Racing driver Romain Dumas established a new world record on the top of the west ridge of the Ojos del Salado volcano, the highest in the world, located in Chile, driving a Porsche 911. The 6,734 meters above sea level reached establish a height that no automobile has reached.
Although it is a model that was adapted to carry out this adventure, it is still striking that it has been achieved with a sporty model and associated more with performance on the track than climbing a mountain.
In addition, the changes also allowed it to run on synthetic fuel (eFuel), with a practically neutral result in carbon emissions. The project was supported by an international team made up of members from Chile, France, Germany, the United States, Canada and Switzerland.
The team supporting three-time Le Mans champion Romain Dumas faced extreme conditions, the air at that altitude was only half as dense as at sea level, while the temperatures were around 20 degrees below zero.
“I will never forget this experience. It was an extraordinary feeling to drive where no car has been before,” Dumas said shortly after descending from the volcano.
“The 911 managed to go higher than any other land vehicle in history. We reached a point where we met the true summit of the west ridge, we couldn’t go any higher. So, this was really the maximum altitude you could reach”.
How was the expedition
The expedition that used of significantly modified Porsche 911 models was supported by HIF Global, Schaeffler Group, Mobil 1, BFGoodrich and TAG Heuer. These companies supported the international team of guides, engineers, drivers and mountaineers with experience and technology.
“This project started as a Qwhat if? and I am very proud to work for a company that truly believes in pushing the limits and learning by exploring,” said Frank Walliser, Head of Vehicle Architecture and Features at Porsche AG. “Both 911 models used on this expedition were powered by eFuels, which “They are produced at the Haru Oni HIF pilot plant in Punta Arenas, which was initiated by us, and are blended according to currently applicable fuel regulations.”
The project marked the return of the German sports car and the team to the Ojos del Salado volcano, after having visited it in 2022 and exceeding 6,000 meters in an exploratory race.
For context, the maximum altitude reached is equivalent to 1,934 meters beyond the summit of Mont Blanc. The previous record, set in 2020, reached 6,694 meters.
It took the team two weeks to slowly acclimatize to the altitudes, gaining altitude day after day. The cars had no such difficulties: the standard systems in the 911 detected the thinner air and They adjusted the fuel supply consequently, which maximized performance.
The expeditioners closely monitored not only their altitude, but also their heart rate, sleep patterns, and calorie burning through connected smartwatches.
Two modified Porsche 911 models nicknamed Doris and Edith They participated in the mountain climb. The car that broke the record was developed by RD Limited in collaboration with Porsche.
The record itself was achieved by Dumas in the lighter and more agile Edith variant. This extremely capable off-road special version is based on the current 911 Carrera 4S. Count with one 3.0-liter, 443-horsepower flat-six engine which was kept in its original form and was mated to the standard seven-speed manual transmission.
The 911 itself proved to be an excellent base; through the combination of a strong yet lightweight chassis construction, ample power, and the ability to adapt well to extremely high altitudes.
Both cars were equipped with carbon fiber seats and five-point harnesses. Likewise, the ground clearance was increased (350 mm). In addition, the cars were equipped with a special lightweight but extremely strong aramid fiber protection on the underside of the vehicle, to allow sliding on rocks.
The leading car received an additional piece of very special technology, steering-by-wire, developed and provided by the Schaeffler Group.
The system called Space Drive was capable of meeting the unique and extreme demands of the volcano and terrain, offering precision and detailed feedback to allow Romain Dumas to place the car exactly where he needed it, often while ascending dangerous, near-vertical slopes.
Both cars were powered entirely by HIF eFuels, created in Chile, during their time on the volcano. This type of fuel is produced from water and carbon dioxide using renewable energy, allowing potentially close to net CO2 neutral use of combustion engines, as the CO2 captured during the eFuels production process It is approximately equivalent to the CO2 emitted during car use.