Hill yeah! 16th Simola Hillclimb a massive hit
The 2026 Simola Hillclimb was a huge success, wowing crowds and showcasing the very best of SA’s mechanical prowess.
35.024 seconds – a time defining the absolute edge of performance at the 2026 Simola Hillclimb. As the final echoes of high-revving engines faded across Knysna, the 16th iteration of one of South Africa’s premier motorsport events has once again proven that its demanding 1.9 km hillclimb is completely unforgiving. It requires absolute mechanical precision and flawless driver execution if you want your run up the Simola Hill to carry any significance. This year’s competition highlighted a fascinating juxtaposition between the astronomical budgets of purpose-built prototypes and the grassroots accessibility of standard-specification manufacturer entries. But in all, the entire weekend was a blistering, tyre-smoking testament to the relentless engineering pursuit of saving fractions of a second when going up the hill.
Image: Rob Till / Simola Hillclimb
Suzuki’s Hillclimb offensive
For the 2026 event, Suzuki Auto South Africa returned with intent as a Tier 1 OEM sponsor, firmly cementing its corporate footprint on the Knysna landscape by claiming naming rights to Zones 4 and 8. These sections are known by fans and competitors alike as the Suzuki Esses. Beyond mere trackside branding, the Japanese automaker brought a highly engaging, grassroots philosophy to the hill: True driving performance does not strictly require deep pockets or massive budgets. To prove this, Suzuki fielded a vibrant, media-led fleet of four identical standard Suzuki Swift 1.2 GL+ hatchbacks. Endowed with a featherweight 917kg kerb mass and a modest 60kW power output, these nimble, front-wheel-drive machines demonstrated that chassis rigidity, momentum management, and power-to-weight optimisation are highly advantageous metrics through the impossibly tight, winding sections of the climb.
Sailing through Friday’s stringent scrutineering with standard street trims, factory tyres, and basic safety gear, the media drivers spent Saturday and Sunday pushing the Swift’s HEARTECT platform to its absolute cornering limits. While they were certainly not challenging the outright track records, the fierce internal battle for bragging rights as the unofficial ‘King of the Swifts’ provided immense entertainment for the crowds. Complementing the four-wheeled action, Suzuki also thrilled spectators with blistering high-speed demonstration runs of the ferocious 140kW Hayabusa Ultimate Sportbike screaming up the valley.
Suzuki Auto South Africa brand marketing manager Brendon Carpenter said:
“The Simola Hillclimb holds a unique charm that resonates with Suzuki. Its iconic location, passionate community and thrilling atmosphere align with our brand’s commitment to turning everything into a fun adventure. Over the past five years, our partnership has not only showcased Suzuki’s vehicles in an adrenaline-fuelled setting, but has also allowed us to connect with a dynamic audience that shares our values of adventure and performance.”
Suzuki and the Simola Hillclimb also announced a new three-year partnership, running from 2026 through to 2028.
Image: Suzuki SA
The King of the Hill shoot-out at Simola
The definitive high-stakes battle for the 2026 King of the Hill title showcased a brutal, uncompromising mix of elite engineering and sheer driver bravado. Robert Wolk claimed the outright Single Seater and Sports Car crown in a Gould GR55 with a blistering 35.024-second charge. Wolk said:
“We had a big step up from last year when we just got the car, so we’ve been consistently fast. Unfortunately, we didn’t break the 35-second mark, which was our goal for the weekend, but we made progress throughout the two days. Handling- and chassis-wise, the car was great, and we got the launch better towards the end. There’s definitely room for improvement next year.”
André Bezuidenhout holds the outright Simola record, having set a time of 34.161 seconds in 2022 with his 2007 Gould GR55.
In the heavily contested and historically dramatic Modified Saloon Car shoot-out, Pieter Zeelie retained his iron grip on the category. He expertly threaded his aggressively aero-tuned Toyota MR2 through the timing beam in 37.216 seconds to narrowly edge out heavily tuned, high-horsepower Nissan GT-Rs and Audi RS3s. Simola legend Franco Scribante was disqualified from the final run for hitting a track limit meter. Meanwhile, the production-based Road and Supercar class saw Clint Weston conquer the demanding hill in an impressive 42.616 seconds behind the wheel of a modern technological marvel, the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 63 S E Performance. As a reminder, the GT 63 SE not only claimed the top spot among the fastest-accelerating vehicles CAR magazine tested in 2025, but is also the fastest-accelerating vehicle tested by CAR to date. Weston brilliantly utilised the immense, instant torque vectoring of the AMG’s sophisticated hybrid architecture, launching violently out of the tight, restrictive hairpins and maximising traction on corner exit to comfortably dispatch the pursuing BMW M cars.
Image: Rob Till / Simola Hillclimb
Classic Car Friday and the Knysna parade
Before the modern, technologically saturated prototypes unleashed their fury, the Knysna community gathered at the Waterfront in the town centre to celebrate and enjoy the cars. On Friday evening, crowds gathered and lined the vibrant streets to closely inspect the race-ready machinery. From agile, stripped-out hatchbacks to monstrous supercars, the spectacular procession successfully reinforced the ongoing bond between the coastal town and this esteemed event.
On the track itself, Classic Car Friday offered a deeply nostalgic visual spectacle. Running throughout the day and acting as a buildup for the parade, it culminated in a genuinely fierce shoot-out. Ian Schofield, aggressively piloting his meticulously maintained late 1970s March 77B, completely dominated the historic timing sheets with a deeply impressive 40.881-second sprint to secure his second prestigious Classic Conqueror title.
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