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Penang Gets A Porsche Centre And A First Look At The 718 Cayman

by Zachary Ho - Mar 16, 2017

Porsche lovers in the northern region can rejoice as Sime Darby Auto Performance (SDAP), the authorized importer of Porsche vehicles in Malaysia, has officially opened the new Porsche Centre Penang. This brand new 3S outlet is located on Jalan Baru, Seberang Perai in Penang’s automotive hub and is easily accessed by islanders via the first bridge.

The new state-of-the-art Porsche Centre Penang has a built-up area of 35,575 square feet sitting on 102,524 square feet of land and costs over RM 15 million. This centre has a display area that can house up to 10 cars, 2 air-conditioned dialogue bays and a spacious after-sales reception, integrated with the exclusive Carrera Lounge, which offers luxurious comfort and modern conveniences to customers. The workshop is state-of-the-art and features 9 service bays as well as a parts warehouse. Additionally, Porsche customers can browse the Porsche Driver’s Selection shop in shop with a selection of the latest apparel, personal accessories and toys from Porsche.

L-R: Damien Woo, Dealer Principle of Porsche Centre Penang; Carl Isenbeck, Marketing Director of Porsche Asia Pacific; Arnt Bayer, Chief Executive Officer of Sime Darby Auto Performance; Martin Limpert, Managing Director of Porsche Asia Pacific; Evan Dobnikar, Network Development Director of Porsche Asia Pacific — L-R: Damien Woo, Dealer Principle of Porsche Centre Penang; Carl Isenbeck, Marketing Director of Porsche Asia Pacific; Arnt Bayer, Chief Executive Officer of Sime Darby Auto Performance; Martin Limpert, Managing Director of Porsche Asia Pacific; Ivan Dobnikar, Network Development Director of Porsche Asia Pacific

“We are thrilled to be moving into Penang with our third Porsche Centre in Malaysia,” said Arnt Bayer, Chief Executive Officer of Sime Darby Auto Performance. “This new 3S Porsche Centre will enable us to deliver a higher level of customer satisfaction and a unique ownership experience for all Porsche owners and enthusiasts in the northern region.”

Martin Limpert, Managing Director of Porsche Asia Pacific, said: “SDAP has been our sole and exclusive importer in Malaysia since 2010 and continuously invested into the Porsche brand, with special dedication to state-of-the-art facilities and best skilled people. The new Porsche Centre Penang marks another milestone for the Porsche growth in Malaysia and is a bold statement of SDAP’s commitment. I strongly believe in the long-term potential for Porsche in Malaysia and I am convinced that this latest addition to the Porsche dealer network will support our growth path and assure an outstanding customer experience.”

At the launch, SDAP also unveiled the new Porsche 718 Cayman, the hardtop version of the 718 Boxster (read our review). To recap briefly the performance of the turbocharged inline-4 horizontally opposed engine, the 718 Cayman with PDK gearbox and Sport Chrono Package accelerates from 0 – 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds while the Cayman S does it in 4.2 seconds. Top speeds are 275 km/h and 285 km/h respectively.

Options include, but aren’t limited to, the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) with a 10 mm lower ride height, the radar-assisted Lane Change Assist, and Adaptive Cruise Control which has a coasting function i.e. clutches are disengaged when cruising to save fuel; the cruise control system can also brake moderately when the pre-set speed is exceeded, e.g. when driving downhill.

Retail base prices for the 718 Cayman and 718 Cayman S start from RM 530,000 and RM 700,000 respectively (excluding road tax, insurance and registration). Cars sold by SDAP are covered by a 4-year warranty and free maintenance package which includes complimentary service, parts and labor.