When developing a new car, automakers have to do a lot of testing. They need to see how a new model will work hot, cold, rain and snow, to make sure client get their shiny new cars up to Alaska or down to Death Valley don’t get stuck. But Porsche, perhaps preparing for Dakar themed high-riding 911 coming soondecided that rear engine sports car need some more intensive and difficult testing than usual – say, climb the highest volcano in the world.
So that’s exactly what Porsche do. A heavy Revision 911 Carrera 4S, driven by Pikes Peak record holder, Romain Dumas, began scaling up the Ojos del Salado volcano in Chile in search of what 911 boss Michael Rösler calls “the most extreme environment possible”. Dumas drives a modified Porsche to the height of 19,708 feet above sea level wais an achievement, and modifying the 911 to make that possible would have made for an incredibly cool car.
This 911 is, as you might have guessed, very modified. It started out as a standard Carrera 4S, but was worked on by Porsche and Romain Dumas Motorsport engineers to create the perfect volcano climbing machine. What makes it different from a stock 911? Let me personality.
Inside, the car is full of roll cages and carbon-yarn racing seat. The engine is still original, but the seven-speed manual transmission has been modified with a lower rate gears for that sweet, sweet torque. That power reaches the ground through gate shaft and chunky off-road tires, which increase the 911’s ground clearance to nearly 18 inches.
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The underbody is protected with aramid armor (which you’re more likely to recognize by its trademark name, Kevlar) and the body was widened and cut for maximum clearance. It’s got a winch up front, locking front and rear differentials, and something Porsche calls a “Warp-Connector” — a “mechanical link between all four wheels” that sounds an awful lot like a locking center differential.
With all these modifications, it’s unclear what part of the stock car Porsche is actually trying to test here. The chassis, suspension geometry, power delivery, and more have been massively altered to give this 911 a shot at climbing the world’s tallest volcano. But if the team meant to test Porsche enthusiasts’ appetite for off-road models, consider the test a success — I want this car so, so bad.
