Knysna Speed Festival 2012

6 March 2012

Renault commits to the on-going success of the Renault Simola Hillclimb and announces exciting new models which will be launched at the Knysna Speed Festival

Renault has once again confirmed its position as the title sponsor of the Knysna Simola Hillclimb which is the highlight of the 2012 Knysna Speed Festival. Renault has supported the exciting growth of the Festival from its first Hill Climb in 2009 to the world class week of events making up the 2012 Knysna Speed Festival, running from 11 to 20 May 2012 Renault has a rich involvement in motor sport which covers over 35 years. It has a well-established Formula 1 heritage and has won the constructor's title 10 times in a row. Renault's performance cars are legendary, and we will be seeing some examples of the classic Renault Gordini in this year's Hillclimb event as well as some hot Renault Sport hatches.

Renault's vehicles take an uncompromising approach to performance and comfort to give the ultimate driving experience which is carried through in the Renault range of passenger vehicles.

The Renault vision for their brand is the following: MOBILITY, SAFETY AND QUALITY… FOR ALL

Renault has chosen to put people at the heart of its visions, creating and developing products and services which suit everyone, going hand-in-hand with changes in our world – vehicles that are comfortable, reliable, innovative and affordable for all – that are adaptable to our lifestyles and expectations - this is our inspiration.

"Our commitment to the Knysna Simola Hillclimb and the Speed festival as a whole, demonstrates Renault's sporting prowess. Now a set fixture on the South African Motor Calendar, the Hillclimb is a unique event that provides the opportunity to platform true competitive sportsmanship and motor technology and performance at its best", says Xavier Gobille, managing director of Renault South Africa.

Knysna Speed Festival organizer, Ian Shrosbree applauded Renault's support for the Festival and said "It is fantastic that Renault has shown such faith in our event and will once again be title sponsor of the Knysna Hillclimb event. We have grown together over the past two years to make the event arguably the premier motorsport event in the country. Renault's support has been instrumental in making the event the success it has been and will continue to be in the future. Together we will once again strive to provide competitors and spectators alike with a unique and enjoyable motorsport entertainment experience at this year's event." The Renault Simola Hillclimb sees an assortment of exciting cars, from nostalgic greats of a previous era to the state of the art exotics of our current technological world, testing both man and machine on the exciting climb to the Simola Golf Estate.

The Festival is unique in South Africa, incorporating exciting action on the road, and off the road, with an assortment of events which will ensure that there is entertainment for the whole family in the beautiful town of Knysna.

From Friday 18th May to Sunday 20th May all the action moves to the Renault Simola Hillclimb. An impressive field of cars will be taking part, and excitement will be high. There are fantastic facilities available for spectators with plenty of action on and off the race track. Some of the fastest cars in South Africa will be battling to see who is quickest up the hill. The field is limited to 80 cars driven by some of the best drivers in the country. The competition will be fierce and the action spectacular.

The Knysna Speed Festival is a unique South African event that brings together a mixture of motoring elements into a celebrated week-long jamboree of excitement, challenges, fun and enjoyment. For 2012 the Hillclimb has expanded to three days and includes an action day on the Hill dedicated to the Vintage, Classic and Historic motoring fraternity. Classic Car Friday will exclusively feature pre 1974 vehicles.

Vehicles taking part: At this stage we have an interesting assortment of cars, from a new McLaren MP412C (2012 model), plus the possibility of another McLaren also taking part. We have a Porsche 917 Le Mans Replica, Porsche 993GT2R, Nissan GTR and GTR R35, Ferrari F360 Challenge, Ferrari 458, Lamborghini Gallardo, Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, Renault Megane R26 and RS250 Cup, Bentley 4.25 Blower Special, 1933 Alfa Romeo Monza, 1927 Bugatti T37 to name just a few.

Moving away from high speed action, the Knysna Speed Festival 4x4 Challenge and 4x4 Elephant Trail have been added to the programme. The 4x4 Challenge will be a competitive event with competitors required to complete some seriously difficult obstacles, while the 4x4 Elephant Trail will give participants the unique opportunity to traverse roads in the Knysna forests that are normally out of bounds to the public in an environmentally sensitive manner.

The events featured in the Knysna Speed Festival are the following: Knysna Kart Grand Prix, Knysna Motor Show, Knysna Soap Box Derby, Knysna Speed Festival Golf Day, Knysna Slot Car Challenge, Town Parade and Car Display, and two 4x4 events, the 4x4 Challenge and the 4x4 Elephant Trail. The Renault Simola Hillclimb is the main event of the Knysna Speed Week and it comprises the Classic Car Friday and the King of The Hill Shootout.