Road trippin’
IT was surreal. Perched seemingly undamaged on top of a hill next to the road somewhere in the Karoo, centimetres from a steep slope and with its cargo strewn like a wake behind it, was a large truck and trailer. There was no road leading up the hill, so initially the mind was baffled.
How on earth?
The truck on the hill was the topic of much speculation during the many hours spent on the road during our annual CAR Performance Shootout we eventually decided the stunned driver must have fallen asleep. This was but one of many thought-provoking incidents encountered as the CAR team spent much of November on the roads that the rest of South Africa will be hitting in numbers during the festive season. Without being too grave about the realities, let me just say this: expect the unexpected from road conditions, other road users, the weather, the wildlife and the authorities. Take it easy out there.
But back to the Shootout. For the 2012 edition, brought to you by Bridgestone and Caltex, our annual performance feature takes the shape of the ultimate road trip, with a track day thrown in for good measure right at the end. Accompanying us for the entire trip and handling driving duties at Kyalami Racetrack was none other than multiple SA track champion, Deon Joubert. Sporting a look that was last in vogue during Biblical times, Deon has not only remained sharp by practically living at Killarney Racetrack in Cape Town, but by also doing lots of stunt driving for big Hollywood productions. You can see evidence of this in the many Shootout video clips on-line at CARmag.co.za. Look out in particular for the small-car gymkhana video. Needless to say, this is a man who is already by the second corner of the so-called warm-up lap.But, which of the 12 performance machines made Deon happy? Which ones made him rub his beard. And most importantly, which car was so good that it moved him? Head to page 32 to find out. Enjoy the ride.
