HEY, REMEMBER THE Blacktop Rally Calvin and Ashley recently completed? That was that one way adventure from Jozi to Slaapstad meandering through the heart of the country before making a break for the coast from Durbs to Table Mountain with stopovers at racetracks and such to the tune of 3600kms. Well, seems a pair of girls have taken up the challenge of topping us, and their whip of choice is (drum roll please)… an Opel Astra 1.4 Turbo. Wait, what just happened here?

Meet Stephanie and Mixi, a DJ duo from the Cape with a bona fide passion for music and motoring. When Reeds recently offered them a week long jaunt in a new Opel Astra 1.4 Turbo, they decided to pass on an arduous seven day trundle through the city. Instead, the girls have planned an epic trip from CT along the coast through DBN and onto JHB, then a return sprint to CT via Kimberely. They’ve got just six days to do it in as they’re both GHFM radio jockeys as well as vinyl spinners and can’t afford to miss their time slots – popular ladies! Despite their love of cars, neither of them are professional motoring journalists and instead represent typical motorists. So it will be interesting to get their take on the performance, ride and sheer livability of the Opel Astra. But first, we had some questions.

TC: WHAT MADE YOU GUYS DECIDE TO DO A ROAD TRIP?
SB: Reeds initially approached us to do an extended test drive on one of their cars for a week each. As fun as driving someone else's car for a week is, I felt like more could be done with the opportunity and the car. We had wanted to go on a road trip together for a while, but neither of us wanted to do it in our own cars so this seemed like the perfect opportunity. A road trip also allows you to experience the car the way you would if you actually had to purchase the car; in traffic, on bumpy roads, in the rain, on a long stretch, etc.

TC: BUT WHY SUCH A BLOODY LONG ONE?
SB: I love the Western Cape, but I’ve driven the Garden Route a million times and know it off by heart. I wanted to see something/somewhere different, so I immediately thought of Durban - the only warmish place in July. Then once I realized how close Durban was to Jozi, I figured we might as well head into the City of Gold for a bit too. Our road trip then needed to be at least a week because we didn't want to rush from city to city, as it is it's already a bit of a squeeze to fit PE, Durban and JHB in one trip. That is after all what a road trip is about though... spending time in the car, driving from town to town and seeing what the country has to offer.

TC: WHY AN ASTRA?
SB: Of all the cars on offer by REEDS the Opel Astra fascinates me the most. When they launched the new Astra, it wasn't just an updated look with maybe a new grille and headlights, it was a brand new car. It came with a new engine, new suspension and new body. Even though it was launched a while ago, I still haven't had the opportunity to get inside of one and test it out. I've never been an Opel lover, but Mixi drives a Corsa and being the great friend she is she loan it to me one day when I needed an emergency vehicle. I pushed that little Corsa to the limit and I felt like I’d been judging Opel's all these years with absolutely no frame of reference. Her Corsa (Zack, who I named for her) was brilliant, still is... so when faced with a car to choose I felt like an Opel would be a nice change of pace for me (having only owned/extensively driven; Audi, VW, Honda and Renault). So it's time to broaden my horizons.

FOLLOW THEM
Stephanie B and Mixi are both radio presenters at Good Hope FM in Cape Town. Catch
Stephanie B on the Weekend Breakfast every Saturday and Sunday from 6am. Mixi hosts Night Funk on Friday nights from 10pm, and the Good Hope FM UK Top 40 on Sunday mornings at 9am. Aside from their radio shows, these two are both club DJs and MCs, and each run their own blogs; www.stephaniebe.wordpress.com and www.djmixi.wordpress.com. 

Follow them on their travels via Twitter under the hashtag #REEDSroadtrip, on the REEDS Motor Group Facebook page, as well as on their personal blogs. They leave for Port Elizabeth on 13 August, arrive in Durban on the 14th, spend the rest of their time in Johannesburg and arrive back in Cape Town on the 19th. Please feel free to interact with them throughout their journey!

NEED A ROAD TRIP REFRESHER
Check out the original Blacktop Rally story here: http://www.topcar.co.za/news/news-articles/road-trippin-blacktop-rally