AutoX Automotive Festival - Dates Announced

[AutoX]

23rd & 24th February will see Canterbury Rugby League Park transformed into the biggest automotive festival to hit the country. With AutoX in its third year now and the ever expanding interest in the event, AutoX has a massive show in store!

The rain-out last time was a disappointment for us all, so the team at AutoX has planned for some major changes to ensure weather isn’t an issue again. The first aid in the fight with the climate is the move to the sunny month of February, and expanding the festival over two days will give us twice as much sun to get it right and allow for more attractions, more excitement and more spectators.

The festival will kick off on Saturday morning with the old favourites like FMX, Car Show, RC Racing, Swimsuit Comp and Motorbikes, as well as some exciting new features which are sure to gain a massive interest throughout the city.

One of the new features of AutoX, which is sure to draw a big crowd, will be the introduction of DriftX. NZ’s top drifters will face off in the first rounds of the DriftX Car-park Battle Series. Drifting is sweeping the world by storm and AutoX will be taking the sport to a whole new level, in typical Full Throttle fashion with more nose to tail action than a dog in heat and this will be complemented by go-kart racing and car park motard racing.

AutoX has also been fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to host the first official "South Island Motorcycle Expo" - an area designated to the innovation and beauty of American, Japanese and European motorcycles and represented by NZ's leading motorcycle manufacturers.

Being focussed on attracting a broader range of spectators, AutoX will bring more diversity to the show than has been seen before, including a vast range of boats and toys like Hi-fi, fishing tackle, hunting gear and sports equipment. The car show has also been expanded to include more exotics, new models and classics. The latest in hybrid vehicle technology will be showcased with a test circuit in the Westpac Arena car-park allowing for those who are serious about the environment to get behind the wheel and some incentives to attract the yet to be seen Hotrod community would see the venue bursting at the seams.

For exhibitors at AutoX 08 it is all about new innovations, creating the opportunity for visitors to get up close and personal with their products and making sales, but for most its about increasing company profile and brand exposure. Fully aware of the importance of exhibitors at AutoX, the plans have been made to increase the comfort and enjoyment of those involved by including a dedicated staff & exhibitor area with food and beverage facilities, and a special challenge which will have exhibitors facing off for the prized bar tab up for grabs at the AutoX Fuelling Station.

On Saturday evening, as the exhibitors close up, and the action subsides, the fun will be just beginning at the AutoX Fuelling Station, with the beginning of Rockfest. Five hours of live music will have hundreds rocking into the early hours, with the company of the beautiful Jim Beam Party Crew, and Jim Beam specials on the hour, every hour.

Day 2 will cater to the families, with skydivers, bouncy castle and face-painting for the kids, not to mention some of the biggest and best carnival rides around and a number of entertainers including fire-breather, man of stone and Big Boots The Clown. Sunday will also feature the finals to all disciplines which no one will want to miss.

AutoX 2008 will be marketed nationally, on a scale like never before. This in addition to the reduced ticket price of $15 and expansion over two days will mean an overwhelming number of spectators are bound to attend and exceed previous counts significantly.

[BWDOWN]

4 and Rotary southern champs are 2 weeks after this.. will be interesting to see how many showcars and traders show up..

[AutoX]

We're not too worried - we put on a pretty good show. Have you been to AutoX before?

[BWDOWN]

Yes, 1st year and on that and photos from last years I wont be going back. Would be a lot better having it indoors at westpac trust and using the outside area just as 4 & Rotary does.. Maybe an idea for 2009

[Trivium]

I went first year, wasnt impressed...2nd year was ok but still not up to the 4nR standard

Sucks my civic got taken, I might have entered it for shits and giggles

[AutoX]

Yea we haven't had much luck with the weather - that's why we are going two days this time so we have twice the chance of getting a good day. We've got more entertainment than any other show and making improvements every year so don't rule out going in 2008. Westpac might be on the cards for 2009.

[XPLOIT]

Originally Posted by Trivium

I went first year, wasnt impressed...2nd year was ok but still not up to the 4nR standard

Sucks my civic got taken, I might have entered it for shits and giggles

My car was in there last time, mainly for sound off purposes though.

[AutoX]

Hence the reason we've stepped up to the mark this year going bigger and better again

So, we're running a deal for the car clubs this year.

Entry per person is $20 - this covers your entry to both days of the show, plus the rockfest featuring Atlas on Saturday night. Your car gets in for free.

Here's the deal - if a club can get in 10 cars as part of their stand, we're giving a $200 bar tab back to the entrants for the Saturday night.

The cars will need to be pre-approved, no bringing in the daily driver just to make up numbers

Anyone interested in entering can contact me through here, email mark@autox.co.nz, or contact me on my cell 027-452-2657. Entries can also be put through via the autox website, put your club name at the start of the comments section if you're wanting to go in a club stand.

Be good to see what you guys can come up with! We've got plenty of space, and we've got some wicked prizes for the best club stand. Yes it's outdoors, but that just means you need to be a bit more creative

We've got drifting on in the carpark, the burnout pad is bigger than last year once again, we've got events on all day so you won't sit around. Try to find anywhere else you can get a full weekends entertainment for $20 - including putting your car in the show

[XPLOIT]

I would be keen to be part of 10.... Any other locals?

[VTAKYO]

Originally Posted by XPLOIT

I would be keen to be part of 10.... Any other locals?

I'll talk to you on MSN or something regarding this.

[LOWXTC]

ah would all depends for me if i don't get crashed into again or the next time i drive it doesn't brake down. Like now.

[Trivium]

fucking car thieves...

[Cyclone21]

Are you guys actually going to have decent security this time?

I was totally disapointed by the amount of drunken people fighting and lack of security at previous events..

Who are the top drifters that are coming and what carpark are you using to drift in?

[LOWXTC]

yeah the 1st year security was poor, i remember sitting on the stand and filming this fight about 20 metres away, they were pretty close to the cars as well, some poor persons car could of got bottled or dented, even though one of the guys in the fight who was asked to leave kicked a mag warehouse/mag and turbo promo 4wd on the way out, security was just walking behind him not holding/beside him.

[Cyclone21]

Do you have that on film LOWXTC? Classic

Me and my mates were the ones that broke those muppets fighting by the spa pools with the "bikini comp girls" in them while security did nothing!!

I'm all for car events and giving people legal places to do things with their cars, but when you mixing it with alcohol you need some real security in place.

[LOWXTC]

yea i do somewhere, including that guy who couldn't pull the ute with rope and nearly got run over, i get alot of good things on film :wink: