And here’s the defender of the crown – the latest Pikes Peak competitor to get previewed is the Hyundai Genesis Coupe racer, which will go up against the Peugeot 208 T16 and the Monster Sport Toyota Super 86 in the Unlimited Class of this year’s Race to the Clouds.
According to Hyundai, the RWD hill climber is its fastest and most powerful racer to date – and we can believe it, looking the way it does. Rhys Millen, the incumbent Pikes Peak record holder, says his 2013 machine will have a turbocharged 3.8 litre V6 with upwards of 900 hp and 1,083 Nm of torque at its disposal.
What’s astonishing is that apparently this engine shares 90% of its components with the standard naturally-aspirated lump, which produces – in stark and staggering contrast – 350 hp and 400 Nm of torque. If this is true, we doubt history has ever seen a more miraculous 10% – forced induction notwithstanding, of course.
Moreover, the Hyundai Genesis Coupe racer is nearly half a tonne lighter than the 2012 car (which will compete this year in the Time Attack 2WD Class at the hands of Pikes Peak veteran Paul Dallenbach), thanks to the use of titanium and carbon-fibre parts. It will have a lowered composite body with dramatic extensions and a huge rear wing, while the chassis comes courtesy of Crawford Race Cars.
It all sounds good so far, but those of you who are familiar with the demanding conditions of the hill climb event will know that anything can happen this June 30, which will also see, in attendance, the Mitsubishi MiEV Evo II, Toyota Motorsport’s EV P002 and a total of 10 vehicles from Honda including a 1991 Acura NSX and a 2012 Acura TL.
The spotlight will be on the Unlimited Class, though. Will the 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe racer be able to defend its seat from the 875 hp/883 Nm/875 kg Pug or the 670 hp/809 Nm/1,080 kg Toyota?
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when the F1 team will send their machine to the race?
I have trouble understanding this statement ” If this is true, we doubt history has ever seen a more miraculous 10% – forced induction notwithstanding, of course.”
It puzzles me too…but i think he’s trying to point out that the with only 10% of component changed (and forced induction) from the original engine, the power output and torque would be so big of a difference, this is something we hadnt seen before…..
and why the word “notwithstanding”?
They are really all out man….
really interesting year for this race
Seriously, last year their car was so much more powerful than the competition, (300hp difference?) and yet the result was .02 seconds over 10 minutes. That means there’s either a problem with the driver, or the engineering. Despite the new car, there’s no way this car can have as much power/weight, nor downforce as the ugly Pug…