Porsche Drives 911 Safari Prototypes Into a Volcano

Unexpected Outing

While much of its reputation was forged on paved surfaces, the iconic Porsche 911 has also proven to be quite capable off-road as well. However, we certainly never expected Porsche to take a pair of specially-prepared Safari prototypes to the Ojo del Salado in Chile, which is the highest volcano in the world. However, that's precisely what the automaker has done.

Photos: Porsche

Treacherous Conditions

As one might imagine, conditions at this particular site are rather treacherous, with freezing temps, snow, and plenty of whipping wind. But that also makes it the perfect test bed for this pair of specially-prepared 911s that also give us a peek at the oft-rumored Dakar variant of the long-running sports car.

Photos: Porsche

Same, But Different

Based on the 992-gen Carrera 4S, these prototypes are both equipped with seven-speed manual transmissions, but pretty much everything else has been gone through and modified in some way, shape, or form. That much is pretty evident when one takes the first casual glance at either, too.

Photos: Porsche

Unique Looks

For starters, the bodies of these 911s have been heavily modified with giant fender flares, huge off-road tires, and large roof racks for hauling essential gear. Each also features its own unique livery - one based on the 963 LMDh racer and the other a custom 911 theme created by Weissach designers.

Photos: Porsche

Mechanical Upgrades

Mechanically speaking, both cars offer up an impressive 13.7 inches of ground clearance, lower gear ratios for rock crawling, manually locking differentials, underbody protection, and 12.2-inch-wide tires, which are linked to what Porsche calls a "warp connector," a mechanical device that reportedly helps maintain traction when the suspension is articulated.

Photos: Porsche

Quite Capable

Porsche racer Romain Dumas piloted these special machines up the 19,708-foot volcano in the thin air and -22 degree temps, conquering pretty much any type of obstacle one can imagine along the way. Ultimately, these prototypes proved to be incredibly impressive in some of the toughest conditions imaginable, too.

Photos: Porsche

Successful Mission

"It's been magical to build a 911 like the world has never seen before - made possible by a small team of engineering enthusiasts," said the chief engineer for the Porsche 911, Michael Rösler. "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. Testing our theories means finding the harshest possible environments to see if they work - and on the highest volcano in the world, we succeeded."

Photos: Porsche

>>Join the conversation about this 911 Safari right here at Rennlist.com.

>>For help with your do-it-yourself maintenance and repair projects, please visit our how-to section.