JOHOR BARU: The Istana Bukit Serene was all abuzz as passers-by stopped their vehicles in front of the entrance to view Johor's latest pride - the Johor Sultan's mega Mack Truck.
The monster truck, believed to have cost over RM1.4mil, was parked below the large crown replica in front of the palace as the Sultan's way of letting his subjects have the first look of the vehicle.
Hundreds of visitors were seen whipping our their smartphones to take photos and selfies with the truck which was modeled after the Optimus Prime character from the blockbuster flick Transformers.
G. Kevan, 29, and his girlfriend were among the excited visitors who were seen snapping away photos of the truck.
"My friends will go crazy when I upload the photos on Facebook. We have been talking about it since we saw a video of it recently on social media," he said when met here on Sunday.
Student Sunny Kee, 19, said he was on his way to dinner when he saw the truck and decided to stop by.
"My hungry stomach can wait. I didn't want to miss seeing the massive truck up close!" he said, adding that it was a proud moment for Johoreans.
The Super-Liner, which was unveiled in King George Square in Brisbane, reportedly took a year to build at the manufacturer’s Wacol headquarters, south-west of Brisbane.
The truck has some of the fanciest gadgets including a six-camera CCTV system, two flat screen TVs, a stone-topped kitchen area, barbecue, double bed and seats with 72,000 stitches of gold thread.
PALACE ON WHEELS – TAKE A LOOK INSIDE THE WORLDS MOST EXPENSIVE MACK TRUCK
Mack’s Australian factory has of late manufactured a truck for Malaysia’s Sultan of Johor; and when royalty forms part of the equation, glam and price quotients are always soaring. The impressive Super-line entails a magnificent leisure deck, gold-thread embroidery and a golden tiger hood ornament. Of course, the price tag attached is undisclosed, but we hear it towers way above Mack’s previous record of $481,000.
Mack Trucks Australia was Sultan Ibrahim Ismail’s choice when he aimed to transport his private boat around the lands of Malaysia. The Sultan met with the company vice-president Dean Bestwick in Singapore almost a year ago.
“The fanciest extra in most Aussie trucks is a microwave or a small fridge,” Mr Bestwick said. “We’d never contemplated the features that have been included in His Majesty’s truck. “This is the most luxurious truck to have been built in Australia and probably the planet.”
We loved the features! Especially the classic royal emblems and the leisure deck! But if we are getting into the detailing, let’s talk facts! – A specially-built sleeper unit 80 per cent larger than standard and fully upholstered with imported South African leather.
– Royal emblems embroidered into the front seats with 72,000 stitches of gold thread.
– A gold tiger hood ornament specially commissioned from Wallace Bishop.
– A rear leisure deck complete with sun shades, deck chairs and pull-out barbecue.
– Solid jarrah timber flooring throughout the cab, sleeper unit and rear leisure deck.
– A six-camera CCTV system linked to two flatscreen TVs inside the vehicle.
– Police-standard flashing lights and an ear-popping four air-horns.
– Programmable strip-lighting built into the full length of the cab and deck flooring.
– A stone-topped kitchen area including fridge, microwave and grill.
– Extra-wide Michelin X1 tyres for the smoothest possible ride.
– A Bose surround sound system and X-Box and Playstation consoles.
The masterpiece was created by a team of 35 skilled experts. We hear the Sultan is elated with the end product. “I have always appreciated Australia’s engineering skills and have collected a few Holden cars over the years,” the Sultan said.
Credentials of the truck include 685hp and a top speed of 100km/h. Dipped in colours of red, white and blue, they represent the flamboyant nation of Johor. Mack’s team of engineers will fly to Singapore to unload the truck after it is shipped from the Port of Brisbane and will then carry out a test run with the rig towing the Sultan’s powerboat.
Mean machine: The world’s most expensive Mack truck being refuelled at a petrol station in Malaysia.
JOHOR BARU: The world’s most expensive Mack truck, belonging to Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, has reportedly made its debut on Malaysian soil.
The monster truck, believed to have cost over RM1.4mil, was spotted by motorists who grabbed the rare opportunity to snap photos and videos.
A 47-second video posted on “Penyokong Setia Johor” Facebook page on Wednesday showed police on motorcycles escorting the eye-catching Mack at an unknown location.
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Photos of the truck, believed to have been taken at a petrol station near Istana Pasir Pelangi, were also uploaded on the page, garnering over 4,500 hits since it was posted on Wednesday
Many Facebook users likened the huge red and blue-themed machine to the famous Transformers character Optimus Prime, and some expressed their excitement and eagerness to see the truck during the upcoming annual Kembara Mahkota Johor expedition.
Facebook user Dharma Hafizul Marali commented “Optimus Prime dah sampai kat Johor la..hehe terbaik” (Optimus Prime has arrived in Johor.. hehe it’s awesome)
Another user Muhd Fadzly Abd Ghaffar commented “Autobots....rollout!”
Awe-struck Fatimah Hussin said she could not wait for the next Kembara Mahkota Johor, where it is expected to be displayed.
“It’s okay if I can’t get on the truck, as long as I can take a selfie with it... I can’t wait... awesome!” she commented on the post.
The Super-Liner, which was unveiled in King George Square in Brisbane, reportedly took a year to build at the manufacturer’s Wacol headquarters, south-west of Brisbane.
The truck has some of the fanciest gadgets including a six-camera CCTV system, two flat screen TVs, a stone-topped kitchen area, barbecue, double bed and seats with 72,000 stitches of gold thread.
