Classic 1956 Porsche 356 completes Antarctic road trip
Renee Brinkerhoff has driven the car on every continent
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Renee Brinkerhoff is back from the brink.
Renee Brinkerhoff used the sponsored and self-funded trip to raise awareness for the fight against human trafficking. (Valkyrie Racing)
The 65-year-old Coloradan and her team completed a 356-mile journey across Antarctica in a 1956 Porsche 356 sports car in early December.
The vehicle had previously competed in rallies on every other continent and was converted with skis, tracks and a crevasse bar for the trip to the polar region.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Renee Brinkerhoff set out from the Union Glacier airfield. (Valkyrie Racing)
After a quick shakedown of the vehicle, which had arrived several weeks earlier and had been sitting in the freezing temperatures, Brinkerhoff and her navigator, adventurer Jason de Carteret, set out from their base on the Union Glacier on a 356-mile loop that took from Monday to Friday to complete.
The Porsche was modified with skis and tracks. (Valkyrie Racing)
The cold weather caused the four-cylinder car to run on just two cylinders part of the time, requiring long distances to be driven in second gear, but it only suffered a couple of minor mechanical issues along the way. The team went through three of four spare connecting bolts for the skis and needed to replace one shock absorber.
Brinkerhoff had hoped to swap wheels and tires back onto the car to attempt a continental land speed record on the runway before they headed home, but weather conditions wouldn't allow it and, in fact, delayed their departure several days.
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According to a Porsche spokesperson, the journey marked the first time one of the brand's cars ever visited Antarctica.