Rospa International, well known among local enthusiasts for importing sought-after sports cars and JDM machines into South Africa, is preparing to compete at the inaugural Speed Classic in Cape Town next month.
Founded by Himal Chris Paul, the KwaZulu-Natal-based company also runs its own race team.
“Rospa imports these incredible cars for our clients and I am lucky to own my JDM dream car as well,” said Paul. “We are so confident in the quality of vehicles we import that we have subjected them to the high-pressure world of motorsport.”
Rospa made its motorsport debut at the 2024 Simola Hillclimb in Knysna, entering a Nissan GT-R R34 V-Spec II owned by Paul. The car, imported by the company, secured a class victory on its first outing against experienced competitors.
The team returned to the 2025 Simola Hillclimb but was hampered by technical issues.
Attention has now shifted to the Speed Classic, scheduled for October 25-26.
The event will see competitors tackle a 1.8km uphill time trial course along Philip Kgosana Drive (formerly De Waal Drive) on the slopes of Table Mountain. Saturday is reserved for classic cars, while Sunday will feature newer high-performance machines in the King of the Mountain Shoot-out.
“We are really looking forward to this event,” said 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 team’s car will again be driven by Steve Clark, a specialist JDM tuner who has overseen extensive modifications to the GT-R. Its 2.6l Nissan RB26DETT engine has been enlarged to 2.8l and fitted with a pair of top-mount turbochargers, while a Haltech ECU manages fuelling and timing.
A Holinger six-speed sequential transmission with paddle shifters allows for flat-out gearshifts, cutting valuable time over the short course.
“We’ve carried out further modifications to the car since it competed at Simola so it is even more powerful now,” says Clark. “We estimate it has about 745kW.”
The GT-R has also received various aerodynamic upgrades, including a large front splitter, flat floor and rear wing.
“These changes should make us more competitive, especially as no one really knows what to expect of this new course.” .
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