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These are RL's favorite Cayenne builds?? I guess they haven't searched social media platforms for others. To each their own. <shrug>
I definitely challenge #6 though, the 9Y0 Cayenne '19+; "The Porsche Cayenne has lost none of its off-roading capabilities as it has evolved, with the 3rd generation Cayenne proving its worth."
Yes, no doubt the chassis/susp/etc is up to the task, but the brakes keep getting larger(not a bad thing for safety), and thus the tire size keeps increasing. Here are the stock tire sizes for a '19 Cayenne Base;
255/55-19 XL front, 275/50-19 XL rear
275/45-20 XL front, 305/40-20 XL rear
285/40-21 XL front, 315/35-21 XL rear
285/35-22 XL front, 315/30-22 XL rear
Ever looked for "off-road" tires in these sizes? Exactly, slim pickin's. I've run 255/55/19 Goodyear Duratracs on my 958 CTT, and they treated me well, but I'm non-staggered. There's only one alternative in the 255/55/19 size that I'd choose, that being the Toyo AT3, but none off-road/off-pavement worthy in the 275/50/19 rear.
None in the 20", 21", or 22" sizes, plus look at the aspect ratio. Who's going to feel comfortable traveling very far off-road on a 40series tire, definitely not a 35 or 30 series? Certainly can't air down very much for puncture resistance, better grip, more comfortable ride.
IMHO, the 958 chassis is the last off-roadable Cayenne chassis built, and even then this chassis is limited by wheelwell size (which could be modified). No wonder most of the seriously cool off-road Cayenne builds are 957 or 955 chassis.
Note that your YMMV.
Thank you for showing some seasonally-appropriate love for the Cayenne!
When the Cayenne was first introduced, I thought it dopey - a blemish on the brand. But then, coincidentally, my wife & I attended the Porsche Driving Experience at Barber Motorsports Park where they all but forced us to drive a Cayenne on their Autocross track. I wasn't even gonna participate until I saw my wife tear through the course like a freak. "Me next!" I screamed and was immediately converted. Finally, the instructors drove us, four-at-a-time, on hot laps around the track. What a kick!!!
A decade later, I still couldn't afford a Cayenne, especially with the off-road features we needed for Lake Tahoe's winters. [We live year-round at 6,500' elev. in the Sierras.] But then our Jeep Grand Cherokee was T-boned and a kind Rennlist member sold us his 'like new' 2010 Transsyberia. Perfect timing. "Thank you!!!"
With Michelin X-Ice or Bridgestone Blizzak tires, the Transsy is a killer snow machine. And the ride height adjustment makes all the difference in deep dumps. In fact, when it's blizzarding and there's nobody else around, I enjoy a rally-style romp over our mountain roads. It's insane what this car can do while others are struggling to stay straight at half the speed.
One of my favorite activities in the Transsy is to bypass the "Parking Full" signs on the all-important powder days at the ski resorts and go find a plowed snow bank. Every parking lot has an area where the plows push snow and, technically, it's a legal parking spot (or two, or three) but nobody else will dare attempt it, but I drive right up it. It's like having reserved parking at the resorts year-round. One time, it took me a couple tries to get up the bank and folks gathered to watch the idiot in the Porsche get stuck. Not even close. We all got out laughing. "Yeah, we own this." :-D
When things melt, we throw Pilot Sports on it and it handles like a race car. [A very heavy race car.] I only wish it had a manual gear box. We've raced it a few times in the Silver State Classic Challenge (when our usual 996 wasn't an option) and placed 2nd in the 110 MPH class. Thanks to the adaptive suspension, it handles some of the twisty-turny bits better than our stock 996! Granted, we get some chuckles from the field, but while they're sweating in their stripped down racers (NV's deserts are sorta hot) we're enjoying climate control and Dolby surround. It's a whole 'nother kinda racing.
I adore this car and hope to keep it forever. And now, maybe even upgrade it?
Thank you for showing some seasonally-appropriate love for the Cayenne!
When the Cayenne was first introduced, I thought it dopey - a blemish on the brand. But then, coincidentally, my wife & I attended the Porsche Driving Experience at Barber Motorsports Park where they all but forced us to drive a Cayenne on their Autocross track. I wasn't even gonna participate until I saw my wife tear through the course like a freak. "Me next!" I screamed and was immediately converted. Finally, the instructors drove us, four-at-a-time, on hot laps around the track. What a kick!!!
