Come March 2012, Burnpavement.com, with the help of our good sponsors Caltex and Volkswagen, will be organising an epic Performance Driving Holiday to the twisty hills of Cameron Highlands.
Photos: Joel Tam, Low Fai Ming & Krado Low
Burnpavement.com's very first Performance Drive Holiday will see us bring 10 cars in a speedy convoy to blast through the scenic roads of Malaysia and up the twisty hills of Cameron Highlands. Covering high speed straights, curvy B-roads and snaking hill climbs, the drive promises to be both challenging and exhilarating.
But before the actual trip happens next year, we packed our bags and took to the hills ourselves to recce and chart out a route that is fit for demanding drivers like you, our readers. Over the next few days, we'll update you on our experiences and findings so you can whet your appetite for the roads you'll be munching on next year.
We've got 10 slots for this event, so keep a look out for registration details soon...
We tank up our cars with Techron 98 Platinum petrol at Caltex's Jurong West station. It's a perfect place to start off any trip up north as it is within close proximity to Tuas checkpoint.
Our two German steeds drink up and prepare for the long drive ahead. Our planned schedule will see us on the road for approximately 9 hours, including rest-stops.
The Volkswagen Jetta Sport with 160 bhp impresses ALL of us once again as we witness how easily it covers ground. "If this was my car, I'd be happy to drive up the NS highway at least once a month!" said Azfar, our Associate Editor, who led the way with his family in tow.
I followed closely behind with the more powerful Tiguan Sport with 210 bhp. What a balanced drive it was for me! Sports suspension and 4Motion ensured a surefooted ride, and 280 Nm simply meant that overtaking was a cinch.
After a rest stop and petrol fill at Caltex Ayer Keroh, we travelled another 300+ kms before arriving at Tapah, where we made a small detour to fill up at their quaint little Caltex station (pictured above and below).
Quick breather just before heading to Simpang Pulai for our hill climb up Cameron Highlands.
The Tiguan may be an SUV, but it is highly capable of negotiating the tight and winding roads that snake around the mountain. Well-controlled body roll means you can attack corners without the feeling of wanting to throw up.
We heard that Strawberry Park recently renovated. We also heard that it was a quiet Tudor-styled hotel with ample parking space for all our cars...
...we heard right! The rooms are spacious, stylish and new. So far, service has been prompt too. We'll test it further tomorrow. No promises that we'll come back here for the actual trip though.
Time to unload the car. Tiguan easily swallows all our gear and my luggage. Did I forget to mention, the air here is SPLENDID! It's just so clean and refreshingly cool. I'm updating this from our hotel room with no air-conditioning and it feels like at least 23 degrees in here.
We hit the road again after unpacking and head to the city centre to have a hot steamboat dinner. As if that wasn't enough, we paid the Pasar Malam (night market) a visit (no photos because it started to rain) and ate some more! Strawberries, fresh corn, char kuay teow, more fruits - it was awesome food left, right and centre. We are definitely going back tomorrow. We will be trying out an interesting new road tomorrow too. More updates soon...