A pristine 1956 Porsche 365A today could be worth in excess of £200,000.
One racer converted her classic German sportscar into a snowmobile, instead of keeping it.
Renée Brinkerhoff, an American philanthropist racer, is preparing for the final stage of her Project 356 World Rally Tour taking place in Antarctica, which involves racing the vintage Porsche across a glacier.
Fitted with snowtracks at the rear and a pair of skis, the 65-year-old car and driver will complete the ‘ultimate test’ in December when it takes on the last leg of the tour – a 356 mile race on all seven continents and every type of terrain.
This is not your standard Porsche: This 1956 365A sport car has been transformed into a snowmobile for a race on Antarctica’s glacier.
The classic racing machine is modified with snowtracks at its rear, skis and front and a whole new suspension system that incorporates its new running gear.
Brinkerhoff is the daughter a diplomat. She is a Colorado-based mom of four and became an amateur racer at the tender age, 57.
Her classic car, which was built the year she was born, has been modified several times to adapt to different environments over the two-year period.
Valkyrie Racing, the team that converted the vehicle to a ‘Polar Porsche’ has completed the final stage. This allows the vehicle to be used in the most extreme environments.
“While we are proud to have completed every endurance rally we’ve entered,” says Brinkerhoff.
“We set out to break new records and break barriers. We are optimistic that our Antarctic expedition will accomplish this.”
The 356 is currently in transit to Chile via ship, its workshop in the UK, and will be air-shipped to Antarctica’s extreme conditions upon arrival.
Renée Brinkerhoff, is preparing for the final stage of her Project 356 World Rally Tour taking place in Antarctica, which involves racing the vintage Porsche across the Union Glacier
Brinkerhoff’s hobby racing is to raise awareness and money to end child trafficking
Her beloved 1956 Porsche has been modified several times to adapt to different environments during an endurance rally that lasted two years. This was mostly due to delays caused mainly by Covid
Brinkerhoff will be joined by the Valkyrie Racing team in Chile at the beginning of November. If the weather cooperates, the subzero sprint in Antarctica will begin on 5 December. It should be completed before year’s end.
The long-awaited trip was launched in late 2020. In addition, the 18-month-long planning process has allowed the naturally-aspirated flat 6 356 to undergo a complete reengineering for the treacherous terrain.
‘Success for Renée and her car will come from the thoughtful balance of appropriate technology we’ve added, and the mass reduction implemented,’ says Kieron Bradley, senior chassis design engineer for the project and a practiced extreme explorer in his own right.
The car already had the 1.6-litre 59 horsepower engine upgraded from its original. This would have been too weak for a racing machine. The powerplant was upgraded to a flat-six 2.0 litre boxer engine. It is based on the Type 4 motor in the Porsche 914.
It also features dual Weber carburetors that produce a maximum power output of 152hp, almost three times the original.
Brinkerhoff (right), the daughter of a diplomat, a Colorado-based mom of four, and an amateur racer who started racing at the tender 57 years old. Here daughter, Juliette (left), has been her navigator for previous rally events
The car had been upgraded from the 1.6-litre 59 horsepower engine that it had when it was new. This would have been insufficient for a racing machine.
The powerplant was upgraded to a flat-six 2.0 litre boxer engine, based upon the Type 4 motor of the Porsche 914.
It also boasts dual Weber carburetors, which provide a higher maximum power output at 152hp – almost triple the original.
It can also be mated to a quicker-shifting five speed manual transmission. Other upgrades include four-wheel disc brakes as well as a limited slip differential.
For the latest excursion, however, it required more drastic modifications.
The Porsche 365A has had a dramatic overhaul. A set of snow tracks has replaced the rear wheels.
A pristine example of the classic Porsche would today be worth anything upwards of £200,000, according to valuations experts
Attached to the front, the skis will compact the snow and prepare it for the rear track unit to follow. An underside blade guides the direction.
Bradley replaced the rear tyres with snow tracks. He also attached a pair skis to the front with a brace, suspension system, and specialized brace.
The 356 will have a single-arm suspension with coilovers shocks for both tracks in the rear.
