Revology Mustang tackles Porsches and Ferraris on South African 1000-mile car rally

More than holding its own with exotic Italian supercars, a Revology 1968 GT Fastback Mustang ran flawlessly on challenging roads and at a racetrack during a high-profile endurance rally.

Revology owner, Clinton Van Vuuren, a citizen of Botswana, entered his Mustang in The Cape 1000, a four-day drive starting and finishing in Cape Town, South Africa.

Clinton, owner of a petroleum company, has had his Revology Mustang for several years. He keeps the car with his collection of more than 60 classic vehicles, mostly older Land Rover and Toyota off-road models, plus an early Corvette and Ferrari.

So reliable and fun to drive is the Mustang that it has become Clinton’s go to vehicle for longer trips. And The Cape 1000 rally was a chance for Clinton and his wife Michelle to really put the Mustang through its paces.

There were 60 entries in this year’s event and the range of cars was extensive; everything from 1950s British roadsters to European sports cars from the ‘70s and 80s, to newer exotic Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Porsches and even a Bugatti Veyron.

The Cape Town area roads did not disappoint, says Clinton, with scenic mountain passes, winding rural routes and a visit to a racetrack all part of the event route.

Despite the rigors of the long drive, the Revology did not put a foot wrong. “The car was fantastic, it never let us down.”

On the mountain passes, Clinton started catching up to the newer Ferraris and even a Porsche GT3. “I think they expected it to be like a typical older American performance car, fast in a straight line, but not so good in the corners. But at the first coffee stop, the guys in these cars came up to me and said, ‘what’s going on, something’s not right.’ I showed them the Coyote engine. That was one thing, but then they got underneath the car and saw the suspension design and geometry. We got their respect.”

At one point, Clinton even passed the Bugatti Veyron which got the owner’s attention. “We really pushed the car, possibly beyond the limits of what is designed to do, but it handled beautifully.”

Clinton says his wife is a ‘petrol head’ like him and they would take turns on different days driving the Mustang. At dinner one evening, an owner of a Ferrari came and patted Clinton on the back, saying he had been trying unsuccessful to keep up on one of the mountain passes. “I told him that was my wife driving and he was a bit taken aback.”

“You know a lot of other cars from the ‘60 and ‘70s, you can only drive them at such a pace for so long, but not with the Revology. That’s why I bought the car. I own several classic cars, but with all these I want somebody with a reliable car behind me in case I break down.

“The Revology is the one car in my collection where I can just drive it and never worry about mechanical failure. I have had the car now for three years and this is probably the longest test I have done, just under 2000 kms of uninterrupted driving. I pushed it really hard, I really went to the limit and beyond.”

Clinton pushed his car hard not just on the road, but at the Killarney race track in Cape Town. “The track time gave us an opportunity to put the car through its paces and the Mustang did really well. I went past an Aston Martin DB9 a few times. I assume the Aston driver took it a bit easier than I did, but, as I say, I like to drive my cars as hard as I can.”

Another revelation from the track experience, Clinton recalls, was the entertaining V8 roar from the Mustang, which contrasted with the high-pitched turbo engine noise of some of the other more powerful cars.

One of the cars in Clinton’s collection is a prized 1963 split window Corvette. “I had considered taking it to the event, but

I’m glad I used the Revology. It’s got the torque for the mountain passes and the handling and suspension to take the corners. We never felt unsafe.”

The Cape 1000 is only in its second year, but Clinton reckons the rally is destined to become a popular international event for car enthusiasts worldwide. “I will definitely be entering again next year and bringing my Mustang.”