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Porsche 911 GT3 RS Arrives – 525PS, 296km/h DRS, from RM2.63m

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A race car for the road.

Porsche has today introduced the flagship 911 variant in the Malaysian market, offering customers the most uncompromised, performance-focused model in the lineup. The 911 GT3 RS offers the lightest, most driver-centric experience for customers, dialling-up the already-impressive 911 experience. 

“The new 911 GT3 RS resembles a race car more closely than ever before, offering near Cup car-like performance for our growing base of track-enthusiast customers. We are delighted to introduce this highly-anticipated model during the second Porsche Carrera Cup Asia race weekend in Malaysia, with motorsports passion in the air.”

Christopher Hunter, Chief Executive Officer, Sime Darby Auto Performance 

Designed for maximum performance, the 911 GT3 RS packs a 525PS 4.0-litre motor behind the rear wheels, mated to a PDK dual-clutch automatic as standard. The extra performance was eked out with new camshafts and modified cam profiles, with a motorsports-derived single-throttle intake system. Shorter gear ratios on the PDK gearbox also ensures quicker acceleration with greater capacity to withstand the extreme loads that performance driving demands. 

The century sprint is completed in a mere 3.2-seconds, while top-speed is rated at 296km/h. Aluminium monobloc fixed-calliper 6-piston brakes ensure that stopping is done fuss-free and reliably every time, but Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) remain an option for customers. Rolling stock is set at 275/35 R20s at the front, and 335/30 R21 at the rear for the highest-performance grip.

Weight is kept in check with an extensive use of carbon-fibre both inside and out, in addition to more lightweight construction methods resulting in a total weight of just 1,450kg. Aiding this is a reworked cooling system that makes use of just one radiator that more effectively cools the transmission, brakes and engine while further reducing weight.

Downforce is a major factor with the 911 GT3 RS – headlining features include the gooseneck-mounted hydraulic rear spoiler that incorporates drag-reduction technology to maximise speed, as well as ducting in what would have been the front luggage compartment that Porsche says now more closely resembles their 911 GT Cup cars more than ever before. This they say was “the best compromise” to deliver the most racecar-like experience in a road-going model.

Convenience for customers is also a key consideration, with the inclusion of four rotary dials on the steering wheel that allow the adjustment of various suspension settings on the fly. For example, the rebound and compression damping over each axle, the rear diff-lock, and DRS can be fettled with without taking your hands off the wheel, with all changes displayed dynamically via specific displays in the instrument cluster. 

All purchases of the Porsche 911 GT3 RS will include access to Porsche-exclusive events, like track days and owners-club events. The price of RM2.63-million is inclusive of taxes, duties, and official support from Sime Darby Auto Performance, but while the Clubsport package (black leather, Racetex, and carbon-fibre weave) comes as standard, the Weissach pack will command a premium over sticker. 

Weissach Package highlights include a carbon-fibre finish on the front lid, roof, rear-wing, and upper-shell of the exterior mirrors. The roll bars front and rear, coupling rods at the back, and the shear panel on the rear axle are also done in carbon-fibre to enhance driving dynamics, with the rollover bars alone saving 6kg over the standard steel versions.  

2023 PORSCHE 911 GT3 RS – with optional Weissach Package – SEPANG INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT

Porsche Centre Johor Bharu Opens For Southern Customers

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‘Destination Porsche’ 4S Centre offers Porsche Classic Partner services too.

Sime Darby Auto Performance today unveiled its newest dealership, taking root in the southern city of Johor Bharu. The new state-of-the-art facility also debuts the new ‘Destination Porsche’ corporate identity within the full 4S centre, which is the first Porsche facility in the country to offer body & paint services for the marque. 

“It has been quite a year for our partnership with Porsche in Malaysia, with the first locally-assembled Cayenne rolling out of our plant in Kedah earlier this year, and now the addition of the first 4S Porsche Centre in Malaysia in Johor Bharu. The setup of this new dealership forms part of our plan to provide world-class standards of customer experience, for both Porsche and Sime Darby Motors.”

– Dato’ Jeffri Salim Davidson, Chief Executive Officer, Sime Darby Group Berhad

The 5,412-square metre facility necessitated an RM28-million investment on the part of Sime Darby Motors, and aims to offer southern fans of the Stuttgart brand a new place to call home. The interior demonstrates a clear focus on customer-centric brand experiences featuring multiple ‘experience modules’ such as E-Performance, Porsche Classic, the Fitting Lounge, Delivery Bay, and an area for Certified Pre-Owned vehicles. Customers will be entertained throughout the facility by highly-trained Porsche staff while also providing space for Porsche fans to gather and host events. 

