Ford has a long history of racing the PPIHC, dating back to a Model T racing up the mountain in the very first running in 1916. The mountain has changed since then, however, and so has Ford. This year, Romain Dumas will pilot the SuperVan 4.2, and if that name sounds familiar, it’s because Dumas is already a Pikes Peak record holder, setting the outright record in 2018 in the Volkswagen I.D. R electric racer (7:57.148).
The I.D. R only had 680 hp on tap and weighed under 2,500 pounds, so with more than double the power, Dumas and the SuperVan 4.2 might be eyeing a new overall record.
Downforce will be critical, and the SuperVan 4.2 generates tons of the stuff. Literally. At 150 mph, its new aero package produces over 4,000 lbs of downforce courtesy of the gargantuan rear spoiler and front splitter, both made from carbon fiber.