My Ultimate Car Showroom

Tesla Model S

Everybody knows how much I love gadgets and technology, so Tesla’s Model S would blow me away completely. Another reason I would choose the Tesla in my ultimate car showroom, is because of SA-born founder, product architect and CEO Elon Musk. Professional respect is a word I think of when thinking of Elon Musk.

For the new 2017 Model S, Tesla have done away with that unsightly fake grille. Besides, why would an electric car need a grill? To cool what? It looks super sleek now, like the fully-electronic sedan-supercar. Tesla have been giving the Model S over-the-air software updates since 2012. This means you can literally wake up to find new functionality in your car the next morning! Model S uses only electricity, and will drive up to 473 km on a single charge

No surprise that I prefer the performance model, the P90D, which accelerates like a supercar: If you spec it with the Ludicrous Speed Upgrade, it will reach a 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds!! And, the cabin is filled with some of the most advanced technology money can buy. A function called Autosteer will even change lanes for you. And you have to check out the huge 17-inch touchscreen. The cabin is truly a tech-addict’s dream. It’s not even that expensive if you compare it to supercars, starting from about $71 500 (just over a million Rand with R14 to the US Dollar at the moment!). This, in the US for the entry-level model. That’s half the amount you’d pay for a BMW i8 if you were a US-citizen.

Lotus Elise

This car is all about the basics – in other words, the polar opposite of the Tesla Model S.
At one stage I was building a Lotus 7. I never finished it, but in all my research I fell in love with the Elise. It is fast, and it looks a little like a Ferrari. When I drove the Lotus 7 it felt like a go-cart, and I assumed the much sexier Elise would be a driving enthusiast’s ideal car. The Elise is a sports car through and through. I don’t care that there’s hardly any boot space, and no power steering, and that it’s uncomfortable getting in and out. I’d love to park one in my ultimate car showroom one day.

1976 Volkswagen Golf GTI

I didn’t grow up with luxuries, and the Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk1 was a real aspirational car for me. It was a car that was one part rebel, one part rock ‘n roll, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. When I was in school, a mate of mine had one, and I was secretly very envious of him. That GTI was super fast. This one is definitely going into my ultimate car showroom.

1984 Porsche 911

The rear-engined, air-cooled 1984 Porsche 911 is dear to my heart. My uncle was an avid collector of classic Porsches. He had near to fifteen of them, and kept them on his smallholding in Walkerville where we always went to visit. Every time I looked at that car I was in awe. The collection was eventually sold when he passed on. It broke my heart to see my uncle’s beloved collection go, but I was just a kid and in no place to afford one. So that’s why it’s my dream to own one one day. These old Porsches are collector’s items nowadays so one day I will take the plunge and buy one. I’ll park it in my ultimate car showroom, right next to the Lotus Elise and Golf GTI.

1968 Ford Mustang

There is nothing like the raw, unadulterated noise an original Mustang’s V8 engine makes! In fact, because of that raw engine sound, I love all V8’s

But apart from that, the Mustang is a symbol of freedom and independence. It’s a muscle car with heart. Whether it’s in Coupé, GT Fastback or convertible form, the Mustang is beautifully built inside and out, and I love everything about it. Ford has recently brought the new Mustang to South Africa and I got an opportunity to drive one the other day, what an awesome car!!! I would absolutely have this one in my ultimate car showroom.