Following a successful driving debut at last month’s Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK, Hulme Supercars has announced it will be moving ahead with production of its Hulme F1.

The Hulme CanAm was one of just 55 invited supercars on display at the prestigious event held on the country estate of Lord March. Paul Radisich, double World Touring Car Champion, drove it up the famous Goodwood Hill in front of thousands of spectators.

After receiving interest from potential customers and experts in the Supercar industry, the decision was made to build the Hulme F1 – the concept first displayed at Goodwood in 2006.

Hulme Supercars is looking to get the car classed as a limited-production vehicle in Europe which means the supercar could be sold freely across the continent.

The Hulme supercar is named in honour of Denny Hulme, New Zealand’s only Formula One World Champion and double CanAm Champion. It’s designed to give a driving experience as close to a Formula One car as is possible for a road legal vehicle. (more…)

Ex F1 champ Jenson Button has become the first person to ever run an F1 car around Australia’s iconic Mount Panorama Bathurst circuit.

In a special event that took place in the build-up to the Australian GP, Vodafone took Button and Aussie V8 Supercar driver Craig Lowndes to Mount Panorama to have a little fun and make history. The two drivers traded laps in a 2008 McLaren MP4-23 Formula 1 car.

Button took the honours of getting on to the track first and ran five laps of the circuit he clocked in a best lap of 1:48 before coming in and giving Lowndes a turn. Lowndes, always the professional, did very well in his laps, recording a best of 1:49. Lowndes also became the first Australian to take an F1 car around Bathurst, an honour Mark Webber may have liked.

Check out a video below of the two drivers taking the F1 car around the mountain. (more…)

In less than a week, the big cheeses at F1′s governing body, the FIA could vote in a new engine for the 2013 Formula One season. This could see the end of the 2.4-litre V8s currently in use and the adoption of a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder configuration.

According to reports the smaller engine is an attempt to keep F1 aligned with the types of motors found in modern passenger vehicles and increase consumer awareness of fuel conservation.

The FIA wants to see a 50% increase in fuel efficiency, a stonking 10,000 RPM limit and will allow a combination of compound turbos and KERS to keep power output somewhere between 600 and 750 horsepower (447kW- 559kW).

It’s no surprise that some teams, owners and organisers are against the move, including full-time whingers Ferrari. F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone appears to be one of the moves staunchest critics, coming out and stating, “We have a very good engine formula. Why should we change it to something that is going to cost millions of pounds and that nobody wants and that could end up with one manufacturer getting a big advantage?”

Ecclestone may be right but F1 needs to evolve to survive. The FIA is expected to vote on the engines and other changes for the 2013 season this Friday.

There’s a special focus on automotive design on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 August, in association with the Formula One — The Great Design Race exhibition held at Wellington’s Te Papa Museum – www.tepapa.govt.nz/f1

The Hulme CanAm ‘Bear 1’ and a Formula SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) will take pride of place in Wellington Foyer, Level 2, all weekend. On Sunday, chief designer Tony Parker of Massey University, and Head of Hulme Supercars Jock Freemantle will give an informative talk about the design of ‘Bear 1’, and the students of Auckland University will give visitors the lowdown on the design of their FSAE car, and how they’re gearing up for this year’s global competition.

Joining them will be motorsport designer David Lovegrove and engineer Craig Russell for expert floortalks in the Formula One â„¢ — The Great Design Race exhibition (entry charges apply).  David Lovegrove has over 17 years experience in innovation and design.  He worked as a Mechanical Design Engineer for the Tyrrell Racing Organisation from August 1997—May 1998, where he was responsible for bodywork design and regulatory compliance, and the main interface between the Aerodynamics Department and Design Department. Craig Russell has been involved in motorsport engineering for over 20 years. He has worked in New Zealand and overseas with a wide variety of motorsport classes, including both saloon and single seaters for Formula 3 and Formula 1.

On Saturday, there’s an F1 design panel discussion at The Marae, offering a rare chance to hear some of the top designers and commentators candidly discussing their views on F1 technological developments and design rules. David Lovegrove and Craig Russell will be joined by motorsport commentator Bob McMurray and designer Tony Parker for this enlightening discussion.

The popular BA Racer simulators are back in Wellington Foyer, along with some of Kartsport New Zealand’s brand-new racing karts — and you can even enter a draw to win a ‘have a go’ ride at your local track! Visitors can get their hands dirty while experiencing the UCOL pit experience out in the Amphitheatre, Level 1, and the kids can design their own racing car and enter into Te Papa’s F1 design competition after getting tips from design experts.

The Constructors Car Club will be out on the Plaza with an array of unique sports cars and replicas, including a 1959 F1 Ferrari Dino 246. The constructors will be on hand to talk to visitors about their cars.

