The 102nd running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is about to get hotter than ever with Ford’s new electric competitor entering the fray. In 2018 Volkswagen proved to the world that the ID.R electric prototype could go fast as all hell up the famed mountain race course, setting a new record en route that has yet to be bested. Frenchman Romain Dumas was driving that sleek VW, and he’ll be behind the wheel of Ford’s big downforce “pickup truck” racer on June 23rd as well. You gotta hire the best to beat the best, right?
In 2023 Ford ran its wild 1,400 horsepower prototype SuperVan 4.2 at Pikes Peak, netting a class record, just seven seconds behind the overall winner. This time Ford is hitting even harder with a new faster EV contender. It’s unclear whether this is a totally new machine or if it’s a high-downforce reskin of last year’s SuperVan, but either way, it kicks a ton of ass. Regardless, you can expect the new truck to be faster than the old van, purely on aerodynamics alone. It also seems unlikely that Ford is happy with “just” 1,400 horsepower anymore.
With a wing the size of my house and a diffuser I could use as shelter from the rain, this mega EV packs an incredible 6,000 pounds of downforce at 150 miles per hour. With a smart driver behind the wheel and a ton of power at their right foot, this truck is looking like an early favorite to win the overall, and possibly beat Volkswagen’s record.
Of course, we haven’t yet seen what wild modified Ioniq 5s Hyundai will be bringing to the competition in late June, but it’s bound to be good. And unlike Ford, Hyundai will have two bullets in its proverbial gun, as it has entered a pair of Ioniq 5 N Pikes Peak Specials for WRC driver Dani Sordo and four-time Pikes Peak overall winner Robin Shute.
I, for one, hope that Ford and Hyundai both have a good time and keep coming back to the mountain for several years.