Racing Heritage At Retro Havoc

There is something about cars that have been built up for pure functionality and speed that draw us in for a closer look.

While roaming the multi-story parking lot that played host to Malaysia’s 2018 Retro Havoc event, two cars in particular piqued my interest –  the Porsche 911 Carrera in the cover image, and the Series 1 Mazda RX-7 below.

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The RX-7 is where I’ll start. Local Selangor rotary specialist RPS Motorsport built this car in honor of the late Garry Chua Ah Seng, a legendary Malaysian race car driver whose weapon of choice in the ’80s and ’90s was a blue and white SA22C.

Known as one of the finest rotary tuners in the region and having one of the loudest cars on the grid, Garry helped inspire a younger generation to fall in love with the Mazda and its unique Wankel engine. With a few of the original car’s body panels on hand, the guys at RPS got to work on rebuilding this RX-7 to match the look and specification of Garry’s race machine.

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It took five long years for the project to be completed, but the end result was definitely worth the wait.

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While the SA22C was built as a tribute to a Malaysian legend, this 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera was built for the sole purpose of racing. With a naturally aspirated 3.9-liter engine out back good for 450hp, it definitely has the performance credentials.

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All of the battle scars are proudly worn as proof of its life as a race car in the Asia Classic Car Challenge (ACCC) since 2011.

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As you would expect, the interior has been stripped of all its non-essential items, while the exterior has been designed to mimic the styling of the ’74 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.0

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Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to meet the owners of either the SA22c or the 911 during the Retro Havoc event, but the next time I find myself back in Malaysia they’re two people I’d really like to catch up with. I think there’s a lot more to these two machines than first meets the eye.

Ron Celestine
Instagram: celestinephotography

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1
Cohen Baggerly

That SA22C looks so sick!!

2

Meh.

3

just realized on the SA22C, it have a layout of Batu Tiga Speedway Circuit, one of the earliest if not the first race track build in Malaysia.

4

New to the forum what is an SA22C?

5

Yes boss.

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