At the core of each car is the 911 (Type 992) Carrera 4S equipped with a factory standard turbocharged flat-six engine developing 443 hp under standard conditions and the original seven-speed manual transmission. Special equipment includes roll cages, carbon fiber seats and harnesses to meet the safety requirements such a project demands.
Next, portal axles were added to increase ground clearance (now 350 mm or 13,77 in.). New, lower gear ratios allow for precise, gentle throttle inputs at low speed and work well with large, newly fitted off-road tires. In addition, the cars are equipped with special "lightweight, but extremely tough", Aramid fiber underbody protection to allow sliding over rocks.
A device called the Porsche Warp-Connecter was added. Originally designed for motorsport applications, it 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. Manual, switchable differential locks were used along with an advanced steer-by-wire system.
Finally a winch was added at the front of the car along with revised bodywork to allow clearance for the 310 mm (12,20 in.) wide off-road wheels and tires. The cooling system also needed to move upward to allow the car to tackle more extreme off-road sections without fear of damage. As a finishing touch, the bodywork was finished in two distinctive liveries - one featuring the same Porsche Motorsport color scheme adorning the 963 LMDh racer and a second 911-themed livery designed by the styling team in Weissach.
"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" said Romain Dumas, driver of the 911 and leader of the team.
Source: Porsche
