The Porsche 911 is a car that, without a doubt, requires no introduction. It is about to celebrate six decades of history (in 2024 it will celebrate its 60th anniversary) and throughout this time it has achieved a track record of success and global recognition. Until recently, the vehicle was not dedicated to climbing mountains, but now it not only does so but is also capable of setting a world record in this area.
Last year, a team led by the German sports firm traveled to the Chilean volcano Ojos del Salado (the highest in the world, at 6,893 meters above sea level) with two 911s specially modified and built for the occasion. According to Porsche, it was an exploratory test to see if an attempt could be made to establish the world record for the altitude reached by a car there.
During that exploration, both cars surpassed the barrier of 6,000 meters of altitude and it was concluded that another, even more daring attempt could be made. It is evident that Porsche was not satisfied with that figure and, now, the German firm has announced that this new attempt has been successfully completed.
And the manufacturer has made public that on December 2, one of the two cars that participated in last year’s ascent has managed to reach an even higher altitude, reaching 6,734 meters on the same volcano. It should be noted that no other car has ever managed to climb to such an altitude, so a new world record has been established.
It must be taken into account that the previous altitude record was 6,694 meters. For the 911 to be able to function properly in such extreme conditions it had to be significantly modified. At that height, for example, the density of the air not only makes it difficult for humans to breathe but also for machines to operate.
In addition, temperatures can reach up to 20 degrees below zero. Two units based on the current generation of the 911 Carrera 4S were used for the expedition. Both vehicles retained the engine they had when they left the factory, that is, a 3.0-liter six-cylinder boxer with 450 HP of power.
The two 911s that ascended the volcanic cone used only ‘e-fuels’. These are synthetic fuels that are manufactured from water and carbon dioxide for which renewable energy is used, which allows almost neutral CO2 generation by combustion engines.
This happens because the carbon dioxide captured during the fuel production process is approximately equivalent to the same CO2 emitted during the use of the car. Although the propulsion system of the vehicles remained original for the most part, it should be noted that both had their ground clearance extended to 35 cm to obtain greater safety on such irregular terrain.
The new record was not made all at once, but over the course of two weeks. Small increases in altitude were made each day, allowing both people and cars to progressively acclimatize. If you are interested in knowing how this new milestone was achieved, you just have to take a look at the video that accompanies this article.
