The recent FOCM Festival 2024 showcased the Ferrari lifestyle and rewrote the record books with a grand gathering of 297 cars from the marque of the Cavallino Rampante.
On a brilliant Saturday afternoon, as sunlight illuminated the vast expanse of KL Base - a former airport, a steady purring of V8 and V12s filled the air. And just like that, the FOCM Festival 2024, organised by the Ferrari Owners’ Club Malaysia, came to life. The event, supported by a stable of co-marketing partners including presenting partner Shell Malaysia, would become a celebration for Ferraristi with an assortment of other luxury brands and team Scuderia Ferrari partners adding their own touches to an event for the ages.
As the Ferraris started arriving, its owners discovered a hangar setup to celebrate the Ferrari lifestyle. Welcoming guests at the entrance was an in-depth Ferrari Classiche display by Ferrari’s authorised importer and dealer, Ital Auto Malaysia. Among the beauties displayed at the space were the Ferrari 308 GTS, Ferrari 328 GTB and Ferrari F355 Berlinetta. Nearby, the Ferrari Approved marque showcased the grand touring California and the mid-engined 360 Spider with original Rosso Corsa paintwork.
All of these activities dovetailed with the continual onstage excitement including the arrival of the first four-door Ferrari in its 77-year history, the Purosangue. The high-performance crossover approached the stage bearing Shell Mobility Malaysia’s General Manager Seow Lee Ming, head of Ferrari Malaysia Damien Woo and FOCM president Abu Rizal Bakri Dato’ Sulaiman. The latter duo welcomed Seow onstage for the launch gambit of the new and improved Shell V-Power Racing, the latest generation of its best-ever premium grade fuel that cleans 100 per cent thus protecting critical engine parts for optimal engine performance. In trials, it has added additional power and acceleration, thus becoming the only used, trusted and recommended fuel by the Formula 1 team of Scuderia Ferrari.
Outside of the hangar, as the count of Ferraris undertaken by the Malaysian Book of Records officials continued, the stage inside welcomed Malaysia’s first cosplay deejay Valent whose anime-accompanied screens added an ethereal ambience to the festivities.
Following speeches by both Kelvin Ong Abdullah, Ital Auto Malaysia’s executive director and FOCM club president Abu Rizal Bakri, the place roared into sixth gear with the official announcement by the Malaysian Book of Records official, stating that the day’s gathering of Ferraris numbered 297 in all, shattering the previous record by more than double.
And just when the crowd thought that the night had reached its zenith, the internationally renowned DJ Soda appeared in a brand-new Ferrari Roma Spider and took to the decks for an hour of non-stop action, including a walk on the dance floor with the crowd for her finale track ‘Cold’.
Up front, just before the stage, the eyes were then drawn to modern-day beauties from the F12tdf which boasts top speeds of over 340km/h to the 812 Competizione, an extreme front-engined Berlinetta. In the centre of this row of mechanical wizardry and design marvels was the phenomenal Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta, a futuristic coupe built to mark the Prancing Horse’s 70th anniversary.
The following day saw the FOCM Festival’s concluding act. The dawn of the day witnessed an assembly of Ferraris gathered at The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur for a stunning convoy all the way to the top of Genting Highlands where they were feted by the co-marketing destination partner Resorts World Genting.
At the finale dinner, Ferrari owners were welcomed by Resorts World Genting’s vice president Winnie Lim before being entertained by a combination of live performances and soul-stirring singing, all of which accompanied by an opulent course menu and drams of Royal Salute scotch.
The night ended with cigars by Cohiba Atmosphere as Genting Rouge - the poshest venue on the mountaintop, with guests and FOCM members sharing new bonds of friendship and locking in memories of a spectacular weekend of Ferrari fellowship that will last for a lifetime.
Videography: Momenz Creation
Website: www.robbreport.com.my
Facebook: / robbreportmalaysia
Instagram: / robbreport_malaysia
Robb Report Malaysia magazine is the definitive authority and luxury resource on connoisseurship for the ultra-affluent.