Porsche is synonymous with records, but usually related to speed. But what led the German sports car manufacturer to register another mark in the Guinness was the ability to reach higher than any other four-wheeled vehicle in the world.
A modified Porsche 911 surpassed the altitude record that belonged to two Unimogs (a Mercedes-Benz sub-brand that builds trucks adapted for driving on truly difficult terrains, vehicles with outstanding dynamic credentials), by being driven up to 6734 meters above sea level – 40 meters higher than the previous maximum).
To «climb» to the top of the Ojos del Salado volcano in Chile, this 911 Carrera 4S was modified to mount portal axles, giving it a ground clearance of 350 mm, lower protections in Aramid fiber, and two carbon fiber bucket seats.
The machine piloted by Romain Dumas was equipped with a horizontally opposed six-cylinder Boxer engine, 3.0 liters and 443 hp, and had the same seven-speed manual gearbox as the conventional versions, but with shorter ratios for optimization at lower speeds. The model used only renewable synthetic fuel, produced from water and carbon dioxide, during the almost two weeks of the expedition.
