Suppose you planned to drive hundreds of miles through Antarctic glaciers and snow. In that case, most likely, you'd be looking to pilot a specially-designed vehicle, and what you probably wouldn't be thinking of is an old-fashioned sports car. But you are not Renee Brinkerhoff.
The philanthropist has been traveling close to 20,000 miles over six continents using a shrewd Porsche 356A under the guise of "Valkyrie Racing" in recent times. The project is centered around an organization called Valkyrie Gives, which aims to end child trafficking. There's only one continent left for Brinkerhoff to conquer in this campaign to raise awareness, and it's the most difficult of them all: Antarctica. Since a rally-tuned air-cooled Porsche will not suffice, the car went through an 18-month overhaul, the results of which can be seen here.
After breaking records in 2013's Le Carrera Panamericana rally as the first female driver to take home the category, Brinkerhoff, then 57, was attracted to her passion for rallying as well as breaking the boundaries. She started Valkyrie Racing and a few Panamericana podiums; later, she had the vision of taking on the world in the rally and supporting the cause she loved as she did it. The vehicle is headed to Puntas Arenas in Chile as we write. This December, Brinkerhoff and de Carteret plan to travel 356 miles from the Union Glacier before attempting an Antarctic land speed record set on an ice-blue runway.
Retrofitted Polar Porsche Is Ready For Antarctic
As a rally-ready air-cooled Porsche doesn't seem to cut corners, that's why it went through a transformation, and the result is striking. To deliver the ultimate feat, Valkyrie looked to extreme exploration vehicle experts Kieron Bradley and Tuthill Porsche. Their British company is famous for its work on 911 rally cars as well as Singer ACS. Both wheels have been removed and replaced with skis on the front and tracks in the rear. The skis are affixed to brace bars explicitly made for the vehicle and can be turned by the car's initial steering mechanism. Joining them with the suspension could have been an "over-stressed and compromised" solution
Together with the tracks in the rear, The car's "flotation" over thick snow is believed to be 300 percent more efficient than the typical Antarctic support vehicle for 4x4 with wheels and big 42" tires. This means it can effortlessly navigate its way through the snow comfortably. The front skis are designed to glide through the soft, natural snow, leveling it into a more solid surface upon which the two rear tracks can push the car forward. The system was thoroughly examined to allow the vehicle to conquer the icy and challenging terrain and drive in Antarctica with a "recommended" speed of 24 miles per hour.
Each braced beam that affixes an individual ski on the 356's hubs has its own suspension to dissipate the strain on the vehicle's standard hub as well as standard shock-absorbing elements. The rear tracks, too, come with a system that is specifically designed. While the front and back foot track dramatically alter the appearance and function of the 356 models, they're intended to be swapped out for studded ice tires without wheel realignment.
The car also comes with an enclosed roll cage, two-sided solar panels which reflect the light through the sun as well as the snow, a four-ton jack that can lift the car in soft snow as well as a temperature indicator to monitor the transmission, a low-temperature 12V compressor, a survival suit with water and communications equipment for emergencies. The temperatures in Antarctica can be as low as -122 degrees. However, this cold mess benefits 24 hours of daylight during the end of the year, so the lights were taken from the vehicle to aid in the weight reduction. Once the mission is completed, the team will attempt to make a land-speed record on Antarctica's Union Glacier.
Purpose Built For A Noble Cause
After four years, the Project 356 World Rally is proceeding toward an end. Renee is soon taking the Porsche 356A over one of the most challenging regions and endeavoring to set an Antarctic record for speed on the no man's land. This year's Project 356 World Rally is currently in its final step. With the help of her navigator Jason de Carteret, Renee Brinkerhoff will start her 356-mile journey across the cold region on December 5 to mark the finish of her historic 20,000-mile journey.
As Brinkerhoff drove around the world on the 356 over clouds swallowing 16,000-foot mountains, over the cliff-strewn roads, and through scorching Gobi sand, she would make stops along the way to visit frontline anti-trafficking organizations in far-flung areas of countries affected as well as talk to vulnerable people in orphanages and villages as well as deliver vital supplies as well as funds, and aid to raise awareness across the globe. Since the beginning of the campaign, she's also raised $500,000 towards the goal of $1 million: just one woman, one classic automobile, and one worldwide mission. Anyone who contributes $356 to this worthy cause to stop trafficking in children will see their names inscribed on the car's hood and be gifted the commemorative hat.
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