Ultimate Cayenne is go, go, go

The Cayenne S Transsyberia will be launched at next month’s Paris Motor Show – complete with more power and an unmissable visual makeover. It’s based on the Cayenne S, and under the bonnet, the 4.8-litre V8 has been tuned to match that of the GTS. So power rises 20bhp to a hefty 400bhp – enough to propel the big off-roader from 0-60mph in only 6.1 seconds and on to 156mph.

With the option of vivid black and orange paint, Transsyberia script along its flanks and a bank of roof-mounted lights, the rally special is anything but subtle. Porsche’s all-wheel-drive traction system is standard, as are grippy sports seats, PASM active suspension and a new sports exhaust.

These unique features come at a cost, though. At £53,920, the special-order Cayenne will be only £1,330 less than the GTS when it hits UK showrooms in January. And expect to pay £1,514 more for the Offroad Technology Package.

Porsche has excelled in the gruelling Rallye Transsyberia – a 4,500-mile trek from Moscow to Ulan Bator in Mongolia – for the past two years. In 2007 it took the top three places, and this year it filled every position from first to sixth.