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autoBAHNWords Kiran Jay Haslam | Photography Jerzy WierzbickiPorsche’sTranssyberianExpress.The TransSyberia Rally was regarded by many as the mostchallenging off-road race on the planet. With its route constantlyevolving, in 2008 participants of this great rally made their way fromMoscow, blazing across a 6600km trail through Russia and over theUral Mountains to the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar.With a scorching desert, gail force winds, subarctic forests andextremely rugged terrain, the rally was not for the faint hearted. Soperhaps there was no better place to bear in mind whilst developingan off-road rally-race Porsche based on the naturally aspiratedCayenne S, that would not only claim triple victories two yearsconsecutively, but capture the hearts of car enthusiasts the worldover.The good folks at the PorscheCentre Oman – SATA offeredus a very special test-drive, inresponse to my claim that theharsh climate of Oman is theperfect proving ground forthe 2010 Porsche Cayenne STranssyberia. With brutal rockformations twisting mountainsinto cavernous wadis, soaringtemperatures and powderydunes, the backdrop was aptto replicate the harshnessof Mongolia’s final stage inthe torturous TransSyberianRally. Boasting 405hp and athundering 500Nm of torque,this road use ‘rally special’is more than just a cosmetichomage to the vehicles usedin competition. Power andspeed are coupled with safety,reliability, and tractability.34 35