While the addition of skis and tracks has increased the overall mass of the 356 – an issue because a low weight is key to driving over the ice rather than sinking in – the mass per square inch, or footprint, has been reduced to less than four per cent of the standard wheel displacement.
“The ski that we have made must do 40 to 50% of the work. The track unit will follow the ski, and the underside blade will guide the direction.
Bradley explains that this ensures that the tracks won’t sink under light snow.
It doesn’t matter what angle you view the Porsche from, it looks absolutely amazing and like nothing else we’ve ever seen in a classic sports car this age.
The 356 will have a single-arm suspension and coilover shocks for the tracks in the rear.
The 356 is already on its way to Chile via ship from the UK. Once it arrives, it will be air-shipped into the harsh Antarctic conditions at Union Glacier.
Bradley also had to think about the fact that the tracks and skis must be removable so that spiked or icy tyres can easily be re-fitted without changing their wheel alignments.
“A pneumatic inflatable jack will be used for the change.”
The same car was extensively rebuilt six years ago after Brinkerhoff suffered a major shunt competing in her beloved Porsche.
The 2015 La Carrera Panamericana was a 2,000-mile rally in Mexico. An amateur racer hit a guardrail when she attempted to avoid hitting a crowd. This caused severe damage to her Porsche 356.
The car will soon be raced across all seven continents. It is seen here taking part in the Targa Tasmania Rally 2018, which was a six-day event covering 2,000km. This was the second stage of Project 356 World Rally Tour.
Photographed by Brinkerhoff with her Porsche, fighting through the mud in Kenya on the opening day for the 2019 East African Safari Classic Rally
Brinkerhoff’s 1956 Porsche 365A, built in the year she was born, was built in 1956. She hopes to raise awareness about children at risk by racing the car.
British explorer Jason de Carteret will be Brinkerhoff’s guide on her latest polar expedition. He will also serve as navigator for the final stage in the globe-trotting race.
De Carteret has been on more than 50 expeditions including to the North Pole and South Pole. He and Bradley have set two world records for the fastest overland trip to the South Pole in the Thomson Reuters Polar Vehicle that they created.
Brinkerhoff says, “As often as has been the case when I took on new terrain in my 356, it has not been an opportunity to test the car.”
“The test will come when Union Glacier is visited, and we are very hopeful that the new design will stand up to all of our expectations.
“As Jason and Kieron have told me, there is no terrain like Antarctica and so no place where a true test could be taken.”
During the 2015 La Carrera Panamericana, Renée Brinkerhoff struck a guardrail after executing an emergency maneuver to avoid hitting a crowd of bystanders, badly damaging her Porsche 356
After Renée Brinkerhoff’s crash during the 2015 La Carrera Panamericana rally, a local observer offered assistance to help get her back on the road
In 2019, Brinkerhoff and her daughter – turned navigator – Juliette became the second female-driven team to complete the historic East African Safari Classic Rally since its inception in 1953
The Project 356 World Rally Tour can be described as an expedition as well as a humanitarian effort. The December 2021 challenge completes this ultimate endeavor by one woman, one vehicle, and one global mission to end child trafficking.
Brinkerhoff raised over half a million dollars through Valkyries Gives. 100% of the proceeds went to victims of human trafficking around the globe.
Brinkerhoff, who will have driven nearly 32,000 kilometres (almost 20 000 miles) across seven continents, taking part in endurance rallies such Peking to Paris, East African Safari Classic Rally or La Carrera Panamericana by the time it ends.
UK-based Tuthill Porsche has been a technical preparer in nearly all of Brinkerhoff’s endurance rally events. Valkyrie Racing has also prepared sustainability strategies such as solar panels for the crevasse bar to ensure that Project 356 World Rally Tour is completely carbon negative.
Roberto Mendoza was her navigator. They are pictured celebrating their class victory at the 2017 La Carrera Panamericana endurance racing race. It was the first of seven events that she has participated in as part of her continent crossing racing tour.
Picture of Brinkerhoff in 2019, just outside Mombasa (Kenya). The racer can be seen here with local children from Kilifi County during road testing for East African Safari Classic Rally in 2019.
The 2019 East African Safari Classic Rally commenced during the rainiest season in 40 years.