We attended the inaugural SA Festival of Motoring at the new-look Kyalami race track and while not every car manufacturer was represented at the show, we were impressed by 5 stand-out cars.
BMW M4 GTS
The ultimate BMW M4 has landed in South Africa and this high-performance vehicle is essentially a road-legal race car. 700 units have been built and the South African market has been allocated just 23 vehicles. It's a stripped-out and more powerful version of the BMW M4, and it features outputs of 368 kW and 600 Nm. We were exceptionally fortunate enough to drive a few laps around the new-look Kyalami circuit, but didn't push our luck as the vehicle we were piloting has been pre-sold to a customer. All 23 BMW M4 GTS vehicles have been accounted for and BMW SA invited customers to buy the cars to maintain exclusivity and to prevent dealers buying and then reselling with exorbitant mark-ups. It's savagely fast, loud and completely at home on a track, and it's a vehicle that we wish we could have had more time with. Priced from R2 203 900.
Read a first drive of the BMW M4 GTS here.
Mercedes-AMG GT GT3
Mercedes-AMG unleashed its performance arsenal on the Kyalami facility and this included a specially-flown-in AMG GT GT3 racecar. This machine competes in the Blancpain Series in Europe and, for the Festival of Motoring, was piloted by former F1 pilot and TV commentator David Coulthard. We were fortunate enough to ride shotgun in this racecar for a few laps and its performance left us breathless. At one stage we hit over 250 kph on the main straight, only to brake hard to 100 kph for the first corner and the G-forces were incredible. It's amazing how hot, cramped and uncomfortable a race car can be.
Read a review of the regular AMG GT here
Jaguar F-TYPE SVR
Sadly we didn't get to experience this product, or even hear it rev, but the concept behind the F-TYPE SVR is an exciting one. Take the already fearsome F-TYPE R and add more power plus some suspension and aerodynamic upgrades. The result is the fastest Jaguar to go on sale in South Africa. It offers 423 kW and 700 Nm, making it one of the most powerful vehicles to hit the market in recent years. Only hardcore supercars offer more performance. It's priced from R2 134 100.
Read more about the Jaguar F-Type SVR here
Porsche 919 and 918
Porsche showcased the Le Mans-winning 919 race car as well as the fearsome 918 hypercar at its stand. Both cars promise exhilarating performance from engines packed with hybrid technology.
Read more about the Porsche 918 here.
Nissan GTR
The next-generation Nissan GTR was unveiled to the public and it promises more power and technology compared to the outgoing model. The cabin has received some upgrades and the vehicle is claimed to be more comfortable as an everyday from of transport. In terms of pricing, you're looking at R1 950 000 for the Premium Edition and R2 050 000 for the Black Edition. At this price, the Nissan GTR is still one of the best bang-for-buck supercars on sale.
Read more information on the Nissan GTR here
