RE: Kyalami: Time For Tea?
Tuesday 29th July 2014
Sometimes it seems like touring car drivers could have an exciting race on a drag strip, such is their propensity for last ditch overtakes and close battles.
Kyalami: Time For Tea?
Why Porsche buying the South African track is very good news, courtesy of some 90s touring cars
But combine ballsy driving with a good circuit and you have the combination for excellent motorsport. And such is the case with Kyalami, the South African track right back in the PH consciousness with Porsche's recent purchase. If this early 90s video is anything to go buy, let's hope Stuttgart's involvement gives the circuit greater exposure over here.
Google is your friend for learning old circuits. Switching tabs between the vid and a circuit map reveals the most action-packed spots. The run through the fast Topsport Esses then down to the Westbank double apex hairpin is particularly good it appears.
And as always with old touring car videos, the cars are especially interesting. In South Africa 25 years ago, the scene was dominated by the Opel Kadett Superboss and BMW E30 325is, the two models making for a superb FWD vs. RWD battle. If you want to know more about them, some chap called Harris drove them both on track.
Kyalami video here (the embed had been disabled, rather annoyingly).
Discussion
t signs to me!Whilst it is good news that the circuit has been bought, the "new" Kyalami was very much a bastardised version of the original - which was one of the finest circuits ever (IMO)
Watch this clip of the last race on the old track back in 1985, especially around the 3 min mark.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHEGMK2cCns
Great Porsche! At some time there were a lot of speculation of developers purchasing the track and use for housing development, which would be sad for motoring enthusiasts! Remember watching the 1992 F1 there with good battle between Mansell, Senna and Schumacher.
Watching those group N racing brings back plenty of childhood memories. BMW 325is 2.7l were my favorites, but have to admit that those Opels were amazingly fast considering only 2l and ancient suspension!
Watching those group N racing brings back plenty of childhood memories. BMW 325is 2.7l were my favorites, but have to admit that those Opels were amazingly fast considering only 2l and ancient suspension!
Stack said:
Whilst it is good news that the circuit has been bought, the "new" Kyalami was very much a bastardised version of the original - which was one of the finest circuits ever (IMO)
Watch this clip of the last race on the old track back in 1985, especially around the 3 min mark.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHEGMK2cCns
The old track looks completely different. Did it even run opposite to the way it does now?Watch this clip of the last race on the old track back in 1985, especially around the 3 min mark.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHEGMK2cCns
Can't make out any similar bits whatsoever.
New Kyalami v Old...New runs anticlockwise and uses only part of old track.
Check out here
http://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/tracks/kyalami....
Check out here
http://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/tracks/kyalami....
smilo996 said:
Glad someone has purchased it.
Just not sure that yet another aspect of motoring is now in the hands of VW. Unless the man bought it personally and will involve VW's Sports division.
It doesn't actually belong to Porsche at all! It was bought by the Porsche Importer in SA, who is a completely independent business from Porsche AG. Just not sure that yet another aspect of motoring is now in the hands of VW. Unless the man bought it personally and will involve VW's Sports division.
Therefore neither Porsche or VW have any right to it...
legalknievel said:
South Africa, 1991. Sounds like a really fun place. I wonder what else was going on there at the time....
1936 Summer Olympics, anyone?
It was a quiet year between two significant ones in the country's history, actually. Mandela was released in 1990. In 1992 there was a referendum, which was, if my memory is good, the last whites only national vote to take place in the country. The Apartheid Referendum asked if the voting population supported De Klerks reforms to dismantle apartheid and to allow all South Africans regardless of race or colour to vote in the next general election, to be held in 1994. "Yes" won, and a peaceful end to Apartheid was finally possible.1936 Summer Olympics, anyone?
So, yeah, being in South Africa in 1991 was to be at the epicentre of one of the great reforms of modern history.
Not sure the relevance of the 1936 Berlin Olympics though?
If you'd have said The Berlin Wall in 1989 I might have got the connection.Also good to see Mike Briggs battling those 2.7l E30s again as well
Pentoman, the Astra was called the Kadett in SA, GM had pulled out of SA because of apartheid and Opels were being marketed by a company called Delta. The 2.0 8V was called the BOSS when it was launched. When the 2.0 16V came along it became the BIG BOSS, sounds corny now, but this was all part of the marketing campaign. They then developed the 2.0 16V S and called it the SUPERBOSS.
They had 276 cams made by Schrick, revised intake and exhaust modifications (4-in-1 branch manifold and freeflow exhaust), Irmscher spring kit, modified engine management system by Promotec, a limited slip diff by Andre Verwey and Aluett 15" alloy wheels. Some of them had Cosworth heads and some came with Kolbenschmidt heads, the Cosworth head ones were the better ones. The front bumper had brake cooling ducts and the rear fenders were rolled to fit the "wide" 195/50 15's. It also held the world record for the most torque per liter (114 Nm per liter) until recently beaten by the Ferrari 458 (117 Nm per liter)
It was a giant slayer with that LSD.
They had 276 cams made by Schrick, revised intake and exhaust modifications (4-in-1 branch manifold and freeflow exhaust), Irmscher spring kit, modified engine management system by Promotec, a limited slip diff by Andre Verwey and Aluett 15" alloy wheels. Some of them had Cosworth heads and some came with Kolbenschmidt heads, the Cosworth head ones were the better ones. The front bumper had brake cooling ducts and the rear fenders were rolled to fit the "wide" 195/50 15's. It also held the world record for the most torque per liter (114 Nm per liter) until recently beaten by the Ferrari 458 (117 Nm per liter)
It was a giant slayer with that LSD.
Edited by CraigZAZ on Thursday 31st July 11:23
Pentoman said:
I'd like to hear more about this "superboss" Astra. Good name.
Sorry for belated response. You should be able to read a contemporary SA road test of the Superboss here:http://www.carmag.co.za/classic-road-tests/from-th...
There should be images of the test. I can't see them but it might be blocked for me and might work for you?
Here's a test of the 325iS that the Kadett (Astra) was battling, from the same publication (Car Magazine South Africa)
http://www.carmag.co.za/classic-road-tests/from-th...
This time I see half of the images, hopefully you will have more luck.
If you like your Astras, the next generation was available from the SA factory with a turbo for a short time. Presumably the Calibra turbo engine but I think someone corrected me on that last time I posted it.
http://www.carmag.co.za/classic-road-tests/from-th...
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff