The Kalahari Desert in Upington was the setting for the first leg of the 2011 Spirit of Africa elimination rounds which ended recently. Nearly 300 participants tested their 4×4 skills against the toughest African conditions. Luckily, they were ably aided by the new Volkswagen Amarok 2.0 TDI 90kW which is the vehicle of choice for the 2011 competition.
“The 90kW engine was the star performer during the first leg of the competition. In the beginning I thought I will need to make some adjustment in the setting of the stage challenges because of the small engine power. I was astounded and impressed by its performance through all the obstacles and its pace in the time trials. The times were identical to the ones that were set with the 120kW Amarok,” said Sarel van der Merwe, the brainchild of the Spirit of Africa competition and ambassador for the Volkswagen Amarok.
Sarel added that even the participants were amazed when they were told afterwards that they were driving the 90kW Amarok.
“The feedback from participants was that the 90kW Amarok is Volkswagen‘s best kept secret and superb value for money,” Sarel said.
The second and last leg of the 2011 Spirit of Africa competition will take place at the Kosi Bay, KwaZulu Natal on 16 June to 26 July. Over 700 participants have been confirmed. They will be fighting for the remaining top spots to the finals in Mozambique on 19-27 August.
Related articles
- Volkswagen Amarok used to demolish massive chimney in place of wrecking ball (autoblog.com)
- Fearsome beauty – lion is caught on camera in full charge (telegraph.co.uk)
