Q & A with Jamie Orr

1. Is this the first car you are going to display at Worthersee? No, I have also displayed a completely restored Golf 3 Harlequin and in 2017 I took my two-door fox (South African Passat).

2. How did it feel driving a 3.6 litre V6 on the Aldo Scribante track in Port Elizabeth?

It was completely unexpected for VW to invite me to the track. The suspension and brakes setup was bought off the shelf from South African suppliers, and paired with the standard V6 engine and ECU. It drove like a factory car, but it was much lighter and faster. I used tiny 16/165/45 tyres so the power was overwhelming in first and second gear so the drag race was pathetic, but it was amazing how much power it still had in fourth and fifth gear.

3. What was it like being given VIP access to the VW factory in South Africa? Volkswagen SA offer factory tours regularly but because it was off season they made an exception to allow us in, but if you are in Port Elizabeth anyone can visit Auto Pavilion and the entry fee is very reasonable.

4. What is your most memorable moment in SA? Last year when I was in SA we visited a national park in the north of the country. I was driving a VW Cross Polo when a black rhino appeared parallel to us, I went a little faster and the rhino started running about 100 metres away from us but it felt like he was right beside us on this dirt road. That was amazing, we don’t get to see that in the USA.

5. How was the drive across SA? It was a great experience being able to drive this car that we pieced together in seven days across such a beautiful country, it is definitely a once in a lifetime experience that I got to share with some of my good friends from America.