Two Secretly Developed Porsche 911 Prototypes Went Where No Neunelfer Ever Dared To

It wouldn’t make sense for Porsche to test extreme rallycross versions of the 911 if it didn’t prepare a more off-road-friendly version of the car. Despite appearances, the 911 is no stranger to rallycross, having won the Paris-Dakar rally in 1984 with the legendary 953. Nevertheless, the latest Porsche experience is too extreme even for the competition versions of the sportscar.

A team led by endurance racer and adventurer Romain Dumas has taken two special prototypes of the 911 to one of the toughest places on earth, the Ojos del Salado volcano in Chile. The cars were prepared under the supervision of Michael Rösler, Porsche’s chief engineer, who worked closely with Romain Dumas Motorsport. Amazingly, the engineering team followed the same recipe Porsche used for the 953 when preparing the prototypes.

“It’s been magical to build a 911 like the world has never seen before – made possible by a small team of engineering enthusiasts. The 911 has already been proven on the track and, of course, on the road. With this project, we’re shifting the focus to where there are no roads “, said Rösler. “Testing our theories means finding the harshest possible environments to see if they work – and on the highest volcano in the world, we succeeded.”

The project started with two 911 (992) Carrera 4S equipped with the factory turbocharged flat-six engine, developing 443 hp at sea level, and the original seven-speed manual transmission. Apart from some mandatory modifications, the drivetrain remained as close to stock as possible. That’s because the 911 itself proved an excellent basis, thanks to the robust yet lightweight chassis construction, short wheelbase, and ample power.

Mainly, the team opted for lower gear ratios to allow precise, gentle throttle inputs at low speeds and work well with the large, newly fitted off-road tires. The prototypes also feature the so-called Porsche Warp-Connecter device, designed to form a mechanical link between all four wheels. This allows constant wheel load even when the chassis is enduring extreme articulation – contributing to maximum traction. Manual, switchable differential locks were used along with an advanced steer-by-wire system.

The team also installed portal axles to increase the ground clearance to an impressive 350 mm (13.8 inches) to make the 911s more rock-friendly. Even so, extremely tough Aramid fiber underbody protection was needed to allow safe sliding over rocks. The cooling system was also moved higher to tackle more extreme off-road sections without fear of damage.

The two cars were equipped with roll cages, carbon fiber seats, and harnesses to meet the safety requirements such a project demands. A winch was added at the front, which proved essential in tackling the volcano’s steep slopes. Finally, the body was modified to allow clearance for the 310 mm wide off-road wheels and tires. Even though two prototypes were prepared, only one would go all the way up.

In this configuration, the team started their journey toward the summit, at over 6,000 meters altitude up the volcano’s slopes. The steep gradients and ice fields tested the abilities of both the car and the team in temperatures hovering 30 degrees Celsius below freezing (minus 22 Fahrenheit). The altitude also meant that the air was oxygen-deprived, with half the available oxygen compared to sea level. The journey ended when the team encountered impassable walls of ice and snow at the maximum altitude of 6,007 meters (19,708 feet).

“This was a truly memorable and special moment in a place that’s both beautiful and brutal at the same time – I guess the only machines anywhere in the world higher than us today were aircraft! For the team and the car, it was about learning – and right out of the box, the car was tough and nimble. We were hard on ourselves and really put it in the deep end for its first test, yet it felt at home,” said Romain Dumas, driver of the 911 and leader of the team.

The video below shows just a fraction of what the team and the cars had to endure, showing just how far Porsche is willing to go to hone their cars for performance. With the upcoming 911 Dakar ready for market debut in the coming weeks and the Ojos del Salado adventure, we wonder what the German carmaker has in store for the future. We wouldn’t be surprised to see more extreme variations of the 911, perhaps in Rothmans colors to honor the heritage of the 953.