Wild rides and toys for boys

Big Boys Toys show is back in Auckland this weekend Photo / Supplied

We all know that proper big boys' toys have four wheels and scare environmentalists.

The show that blokes know and love kicks off on Friday, out to convince them there's more to life than cars. While Driven stays pretty focused on the horsepower corner, there's plenty more on offer at Big Boys Toys.

One of the madder products is the Flyboard-X - essentially a pair of jet-powered boots (water jets, sorry wannabe Iron Man) that can propel the user high into the air or underwater.

A pool has been specially dug at ASB Showgrounds to accommodate the latest in extreme watercraft and from online video and photos that we've seen, it should be pretty spectacular.

Also likely to impress are a couple of fighter jets belonging to Auckland businessman Manfred Bennett - the Russian Mig21 and Polish Iskra are a far cry from the balsa-wood model F16s that our Air Force has been left with. The flight sims that showgoers will be able to play are definitely the real deal. Bennett's flight simulator business will be expanding in the near future to add car simulators as well.

Motorised mayhem will be on offer in the Action Arena, with some of the best freestyle MX riders joining local hero Luke Smith and stunt drivers doing their craziest stunts.

The so-called Megaramp (technically just a very large ramp) will fire BMX riders into the air, including Jed Mildon, who landed the first triple backflip last year. Four-wheel machinery on display will include Holden's new Volt extended range hybrid, which has been touring New Zealand over recent weeks, and daredevil Eddie Freeman's Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera.

Giltrap Group promises to bring plenty of big power machinery, including more Lambos, Aston Martins and Porsches, or - for those who like to go stupidly fast in total comfort - the Bentley Continental R.

Although it's this quality machinery that we're really going for, a game of giant pool - as seen on the Mother energy drink telly ads - will be dug in for the duration, giving pool sharks a chance to win prizes in a very, very big way.