When renowned racing driver Sarel van der Merwe took delivery of his new, go-anywhere Volkswagen Amarok this week, he drove it straight to Hi-Q Walmer Park, Port Elizabeth, to change its tyres to Goodyear Wranglers.
The founder and host of the exciting Spirit of Africa events, Van der Merwe insisted that, for his off-road adventures especially, his trust lies solely in Goodyear Wrangler products. He requested a full set of Wrangler AT/SA 265/65R17 tyres to replace those originally fitted to the vehicle.
“This Wrangler AT/SA is simply a much better tyre. It lasts longer, it uses less carbon, and it does not come off the rim at high speeds. It is comfortable around town, but when I do ‘recce’ missions for the Spirit of Africa events I am often on my own or at least in only one vehicle. I don’t want to be stuck out in the Kalahari, so I have got to limit the possibility of things going wrong. The tyres are now one thing I know I won’t have to worry about.
“In all my 31 years of association with Goodyear tyres, they have never let me down. And Goodyear always seems to be at the forefront of technology, leading the way in performance and safety. I won’t drive on any other tyre.”
Goodyear Wrangler is one of three tyre brands fitted as original equipment to the Amarok, which is currently imported by Volkswagen South Africa from Argentina. Van der Merwe has high praise for the vehicle, which, he comments, is “very comfortable” and “drives more like an SUV than a bakkie. Volkswagen really did their homework with Amarok. They have moved the bar when it comes to double cabs.”
As market leader in the 4×4 tyre segment, Goodyear offers an outstanding range of off-road options for this vehicle segment, including the revolutionary, tougher-than-steel Wrangler MT/R with Kevlar and Wrangler DuraTrac. The endlessly dependable Wrangler AT/SA continues to be South Africa’s all-terrain favourite, though, and the tyre co-stars in the Amarok television commercial too.
Also on Van der Merwe’s insistence, the fleet of Spirit of Africa 2010 Volkswagen Amaroks was specially shod with Wrangler AT/SA tyres before heading off to the testing sandy conditions of the Kalahari and Namib race venues.
“We had nearly 1000 contestants, many of whom were driving on Goodyear Wranglers for the first time, and their feedback was positive. Even in those varied and difficult surface conditions, the overall balance and handling remained excellent. These tyres are flexible, their tread is high, their grip is very good and they have been engineered and built to endure extreme terrains. Do you know, those Kalahari farmers drive flat out like that over the sand dunes anyway!”
Van der Merwe is excited about the growing popularity of the event, which is attracting attention worldwide. He flies to Dubai in winter to plan Spirit of Arabia for its inaugural run in January 2012, and has his sights on other sandy settings too. No doubt, his trusty Goodyear Wranglers will enjoy these playgrounds too.
Editors Note: And the ‘I am Smiling‘ reference? Many years ago a grim faced Sarel was asked during a TV interview; “How come you never smile, Sarel?” to which he replied; “I am smiling”. Classic.
But Sarel I must disagree – if I ever get to drive the Amarok I will choose Continental Tyres for my ride!
Alan Straton
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