Automobiles At Its Best: Asia Klasika 2014 - South East Asia's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance...

Words & Images By Brennell Christian Tan

The evolution of cars is never ending, every now and then the world welcomes a ground breaking car that exceeds in both performance and design as well. Asia Klasika 2014 is a classic car event held to celebrate and remember the great cars in the past and to showcase cars of timeless quality to enthusiasts. Held in Pullman Putrajaya Lakeside Hotel, with beautiful scenery consisting of clear blue lakes and beautiful greenery which surrounds the area. For those interested to see more, the event will be held from the 31st October till the 2nd of November.

The Classics... Masterpieces Of The Past...

All across Malaysia and and from other countries, a wide variety of cars have come together in this prestigious event, Asia Klasika Motor Festival 2014. From classy British convertibles to gorgeous Italian gran tourers, this is an amazing event for enthusiasts who admire classics such as the Jaguar E-Type or the Alfa Romeo Montreal.... Let the show begin...

Italian Passion...

1981 Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer 512i

Long ago, Enzo Ferrari head of Ferrari at the time, stubbornly refused to approve the production of a mid-engined car long after Ferrari introduced mid-engined race cars at the time. Ferrari's engineers managed to persuade Enzo to approve the production of a low volume production marque of Ferrari, titled Dino. The Dino cars built, received positive critics due to it's well balanced mid-engined layout. Soon after, Enzo approved the production of the Berlinetta Boxer.

One of the breathtaking cars on display at the event is the 1981 Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer 512i or Ferrari BB for short. Powered by a mid mounted 4.9 litre flat-12, the Ferrari BB 512i was the most commercially successful model due to its fuel injected flat-12 engine as opposed to the previous years 4.4 litre flat-12 which used carburettors. The 4.9 litre engine produces 360 horsepower and 333 foot pounds of torque and will rocket the car to 100km/h in 5.4 seconds all the way to a top speed of 303km/h.

100 Years Of Italian Fabulousness... Maserati

This year Maserati celebrates its 100th anniversary. Numbers like that come around very often so Naza Italia Sdn Bhd, the authorised dealer of Maserati in Malaysia has brought along a few models to celebrate Maserati's 100th anniversary with a few models like the 1969 Maserati Ghibli and a few other modern day sports cars.

1969 Maserati Ghibli

The all new Ghibli launched this year in Malaysia was built to compete among the likes of the BMW 5-series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. However, few remember the original Maserati Ghibli.... A gorgeous gran tourer, the Maserati Ghibli had a characteristic shark like nose, pop-up headlights along with alloy wheels and a luxurious leather interior. One of the unusual characteristics of the car is their twin 50 litre fuel tanks built in due to its high fuel consumption.

However, the Ghibli in the image show isn't the normal variant, it is the Ghibli SS, which is more powerful. Under the bonnet is a 4.9 litre V8 producing 335 horsepower compared to the usual 310 horsepower. 0 to 100km/h is completed 6.8 seconds leading on to a top speed of 248 km/h. There were two choices of transmissions offered which was either a three-speed automatic or a five speed manual.

2014 Maserati Quattroporte Sport GTS & Gran Turismo Sport

At the Naza Italia showcase area were a couple of modern day sports cars as well. The Maserati Quattroporte Sport GTS is a four door, foor seater sports car, that's capable of transporting four people with comfort and luxury thats second to none, whilst still being capable of sporty and athletic driving. Under the bonnet lies a twin-turbo 3.8 litre V8 which produces 523 horsepower and 524 foot pounds of torque at max. TopGear UK host and driving enthusiast Jeremy Clarkson once said the previous Quattroporte Sport was a great car and I have no doubt on the new car being as good as or even better than the previous model.

Another modern sports car on display is the Maserati Gran Turismo Sport. A naturally aspirated 4.7 litre V8 which produces 460 horsepower and 384 foot pounds of torque sends power to the rear wheels through a ZF sourced, 6 speed automatic transmission or available as an option is a six speed sequential manual gearbox. 0 to 100 km/h takes 4.7 seconds and the top speed is 301km/h.

