The SUV under the sheets
No, the vehicles were not Protons at all… no such luck this time. They were actually very expensive SUVs made by another company with a ‘P’ in its name – Porsche.
Yes, the new Cayenne SUV.
The two vehicles were the very first of three right-hand drive units in Malaysia which have been imported by Auto Eurokars. The earlier unit which appeared in the press was a lefthand drive one. As we know the Auto Eurokars people, we were able to get into their compound and take a look at the Cayenne. Curious about the covering, we asked D. Ramachandaran, the company’s senior operations manager, if all Porsches are shipped in covered in such a manner.
“No, this is the first time I have seen such complete covering although the cars do usually have protective sheets on many of the body panels,” he told us, adding that the three vehicles had arrived by air from Germany.
Upon closer examination, the cover looked very ‘sophisticated’ – not just waterproof sheets stuck on the bodywork. There were actually zips in certain areas to allow access to the bodywork. For example, there was one zipped flap around the bonnet and another to allow access to the fuel lid on the right side. And there was also a flap the same size as the door to let someone get in to drive the Cayenne. Presumably, the design of the cover is to facilitate any inspections authorities may wish to make. However, there are also clear plastic openings around the windows and headlights so that the vehicle conforms to minimum motor vehicle regulations.
The vehicles are now being PDIed at the company’s service centre in Glenmarie, near Subang Jaya, and some lucky people will soon get to enjoy their new and very powerful SUVs. Mr Ramachandaran said that their company respects customers’ privacy and they will not reveal who the buyers are.
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