McLaren in Cape Town crash is capable of 328km/h

The McLaren 570S that crashed at high speed in Cape Town on Saturday has a top speed of 328km/h.

It isn’t known at what speed the vehicle was travelling but a viral video of the crash shows the British supercar was travelling much faster than the 50km/h speed limit on High Level Road in Sea Point. CCTV footage captured the moment the supercar lost control before the impact. The McLaren slid sideways and hit the pavement before colliding with a wall, resulting in severe damage to the car.

The driver was identified as Nigerian rapper Prince Daniel Obioma, popularly known as 3Gar Baby, who posted pictures of his bloodied face after the crash in which he and an unnamed passenger were injured.

Obioma updated his followers about the crash and claimed it was not his fault but caused by a pedestrian crossing the road he had managed to avoid.

Several people called for his arrest and said he drove recklessly and police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash. 

News of the crash has raised concern in Cape Town after a series of recent high-profile crashes involving high-powered sports cars. In February a Ferrari driver was arrested for culpable homicide after a crash that killed a 32-year-old doctor in Cape Town.  

Produced from 2015, the 570S was discontinued in 2021 but used examples are on sale in South Africa for about R3m. The 570S is a sports car that was part of McLaren's Sports Series and is powered by a mid-mounted 3.8l V8 twin turbo engine delivering 419kW and 600Nm to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual clutch transmission.

The 570S is able to sprint from 0-100km/h in just 3.2 seconds and from 0-200km/h in 9.5 seconds. The top speed of 328km/h is possible because supercars such as McLarens, Ferraris and Porsches are not electronically speed limited to 250km/h as is the usual practice with sporting versions of cars such as the VW Golf GTI and BMW M3.

There is no requirement for buyers of such powerful cars to undergo advanced driver training.

Cape Town traffic chief Andre Nel said would-be racing drivers should not test their driving skills on public roads.

“Some drivers overestimate their ability to drive. There is an opportunity for drivers to use Killarney [motor racing] track in Table View. They should contact the facility to see what options are available,” he said.

Many car brands offer advanced driving courses or track schools where drivers are taught to handle their fast and expensive machines in the controlled environment of a racetrack. In Gauteng courses are held at Kyalami in Midrand, Zwartkops in Tshwane and Red Star Raceway near Delmas.