Summernats Malaysia 2014

THE Summernats Malaysia festival for custom cars and bikes ran its course for the first time last weekend at the Sepang International Circuit. Held as a support event to the Merdeka weekend’s annual Malaysia Merdeka Endurance Race (MMER), there were plenty of highlights for both four-wheel and twowheel fans alike during the weekend.

Amongst the many attractions, fans were treated to a fleet of custom and classic muscle cars that were put on display and paraded by organisers, JPM Motorsports. Whilst the sights of retro classics and muscles brought out a good sense of nostalgia for many, the display and parade of supercars that followed after on Sunday also helped raise the excitement. Taking part in the supercar display and parade were several notable local clubs that included the Lotus Club of Malaysia, the Porsche Club of Malaysia, the Lamborghini Owners Club of Malaysia, as well as the Ferrari Club of Malaysia.

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However, the centre of attention for many purists was the special display set up by Porsche Malaysia at the circuit’s welcome centre and festival entrance. On display was a full-sized replica of the Porsche 919 Hybrid Le Mans racer, but alongside it was a piece of racing history in the form of a classic Martini-liveried Porsche 917 form the 1970s. Naturally many flocked to see Porsche’s legendary Le Mans race machine that is currently on a display tour in Malaysia for a limited time only.

Besides four-wheeled beauties and beasts, two-wheel fans also got their fair share of excitement throughout the weekend. A large motorcycle gathering was held on the circuit early Sunday morning, which was then followed by a special ride around the circuit – a rare opportunity for most bikers that attended. The gathering brought together a wide variety of motorcycles and their accompanying owners, ranging from supersports to sport-touring, as well as custom cruisers and choppers.

Making the biggest wave and their presence felt here were the Street Cub B*tches club. The club, made up exclusively of customised classic Honda Cubs, was first formed in 2013 and has since grown in popularity. Roughly 40 of its members attended the Summernats festival last weekend, with their wild and eclectic and colourful range of custom Honda Cubs taking centre stage and attracting admiring glances from many visitors. Other clubs present during the festivities includes the HOG (Harley Owners Group) Malaysia Chapter, as well as the KTM Dukers Club.
Elsewhere around the event grounds, there were a number of vendors present, trading a wide variety of products related to the custom and tuning culture. Notable names included leading bikes apparel brand Alpinestars Malaysia, followed by bike dealers Chear Motors and Moto Guzzi Malaysia. On the four-wheeled front, local carmaker Proton as well as its subsidiaries R3 and Lotus Cars Organisers had one of the largest display the show-grounds could offer. Also present were Nissan Malaysia displaying its range of models for the Malaysian market.

As the festival’s inaugural Malaysian weekend closed on a high note last Sunday, organisers JPM Motorsports hopes to bring the festival once again next on a larger and grander scale than it was this year.