A weekend in Bangkok with Porsche kicks off with a ride in the Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid Platinum Edition.

BANGKOK, THAILAND

Photos by TopGear Singapore/Jay Tee and CarBuyer Singapore

Our story starts in the Land of Smiles: after a short flight from Changi Airport, myself and five other journalists found ourselves in Bangkok for a weekend with Porsche for Das Treffen — one of the largest annual gatherings for Porsche enthusiasts in Southeast Asia.

But of course, attendance at Das Treffen would be incomplete without getting behind the wheel of a Porsche. And so we found ourselves at the brand’s Bangkok showroom and scored ourselves a couple of Cayenne and Panamera E-Hybrid Platinum Editions. 

Anticipating the manoeuvring that lay ahead of us on Bangkok’s bumpy roads, we hopped in the Cayenne and set off for our first stop at RWB Thailand.

Nearly 5m long and 2.2m wide, the Cayenne has the tendency to be anxiety-inducing, especially in bumpy Bangkok where anything goes. But where it’s large, it makes up for that by being an SUV that’s actually fun to drive. A V6 turbo petrol engine good for 340 horsepower means the Cayenne does exactly what you tell it to.

But music to some might be noise to others, and the rear seats of the Cayenne is where this might ring true. Park yourself in the back with an enthusiastic driver who enjoys sport mode, you might find yourself reaching for earplugs thanks to the roar of the engine. 

But if in a group of five you find yourself relegated to the rear middle seat in the Cayenne, it is by no means the short end of the stick. 

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With a width of 2,194mm and a wheelbase of 2,895mm, there’s plenty of space still for either leg to stretch out under the front driver and passenger seats. 

There is a transmission tunnel running through the rear, with a control panel for the rear air vents and USB ports below that. And right below that sits a little cut out, likely meant for your phone as it charges. However, it also makes for a rather convenient space to perch your feet on as the middle passenger, if you’re not a big fan of skinship.

Comfy as it was, it wasn’t long before we’d arrived at the home of RWB Thailand.

An acronym for ‘Rauh-Welt Begriff’ or ‘Rough World Concept’ in English, RWB is a Porsche tuner based in Japan and founded by Akira Nakai. Autohaus RWB Thailand however was founded by Chin Kanitpong in 2011, having been inspired by Nakai. 

While most of the cars had made their way to Impact Speed Park where Das Treffen 7 was due to take place the next day, we weren’t short on gems to feast our eyes on. 

Stepping into RWB Thailand, it’s evident the spirit of Porsche burns brightly in the land of smiles.

From classic units with owners bearing number plates bearing model numbers to models customised for the great outdoors, every turn at RWB Thailand holds a surprise.

Making great use of the capabilities of an SUV from Porsche, a Cayenne fully equipped with kangaroo bars, mud flaps, camping racks, and other off-roading necessities were also there for us to ogle.

While a group of petrol heads like us no doubt could have stayed there all day, the ruins of Ayutthaya were calling out to us, and so was the Cayenne, itching to be pushed on the roads of Bangkok away from the city. 

A quick fuel stop for both car and stomachs later, we were off to Ayutthaya.

Pushing it within the Bangkok speed limits, 60km to Ayutthaya in the Cayenne felt like a breeze with its responsive handling. Speeding up for an overtake is done without a drop of sweat, and coming to a halt is done without ever feeling like you’re pulling the reins too much.

With 2.4 tonnes of weight, the E-Hybrid makes for good fun as you chuck it hard and fast around a corner. Your passengers however, might be a bit less remiss, instead baulking at your life choices. 

But where the plug-in part of ‘plug-in hybrid’ comes into play is in its 17.9kWh battery, a step up from the previous 14.2kWh and good for up to 47km of range (WLTP). Given the average Singaporean covers roughly 50km each day, it’s entirely possible to drive the Cayenne E-Hybrid on ‘e’ power alone.

How, you ask? ‘E-Charge’ is available as a driving mode, whereby the engine wakes up to generate electricity, charging the battery in the process. 

When we started our journey we found ourselves with slightly under a quarter tank of fuel and 3km left on the electric range. But after the fuel stop and a good stretch of highway driving into Ayutthaya in E-Charge, the Cayenne had 7km added to its electric range. 

And of course, given that Singapore’s EV charging infrastructure is rapidly increasing, you won’t find yourself short of a juicing station if need be. The roar of its V6 engine however might garner some puzzling stares as you pull into an EV-only parking lot.

There’s no mistaking the Cayenne for anything but an SUV, but the Platinum Edition with its maximum combined power of 462 horsepower makes for a distinguished driving experience, as you’d get in a Porsche. Almost enough to make one wonder how the brand’s first fully-electric SUV, the Macan EV, will drive.

With all that power at our hands, we made it to Ayutthaya in perfect time for golden hour. The ancient ruins against that magical Thai sunset provided the perfect backdrop for the cars, but before long ’twas soon the night before Das Treffen. Back to our hotel we trudged in anticipation of the day that lay ahead of us.

Stay tuned for part two of our trip, where we experience our very first Das Treffen.

The Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid Platinum Edition is available from S$432,988 without COE.

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