Porsche Canada 2024-2025 E1 Cayenne Classic Restoration Competition.
The Porsche Classic Restoration Competition returns this year, with a spotlight on the first-generation E1 Cayenne. Porsche Centres across Canada have the opportunity to restore and reimagine their own Cayenne, bringing their unique visions to life — whether as a rugged off-roader, a mountain climber, or even a high-horsepower track-focused SUV. Follow the progress of your favourite builds here or on Instagram with the hashtag #PorscheClassicRestoration2025, with updates beginning in mid-2025. The final event and winner selection will take place in September 2025.
Meet “The Buggy”, our Titanium Metallic 2005 Porsche Cayenne, equipped with Tiptronic & Variable Power Steering. This Cayenne is a two-time Alcan Rally finisher, and now it’s gearing up for its next adventure: the 2025 Porsche Classic Restoration Competition. With a spotlight on the first-generation E1 Cayenne, Porsche Centres across Canada have the opportunity to restore and reimagine this SUV. Our build will be FIA certified, fully prepared to take on the Paris to Dakar rally.
The Cayenne that could
The search for a candidate to represent Porsche Centre Calgary for this year's Porsche Classic Restoration Competition was easy. We chose a vehicle that is an accomplished rally hero, a Cayenne that has been in our fleet for seven years doing daily work for the dealership for over 200,000 kilometers. This Cayenne has been in the most extreme elements this world has to offer, to the Arctic circle and back and remains bulletproof. ‘The Buggy’ as it is affectionately known as, probably has more competitive mileage than any Cayenne in the world. It has competed in two Alcan 5000 Rally’s. The first traveling nearly 10,000 kilometers in 11 days in the summer of 2022 traversing over rugged terrain commencing in Washington, through British Columbia, Yukon, Yellowknife and finishing in Alberta. As for the 2024 winter edition it was 13,000 kilometers in 14 days starting again in Washington, then British Columbia, Alberta, Yellowknife, Yukon and concluding in Alaska. Rally mileage consisted of harsh conditions and passing through the Arctic Circle, navigating temperatures as low as minus 45 degrees - Our Cayenne has finished third in class and gained an impressive 30,000 competitive rally kilometers in its lifetime. Every kilometer for the Cayenne is a ribbon of prowess and pride which adds to it’s impressive total of 202,643 kilometers. The proud team members that brought this vision to life are: Andrew Kelly and Pedro Silveira, both Certified Porsche Technicians. Leadership team support provided by Miles McEwing, the Porsche Centre Calgary General Manager, Paige Shostak, the Marketing Manager, Austin Bailey, the Service Manager and Darren Thompson, the Detail Manager. We are proud of our in-house work and appreciated assistance from Cosmos Collision with the removal of the sunroof and The Gearshop for assistance with the roll cage. Impressive features that emerged from the reimagining were making sure that it had everything it needed to be fully ready for the desert, including authentic Porsche parts like a roof carrier fit with auxiliary fuel tanks, a PCCM+ (Porsche Classic Communication Management Plus) system for intuitive support and a luggage compartment box to store racing helmets. Notable modifications include a fitted fire suppression system, Track Pro mats helping the SUV in the most challenging of terrain. The interior - stripped out and fit with race seats and 6-point belts offer lighter weight and enhanced performance. Rallysport.ca provided a Terratrip rally computer to keep us on track. We are most proud of our Cayenne’s longevity and its ability to inspire as we create awareness through presentations for Porsche and other Clubs to fuel the passion of Porsche purists. A ten-page spread in Panorama magazine in Dec 2024 shared our story with the world. Since it’s humble beginnings as a trade-in, ‘the buggy’ that began its second life as a dealership shop vehicle purchased over seven years ago; sparked a strong passion for all things Cayenne, it has become something of a local celebrity for its history and stories. We are now preparing it for the next adventure, the Dakar Classic.
The team bringing this project to life includes:
Andrew Kelly | Certified Porsche Technician
Pedro Silveira | Certified Porsche Technician
Miles McEwing | Team Principal
Paige Shostak | Marketing Manager
Austin Bailey | Service Manager
Blair Reeves | Service Coordinator
Kirk Morrison | Marketing
Detail Department
Parts Department
Service Department
The Gear Shop | Fabrication
Cosmos Collision | Bodywork
#PorscheClassicRestoration2025 #PorscheCentreCalgary #PorscheCanada #PorscheCayenne #Cayenne #CayenneE1 #BaseCayenne #CayenneV6 #thegearshop #CosmosCollisions
Porsche Classic Genuine Parts Offer
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901 - 993 | PCCM
Available from your Porsche Partner: the Porsche Classic Communication Management (PCCM) for vehicles with a DIN-1 slot. | 911 Type G, 964, 914, 924, 928, 944, 968, 959 & 993.
