A modified Porsche 911 has been driven higher than any other car before, cresting the peak of the west ridge of Chile’s Ojos del Salada volcano with Romain Dumas behind the wheel at 6,734 meters (22,093 feet) above sea level.
Porsche took two upgraded 911s on the expedition, both powered by e-fuels. The car driven by Dumas, nicknamed ‘Edith’, is based on the current 911 Carrera 4S but now sports portal axles to dramatically increase ground clearance to 13.7 inches (350 mm) and effectively reduce the gear ratios. It is also equipped with Aramid underbody protection and even fitted with an advanced steer-by-wire system developed by Schaeffler Group designed to meet the demands of driving up the side of a volcano.
No changes were made to the engines of the two 911s, meaning they both rock a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged six-cylinder with 443 hp. Both were also running on the HIF eFuels that Porsche produces in Chile.
The carmaker notes that the team spent two weeks at altitude to acclimatize but says the cars adapted easily, automatically adjusting the fueling base don the thinner air. Porsche had visited the volcano in 2022 as part of an exploratory run and exceeded 6,000 meters during that test. The final height reached of 6,734 meters narrowly snatched the record away from the previous record set in 2020 at 6,694 meters.
“I’ll never forget this experience,” Dumas commented. “It was an extraordinary feeling to drive where no car has gone before. The 911 managed to go higher than any other earthbound vehicle in history. We reached a point where we were met by the true summit of the west ridge – we could go no higher. So this really was the maximum altitude that can be achieved. A proud moment for the whole team – and we’re grateful for the support and belief of all of our partners, each of whom made this possible.”
