Across four nights and five days, the 2025 edition of the Drive of the Year by the Ferrari Owners’ Club Malaysia (FOCM) showcased the ever-changing beauty of the open road, with fang-like limestone hills and sinewy highways giving way to tranquil B-roads and charming towns. The FOCM 2025 Drive of the Year would encapsulate much of the joys of a motoring adventure, with unique pit stops, exotic cuisine, eclectic entertainment, breathtaking scenery, and the pleasure of good company.

Day One

The first day began at the crack of dawn, as 23 Ferraris gathered at the north-bound Rawang rest stop to refuel and begin their charge towards Sauk. At Sauk, a local lunch was followed by some of the most excellent durians, which saw participant Louis Lai—a durian connoisseur—give his two thumbs up in approval.

Then, as the fleet made its way quickly through the Pengkalan Hulu immigration checkpoint, heavy raindrops began falling, adding a sense of elements to the drive. Across the border, the convoy arrived in Betong, Thailand’s southernmost town, and almost immediately headed out on scooters to check out the quaint town famous for its fish maw dishes. Dinner at Whai Rhoy Lee boutique restaurant showcased an array of seafood and Thai dishes that capped a long, and satisfying, first day of driving.

Day Two

The next day greeted participants with dramatic skies and the scent of adventure. Along the famed 410 highway—so named for the number of bends along the 160km stretch running through Yala and Pattani provinces—the drivers and their co-pilots enjoyed scenic views. With the relatively easy traffic conditions, the convoy also had the opportunity to pose for photos on the Tok Ku Chae (Halabala Forest Lake) bridge, which spans over part of the vast Bang Lang dam.

A quick lunch was followed by a fuel stop, with sponsored bottles of Liqui Moly RON boosters coming in handy to increase the research octane number (RON) of the fuel between two and four points, as well as decreasing fuel consumption and preventing engine damage due to knocking combustion.

Then, it was a straight blast towards Hat Yai, with three hours of driving rewarded by the welcome sight of the modish Signature Hotel Airport. Here, the drivers could not resist a dip in the hotel’s inviting saltwater pool before adjourning for dinner at the property’s own Sawa Restaurant, where local Songkhla dishes and flavours were presented with international style.

Day Three

On the third day, the participants had a leisurely start, cruising towards Songkhla Lake—Thailand’s largest natural lake, which covers more than 1,000 sq km, about 30 per cent larger than the entire main island of Singapore. The drive across the 940m Tinsulanonda Bridge would lead the Ferrari convoy to the hilly island of Ko Yo. A sumptuous lunch at Sirada Restaurant was promptly followed by afternoon tea and snacks at the Good Mountain Café. This stop, perched high among the hills, commanded a panoramic view of the surrounding Songkhla Lake and its lush nature.

Another hour of easy cruising would see the convoy return to the Signature Hotel Airport, with dinner at Alive Cheewit Cheewa in Hat Yai proving to be a most lively affair, with a live band in attendance and an impromptu birthday celebration for FOCM member Michael Tan on a very significant milestone.

Day Four

As the birds began to sing, the powerful throttle of V8s and V12s began joining the chorus. The finale of the FOCM Drive of the Year would be the most challenging yet—with several time targets to meet and an ambitious rendezvous with fellow Ferraristi from the Ferrari Owners’ Club Singapore (FOCS), who had begun their very own Drive of the Year from the Lion City.

Thus, it would be that the FOCM convoy crossed the Bukit Kayu Hitam customs and immigration checkpoint at 9am, and then making a dash down the NKVE towards Alor Setar. There, they were greeted by Dato’ Abdul Gafar Yahya, Alor Setar mayor, who was on hand to flag them into the square in front of the national state mosque, Masjid Zahir. This grand architectural edifice—voted one of the world’s top 10 most beautiful mosques—traces its origins back to British Malaya in 1912, when it was built upon the grave of a fallen Kedah warrior who died defending the sultanate against the Siamese invasion of 1821.

From here, the convoy would then proceed for a most extraordinary lunch at the nearby Diem Bakery with its rosso-painted interiors. Inside, Chef Andy Choy of Chateau Dionne served up a lunch offering of seasonal fruit omakase with mango-chilli-prawn canapes, followed by tuna and papaya appetisers, cherry valley duck breast with jackfruit, and a mangosteen-mango-lime panna cotta.

Finale

At the stroke of 1.30pm, the engines revved up and a total of 36 Ferraris—with 13 more joining from Kuala Lumpur and Penang that morning—motored down the highway and across the Penang Bridge into Penang Island towards Fort Cornwallis, the oldest standing structure on the island built by the British East India Company (circa 1810). Here, the Ferraristi enjoyed a plethora of delicious Penang street food and local delicacies, from chendol and char koay teow to assam laksa and chilled fresh coconuts. Celsius—the lifestyle energy drink that partners with team Scuderia Ferrari—was also on hand to quench the drivers’ thirst.

Soon enough, the FOCS convoy of another 35 Ferraris would roar into formation, filling the entire road with Italian motoring style, with the pick of the bunch being the SF90 XX Spider, the first road-legal Ferrari Special Version from the XX programme, and one of 599 in the world.

With the entire convoy of Ferraristi now in place, the parade of Ferraris would then end up at The Millen Penang, Autograph Collection, a stunning new hotel in Penang with high-touch luxury and boasting uninterrupted views of the island’s lush hills and sparkling Andaman Sea.

At The Upperton Hall Grand Ballroom, a cocktail session with Chivas Regal and cocktails expertly crafted by Penang’s famed Backdoor Bodega provided the merriment to kick off the evening’s proceedings. The Ferraristi would also enjoy how adrenaline meets eardrums with the unique Ferrari Collection by Bang & Olufsen on display.

In his speech, Wong Hon Wai, Penang state executive councillor for tourism and creative economy, welcomed the Ferrari owners in the room, saying that Penang has always been a place to welcome all visitors. And on this very day, the Prancing Horse—a legendary supercar marque and the winner of the most Formula One Constructors Championships—would ignite the imagination of Penangites who would also harbour dreams of being a Formula One superstar.

Ferrari

Photography by Ken Lim / Momenz Creation

Videography by SK Seaw & Jason Khoo / Momenz Creation