Cape Town - The 2017 Killarney Motor Show on Sunday 15 October 15 is shaping up to be an all-action affair, including a rather macabre exhibition by a monster truck that travels on chest-high wheels and has tyres that are almost a metre wide - as it demolishes a small fleet of cars.
There will also be parades of genuine vintage and classic cars as well as fleets of hot rods that, while based on models from manufacturers such as Ford and General Motors, have been completed by their owners in a far more imaginative and often artistic manner. However, to the uninitiated viewer, they sometimes come across as being plain wacky!
Then, for those who prefer the way it is today, the show will also feature a range of new cars and light commercial vehicles, as well as motorcycles and scooters of all capacities. A section of the circuit is being set aside for test drives of any of the two or four-wheelers - provided a booking is made in time.
Tiny off-roader from Italy
Fiat will feature its refreshed Panda including, for the first time in almost a decade, all-wheel drive 4x4 and Cross versions. These represent a change from the front-wheel-drive Easy and Lounge versions of a few years ago.
While the Panda remains a city car, the new all-wheel drive versions offer an off-road capability that was not previously available. This is going to be particularly useful for exploring all the magnificent coastal hideaways here in the Western Cape.
Twin-Air
But two wheels or four, it's what's driving them that catches the imagination. Because while the engine is a tiny two-cylinder 875cc turbocharged petrol unit, it's the power it develops that's important. And this starts with a 63kW/120Nm unit, moving up to 66kW/120Nm of torque in the top-spec Cross.
The exhaust note is a pleasant throaty surprise for any first-time driver who may be expecting to hear a twin-cylinder thumper. Engine power apart, it's a relatively lightweight unit with a power-to-weight ratio that helps it offer muscular performance, assisted by a five-speed manual gearbox in the basic unit or a six-speed manual in the 4x4 and Cross models.
As far as the other manufacturers are concerned, Jaguar and Land Rover have an exciting exhibition planned, while almost every other brand name will be present.