AutoTrader Find of the Week: 2005 Porsche Cayenne Safari Build is the Perfect City Car

I’ve driven through the Rocky Mountains in a -30C snowstorm. I’ve road tripped clean across the country. I’ve sent a pickup truck soaring off a motocross jump at the bottom of an abandoned rock quarry. I’ve hit 250 km/h on the Autobahn.

But nothing compares to the stress of navigating the streets of Toronto in a sports car. The ever-looming cyclists in your blindspot. The landmine-like potholes. The stretches of warped pavement that make downhill ski moguls seem perfectly level. 

Do not envy that person in the Lamborghini cruising down King Street. I assure you, they are miserable.

It’s why I’ve long theorized that what you want in the city, contrary to the branding, is an off-road-capable SUV. You want to be up high enough to see around corners for pedestrians and oncoming traffic. You want enough ride hide to resist those God forsaken potholes. You want enough tires to never curb a wheel. And most of all, you want something practical enough to load up a few friends and a dog, and get the hell out of the concrete sweatbox that is the city on a long weekend.

But of course, this is still “the city.” The place demands unique style and just a whiff of elitism. 

So how is this 2005 Porsche Cayenne Safari build offered for sale on AutoTrader by Cor Motors in Burnaby, B.C., not the absolute perfect car to own in the city?

Frankly, I think it’s going to waste on the peaceful trails of the Pacific Northwest. This thing was born to be a Junction brawler. 

Let’s start with the table stakes. This is a base model first-generation Porsche Cayenne originally purchased on Vancouver Island. While early years of the first-generation model were said to be somewhat finicky, by mid-cycle, the Cayenne was generally more well-regarded in terms of reliability, though they are not without their known flaws.

Cor Motors has gone through the trouble to perform roughly $9,000 in maintenance, including belts, fluids, and replacing the driveshaft (a known point of failure). 

As it’s the base model, this Cayenne is equipped with the 3.6-litre V6 engine — which was essentially a Porsche-tuned version of the much-touted Volkswagen VR6 engine — good for 247 horsepower and 228 lb-ft of torque. See, country mice? You don’t wanna tow with this guy, anyway. It’s for city rats.

This Cayenne was also optioned from the factory with heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, a moonroof, driver seat memory, a light comfort package, a compass display, and the “Jarama Beige Metallic” paint colour.

But what’s really special about this Cayenne is that it was optioned with a six-speed manual transmission.

Did you know you could have a manual in a Cayenne? Because honestly, I had to look it up. Porsche offered a manual version until 2014. Seriously. Have you ever actually seen one? I’ve never seen one.

Because Porsche doesn’t share such information, it’s unclear how many 2005 Jarma Beige Metallic six-speed manual 3.6-litre Cayennes are out there.

Nevertheless, this Porsche is likely still one of one, given Cor Motor’s efforts towards the Safari build aesthetic. 

This Cayenne has a 2.5-inch suspension lift. Wrapped around 18-inch Alpha wheels in satin silver are meaty 265/65R18 Pirelli Scorpion A/T tires. The front bumper was modified to accept a custom front bash bar and skid plate. Mounted over the bar are four Hella off-road spot lights, which help sell the whole Safari vibe, though perhaps not as much as the roof rails with the extended basket and 18-inch spare wheel mounted on top (included, but not pictured).

A Vibrant Performance Streetpower sport muffler also does its part to cash the cheques that the added Porsche Heritage Edition livery is writing. 

The price? $33,000.

For the record, that’s almost $9,000 less than the starting price of a new Kia Sorento. A brand new Kia that’s going to depreciate like a stone? Or a totally unique Porsche at the valley of its depreciation curve? It’s not even a debate.

I mean, for all that money you’re saving, you could fly to YVR, have the best week ever road tripping the car back to good ol’ YYZ, and still have money left over (which you should probably save for the inevitable maintenance it will need).

And that’s exactly how you should sell the idea to your significant other.

Although, maybe check to see if the roof basket will clear your condo’s parking garage first.