Hulme CanAm supercar hits the road after launch party

Jock Freemantle, the 68-year-old Kiwi behind the Hulme CanAm, sent us an e-mail about last week's official unveiling of the supercar.  Freemantle was joined by scores of people, including Auckland Mayor John Banks, racecar driver Kenny Smith, vehicle engineers, and other excited supporters.

We first told you about the 600 horsepower Hulme CanAm back in February.  Named after Kiwi F1 Champ Denny Hulme, the car uses Chevrolet's 7.0-liter V8 which produces a maximum of 600 Nm of torque.  Freemantle's two-seater supercar has a top speed believed to be between 300 (186.4mph) and 320 km/h (198.8mph), and looks like it can haul ass around a racing circuit.

Five party attendees won the chance to be whipped around during a speed lap, but rainy weather meant the laps had to be postponed.  To date, the vehicle has been tested on five different New Zealand circuits, and has also been driven around New Zealand.  The day after the party, Freemantle took Mayor John Banks for a ride over the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

At US$700,000, the price could be the biggest deterrent in purchasing the car.  But we wish these upstarts the best of luck, as they try to bring their supercar to market in Europe and the Middle East.