Cappuchino takes on Gumboot Rally
WE TAKE ON THE GUMBOOT RALLY AND 800KM OF THE BEST ROADS IN NEW ZEALAND
It was a series of circumstances almost too weird to believe. There we were, cocooned in a motorised Japanese shoe-box. Stones from the loose-gravel surface pinging the insides of the guards like an automotive ‘popping candy’, the rear kicking out every once in a while to break the tension.
And holding us up was a Bowler Tomcat — a British off-road juggernaut with the face of a Land Rover Defender, a snarling Rover V8 heart, and about 50 times more credibility in this harsh environment.
“That’s Gumboot,” they’d say. Eminently quotable, thoroughly addictive, Gumboot Rally is into its fifth year — a motoring scavenger hunt anchored around driving some of NZ’s most satisfying and obscure ribbons of bitumen.
It started five years ago between a few mates. There are two of these weekends a year. There were 23 cars at the first event. Five years on, there are more than 70.
And, as you’d imagine, it’s a bloody eclectic group of machines. From a Ghostbusters-themed Lada, to an old Kingswood, a swathe of German hot hatches, and a Toyota Yaris that was a rental car with stickers.
Then there’s what we drove. I was invited to take part by Sam Thomson; a friend through the traps of motorsport who owns ‘a little gem’. It’s a 1995 Suzuki Cappuccino; a rear-wheel drive
660cc turbocharged threecylinder ‘Kei car’.
The Cappuccino was a product of Japan’s bubble-car boom of the
80s and 90s, when the industry was floating on a cloud of success and producing all sorts of stupidly over-engineered performance and luxury car passion projects.
I’ve driven Sam’s Suzuki before, but there’s a difference between tootling around the city and tackling a huge cross-country hoon.
And, they’re off . . .
The roads of Gumboot change every event. This time, we started at the Classics Museum in Hamilton, travelling south through a multi-choice route to New Plymouth, before driving to Taupo on Sunday for the flying finish.
Before someone scribes a clench-fisted letter about ‘terrorising the streets’, know that Gumboot isn’t a ‘race’. There is no stop-watch, no chequered flag, and stern words for anyone who dares to take the piss out of the speed limit.
The winner would be the combination who completed the scavenger hunt best, with prizes also for the best theme and the most colourful tales of rallying woe.
The Cappuccino quickly established itself as somehow the best and the worst car for spirited long-distance jaunts.
On the plus side it’s one of the most involving driver’s experiences money can buy; a mixture of the original Mini’s charm and proportion, and the bona fide handling chops of a Mazda MX-5.
On the downside, it’s tiny — 7mm narrower than an original Mini, with two less seats.
Saturday’s route strayed rather wildly from the typical State Highway 39 norm. Instead we travelled via a labyrinth of twisty roads through Owhiro, Taharoa, and Te Anga.
It was here that we got acquainted with the Bowler on dusty gravel. A quick car-swap followed, the Cappuccino getting temporarily traded for an Imola Yellow first-generation Audi S3 (car owner Duncan wanting to experience the Suzuki first hand).
Tuned to 225kW and with guts pressed to the ground, the Audi was one of the most popular cars on tour — the blow-off valve sounding like Harry Potter summoning a Patronus with every throttle lift-off.
“It’s nice, but it’s no Cappuccino,” I said. By the lunch stop in Piopio, we were back in the Suzuki.
Forgotten
Sunday’s journey was shorter on paper, but included the jewel in the Gumboot crown — SH43.
Better known as the Forgotten Highway, the 150km stretch of road starts innocently enough in the sleepy town of Stratford before morphing into what’s probably the greatest piece of road in the entire country.
Etched into picturesque landscape, SH43 serves up a diet of cambered road profile, blind crests, tight hairpins, and an absence of urbanised civilisation. No takeaways and no service stations until the end.
That last bit was a slight worry for the Suzuki, given its piddly 25-litre fuel tank and the expectation of right-foot abuse. Sam assured we’d be fine, though there was comfort knowing that Duncan’s Audi packed extra petrol in case we came a cropper.
The first phase of running saw Sam at the controls following one of the organisers, Mikey, and his KP60 Toyota Starlet. It might’ve looked ‘rustic’, but Mikey knew the roads, and we needed to use all of the Cappuccino’s 9000rpm to maintain chase.
The beauty to New Zealand’s best roads of course is that many of them allow drivers to experience their car’s capabilities safely. After a laughter-filled ride tracking Mikey, we pulled off and joined a pair of Mazdas; a maligned but underrated MX-6 and an NC MX-5 that appeared to be fuelled by vape judging by the plumes of sugar-scented vapour leaking into our car during the chase.
Apart from some rampant rear type-rubbing on day one, the Cappuccino was a faultless companion; out-cornering all sorts of far more powerful cars — cocking a wheel or two on the way — as the rally drew to a close.
We scored dismally in the scavenger hunt, but ultimately the spirit of Gumboot is one of camaraderie and passion for driving.
Little wonder that so many participants return for more; a stat that I’ll gladly be part of.
To learn more about the Gumboot Rally visit gumbootrally.com or find them on Facebook.