Who’s the fastest celebrity in SA?

 Who’s the fastest celebrity in SA?

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TopGear South Africa proudly presents: Star in a Reasonably Priced Car.

Competition is deeply ingrained in South African culture. It’s what fuels our athletes, performers, and our people. Up until now, this intense desire for competition has proven to the world that South Africans are cut from a different cloth. But now it's time to see what our favourite personalities can do with four wheels and bucketloads of understeer. You saw it decades ago, but it's about time TopGear's Star in a Reasonably Priced Car made its way to our land of green and gold. While the names that will put our car's durability to the test may vary, the objective remains the same: be the fastest celebrity in SA.

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The reasonably priced car!

The stars are the focal point for our latest project, but it wouldn’t be a Star in a Reasonably Priced Car without, well, a reasonably priced car. Our wheels for the first season are none other than South Africa's favourite little hatch, the 1.2-litre Suzuki Swift manual. Clocking in at a whopping 60kW and 112Nm from its naturally aspirated 1.2-litre 3-cylinder engine, our little track toy might seem like a boring idea of a track experience, yet that couldn't be further from the truth. To ensure our guests' safety, our wonderful motorsports equipment sponsor, ATS, supplied a full six-point harness, a six-point roll cage, and a racing seat. The idea was always to retain the character of a standard, affordable vehicle. So, besides the stripped-out interior and plethora of steel tubes and red straps, this Swift is completely standard and similar to how it would roll off the factory floor. That said, the roll cage contributes to a stiffer driving experience, while the short wheelbase and standard eco road tyres enable some seriously fun and slippery lap times.

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The track

For those who have shown particular interest in TopGearSA’s movements, you might know that we have an airfield-based testing facility, similar to the Dunsfold Aerodrome test track in Surrey, England. But to put the likes of a Swift on this track would make for a rather uninspiring spectacle due to its endlessly long straights and high-speed corners that are more suited to supercars rather than budget cars. So to ensure an exciting and technical experience is offered for both the celebrities and viewers, our second home is now located at the epic Formula K Karting Circuit.

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We're aware that a karting track may seem like overkill for a car, but the Formula K track is no ordinary karting course. It is an intricate facility featuring nearly endless track configurations and wide stretches of asphalt. In turn, it provides a near-perfect match for the likes of our Swift to be pushed to the limits in a technical and oh-so-fun layout. At 1.26 kilometres, this particular track layout has 15 bends, two decent straights, two chicanes, and enough altitude changes to keep you engaged throughout an entire lap.

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The Stars

Our list of celebrities – which includes world-class athletes, actors, comedians and personalities who embody the South African spirit – will compete against each other in the hopes of reaching the top of the timing board. Some are foot-to-the-floor petrolheads who know how to manage understeer, apexes and trail braking, while others will undoubtedly take the less-than-optimal route, all in the name of bragging rights.

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Our hilarious host!

Jason Goliath is no stranger to the camera; in fact, he is one of South Africa's funniest people, but his resume far exceeds his ability to induce uncontrollable laughter. He is an avid petrolhead with a passion for burning petrol and driving on the ragged edge. Don’t be fooled by his hysterical approach, as his skills behind the wheel brought about job security concerns for several members here in the TGSA editorial team. Nevertheless, this man knows his cars and has a particular interest in the BMW M world. His knowledge of all things four wheels and his ability to make even the most serious guest laugh provide a real and raw look into the celebrity culture, brought to light through the child-like excitement our Swift provokes.

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Our benchmark for this project is Jason's time, which stands at 1:13.22. While it is a quick lap, it's definitely beatable. For reference, our in-house racing driver Mandla Mdakane, who has scared the life out of me on numerous occasions, has set a record time of 1:10.00, so we will have to see just how close our celebrities can get to the pro's time.

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The first challenger!

Without further ado, the first guest to lay rubber on the Formula K track is South Africa's best fighter. The Warrior from Welkom and UFC middleweight champion, Dricus du Plessis. Despite what the world has seen, his skills and interests span further than just the octagon, as he too is a petrolhead of note and has rather extensive experience in the world of oval racing. He's sure to beat the Suzuki Swift into submission and will attack the track with aggression, precision and very little in the way of mechanical sympathy.

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With cameras rolling and tyres screaming, our celebrity challenge has just begun. But with many differing levels of ability, engaging interviews and stories to tell both on and off the track, we are pleased to breathe new life into a segment once loved but now with a South African twist.

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The first episode is now live on YouTube, so make sure to stay up to date with our celebrity challenge and get in touch so we can put your favourite celebrities in our reasonably priced car.

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What is the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car?

The BBC TopGear UK television programme first introduced Star in a Reasonably Priced Car in 2002. It's a segment in which the world's most popular faces appear in environments other than their usual fortes. It's also a competition to find out who the fastest celebrity drivers are by competing in the same exciting and safe environment behind the wheel of the same car. Ultimately, it's a level playing field designed for enjoyment and entertainment, all while driving relatively fast (as fast as a 1.2-litre Suzuki Swift allows, that is) without the worry of quota chasers and speeding fines. 

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But this project is more than just the lap time, as the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car segment is an interview-led experience. It's designed to offer a refreshing take on the traditional interview format – something celebrities undoubtedly have some experience with – and dive into their car stories, be it exciting or uninspired. One thing that driving fast reveals is a sense of authentic emotion and childlike joy, which is the catalyst for real and unique conversations. All of this makes for one enjoyable, fascinating and often funny watching experience. Watch the Mpho Popps lap here.

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