Porsche Singapore, the new venture between Porsche Asia Pacific and Eurokars Group, was formed in 2022 with the aim of elevating customer experiences in Singapore. Today, the iconic German sports car manufacturer proudly delivers on this promise, as it opens its doors to its brand-new Porsche Studio Singapore, and we were there to check it out.

The new 8,500 square feet two-storey showroom is located at Guoco Midtown at 130 Beach Road. Walking in through the doors, one first notices the sparkling silver 356 parked next to Cafe Carrera by Baker & Cook.

The space is expansive and offers a warm and inviting ambience for one to partake in the Porsche experience or whilst personalising and booking one’s next sports car or SUV from the Stuttgart brand.

In the middle of the first floor, one will likely find a caged Porsche. Today, it was the Cayman GT4 RS. This is actually the built-in car hoist for moving cars around the Studio, which is another unique concept in the Porsche world.

Hold off on the temptation to go upstairs for awhile, and instead, head around to the back of the ‘cage.’

Here, you’ll find the exclusive Porsche ‘Prototyp’ collection showcase, which is inspired by the “Active Camouflage” wraps of prototype test vehicles.

This new retail concept is also the first of its kind in the Porsche world. Pick something up from this collection if it catches your fancy.

Now let’s proceed upstairs. The first item of note, in our case, was the Taycan Cross Turismo in “Taycan Record Run” colours within the ‘caged’ car hoist, complete with Tag Heuer “lap timer” above the ‘cage.’

The eyes then naturally went to the multi-coloured 911 front and centre of the second floor, showcasing a selection of colours with which one’s next sports car could be painted.

Behind the wall of flat screens at one end of the Studio sat a Cayenne surrounded by Porsche accoutrements and a small sitting area where one could sip coffee and watch the world go by with Curves in hand.

On the opposite side of the second floor is a library chock full of Porsche literature and paraphernalia to get one’s heart suitably thumping. Also nearby is a simulator where one can elevate one’s heart rate yet again by racing against the clock to test their mettle.

Mosey on through the rest of the second floor where another Carrera cafe is situated, and other accessories are neatly arranged for one’s viewing pleasure.

Interestingly, given its modular design, this floor can also be reconfigured to accommodate a diverse range of activities such as zen-filled yoga classes to high-energy product trainings and presentations, captivating keynote speeches in front of full-length LED walls and heart-pounding e-sports races held using two in-house state-of-the-art simulators.

The space can also be transformed into a catwalk for a fashion show extravaganza. Imagine passers-by below stopping to gawk at the events going on above!

Outside, community spaces such as the Plaza and special event spaces at Midtown Square provide the perfect setting for community gatherings such as Cars & Coffee.

Already in the works is the Porsche Studio Singapore weekly get-together, “Porsches & Pretzels,” an open invite to the local community to share passion for Porsche and foster connections among enthusiasts.

Head on down to Porsche Studio Singapore to indulge in its ambience and experience it for yourself. It’s open Monday to Sunday from 10AM to 8PM.

Photo Credits: Porsche & Sean Loo (@auto.driven)

Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on Ignition Labs TV!

As with any product or item you purchase in your life, the price point does play a lot in your eventual decision-making. This is true for cars too in Singapore, yet there are countless reasons why your car might be priced differently from the next customer. It could even be down to potential hidden discounts and bargains that you must actively seek out, and this causes a lot of uncertainty among prospective buyers.

Well, Borneo Motors Singapore (BMS), the official dealer for Toyota, wants to change that. The company is introducing a new ‘Toyota Price Promise’ system, which it claims is a commitment from Toyota to present a single drive-away price to customers. This price can stem from any sales channel, be it online or in-store at the showroom, at a single point in time.

The goal of this new scheme is to provide customers with a transparent pricing model for Toyota car purchases in Singapore.

BMS has already started this Toyota Price Promise initiative on 21st April 2023. It claims customers are receiving “full transparency of the value they’re getting with the car of their choice; they can buy their desired Toyota car and have the confidence and reassurance that the price advertised, regardless of purchase channel, is what they will get.”

In other words, whether online or on the showroom floor, you’ll be getting the exact same deal as the customer before and after you, with no possibility of squeezing out any additional bargains.

Following in the footsteps of other auto manufacturers like Tesla, Toyota is also going big on its digital retail presence. Borneo Motors now has a new ‘Build and Price’ function on Toyota’s website, enabling customers to configure their desired cars and calculate estimated monthly payments with an online financial calculator.

Customers can also reserve a car, leave any enquiries and complete a full transaction without ever leaving the house, providing additional convenience to those who wish to pick up a new set of wheels.

Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on Ignition Labs TV!

A lot of you might be wondering then, what does this entail for future customers, and how will BMW cars be priced?