A decade later, I still couldn't afford a Cayenne, especially with the off-road features we needed for Lake Tahoe's winters. [We live year-round at 6,500' elev. in the Sierras.] But then our Jeep Grand Cherokee was T-boned and a kind Rennlist member sold us his 'like new' 2010 Transsyberia. Perfect timing. "Thank you!!!"
With Michelin X-Ice or Bridgestone Blizzak tires, the Transsy is a killer snow machine. And the ride height adjustment makes all the difference in deep dumps. In fact, when it's blizzarding and there's nobody else around, I enjoy a rally-style romp over our mountain roads. It's insane what this car can do while others are struggling to stay straight at half the speed.
One of my favorite activities in the Transsy is to bypass the "Parking Full" signs on the all-important powder days at the ski resorts and go find a plowed snow bank. Every parking lot has an area where the plows push snow and, technically, it's a legal parking spot (or two, or three) but nobody else will dare attempt it, but I drive right up it. It's like having reserved parking at the resorts year-round. One time, it took me a couple tries to get up the bank and folks gathered to watch the idiot in the Porsche get stuck. Not even close. We all got out laughing. "Yeah, we own this." :-D
When things melt, we throw Pilot Sports on it and it handles like a race car. [A very heavy race car.] I only wish it had a manual gear box. We've raced it a few times in the Silver State Classic Challenge (when our usual 996 wasn't an option) and placed 2nd in the 110 MPH class. Thanks to the adaptive suspension, it handles some of the twisty-turny bits better than our stock 996! Granted, we get some chuckles from the field, but while they're sweating in their stripped down racers (NV's deserts are sorta hot) we're enjoying climate control and Dolby surround. It's a whole 'nother kinda racing.
I adore this car and hope to keep it forever. And now, maybe even upgrade it?
Awesome Dave_D, glad you're loving your TSSY as much as I am mine! And you bought yours from Dutch (known him a long time from the G-Wagen world)--well done. Keep enjoying it!
BTW, if you were to upgrade your TSSY somehow, in what area would it be?
Awesome Dave_D, glad you're loving your TSSY as much as I am mine! And you bought yours from Dutch (known him a long time from the G-Wagen world)--well done. Keep enjoying it!
BTW, if you were to upgrade your TSSY somehow, in what area would it be?
PS--I sent you a PM awhile back.
Just saw your PM! Replied. And, apparently, I need to update my alerting preferences.
If I had separate rims, I might consider something more aggressive for winter tires. As is, I swap my summer and winter tires on the same 19" wheels.
Generally, I would consider any upgrades that might improve deep snow performance. The only times I've had to dig out was when I miscalculated the depth of the snow at a trail head. If I'm familiar with the spot, I'll torpedo into it aggressively without realizing it's just a couple inches deeper than before (or there's an ice layer hidden underneath). And even then, I can usually get out in 4WD, but not always. Hence, the full-size shovel in back. Cuz I'm me and me happens. :-D
But I'm not sure how much can be done. I've managed snow and ice where jacked up pickups with much beefier tires slipped and wrecked right in front of me. And I wouldn't want to sacrifice the adjustable ride height for something higher (unless it could still lower itself down for summer speeds).
The only thing I might trade my Transsy for would be one of the original 26 purpose-built Cayenne rally cars. [If I could afford it - cripes, they're expensive!] I wonder how those differ from a stock Transsy (or 2009/10 Cayenne). Would it be difficult/expensive to retro a stock Cayenne?
Oh, and one other thing: I've had to repair the release latch on the spare tire gate a few times now and, no thanks to COVID, getting a replacement last time took nearly two years. So, I've been considering roof racks and other mostly cosmetic options for the spare tire, should I ever have to ditch the gate. For a while, it was looking like Porsche might never reproduce the part, especially when you consider how few Porsches have this particular option. I think there's just a few hundred in the U.S.
Just saw your PM! Replied. And, apparently, I need to update my alerting preferences.
If I had separate rims, I might consider something more aggressive for winter tires. As is, I swap my summer and winter tires on the same 19" wheels.