The Johor Bharu Porsche Centre (PCJB) is equipped with a 175kW high-performance DC charger as well as 22kW AC chargers for Taycan customers. With the addition of PCJB, this completes Porsche’s intended corridor to allow Porsche Taycan customers seamless travel from north to south, pairing with Porsche Centres in Ara Damansara, Sg. Besi, and Penang. 

On a special note, PCJB is now the first-in-Malaysia Porsche Classic Partner, offering services to owners of Porsche cars from their heritage range. This gives enthusiasts the ability to tap into Porsche specialist knowledge on maintenance, repair and restoration of their cars.

With a full-range of services catering to every Porsche customer available in Johor Bharu, this signals Sime Darby’s continued commitment to the Porsche brand but also the potential to upgrade and enhance existing Porsche facilities throughout the country. 

Porsche Begins Assembly In Kulim, Kedah

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First ever assembly facility outside Europe.

A landmark event for Porsche and Malaysia, the German marque today opens the doors of its first assembly plant outside Europe, with the cooperation of Sime Darby’s motor division.

“A testament to the long-standing and trusted partnership built for well over a decade, Sime Darby & Porsche are connecting more Malaysian Porsche fans to their dream sports car, while at the same time empowering futures by unlocking the potential of the local community and workforce,” said a statement by the brand. 

The launch was officiated by Kedah’s crown prince, DYTM Tengku Sarafudin Badlishah Ibni Al Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin, along with Kedah menteri besar Dato’ Seri Sanusi Md. Nor, as well as the Board & Management of Sime Darby Berhad, and Executive Board & Management members of Porsche AG & Porsche Asia Pacific. 

“Today we have reached a new milestone, rolling out the first locally-assembled Cayenne and fulfilling the sports car dream of even more Malaysian Porsche fans. Our growth strategy underlines the importance of Malaysia for Porsche as we look to expand our presence in the ASEAN region. And it demonstrates our confidence in Sime Darby, as a strong partner on our side.” – Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board for Sales & Marketing, Porsche AG

– Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board (Sales & Marketing), Porsche AG

The assembly plant in Malaysia, operated in partnership with Sime Darby, is staffed by a team of 100% highly-skilled Malaysian talent, all of whom have been comprehensively trained by Porsche. This is further supported by a network of local suppliers & service providers in the area, empowering the future of the local community with job opportunities, upskilling prospects, and potential for further expansion. 

This facility in Kulim, Kedah will assemble the Cayenne, seen as a simbol of Porsche’s broadening horizons, appealing to new customer segments by combining an elegant interior and unparalleled comfort with the robust dynamism that Porsche is famed for. 

The locally-assembled RHD Cayenne comes with an elevated and enhanced standard equipment range specified exclusively for the Malaysian market, with a specially-curated Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur option package and a special Porsche Design timepiece for more personalisation. 

At present, the facility will only assemble the Cayenne base model, with more expensive Cayenne variants remaining fully-imported units for the time being. However, we have reason to believe that the assembly plant will most likely be closely monitored by Porsche AG for future expansion, as an ASEAN base would be hugely beneficial for the Zuffenhausen brand to tackle other price-sensitive markets in the region. Add to that the insatiable demand for the Taycan EV here in Malaysia and the expiry of tax exemption on fully-imported EVs come December 2023, and it seems likely that Sime Darby and Porsche AG will look to add onto the Kulim plant’s capabilities in due course.

GALLERY: PORSCHE BEGINS ASSEMBLY IN KULIM, KEDAH

2020 Porsche Taycan Unveiled – 4S, Turbo, Turbo S, 340km Range, RM725k Upwards

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German luxury marque Porsche has unveiled its answer to the growing wave of electrified mobility, a car that offers the spirit of the Stuttgart brand while staying on-point at the bleeding edge of engineering innovation. The Porsche Taycan is the brands first-ever all-electric series production vehicle, designed to take on cars like the Tesla Model S and the Audi e-tron GT, as well as indirect competitors like the Mercedes-Benz EQC and BMW iX3. 

The Taycan will most notably be offered in Malaysia with the Performance Battery Plus option as stnadard, which upgrades the power capacity to 83.7kWh over the standard 71kWh. This means that range o the new Taycan will never be an issue regardless of which model you opt for.  

Taycan 4STaycan 4S* Taycan TurboTaycan Turbo S
Battery (net)71.0kWh83.7kWh83.7kWh83.7kWh
Range407km463km412km450km
Power530hp490hp625hp625hp
Overboost530hp571hp680hp761hp
Torque640Nm650Nm850Nm1,050Nm
0-100km/h4s4s3.2s2.8s
0-200km/h13.3s12.9s10.6s9.8s
PriceRM725,000TBCRM999,000RM1,195,000

*with Performance Battery Plus

What we find particularly interesting is that Porsche Malaysia offers an innovative range-predictor function on its site, that you can play around with to show precisely what kind of driving you have in mind. That allows you to more accurately figure out just how much range you can expect to see in real-world conditions – needless to say, all numbers we saw were comfortably in excess of 300km no matter how we fiddled with it. 

