Everyone loves a great fish-out-of-water story, and a Porsche crawling through the rock cliffs of Moab definitely qualifies. Sure, you can modify any vehicle for extreme off-roading, but this first-generation Cayenne is factory stock for a beefy all-terrain tire set. The engine, transmission, suspension and ride height are still original.
If you feel deja vu from this video, there are actually two reasons for that. In August we watched a raised Acura MDX work its way up the trails in Moab, and this exact Cayenne was part of that journey. The Porsche owner followed up with a video of his own, and in fact, this is his second 2008 Cayenne. We showcased its first build last year, an overland Porsche with awning on the roof and upgraded suspension.
This Cayenne lacks such upgrades, but that doesn’t stop the driver from tackling the toughest parts of Hell’s Revenge at Utah’s famous off-road park. The 6.5-mile trail includes all kinds of rock-climbing challenges, and then there’s Hell’s Gate – a particularly challenging section that requires the driver to straddle a very narrow valley between two rock cliffs. More often associated with speed on the highway, this Cayenne stock makes tough off-road climbs look effortless. Drivers definitely have something to do with it, as it takes an experienced off-roader not to panic when the front or rear wheels come off the ground.
Porsche not only conquered the Gates of Hell and the entire trail of Hell’s Revenge, but also with minimal damage. The underside of the front fascia received a few scuffs, the fender liner was ripped, and one rocking panel was slightly scratched on descent. There was no damage to the wheels, but using the sidewall of the tires during the ascent at Hell’s Gate caused the rubber to stick to the wheels. The tires are lowered for a challenging climb, causing them to actually fold into the wheels.
Hell’s Gate is no joke, but in the right hands, neither is an old Porsche Cayenne.
