Porsche has won the Transsyberia Rally that runs 4,400 miles across Russia, Siberia and Mongolia three times in a row using only slightly modified versions of its Cayenne S. Not only that, it swept the podium in 2007 and took the top six places in this year's rally that ended just a few weeks ago. In celebration of these achievements, the German sportscar and erstwhile SUV maker is offering a special edition Cayenne called the Cayenne S Transsyberia. Scheduled to debut at the Paris Motor Show next month, the Cayenne S Transsyberia features the 405-hp direct-inject 4.8L V8 from the Cayenne GTS mated to Porsche's six-speed automatic transmission with a final drive ratio shortened 15% to 4.1:1. That scoots the big ute to 60 mph 6.1 seconds, half a sec quicker than a stock Cayenne S. What really sets the Cayenne S Transsyberia apart, however, are its exterior color combinations, which include Black/Orange, Crystal Silver Metallic/Orange, Black/Meteor Grey and Meteor Grey Metallic/Crystal Silver Metallic. These contrasting color combos are coordinated with the 18-inch wheels, rear spoiler, skid plates, and air intake slats. The large "Cayenne S Transsyberia" model designation graphic that runs across the doors and the roof-mounted light bar are also both no-cost options but really make the package what it is. The interior is adorned with ornamental trim and the exterior color combo is carried through, and there's also a twelve o'clock mark on the steering as an homage to this truck's motorsports connection. Porsche says deliveries will start in Europe in January 2009, while 600 units of the Cayenne S Transsyberia are slated for North American consumption.
Various news outlets have speculated that Porsche's first-ever diesel engine would be installed in the Cayenne SUV for 2009, and now Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking has confirmed it. As previously reported, the oil-burner will be snatched from the Audi parts bin and reportedly be essentially unchanged in Porsche guise. That means 240 horsepower and 406 lb.-ft. of torque, plenty to get the hefty Cayenne out of its own way. Instead of spending development money on a Porsche-specific diesel engine, Zuffenhausen has instead invested in a hybrid system, which will also see duty in the Cayenne around 2010. By then, a lithium-ion battery will likely be ready to replace the prototype's nickel-based unit.
We have been expecting a diesel engine option for the Porsche Cayenne for a while, and it appears that March of 2009 may be the date. While Porsche purists the world over may be upset over an oil-burner underhood (or under trunk) of any Porsche model, we don't see the big deal. After all, it's not like the Cayenne, despite what Porsche would have you believe, has all that much 911 DNA in it anyway. A modern diesel engine could help Porsche meet new fuel economy regulations for a lower cost than a hybrid, and the diesel V6 engine sourced from Audi should prove plenty capable of hauling the SUV's mass-tonnage around. Though Audi's current TDI six displaces 3.0 liters and is good for 240 HP and 406 lb.-ft. of torque, rumors indicate that Porsche will be using a 3.2 liter version of this engine that makes at least 300 horses. We think that should do rather nicely.
As much as we enjoy scouring through German newspapers, something inevitably gets lost in translation. However, the title of a story in Germany's Handelsblatt ePaper is clear: Volkswagen is considering building Porsche Cayennes at its new plant in the U.S.
While VW hasn't made a decision on the plant yet, it's been confirmed that the automaker is looking at locations in Alabama, Michigan and Tennessee to produce 150,000 units annually, including the Jetta and an all-new Passat-sized sedan. How the Cayenne fits into that equation remains a mystery, but the idea that VW and Audi could shift production of its Touareg and Q7 Stateside means that building the Cayenne in the U.S. is a distinct possibility.
It's a brilliant marketing come-on, really. Who wants to climb into a GAZ-24, however appealing it might be to obscure-car guys, when you could sink into the all-enveloping sumptuousness of a Maybach 62? Need to get to Gorky Park quickly? A Porsche Cayenne outfitted with a meter and checkerboard detailing awaits at the curb. It's not just a fancied-up VW, still carrying the VR6 behind the Porsche crest, either. No, this Cayenne is a TechArt Magnum, packing enough horsepower to light Long Island. Shaking that covey of shifty-eyed men in the shiny black Zil won't be a problem. It's not known if the fare is commensurate with the price of the vehicle, however.
Okay, guys. This isn't funny anymore. We all get that the Porsche Cayenne, though it has its talents, is no prize pig down at the beauty pageant. But this is just mean. Like a caricature of the Cayenne itself, we can applaud the go but shudder at sight of the show. Under the hood, Gemballa has primped and preened the twin-turbo V8 to produce somewhere in the neighborhood of 700 horsepower. It will also offer a 2WD conversion – that's got to be a first – to go with the severely dropped ride height and beefed-up suspension.
The mad-science plastic surgery is another story, however, as Gemballa opens up the Cayenne's mouth, adds a carbon-fiber hood insert, cuts open a whole mess of new vents, throws on some Ferrari-esque tail-lights and a set of roof-mounted brake lights to boot. Inside they've added fully-adjustable racing buckets front and back, separated by a strange-looking full-length center console. Maybe Gemballa was trying to prove a point when it decided to mix styling cues from the Carrera GT with its ugly step-sister the Cayenne. Whatever it is, we don't get it.
Enthusiasts blanched when Porsche began producing the Cayenne SUV back in 2002, but positive reviews of the vehicle, particularly the Turbo, communicated that Porsche had clearly kept the "sport" in "sport utility." Today, the Cayenne is Porsche's top-selling vehicle and a common (if not pretty) sight on the road; an observation bolstered by the news that Cayenne number 200,000 rolled out of Leipzig this week. The milestone truck was one of the new Cayenne GTS models, finished in that red that looks particularly good on its jumbo bodywork. According to Porsche, thirty-percent of Cayennes are sold here in the US (insert soccer mom joke here), the vehicle's largest market. The Cayenne has been a resounding success for the automaker, and even if you're not a fan, remember that the profits attached to the pricey überwagen help Stuttgart keep raising the bar with its offerings on the sports car side of the biz as well.
If you're looking to augment your garage with something more punchy than a Cayenne S, but can't afford the dilithium crystals required to power the warp engines in the delightfully obscene Cayenne Turbo, Porsche has come up with a new middle ground in the 405-horsepower Cayenne GTS. The V8 in Porsche's newest SUV is basically a massaged version of the one in the Cayenne S, but in the GTS, it can be mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox for maximum entertainment. A turbo-like front end, 21-inch wheels, air suspension with PASM, and Alcantara seating designed to hold your Brooks Brothers slacks like velcro are all part of the package, too. If you want in on the party, prepare to hand the nice man at the door at least $69,300. And remember, every time you rev the engine, an RS Spyder stirs.
Like driving skills, the unfortunate reality is that good taste doesn't always accompany wealth. There are just too many people out there looking to make the flashiest splash, and it is now confirmed that one more of those yahoos is living in Moscow, Russia. We don't know much about this frightening conversion of a Porsche Cayenne, and we're not sure we really want to. To paraphrase Fiddler on the Roof, we hope and pray the czar keeps this one far away from us.
Thanks (we think) to Graham for the unfortunate tip. If you're a real glutton for punishment, you can hit the gallery below to see the monstrosity from all angles. Just be careful if the driver's backing up while you're checking out the tail and standing in the enormous blind spot, which shouldn't be too big a hindrance on Moscow's busy streets.
It may seem like Rinspeed has been hitting the Absinthe bottle with its recent spate of far reaching concepts, but the Swiss tuner might be looking to another green libation for inspiration of its line of 957 Porsche Cayenne parts.
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