As important as range is charging – the Taycan claims to be as fast ‘standing still as it is in motion,’ and thanks to its 800-volt architecture it really an soak up the juice at record speeds. 

Via the Mobile Charger Connect unit connected to an 11kW power point, the Taycan can be recharged to full in about 8-hours. Step up to the Porsche Charging Dock, and weirdly you’ll drop your charging speeds to 9.6kW and your charging time will go up to as much as 10.5-hours. 

With a 50kW DC fast charger, the Taycan can go from 5% charge to 80% charge in just 93-minutes – this is important as these types of DC fast chargers are expected to spring up more readily throughout the country. The fastest charging option is the Porsche Turbo Charger – available at selected Porsche dealerships across the country, 5%-80% charge can be completed in just 22-minutes and 30-seconds, with an average of 100km of range added with every 5-minutes. 

All Porsche Taycans will come with the same complimentary 4-year maintenance & warranty program offered by SDAP, with the battery covered under an 8-year warranty. Customers can option to extend the warranty coverage for both the vehicle & battery for up to 15-years. 

Despite being a full-electric vehicle, the Taycan offers true Porsche performance with incredible traction & handling. The Taycan Turbo S goes from 0-100km/h in just 2.8-seconds, identical to what can be achieved by its Formula E sibling, the Porsche 99X. 

“The Taycan is the first purely-electric sports car from Porsche and marks the beginning of a new era into the field of electromobility. It is still undeniably a Porsche – you can feel the soul of the Taycan the second you get behind the wheel. It feels and drives like a true Porsche.”

– Christopher Hunter, Chief Executive Officer, Sime Darby Auto Performance 

To accommodate charging at home, a full electrical check of parking facilities will be conducted at the homes of all Taycan owners by a certified provider engaged by SDAP. A report will be issued after the home visit to determine the compatibility of the charging equipment and next steps for optimal home charging. Of course, you can always make do with Porsche Turbo Charging with its 175kW DC fast-charging, able to add 100km of range in just 5-minutes. 

GALLERY: 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo S

Porsche Taycan On Track For Introduction This Year – SDAP Celebrates A Decade With Porsche

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Sime Darby Auto Performance, the sole official distributor of Porsche vehicles in Malaysia, has reiterated its intent to launch the all-electric Porsche Taycan in our market this year. Despite the pandemic and global economic recession, SDAP is still keen on introducing the first-ever all-electric production Porsche this year, likely as a way to celebrate its 10th year as the official Porsche distributor in our market. 

There were concerns about whether or not SDAP would be able to do it, given the current state of things. But via a short clip on their Facebook page, SDAP made clear that the new Taycan will be here before the year is up, but it hasn’t gone as far as to confirm when exactly it’ll do so.

However, while SDAP made clear that the new Taycan will be here before the year is up but it hasn’t gone as far as to confirm when exactly it’ll do so.

What’s also unclear is how the Taycan will arrive in our market – the Taycan is available globally as a standard model (dubbed ‘Taycan’), the Taycan 4S, the Taycan Turbo, and the Taycan Turbo S. The most powerful of the four models packs two electric motors (one on either axle) to produce 751hp and 1,050Nm, capable of rocketing the Taycan Turbo S from nought to 100km/h in just 2.8-seconds, and on to a top speed of 260km/h.

The Turbo and 4S also use a dual-motor setup but they’re down-tuned to produce 671hp/850Nm and 523hp/640Nm respectively. That said, the 4S can be upgraded to include the ‘Performance Battery Plus’ pack (which is standard on the Turbo & Turbo S models) which then upgrades performance to 563hp and 650Nm.

The Turbo, Turbo S, and the Performance Battery Plus-equipped models come with a 93.4kWh battery pack, while the Taycan & Taycan 4S make do with a 79.2kWh unit. All variants offer both AC and DC charging, with a 463km maximum range via WLTP testing standards. 

In addition to the Taycan, it’s likely that Some Darby will be throwing out more goodies to mark its decade of cooperation with Porsche in Malaysia. Back in 2020, Porsche Asia Pacific (PAP) sought a new main distributor for the Porsche franchise here in Malaysia, and Sime Darby stepped in to fill the role. 

GALLERY: 2020 PORSCHE TAYCAN TURBO S