1 / 10Record-Breaking Climb: On 2 December, racing driver Romain Dumas set a new world record, piloting a significantly modified Porsche 911 to an altitude of 6,734 metres above sea level at the peak of the Ojos del Salado volcano in Chile. This is an astonishing 1,375 metres higher than the Khardung Pass in the Leh district of the Indian union territory of Ladakh, one of the highest motorable roads in the world.
2 / 10Extreme Conditions: The team, which consisted of members from Chile, France, Germany, the United States, Canada, and Switzerland - faced extreme conditions during the record-breaking attempt. The air at altitude was only about half as dense as at sea level and temperatures hovered around 20 degrees below freezing. Despite these challenges, Dumas described the experience as extraordinary and expressed gratitude to the team and partners for their support.
3 / 10Supporting Partners: The expedition was supported by businesses like HIF Global, Schaeffler Group, Mobil 1, BFGoodrich, and TAG Heuer as these provided expertise and technology to the team. Frank Walliser, Vice President of Complete Vehicle Architecture and Characteristics at Porsche AG, congratulated the team on their remarkable and inspiring achievement.
4 / 10eFuels Performance: The two 911 models used in the expedition were powered by eFuels, produced in the HIF pilot planned “Haru Oni” in Punta Arenas. Clara Bowman, COO of HIF Global, expressed her thrill at the result and highlighted the capability of HIF Global synthetic eFuels, which performed in the most extreme and demanding conditions imaginable.
5 / 10The Cars: Two modified Porsche 911 models, nicknamed ‘Doris’ and ‘Edith’, took part in the record attempt. The record-breaking car was developed by RD Limited in collaboration with Porsche. The 911 itself proved to be an excellent basis due to its lightweight chassis construction, ample power and ability to cope well with extremely high altitudes.
6 / 10Car Modifications: The two cars, ‘Doris’ and ‘Edith’, were equipped with carbon fibre seats and five-point harnesses. Portal axles were added to increase ground clearance to 350 mm, reducing gear ratios for precise, gentle throttle inputs at low speeds. The cars were also equipped with lightweight Aramid fibre underbody protection to allow sliding over rocks.
7 / 10Steer by Wire Technology: The lead car received a special additional piece of technology, steer by wire. This system, developed and provided by Schaeffler Group and called Space Drive, was capable of meeting the unique and extreme demands of the volcano and the terrain.
8 / 10About eFuels: Both cars were running entirely on eFuels, created by HIF in Chile. These eFuels were made from water and carbon dioxide using renewable energy, enabling a potential near-net CO₂ neutral use of combustion engines. Porsche has invested in eFuels as part of its ‘double e-path’ to power sports cars past, present, and future: E-mobility and eFuels.
9 / 10Reaching the Record Altitude: Throughout the expedition, the project took a cautious, safety-first approach. The team took two weeks to slowly acclimatise to the altitudes, slowly gaining in height day after day. The cars had no such difficulties – the standard systems on the 911 sensed the thinner air and adjusted the fuelling accordingly, meaning performance was maximised.
10 / 10The Summit and Descent: The push for the summit occurred on Saturday, 2 December with the team setting off at 03:30 local time. At 15:58, the summit and the end of the journey had been reached. The team enjoyed the incredible view for a moment, taking a photograph to mark the occasion before carefully starting their descent with the same precision and caution as the ascent.
