Volkswagen Motorsport Takes Top Spot at Zwartkops Hillclimb

Well, if you thought Volkswagen only knew how to produce reliable family cars, think again. This weekend at the Zwartkops Top of the Hill Challenge, Volkswagen Motorsport took things uphill—both literally and figuratively—with a performance that had the crowd questioning whether they’d stumbled onto a motorsport event or some sort of high-octane family reunion.

Jonathan Mogotsi, the man, the myth, the legend behind the wheel of the Volkswagen SupaPolo, decided seventh was a lucky number as he powered his way into the top ten. His competitors? Just a couple of lightweight, thousand-horsepower monsters. No big deal. When asked how he felt about outperforming cars that look like they were built in Tony Stark’s garage, Mogotsi simply grinned and said, "We came here looking to break into the top ten, but ended up way further up the order." Translation? We came, we saw, we SupaPolo’d the heck out of this climb.

But the fun didn’t stop there—Volkswagen’s Rookie Cup class also took center stage, pairing up motoring rookies with seasoned media professionals. This might sound like the start of a weird reality TV show, but it was actually the recipe for some thrilling wheel-to-wheel action.

Judd Bertholdt and his teammate Brendon Staniforth (The guy in the Crocs) proved to be the Brangelina of hillclimbing, taking the win for team Maroela Media. Coming in a close second, Dhivyen Naidoo and Jacob Moshokoa from Cars.co.za gave them a run for their money, while team Isolezwe’s duo Uzair Khan and Fanele Bengu rounded out the podium.

Volkswagen Motorsport's Head Honcho, Mike Rowe, was understandably chuffed with the results. "Volkswagen Motorsport shined today," he announced, probably with a gleam in his eye as if Volkswagen Motorsport had just won an Oscar for Best Hillclimb Performance. "Jonathan gave an epic drive, and our Volkswagen Rookies thoroughly entertained the crowds."

In case you’re wondering, yes, this is the same Jonathan Mogotsi who just the day before looked at the terrifying line-up of horsepower freaks on the Zwartkops hill and said, “Sure, why not? I’ll show these guys what a real car can do.” The SupaPolo, Volkswagen's not-so-secret giant slayer, proved it’s still got the chops to humble even the beefiest of race cars. If David and Goliath had a rematch, you’d bet on the SupaPolo.

After all the fun and games, Rowe was quick to bring everyone back to earth. “It was a blast, but now it’s time to get serious again.” Apparently, Volkswagen Motorsport is already gearing up for the Extreme Festival finals in two weeks, where the only thing more intense than the racing will be the Volkswagen fanboys trying to explain why the SupaPolo isn’t sold in showrooms yet.

Until then, Mogotsi and co. can enjoy the ride, while the rest of us will just be here wondering how a Volkswagen Polo just took out cars that could power a small nation.