DESERT POWER

Desert Power

Taking on the sands in a group of desert-prepped Porsche Cayennes.

Stood atop a dune in boots where the rest of the group are in trainers, Samir Samy looks upon the desert with an air of calm. The Egyptian-born, former business development manager is the leader of this pack of Cayennes, and he’s pushing the venerable SUV into uncharted territory with Zeus Offroad.

A quick scan of the orange expanse surrounding the group is enough to see that we’re the odd ones out, surrounded by Toyotas, Nissans, Jeeps and Fords. Exploring the sand is engrained in Emirati culture, but a Cayenne isn’t the usual vehicle of choice.

“You show up in a Porsche and people assume you’re either lost or showing off.” Samir says, boyishly. “But once they see you climb dunes with precision and keep up with them - or even lead the group - the narrative shifts.”

All of the Cayennes in the convoy have been fitted with chunky off-road tyres at a minimum, but they’ve all been modified to various levels.

As we stop for some karak chai and breakfast, one stands out among the rest; Samir’s own 955 Cayenne is far removed from when it rolled off the showroom floor, and it’s by far the most capable vehicle of the lot.

Idling with a V8 burble through its modified exhaust, a gutted interior, cut bumpers and a manual gearbox, Samir’s Cayenne isn’t quite as tidy-looking as the others. For good reason; it’s his development vehicle, and it’s built his business into what it is today.

“The VW Touareg was my gateway into the VWG off-road world. It showed me what was possible with German SUVs…eventually, that led me to the Cayenne.” Samir recalls.

“Once I got behind the wheel of my first Cayenne, it changed everything. It handled the dunes better, responded quicker, and carried the Porsche spirit into the desert. One turned into two, then three - each with a different setup, pushing limits in its own way”

As a born and bred Londoner, being surrounded by Cayennes kicking up sandy rooster tails and sliding over dunes is surreal; not quite the Hampstead school run. Samir is well aware of the big Porsche’s rare status as a hardcore terrain explorer.

“Globally, Cayenne off-roading is still niche. It’s growing, but most people see the Cayenne as a luxury city SUV. In the UAE, we’ve taken it to the extreme.”

“Living in the UAE, we’re surrounded by some of the most stunning desert terrain in the world. The dunes are vast, challenging, and just an hour away from the city.”

Keep your momentum up, throttle down and feel the way the car’s sliding. Don’t fight gravity - you’ll lose - and trust in the Cayennes ability.

Though that’s not what Samir set out to do when he moved to Dubai in 2017. “Like many, I was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and I lost my job. But that moment turned out to be the beginning of something new,” he recalls.

Samir founded Zeus Offroad in 2020, using his own Cayenne as a research platform. Zeus is now the only dedicated VWG off-road specialist in the GCC, with clients shipping their cars to him from every corner of the globe.

“We’re building custom long-travel suspension, reinforcing chassis points, tuning ECUs for better control on loose sand…Cayenne is the only SUV that can give you a sports car smile while riding up a 60-degree sand slope.”

Modified or not, dune bashing tests the Cayennes to their limits, but the pauses in progress are a chance to display a strong sense of community. There’s a big mix of nationalities and professions, united with their common love for the platform - and the desert.

I can tell you first-hand just how capable a Cayenne feels on the sand, having been thrown the keys to Nicky’s Cayenne ‘GT2 Overland Special’ for a stint. Keep your momentum up, throttle down and feel the way the car’s sliding. Don’t fight gravity - you’ll lose - and trust in the Cayennes ability. You’ll go far, and have a blast in the process.

“Just as Land Rovers shaped the early exploration of the region, today's Cayennes, Land Cruisers and Patrols are continuing that legacy.” Samir says with a sense of pride. “What used to be about utility has now evolved into passion, engineering, and culture; Cayenne is adding a whole new flavor to that tradition.”