Power and performance come in all shapes and sizes, from high-end supercars to hot hatchbacks, high-performance sedans to beefy muscle cars – and everything in between. Equally, the source of that power is now more diverse than ever, with the venerable internal combustion engine being supplemented by hybrid batteries and electric motors, through to fully electric vehicles that are reshaping our concept of energy consumption and instant performance.
The ever-changing automotive landscape is reflected in Class A of the King of the Hill at the Simola Hillclimb, which caters for standard production road cars and supercars. Last year, Mercedes-AMG’s mighty GT 63 S E Performance unleashed its massive 600 kW and 1 420 Nm of torque on the Simola Hill courtesy of its hybrid-assisted 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 and all-wheel drive, with AMG Experience lead instructor Clint Weston behind the wheel. This was the car’s high-profile South African debut, and it launched into the record books as the event’s first hybrid-powered King of the Hill winner. This dynamic pairing will be back to defend the Road Car and Supercar title at this year’s 16th edition of the Simola Hillclimb.
Competing in class A8 for hybrid and electric vehicles, Weston and Mercedes-AMG will face off against another formidable German combination. Highly experienced international BMW factory racing driver and brand ambassador Jens Klingmann is heading to the Simola Hillclimb to compete in the latest-generation M5, courtesy of BMW South Africa. Powered by a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 and a plug-in hybrid system, the M5 produces a combined 535 kW and 1 000 Nm of torque, which is delivered through all four wheels. It will be an enthralling battle as these two giants of the performance car industry go head-to-head, and the battle between Weston and Klingmann plays out on the 1.9 km Simola Hill course.
Class A8 will also feature three electric vehicles this year, and a trend-setting hybrid pick-up. Stellantis South Africa has entered its sporty Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce – a 206 kW compact crossover that will be driven by Trevor Tuck, a classic Alfa Romeo specialist and multiple Classic Car Friday class winner. This will be Tuck’s first outing in King of the Hill, and in an electric vehicle.
James Temple is also making the switch to an EV in place of the supercharged V8 muscle he is used to in the Shelby Super Snake. As part of the Lindenberg Racing squad, he is set to drive the 160 kW Deepal S07 – an electric coupé-SUV produced by Chinese manufacturer Changan. Temple will be joined by Paige Lindenberg, who is competing in the 200 kW Changan Hunter K50 REEV, which is claimed to be the world’s first range-extended EV bakkie. They are joined in the class by British driver Robert Davies in the all-electric 160 kW MINI Cooper SE.
American muscle versus supercar agility
In class A7 for turbocharged or supercharged cars with eight cylinders and above, it will be a fascinating test between the brawn of pure American muscle and the best of Ferrari and McLaren. The Shelby line-up of five supercharged Mustang Super Snakes comprises drivers Paul Malatji, Joshua O’Callaghan, Fernando Voges, Deon Smit and Anton Pommersheim. They will compete for class honours against the rapid and agile supercar duo of Garth Mackintosh, who has been a consistent part of the Simola Hillclimb for many years in his 2017 McLaren 720s, and Ivan Maistry in a Ferrari 488 GTB from the same year.
The entries for the naturally-aspirated machines in classes A5 and A6 have been combined, and comprise three other familiar names – Gordon Nicholson in his 2017 Audi R8 V10 Plus, Shiraz Bawa in the V10-powered 2005 E60 BMW M5, and MasterDrive’s Eugene Herbert, who is competing in a Porsche 981 Boxster GTS this year.
BMW’s Cristiano Verolini returns in the very quick BMW M4 Competition after taking the class A4 win in 2025 for all-wheel drive cars up to six cylinders. He was an impressive second overall in the King of the Hill Top10 Shootout, less than 0.7 sec behind overall winner Weston. This year, Verolini will be competing for class honours against the Mercedes-Benz South Africa entry of Courtney Nicholl in the AMG CLE 53, along with the older cars of Andrew Evans (2014 Nissan R35 GT-R) and Pierre de Waal (2002 Porsche 911 Turbo).
Classes A2 and A3 have been merged, with a diverse line-up guaranteed to enthral the spectators. Leyton Fourie has his sights set on back-to-back class wins in the official BMW M2 entry, after finishing fourth overall last year. He will be up against the BMW-powered Toyota Supras driven by Farhaad Ebrahim, Paul Munro and Brent Watts, and the Stellantis-backed Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio entry of Art Denisov, who owns The Mother City Car Company in Cape Town. Ian Kilbride spices things up further with the lively 2022 Toyota GR Yaris.
Guy Davies, who is a paraplegic after suffering a back injury, is returning for his second Simola Hillclimb this year after thoroughly enjoying his first outing in 2025 where he finished third in class A3. He will be driving his much-loved 2018 Porsche 911 Carrera, which he purchased new and has covered well over 200 000 km to date using the adapted hand controls. As a disability and access consultant, Davies is the embodiment of overcoming adversity with determination and tenacity.
Class A1 for two-wheel drive four-cylinder cars may be home to some of the smallest cars in the field, but it’s going to be big on competition. Tier 1 Manufacturer Suzuki is expanding its media challenge to four cars this year, as motoring journalists and influencers go head-to-head for bragging rights. Avon Middleton, Ziphorah Masethe, Samuel da Fonseca and Yolanda Girlie Lukhele will battle it out in identical 1.2-litre three-cylinder Suzuki Swift GLs.
Tier 2 Manufacturer Volkswagen has entered a pair of new Golf GTI 8.5s, which will be driven by Rory Atkinson, the 2025 Astron Energy Polo Cup champion, and Matt Merton, who runs the Volkswagen Advanced Driving facility at Zwartkops Raceway. The class has further manufacturer involvement as Ronaldo Verolini takes up the challenge in the MINI John Cooper Works.
MasterDrive continues its long-standing participation in the Simola Hillclimb, as well as promoting driver development. The MasterDrive Driver Search competition has produced two winners for this year’s event – Suhaa Jacobs and Umar Dhansay, both competing in Suzuki Swift Sports. They are joined by MasterDrive’s Gino Nourse in a Ford Focus ST.
The 16th edition of the Simola Hillclimb takes place from 30 April to 3 May 2026.
For more information and ticket sales, visit the website: www.simolahillclimb.com
Published by: Colin Mileman
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