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2017 Jaguar Simola Hillclimb about to kick into gear

3 May 2017

The annual motorsport extravaganza, the 2017 Jaguar Simola Hillclimb, kicks into gear in Knysna this weekend from 5-7 May 2017.

2017 Jaguar Simola Hillclimb about to kick into gear

The on-track action gets underway on Friday with Classic Car Friday, featuring 64 entries spanning a total of 58 years of motoring and motor racing pedigree – along with some of the most iconic names in the automotive business.

This year’s edition of Classic Car Friday will see the iconic Jaguar XJ-S make a return to racing. With its instantly recognisable TWR replica livery, this specially prepared XJ-S hopes to evoke fond memories among Jaguar fans and racing fanatics at the sound of its V12 engine. It will be driven by American racing champ Randy Pobst, who is also participating in the King of the Hill event in a mighty Jaguar F-TYPE SVR, with a 423kW supercharged V8.

King of the Hill

King of the Hill (KOTH) takes place on Saturday and Sunday, with the 84-car entry list comprising everything from purpose-built Hillclimb monsters with up to 1,500hp (over 1,100 kW) on tap to specialised lightweight single-seater race cars, exotic supercars and stunning road cars. There are three King of the Hill titles and Jody trophies up for grabs across the various categories.

The Nissan GT-R also returns to Knysna to defend its supercar crown and fight for two of the three new King of the Hill titles. No less than 12 Nissans will compete in the various production, modified and supercar classes. Of these, 10 are GT-Rs from different areas and in different stages of tune.

“The fact that so many people have chosen the GT-R to race at Simola and that no single GT-R is alike, is a testament to the car’s engineering brilliance. Some of the GT-R models are driven to the race, and then on the hill, with 95 octane fuel and standard road-going tyres. Other GT-Rs violently shred the tar with more than 1 500 kW of power,” says Xavier Gobille, director for sales, marketing and aftersales at Nissan Group of Africa.

Says international racer and past winner of the Motorsportsman of the Year, Jaki Scheckter: “Last year we managed to beat all the European contenders with a MY15 model, so we have high hopes of retaining of KOTH title with the new GT-R. The extra power and better mid-range torque will certainly help and since it is a Black Edition, the Recaro seats are a definite boon.”

Aside from the cars, fans will be treated to some of South Africa’s most famous drivers gracing this year’s event, along with a strong contingent of international competitors from Inde Motorsports Ranch in the US as one of the many highlights.