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996/986 I PCCM
Available from your Porsche Partner: the Porsche Classic Communication Management Plus (PCCM Plus) for vehicles with a DIN-2 slot | 911 Carrera 2 (1998 - 2005), 911 Carrera 4 (1999 - 2005), 911 Turbo (2001 - 2005), 911 GT2 (2001 - 2005), 911 GT3 (1999 - 2005), Boxster (1997 - 2004), Boxster S (1999 - 2004).
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997/987 I PCCM
Available from your Porsche partner: the Porsche Classic Communication Management Plus (PCCM Plus) for the Porsche 911 (type 997) and the Porsche Boxster and Cayman (type 987) up to and including model year 2008 | 911 Carrera (2005 - 2008), 911 Carrera 4 (2005 - 2008), 911 Turbo (2006 - 2008), 911 GT3 (2007 - 2008), 911 GT2 (2008 - 2008), Boxster (2005 - 2008), Cayman (2007 - 2008), Boxster S (2005 - 2008), Cayman S (2006 - 2008).
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955 I & II PCCM
Available from your Porsche partner: the Porsche Classic Communication Management Plus (PCCM Plus) for the first generation Porsche Cayenne up to and including model year 2008 | Cayenne (2004 - 2006, 2008), Cayenne S (2003 - 2006, 2008), Cayenne Turbo (2003 - 2006, 2008), Cayenne Turbo S (2006 - 2006, 2008), Cayenne GTS (2008)
"The Buggy" E1 Porsche Classic Restoration Competition Build
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The Porsche Cayenne "Buggy" | Porsche Classic Restoration Competition 2025 Entry
Meet “The Buggy”, our Titanium Metallic 2005 Porsche Cayenne, equipped with Tiptronic & Variable Power Steering. This Cayenne is a two-time Alcan Rally finisher, and now it’s gearing up for its next adventure: the 2025 Porsche Classic Restoration Competition. With a spotlight on the first-generation E1 Cayenne, Porsche Centres across Canada have the opportunity to restore and reimagine this SUV. Our build will be FIA certified, fully prepared to take on the Paris to Dakar rally.
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The Porsche Cayenne "Buggy" | Porsche Classic Restoration Competition 2025 | Mechanical Prep
Phase two of our Porsche Classic Restoration 2025 project is underway. After surviving daily use and two grueling Alcan 5000 rallies, the E1 Cayenne — affectionately nicknamed “The Buggy” — has passed its initial inspection. Now, our Porsche technicians begin the mechanical prep by stripping the interior ahead of its cage installation.
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The Porsche Cayenne "Buggy" | Porsche Classic Restoration Competition 2025 | Fabrication and Design
This is where the Cayenne stops being polite—and starts getting real. The Gear Shop kicks things off with an FIA-compliant roll cage, welded bar-by-bar to stiffen the chassis and sharpen handling. They also built a custom 18,000-lumen + light bar—because rally doesn’t stop when the sun goes down.
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The Porsche Cayenne "Buggy" | Porsche Classic Restoration Competition 2025 | Reveal
The Cayenne you see before you is more than a rally build—it’s a machine reimagined for the Dakar Classic, one of motorsport’s most demanding arenas. For seven years, it has proven itself in competition, covering over 30,000 kilometers and earning podium finishes in some of the longest endurance events on the planet. Now, every weld and reinforcement, every carefully considered modification, has prepared it for Dakar.
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The Porsche Cayenne "Buggy" | Porsche Classic Restoration Competition 2025 | Into The Wild
The desert has no patience for weakness. Out here, the terrain shifts beneath your wheels, the horizon offers no certainty, and every day demands a new kind of endurance. This Cayenne was not built to blend in—it was built to carve its own path. Across sand, through mud, over rock and water, it doesn’t hesitate. It adapts. It overcomes. Rallying in its truest form isn’t about comfort—it’s about instinct. The precision of navigation, the trust between machine and driver, the unspoken language of speed and survival.