Every pimple-faced adolescent boy worth his manhood would have at least had one wet dream about the sexy curves and sultry shape and seductive silhouette of ….

… a sports car.

Who wouldn’t remember having a poster of a Lamborghini Countach plastered on the wall of his bedroom, right next to the one of Phoebe Cates’ smile and eyes and ahem, headlights from her iconic, titular performance in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”.

And if the Countach didn’t rock your boat, then perhaps a Testarossa, or perchance a Porsche?

In my case, it was most definitely a Porsche, more specifically the Porsche 935 Turbo Flachbau in Martini Livery, which was later immortalized by Jazz, the G1 Transformer Autobot right-handman (machine?) of Optimus Prime.

Anyway, we all grew up and boyhood dreams are often crushed by the harsh reality that is life. The Lamborghini made way for lessons at school and we had tests instead of the Testarossa. I spent decades with my nose stuck behind books, only to graduate to having my ears stuffed with the listening ends of a stethoscope and my face buried in journals and research papers. A Porsche was the last thing on my mind, when I found myself armpit deep in a cesspool of sick and dying patients being sent up to the wards at 3 in the morning by a busy A&E.

And thus, the flicker of hope of ever owning the sports car of my dream was dimmed - and the desire of owning the wide-open roads behind the wheel of one was correspondingly diminished - as I got round to more important things like a career, promotions, financial freedom, and marriage (although not necessarily ranked in order of importance!)

But the dream never died. And so, the embers glowed subduedly in the recesses of my memories, occasionally breathed over by overly generous performance and annual bonuses, further nurtured by the hope that - at least in Singapore - talent and hard work will one day find their rightful places in the grand order of things. And results will be rewarded regardless of creed or any other arbitrarily-imposed man-made distinctions of divisions.

Anyway, life meandered on, and I left the public service after completing my specialist training for private practice, and to no one’s surprise (apart from possibly my own), the family’s financials firmed up as rapidly as my patient lists. With private practice came the advantage of a far more equitable income for the service that I could offer, and with die-hard Malaysian habits of frugality and parsimonious prudence, we achieved financial security and rose rapidly up the ladder to achieve financial abundance not too long after.

Now, with a steady stream of passive income providing both a buffer for a rainy day, as well as a cushion for the occasional indulgence, the plan was hatched to rekindle a long-buried aspiration – to finally put my hands behind the wheel of a Porsche.

Having now set my mind to buying a Porsche, there were new dilemmas to consider. I’ve been based in Singapore for the past 25, nearly 30 years. It was also, in my humble opinion, superfluous to purchase a marque of this standing in this island-city-state where the fastest you can go is 90km/h and anything above that will be a one-way ticket to the magistrate’s court. No, the car needs a journey equal to the task – it’s not about how fast I could go (well, not always), but whether there are any journeys worth going on, and in Singapore, there are none that I can think of.

There was always Malaysia, my home and hinterland, but none of my family members (at least the ones that we are close to anyway) are left in Malaysia, having either moved or migrated elsewhere to seek better opportunities. I no longer have a house - much less a home - in Malaysia, and because my wife was no longer Malaysian (she became Singaporean years ago), it would be difficult for her to get a long-term social visit pass or even get PR (since she gave up her Malaysian citizenship previously), which means we might face difficulties if we chose to retire to Malaysia.

So, we thought outside of the box and decided to plan for a retirement in Sydney. We received our PR approvals some 15 years ago, bought a house, and I made sure that I had the garage space to house any potential cars I might acquire (it did – with 4 parking spaces in 2 garages), and went about choosing our cars. She’s retired at 50, and I’m now semi-retired, so we spend just a little under half a year in Sydney, and I get to go on those long drives that I’ve always enjoyed, in a car (or cars) that I’ve always aspired to own.

The first purchase was for a Cayenne. I thought it would be prudent to be practical. Sydney is a large city, Australia a bigger country. I would need something with a little bit of heft, if not a smidgen of road presence, and nothing does that better than an SUV.

The Cayenne purchase was perhaps the fastest decision I’ve ever made in buying cars. We rocked up at 430pm, about an hour before closing time, and were assigned a rather helpful sales agent who cheerfully threw the keys in my direction and said I could take the family (I was there with the wife and our goddaughters) for a test drive. I asked “where?” and he said “as long as you don’t cross State lines.” The deal was signed when we got back to the Porsche dealership at 530pm – the girls helped to decide the colour and Her Majesty suggested the full leather interior (over the rather tacky faux leather/plastic trimmings).

A week later, I went back to the dealership and signed the contract for the 911, and with the deposit paid, we flew back to Singapore. In July 2022, my Cayenne landed, and we flew back to Sydney to collect the car. We paid for the car via bank transfer, much to the dismay of the salesperson, and drove the car home.

