The Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia was a rally-inspired SUV

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To mark the Cayenne’s twentieth anniversary, Porsche is trying again at key moments within the SUV’s growth. This time, it is specializing in the rally-bred Cayenne S Transsyberia.

To showcase the then-new Cayenne’s off-road functionality, Porsche entered the 2006 Rally Transsyberia, which despatched rivals on a 6,000-mile-plus odyssey from Berlin to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, through Moscow, Irkutsk, and Lake Baikal in Russia. A pair of Cayenne S fashions made a one-two end that yr, with the profitable Cayenne co-driven by Porsche engineer Jürgen Kern, who had labored on the first-generation Cayenne’s growth.

The race autos have been principally inventory, the principle adjustments being totally different tires, underbody safety, snorkels, winches, and auxiliary lights. In addition they had a locking differential and off-road air-suspension with particular tuning, which have been manufacturing unit choices on the time.

Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia

Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia

This success inspired Porsche to arrange a customer-racing program. The automaker constructed 26 Cayenne S Transsyberia racers to be used by privateer groups within the 2007 Transsyberia rally on an abbreviated route from Moscow to Ulaanbaatar.

These autos have been extra extensively modified, sporting roll cages, strengthened wishbones, and shorter axle ratios to enhance acceleration. The Transsyberia racers additionally bought extra intensive waterproofing than inventory Cayennes, enabling a wading depth of 29.5 inches with the air suspension at its highest setting. 

The 4.8-liter V-8 was inventory, however by 2007 the Cayenne had obtained an influence enhance to 379 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, up from the earlier 335 hp and 308 lb-ft. The Porsche Dynamic Chassis Management energetic anti-roll system had additionally been added by that point.

Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia

Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia

Porsche continued to dominate the occasion. In 2007, Cayennes swept the rostrum and took seven of the highest 10 locations. The identical fleet of autos was additionally utilized in 2008, locking out all however seventh place among the many high 10 finishers.

With its level confirmed, Porsche shifted focus to constructing a road-going particular version to commemorate the Cayenne’s rallying success. Launched in 2009 as a 2010 mannequin, it had the engine from the Cayenne GTS and thus truly had extra energy than the racers, at 400 hp. It additionally got here normal with a 6-speed handbook transmission, with which it may do 0-62 mph in 6.1 seconds (a Tiptronic computerized gearbox was additionally out there).

Off-road lights and particular coloration schemes replicated the look of the rally automobiles. Simply 285 have been constructed, making the particular version extra frequent than the rally variations however nonetheless fairly uncommon. And Porsche hasn’t constructed something prefer it since.

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