Kuala Lumpur brought heat and humidity, but could SpeedFest 2024 attract enough modified Japanese cars to fill a decommissioned military air base?
KL Base, right in the heart of Malaysia’s capital city, provided the perfect backdrop for this ambitious event. Locals reported that the empty air base is set to be redeveloped soon, making this festival a once-in-a-lifetime experience at this unique location.
When I arrived I felt like we were driving onto a movie set. The location was just as iconic as The Fast and the Furious A scene straight out of the ‘Race Wars’ scene, with endless rows of pavilions full of cars and hundreds of fluttering banners, against a backdrop of one of the most impressive cityscapes in the world.
The venue had a raw, almost post-apocalyptic vibe that perfectly matched SpeedFest’s grand ambitions.
Malaysia’s automotive industry and enthusiast base were out in force, bringing everything from meticulously restored classics to the latest supercars and even some insanely surprising builds that I could never have anticipated. The juxtaposition of cutting edge technology against the backdrop of weathered military structures added an element of surrealism to the event.
The heat and humidity were unforgiving, but they did nothing to dampen the spirits of the enthusiastic crowd. It was a testament to the passion that drives Malaysian car culture.
The sprawling air base offered a unique setting that few other locations could match. The long, open runways provided the perfect canvas for drag racing and drifting, while the expansive hangars housed some of the best cars in the country.
Together as one
Guests from Japan added a unique flavor to the event. Rubbing shoulders, sharing car stories, or simply posing for a selfie with some of the original legends that grew Japan’s modified car scene is an opportunity that’s super rare outside of the Tokyo Auto Salon or a short list of Japanese events.
Notable guests included Daijiro Inada, founder of Choice magazine and Tokyo Auto Salon. Inada-san is not only a pioneer of Japanese car culture, but also someone who has shaped car culture worldwide.
Star Road’s Shoji Inoue is the wizard behind some of Japan’s most stunning classic restomods, most notably his work on the iconic Datsun Z series. A Devil Blue 240Z that was halfway through its restoration was on display in the main hangar.
Garage Active’s Sakamura-san ran out of ink after signing so many diecast models of his full carbon R32 Skyline GT-Rs this weekend. His quest to push the limited edition and redefine the ‘perfect’ GT-R really struck a chord with local enthusiasts.
These legends brought a unique atmosphere to SpeedFest and gave everyone the unique opportunity to hang out with some of the original JDM scene influencers.
Over 1,000 cars officially took part in the event, spread across the show, drift and drag stages. And that’s not to mention the countless modified vehicles that also found their way into the spectator parking lots.
Impressively, over 50,000 guests passed through the gates. I spoke to enthusiasts from Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Brunei, Thailand and even the UK.
Hanging around
It was a real sensory overload in the massive hangar, but here are a few highlights.
Eight RWB cars made a huge impact. I don’t remember seeing so many together outside of Nakai-san’s RWB New Year Hard Rock Tokyo Party in 2018, even the RWB film debut in Melbourne in 2016.
This ultra-wide 997 is the latest member of Malaysia’s RWB family. Completed just a few weeks ago, it was the last of six cars Nakai-san completed during a mega build marathon.
Teoh from RWB Malaysia, one of the owners of Miyabi, Malaysia’s first RWB was on hand to give me a quick peek at the rest of the RAUH-Welt Begriff exhibition.
Elsewhere, the hangar was littered with restored modern classics, European supercars, race cars and more, with virtually every niche represented.
CraftLab presented three rally legends: a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III, a GC8 Subaru Impreza WRX STI and a ST185 Toyota Celica GT-Four. Although they were all replicas of factory cars, they were a great addition to the show.
The unexpected
This brick hot rod was one of those curiosities I didn’t expect to see, but I was glad to get a look inside and out.
The local ‘Bricks’ team brought two cars made almost entirely out of Lego-like bricks, complete with working doors, speakers, instruments and even LED lights. The yellow car is a 1:1 replica of a cheap, popular local car, A Perodua Myvi.
Bonus points for the adorable Panda passengers. I’d love to see one of them crash into a wall at high speed while being filmed in super slow motion.
The eye-catching cars include some unashamedly customized rides, like this Honda Prelude with a completely custom carbon fiber body kit designed and built by owner Kevin Lim. Carbon fiber also replaces much of the cabin and underbody.
There are some clear styling cues visible that have been taken from well-known body kit manufacturers and perhaps even GT500 or Time Attack builds.
A Garrett turbo allows the H22A engine to produce 300 horsepower when VTEC kicks in, yo!
Another engine that turned heads was this Mazda 13B rotary engine. The rest of the car also made a scene.
While there’s no shortage of Nissan/Datsun Bluebird 910s in Australia, we don’t have any examples here that brandish a samurai sword, have R32 taillights, are painted in Japanese police colours and have side-mounted bumpers like Rotosun.
There wasn’t a lot of pure competition machinery in the hall, but it was represented. This carbon Ginetta G58 weighs just over 900kg and is powered by a 6.2-litre V8. People were constantly impressed by the beautiful details of carbon fibre.
Overall, the variety of cars, the quality of the restorations, and the creativity behind many of the builds were astonishing.
The only thing better than seeing some of these cars parked was seeing them in action. And SpeedFest 2024 met that criteria as well. Stay tuned for part two of my coverage.
Matthew Everingham
Instagram: matthew_everingham
matt@mattheweveringham.com