Rhys Millen will race this dramatic Le Mans-style car at this year's Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, as he bids to claim the overall record time for the 12.42-mile "Race to the Clouds."
The car will run in the Unlimited class, which has no restrictions on tires, suspension, drivetrain weight or horsepower. It is powered by a 4.1-liter Hyundai Lambda turbocharged V6 engine, which will have around 675hp. The car will weigh around 1,850lbs.
Power will be distributed via active differentials, which allow a torque split of between 10 to 100 percent between the front wheels, which will help Millen cope as the track switches between asphalt and the loose gravel sections of the road.
To achieve the low weight, the car has a carbon fiber body. It also has an active rear wing which rises in corners and falls on straights.
"We are building a car for today's road," said Millen "The car will have a sleek aerodynamic body, the grip of Toyo Proxy tires and the power and durability of a Hyundai engine. This is the package I need to break the record."
The overall record for the event at Pikes Peak, located on the outskirts of Colorado Springs, is held by Nobuhiro Tajima, who set a time of 10m01.408sec in his Suzuki XL7 Hill Climb Special in 2007. Prior to that, Rod Millen – father of Rhys – held the record for 13 years, with a time of 10m04.06sec.
This year's event is scheduled for June 27.