Amarok shows gusto at the Spirit of Africa Adventure
Personnel, existing and potential clients of Volkswagen Polokwane Commercial travelled to Zeerust last Thursday, where they participated in this year's Spirit of Africa Adventure competition over the weekend.
POLOKWANE – Personnel, existing and potential clients of Volkswagen Polokwane Commercial travelled to Zeerust last Thursday, where they participated in this year’s Spirit of Africa Adventure competition over the weekend.
The Spirit of Africa, now in its 12th year, was the brainchild of South African motor sport legend and Volkswagen ambassador, Sarel van der Merwe, who is also the host of this event each year.
The Polokwane group consisted of 20 people who made up 10 teams. Driving Amaroks, the teams competed in off-road speed tests and technical obstacle courses, and also had to take on obstacles in reverse gear.
Wallace Goosen, new car sales manager at Volkswagen Polokwane and Lourens du Plessis, sales manager at Volkswagen Polokwane Commercial, accompanied the group and also competed.
Du Plessis has no less than nine Spirit of Africa adventures under his belt, while Goosen participated for the second time. Du Plessis also boasts one outright win when he beat his competitors in 2005. According to Du Plessis and Goosen, in the region of 560 teams competed over two days, giving the Amarok a stiff test, which it passed with flying colours.
Du Plessis added that while the Spirit of Africa was held annually every two years, the event was held at a different locations in South Africa.
He said the top 20 competitors of this round would compete in the final round, which would be held in August in Botswana.
The Volkswagen Polokwane Commercial group did very well, with no less than three teams going through to the final round.
The finalists from Polokwane were:
• Archie Coetzee.
• Nic Coetzee.
• Colin Radmore.
• Dirk Lombaard.
• Lourens du Plessis.
• Wallace Goosen.
“Anyone who has a passion for Volkswagen, Amarok bakkies, the great outdoors and camping can apply to enter for the Spirit of Africa competition. This year, the competition was held at the facilities of the Doringrivier 4×4 campsite and the camping facilities were outstanding, as was the weather,” Du Plessis said, adding that entries for the 2016 Spirit of Africa adventure competition would open in November.
” On how the Amarok bakkies at our disposal handled over the two days of competition, all I can say is that the Amarok is truly an amazing vehicle, especially if you see what they were put through.”
