Porsche 911 has set a new world record. The sports car has achieved a peak height of 6.734 metres above sea level– a height where no car has reached until now. On December 2, race driver Romain Dumas set a new world record at the peak of the west ridge of the Ojos del Salado volcano in Chile.
Piloting a heavily modified Porsche 911, Duman was assisted by an international team consisting of members from Chile, France, Germany,US, Canada and Switzerland. A three-time Le Mans champion, Dumas and his team had to endure very challenging conditions to achieve this feat including a temperature 20 degree celsius below freezing point.
Porsche 911 running on eFuel
The two significantly modified units of the Porsche 911 part of this adventure were running on eFuel. The 911s, nicknamed “Doris” and “Edith”, were developed by RD Limited in collaboration with Porsche. The record was achieved by Dumas onboard the lighter and more agile “Edith” variant.
Both units of the 911 are based on the current 911 Carrera 4S which was powered by the stock 3.0-litre six cylinder boxer engine which dishes out 438 bhp. The two cars were equipped with carbon fibre seats, and five-point harnesses. To amplify their go anywhere capabilities, ground clearance was increased by up to 350mm by adding portal axles.
With the addition of portal axles, the gear ratios were shortened that allowed for precise, gentle throttle inputs at low speeds. In addition, the cars were equipped with special lightweight but extremely tough Aramid fibre underbody protection to allow sliding over rocks.
The lead receives special treatment with the addition of steer by wire – developed and provided by Schaeffler Group. The system called Space Drive was capable of meeting the unique and extreme demands of the volcano and terrain. The precision allowed Dumas to place the car wherever needed, especially while ascending precarious and near-vertical slopes.
Both cars were running entirely on HIF eFuels – created in Chile. These eFuels were made from water and carbon dioxide using renewable energy, which claim a near net CO₂ neutral use of combustion engines, since the CO₂ captured during the production process of eFuels roughly equals the CO₂ emitted during the usage of the car.
Reaching record altitude
The team took two weeks to slowly acclimatise to the altitudes, slowly gaining in height day after day. The 911 encountered deep gravel and volcanic ash that formed the slopes, however, its all-wheel drive system and Warp Connector maintained grip throughout the course.
The push for the summit occurred on Saturday, December 2 with the team setting off at 3:30 am. The summit was reached at 3:58 pm which marked the end of the expedition.
