How Porsche Built a 911 to Conquer a Volcano – World Record Achieved!

Imagine standing on a volcano at over six thousand meters above sea level, where the air is thin, the wind cuts through your gear, and your goal is to take a sports car—yes, a Porsche 911—up to the highest point a wheeled vehicle has ever reached. That was not just an idea over a dinner conversation—it became a real challenge. What started as a wild concept turned into a full-blown mission fueled by passion, grit, and brilliant engineering.

The idea first sparked during casual talks in the early development days of the 911 Dakar project. One of the team leads returned from a business trip and casually asked, “What if we drove a Porsche to the highest reachable point on Earth?” That offhand question led to a record-breaking expedition to Ojos del Salado in Chile.

But this was not just about altitude. The conditions were extreme—scorching sun, freezing nights, sandstorms, and brutally low oxygen. Every challenge you can imagine was thrown at the team. Yet, they pushed forward, driven by teamwork and the unwavering belief that it could be done.

The project evolved with two specially modified cars. The first, nicknamed Doris, laid the groundwork. The second car, Edith, was a refined version that shaved three hundred sixty kilograms off the weight. Edith featured a carbon fiber roof, Kevlar underbody, lighter wheels, and a clever re-positioning of the cooling system for better weight distribution and approach angles. Porsche even equipped it with steer-by-wire technology and a unique suspension linkage system called the “Warp Connector” to handle brutal terrain without compromising balance.

To make it even more groundbreaking, the car ran on e-fuel sourced from a pilot facility in Punta Arenas, Chile. Not only did it work flawlessly, but it performed just like fossil-based fuel, proving a major point about the future of sustainable motorsport.

The drive to the summit was not a walk in the park. Base camp sat at four thousand five hundred meters, and the final push began at three thirty in the morning. With ice-picking, hand-dug paths, and grit fueling every move, Romain Dumas piloted Edith to a place no car had gone before.

When the call came through—“We did it”—it was emotional. There were hugs, tears, and a deep sense of pride. This was not just a technical feat. It was a human story about endurance, innovation, and unity. The record-breaking ascent did not just leave tracks in volcanic ash—it left a lasting mark on everyone involved.