LAMBORGHINI, Porsche, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lotus, and TVR will be leading a line-up of the world's greatest supercars at one of the North-East's biggest celebrations of horsepower and performance this weekend.

The country's leading exhibition for performance cars returns to Newcastle for the third successive year and more than 30,000 visitors are expected to visit the Telewest Arena to see a mouth-watering line-up of dream machines.

This year's event sees an exciting new addition to the line-up - motorcycles.

The two-wheel section of the show, Superbikes 2001, will see stands devoted to Kawasaki, Aprilia, Ducati, Triumph and MV Augusta - the Italian marque that's planning a big time comeback.

MV took the legendary racer, Giacomo Agostini, to 13 of his 15 world championship titles.

Yet the company made its last road bike in 1978. MV used to specialise in high performance four stroke machines but found its markets under siege from the Japanese and, unable to compete, pulled out of production altogether.

The marque did fade away during the late seventies, only to be resurrected in the mid-1990s by the F4.

The F4S is a 750cc technological tour de force that shares much in common with superbikes competing in world championship road racing.

Drivers will be clamoring for their first glimpse of Jaguar's new baby - the X Type.

Wearside motors group Reg Vardy will be giving the smart new car its regional launch at the event.

Reg Vardy General Manager Martin Shaw said: "We are delighted to be bringing Jaguar to the show. The North-East has seen a steady increase in the level of sales of Jaguar cars and it gives the marque a wonderful opportunity to display its latest offering.

"As a company, we had a magnificent response from the public at last year's show, and we are expecting more of the same this time thanks to the interest in the new X-type."

Racing fans will be well catered for, with a range of cars from the World Rally Championship and Touring Car Championship.

Inside the Telewest Arena, many of the region's car firms will be represented, giving spectators the chance to study up-close some of the latest models. There will be manufacturers exhibits, film shows and family attractions.

Show organiser Colin Caygill said: "Following the amazing success of last year's show, which attracted almost 14,000 visitors and saw sales in excess of £1m, we are expecting to break more records this year."

One of the most spectacular parts of the show will be the displays by stuntdriver Terry Grant, and motorbike rider Dave Coates.

Terry holds several world records, featured in the Guinness Book of Records, and he has promised have a go at breaking one or more of them - or even setting a new one.