Porsche had made some wild modifications to its 911 Carrera 4S, as reported by CNET. The automaker has converted a pair of 911 Carrera 4S coupes and placed them in a 19,708-foot Chilean volcano.
This is in part to test its hallowed sports car in some of the most extreme conditions. When climbing the Ojos del Salado in Chile, the temperatures can drop to minus 30 degrees Celsius, and there's only about half the oxygen in the air at ground level. In addition, there are rocks, ice, and snow that must be traversed.
Ground Clearance of Nearly 14 Inches
Porsche engineers worked with Romain Dumas Motorsports to prepare the two vehicles for the adventure. The interiors were fitted with roll cages, carbon fiber seats and harnesses. And under the bodies, there are portal axles. Portal axles are a type of off-road suspension that tucks the axles as high up in the body as possible. In fact, the portal axles almost reached 14 inches of ground clearance.
Moreover, the modified Porsche 911 has lower gear ratios that allow for better low-speed control. Its underbody panels are made from aromatic polyamide fibers that are also found in body armor fabric and marine hulls. It is outfitted with chunky road tires that wrap around the car's wheels.
Manual differential locks were installed and the Warp-Connecter, which is a motorsport-born creation that helps even the load between the wheels for better traction.
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A More Off-Road Friendly 911 to Launch Soon?
In 2020, a 911 prototype was seen in the Nurburgring Nordschleife that seems like something you would take off-road. It was seen going around the ring during a manufacturer test session at the race track.
Then, it was seen again the next year at the same location, but it was covered with a tarp. It is believed that this was the same prototype that was seen the year before. Some people believe that this vehicle has the same portal axles and underbody panels. It also has a rear-engined long wheelbase, as well as a high-mounted exhaust.
For some reason, Porsche is keeping its cards close to its chest when it comes to this prototype.
This prototype, along with the two modified cars in the volcano, are all part of Porsche's testing program. The automaker will continue to develop more parts that are more amenable to off-road conditions. This will help Porsche to develop better-driving vehicles, as well as build more fan loyalty.
It appears that the vehicle was based on a regular 911 Carrera but is higher than normal. Still, there are no details yet about an off-road friendly Porsche 911. However, with this new test, it seems like the automaker is definitely heading towards that direction. Hopefully, it will make an official announcement about the new model soon.
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Written by April Fowell
