Zealand's only Formula One world champion, Denny Hulme, the Hulme Supercar concept is a high performance mid-engined road car that gives the excitement of driving a Formula One car on the road.
It has been a centrepiece at car shows and events in England, Shanghai, Dubai and Kuwait and was the only Australasian car invited to participate in the prestigious Goodwood Festival of Speed this year.
Freemantle said it has been a 12- to 14-year project and the ‘‘two-seater, side by side, Formula One car'' produces 750hp courtesy of its supercharged titanium Chev V8 engine.
Funded by about 120 New Zealand investors, the Hulme Supercar is a ‘‘really special car'', Mr Freemantle said.
The public will also have the opportunity to check the latest vehicle and boat offerings all in one place at the show. Stretching the length and width of the Otago Daily Times stand at the stadium, the nine displays will cover everything from motorcycles and new vehicles to boats and jet skis. Local franchise experts will be on hand to talk about what they have to offer.
Armstrong Motor Group will be displaying models from across its range, which include its main brands Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Volvo, Jeep and Fiat.
Brand marketing specialist Caroline Pope said there would be prizes available and some ‘‘fun activities and giveaways on the day''.
It would be a relaxed environment in which people could chat to a salesperson about the vehicles, she said.
Auto Court owner Nelson Cottle said all their cars at the show will be ‘‘purely electric''.
The Nissan Leaf and Nissan's electric van, the e-NV200, will definitely make an appearance, along with whatever other models are in stock come next weekend. Carbase solely stocks Kia and will display the new Sportage, Rio and Soul models. Owner Neil Videler described the show as an ‘‘exciting new concept'' and said he was passionate about the stadium as a venue and Kia as a marque.
Honda manager Craig Brook said the Dunedin dealership would be covering the brand's range in its display.
The new award-winning Honda Civic will be joined by Honda's SUV model the HR-V, and also its smaller car option, the Honda Jazz.
Stephen Duff Mitsubishi will be focusing on its family-friendly vehicles the Lancer, Mirage, ASX and Outlander.Cooke Howlison has three franchises displaying vehicles.
Cooke Howlison Holden, which is the sponsor of the Man Cave versus She Shed promotion, will be displaying the new Holden Colorado and other vehicles from across the new-car range and possibly some not-before seen special editions.
Cooke Howlison Toyota plans to show favourites from the Toyota range, including the Hilux, RAV4 and all-new Hybrid Corolla, while Cooke Howlison Hyundai will be showing the best of the big - and small - car ranges, including the i30 and the Tucson.
In the motorbike section, the national Kawasaki franchise has asked Dunedin's Moto Xtreme Kawasaki to take along some of its new models.
Owner Kevin Dougherty said the Kawasaki Ninja H2 was sure to draw a crowd. The supercharged supersport machine is the most powerful production motorcycle on the market and is a ‘‘pretty out there bike'', he said.
Kawasaki has also got water sports covered through Otago Personal Watercraft, which will be displaying the brand's jet skis.
There will be two versions of the Kawasaki Ultra LX, as well as the STX-15F model. Owner Steve Amande said the Kawasakis were large, stable, four-stroke jet skis, which were ‘‘good for towing water skiers, touring and fishing''.
Read Marine will also be at the show and plans to have its Sea-Doo personal watercraft on display, along with Stabicraft and Fi-Glass boats.
Employee Richard Warrington said there will also be a retail area available, selling life jackets, water toys and a desalting product.
Milton-based company McLay Boats is going to bring along some of its brand-new 2016 models.
They will include the 701 Gen 2 hard-top 7m boat, the 651 CrossXover hard top and the 591 Sportsman.
- The Great Kiwi Home and Living Show is open on Saturday, November 5, from 10am to 7pm and Sunday, November 6, from 10am to 4pm at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
