Some might view Sundays as a perfect opportunity to kick in and have some time out, which also includes hanging up the car keys to let the engine rest for a bit. While that might have sounded great for some, the Emperor Touge guys however prefer to do otherwise. Rather than snoozing off the sunny Sunday morning of 30th September, they fired up their rides to again conquer the twisty uphill course of Genting Highlands for the umpteenth time.
And what makes this trip special than their usual run was not only the massive turn up from their own side, but also from the great support shown by the GT-R owners from both Malaysia and across the causeway that had turned up in such a great number. By 8.30 a.m., the meeting point of Karak BHPetrol station was packed with impressive high-powered machines, all set and excited to tackle the touge route. Being an uphill run, definitely it will be the JDMs filling in the attendance list.
For this run, a large number of Mitsubishi Evolutions from various versions had made an appearance, with the oldest being this immaculate yellow Evo III. And no, this is not a facelifted Wira, mind you. With the stock form already packing a menacing punch of almost 300hp, this is not any ordinary sedan. It is great to have almost the entire bloodline of the infamous Evo to join in the run, showing the great progress that they had built up along the years.
And where there is the Evo, there is always the rival Subaru to accompany them along the way. Like the Evo X, Subaru’s own Version 10 might look way different from its predecessors, but it still has the legs nonetheless like this WRX STi.
Spotting a Ferrari nowadays is much easier than encountering a great specimen of the legendary Mazda RX-7 FD3S, which means having three of them at the same place is far more than what one could have asked for. A couple of Mazda 3 MPS had also made it for the run, which looks pretty sporty even as a hatchback.
Although the other makes like Toyota and Nissan (besides the GT-R) did not turn up in large numbers like the others did, they did made a presence with some of their iconic models. Sparking one of the endless debate in the motoring world are these two machines, the Toyota Supra and the Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R are among the greatest motoring icons of the 20th century. So, is it the 2JZ or the RB26 that you prefer?
And how could one ever talk about touge without mentioning the Honda Clan. With their slick and agile FF machines, the Civic family is famous among motoring enthusiasts; whether it is for the wide circuits or the tight hilly roads. In fact, the FD2R is among the weapon of choice for one to attack the Sepang Circuit, and even posted some daunting lap times that could not be ignored. The same goes to their early 90’s cousin, the EG, which time seems to fail on putting it out of fashion or even out of breath.
The FN2R variant might not be as famous as the FD2R here in Malaysia, but this cool hatchback packs a great overall package which had even earned them the “Hot Hatch of 2007” title by Top Gear Magazine. We also do not see much of the Accord Euro R roaming our streets, but this great looking sedan does keep a wild side very close as it is propelled by the same K20A powering the FD2R.
Continental cars might not be the primary choice for such occasion, but the ones that showed up were properly tuned up to carry on the swift, tight runs. Cars like this matte orange Scirocco was really flying through the bends with ease, thanks to its properly tuned suspension system and hardcore brakes, and not to forget the driver’s skills as well.
After a safety briefing to lay down the basic rules such as the speed limit and the driving behavior during the convoy, the Karak highway was brought to life with the mean machines’ angry grumbles. Their destination: a vacant parking lot on Genting’s summit for a photo shoot session.
With everyone obeying the rules and putting safety as their top priority, all 62 cars had managed to reach the summit without any complications. Although the air was a bit chilly up at the meeting point, all of the owners engaged into a warm and friendly conversation among one another, sharing their deep passion on cars and the great experience along the way.
Overall, this short yet exciting run was a really great success, and it was a great privilege to have met a bunch of wonderful guys from Emperor Touge that does not only love cars, but also carrying a deep passion in discovering the limits between man and machine. A great big thank you also goes to William for the invitation and the ride, looking forward for more of Emperor’s g-bending runs in the near future.
