After seeing so much news about heavy storms across Europe recently, I understand why Roni Collin decided to build a lifted first-gen Porsche Cayenne Turbo as his winter daily driver.

You see, Roni – whose name you might recognise from his part-ownership of the SpeedHooked Pitstop – lives on a Finnish island that’s connected to the mainland by a single road. Sometimes in autumn or spring it disappears entirely underwater, while in winter, heavy snowfall can make it impassable for regular SUVs. Roni set a goal of not getting stuck in the snow even once this year, and so far all is good.

Visually, the Cayenne looks a whole lot tougher than how it left the factory. This is thanks in part to the 3-inch lift kit from Eurowise, and front and rear steel bumper bars – the bumpers themselves having been half-shaved for a more aggressive off-road look and better clearance. Then there’s the color; the Cayenne was originally silver, but Roni’s had it resprayed in Porsche Black Olive.

However, the wheels might just be the standout detail. These are BBS center-locks from a Porsche 997 Cup car, refinished in black and wrapped up in 33-inch Yokohama Geolandar M/Ts.

I don’t think Roni has any problems seeing the road – or lack of – ahead given all the high-power Baja Design LED lights fitted up front. Even the original headlights were modified to house a pair of BD amber LEDs.

Out back you’ll find an FIA-spec Cartek fog light – another retrofit from a Porsche Cup car.

Under the hood, the original 4.8L V8 – good for around 500PS – remains largely untouched, save for Roni relocating the oil cooler and straight-piping the exhaust. It sounds brutal, but still quite symphonic.

The expansive cabin features a Porsche Cup car steering wheel with working paddle shifters and added heating for those cold winter days. The front seats are Recaro Pole Positions, also upgraded with a heating system.

You have to love the wooden shift knob, which was turned locally in Porvoo and resembles those found in early Porsche 917 Le Mans cars.

The dashboard, meanwhile, has a custom hub that can hold everything you’d ever need for an off-road adventure.

Roni didn’t set out to build the greatest over-landing vehicle, nor did he want to fully embrace the ‘boho’ traveler vibe with roof tents and similar upgrades. He wanted the Cayenne to stand out on the street and be more than capable in a snowy environment, while featuring some Porsche racing DNA. I’d say all those boxes have been well and truly ticked.

If you’re wondering about the other Black Olive green Porsche in Roni’s garage, he refers to it as a ‘911 GT2 Touring’, a car that doesn’t exist. It’s actually a 991.2 911 Turbo S with GT2 RS bumpers and GT3 RS front fenders, hood and polycarbonate rear window, with a comfortable four-seater interior, hence the ‘touring’ designation.

Cayenne for the winter daily, 911 for the summer – Roni’s got it covered in style.

Vladimir Ljadov
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