For drawing near 60 years, the Porsche 911 has been driven to extremes on each the observe and at the open avenue. Now, a contemporary bankruptcy is being written; a novel pair of experimental 911 sports activities automobiles are being examined the place there aren’t any roads, the place the air is skinny, the place the temperature is some distance under freezing or even plant existence can’t live on.
A workforce, led via staying power racer and adventurer Romain Dumas, has got down to discover the bounds of the 911 and feature opted for some of the hardest puts on earth wherein to start out the journey – at the sheer slopes of Ojos del Salado, Chile, the perfect volcano on the planet.
The primary take a look at of the workforce and the automobiles has taken position. And, as a end result, a Porsche 911 was one in all only a few cars of any type to have ever reached such an excessive altitude. Exploring as much as 6,007 meters (19,708 toes), the 911, with Romain Dumas on the wheel, took on bolder strewn gradients in addition to ice fields that examined the talents of each the automobile and the workforce in temperatures soaring 30 levels Celsius under freezing and with part the to be had oxygen within the air in comparison to at sea stage. Impassable partitions of seasonal snow and ice top up close to the summit supplied the higher limits of the take a look at, which supplied a tantalizing glimpse of what the automobiles are able to in the proper prerequisites. For now despite the fact that, the take a look at is whole – and the workforce elated via the enjoy.
Porsche 911 Dakar Idea Photograph Gallery
“This used to be a really memorable and particular second in a spot that’s each stunning and brutal on the similar time – I assume the one machines anyplace on the planet upper than us lately have been airplane! For the workforce and the automobile it used to be about finding out – and proper out of the field, the automobile used to be tricky and nimble. We have been onerous on ourselves and truly put it within the deep finish for its first take a look at, but it felt at house,” mentioned Romain Dumas, motive force of the 911 and chief of the workforce. “We’ve huge admire for those that have long gone upper. No person has noticed such a lot ice and snow up against the highest of the volcano, however in spite of this we went over 6,000 meters up, to the purpose the place the partitions of ice and snow intended lets move no additional. We’re truly happy with what the automobile and the workforce are able to first day trip – confidently we will rely on many extra adventures at some point.”
Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, Vice-President, Whole Automobile Structure and Traits at Porsche AG, commissioned his leader engineer for the Porsche 911, Michael Rösler, with the venture. “It’s been magical to construct a 911 just like the global hasn’t ever noticed sooner than – made imaginable via a small workforce of engineering fanatics. The 911 has already been confirmed at the observe and, in fact, at the avenue. With this venture, we‘re transferring the point of interest to the place there aren’t any roads“, mentioned Rösler, Director whole car 911 Style line. “Checking out our theories method discovering the cruelest imaginable environments to peer in the event that they paintings – and at the perfect volcano on the planet, we succeeded.”
On the core of every automotive is the 911 (Kind 992) Carrera 4S supplied with a manufacturing facility same old turbocharged flat-six engine (911 Carrera 4S: Gasoline intake* blended (WLTP) 11.1 – 10.2 l/100 km, CO2 emissions* blended (WLTP) 253 – 231 g/km, Gasoline intake* blended (NEDC) 10.1 – 9.7 l/100 km, CO2 emissions* blended (NEDC) 231 – 222 g/km) growing 443 hp below same old prerequisites and the unique seven-speed handbook transmission. The 911 itself proved to be a very good foundation, in the course of the combine of strong but light-weight chassis development, brief wheelbase, plentiful energy and the skill to manage smartly with extraordinarily top altitudes. From this beginning level, the engineers at Porsche’s analysis and building base in Weissach, close to Stuttgart, operating intently with Romain Dumas Motorsport, then let their blended creativity run wild as they labored to arrange it for the particular calls for of the mountain.
Particular apparatus for the 911
The two automobiles have been first supplied with roll cages, carbon fiber seats and harnesses to fulfill the protection necessities any such venture calls for. Subsequent, portal axles have been added to extend floor clearance (now 350 mm). New, decrease tools ratios permit for actual, mild throttle inputs at low velocity and paintings smartly with massive, newly fitted off-road tires. As well as, the automobiles are supplied with particular light-weight, however extraordinarily tricky, Aramid fiber underbody coverage to permit sliding over rocks.
“Over 30 years in the past, a workforce of Porsche engineers fitted 4wd to a 911 to discover ‘what if?’ – and I’m proud that this herbal interest and force among engineers to discover the bounds, to check new concepts and above all to encourage, is alive and smartly,” mentioned Walliser. “Initiatives like this one are necessary to who we’re at Porsche. As they started their adventure, the workforce actually aimed sky top. The primary of what I am hoping will likely be many adventures.