Home » Porsche’s Altitude Record Setting Portal Axle-Equipped 911 Is Even More Insane In Person

Porsche’s Altitude Record Setting Portal Axle-Equipped 911 Is Even More Insane In Person

Porsche 911 Altitude Record Ts1
ADVERTISEMENT

In December, Porsche teamed up with legendary racing driver Romain Dumas to take a specially modified 911 Carrera 4S higher than any car’s been driven before — 4.184 miles above sea level, all the way up the west ridge of the Ojos del Salado volcano in Chile. The car to achieve this astonishing altitude record was named Edith, and we got an up-close look at it during this year’s Toronto Auto Show.

By now, you’ve probably heard the headlines that this manual, portal axle-equipped, massively lifted 911 has set a world record, but getting up close lets us bring you beyond the boilerplate and into some of the details you just won’t find in a press release. Of course, it also helps that Porsche positioned this thing way up in the air.

Vidframe Min Top
Vidframe Min Bottom

Intriguingly, this car’s tailpipe emissions while setting the altitude record were effectively carbon-neutral, as Edith was powered by synthetically generated, scrubbed carbon-based e-fuel. While e-fuels probably won’t take the wind out of battery-powered vehicles due to scalability limitations, it’s nice to know that Porsche is working on scaling a fuel that should keep the combustion-powered cars we love on the road for years to come.

Porsche 911 Altitude Record Front Suspension 2

 

ADVERTISEMENT

While a standard 992 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S uses MacPherson Strut front suspension, the altitude record-setting car definitely does not. Check out those immensely beefy billet upper and lower wishbones, along with the heim-jointed tie rod. On one end, that tie rod is attached to a Schaeffler Group Space Drive steer-by-wire rack. On the other? A massive knuckle attached to a portal axle.

Portal axles are sweet because they’re reduction gearboxes that position the wheel hub lower than the differential output flange centerline. Not only does the gear reduction aid in torque multiplication for low-speed off-road crawling, the geometry of each portal axle increases ground clearance while moving the differential further away from the ground. In a live axle application, like on a Mercedes-Benz G 550 4×4 squared, this adds running clearance. On an independent suspension setup like this 911 Carrera 4S, such an arrangement adds clearance and prevents CV shafts from running at excessive angles that would compromise their longevity. Edith the 911 uses them to great effect, boasting a remarkable 13.7 inches of ground clearance. That’s 2.2 inches more than you get with an air-sprung Land Rover Defender in its highest suspension mode.

Img 5533 2

 

For all my tire nerds out there, the record-setting 911 rolls on BFGoodrich Mud Terrain T/A KM3s, which you can totally pick up for your Jeep or truck. No spikes or special rally compound here, just a good ol’ yee-yee mud terrain. If it’s good enough for Porsche to set an altitude record on, it’s good enough for bogging deep in your Duramax.

ADVERTISEMENT

Porsche 911 Altitude Record

While we’re underneath the record-setting 911, let’s take a quick look at armoring and recovery. Not only is there a winch up front, the entire underbody has been fortified with a variety of protection measures. An enormous metal plate protects the front end from small boulders, but under the midsection of the unibody, things get more advanced thanks to Aramid fiber composite skid plates. Not only is the weave cool, the material is light and incredibly abrasion-resistant, making it perfect for guarding the passenger cell in a rear-engined vehicle.

Wrap Wrinkles

Beyond the astonishing engineering of this car and the legendary feat it accomplished, Edith is a reminder that jaw-dropping cars definitely don’t have to be perfect. The glitzy red chrome wrap looks almost as haggard as Balenciaga’s line of distressed footwear, with parts of it being wrinkled enough to the point where I could’ve done a similar application job after six or seven tequila shots, and some of the custom panels feature Tesla-grade fitment that you just wouldn’t accept on a production car. Hell, there are even self-tapping screws driven straight through body panels in the spirit of git-r-dun.

Porsche 911 Altitude Record

ADVERTISEMENT

Around back, a cursory glance reveals a gashed bumper and a cracked taillight, stuff that normally wouldn’t fly on a show car but totally works here because of this 911’s story. Any car that’s done something awesome is a show car, whether that’s racing, setting a world record, or just being an important moment in history. It elevates these balls of metal, glass and rubber that we love from transportation devices to something greater. Maybe the New Radicals were right. You do get what you give.

Img 5523

(Photo credits: Thomas Hundal)

Support our mission of championing car culture by becoming an Official Autopian Member.

