Porsche 911 climbed to 6,734 meters above sea level
On December 2, 2023, it was announced that a Porsche 911 running on eFuel set a new world record at an altitude of 6,734 meters above sea level atop the western ridge of the Ojos del Salado volcano in Chile. .
The previous record was set in 2020 at 6,694 meters above sea level.
The altitude we reached this time was 6,734 meters above sea level, which is equivalent to exceeding the summit of Mont Blanc by 1,934 meters (I think it was calculated assuming the altitude of Mont Blanc is approximately 4,800 meters = the actual altitude of Mont Blanc is 4,805.59 meters in 2023).
The driver is racing driver Romain Dumas, accompanied by an international support team consisting of members from Chile, France, the United States, Canada, and Switzerland.
Mr. Romain Dumas has been a Le Mans champion three times in the past, and even he says this experience was special.
After all, the air density was only about half that of sea level and the temperature was about -20 degrees Celsius, so it was a completely different experience than running Le Mans. .
The Porsche 911 that ran to the highest position this time was said to have been considerably modified, and two vehicles were actually used.
As mentioned above, the support team is made up of international members, each with specialized knowledge and skills as "guides, engineers, drivers, and mountaineers", and these members are from HIF Global, Schaeffler Group, Mobil 1, BF Good It is said to be supported by Rich and Tag Heuer.
Just being able to achieve this record in such a harsh environment is a great feeling, but the fact that these two 911s were running on synthetic fuel was also a highlight.
It is said that eFuel produced at the HIF pilot plant was used.
By achieving this record, we were able to demonstrate the capabilities of HIF Global's synthetic fuel under extremely harsh conditions.
Modified Porsche 911s
The two Porsche 911s that attempted this record this time were slightly modified versions named ``Doris'' and ``Edith.''
One of these cars, Edith, was driven by Mr. Dumas and he achieved the actual record.
The car is based on the 992.1 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S, a 443 horsepower 3.0-liter horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine car. The transmission is a 7-speed MT.
The 911 was modified for off-road performance and ran on Mobil 1's factory-prepared lubricants, so the powertrain was fine even in the cold.
Well, from the looks of it, it's completely different from the commercially available Carrera 4S (lol)↓
Both cars are equipped with carbon fiber seats and 5-point harnesses. Furthermore, a portal axle has been added to increase the ground clearance to 350mm.
The portal axle also has the effect of lowering the gear ratio, allowing precise and gentle throttle operation at low speeds.
It is also equipped with lightweight yet extremely durable aramid fiber underbody protection for riding on rocks.
The leading vehicle was also equipped with a special technology called "steer-by-wire" developed and provided by the Schaeffler Group.
The system is called Space Drive, and Dumas received detailed feedback to help him position the vehicle exactly where he needed it, such as when climbing dangerous, near-vertical slopes in unique terrain such as volcanoes. That's it.
The technology was amazing, but if the information the system provided was even slightly incorrect, I might have ended up falling down a nearly vertical slope, so I think it turned out to be a much bigger challenge than I expected. I did.
In terms of the actual process, the team slowly rose to higher altitudes day by day to ensure safety, taking two weeks to acclimatize to the high altitude.
There were no particular problems with the 911, which was able to sense the thinning of the air and adjust its fuel supply accordingly to maximize performance.
Does the 911, even a normal commercially available car, detect air dilution? ? You don't, right? ?
No, but since it says "911's standard system", maybe a regular 911 can also sense the rarefaction of the air and make adjustments? ? What, I don't know! !
In addition to the altitude, the drivers' heart rates, sleep patterns, and calories burned were also closely monitored via connected smart watches provided by Tag Heuer.
The trip was supervised by two doctors who were part of the team, as altitude sickness and other health risks were a constant risk.
It seems that there was relatively little snow on the upper part of the volcano, but the situation was still difficult, as they had to find a path through the rocky area.
The 911 was able to overcome the gravel and volcanic ash that formed the slope while maintaining grip with its all-wheel drive system and warp connector.
Finally, at 3:30am on December 2, 2023, the team departed for the summit. It must be pitch dark on top of the mountain at 3:30am... It's scary to drive through such a place.
They then reached the summit at 3:58pm, setting a record for the highest 911 ever climbed.
Of course, after achieving the record, both the team and 911 were able to return to base camp safely and unharmed. It was good, it was good.
In this way, Porsche 911 achieved a record as the car that climbed the highest place in the world, but this time there is no mention that it was ``registered in Guinness'', so it seems that it is not registered as Guinness.
Was it because it had been modified too much that it couldn't be recognized as "climbed with a 911"? Was there something difficult about the conditions for it to be certified? Or did they think it didn't need to be a Guinness in the first place? I don't know.
Anyway, it was a Porsche 911 that achieved an altitude of 6,734 meters above sea level, which no one had yet achieved. And the fuel is eFuel!
...So, why did you choose Carrera 4S instead of Dakar for this challenge? Is it because Carrera 4S is lighter even if it is modified? ?
Source: (Official)Porsche 911 achieves new altitude world record
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I'm Rika, the author of this article. Ever since Porsche 911 became my favorite car, I've become totally addicted to Porsche, and I can't stop loving Porsche, so I started this blog. My favorite cars are 911 Carrera (991.2), 911 Carrera Cabriolet (992.1), and 911 Carrera T (992.1).
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