April 2008 Monthly Feature
Transsyberia 2008 Preview Porsche competes with improved Cayenne S Transsyberia Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, will again contest the Transsyberia Rally this year. Already at its debut in 2007, the Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia proved its speed and excellent offroad qualities on the way from Moscow to the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar. Three Cayenne S Transsyberia finished in the top three positions. For this year's edition of the Transsyberia Rally from 11th to 25th July, Porsche optimised the small series in several areas.  The modified components are offered to customer teams around the world as a conversion kit.     In the modifications to the Cayenne S Transsyberia, primary importance was given to further improving the offroad capabilities and optimising the suspension set-up. The 2008-spec of the successful long distance racer features a stronger and newly-formed sump-guard. The front and rear panels were modified to allow a larger angle of driving slope. An all-terrain offroad tyre from BFGoodrich in the 265/65 R18 R dimension increases the ground clearance by 30 millimetres. Compared to last year, the higher and stronger side walls offer better protection against tyre damage. The air suspension was retuned based on the experiences of the 2007 Transsyberia Rally. The standard shock absorbers were replaced with special rally shocks. Particularly on the fast, bumpy sections, the vehicle's handling is substantially smoother than the 2007 version. Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC), which features two active anti-roll bars to almost completely eliminate body sway in bends, was adapted to withstand the special demands of a marathon rally. The Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia is equipped with a massive safety cage, with two bucket seats and six-point harnesses for driver and co-driver. The standard 4.8-litre normally-aspirated engine with direct fuel injection delivers 385 hp (283 kW). The weight-reduced sports exhaust system gives the Cayenne S Transsyberia a particularly powerful sound. For optimal acceleration, the six-speed automatic gearbox of the Cayenne S was combined with shorter final drive ratio of the Cayenne GTS. The transmission management was taken from the standard model and optimised for all-terrain purposes. Like all other models in the Cayenne range, the Cayenne S Transsyberia features the permanent all-wheel-drive Porsche Traction Management (PTM), which feeds 62 percent of the engine's torque to the rear wheels and 38 percent to the front. The multiple-plate clutch, operated by an electric motor and controlled electronically, varies the distribution of power as a function of driving conditions, if necessary feeding as much as 100 percent of the engine's power completely to the front or rear. The map-controlled longitudinal lock and the differential lock on the rear axle respond not only to lack of traction on the front or rear wheels, but also benefit from sensors measuring the speed of the vehicle, its lateral acceleration, the steering angle and the position of the accelerator pedal. In this way, PTM is able to consistently calculate the degree of lock required on the two axles and distribute the power required to the axles. The PTM software underwent optimisation compared to its 2007 predecessor. A fitted transverse lock further enhances the offroad capabilities of the Cayenne S Transsyberia and is also available in the standard model as part of the optional Offroad Technology Package. All Cayenne S Transsyberia are fitted, as standard equipment, with a navigation system that also enables teams to plan their route offroad and is controlled by the co-driver. Additionally, the glove compartment is replaced with a Tripmaster computer enabling the co-pilot to exactly scrutinize the route between navigation points. All of the control units are positioned within the water-tight interior, and all electric lines and wires have been installed in new positions. To prevent water from entering the car, the body and doors have been sealed up to the height of the side windows. The maximum depth when crossing rivers and streams is approximately 78 centimetres or almost 31". The air intake for the engine is positioned above the hood. With a snorkel the air intake can be moved to roof height, ensuring that the front wave generated when crossing water is not able to enter the intake manifold. The regular foot-operated parking brake is replaced by a handbrake enabling the driver to intentionally oversteer the vehicle in a tight bend. Four additional headlights are mounted on the roof. For particularly difficult terrain and to assist in salvaging other vehicles, the Cayenne S Transsyberia comes with a winch easy to fit when needed and stored in the luggage compartment.    As standard equipment, the vehicle includes two fire extinguishers, two sandbags, two full-size spare wheels, and two transport boxes for tools. Also included are two two-man tents, two heat-insulated blankets, four lashing belts, a nine-metre long salvage belt complete with tackle, a folding spade, a folding saw, an axe, a manually operated and adjustable headlamp, four towing bar openings and a Hazet toolkit. Transsyberia Rally 2007: Triple victory - eight Porsches in the top ten Three Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia on the first three positions, eight Porsches in the top ten: these are the results of the 2007 Transsyberia Rally, one of the world's toughest offroad marathons. After a two-week epic drive from Moscow to Ulaanbaatar, Rod Millen, triple US rally champion, and his co-driver Richard Kelsey reached the finish in the capital of Mongolia as winners on 17 August with a Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia. After 7,100 kilometres, just over 17 minutes separated Millen from the second-placed Italy 1 team with Antonio Tognana and Carlo Cassina. The Quatar team with Adel Abdulla and Norbert Lutteri reached the finish to claim third, 23 minutes behind the winner. Over the course of the rally, four different teams held the lead: Establishing themselves at the front of the field on the first leg through Russia, over the Urals and into Siberia were the ex-European rally champion Armin Schwarz (Austria) and his co-driver Oliver Hilger (Germany). Up until day nine the duo retained the lead with their Cayenne S Transsyberia. However, three punctures on the first leg in Mongolia cost the Germany 1 team its top position. A British Toyota outfit took over first place for the next two days until they became bogged down in a mud hole. Dr. Erik Brandenburg and Stefan Preuss (both Germany) promptly moved into the lead with their self-rebuilt 911 Carrera from 1975. With this ca. 1,000 kilo rear wheel driven 911 they dominated the 285 kilometres of the leg 12 special stage from Altai to Bayankhor in Mongolia, but lost positions over the course of the following day during deep water crossings to finish ninth. Not one of the 27 Cayennes to start retired with a technical defect. Six Porsche teams had to give in - all due to accidents where luckily no one was badly injured.	Home News Porsche Art Links Contact us Forum Merchandise Monthly Feature Race Cars For Sale   Overall result Transsyberia Rally 2007  1. Rod Millen/Richard Kelsey Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia 13:42.28 hours 2. Antonio Tognana/Carlo Cassina Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia + 17.19 min. 3. Adel Abdulla/Norbert Lutteri Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia + 23.14 min. 4. Lars Kern/Daniel van Kann Suzuki Grand Vitara + 1:12.23 hrs 5. Pau Soler/Laia Peinado Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia + 1:19.21 hrs 6. Simon Garnham/Matt Garnham Toyota Landcruiser + 1:44.10 hrs 7. René Metge/Silvain Reisser Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia + 2:15.23 hrs 8. Oliver Schmidt/Thomas König Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia + 2:39.34 hrs 9. Dr. Erik Brandenburg/Stefan Preuß Porsche Carrera + 2:42.26 hrs 10. Karim Al-Azhari/Blair Cole Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia + 3:25.05 hrs              Live it, Breathe it, Love it