That eye-watering price tag for this Porsche tent could certainly cover a lot of nights at a lot of nice hotels…
Perhaps because people couldn’t go on proper holidays, the idea of going camping seemingly exploded during the pandemic. And even now when people could (and indeed do) go for proper holidays, this lingering thought of going to spend the night or two in the (relative) wilderness still somehow holds a massive appeal to some people.
So perhaps in an aim to capitalise on this adventuring trend, Porsche Malaysia has since introduced locally the Porsche Tequipment roof tent — a perfect accompaniment, it currently promotes, for those outdoorsy customers to go with their newly refreshed Cayenne.
Developed at the Weissach Development Centre and co-designed by Studio F.A. Porsche, this roof top tent is certainly a cool bit of kit, as will be elaborated upon below shortly. Though there is one nagging question that needs to be asked of it, and that is whether it is actually worth the RM 40,092 that Porsche Malaysia is currently asking for it.
RM 40k after all is a huge chunk of change, which could certainly cover a lot of nights in a lot of fancy hotels around the country.
But just putting the price aside first and discussing at the tent itself, it is admittedly a rather sleek-looking thing. Particularly in its closed position, this Porsche-developed unit differs from the other typical blocky overland-ready roof tents on the market by having a bit of an curve to its hardcase, which certainly complements the overall aesthetic of the more sporting cars it was designed to be fitted on. Having side walls that apparently mimic the flyline of the 911 further adds to its sleek aesthetic also.
Expectedly from Porsche too, this temporary home-from-home that can be set up anywhere the Porsche is parked is rather ingeniously engineered as well. For starters, while installing it on the car is a two-man job, erecting it once on is however apparently to be a quick and easy process.
Now according to Porsche, first you open the lockable safety latches. Then, you lift the hardcase slightly and open it up with the aid of two gas pressure shock absorbers. The foot zone of the floor is then folded out and stabilised using the integrated telescopic ladder. By now, the tent is already unfolded. The last step is simply to erect the tent and make it taut with the four poles. Ta da!
Though perhaps more impressively than its simple erection is the fact that while being able to be folded up into a relatively compact 146 x 140 x 33 cm package atop the Porsche, the origami magic imbued by its designers into this roof top tent will see it expand into a relatively spacious sleeping quarters that measures 258 x 257 x 118 cm. Figures, which when translated to a something more easy to understand, equates to about a regular-sized double bed.
What more is that while on the topic of beds, the floor surface of this roof top tent has integrated into it a cushy high-density polyfoam mattress. The tent walls meanwhile are made of a breathable cotton blend to allow air to pass through and keeps it from getting too stuffy, with water-resistant zips and a separate rain cover for entry included as well to make camping in the rain a distinct possibility for the more adventurous soul.
Said adventurous soul will also probably be appreciative of the opportunity to stare up at the stars (where possible) through the standard roof window while lying on the quilted mattress, while its two side windows further enhancing the viewing and ventilation opportunities courtesy of it being able to be fully opened. Integrated into this all-season tent too is an insect guard that offers protection against mosquitoes (very useful in Malaysia), in addition to an additional black-out function which helps keep the light out for a good morning’s sleep.
Unfortunately however, while Porsche will be more than happy to sell you a range of other extra optional Tequipment accessories — which currently encompasses an inner tent, a heated blanket and even a RM 767 shoe and bag organiser — there is as yet no Porsche-branded fan that is probably essential for camping in the hot and humid Malaysian climate. Moreover, even if the German automaker does branch out to fan manufacturing, there is actually no power outlet within the tent to power it from…
And just getting back to the uncomfortable subject of money now, it has to be said that RM 40,092 is a heck of a lot for a tent. Not just only in the sense that this significant amount of cash could buy anyone into quite a number of nights at many of Malaysia’s most exquisite nature resorts (where there are certainly chillier rooms and nicer toilets than what is available out in the wild/roadside), but a cursory glance online also shows for the Porsche connection to also be adding up to around twice (to four times) the price over a reputable name-brand equivalent.
It has to be acknowledged though that it is perhaps precisely due to the Porsche connection for these tents to have already found themselves on a small number of Cayennes in Malaysia. In the grand scheme of things too, the RM 40k tent really does not seem not all that expensive relative to the RM 50k Porsche is asking for its 22-inch wheel upgrade with the recently refreshed SUV.
Moreover, while normal people might think that dropping RM 40k on something to be used once or twice is insanity. This same figure could be considered chump change for the more affluent in society who are the primary buyers of this Porsche…
To that end therefore, what its most serious buyers would probably be interested to know instead is that this tent only weighs 56 kg and is rated to travel at speeds of up to 130 km/h. Also, aside from the Cayenne, this Porsche Tequipment roof tent can be installed on the roof transport systems of the 911, Macan, Panamera and Taycan too.
