Bentley Flying Spur Hot Weather Testing

Why South Africa?
Bentley's not the only European carmaker to use this secluded corner of South Africa for testing. In just three days there, we spotted test vehicles from Peugeot, Audi, Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz, although each (apart from a three-box Peugeot 206) was a current shape, very likely testing new drivetrain components.

But why South Africa? Surprisingly, if your idea of a motoring escape from the European winter involves extreme heat, choking dust, and completely barren landscapes, options are limited. Throw in the logistical needs of test vehicles and engineers, and you're looking at either California, South Africa, or Australia.

Death Valley has been done, dare we say, to death: The accessibility and services that make it suitable for car testing also make it easy pickings for professional spy photographers and regular, camera-toting car-smarties like, yeah, you. Australia is a crushing 20-odd hours' flight from Europe, with a seven- to 10-hour time-zone difference in the southern summer.

Which leaves South Africa. Johannesburg is a direct flight of 10 to 11 hours from Europe, with a time-zone change of only one to two hours. The area used for testing is reliably hot and dry, with well-maintained, lightly trafficked roads--and very, very straight.

"There are few places in the world where you can get sustained high speed," explains Brian Gush. "Here, you can almost run a full tank through the car, virtually at V-max. There's probably nowhere else in the world where you can do that."