We’ve since taken the Cayenne on long drives to the South Coast and to the Mountains, and the Cayenne has more than ably acquitted itself with distinction. Its road manners are impeccable and the urgency that it moves when my right foot prods the accelerator in anger can genuinely surprise me. Surefooted and with enough torque to get me into a free lane (helped greatly by the relatively benign driving habits of Australians who would NOT see an indicator’s flash as an invitation to stomp on the accelerator), it’s no wonder that the Cayenne is Porsche’s top selling vehicle worldwide.

My Cayenne has been further embellished with some of the finer accoutrements as required for a cosseting, pillowy ride: as previously mentioned, a full leather interior (for tired backsides), 14-way comfort seats as opposed to the standard 8-way or the harder 18-way Sports seats, and perhaps, most importantly, full adaptive air suspension which soothes away the potholes and magically melts away any expansion joints of a highway.

Time flies when you’re having fun, and a month duly passed. With R&R time done in Sydney, we flew back to Singapore again and now the waiting game for the 911 truly began. The lead time from order to freeze point was nearly a year, and from freeze point to build completion was nearly 6 months, and it took nearly another 2 months for the car to reach Wollongong’s Port Kembla before being put on a train to Sydney. We flew back to Sydney again for the 911’s arrival.

This time, the SGD was trending higher against the AUD, and I signed off the 911 on my credit card, enjoying both the exchange rate in my favour, as well as the 700,000 KrisFlyer miles that came with the big ticket purchase. And just like that, the 911 Carrera GTS in GT Silver Metallic, was finally mine.

Yes, the 911 Carrera GTS is not the Flachbau, but then I’m no longer 15 years old either. I needed something that wouldn’t throw my back out of joint every time I got in & crawled out. With the promise of a sportscar wrapped in the practicality of a daily driver, the 911 was the low slung, low profile, sleeper edition of a souped-up VW beetle that I was looking for.

And how is the drive like in the 911? Well, that’s a totally different kettle of fish altogether. Where the Cayenne was set up for comfort and cruising, the Carrera GTS was primed for adrenaline and adventure.

Turning the ignition key prods the 3.0 litre twin-turbo flat six awake and the cold start in my garage is a sound that I will never, ever get tired of. None of that nice purring of the V6 in the Cayenne. Oh no. This one is guttural, visceral and the engine sounds like it’s straining on its leash, egging me to unlock its full potential and let loose its 480hp with the flex of my right foot.

This car is scary fast. There’s just so much torque (570Nm) on tap that mid-gear overtaking is done and dusted without any kickdown of the PDK. The grip is vice-like, helped no doubt by the weight of the engine pushing down on those fat, fat 315/30 tires on 21-inch rims out in the back, and the braking power is breathtaking. It just instils such confidence in the whole driving experience.

It’s so easy to place the car – 360° surround cameras being an awesome and welcome addition – because the way the 911 is designed, the bonnet housing the headlamps act as a natural marker to let me know where the car’s nose is and helps me pilot past tight squeezes. Visibility is unparalleled in a car of this segment. These attributes, coupled with that peach of an engine that seems to ride on a wave of endless torque, make the Carrera GTS a potent weapon on the road.

And yet, with docile manners and a reasonably practical layout (those 2 small seats are great for grocery shopping, as is the frunk), the 911 is surprisingly easy to live with, sports suspension veering towards the firmer side of a ride notwithstanding.

So there you have it, my cars - in Sydney - where they can be let loose on the open roads to nowhere and back. On the months I’m back in Singapore, the cars are hooked up to their respective Porsche trickle-chargers to keep their LiFePO4 batteries primed and their warranties intact. On the months I’m back in Sydney, I get to let them out of their cages and the wife and I join the other members of the Porsche Club of NSW on their famous drives to food joints and wineries (and the occasional track day).

I’m so looking forward to my next trip back.

This post has been edited by hksgmy: Sep 6 2023, 09:02 PM

What's the basic costs involved in ownership of these cars?

Well, here's a rough breakdown...

The Cayenne's purchase price came up to around AUD 180,000, and the 911's was closer to AUD 400,000.

Extended warranties (3 year factory inclusive, 4 year additional add on for a total of 7 years) is AUD 5,000 per car, so that's an additional AUD 10,000 for both cars.

Insurance (Comprehensive cover) is around AUD 7,500 for both cars with the same insurer. Compulsory 3rd party is separate, and is about AUD 700 per car (so about AUD 1,400 for both cars)



There was a one-off expenditure of PPF'ing both cars, and that came up to about AUD 9,500 for both of them.



Fueling costs RON 98 is about AUD 150 to 180 per full tank for the Cayenne. I don't know about the 911 as it is Porsche's policy to fill up a full tank of gas for each new car, and I've only clocked 150km on the 911 so far.

I just had my first year service done for the 5,000km clocked Cayenne, and that (comprehensive check, tyre rotations, oil/filter whatever changes) came up to about AUD 895. That's the usual cost per year, apart from some major servicing due at the 3rd year and the 5th year or something like that.

It's not exactly overly expensive to house these 2 cars, but it's not the cheapest option either.

