The Porsche 911 Turbo S Just Set the Pikes Peak Production Vehicle Record
The Porsche 911 Turbo S is the new production king of Pikes Peak.
The lightweight performance version of the German marque’s iconic sports car became the first street-legal vehicle to complete the famous hill climb in less than 10 minutes late last month. The run may not have been part of the annual race, but it still counts for the record books.
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The new record was set by the #000 team 911 Turbo S driven by David Donner, a member of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Hall of Fame, on Sept. 27, according to a press release. The experienced driver piloted the high-tech coupé up the twisting highway in a stunning nine minutes and 53.5 seconds. That time didn’t just break the record, it shattered it, besting the previous mark of 10 minutes and 18.4 seconds, which was set by a Bentley Continental GT in 2019, by nearly 25 seconds.
Donner and the rest of the #000 Porsche team had hoped to set the record at the 100th Pikes Peak Hill Climb this past June. Unfortunately, weather conditions limited the near-stock 911 Turbo S to a time of 10 minutes and 34 seconds. That was good enough for a class win and second overall, but the team knew it could do better. And thanks to a new Pikes Peak program that allows certified course times to be recorded outside the race, it was able to do so.
“Capturing the production car record at the 100th was our goal, and we were happy to finally see what this car can do,” said Donner. “We were blessed with clear weather to set fast times without practice on two cold mornings in suboptimal light. The PPIHC and Pikes Peak Highway were very supportive and accommodating, and the new Certified Course Time will allow others to make their mark on Pikes Peak for years to come.”
The record-setting 911 Turbo S was almost identical to the one you can buy at dealerships now. Modifications for the #000 car included a roll cage, sports seat, fire system and approved tweaks to the electronic control unit and exhaust system. It’s unclear if its 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged flat-six was tuned for the run, but the standard version’s mill can pump out 640 horses and 590 ft lbs of twist. Not that there was any reason to doubt the vehicle’s capabilities before, but it has more than proven itself now.
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