Generally, I would consider any upgrades that might improve deep snow performance. The only times I've had to dig out was when I miscalculated the depth of the snow at a trail head. If I'm familiar with the spot, I'll torpedo into it aggressively without realizing it's just a couple inches deeper than before (or there's an ice layer hidden underneath). And even then, I can usually get out in 4WD, but not always. Hence, the full-size shovel in back. Cuz I'm me and me happens. :-D
But I'm not sure how much can be done. I've managed snow and ice where jacked up pickups with much beefier tires slipped and wrecked right in front of me. And I wouldn't want to sacrifice the adjustable ride height for something higher (unless it could still lower itself down for summer speeds).
The only thing I might trade my Transsy for would be one of the original 26 purpose-built Cayenne rally cars. [If I could afford it - cripes, they're expensive!] I wonder how those differ from a stock Transsy (or 2009/10 Cayenne). Would it be difficult/expensive to retro a stock Cayenne?
Oh, and one other thing: I've had to repair the release latch on the spare tire gate a few times now and, no thanks to COVID, getting a replacement last time took nearly two years. So, I've been considering roof racks and other mostly cosmetic options for the spare tire, should I ever have to ditch the gate. For a while, it was looking like Porsche might never reproduce the part, especially when you consider how few Porsches have this particular option. I think there's just a few hundred in the U.S.
Copy that, PM replied back to ya.
Are you (or others) running true winter tires in winter, ie Bridgestone Blizzak's? It's all we run here, aside from Nokian's. In our experience, A/T's are simply not safe in packed snow/ice; why the jacked-up pickups are wrecking in front of you.
You could add an air suspension lift (few inches via strut/shock spacers, and subframe drop) to aid in deep snow, but you wouldn't be able to lower it back down to OEM height in summer.
Lots of interior changes on the race TSSY's. Exterior-wise, not that many. So, it'd depend on the level of race-ness you want to take yours.
The driver side of my auto-lifting rear hatch sticks in the cold; have to remedy that. Porsche didn't have an actual roof rack for the Cayenne's. I'd recommend Front Runner from S.Africa as they have so many attachments for gear. It's what I'm running on my TSSY; https://www.frontrunneroutfitters.co...-ii-r-kit.html
Or Rhino Rack is good too.
102 TSSY's in USA, 17 for Canada (3 of those 6spd manual trannys; one just sold on BaT, another will be up very soon) = 119 in N. America. + 166 RestOfWorld = 285 made of a proposed 600.
Are you (or others) running true winter tires in winter, ie Bridgestone Blizzak's? It's all we run here, aside from Nokian's. In our experience, A/T's are simply not safe in packed snow/ice; why the jacked-up pickups are wrecking in front of you.
Yup. I swear by them. I had Michelin X-Ice on my Cherokee and was very happy. So, I put 'em on the Transsyberia but, at some point, they stopped making 'em in my size and I had to shift to the Blizzaks. They seem to perform (and wear out) about the same.
This is where having a separate set of rims would be valuable. Guessing when to swap between the Pilot Sports and Blizzak's is difficult and the result is unnecessary wear on the Blizzaks. In a perfect world, I'd have separate wheels and a lift. Those Blizzaks wouldn't be wasted on so much dry pavement and I'd get at least another season out of 'em.
Yup. I swear by them. I had Michelin X-Ice on my Cherokee and was very happy. So, I put 'em on the Transsyberia but, at some point, they stopped making 'em in my size and I had to shift to the Blizzaks. They seem to perform (and wear out) about the same.
This is where having a separate set of rims would be valuable. Guessing when to swap between the Pilot Sports and Blizzak's is difficult and the result is unnecessary wear on the Blizzaks. In a perfect world, I'd have separate wheels and a lift. Those Blizzaks wouldn't be wasted on so much dry pavement and I'd get at least another season out of 'em.
Thanks for the roof rack tips! Those look great.
Agreed on a winter wheel/tire set, and a non-winter wheel/tire set. You can look on www.car-part.com for Wheels (by Image) and find good used Cayenne wheels that way.
11-16-2022, 06:41 PM
Our 7 Favorite Off-Road Cayenne Builds