This post has been edited by hksgmy: Jul 23 2023, 07:06 PM

Earlier, I posted some of the "set up" costs of keeping the 2 Porsches, here are some of the running costs involved:

The yearly Registration Fee (excluding the compulsory Third Party insurance coverage & the comprehensive insurance coverage - interesting, in Australia, unlike Singapore & Malaysia, those things are paid for separately)



And, in my case, because I ordered special number plates for both my cars, here's the letter from RTA (they call it RMS now) informing me that the plates have arrived for the 911. I'll need to collect them when I'm back in Sydney next - this will cost me $121 per year to maintain, it used to be $115 per year.

I thought I'd share with you the first time we took our Cayenne on a road trip - which was just over a year ago, a week after we took delivery of the car. I thought there was no better way to run in the engine than for a slow drive out to the Mountains and beyond, in the middle of winter. One thing I love about Australian winters - there's still plenty of sunshine about.

Here's the Cayenne in all its glory, basking in the beautiful winter afternoon sun as we stopped by a little cafe enroute to the Blue Mountains. I put the Adaptive Radar Cruise Control with Lane Keeping Assist to excellent use. The Cayenne tracked the road markings like a laser guided missile and that really took a lot of stress away from the shoulders on long drives. The heated seats helped tremendously as well!



Our second pit stop, the Royal Botanic Gardens, which wifey likes to visit - she just likes flowers and girly things ...



And take a look at the Botanic Garden sundial's marking in the winter sun - it amazingly reads the same time as my Tag Heuer Porsche Carrera's dial!



Finally, we arrived at our hotel, up in Katoomba. It was something like 2°C that day. The car looks so good against that backdrop.



And nothing better than a roaring fire to keep warm during winter nights!



Thanks for reading and I'll share more road trip adventures soon!

Awesome! Thank you for sharing !

And here's the latest road trip we took earlier this month, to a private race track. I know, I know, I should have taken the 911, but the ride would have been too harsh for wifey, so I had to make do with the Cayenne. It was still a thrilling drive to the track, and I got to attack the circuit a little, even though it was a futile attempt trying to wrestle the pig that is the Cayenne around the track!



Arrival at the track, and taking our position




All drivers and passengers out of the car for headcount and the obligatory group photo shoot




Photo taken by wife, who completely missed the Cayenne, but it was the only decent shot of cars not out of focus, so it'll have to do for now

Bonus photo of my dream accessory for the Cayenne, but wifey prefers hotels instead, so it'll remain a dream for now...



This post has been edited by hksgmy: Jul 27 2023, 08:19 PM

no kids ah uncle?

No thanks bro. Hahah

No wonder so rich. Different lifestyle i guess. Don't you worry about next generation blood etc?

Different strokes for different folks. Different priorities for different people. Does one need to be without children to be rich or successful? Or will everyone who is a parent out there be poor for life? I don’t think so. It’s just a matter of choice, and we made ours 30 years ago and have never regretted a single day.

This post has been edited by hksgmy: Jul 27 2023, 11:57 PM

I’ve not taken the 911 on any road trips yet, since it’s really fresh out off the boat (literally speaking), so all I have are photos that showcase just how sexy those curves are…



Just look at that booty!

I’ll add more along the way…

Looked up the circuit (Pheasant Wood), it's probably too twisty for the Cayenne. Maybe less forgiving at Eastern Creek (Sydney Motorsport Park).

This was only my second time on a track. The first was many years ago, when BMW Singapore sponsored M car owners to Pasir Gudang for a track and drivers safety & performance day. Those were my old BMW days, and I guess what they say is true - BMW drivers end up going for Porsches when they grow up (or in my case, grow old) haha.

really miss pasir gudang! even though my experience was less than stellar being my first track day on a motorcycle (multiple crashes, lol) , even the return trip was too risky looking in hindsight, but something to remember of looking back on nostalgia lane.

how old are you again if you don't mind?

Just turned 50. Not a spring chicken anymore bro.

50 considered old already?

This is in consideration our human life expectancy getting longer, Supposedly things such as "mid life" (crisis, lol) also gets longer

Well, I'm a lot older than the majority of the forum users - but, since I cut my teeth on mIRC and then SocMed etc on the text/forum boards, lowyat brings back a lot of fond memories - and I've made some good friends thru these platforms.

And yes, the Porsches are probably my midlife crisis haha.

Ok la at least you consider mid life, then just middle of your life, no old la

Not another photo of the Cayenne or the GTS this time, but I was rummaging and sorting out some photos from last year and came across these 2 photos - understandably, the identifying markers of the tickets have been redacted, but these were the tickets we bought to fly over to Sydney to collect the Cayenne. Hey, if it's going to be a midlife crisis, might as well do it in style!

Another day and another item for my Porsche. This time, the grille protectors for the 911 GTS which will help to reduce damage to the radiators.

This came via FedEx. Ordered on Friday, arrived from the UK today. Amazing!



When I’ve had a chance to install them, I’ll take photos and share them with all of you.

Damage came up to about £380 for the whole set