Earlier this week, I gave you a glimpse into some of my favorite aspects of Retro Havoc’s 2023 Encore Unlimited event. Today, I’m going to show you everything else I captured at this giant get-together, held on a former runway near Malaysia’s capital city, Kuala Lumpur.
Having been to the annual Retro Havoc show before and now Encore Unlimited, there is no mistaking how vastly different the two events feel. While Retro Havoc has a defined focus on retro and classic cars, Encore Unlimited gave me a much bigger sense of just how diverse Malaysian car culture actually is.
It could just be because of the sheer scale of the show or seeing cars from different eras mixed together, but it truly feels unique to Malaysia. Because where else in the world can you find locally-built Protons alongside JDM, USDM and EUDM models?
The types of builds were just as diverse too. I’ve noticed that while many modified cars in Malaysia are race-inspired, there’s an equally large proportion that are actually built for circuit use. Just as the Malaysian drift scene has events happening all the time, Sepang International Circuit holds regular track days, so it makes sense that many Malaysian enthusiasts build cars with dual show/go purpose. Motorsports are deeply rooted in the local car culture.
When it comes to old school Japanese cars, Malaysia has them in numbers, and it felt like every classic build that showed up for Retro Havoc was out at Encore Unlimited too. When I visit Malaysia, I’m constantly reminded that there are so many Japanese models from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s that I’ve forgotten about. Like the Mitsubishi FTO and GTO variants, which are not cars I see or hear talked about often.
Retro Havoc Encore Unlimited is a grounding experience for anyone who wants to dive head-first into Malaysian car culture. It offers such a huge variety of cars and builds, but most importantly, it unites Malaysian car enthusiasts from different backgrounds at a place – in this case a huge place – they can really share their passion. Long may this event continue.
Now, I promised a mega gallery, and you shall receive below. Enjoy!
Rick Muda
Instagram: ardskellig
More stories from Malaysia on Speedhunters
