As many “petrolheads” would know, one of the most exciting realms of the motoring world is that of exotics. Thorough-bred sports cars are a good subject on which to spend a weekend afternoon - at least, for those amongst us devoted enough to the boundless thrills of touching, viewing and indeed, driving these beasts. With that in mind, our staffer, known to readers as SLD, spent last Saturday afternoon visiting Cape Town’s exotics dealerships.
The car shown above is the Lamborghini Murcielago Spyder, and the picture was taken at Bloomsbury.
The car shown above is a Ferrari F430 Challenge Stradalle. It uses the same 4,3 Litre V8 as the “standard” F430, but has also been given additional suspension/chassis and wheel tweaks to aid even higher performance and track handling. There are also some weight reductions, and the side windows are sliding units made of a perspex-like material, all again in the interests of weight-saving. The picture was taken at Viglietti Motors.
The Porsche shown above is the 997 911 Carrera 4S, which features a 3.8 Litre “boxer” motor, a term used to describe Porsche’s signature flat-six cylinder layout. Power is slightly up on the Carrera S, and additional features include Porsche’s tried and tested four-wheel-drive system as well as mods to the exhaiust system that lend it an even deeper note. A notable Porsche characteristic is the optimal driving position with pedals slightly offset to the left of the footwell. This allows for fast heel-and-toeing. Picture taken at Bloomsbury.
Astons have always excited true sportscar enthusiasts, and this V8 Vantage was no exception. It features a 283 Kilowatt front-mid-mounted 4,3 V8 (a layout giving a very ideal front to rear weight distribution ratio) that shares characteristics with that which does service in Jaguar’s XK - although in Aston’s application it is hand-built in Cologne, Germany to exacting standards. This car is known to emit some of the best sounds known to the motoring world. The cabin is an ergonomic delight, featuring hand-stitched hides and seemingly infinitely customizable options. An interesting feature of Astons is the tachometer, which dials anticlockwise. Picture taken at 021Auto/Carspot.
The Lamborghini Gallardo in this picture was spotted “basking” in the midday sun, shortly before a staff member fired up the glorious Audi-sourced V10 mill and drove it into the showroom, away from the looming rain showers. Needless to say, this little monster emits a deep baritone note that gives one goosebumps - power is rated at 378 Kilowatts, in addition to the four-wheel-drive system and Magnetti-Marreli E-Gear transmission that give the little fighting bull from Sant’Agata a serious turn of speed. Picture taken at Bloomsbury.
Last but certainly not least, is the Bentley Continental GT. The picture above was taken at Bentley Cape Town. the most powerful of all the cars shown here, it produces 411 Kilowatts from its W12 6Litre powerplant, which features two turbochargers. For such a heavy car, performance is typical Bentley; that is, astounding. Like the Aston Martin, the Bentley is hand-built and this shows in the impeccable quality and feel of fit and finishings. Definitely a gentleman’s grand tourer. Picture taken at Bloomsbury.
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