By Otsile Kadiege

The Simola Hillclimb is an annual motorsport event and a petrol-heads motoring nirvana where a diverse range of cars are categorized to compete with each other by racing up the famous hill at the affluent Knysna. Throughout the years, a couple of automotive brands have hopped onto the bandwagon and one of them is Mercedes-Benz South Africa. The German automaker’s local arm is gearing up for the 14^th edition of the Simola Hillclimb with some heavy artillery from Affalterbach.

In 2023, Mercedes-Benz SA raced the rapid A45S and CLA45S AMG up the hill. This year, the automaker will be dialing it up a notch with three exciting but vastly different AMG models – all of which push the boundaries in terms of modern technologies and performance.

AMG GT63S E Performance

Headlining its line-up in class A8 is the mighty AMG GT 63S E Performance, which will be driven by Clint Weston, head of the AMG Driving Experience. This four-door super saloon features a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 incorporating F1-derived hybrid technology that delivers 640 kW of power and an astonishing 1 470 Nm of torque.

C63S E Performance

At the same time, the locally assembled Mercedes-AMG C63 SE Performance with a whooping 500kW and 1020Nm is expected to make its local debut at the Simola Hillclimb with AutoTrader SA motoring content producer Chad Lückhoff behind the wheel. It also features an F1-inspired hybrid system along with 4Matic all-wheel drive to contain the combined 500 kW power output and 1 020 Nm of torque.

EQE 43 AMG

Natalie Weston will be flying the electric vehicle flag for Mercedes-AMG, driving the cutting-edge EQE 43 AMG that delivers an instantaneous 350 kW and 858 Nm through its twin electric motors and 4MATIC all-wheel drive.

The 14th edition of the Simola Hillclimb takes place from 2nd to 5th of May 2024. More information and online ticket sales are available on the Simola Hillclimb website: www.simolahillclimb.com.