Rospa International has made a name for itself among local enthusiasts by importing some of the most desirable sportscars and JDM machines into South Africa. The company is also walking-the-walk as it has its own race team.
Company founder Himal Chris Paul said: “Rospa imports these incredible cars for our clients and I am lucky to own my JDM dream car as well. We are so confident in the quality of vehicles we import that we have subjected them to the high-pressure world of motorsport.”
The KZN-based outfit made its motorsport debut at the 2024 Simola Hillclimb (SHC). The team entered this prestigious event with an R34-series Nissan GT-R in V-Spec II trim. The car, which was imported by Rospa, is owned by the company’s founder. The team claimed a class victory on its maiden outing against seasoned campaigners.
Rospa followed up its 2024 class victory in Knysna with another strong showing at the 2025 SHC. Unfortunately, technical issues prevented the car from showing its true pace. Now, the team is busy preparing for the inaugural Speed Classic.
Speed Classic is an all-new event that will take place in Cape Town on the weekend of 25-26 October 2025. The time trial will take place on a 1,8-km uphill course along Philip Kgosana (formerly De Waal) Drive on the edge of the iconic Table Mountain. Saturday is reserved for classic cars while Sunday will play host to the more extreme, and newer, machinery in the King of the Mountain Shootout.
“We are really looking forward to this event,” commented Paul. “As a new course, it will be completely unknown to any competitors. We have only competed at Simola twice, while some of our rivals have been racing there for many years. This all-new event provides a level playing field.”
The man in the hot seat will, once again, be Steve Clark. The renowned tuner of JDM machines is responsible for the vast modifications carried out on the GT-R. Clark built a larger engine for the GT-R. Displacement of the RB26DETT has been increased to 2,8-litres up from the standard 2,6. He also added a pair of top-mount turbochargers. A Haltech ECU handles all the necessary fuelling and timing duties.
One of the car’s real tricks is the Holinger six-speed sequential transmission with paddle shifters. This allows the driver to snick through the gears in true racecar-style without fear of selecting the wrong gate. The system also allows gearshifts at wide-open throttle. This shaves off vital tenths of a second over a course as short as the Speed Classic.
Clark is equally excited at the prospect of the new event: “We’ve carried out further modifications to the car since it competed at Simola so it is even more powerful now. We estimate it has about 1 000 hp. There has also been some work on the aerodynamics, with the fitment of a large front splitter, flat floor and massive rear wing. These changes should make us more competitive especially as no one really knows what to expect of this new course.”
Speed junkies can see the Rospa International GT-R, as well as many other high-performance machines, in action at the inaugural Speed Classic in Cape Town this October.
Issued by Double Apex on behalf of Rospa International South Africa. (https://doubleapex.co.za/)
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