Hulme Can Am Spyder

It’s ludicrously expensive, but for something from a country with zero supercar experience, the Hulme shows genuine promise. The company has lots of detail changes in mind before the car proceeds to production, but on the basis of this drive we’d say it is heading very much in the right direction. The Hulme is a credit to New Zealand ambition and skill and will be a welcome addition to the supercar club. 

“Wow! What is it?” It’s the umpteenth time we’ve been asked in an hour. Jock Freemantle, managing director of the fledgling car company that built it, explains patiently. It’s exactly the reaction he wants this car to provoke.

It’s called the Hulme, and it’s an all-carbon fibre roadster with a mid-mounted, 600bhp V8 – New Zealand’s first entry into the supercar market. Older readers will probably guess that it’s named after New Zealand’s only Formula One world champion, the late Denny Hulme.

The original model was a coupé called the F1 and this, the second prototype, is the Can Am Spyder. Now the roof has been removed, the supercar looks like a cross between the Caparo T1 and Lotus 340R. It’s wide and long, but it’s a real lightweight – the target is 980kg, which makes it not much heavier than Lotus’ Exige.

This prototype has a 600bhp Chevrolet LS7 engine, but the production model will feature the newer, lower-emissions LS9 V8 with a supercharger and 700bhp. The aim is European low volume approval, which will allow the car to be sold in most countries apart from the US and, ironically, Australia.

Freemantle is keen to point out this car is a dynamic prototype and that the quality of fit and finish is not representative of what Hulme is aiming for. The firm has employed, wherever possible, skills available in New Zealand, such as carbon fibre construction (from design and build of America’s Cup yachts) and outsourced what else it needs – hence the huge AP Racing brakes, Koni dampers and that off-the-shelf Chevy V8.

To get in, you slide on to the sill, swing one leg in at a time, and then drop yourself into the seat. Press the start button and the V8 fires with a deep and smooth rumble. The gearshift on a mid-engined car can often let it down, but this one feels direct and positive, and it’s a doddle to get the Hulme rolling thanks to the easy clutch action and an abundance of torque.

The steering is direct and feels sensitive initially. “We wanted an F1-style experience,” says Freemantle, adding that on the finished car, the steering wheel will carry most of the switchgear. The suspension is nicely supple on lumpy British A-roads, with an underlying firmness, and the car is solid and confident. Give the throttle a decent prod in any gear and the instant thump in the back is almost as shocking as the sudden bellow that comes with it.

Low weight and big, big power is a delicious combination.