Stellar line-up of exciting road cars and supercars for King of the Hill

KNYSNA NEWS - It’s the stuff dreams are made of – the allure of high-performance road cars of all shapes, sizes and prices being driven flat-out in the search for glory.

This is what fans can look forward to when the competitors in the category for standard production cars and supercars go head-to-head for their respective class titles and the King of the Hill crown at this year’s 15^th edition of the Simola Hillclimb.

The pre-event action commences on Friday 2 May with the vehicles undergoing scrutineering during the day in Knysna, followed by the late-afternoon parade along the town’s Waterfront Drive which delivers plenty of tyre-smoking thrills for spectators.

Then the battle gets underway on Saturday 3 May, starting with four practice sessions followed by three qualifying rounds.

On Sunday the excitement and intensity ramps up with the final three qualifying runs, with the best times defining the top three competitors in each class that go through to the Class Finals.

The top 10 qualifiers ultimately battle it out in the highlight of the entire weekend – the all-or-nothing Top 10 Shootout on Sunday afternoon to determine who will be crowned King of the Hill in the Road Car and Supercar category.

With all of the cars required to be standard showroom specification with no modifications – including road-legal tyres – it ensures a level playing field and is the most relatable of the categories at the Simola Hillclimb.

“We have had keen interest from numerous vehicle manufacturers once again this year, and are delighted that several of these brands are using the Simola Hillclimb to debut exciting new cars at this event,” says Geoff Goddard, the Simola Hillclimb sporting director.

With a focus on technology and innovation, Mercedes-Benz is back for the third consecutive year, this time unveiling its new Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance for the first time in South Africa.

This mighty two-door coupé is powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 in combination with a hybrid system that delivers a whopping 600 kW of power and 1 420 Nm torque output.

AMG Driving Academy head Clint Weston will be behind the wheel, and if his on-the-ragged edge driving last year in the four-door GT 63 S E Performance is anything to go by, fans will be treated to spectacular action yet again up the challenging 1.9 km Simola Hill course.

Weston will no doubt be one of the top contenders for the King of the Hill title again this year, and will have his eye on beating JP van der Walt’s current record and winning time of 42.935 seconds from 2024. The four-time champion isn’t competing this year, so a new King of the Hill winner is set to be crowned.

Also from the Mercedes-AMG stable in class A8 for hybrids and electric vehicles will be the new AMG GLC 63 S E Performance driven by Natalie Weston, along with Courtney Nicholl in the AMG C63 S E Performance that made its debut at last year’s event. Both cars are powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine mated to a hybrid system, delivering 500 kW of power output and 1 020 Nm of torque.

As a new entrant to the local market, MG is taking on the Simola Hillclimb to showcase its fascinating new models. Joshua Lowe will be behind the wheel of the all-electric Cyberster Roadster, which is equipped with dual electric motors that deliver a combined 375 kW and impart the car with four-wheel drive. He will be joined by Johannes Pretorious in the yet-to-be-released MG4 XPower EV.

Class A7 for turbocharged or supercharged eight-cylinder cars and above is dominated by the Shelby South Africa/Lindenberg Racing contingent of six supercharged Shelby Mustangs – five of which are Shelby Super Snake models driven by Joshua O’Callaghan, Vinesh Padayachy, Deon Smit, Paul Malatji and Paige Lindenberg. James Temple will be driving the exclusive Shelby Terlingua.

They will be going up against Eugene Herbert in his Roush supercharged Mustang, and Simola Hillclimb regular Garth Mackintosh in his McLaren 720s.

Naturally aspirated eight-cylinder cars and above in class A6 features the Ferrari 458 driven by Jon Wiliams, competing against event stalwarts Gordon Nicholson (2017 Audi R8 V10 Plus) and Shiraz Bawa (2000 BMW M5).

There are three naturally aspirated six-cylinder Porsches in A5, ranging from Dayaan Padayachey’s 2014 Cayman GTS to the 2000 911 GT3 driven by Sean Mackay and the more modern 2018 911 GT3 RS entered by Abu Bakr Omar. Ridwaan Babamia will be mixing things up in the class in a 2003 BMW M3.

BMW South Africa is officially represented in class A4 for four-wheel drive cars with the latest twin-turbo 405kW M4 Competition xDrive which will be driven by Leyton Fourie. He will be joined by Martin van Zummeren who is making the switch from the wild Modified Saloon Car category to compete in a 1997 Nissan R33 GT-R.

Jon Williams - 2012 Ferrari 458 - 2024 SHC.

Breaking boundaries

Guy Davies will make his debut as only the second physically disabled person to compete at the Simola Hillclimb, after Terry Smith’s outing in 2021. Having picked up back injuries from playing rugby, Davies had his back fused in 1987, only to have the fusion break in 1999 which damaged his spinal cord and left him as a paraplegic.

He has used this experience to become a disability and access consultant, working on both the Cape Town and Nelson Mandela Bay 2010 FIFA World Cup stadiums, as well as various bus rapid transport systems around the country.

“This will be my first competitive event of any kind in more than 25 years. I’ve been keen on competing at the Simola Hillclimb for several years but didn’t believe it would be possible due to the required safety regulations,” Davies says.

“However the Simola Hillclimb team and Motorsport South Africa have been exceptionally helpful. I just need to pass the vehicle clearance test to get out of the car in the stipulated time so I can get my racing license, which I will do as soon as my Simpson Race Hybrid S head restraint arrives, as this will work with the car’s standard seatbelts.”

Davies will be driving the Porsche 911 Carrera that he purchased in 2018. He has covered an impressive 200 000 km in the car which is completely standard other than hand controls being fitted.

“Behind the wheel I’m not disabled, and I actually have more control with my hands than I would have had with my feet,” he says. “I’m going to the Simola Hillclimb for one thing, and that’s to set a competitive time.”

Competing against Davies in class A3 for two-wheel drive force-fed cars up to six cylinders will be Cristiano Verolini in BMW South Africa’s new 353 kW M2 Competition. Ebrahim Mayat will line up in his privately entered 2023 M4 CSL, along with Paul Munro who has swapped his 2003 BMW M3 for a 2020 Toyota Supra, along with Piet Potgieter in the 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio.

With no entries in class A2 for all-wheel drive four-cylinder cars, A1 sets the scene for a tight battle between the two-wheel drive machines. Suzuki Auto South Africa will continue its long-standing support for the Simola Hillclimb as a Tier 1 OEM sponsor, and is once again fielding media entries for its small but feisty Swift hatchback.

Ernest Page will be driving the latest-generation Swift with its naturally aspirated 1.2-litre engine, while Jeanette Kok-Kritzinger will be behind the wheel of the turbocharged Swift Sport campaigned at the 2024 Simola Hillclimb.

Bradleigh Boshoff will be flying the BMW SA flag in the latest MINI John Cooper Works edition, while Stellantis South Africa is entering the fray with an Opel Corsa GS Irmscher, driven by racer Siyabonga Mankonkwana.

They will be up against Francis Cusens in a Fiat 500 Abarth, Yash Rampersad in a Porsche 718 Cayman, Andre Steenkamp in an Alfa Romeo 4C, as well as the winner of the MasterDrive Driver Search in a Ford Fiesta ST.