Photo: Porsche AG
Almost for the past six decades (the anniversary comes in 2024), the Porsche 911 has truly been on an amazing journey of exploration all around the automotive industry and, frankly, the entire world.
Now the legendary series is ticking another item off the bucket list: taking a nice little ‘stroll’ around the slopes of “Ojos del Salado, Chile, the highest volcano in the world.” And, of course, they are not alone. Instead, the unique 911s were joined by a dedicated team of individuals. They were led by endurance racer and adventurer Romain Dumas, who “has set out to explore the limits of the 911 and opted for one of the toughest places on earth in which to begin the adventure.”
Porsche now reports their first test has been completed. With Dumas at the wheel, one of the experimental Porsche 911 prototypes reached an extreme altitude of up to 6,007 meters (19,708 ft.). This might not sound like much for mountaineers but remember that while over there, the team encountered “bolder strewn gradients as well as ice fields (…) at temperatures hovering 30 degrees Celsius below freezing and with half the available oxygen in the air compared to at sea level.”
The “magical” 911 builds were the work of a small team of engineers and enthusiasts, each starting as a Type 992 Carrera 4S fitted with the stock turbo flat-six engine capable of 443 hp and mated to the factory seven-speed manual transmission. Then it came the time for special equipment, such as roll cages, carbon fiber seats, harnesses, portal axles to reach a 350 mm (13.77 in.) ground clearance, new lower gear ratios, Aramid fiber underbody protection, and off-road wheels and tires.
Last but not least, there was also a device called the Porsche Warp-Connecter, which was originally developed for motorsport and “forms a mechanical link between all four wheels to allow constant wheel load even when the chassis is enduring extreme articulation,” plus manual, switchable differential locks and even a state-of-the-art steer-by-wire system. The liveries are also unique: one like the 963 LMDh racer and the other created from scratch in Weissach.
Porsche now reports their first test has been completed. With Dumas at the wheel, one of the experimental Porsche 911 prototypes reached an extreme altitude of up to 6,007 meters (19,708 ft.). This might not sound like much for mountaineers but remember that while over there, the team encountered “bolder strewn gradients as well as ice fields (…) at temperatures hovering 30 degrees Celsius below freezing and with half the available oxygen in the air compared to at sea level.”
The “magical” 911 builds were the work of a small team of engineers and enthusiasts, each starting as a Type 992 Carrera 4S fitted with the stock turbo flat-six engine capable of 443 hp and mated to the factory seven-speed manual transmission. Then it came the time for special equipment, such as roll cages, carbon fiber seats, harnesses, portal axles to reach a 350 mm (13.77 in.) ground clearance, new lower gear ratios, Aramid fiber underbody protection, and off-road wheels and tires.
Last but not least, there was also a device called the Porsche Warp-Connecter, which was originally developed for motorsport and “forms a mechanical link between all four wheels to allow constant wheel load even when the chassis is enduring extreme articulation,” plus manual, switchable differential locks and even a state-of-the-art steer-by-wire system. The liveries are also unique: one like the 963 LMDh racer and the other created from scratch in Weissach.
For approaching 60 years, the #Porsche 911 has been pushed to extremes. Now, a pair of experimental 911 are being tested on the slopes of the highest volcano in the world, led by endurance racer and adventurer @romaindumas. More: https://t.co/LLNXp3GDmp pic.twitter.com/HXNM9ROpNV
— Porsche Newsroom (@PorscheNewsroom) November 3, 2022
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