Let your imagination run wild

BY THE time you read this article, I am hoping to have made my way up some mountain roads in neighbouring Sabah. Joining me is my older brother, sadly my car only seats two, if not the youngest brother would've also made the trip. It is my elder brother who developed a hypothetical game that we three continue to indulge in to this day.

Basically it involves stating what car or cars would you have in your garage, and briefly explain why. There's no formal name for this fantasy indulgence, and more poignantly there is no right or wrong choice. It is part and parcel of what makes the game interesting.

While I was in the midst of making final preparations for the journey I began to ask myself, what would be the ideal car for me to bring on such a trip, to enjoy on twisting and winding roads that Brunei doesn't really have?

It was something that had actually been playing on my mind until recently, because the answer is simple. There isn't just one car that I'd take for a mountain drive. There are plenty, actually, that I would be happy to run on such a road trip, on the pretext that each would offer a different kind of experience on the same road. Of course not having the luxury to do so means I would really have to narrow it down to one, even if it is just a hypothetical game... between my brothers and I... in my head.

In its earlier manifestations, and boys being boys, we would most often be trying to out do each other's choices. It would go along the lines of "I'm taking this Ferrari... ", followed by a rebuke of "then I'm having this Porsche," and a smattering of " you can't use a Lamborghini to drive underwater to (insert destination here)," thrown in for good measure.

However as we've all started to grow up (started being the operative word), the arguments have died down and real conversations now take place with points of contention debated appropriately.

In that spirit, let me tell you my pick for a mountain drive to Kota Kinabalu and what influenced my choice, the weaknesses that are in my argument and the strengths that would probably, at least in theory, justify my decision.

It would have to be the Porsche Boxster Spyder.

As I write this out, I can already hear both my brothers falling over backwards in their seats, accompanied by a 'kwang kwang kwang' tone that is the staple of many an Asian comedy. First of all, the Boxster Spyder is not the most practical of cars, it carries only one other passenger apart from the driver, standard it does away with the airconditioning, and one of the disadvantages is that it doesn't even have a roof.

The inferior talents of cabriolets and targa cars, in direct comparison to their coupe or saloon variants, are mercilessly exposed on such roads, but there are a few exceptions. I imagine the Boxster Spyder to be one of them, and along with cabriolet versions of super cars, they would be quite enjoyable to drive, if slightly less composed then the fixed roof alternatives on offer.

The biggest appeal that this car has for me is that it has had its weight has been pared down, the standard features thrown out are what makes this very different from the normal Boxster. Items such as airconditioning, radios and a roof motor are axed, and the focus on making the car as light as possible continue with door handles replaced with pull straps, aluminium doors, trunk and even lightweight wheels and batteries are thrown into the mix. The extensive diet has brought the weight down by 80 kilogrammes. An impressive savings, helping the power-to-weight ratio of the car.

With the 3.4 litre boxer engine producing 320bhp, the car is estimated to hit 100km/h in 5.1 seconds, if you're going to be busy attacking corners and want the PDK and launch control the sprint is even shorter, with 4.8 seconds the official time from Porsche. As usual, they're being conservative and independent tests have seen varying times, all well below the 4.8 seconds and one test even saying it hit 60mph in 4.1 seconds! That's faster than a Audi R8 with a V8 in it.

The reason why I've picked this car for the trip though isn't about all out acceleration, it's the characteristics of the vehicle. With the engine in the middle the weight distributed means a low centre of gravity. In particular the lowered suspension of about 0.8 helps achieve that. Even though all these things I've pointed out are probably eclipsed by cars like the R8 Spyder and Ferrari 458 spyder, the trip to KK isn't exactly on pristine roads.

While the two cars I've mentioned are exceptional performers, there's something in the back of my head that's telling me that if I was in a privileged position to own such exotica here in Brunei, I'd never even take them past our borders.

The Boxster Spyder isn't as low, and could probably tough it out a bit more, the rough or should I say manual roof is one genuine concern that I have. If it rains I'll probably be in a spot of bother. Unless you're familiar with it, it could take a while to get them fixed and in position, and even then it isn't a permanent fix, with a small gap inbetween the window and top canvas.

Porsche says its only there to protect driver and passenger from the weather, and with it up, it reduces the top speed down from the maximum 166mph to about 120mph. Otherwise, it'll most likely blow away. With the roof up I doubt anyone would actually hit max speeds, and the whole point of mountain driving is enjoying how the car tackles switchbacks, off camber corners and the subtle changes in environment.

It's why I opted for a roofless car, much like motorcyclists, travellers in open topped cars experience driving in a very different manner to other motorists. On a coastal road they can take in the sights and sounds, rays of sunshine. Travel up a mountain road and the distinct change in climate also plays its part in making the journey a grand adventure. The higher you go, the climate gets cooler, the performance of the car becomes far more crisp than if it were in the hot tropical climates as we know it.

I'll never know whether the car will perform to how I imagine it, but I'm pretty sure that one way or another it will be an amazing story to tell. We'll just have to wait til next week for the next best thing, how a sports car gets from Brunei to Kota Kinabalu and back, and whether you should go the same lengths to experience the drive.The Brunei Times