If you’re interesting in heading along, below is a schedule of how the weekend will break down:

SATURDAY 15 AUGUST

B A Racer simulators
Jump in the driver’s seat and experience the thrill of an F1 car at top speed!
Wellington Foyer, Level 2 | 10am-6pm, free entry.

F1 design competition
Kids of all ages — design your very own racing car! Enter it in our competition and you could win a prize for your age group.
Wellington Foyer, Level 2 | 10am—6pm, free entry.

Designer cars in the Foyer
View two innovative cars — the Hulme CanAm ‘Bear 1’ and a Formula SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) car — and meet the teams who designed them.
Wellington Foyer, Level 2 | 10am—6pm, free entry.

Karts in the Foyer
Check out some brand-new racing karts, and go in the draw to win a ‘have a go’ ride at your local track!
Wellington Foyer, Level 2 | 10am—4pm, free entry.

Constructors Car Club
Check out the array of unique sports racing cars and replicas, and chat to the enthusiasts from the Constructors Car Club who built them.
Te Papa Plaza, outside the entrance | 10am—4pm, free entry.

UCOL pit crew experience
Check out the racing pit being set up at Te Papa by the Universal College of Learning (UCOL). Then get your hands dirty and experience being part of the team!
The Amphitheatre, outside Te Papa Cafe, Level 1 | 11am—4pm, free entry.

Expert floortalks
Join a motorsport designer and an engineer and get the inside info on how F1 designs of the past have shaped the cars of today.
Visa Platinum Gallery, Level 4 | 11am—12 noon, admission charges apply.

Expert tips for young F1 designers!
Kids, hear from the experts about the features of a Formula One car, and take away tips to help you win our weekend design competition!
Wellington Foyer, Level 2 | 12.30pm—1.30pm, free entry.

The issues of F1 design — panel discussion
Find out how the elements of F1 design have evolved, and hear expert views on technology, design rules, and other topical issues in the sport today.
The Marae, Level 4 | 2.30pm—3.30pm, free entry.

SUNDAY 16 AUGUST

B A Racer simulators
Jump in the driver’s seat and experience the thrill of an F1 car at top speed!
Wellington Foyer, Level 2 | 10am—6pm, free entry.

F1 design competition
Kids of all ages — design your very own racing car! Enter it in our competition and you could win a prize for your age group.
Wellington Foyer, Level 2 | 10am—6pm, free entry.

Designer cars in the Foyer
View two innovative cars — the Hulme CanAm ‘Bear 1’ and a Formula SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) car — and meet the teams who designed them.
Wellington Foyer, Level 2 | 10am—6pm, free entry.

Karts in the Foyer
Check out some brand-new racing karts, and go in the draw to win a ‘have a go’ ride at your local track!
Wellington Foyer, Level 2 | 10am—4pm, free entry.

Constructors Car Club
Check out the array of unique sports racing cars and replicas, and chat to the enthusiasts from the Constructors Car Club who built them.
Te Papa Plaza, outside the entrance | 10am—4pm, free entry.

UCOL pit crew experience
Check out the racing pit being set up at Te Papa by the Universal College of Learning (UCOL). Then get your hands dirty and experience being part of the team!
The Amphitheatre, outside Te Papa Cafe, Level 1 | 11am—4pm, free entry.

Expert floortalks
Join a motorsport designer and an engineer and get the inside info on how F1 designs of the past have shaped the cars of today.
Visa Platinum Gallery, Level 4 | 11am—12 noon, admission charges apply.

Hulme CanAm supercar — expert talk
Get the lowdown on this high-performance road car from chief designer Tony Parker of Massey University and the Head of Hulme Supercars Jock Freemantle.
Wellington Foyer, Level 2 | 12.30pm—1.15pm, free entry.

Student racing-car designers take on the world
Hear how Auckland University students have designed and built small Formula Oneâ„¢-style racing cars, and how they’re gearing up for this year’s global competition!
Soundings Theatre, Level 2 | 1.30pm—2.30pm, free entry.

Trio at the Top (2001) documentary
An engrossing documentary showcasing the achievements of New Zealand’s three greatest F1 drivers.
Soundings Theatre, Level 2 | 3pm—4.30pm, free entry.

What made the AC Cobra iconic? Big engine, two-seater, rear-wheel drive convertible that dominated races. Iconic’s GTR looks to have got the formula sorted. With an 800+ Horsepower 420 CID (6.9-litre) Iconic-designed all-aluminum V8 it’s capable of over 200mph while only weighing 2,200 pounds. That gives a ludicrously exciting power to weight ratio of 2.75 lb/hp or 727.3hp per ton.

And it should handle much better than the original Cobra due to Formula One-derived racing suspension, and torsional rigidity approaching 80% of a typical F1 car.

It doesn’t stop there; the interior is finely crafted from jewellery-grade stainless steel, and there are 18 patents pending on various aspects of the car such as the door hinges which are milled from solid block of billet aluminium.