Porsche is not shy to send its sportscars into harsh environments. Machines from Stuttgart have competed on the world rally stage as well as at the Dakar Rally. Now, the marque has raised the bar as a special 911 climbs a volcano.

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New Challenge

Porsche has excelled at just about every form of motorsport challenge, but this latest venture may be its toughest. Ojos del Salado in Chile is the highest volcano in the world. Romain Dumas drove the specially prepared 992 series 911 up to an altitude of 6 007 metres. The car and the team had to endure temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius below freezing.

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The two cars were equipped with roll cages, carbon fibre seats and multi-point harnesses. Portal axles were added to increase ground clearance up to 350 mm. New, lower gear ratios were chosen to work in conjunction with the large off-road tires. Aramid fibre underbody protection was fitted to allow sliding over rocks.

Proper AWD

A device called the Porsche Warp-Connecter was also added. The system is mechanical link between all four wheels to allow constant wheel load even when the car is experiencing extreme articulation. Manual, switchable differential locks were employed along with a winch at the front of the car. The cooling system was also repositioned to avoid damage. 

“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 team leader Romain Dumas. 

“We have enormous respect for those who have gone higher. No one has seen so much ice and snow up towards the top of the volcano, but despite this we went over 6,000 metres up, to the point where the walls of ice and snow meant we could go no further. We’re really proud of what the car and the team are capable of first time out – hopefully we can count on many more adventures in the future.”