A teatray front splitter, an enormous rear wing and a twin-turbocharged V8 engine from a Ferrari 488 GTB. Welcome to the Lotari, a purpose-built Lotus Exige hillclimb car that’s as fearsome as it is spectacular. 

It is owned by Dawie Joubert and has been evolved over many years, according to the Hillclimb Monsters YouTube channel that hosts this video. In 2024, Joubert was crowned King of the Hill at the Simola Hillclimb in South Africa, and in this video you can see how that was achieved. Tackling the bumps on what is usually a public road is no mean feat in such a focused machine.

The Ferrari engine produces 925bhp and 663ft lb of torque, as well as an incredible noise (you’ll want to turn up the volume). The aforementioned aero package has been developed by AMB Aero specifically for the job, and the car weights 1025kg.

Hold tight while you watch it ascend the Simola course with a mix of panning and on-board footage.