Porsche 911s are known for being good in foul weather thanks to the weight of the engine pressing down on its rear drive wheels. However, that unusual engine placement also makes the car one big pendulum that wants to go butt-forward all the time. Here’s how tough it was to drive on the ice of this year’s Rallye Monte Carlo.
This 911 GT3 RS belonged to Porsche factory driver, 2016 World Endurance Championship winner, 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, and two-time Pikes Peak International Hill Climb winner Romain Dumas. Dumas explained to Porsche how difficult this year’s conditions were at the rally:
That was a drive on the razor’s edge. Thirteen of the 14 special stages were driven on snow and ice. You had to be incredibly careful not to end up off the road.
It’s incredible how hard he has to work to keep the big 911 on the road. He’s constantly at partial throttle and hunting for what little grip he can find on the icy stages.
Perhaps because of this, a Porsche 911 on a rally stage will always be one of our favorite cars. It’s a crazy feat to run fast and keep it out of the trees, and darn it if it doesn’t just look incredible on the road.
Dumas ultimately won the R-GT class this weekend, which is a solid start to his year away from the Porsche 919 Le Mans prototype squad.