“There were definitely areas of the course where the performance of the engine kept me from losing my position among the other drivers…” –Jeff Zwart, Porsche Driver, North America Team 3

In August 2007, 24 teams driving modified Porsche Cayenne S sport utility vehicles competed in Transsyberia 2007—one of the toughest auto rally events in the sport’s history. Beginning in Moscow, teams from around the world raced across Siberia and into Mongolia, covering 7,100 kilometers (4,412 miles) of challenging terrain including sand dunes in the Gobi desert, muddy forest paths—even crossing rivers. The grueling course certainly challenged the Porsche drivers and navigators, but their engines performed flawlessly with Mobil 1.

“The Transsyberia Rally is a true test of a vehicle’s ability to perform in extreme conditions,” said Jürgen Kern, Porsche Cayenne Transsyberia’s team manager. “As we’ve done before, we turned to Mobil 1 fully synthetic motor oil.” Mobil 1’s operating temperature range of -45C (-49F) to +200C (+392F) is ideal for high-performance, super-charged and turbo-charged vehicles like the Porsche Cayenne S. In fact, all current Porsche models come factory-filled with Mobil 1.

The unforgiving course was too much for some—a few of Porsche’s competitors (and their vehicles) suffered set backs, causing them to forfeit the race. Each of the 25 Porsche teams, however, endured throughout the 14-day race. In fact, seven of the top 10 finishers in Ulaanbaatar (including first place Team North America 2 with drivers Rod Millen and Richard Kelsey) were driving rally-modified Porsche Cayenne S cars—each filled with Mobil 1.

Explore the day-to-day highlights of Transsyberia 2007 in greater detail here.