Porsche 911 Goes Where No Sports Car Has Gone Before - Climbs Slopes Of The World's Tallest Volcano

The latest destination that the stubbornly rear-engined sports car is now strolling around is the slopes of the world's highest volcano in the world located on the border between the South American countries of Chile and Argentina.

A pair of unique 911 sports cars from Porsche recently climbed the sheer slopes of Ojos del Salado, the highest volcano in the world which rises 6,893 metres above sea level in the Andes Mountains.

While the duo of daring 911s did not reach the summit of the dormant lava spitter. The experimental 911s climbed up as high as 6,007 metres above sea level while taking on the slopes of Ojos del Salado, with Pikes Peak record holder Romain Dumas guiding the plucky car from behind the wheel.

While that height may seem like a stroll to most seasoned mountaineers, the conditions encountered by the team and the two-force fed cars led by Dumas included boulder-strewn gradients, and temperatures as low as 30 degrees celsius below freezing. Also wreaking havoc on the team and the cars was the air, which at those levels contained only half the oxygen levels we city dwellers usually find at sea level.

The two hero 911 sports cars used on this perilous journey both started off life as 992-gen Carrera 4S. Both cars draw power from a 3.0-litre flat-six engine that produces 443bhp and 530Nm of peak torque that is paired with a 7-speed manual gearbox.

Taking these cars as a base, Porsche's engineers went to work to make them ready for the rough adventures ahead. Both cars were first equipped with roll cages, carbon fibre seats and harnesses to meet the safety requirements. The duo were then fitted with portal axles that raise the ground clearance to a frankly bonkers 350mm.

Both the modified adventuring 911s now feature lower gear ratios that allow precise and gentle prods of the loud pedal at low speed and work well with the large and chunky off-road tyres. Other changes come in the form of lightweight and very tough Aramid fibre underbody protection that allows drivers to slide over rocks.

The two cars also feature something called the Porsche Warp-Connecter. This device was originally made for motorsport applications and it forms a mechanical link between all four wheels to allow constant wheel load even when the chassis is enduring extreme articulation - contributing to maximum traction. The cars also feature switchable differential locks, an advanced steer-by-wire system and a winch that is attached to the front of the sports car. Porsche also moved the cooling system upward to allow the car to tackle more extreme off-road sections without fear of damage.

Thoughts About Porsche's Latest Adventure With The 911

The Porsche 911 is perhaps the best-known sports car in the world today. Porsche and Romain Dumas' latest adventure sees them show off the versatility of the 911 platform while also bringing back memories of 911 Safaris from the years gone by.