Vic Pardal’s love of fast cars and smoking tyres began as a young man at informal car meet-ups with his friends in the streets of Johannesburg. The SouthSide Crew, as he and his friends called the automobile club they founded as a result, soon had to move their burnouts to a professional racetrack due to their growing popularity. The South African race car champion and recipient of the Sport Legends Award Peter Lindenberg then introduced Vic to drifting and spinning, where Vic caused quite a stir with his customised ride – a BMW 3 Series E30. Today, Vic Pardal is one of the leading voices in the spinning community in South Africa. We met him for an interview.
Hey Vic! Great to speak to you! What makes you the perfect ambassador for M and Me?
I’m that kid that played with die-cast cars as a young child, and as I grew up I just kept playing with cars. I discovered the joy of rear wheel drives, the giggle of achieving the first slide around a corner and the pure fulfilment of saving up for and purchasing my first M3.
If you could sum up BMW M in three adjectives, what would they be?
Dynamic. Rapturous. Soul-nourishing.
What is your earliest memory of BMW M and what impact did this have on you growing up?
I remember as a young 11-year-old, going to the local Sunday night car meets and seeing my first white 325is. Parked prominently on show underneath the iconic P&C roadhouse sign. She was beautiful. She idled with presence, and rev’d with arrogance.
The BMW E30 is an icon in South Africa. Was that the car that first made you feel a part of the BMW family?
Without a shadow of a doubt, a very loud and dominant YES! Throwing back to memories of cruising with my older sister’s friend Danny in his E30 325i. Late nights, driving on the highway listening to the exhaust tone pierce through the beats being played out loud.
What role do you think BMW M plays in South African car culture, beyond just pure performance?
It’s always been a success symbol. A sign to the world that you have reached your personal goal.
Why do you think in-person car meets are important for the community, and what are some Dos and Don’ts for your first car meet?
It’s important because it is where you see other community members’ personal creativity when it comes to customising their ride. Your car is always an extension of your personality, so you make it your own by enhancing its original OEM form. Some focus on performance with turbo upgrades, for others it’s about big powerful sound systems, and for some it’s about the simplicity of pure stance.
Can you share any insights into the lifestyle and culture around owning a BMW M in South Africa?
The cool thing about owning a BMW M in South Africa is that it doesn’t age. Whether you are rolling in an 1986 333i, a 1991 325is, 2004 CSL or the 2025 M2, you have the same respect amongst car enthusiasts as all M models were and are respectfully royalty.
The cool thing about owning a BMW M in South Africa is that it doesn’t age.
You have been a powerful voice in spinning culture in South Africa throughout your career. In that time, how has the culture evolved?
I always compare spinning to the Tupac poem “The Rose That Grew From Concrete” about a rose that prevails over the laws of nature and thrives.
Spinning was borne of this soil, belongs to its people and it’s cultivated by this rainbow nation. It’s grown into this prime infusion of motorsport and theatre. A motorsport that was frowned upon by its traditional circuit racing counterparts has grown to international fame. Where its spinners like Sam-Sam are now international Red Bull Athletes. Our history is used in storylines on international TV series. Spinners are gracing international pitches in Curaçoa and the UK. I say it proudly, spinning is winning.
What does spinning mean to you personally, and why do you think it resonates so deeply with local communities?
Spinning is a part of me, infused in my career. I’ve accompanied its journey as it has fulfilled countless weekends in my career. I’ve seen street corners with a couple of hundred spectators evolve into massive oval track stadiums filled with thousands of passionate fans. I’ve watched spinners go from spinning their only E30 every day to owning a back yard full of spin cars. Witnessing spinners who never left their small hometown now traveling in and around the whole of Africa, spinning for their fans. I’ve seen promoters who used to struggle to host small shows in a backyard in Soshanguve, and now they fill out stadiums beyond seating capacity. This is our story, our lifeline. Our very own African heartbeat.
You’ve spoken before about using spinning to give young people purpose. Could you tell us more about your vision for how this culture can empower youth and keep kids off the streets?
South Africa struggles terribly with a high unemployment rate. Spinning provides a lifeline for many young South Africans. From being a spinner who gets paid to entertain, to creating job opportunities in the events and entertainment industry. Young entrepreneurs jumping on YouTube fame. Videographers and photographers honing their skill behind the lens capturing spinning content every weekend. This industry continues to grow at a massive rate.
To those who aren’t fully aware of spinning culture in South Africa, what values or codes are at the core of spinning culture from your perspective?
So spinning is made of two key elements: Freestyle and Stunts.
Freestyle: the precision high-speed spinning in and around various obstacles in an area we refer to as the pitch whilst executing high speed movements in very tight spaces.
Stunts: the insane skills of performing stunts out the car whilst still in motion. Yeah, you read that right.
MC Vic Pardal and content creator “Queen B” Becky Evans with Vic’s customised BMW 3 Series E30 at the M Fest in South Africa.
The E30 325iS is often called Gusheshe within the spinning community. What does that mean and how did that come to be? What makes this model so iconic in South Africa?
The Fast One. It’s a simple meaning, yet has much more cultural depth. Rolling in the streets with a clean Gusheshe has the same street cred as pulling up with a latest spec G80 M3. In comparison, a well-kept 1991 BMW E30 325is is currently selling around 2 million rand (≈ 100,000 EUR) mark whilst its older sibling the BMW E30 333i just fetched a whopping 3 million rand (≈ 150,000 EUR) at a local auction. The Gusheshe is widely used in music videos and film as a simple success adding to its cool factor on the streets.
We know you’ve driven a lot of different BMW M cars in your time. Which one has stuck in your memory as something special?
My 333i. What an iconic car. Henne red. Big straight 6 squeezed into a tiny frame of an E30. Huge amounts of torque. Timeless 80s styling. Such a gem of a ride. The one I should have never let go of. I LOVED her in every way.
In your opinion, how does BMW M maintain its relevance and appeal among automotive enthusiasts?
I think BMW M maintains its relevance by continuing to build affordable performance cars that continue to compete with supercar performance figures. For me it’s simple, keep building that fast and exciting to drive and enthusiasts will continue to buy them.
In our first chat, you told us: “It wasn’t by the watch you were wearing or the clothes you were rocking but the way you’ve customised your car.” How can modifying BMW M cars be seen as an expression of artistic creation?
When you go out to the club, you selectively choose your outfit. The colours, the accessories and even your fragrance. Customising your BMW is kind of the same. Sure, you can roll with the stock look, but you ain’t going to stick out at the car meet. So, you shop for hours, days and then weeks for the perfect wheels, have them fitted, now you need to adjust the gap, the wheel gap. Enter a coilover set up and air setup, because 40mm just doesn’t cut it. You need to lay frame. And so the custom journey starts and never really ends.
How do you envision the future of high-performance cars, and where do you see BMW M fitting into an electric future?
Personally, I’m excited for this hybrid era where humanity is combining pistons and batteries to powerful compact BMW cars that can still encompass the word performance to the fullest. I believe BMW M will find an exciting way to create an affordable performance-orientated fully electric vehicle. However, to be honest, here in Africa, I’m still keen on having a BMW with a piston-powered motor. You never know when the lights go out, a common occurrence we’ve come to know as “loadshedding.”
If you could give anyone that was keen on joining the BMW M community some advice, what would it be?
Be kind. Understand that the dude rolling in his E30 318i has achieved his own personal dream. To him, his E30 has the same value and aspirations as the next gent cruising in his BMW M8 Comp. Appreciate all rides respectfully.
Vic, thanks for talking to us.