Relatedbar

ADVERTISEMENT

Got a hot tip? Send it to us here. Or check out the stories on our homepage.

Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on whatsapp
WhatsApp
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on linkedin
LinkedIn
Share on reddit
Reddit
Subscribe
Notify of
20 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Manuel Verissimo
Manuel Verissimo
7 months ago

That is thoroughly awesome

Alpine 911
Alpine 911
7 months ago

This is pretty cool but Porsche had a big offroad crew helping and moving a lot of rocks. At the same time, you had a small trio pushing up with their electric offroad vehicle to set the record for the highest altitude – which they accomplished.

You can see them here
https://peakevolution.ch/home-2/

AMGx2
AMGx2
7 months ago

I’m surprised they had a fully operational photo studio on top of that mountain…

DadBod
DadBod
7 months ago

Sick car, but I’m clueless about the record and stuff. No linky? Googling…

Ron888
Ron888
7 months ago

Very cool.And also somewhat silly.Of all the weird world records,this one is pretty much meaningless.
Except for the unimogs of course.They were at least being useful

Loren
Loren
7 months ago

 If it’s good enough for Porsche to set an altitude record on, it’s good enough for bogging deep in your Duramax.

Sports car. Truck. Big difference…I’m afraid.

Jb996
Jb996
7 months ago
Reply to  Loren

Not that different in this application.
It’s not like the Porsche was doing sports car things, it was climbing a mountain, off road.

This “sports car” has more off-road credibility than 99% of trucks.
The lifted mud-bogger trucks I see seem to think “off-road” means hitting a curb at the mall.

R53 Lifer
R53 Lifer
7 months ago

Would look so good outside Whole Foods

Waremon0
Waremon0
7 months ago

That rear end is SO good

Ottomottopean
Ottomottopean
7 months ago

So by how much did it break the record? By my quick math this is a bit over 22,000 ft elevation which is just bonkers. How high was the previous recorded drive?

I really would have guessed there’s not enough oxygen that high to create a spark and fire the engine. Is the synth fuel more combustible?

Fascinating stuff here!

Last edited 7 months ago by Ottomottopean
Collegiate Autodidact
Collegiate Autodidact
7 months ago
Reply to  Ottomottopean

The previous record was 21,962 feet in a pair of Mercedes Unimogs which were used to help install emergency radio transmitters in 2020:
https://www.autoblog.com/2020/01/27/mercedes-benz-unimog-altitude-world-record/
Prior to that, in 2007 two Chileans drove a modified 1986 Suzuki Jimny/Samurai (so some 21 years old at that time) to an altitude of 21,942 feet to best two modified Jeep Wranglers, fielded by the Chrysler Corporation, which had set the record of 21,804 feet just a few weeks earlier:
https://www.motorbiscuit.com/this-1986-suzuki-samurai-stole-an-off-road-record-from-a-new-jeep-wrangler/
All of those vehicles including Edith are indeed mighty impressive but there’s just a certain je ne sais quoi about that homebrew 21-year-old Suzuki.

Last edited 7 months ago by Collegiate Autodidact
Collegiate Autodidact
Collegiate Autodidact
7 months ago

Oh, looks like Jason Torchinsky actually wrote about the Unimogs over at the old site in 2020:
https://jalopnik.com/badass-mercedes-unimog-trucks-set-new-world-altitude-re-1841267841

Ottomottopean
Ottomottopean
7 months ago

Amazing!!
Thanks for posting that. So much better than Google results.

Collegiate Autodidact
Collegiate Autodidact
7 months ago
Reply to  Ottomottopean

You’re welcome. Yeah, for some reason I remember when those records were achieved, they were just that memorable to me. And the fact that the records achieved have been so incremental highlights just how difficult such endeavors are. All the more reason to be impressed by that homebrew 21-year-old Suzuki Samurai, plus it was funny how the Chileans yoinked that “Jeeps Only” parking sign and took it home.

Last edited 7 months ago by Collegiate Autodidact
Jb996
Jb996
7 months ago

This would have all been great background context to have in the actual article!!

Andrew Wyman
Andrew Wyman
7 months ago

It’s beautiful. This and a 356 are the Porsches I would want to daily.

Doctor Nine
Doctor Nine
7 months ago

Finally. A car that’ll get me to work during the climate apocalypse.

I want one in Soul Red.

Morgan van Humbeck
Morgan van Humbeck
7 months ago

So… happy right now

20
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x