Transsyberia rally

Although the route changes year to year, the TransSyberia Rally has been deemed the ultimate challenge for off-road racing

Off-road racing

Off-road racing is a format of racing where various classes of specially modified vehicles compete in races through off-road environments.-North America:...

enthusiasts. This year's TransSyberia Rally stretches from Moscow

Moscow

Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

, Russia to the Mongolia

Mongolia

Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...

n capital of Ulaanbaatar

Ulaanbaatar

Ulan Bator or Ulaanbaatar is the capital and largest city of Mongolia. An independent municipality, the city is not part of any province, and its population as of 2008 is over one million....

. Participants are in the for the experience of a lifetime as the 6,600 kilometer route crosses the Ural Mountains

Ural Mountains

The Ural Mountains , or simply the Urals, are a mountain range that runs approximately from north to south through western Russia, from the coast of the Arctic Ocean to the Ural River and northwestern Kazakhstan. Their eastern side is usually considered the natural boundary between Europe and Asia...

, winds through subarctic forests and goes up the rugged peaks of the Altai Mountains. The endurance of both man and machine are tested as the route continues across the sprawling Mongolian plains and through the Gobi Desert

Gobi Desert

The Gobi is a large desert region in Asia. It covers parts of northern and northwestern China, and of southern Mongolia. The desert basins of the Gobi are bounded by the Altai Mountains and the grasslands and steppes of Mongolia on the north, by the Hexi Corridor and Tibetan Plateau to the...

.

----

Vehicles

The rally is open only to 4WD vehicles and trucks. Technical modifications are allowed, but vehicles must be street legal. Most modifications are to improve safety, reliability and ease of maintenance.

Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia

The Porsche

Porsche

Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....

Cayenne S Transsyberia

Porsche Cayenne

The Porsche Cayenne is a five seat mid-size luxury crossover manufactured by the German manufacturer Porsche since 2002, with North American sales beginning in 2003. Its platform was developed by Porsche and is shared with the Volkswagen Touareg and the Audi Q7. It is the first V8-engined vehicle...

power unit is virtually unchanged from the Cayenne S – the output of the Transsyberia edition is 4.8-litre natural aspiration V8 with direct gasoline injection remains 385 bhp at 6200 rpm which is connected to a six-speed Tiptronic S with a 4.11 final drive ratio. The technological enhancements include Porsche Traction Management – which is further improved by a transverse lock from the optional Offroad Technology Package (available to regular customers), Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control – which is preset to a “Special Offroad Mode” which allows the Cayenne to pass through bodies of water up to 30" deep, and Porsche Active Suspension Management.
The remaining modifications are more rally car-specific.

- Reinforced A and B pillars

- Bolted-down safety cage

- Stronger underbody protection with diamond-plate steel flooring

- Handbrake instead of the standard foot-operated parking brake

- Lightweight sport exhaust

- Roof-mounted snorkel

- Off-road tires

- Roof lights

- Front-mounted winch

- Rerouted electrical system

- Passenger-operated navigation system

The interior of the car is stripped down to the essentials to make room for the dual spare wheels and tires, and the two reserve fuel tanks which occupy what used to be the rear seats.

TransSyberia 2007

25 of 34 registered teams will be driving Porsche Cayennes – the Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia Edition. These vehicles contain numerous modifications to improve the car’s stability, handling and safety, and were built exclusively for the TransSyberia Rallye.

The race was won by Rod Millen

Rod Millen

Rodney K. "Rod" Millen is a racing competitor, vehicle designer, and business owner. He has competed in numerous genres of motorsports, including rally racing, off-road racing, hillclimbing, drifting, and super touring.-Personal life:...