Porsche is definitely going to launch a raised-up, 'Safari' version of its evergreen 911 sports car and the proof is in these photos.
Well, actually, the proof is in the prototypes seen skulking around Germany, covered in camouflage tape that can't disguise the taller springs and raised ride heights. What's happening here is a thinly-disguised publicity stunt where Porsche has taken two highly-modified 911s and driven them up the tallest volcano in the world.
6,000 metres up
That'll be the Ojos del Salado in Chile, which stretches 6,007 meters (19,708 feet) straight up and is one of the most forbidding peaks of the mighty Andes. And who did Porsche pick to drive its modified 911s up that escarpment? Why, Le Mans winner Romain Dumas of course.
To be fair, it looks as if Dumas' skills at driving very fast on the flat have translated pretty well to driving vertically in -30-degree temperatures. The cars, a pair of them, were based on the standard production 911 Carrera 4S and used the regular 443hp road-going turbo flat-six engine.
The cars used the seven-speed manual gearbox, not the optional PDK automatic (you'd think the PDK would be better for off-roading, but hey...) and were equipped with roll cages, carbon fibre seats, and harnesses to meet the safety requirements of the plan. Oh, and they were given mutant suspension, raising the ride height to a Land Rover-like 350mm.
New gear ratios were fitted, effectively giving these 911s low-range gearing, and they got knobbly off-road tyres too. The undersides of the cars were fitted with strong-but-light bash panels made of Aramid fibre.
The Warp-Connector
The cars also got an interesting little piece of equipment called the Porsche Warp-Connecter. No, nothing to do with Captain Kirk; this is actually a nifty box of tricks, which Porsche says: "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."
While all this was going on, the 911s also got high-tech steer-by-wire systems, a front winch, revised bodywork for improved cooling in the thin air at high altitudes, and finally, unique paint jobs - one featuring the same Porsche Motorsport colour scheme adorning the new 963 Le Mans racer and a second 911-themed livery designed by the styling team in Weissach.
"This was a truly memorable and special moment in a place that's both beautiful and brutal at the same time - I guess the only machines anywhere in the world higher than us today were aircraft! For the team and the car it was about learning - and right out of the box, the car was tough and nimble. We were hard on ourselves and really put it in the deep end for its first test, yet it felt at home," said Dumas, driver of the 911 and leader of the team. "We have enormous respect for those who have gone higher. No one has seen so much ice and snow up towards the top of the volcano, but despite this we went over 6,000 meters up, to the point where the walls of ice and snow meant we could go no further. We're really proud of what the car and the team are capable of first time out - hopefully we can count on many more adventures in the future."
More adventures to come?
Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, Vice-President, Complete Vehicle Architecture and Characteristics at Porsche AG, commissioned his chief engineer for the Porsche 911, Michael Rösler, with the project. "It's been magical to build a 911 like the world has never seen before - made possible by a small team of engineering enthusiasts. The 911 has already been proven on the track and, of course, on the road. With this project, we're shifting the focus to where there are no roads", said Rösler, Director of the complete vehicle 911 Model line. "Testing our theories means finding the harshest possible environments to see if they work - and on the highest volcano in the world, we succeeded."
"Over 30 years ago, a team of Porsche engineers fitted four wheel drive to a 911 to explore 'what if?' - and I'm proud that this natural curiosity and drive amongst engineers to explore the limits, to test new ideas and above all to inspire, is alive and well," said Walliser. "Projects like this one are vital to who we are at Porsche. As they began their journey, the team literally aimed sky high. The first of what I hope will be many adventures."