Mercedes’ Unimog just set an altitude world record up an active volcano

An altitude record that has stood since 2007 has been broken.

A pair of Mercedes-Benz Unimog U 5023 off-road trucks were recently driven to a height of 6,694 meters, or 21,961.94 feet, up the Ojos de Salado volcano in Chile.

Never before has a wheeled vehicle climbed to such a height anywhere in the world. The previous record of 21,942 feet was set by a Suzuki Samurai up the same volcano.

The Unimogs were on no joyride. They were the vehicles of an expedition team led by Matthias Jeschke whose task was to install a series of emergency radio units at various high-altitude camps on the volcano. The stratovolcano forms part of the Andes mountain range and has a peak of 22,614.83 feet, making it the tallest volcano on earth.

After the effort, Jeschke praised the Unimog U 5023’s ability to handle the rough terrain.

Both vehicles “mastered the extremely steep and rocky passages thanks to a combination of the best, reliable technology, a balanced center of gravity and amazing tire technology to bring the materials and equipment to these enormous heights,” he said.

Mercedes-Benz Unimog U 5023 during record climb up the Ojos de Salado volcano in Chile

Both vehicles were fitted special tires, strong winches, and special bodies that enable the driver to alter the center of gravity. And under the hood of each was a diesel engine good for 232 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque.

Some of the performance specs include an off-road ratio for a climbing capability of up to 100 percent, a fording capability of 3.9 feet, and a top speed of 55 mph. And finally ground clearance can be raised to almost 20 inches.

While it took 13 years for the previous record to be broken, the new record might not stand as long. America’s Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus has previously said that climbing the Ojos de Salado volcano was a goal for its Boot off-roader.

Source: Motorauthority