Driving in unity to celebrate Brunei National Day
Porsche Brunei celebrated the nation’s 41st National Day by hosting a Porsche Community Drive event, gathering the largest driving convoy of Porsche owners for a thrilling day out. While the weather posed some challenges, the unwavering cooperation and strong spirit of unity displayed by the participants ensured the success of the event. The event served as a tribute to the unity, patriotism, and pride that Brunei’s National Day represents. Porsche Brunei also took the opportunity to showcase the new and exclusive Porsche 718 Spyder RS with Weissach Package, the most purist and powerful evolution of the Boxster model line.
Bandar Seri Begawan. Porsche Brunei, the exclusive importer of Porsche vehicles in Brunei Darussalam, represented by QAF Prestige, hosted an unforgettable driving event in celebration of Brunei’s 41st National Day.
The event brought together a large number of Porsche owners and enthusiasts, embarking on a drive that not only showcased the vibrant passion for Porsche, showcasing how the Porsche brand continues to bring people together through shared enthusiasm and a love for exceptional driving experiences, but also highlighted the patriotism, unity, and national pride that define Brunei’s National Day.
This community drive also marked a significant milestone in Porsche Brunei’s efforts to transition to electromobility. Porsche Brunei has not only introduced electric sports cars, but is also actively working to expand the infrastructure necessary to facilitate sustainable driving in the country. The event further served as a platform to showcase Porsche Brunei’s commitment to delivering Inspiring Moments of Luxury Sports Car Experience.
The convoy started at Balai Khazanah Islam, and ended at The Empire Hotel Brunei. While the weather presented some challenges, the unwavering cooperation and enthusiasm of the participants ensured the success of the event. Their remarkable spirit of unity and resilience exemplified the true meaning of togetherness, making the drive a memorable and triumphant celebration of Brunei’s National Day.
“As a company, we take pride in not only being a symbol of performance but also of positive change. Our commitment extends to supporting initiatives that advance mobility solutions, encourage diversity and inclusion, and inspire future generations to embrace innovation and progress.” said Lahiru De Silva, General Manager at Porsche Brunei. He added, “The Porsche community Drive for Brunei 41st National Day celebrate not only our nation’s progress and achievements, but also the values of innovation, performance, and excellence that drive us forward. At Porsche Brunei, we are proud to be part of a community that continues to set new standards in the automotive industry and beyond.”
A highlight of the event was the national debut of the Porsche 718 Spyder RS with Weissach Package during the welcome reception for participants at Balai Khazanah Islam. The 718 Spyder RS is Pure GT engineering in an unconditionally open 2-seater: puristic, unfiltered and 100 per cent emotional. At the end of the drive, Porsche Brunei also showcased new, all-electric Macan at The Empire Brunei, offering participants the exclusive opportunity to experience the car up close.
Porsche 718 Spyder RS with Weissach Package
The 718 Spyder RS is the open-top counterpart to the 718 Cayman GT4 RS. For the first time, the 368 kW (500 PS) naturally aspirated six-cylinder boxer from the 911 GT3 features in an open-topped mid-engined sports car. The same lightweight power unit with its high-revving design also powers the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racing car. The exceptionally lightweight and purist-pleasing manual soft-top roof of the 718 Spyder RS makes the highly evocative sound of the engine an even more compelling experience. The effect is further heightened by the standard lightweight stainless steel sports exhaust system and the distinctive process air inlets on the sides behind the headrests. The 718 Spyder RS is also equipped with the Weissach Package, featuring lightweight forged magnesium wheels and titanium exhaust tailpipes.
HIGH-REVVING NATURALLY ASPIRATED ENGINE AND RESOLUTELY LIGHTWEIGHT CONSTRUCTION
The powertrain of the new 718 Spyder RS is identica I to that of the 718 Cayman GT4 RS coupe. The six-cylinder boxer engine, with its cylinder displacement of 4.0 litres, revs up to 9,000 rpm and generates an output of 368 kW (500 PS) and maximum torque of 450 Newton metres. Combined with a short-ratio seven-speed POK transmission, the six-cylinder engine catapults the two-seater roadster from 0-100 km/h in 3.4 seconds. The car hits the 200-km/h mark in just 10.9 seconds.
Compared to the 718 Spyder without the ‘RS’ designation, the new range-topper not only benefits from an additional 59 kW (80 PS), but also accelerates to 100 km/h half a second faster. The top speed is now 308 km/h instead of 300 km/h. Like every modern RS model, the new 718 Spyder RS is available exclusively with the Porsche dual clutch transmission (POK).
In addition to the more powerful engine, the new model’s lower weight also contributes to better performance: at 1.410 kilograms, the Spyder RS weighs 40 kg less than the 718 Spyder with POK and is actually five kilograms lighter than the closed 718 Cayman GT4 RS. The Spyder RS represents the latest high-water mark of the model line started in 2016.
PURIST SOFT-TOP DESIGN
The 718 Spyder RS comes with a manually operated single-layer lightweight soft-top. The design is amazingly compact, consisting of two parts: a sun sail and a weather deflector. Both are completely removable and can be stowed together or singly in the vehicle. The sun sail alone can also be used as a ‘Bimini top’, thereby protecting the driver and front passenger from intense sunlight. In this case, the passenger compartment remains largely open to the side and behind the passengers. Together with the weather deflector, this creates a complete top that provides effective protection against rain when the side windows are raised.
This gearbox shifts through its seven gears at lightning speed and guarantees maximum performance. The gearshift paddles allow drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel even when shifting gears manually. Alternatively, the driver can use the ergonomically designed selector lever on the centre console.
The entire roof, including mechanical parts, weighs just 18.3 kg. That’s 7.6 kg less than the 718 Spyder and 16.5 kg less than in the 718 Boxster. Drivers who wish to shave an additional eight kilograms from the weight of the vehicle can leave the top at home entirely, weather allowing.
PERFORMANCE-FOCUSED INTERIOR
A sporty character defines the inside of the car too: the interior is reduced to the functional and ergonomic essentials. The grippy RS sports steering wheel is covered with Race-Tex and features a yellow 12-o’clock marking. The standard full bucket seats are made of lightweight CFRP in a carbon-weave finish and offer particularly impressive lateral support. The seat covers are made of black leather, while the perforated Race-Tex seat centre features a contrasting colour with a black background. The contrasting colours are Arctic Grey or Carmine Red. A ‘Spyder RS’ logo in the corresponding colour is embroidered on the headrests. The dashboard and trims are covered with leather.
WEISSACH PACKAGE
The Porsche Spyder RS is equipped with a Weissach Package. The exceptionally lightweight, forged magnesium wheels is included in combination with this particularly performance-focused equipment package. The sports exhaust system tailpipes here are made of titanium. The look is inspired by the limited-edition 935 from 2018. A visual highlight inside the car is the upper part of the dashboard covered with anti-glare Race-Tex.