To clarify any doubts potential customers might still harbour, BMW Asia has released a reference guide to make owning and buying a BMW simpler. This guide serves to answer questions pertaining to both new and existing customers.

BMW Asia states that both official dealers, Performance Motors Limited and Eurokars Group, will operate as usual and retail the same range of vehicles, from BMW i to BMW M, including warranty and servicing.

Servicing Packages

All servicing and warranty packages purchased are sold by either BMW AG or BMW Asia. As a customer, this means that they can be utilised with any authorised dealer. In other words, there are no repercussions, and you are free to choose the dealer that is right for you! 

As of 1 October 2022, all new BMW customers will also be provided with a five-year BMW Service Inclusive Plus and BMW Extended Warranty at no additional cost. With these new developments, existing BMW customers can now have their vehicles serviced and maintained at any of the following authorised service centres:

Performance Motors Limited

• Sime Darby Performance Centre (303 Alexandra Road, Singapore 159941)
• Sime Darby Business Centre (315 Alexandra Road, Singapore 159944)
• East Coast Centre (280 Kampong Arang Road, Singapore 438180)

Eurokars Group

• Eurokars Auto (29 Leng Kee Road, Singapore 159099)
• Eurokars Aftersales Centre with BMW-certified body and paint shop (27A Tanjong Penjuru)

Customers are advised to contact each centre beforehand to book an appointment that best suits their schedule. For greater convenience, a new ‘Collect and Delivery’ service is also now being offered, which sees both dealers collecting and delivering vehicles to customers’ preferred locations.

As for used BMW vehicles, both dealers will accept trade-ins and retail pre-owned vehicles. Prospective customers can head down to the following locations to check out their inventories:

• Performance Premium Selection Limited East Coast (280 Kampong Arang Road, Singapore 438180) 
• Performance Premium Selection Limited Alexandra (315 Alexandra Road #01-01, Singapore 159944)
• Eurokars Pre-Owned (237 Alexandra Road, The Alexcier, #01-01, Singapore 159929)

For Eurokars Pre-Owned, the BMW Premium Selection will only be available beginning in the second half of 2023.

Missed the opening of the BMW Eurokars showroom? Catch up on the news with this article here!

Do you own a car for the convenience of travelling around, and to alleviate commuting woes, especially at peak hours? So too does Victor Chan, who uses his car mostly to travel to and from work, and to shuttle the family around on weekends. Victor is also an AutoApp customer, who shares with us his experience in car ownership, and what life was like before AutoApp.

Victor has been driving for about 16 years. Up until a year ago, he had been using the family car before deciding to purchase one for himself through a dealership. That said, the benefits of car ownership come at a price. As a seasoned driver, he is familiar with the work that goes into maintaining the vehicle and ensuring that it runs smoothly. 

“It gets very troublesome when you need to send your car for servicing or maintenance,” he shares. As car owners ourselves, we understand what he means a little too well. From long waits for LTA inspections, unexpected problems that are also difficult to diagnose, or sometimes, simply not having enough time to even send the car for regular servicing.

And, if these aren’t hassles enough, finding a reliable workshop or service centre adds to the list of car ownership woes. Without help, finding the best workshop for your car is a tedious yet necessary labour. 

“I had to approach family or friends to get some recommendations for workshops,” Victor says. “Car owners also need to do a lot of research before they feel comfortable sending in their cars for servicing or maintenance.”

We can’t help but agree, and find that it’s especially true for new car owners. After all, it makes sense that you’d want to feel assured knowing that your new car is in good hands. Victor’s year-old car is a Mercedes-Benz GLA180 Urban Edition, which checks off all the requirements he had with regards to reliability, comfort, and budget. Similarly, AutoApp checked off the boxes as a service he was looking for, too.

“One day while scrolling on my Facebook account, I came across AutoApp,” Victor shares when we ask how he found out about us. After a quick look around the app and service list, he promptly made an appointment for regular servicing, and the rest is as they say, history.

“The workshop that AutoApp sent my car to did a pretty good job. I was satisfied with the job done,” he remarks, and goes on to share about all the conveniences he enjoyed that day — from being kept up to date on the status of his car throughout the day, and having the freedom to pick and choose only the services he needed.

While he doesn’t hesitate to recommend AutoApp to others, he hopes that the app will house some new features, like a referral and reward system for new users. All the better to share AutoApp with others, is what I’d like to think.

Victor says he is considering giving car wrapping a go in the near future, as it seems like the “in-thing” to do at the moment. Whenever he decides to, he can rest assured knowing that AutoApp will be at the ready to bring him the same great service experience as before!

Interested in sharing your car ownership experience and being featured? Email Samantha (samantha@ignitionlabs.sg) for more details!