The legendary hill climb on Pikes Peak, a mountain in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in the US state of Colorado, will take place on Sunday, June 2023, 25. And the roaring loud roar of the tuned combustion engines, which lose around a third of their power on the way to their destination, which is on the summit at 4.301 meters above sea level, due to the thin mountain air, is increasingly put under pressure by powerful electric cars. In 2014, the Stromer took second and third place. In 2015, the electric car with the bulky vehicle designation “e0 PP03 Elektroauto” from the Latvian manufacturer “Drive e-0” won the open vehicle class for the first time.
VW IDR Pikes Peak record drive 2018
June 2018 - On this day, everything should go well for Volkswagen under the best of conditions. If one had been able to choose a suitable film music as background music beforehand, the epic Valkyries ride as orchestral prelude to the third act of the opera Die “Walküre” would have been a suitable background music for the subsequent spectacle. The ride was so impressive from the start that even the accompanying helicopters with their cameras struggled to follow the IDR. The journey to the summit took place at a breathtaking pace. In the end, the stopped time stood at exactly 7: 57.148 minutes. And now it was clear to all players that this was an overall record for all vehicles used so far.
Record times at a glance
Pikes Peak Hill Climb 2023
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, also known as The Race to the Clouds, is an annual automobile and motorcycle race to the top of Pikes Peak in Colorado. It has a long tradition. The paved road is 12,42 miles (about 20 km) and is very challenging with over 150 turns. Altitude gain is 4.720 ft (1.440 m). The race starts at Mile 7 on the Pikes Peak Highway and finishes at 4300m at the summit of Pikes Peak.
The Bergrennen is a classic and attracts a large audience of motorsport enthusiasts every year. The best climbers are awarded in several categories and different vehicle classes. Internationally successful rally drivers take part every year and illustrious names such as Sebastian Loeb, Per Eklund and even our rally legend Walter Röhrl can be found in the list of winners in recent years.
In recent years, the electric car developers are increasingly represented on the podium. The power loss of the internal combustion engines at high altitudes favors the clean ones electric motors on the way to the summit. And what goes together better than an emission-free winning car with an incomparable natural landscape?
The next international hill climb will take place on June 25, 2023. The cars are divided into 6 vehicle classes:
Unlimited
This is where the most interesting prototypes start, an almost unlimited technical freedom allows many innovations in use. The regulations mainly apply in the area of security.
Time Attack 1
The basis is the production vehicle, engine tuning and improved aerodynamics are permitted within limits, two-wheel and four-wheel drive are possible.
Pike's Peak Cup
Racing vehicles that correspond to a manufacturer's brand cup start here.
Open wheel
Single-seat prototypes with a conventional engine start here. Two-wheel and four-wheel drive are allowed. The minimum weight depends on the type of engine and drive (prototype).
Pike's Peak Open
This is where production vehicles start, including engine tuning and improved aerodynamics. There is two-wheel and four-wheel drive, a minimum weight is required.
Exhibition
All vehicles that do not fit into one of the other classes start here. The decision is made by the race management.
Addendum
Cover picture: View from Pikes Peak - Copyright: samevig @ fotolia.com
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