In February 2003, Bob Olthoff flew to the factory for extensive road testing of Prototype Three. Larry Miller (SP 619) from Charlotte joined him to record the test results and their journey. Before they left, I gave Bob a set of performance simulator results for the Coupe to use as a benchmark in testing.

The test program gave Bob the opportunity to review and evaluate the Coupe in its current stage of development. It was designed to provide extended real-world testing in an environment similar to what an owner would experience - highway and urban driving, fair weather and foul, comfort, ergonomics, drivability, economy, and other “joys of ownership” issues related to owning and driving a high performance GT coupe on a daily basis.

Bob’s years as a successful racecar fabricator and race driver and his experience in helping hundreds of Superformance owners put competent, reliable, and enjoyable Mk III’s on the road prepared him well for this task.

They flew into Cape Town, then on to the factory in Port Elizabeth. The first several days were spent going through Prototype Three. Changes were identified and made. The engine was tuned to Bob’s exacting standards. External logos were applied.

On the first leg to Johannesburg, they had a support truck with them, which limited cruising speeds to 100 mph. The car was comfortable and relaxed at that speed. The sleek aerodynamics made it an effortless lope down the highway.

On one section, they tested fuel economy at 80 mph. The Coupe returned 21 miles per gallon. Not bad for a 200 mph car. The simulator predicted 20.9 mpg, by the way, providing some confidence in simulation as a design tool.

In Johannesburg, Bob and Larry met with representatives of Bilstein and spent two days reworking the spring and shock settings. In the end, the suspension was more compliant and the car more comfortable without sacrificing handling. Good suspension design does not have to be stiff to work well.

They also visited with Greg Erasmus at Auto-G to make some minor adjustments. Greg is the Superformance dealer for South Africa in Boksburg, just outside of Johannesburg.

The first evening in Johannesburg, Larry and Bob attended a banquet for senior race drivers. At the event they met with Nigel Hulme and Rod Leach, who would shortly become the representatives for Superformance in Great Britain. Nigel was the owner of 39 PH, the Cobra roadster that won the GT class in the 1963 Le Mans. Rod is a noted Cobra dealer in the UK.

The following day, they took the Coupe to the vintage races at Zwartkops near Pretoria. There were over 100 Cobras there, all replicas. South Africa is still truly infected with Cobra and V8 fever. Admirers encircled the Coupe the entire time it was there.

The development team preps Prototype Three for testing.

Prototype Three in Final Assembly Hall

Prototype Three at Zwartkops

Nigel Hulme, Rod Leach and Bob Olthoff at Zwartkops

While in Johannesburg, Bob and Larry went to dinner at a restaurant at the track. The owner heard the Coupe approaching and ran out to guide the Coupe into a front and center parking spot. The owner mentioned that a South African named Bob Olthoff used to drive a car like that.He had a large collection of Bob Olthoff memorabilia in the restaurant and proudly showed it to Bob and Larry. As he concluded his tour, Larry asked him if he had ever met Bob Olthoff. He said he hadn’t, so Larry introduced them. The owner was absolutely floored. Drinks, of course, were on the house.

February in South Africa is like August in the US. There were a number of summer thunderstorms and even some hail in Johannesburg to test the weatherproofing on the Coupe. It passed.

Bob and Larry left Johannesburg for the second leg to Cape Town. About 100 miles south of Johannesburg, a rocker arm stud broke. Bob made temporary repairs and they returned to Auto-G in Johannesburg. A full set of stronger studs were airfreighted in. After the rocker studs were replaced, they continued their journey. The trip to Cape Town was otherwise uneventful. Without the chase truck to slow them down, the cruise speed went up a bit, 145 mph at times. The Coupe was a comfortable and easy cruiser at these seriously elevated speeds.

After several days in Cape Town, they headed back to Port Elizabeth. They stopped overnight at a small hotel on the way. As Bob signed in, the owner recognized him. In an earlier career the owner had been a representative for a cigarette company that sponsored racing in South Africa. After diner, Bob, Larry, and the owner retired to the terrace to reminisce. Tales of race driver off-track shenanigans were exchanged well into the night.

Back in Port Elizabeth, Larry headed back to the States and Bob stayed for another week. Additional refinements were made to the spring and shock settings. In highway testing, Bob pushed it to an easy 185 mph before traffic slowed him, more than his land speed record. The car was taken to Scribante, a track near Port Elizabeth, for an afternoon of testing. Geoff Jones, the Hi-Tech plant manager, took a few hot laps with Bob in the Coupe. Rumor has it that he was, well, speechless.

It was a successful trip and a successful test. The Coupe proved to be an exciting and competent GT machine with usable high performance. Its stunning good looks drew crowds everywhere Bob and Larry stopped. Except for a few teething problems it proved to be reliable and dependable.