- Can’t swing the $223,450 for a Porsche 911 Dakar? Here is an off-road ready Porsche with seating for the whole family.
- Only 285 Transsyberia Cayennes were built worldwide, and this is one of only three North American versions with a manual transmission.
- With five days until the Bring a Trailer auction ends on Friday, February 10, bidding is at $36,500 for this highly collectible, highly capable Porsche.
Porsche says it has no intention of entering its new 911 Dakar in competition, but a decade ago it did with a special edition of the Cayenne S. On sale this week at Bring a Trailer (which, as Car and Driveris part of Hearst Autos) is a rare Cayenne, one of a few built to celebrate Porsche’s victories at the 2007 Transsyberia Rally. If you’ve been holding off on that new Dakar because of its lack of rear seats, here are some rally-ready Porsches for the whole family.
The Transsiberian Rally runs over 4000 miles from Moscow right across Mongolia. Porsche swept the podium in 2007 with a trio of Cayennes, then decided to showcase the capability of its all-conquering SUV with a civilian-spec version. This is one of those 285 special editions built.
Just as the 911 Dakar is basically a 911 GTS underneath, so the Cayenne Transsyberia is also based on the Cayenne GTS. Power comes from a 4.8-liter V-8 that produces 405 horsepower at 6500 rpm, and the interior features a luxurious mix of leather and Alcantara.
But, as the orange accents throughout indicate, this is no mall-crawling Porsche SUV. The Transsyberia also gets height-adjustable air suspension, 18-inch wheels designed to carry chunky off-road tires, and skid plates underneath. Transsyberias also came with the Cayenne’s rare off-road package, which includes specific programming for the Porsche stability and traction control.
As if all that wasn’t enough potential fun in the dirt, take a look between the front seats: it’s an honest-to-goodness manual transmission. Only three hand-equipped Transsyberias are known to have been delivered to North America, all originally sold in Canada. Which makes sense, considering many parts of Canada are a bit like Siberia, and those Canucks like their stick handling.
This Transsyberia is currently located in Vancouver, British Columbia, but can easily be imported into the United States. With 133,000kms on the odometer – around 83,000 miles – this is not a Porsche that needs to stay parked to retain its value. Still, it is something of a collector’s item. The previous owner removed the admittedly bright orange Transsyberia decals, but these are available from Porsche and should be reapplied for resale. A thorough blasting of the chassis and the application of protective cover should be on the to-do list.
With these tasks completed, one lucky bidder will have a mighty V-8-powered Porsche that’s every bit as capable as any dune-surfing 911 variant, but with enough room for a family of five (or a bunch of friends to help push you out). of the sand if you get stuck). Because it is so rare, it is sure to appreciate in value as well. With five days to go, bidding stands at $36,500. That’s a bargain by off-road Porsche standards; don’t miss your chance.
