The Porsche 911 and Romain Dumas at the top

Jamais en retard d’un défi spectaculaire, le Français Romain Dumas s’est lancé dans une expédition titanesque sur les flancs du mont Ojos del Salado, le plus haut volcan du monde qui culmine à plus de 6 000 mètres au Chili. À la tête d’une escouade de baroudeurs, le pilote alésien a conduit deux Porsche 911 expérimentales au sommet de la montagne chilienne. Pour cela, l’équipe a dû affronter des pentes impressionnantes, des champs de glace, des murs de neige, des températures négatives, et un manque d’air éprouvant pour les hommes et les machines. Rien que ça !

“It was a memorable experience in a place of unparalleled beauty and brutality, confided a radiant Dumas. I think the only other motorized machines operating at this altitude are airplanes! It was about learning more about the car. And from the outset, it showed itself to be robust and agile. We had to really dig into our resources to complete this test. And yet, we felt like we were at home.”. The two vehicles involved were Porsche 911 (type 992) Carrera 4S powered by a standard 6-cylinder turbocharged flat engine developing some 443 hp in normal conditions with a 7-speed manual gearbox. The Porsches were further equipped with a roll bar, carbon fiber seats and harnesses that met the highest standards. Portal bridges have been added to increase ground clearance by up to 350 mm. The gear ratios have been shortened to allow more precise driving in this extreme and hostile environment. The flat bottom was reinforced with aromatic polyamides in order to be able to “slide” on the numerous stones that littered the ascent.

After having climbed Mount Tianmen in China and the legendary Pikes Peak in the United States, the tireless Dumas has a new summit on his list.

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