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Porsche Preps '08 Cayenne S for Transsyberia Rally

When Porsche goes racing it's often on the racetrack, but this isn't always

Experience from last year's rally has helped Porsche better prepare the Cayenne S for this year's event. (Photo: Porsche)

the case. Porsche has long participated in off-road racing as well, and while not entered in WRC it has become the brand to beat in the Transsyberia Rally.

In the event, which traverses 3,850 miles of wilderness between Moscow and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Porsche took the top three spots last year. Having such great success, the iconic brand is back to conquer the wild again in this year's race, and to ensure that it does better in the more grueling sections along the way, it has made some significant updates its lineup of specially prepared Cayenne SUVs.

Porsche has fitted a brand new sump guard, plus new bumpers giving the Cayenne S racers better approach and departure angles. Wrapping the orange-painted 18-inch wheels are new BFGoodrich all-terrain tires that feature an aggressive tread block and high sidewalls that add an additional 1.2 inches of ground clearance! These monster-sized wheels measure in at 265/65R18, and should have no trouble clawing their way through sand, rock or water. They do,

Big tires don't just provide grip, they add extra ground clearance too. (Photo: Porsche)

however, limit the Cayenne's top speed to 105 mph.

Other modifications include a new sport exhaust system designed to provide better flow while reducing weight, plus a new final drive will increase off-the-line performance on softer surfaces including dirt. The software that controls Porsche Traction Management (PTM), enhancing the Cayenne's all wheel drive system, has also been optimized for the rigorous conditions, based on information gained during last year's rally.

The changes to this year's Transsyberia racers might not seem all that great, but they're the sort of alterations that will help Porsche continue its commanding performance in the race, which will take place this July.

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