Who would refuse an invitation from the guys at Cape Town Tourism to experience a little more of what Cape Town has to offer? Who would refuse an invitation to visit Fantastic Racing (at the Killarney race track) to race around the circuit at up to 240km/h? Certainly not me. :)

From the photo you'll notice two things: 1) My name is on the coolest of the six racing cars, and 2) these ain't no go-karts! The machines are fitted with 3.5-litre Dodge V6 engines that produce around 450BHP/t (brake horsepower per tonne) or 335KW.

Just before these numbers bore you, let me explain the significance. The Reynard single-seater racing car produces marginally less power than a new Porsche 911 Turbo, which generates around 460BHP/t (350KW). What makes the acceleration on this beast even more awesome is that it weighs a fraction of what a Porsche does and sits really (really) low on the ground.

The cars are exceptionally easy to drive and the gear shifts are actually easier than a normal car. As far as acceleration is concerned, when you squeeze the pedal to the floor the grunt of raw power is all you hear as your helmet is forced back into the seat behind you. The only thing that makes driving the Reynard not quite a walk in the park is the lack of power steering - so you have to be prepared to whip up some elbow-grease and teach the racer who's boss. I'll post a little more info in my next article, but for now, visit Fantastic Racing's website for more info.