The ninth Festival of Motoring will return to the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit from August 28 to 30, with organisers promising one of the event’s biggest lineups to date.
More than 20 vehicle brands are expected to exhibit at the three-day event, including Volkswagen, Toyota, BMW, Suzuki, Mahindra, Chery, GWM, Jaecoo, Omoda, Geely, GAC, BAIC, Dongfeng, Changan, LDV, Tank, Ora, iCaur, Lepas and Shelby.
One of the headline attractions will be Volkswagen’s South African public debut of the new T-Roc. The launch is part of the company’s 75th anniversary celebrations in South Africa.
Volkswagen’s display, branded the “House of Roc”, will feature the Vivo Xpress, Tayron and Amarok Dark Label, while the Golf GTI will headline the brand’s on-track demonstrations.
Visitors will be able to drive selected Volkswagen models and book passenger hot laps in the Golf GTI and Amarok Dark Label around the circuit.
BMW, MINI and BMW Motorrad will again have a major presence at the event, with displays on the viewing deck above the main pit building. BMW M driving experiences will also be available to book through the festival.
As in previous years, interactive driving experiences will again be a major focus of the festival. Participating manufacturers will offer complimentary test drives and selected track experiences to general admission ticket holders, giving visitors the opportunity to sample new vehicles in a controlled environment. Premium hot laps in performance cars will be available at an additional cost.
The dedicated 4x4 Village will return, allowing visitors to experience the off-road capabilities of SUVs and bakkies on a purpose-built course.
Performance driving experiences will again feature prominently, with partners including the BMW M Driving Experience, Volkswagen Driving Academy, Mercedes-AMG Driving Academy, Simola Hillclimb, and the BMW M Performance Parts Race Car Series offering passenger laps in high-performance machinery.
Away from the circuit, several new partners have joined the event.
Cartrack will make its Festival of Motoring debut as the official vehicle tracking and telematics partner, while Puma Energy has been confirmed as the exclusive fuel and lubricants partner. Puma Energy will also host the Puma Flying Lions aerobatic display and a supervised family zone for children.
Santam becomes the naming rights partner of the handling circuit, while Brand South Africa will sponsor the premium hospitality suite overlooking the main straight.
Visitors arriving by Gautrain will again be able to use complimentary shuttle buses between the station and the circuit, while Avis will operate a park-and-ride shuttle service from Mall of Africa.
Tickets for the Festival of Motoring are now on sale at Howler, including general admission, premium hospitality packages and paid driving experiences.
TimesLIVE
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