The off-road version of the Cayenne S has the look and feel of a GT3 Cup car, only in a box. The same attention to detail is evident throughout the vehicle and, as Porsche constructed a small production run for the 2007 rally, a number of upgrades were done to the existing variants for this year's assault. Tires are always at the top of the list for any motorsport event and the Transsyberia has proven to be difficult to navigate. Considering the terrain changes from the deep mud to rocks so sharp that you can slit your wrist, the choice of rubber had better be right because there are no adjustments or compound changes once you roll off Red Square. For 2008, BFGoodrich came up with an 18-inch off-road tire that increased the overall height by 30mm and featured a much tougher sidewall surface. That may not seem like much but even an inch makes a big difference when clearing a river or through a ravine. The air suspension package was deemed good enough, however, new shocks were developed that would complement the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) and an upgrade to the dual rollbars. While the 385hp, 4.8-liter V8 remains unchanged, the six-speed Tiptronic gearbox has been modified with components from the Cayenne GTS. A much lower final drive is the result and this year's model has more punch and grunt under initial acceleration. The exhaust system has basically been unmuffled, which gives the V8 a nice low rumble, although the catalytic converters remain per the regulations. The interior features a massive rollcage ala the GT3 Cup in spirit and detail. The usual six-point belts and harnesses are there as well as the dashboard buffet featuring the tripmaster and navigation unit. One of the better modifications was to reroute the most critical wiring in higher and different positions to keep it as dry as possible for the water stages. The most noticeable addition from the driver's point is the transfer of the parking brake from the floor to a hand lever in the truest form of driving a rally car. The exterior is pretty much your standard ranch house Cayenne with the exception of the additional roof rack, winch, high-intensity off-road lights, and a removable plastic snorkel for the air intake that runs up the right side of the windshield and roof pillar.
New skid plates and undertrays protect what they can and everything else is packed either inside the confines of the Cayenne cabin or up on the roof. Ready with that checklist, Herr Rolf? A satellite mobile phone, two fire extinguishers, two sandbags, two fullsize spare wheels with mounted tires, two Zarges aluminum boxes for tools, two camping tents, two heat-insulated blankets, four lashing belts, a folding shovel, a folding saw, an axe, flashlights, and a Hazet toolkit. Each driver pairing no doubt added their own grocery list and shoved the stuff wherever there was room to be found.
Porsche, to their credit, developed this package for their Werks entries and last year's private teams who purchased a Cayenne were able to obtain all these upgrades for 2008. Porsche management is watching this year's rally carefully and is seriously considering a production run of the Transsyberia Cayenne S and making it available for purchase to use in off-road events throughout the world. As with the GT3 Cup car, many of the parts are in production and available locally; such would be the model for an off-road Cayenne, the special components available being the Porsche Kundensport (customer sport) or Porsche Motorsport North America, if you happen to live here. No one from Porsche would actually confirm that this was under consideration until asked if they had trademarked the name "Cayenne Transsyberia" and the answer was telling. "Yes, we have to protect our investment."