1970 Alfa Romeo Montreal

At the 1970 Geneva Motor Show, the unveiling of the Alfa Romeo Montreal attracted much attention and admirers. Bertone had designed a beautiful but yet distinctive 2+2 coupe with more than enough power on tap to keep the driver entertained. The Montreal had unique front headlamps with grilles that retracted when the lights were switched on.

The chassis and suspension was based on the Alfa Romeo Giulia and the powerplant was based on the same V8 engine in the Alfa Romeo T33 Stradale with the engine block being bored-out to enlarge its displacement from 2 litres to 2.6 litres. Output of the 2.6 litre V8 engine is 200 horsepower and 173 foot pounds of torque. The drivetrain consists of a five-speed manual transmission sourced from ZF connected to a limited slip differential which resulted in the Montreal being a superb drivers car with quick acceleration. 0 to 100km/h is reached in 7.4 seconds and then leading to a top speed of 220km/h.

1964 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTC

The Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTC was the cabriolet version of the Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT with a similar chassis minus the hardtop roof. Despite the absence of the fixed roof and it's pillers, the rigidity of the body shell is not compromised due to reinforcements to several crucial points on the chassis.

From its very limited production from 1964 to 1966, only 1000 were ever made. A 1570cc four cylinder engine powered the rear wheels of the car. The engine produced 121 horsepower and 111 foot pounds of torque. 0 to 100km/h took place in a stately 10.7 seconds and off to a top speed of 180km/h.

Elegant British Class...

1948 Jaguar XK120

Pre-world war II, the SS Jaguar 100, blew away the audience with its amazing handling and stunning looks, its successor is the Jaguar XK120, the birth of Jaguar's splendid XK series... The XK120 was launched in 1948 and received great critical acclaim. It's fabulous design along exceptional performance with a top speed of 220km/h sealing its reputation as the worlds fastest production car at the time.

A 3.4 litre straight six powered the rear wheels of the car. The chassis material was ash wood with a hand built aluminium body. However, due to excessive demand in 1949, steel pressed bodies replaced the aluminium body shells. 0 to 100 km/h took 10 seconds and the straight-six produced 160 horsepower. However, in the United States the engine output was bumped up to 210 horsepower. Over 12000 units were built making this aone of the great British automobile success stories.

1964 Jaguar E-Type

The SS Jaguar 100 and the Jaguar XK120 brought fame, fortune and glory to the Jaguar name, promoting British elegance and superb performance. As the saying goes, 'third times the charm'... With the launch of the 1961 E-Type, Jaguar had hit the lottery. Crowds of people were lining up for this extremely desirable work of art and it was widely regarded by many as the most breathtaking car ever made. Enzo Ferrari himself quoted about the E-Type saying, "The most beautiful car ever made".

In the image shown is the model with the 4.2 straight-six producing 265 horsepower. 0 to 100km/h is dispatched in 7 seconds and soon after a top speed of 241km/h will be reached. Every E-Type variant featured independent coil spring rear suspension with torsion beam front ends. Present at all four corners of the car were disc brakes and all were power assisted.

Morgan 4/4

The Morgan 4/4 was Morgan's first car with 4 wheels. Morgan's were always built using traditional methods, aluminium body shells were built over ash frames. Compared to the previous model the 4-4, it looks rather similar but it's underpinnings were all new.

The traditional independent front suspension with sliding pillars and coiled springs was replaced with a solid axle with leaf springs in the back. a 1.2 litre side valve engine was utilised which produces 40 horsepower. The powerplant is connected to a three speed gearbox and hydraulic drum brakes were present on all four corners.

The Other Brits...

Also present at the event are a few flawless classics from MG. A couple of MG cabriolet's were spotted on display. Also spotted at the event was a gorgeous looking grey Aston Martin Vantage V8.

The All American V8's...

