From the editor’s desk
Studies completed and awaiting feedback from posted CVS and photographic portfolios, I spent my days running chores for a friend’s family farm and my evenings delivering pizzas. While the latter was reserved for my trusty Mazda 323 hatchback, my friend’s mom was happy for me to run errands for her using her brand-new Nissan Sentra 200 STI. Twenty-one years of age at the time, I will never forget the smell of the leather upholstery and bolstered driver’s seat, the feel of the thick-rimmed steering wheel and, of course, the available performance – especially when compared with my pizza-delivery wheels. Needless to say, I took the longest routes to spend as much time behind the wheel of the Nissan as possible.
Arriving in my freshly acquired role at CAR magazine, I remember feeling astonished and bemused that no one else within the walls of this much-respected publication shared my enthusiasm for the 200 STI. A good effort, according to CAR’S veterans, but nothing noteworthy against the competition at the time.
Yet this is the car in which I had experienced my rst real ‘moments’ as a motoring enthusiast. At the time, while I loved my Mazda for its robust reliability, this was my benchmark.
Amid a line-up of some of the nest internal-combustionengine vehicles presently available, I was reminded of this when I witnessed the reactions of sheer joy and enthusiasm at the sight of our convoy as we made our way from Cape Town to Gqeberha for the 2024 Performance Shootout. Every enthusiast, young and old, has a benchmark motoring moment. One that, regardless of what the ‘experts’ say, is the experience that ignited a ame of passion for a particular brand or even a speci c derivative.
Whether it was the poster on your childhood bedroom wall, the sounds of your parents’ car you rst appreciated, or if you’re one of the lucky ones – an experience behind the wheel of a well-balanced performance car – the beauty of this industry we love so dearly is that no two people’s moments are likely to be the same.
Revived in 2007, each subsequent Performance Shootout Issue has been challenging, but hugely rewarding to put together. Needless to say, what you see on these pages would not be possible without the tireless efforts of this publication’s exceptional team, the support of the manufacturers and our sponsors and, you, the reader.