Pursuing To Break The Production Car Record, Porsche’s 911 Turbo S At The 100th Pikes Peak

Set to pursue the production car record at the 100th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, three-time King of the Mountain David Donner, in Porsche’s latest flagship 911 Turbo S. 

Previously, at Pikes Peak in 2020, Donner and Pete Stout, 000 Magazine’s chief editor, in the 911 GT2 RS Clubsport claimed a record win in the ‘Time Attack 1’ class.

The time to beat this year is 10 minutes and 18.488 seconds, set by Rhys Millen in a 2019 Bentley Continental GT, ousting a time of 10:26.896 set by Donner himself in a 2014 991-gen 911 Turbo S. 

Notably, racing a factory standard, road legal car at an event as demanding and high-profile as Pikes Peak is unique in the world of top-level motorsport, and the challenges are immense.

000 Magazine’s editor-in-chief, Pete Stout, expressed, “Enthusiasts know a fast time on Pikes Peak much like they know a fast lap time on the Nordschleife. The variables on the 14,115-foot mountain present a unique challenge, as do the risks. With no way to practice the full course, you get one shot every 12 months, if the weather cooperates. When it comes to international intrigue, I’d put Pikes Peak up there with Le Mans, Monaco, and the Isle of Man TT. Now consider the fact that you can still race a street-legal car at Pikes Peak on Sunday and drive it to lunch on Monday, much as you might have with an early 911 in the first golden era of the sports car.”

To recapture the record, a Lightweight Package decked out 2022 Porsche 992-generation 911 Turbo S acquired from Champion Porsche will be used.

Said factory standard car was then wrapped in a unique livery themed around ‘Print isn’t Dead’, using high resolution images from a recent article in 000 about the birth of the 911 Turbo.

Stout furthered, “Many of us think of the Turbo as a luxurious 911, but the earliest Turbos were fairly light cars that homologated the 934 and 935 for Group 4 and Group 5 racing. The article explored what the first 911 Turbo was like to drive in the context of the 1973 Carrera RS. The Lightweight Package for today’s Turbo S removes 80 pounds, making a fast car even faster. Champion Porsche have done a fantastic job preparing this car.”

For the man himself, Donner is approaching the 100th staging of the world’s highest Hill Climb with typical intensity. 

“I’ve always gone to Pikes Peak to win or set a record. The stakes are too high unless you’re there to prove something and can do so professionally. My family’s history with Porsche at Pikes Peak stems from my father, Bob Donner, who won three times in Porsche Spyders in 1960, 1961, and 1962. My last three wins here have been with a Porsche, so it would be meaningful to make it four. We still have a lot to accomplish in testing, but we’re looking forward to joining a huge grid of technologically advanced race cars and world-class drivers for the 100th,” remarked Donner.

That said, the 100th staging of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb takes place on June 26, and from the looks of it, the Porsche 992-gen 911 Turbo S seems to be like a promising contender.