1968 Chevrolet Impala

A 5.7 litre V8 is what powers the rear wheels of this classic American icon. It's such an icon that the brothers Dean & Sam Winchester in the TV series "Supernatural" uses this car. Old school American classic, the Impala had a very striking and rugged look in my opinion with a dash of intimidation, especially if you hear it's 5.7 litre or as the Americans call it a 350 cubic inch V8 revving is heart out.

The 5.7 litre V8 produces 250 horsepower and 365 foot pounds of torque. The power plant is connected to a choice of transmissions, ranging from a two speed and three speed automatic or a three speed or four speed manual transmission. The fastest 0 to 100km/h took place in 9.5 seconds whilst equipped with the 4 speed manual gearbox.

The Ford Mustang... Celebrating 50 Years Of American Muscle...

A muscle car icon, the legendary Ford Mustang has been with us since 1964 and has been redefining the muscle car segment ever since. Driven by superstars like Steve McQueen in the 1968 movie Bullitt and Sean Connery in the 1971 film Diamonds Are Forever, upon launch the Ford Mustang was an instant classic...

1971 Mustang Mach 1

The Mustang Mach 1 in the performance oriented option package originally introduced in August 1968 for the 1969 model year. This model is known as the 1971 - 1972 Mustang Coupe, powered by a 7.0 litre (429 cubic inches) V8 producing 375 horsepower and 450 foot pounds of torque. 0 to 100km/h comes about in 6.4 seconds.

Following tradition, the Mustang has a rather simple suspension set-up, consisting of a live rear axle and leaf springs in the rear, mostly reused parts form the Ford Falcon. Handling was not the best due to its rear suspension set up but its speed and acceleration was excetptional...

So there was another Mustang Mach 1.... Equipped with a Nitrous Oxide System (NOS)

Upon walking in to the Ford showcase area, I had noticed two Mustang Mach 1's. Both the cars look almost similar and so with my curiosity I asked the Ford staff if there was any difference. He then brought me over to the rear of the car and opened the trunk. To my surprise, a Nitrous Oxide canister was hiding in the trunk. The system is able to massively boost the power output of the engine, unfortunately the specific output of the engine was not quoted.

The Heart Of A Lion... The Shelby 1000

Shelby American International has been producing high performance variants of the Ford Mustang since 1965, producing great cars like the Shelby Mustang GT350 or the 1968 Cobra GT500. So the presence of the Shelby 1000 at this event was surprising. As the name hints, the supercharged 5.4 litre V8 producing 1000 horsepower and 750 foot pounds of torque. It's engine is so loud that it vibrates everything in the surrounding area and hurts your ears when revved. 0 to 100km.h takes about three seconds and it's top speed will breach the 200mp/h mark or 320 km/h.

Sneak Peek: Shelby GT500E "Eleanor"

Hiding under the sheets at the Ford showcase area was the legendary GT500 "Eleanor" from the blockbuster movie 'Gone In Sixty Seconds'. Unfortunately, the night before the event while being delivered to the venue, the transmission subframe was ripped off due to the undercarriage hitting the ramp too hard. Therefore, I did not manage to get a look at the legendary car. It is important to note however this is the only right-hand drive of only two models signed and authorised by Carroll Shelby.

2008 Dodge Ram 5500

Also spotted was a Dodge Ram 5500. In the US, this pick-up truck is widely used for heavy lifting. Under the hood is a 6.7 litre diesel inline six producing 305 horsepower and 610 foot pounds of torque. A Ferrari F12 Berlinetta produces 509 foot pounds of torque and this truck produces a 101 more foot pounds of torque, which is to say, more than enough to haul a trailer...

Classique Concours d'Elegance...

Car enthusiasts would appreciate this event and the selection of rare cars present at the event along with a couple of motorcycles as well. It's an opportunity for those who are massively interested in classic cars with a great history and an interesting story behind it, for instance the Shelby GT500E which is the only right hand drive model built of a total two signed and authorised by Carroll Shelby. Timeless elegance, stunning design and rarity all representing a certain golden era during the evolution of the automobile....