Project 356 ready to take on Antarctica in a modified Porsche

One Porsche team is aiming to do what very few have done before – race on all seven continents, all in a Porsche 356.

Prepared by Valkyrie Racing and driven by Renée Brinkerhoff, the team will head to Antarctica as Brinkerhoff eyes off becoming the first woman to ever race across every continent.

Having ticked off every other land-based continent off her list, taking the 356 to Antarctica has taken a fair amount of preparation, as is evidenced by the addition of skis and tracks in place of front and rear wheels respectively.

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Sticking out the front of the classic Porsche is a large crevasse bar, designed to both protect the vehicle and its occupant from particularly immovable bits of ice as well as support a dual-sided solar panel, allowing the electrical systems to recharge from both the sun and snow.

Although it is still powered by an internal combustion engine, the team aims to leave behind as small of a footprint as possible – almost literally as the new ski and track combination leaves less of an impression on the snow than a human's shoe.

“The ski and track combination increase the flotation by as much as 300 per cent when compared to Antarctic 4x4 support vehicles on 42-inch tyres – and the 356 will be gliding and leading the tracks throughout the entire journey," said senior chassis design engineer, Kieron Bradley.

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The journey will begin on December 5, taking place over 356 miles (573 kilometres) with Union Glacier serving as the designated finish line for the team's daunting quest.

Brinkerhoff is aiming to raise awareness and donations to help combat child sex trafficking, raising funds to support pre-vetted shelters within remote areas including China, Mongolia, Peru, India and Kenya.

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